The Golf Topic

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Kip
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by Kip »

Even a good golf school for 2-3 days will offer a lot of tips for your game. I highly recommend it. One that has no more than 3-4 students and will do a before and after video so you have something to compare. They usually focus on each aspect of the game including course management.
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by Mikkei4 »

rkovars wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 6:18 pm
Mikkei4 wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 5:51 pm So it looks like I need a ball fitting session, a club set gapping session, a lesson or 2 to improve striking a driver before a fitting session for new matching 3wood and driver. :D :lol:
A lesson with a competent pro and some time spent on the practice range would be money well spent!
Kip wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 1:13 am Even a good golf school for 2-3 days will offer a lot of tips for your game. I highly recommend it. One that has no more than 3-4 students and will do a before and after video so you have something to compare. They usually focus on each aspect of the game including course management.
Thanks for taking the time to write the tips guys :) :thumbup: :lol:

My last comments about numerous different sessions, lessons and new clubs were a bit "tongue in cheek" so sorry if I made myself look to have a much bigger problem than exists in reality. My driver isn't going well presently but if I followed through on all that I wrote above I'd be spending around £1000 - don't think so to gain 20yards by hitting driver instead of a 2/3wood - and, as I would like a fix during this golf season, attending a golf school mid-COVID would be difficult but I have looked at them pre-lockdowns, so I understand Kip's suggestion. Having attended 1 many years ago, shortly after starting out in golf, I know how good they can be for your game and meeting fellow golfers, might even see some of those pros whose golf needs improving according to the PGA stats.

I'm fortunate to be able to choose from several teaching pros for lessons and have access to very good practice facilities so have discussed the way ahead using my present equipment :thumbup:
If that sorts out my wayward driver I will however still compare my present 3wood and driver against new equivalents from the same brand as the rest of my bag. The irons and hybrids were custom fitted towards the end of last year and the improvement in my game has been more than I expected.

Thanks again gentlemen :thumbup:
Great topic !
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by magicman »

Bad knees ?

Might give this a go, myself.

"The knee-saving move that Bryson, Bubba and Phil all do in their swing" https://golf-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s ... f-swing%2F


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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by sproughton »

Can categorically say that I've lost whatever luck I had earlier on in the summer.

Still really enjoying it and glad to get 9 holes in most weeks, but the initial improvement has stalled and in truth probably gone a bit backwards the last few rounds.

The main frustration is that my bad shots aren't consistent in why they're bad. Pulls, pushes and occasional slices have crept in. Still, something to keep working on and hopefully I'll hold it together playing a nice course on Friday.
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Re: The Golf Topic

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Funny how this game is. One week ago I was feeling pretty good. Things finally seemed to be falling into place last Tuesday. Headed to one of my favorite courses last Thursday and it proved to be a minor disaster. the driver was good, but everything else was a lot of work. constant scrambling **** irons and blown reads on the greens resulted in to many doubles and a couple triples thrown in. Shot a 92 but still enjoyed the day.

Forward to yesterday....headed to the range early to work on my irons and get back in sync. I wasn't real confident when I headed off to the first tee. I shouldn't have worried as the range work did seem to help. Turned out to be a very consistent 18 shooting an 81 overall with no doubles. Then off to play my match and shot a 40 winning 2-0. All this with on and off rain.

Now headed to another course on Thursday that I love and usually play well there. Funny how this game goes from day to day.
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Re: The Golf Topic

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What a great day day today. Played 36 holes at one of my favorite courses in Keene, New Hampshire, Bretwood Golf course. We played both courses. I was pretty consistent shootimg 82 on the North course and 83 on the South. Could have been better if I could have read the greens properly today, but it just wasn't meant to be.

Worst shot of the day was hooking my tee shot into the river. Best shot of the day was the same hole. Took my drop and put my approach shot 2 feet from the hole and then in for par.

The weather was perfect at about 78 degrees with a very light breeze. Played with some great friends. It just doesn't get any better. What a great game this is when everything comes together.
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by village »

Golf has been a bit up and down this year.
I finished last year with a new set of fitted irons + driver and playing to 13....when we were eventually allowed out to play again in April I started ok and then for no discernible reason started playing really bad. I know the new indexing system is now in effect but my handicap went from 13.3 to an index currently of 17.4......somewhat irritating.
It wasn’t helped to be honest by a foot injury but I have have embarked on a series of lessons with a decent pro which are making a marked difference. I am starting to play better again and now my foot Injury seems to be sorting itself out I hope to get back to where I was.

All I need is for the blasted weather to improve and stop raining all the time!
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by Kip »

I had similar issues last year Andy. I was having a good season last year then knocked my back out. It didn't bother me playing golf so I kept playing though it. Problem was I was compensating for my lack of turn and developed some bad habits. I went from an 11 to a 14.4 by the end of the season. This year didn't start any better and I continued upward to 15.4 before I started going back down again.

I thought I knew what the issues were, but couldn't seem to get them corrected. I visited an old friend who is is a PGA instructor and he helped me out a lot. I am now heading toward my normal area of play. Just trying to get that consistency back. Getting older is making it a bit more difficult. :lol:
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by stefs »

Kip...Do you go round in a buggy? if not you must be in great shape to walk 36 holes a day! That would knacker me completely nowdays. I used to do it in golf society days when I was a much younger, fitter and slimmer man but not for ages!
Cheers now, Paul
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by village »

stefs wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 12:13 pm Kip...Do you go round in a buggy? if not you must be in great shape to walk 36 holes a day! That would knacker me completely nowdays. I used to do it in golf society days when I was a much younger, fitter and slimmer man but not for ages!

I think it’s Federal Law to use a golf buggy in the the States... 8) :D
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by sproughton »

Played Friday and Saturday at two nice courses with work colleagues.

My aim was to break 100 both times which I did. It became very clear that my issue was/is putting - I think only 6 or 7 holes out of 36 were 1 and 2 putts. And it's everything about putting I need to work on, alignment, distance control and green reading.

Happy with my play off the tee and general approach play (happy being very relative of course!). Very rarely put myself in trouble so that's a big positive.

Also the first time I've played with anyone who regularly plays - some of my good shots were just as good as theirs, but the sheer consistency of a low single handicapper is really impressive.
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by village »

I tend to think that putting is a strong part of my game and even if the rest is going pear shaped this aspect remains consistent.

I watched an interesting video by Phil Mickelson(?) once. He discussed that there were enough things to think about whilst putting at the best of times so he removed one of the major thoughts. All swings are the same regards length of swing - that becomes second nature and then all you need to do is vary the strength of the swing. I’ve employed that technique and I find it helps a lot.
For me, I always ensure the putting stroke is a pendulum motion using the shoulders to swing...no breaking of the wrists...with the ball central in your stance and with your head directly overhead the ball.
I also always try to aim to achieve a put that would place the ball 2” past the hole...this (if I manage it!) should ensure that you don’t keep leaving then all short.
Finally I also work on the principle that the longer you take over a putt then the more chance it’ll go wrong. Same principle as just picking up a ball and throwing it instantly at a target. Your subconscious takes over and you are surprisingly accurate when not thinking about it. Therefore when I putt I address the ball and try to take the putt as soon as possible and without thinking too much about it.

(Harder to describe all this than just show it!)
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by Kip »

stefs wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 12:13 pm Kip...Do you go round in a buggy? if not you must be in great shape to walk 36 holes a day! That would knacker me completely nowdays. I used to do it in golf society days when I was a much younger, fitter and slimmer man but not for ages!
These days a cart (buggy) is standard equipment. The knees don't do well the day after if I walk. Even a relatively flat course can do me in with 1 hill involved. I much prefer to walk as I always felt that I played better, but the day after pain and swelling just isn't worth it anymore. On the odd times I only play 9 holes, I will walk depending on the course.
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by Mikkei4 »

^ The putting discussion shows just how much variation there is in golf advice, how we think we (amateurs) should or are playing it and how it actually gets played by us.

I've seen professionals other than Mickleson on live golf TV say that it should be the length of the putting swing that changes for distance control not the power of the swing as power is not as easy to judge or change accurately. Yet we can't say either is wrong as these pros are earning fortunes using their method.

Advice on placement of the ball centrally, forward or back in your stance will depend upon whether you believe that it should be directly below your eyes or only dominant eye or if your putting stroke is straight, slightly arced or a full arc for which there are now numerous styles of putters to assist.

Should we just take a quick look and then putt ? or alternatively look at the ball, green and flag relationship from a front, behind and each side view ? Some advice is that we (amateurs) generally leave our putts short because we don't always take the side-on views and that the front only view gives our brain a foreshortened distance. Plus we won't read the green well without seeing the side views to see the slopes at the hole.

This is why we love or at times hate golf, why we try all these options, why we go out in all weather conditions and why golf brands sell so much new equipment. We are always searching for perfection and at our level might find it, if we're lucky, 50% of our time on a golf course. Or why just when we have a round that makes us think we've cracked this game it will firmly slap us down with a crap next round.

Try some or all of the advice that's around regarding golf but in the end it'll be what each of us find works for our game - as an example look at all the different but successful swings there are on the top pro tours.

BTW - did anybody see the 8 hole play-off on the Travelers at the weekend? What theatre that was!
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Re: The Golf Topic

Post by Kip »

When it comes to advice I have been told to stick with one person. Even if that advice is all wrong the next person you choose to take advice from can correct your issues more easily. If you take advice from several at the same time and then watch videos, read books etc. and try to apply to your game you will get confused and inevitably fail. You really need to have one person/coach that will learn your tendencies and work with them and/or correct them.
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