New to the forum with a couple of questions!

[Meeko]

Hi all, been reading for a few months now and finally plucked up the courage to register and get active. Found many helpful tips on this forum and some decent discussions going on so thought it was time I joined in.

I'll get started with a wee introduction on myself. I'm 23y/o golfer who started playing roughly about 1 year ago. I haven't joined a club yet so no handicap for me just yet. I'm based in the Edinburgh-ish area. My scores in this year have varied a bit. I went on a rampage run when first falling for the the game and went from 110's to 85 in the space of a couple of months. However that swiftly changed once the initial buzz disappeared and I now hit anywhere from 90-110. Now knowing the game as I do, I wish I done a few things differently when I first started playing, such as getting lessons or getting fitted for clubs as the clubs I have aren't fitted. Rookie error and in the future when I advance I will definately be getting fitted instead.

Have obviously developed loads of swing faults. I'm now a slicer (I wasn't when I started). My hands are rather low on my backswing and my posture is a bit rubbish. 99% of the time I can get good contact on the ball though. I do plan on getting lessons at some point although I can be socially awkward sometimes so this puts me off them.

I also have this weird mental side to the game. I've hit some really great shots over the year(some might say flukes), and for some reason in my mind thats stuck at me as my level and I go into a round expecting to easily break in to the low 80's etc which is pretty ridiculous when I think about it but I can't help it. Concentration also seems to be a major problem for me. For example yesterday I started my round with 2 pars and a bogey which is decent for me, had a disaster one hole and that set the tone for the rest of the round. Even though I felt like I got rid of it in my mind it clearly still had an affect on my round. I could also be playing well and somewhere in between just feel fatigued and mentally tired and end up with 3 or 4 8/9's in a row. Anyway thats me, any tips greatly appreciated!


My questions. I've been offered a Bushnell Tour v3 for £170 bucks. Allegedly only used for 2 or 3 rounds. Is this a good deal? I've always used the GPS on my phone round courses. Ideally if I can take it to the range and use it to find my yardages out properly aswell as on the course would be a great bonus and might help me lose a few shots a round...

Next question. I currently have a Nike Covert Driver but having lost all confidence with it completely. I now 9/10 use my 3wood off the tee as I hit that fairly well and just as far! I know the best answer here for me is lessons but as I said previously I can be a bit socially awkward so I'm just not feeling up to it at the minute. I started looking at new drivers. I looked at the Titleist 913 as one of their national fitting centre's is literally a stones throw from my house and I am seriously considering just booking a fitting for one there. Maybe it's just the confidence boost I need. I'm in two minds about this tbh but it'd be fitted properly so that would give me a bit of confidence too. :mmm:


Thanks in advance guys!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Welcome along. I prefer a GPS device (Sky Caddy) so can't comment on the Bushnell. I wouldn't worry about the social awkwardness as there isn't too much a teaching pro hasn't seen before and he'll want your repeat business and so will do everything to put you at ease and sort your golfing issues out. I would definitely advocate lessons and get some drills to work on and I'm sure you'll get back to your early golfing form.

 

[Slab]

£170 is worth a lot of lessons or buckets at the range. Nice toys to have but other ways to get your yardage so I'd leave that for a wee while

Oh and welcome along (you picked a brave day to join if things go wrong tonight )

 

[Old Skier]

Money better spent on lessons at your stage in golf. That way you may be able to find out how far you can consistently hit a golf ball rather than how far you need to hit it.

 

[London mike 61]

Welcome mate!

 

[Sir Scoop-A-Lot]

I'd bypass the rangefinder and get some lessons in. I have seen a major improvement in my game since I started having lessons and like yourself had a year or so before I did. I am now playing at around 24 (unofficially) so hoping for a nice cut at the end of the month in the monthly comp.

I can only put it all down to the great advice I've had from my lessons.

 

[apj0524]

I am similar position to you and may I suggest the spend the cash on some lessons, as said don't worry about feeling a fool, I felt like this but there were worst than me, and if you feel you aren't getting along with a pro change, I tried one didn't get on with his methods stuck with it out of stupid loyalty and ended up eventually changing but left feeling I wasted my money and time. New one great which has helped a lot.

 

[CMAC]

forget the laser :thup: knowing a poor quality range ball went 'X' yards is useless to you when you use a decent ball on the course.

See a pro and discover how to hit the ball properly, then practice practice practice

 

[Wayman]

Welcome

 

[Foxholer]

But if you decide that you can't turn it down, that's not a bad price.

I'd pick he'd accept 150, so suggest you offer that. Don't be disappointed if he declines; you've still got the GPS and priority should really be on improving rather than hardware. Ask the guys at Kings Acre what they suggest - they'll give you a pretty independent view. And the might also make a suggestion about the Driver.

And welcome btw.

 

[mcbroon]

Welcome along.

No point in being fitted until you have learned how to swing the club properly, IMO. If you get fitted, then have a bunch of lessons during which your swing changes, you'll only need to go back and get fitted again. As others have said, get some lessons. That'll be a better use of your money than a fitting or a rangefinder at this point.

Where in Edinburgh-ish do you play...?

 

[londonlewis]

Welcome to the forum Meeko.
Don't worry about the social side of things - be yourself and find a pro that doesn't try to change that.
It is definitely important you feel comfortable with your pro if you have lessons, they aren't cheap so you don't want to waste your money or not enjoy them - of fall out of love with golf ...

Unless you have £170 burning a hole in your pocket, I wouldn't recommend investing in a DMD just yet. There are many other aspects of learning the game that will help you improve before you need to buy a busshie or a-another DMD.

My recommendation for improving consistency is to work on your short game; putting, chipping, pitching & bunkers.
This will take the pressure off having to hit the green in order to make a score and it has a positive effect on the other aspects of your game.

Putting:
Spend time learning distance control first - work on 6, 12, 20 and 40 foot putts. The aim is to be comfortable in 2 putting from all these distances.
Work on <6 footers, the aim being confident enough to make a positive putt which will run 1-2 feet passed if it misses.
Then work on learning to read the greens.

Chipping:
Learn to chip with all clubs in your bag, including your low irons.
The aim is to understand the carry vs roll aspect of each club so you are more comfortable in being aggressive when on the fringe of the green.

Pitching:
Work on good technique, nipping the ball off the grass.
This is where you need to be confident in being able to play a solid pitch stroke that would be able to clear a bunker / the rough etc... which stands between you and the hole.

Bunkers:
Work on good technique which will help you confidently splash the ball out on to the green. I would recommend being good at this with a high lofted club (i.e. 60 degree) as well as your SW and PW - the change in loft will help you control distance.

Hopefully the above will you with some consistency on the course as well as highlighting the areas that need the most development.

Best of luck with the golf and hope we see further threads / posts from you.

 

[Meeko]

e: New to the forum with a couple of questions!

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions guys, much appreciated.:thup:


TBH, I could afford both lessons and a rangefinder. So I reckon I may aswell go for both. As for a new driver, I might just scrap that till next year as I hear the 915 range is due out at the end of year anyway.

:lol:

 

[the_coach]

Re: e: New to the forum with a couple of questions!

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions guys, much appreciated.:thup:


TBH, I could afford both lessons and a rangefinder. So I reckon I may aswell go for both. As for a new driver, I might just scrap that till next year as I hear the 915 range is due out at the end of year anyway.

:lol:

Good way to go to get a series of lessons to start to get the grip, set up, posture & swing motion off on the right track. To use the laser you'll need to know what your average club distances are.
Titleist have a 2 year release pattern that alternate one year irons, then the drivers & metals, so 2015 is the release year for the new drivers & metals anyways, as you say.
If your finding the Nike covert a tad troublesome, then my take would be, stay away from the 913's unless you try & find you can use the D2 rather than the D3, but neither are a totally forgiving club, you need to strike the middle consistently & well.

It'll be the technique first, as the best ways to go, not a new driver anyways. Then I'd try something like the Ping G25 before you look at the Titleist's.

Good luck & welcome (from a fairly new forum newbie myself)

 

[williamalex1]

Re: e: New to the forum with a couple of questions!

Welcome Meeko, I would suggest a few lessons to start , i wish i had before buying any gear/ gadgets.
Not much point in knowing its exactly 180yrds to the pin when you duff it 50yrds check again and it says 130 yrds like me.
Get your ball striking sorted first mate, enjoy .ne:

 

[ChrisWelsh]

I use the Garmin watch and find that what it gives me is confidence that I have the right club in my hand, because I've got a fairly good handle on how far I hit each club. If I play without it now, I do have that little seed of doubt in my mind that the distance may not be right. It's not a huge deal but with all that you've said on confidence, this might contribute a little towards that.

Like everyone else, I would advocate lessons too.

I recently bought the Titleist 913 driver at Kings Acre, which could be the fitting centre you mention, and it very much like getting a lesson, where the pro will watch you hit a few shots and then talk to you about it, and help work out what you need. If you are feeling up to that, the pros at Kings Acre are really good guys and are not intimidating at all. If you're on facebook, look up Kurt Mungall - he's one of the teaching pros there and is very, very good.

Like you I struggle with putting the bad shots out of my mind during a round. I always find myself chasing the lost strokes, taking on impossible shots from difficult lies etc. - I am trying to be better at course management but it's just a hard thing to do!

Hope you find the right thing that works for you.

 

[Meeko]

Yeah Kings Acre, I'm just up the road at Bonnyrigg so a 5 minute wee walk for me. I regulary use the range and course their anyway. I'll have a look for Kurt but thanks again.

 

[LinksTurf]

Whilst the investment in lessons is sound advice, try and get some recommendations as to who to go to from other golfers in the area first. All pro golfers know how to play the game. They are all supposed to know how to teach, but in my experience that is not the case. There is a big difference between knowing the theory of how to teach and actually being able to put it across to, and into context for, a particular individual. Find a good teacher, and stick to him.

 

[Meeko]

Small update. as a bit has changed since this first post.

I have a new driver, went to a local pro and got fitted. He said what I thought he would have said that my swing was my real problem and I needed lessons to correct problems but he also felt like the driver I had didn't suit me and it would maybe build up more confidence using a new driver. He was using Trackman/Flightscope (Can't remember which one) for numbers. Anyway, tried out Covert 2.0, Ping G25, SLDR, Cobra, Xhot 2 and Big Bertha. Best results were with the SLDR. Was hitting it slightly straighter and got an extra 15 yards out of it. So I went for it. Still seeing the same sort of shots but of the few I have hit better I have hit it futher so fairly happy with it so far.


He gave me a few tips aswell to help me in my quest for better shots. Told me my hands needed to be higher at the top of my backswing and my swingpath was wrong which was causing my slice. My ball flight starts off left then goes right costing me distance aswell. Any tips on these would be awesome! I'm gonna research some drills I can do at the range and try and work on it for a bit myself see If I can make an improvement on my own before I go to a pro and finally get a lesson. I can't remember the numbers from the launch monitor but I do remember my swing speed was on average 95mph if that makes any difference to anything.

Blackpool trip was awesome. Just back and I am extremely sunburnt but worth it. Played Blackpool Park, Herons Reach and Staining Lodge, all good courses and a couple of decent scores for me.

 

[London mike 61]

Lessons are a great way to go but I think it's also handy to have a library of other reference points to go to when you need to go back to basics on grip, stance, ball position and swing .

Here are my reccomenations for useful videos , books etc ;

http://m.videojug.com/tag/golf
Tom Watsons lessons of a lifetime DVD
David Leadbetter faults and fixes book
Dave Pelz short game bible book
swing like a pro by Dr Ralph Mann book

Hope you find these helpful.