This year I’ve set goals if simplicity.
1. Hit fairways not distance
2. Go for centre of green
3. Go for three foot circle putt or chip
4. 3 footers 100%

I’ve been discovering to obtain these goals I need a repeatable consistent swing. Not as easy as it sounds. I have to wipe ideas of changing my shot to obtain a simple reliable shot.
What are you working on?

For me it’s trying to improve on my second shots.

I find the fairways okay off the tee and can chip and putt reasonably, my problem is finding topping/slicing and finding too many hazards with my second shot.

My slice is getting better, only usually 1 fairway off course now, not 1.5 – 2. My airswing is much better as well, only missing the ball by half and inch to an inch now. Still need a bit of work on my shanks, try to get them down to 4 or 5 a round.
Always room for improvement.

Damn trickshot thought I’d seen this profile picture somewhere before!

Best be changing mine then

Thanks, that would be good. I’ve been using it for over 4 years so I’m pretty well identified by it. Even had to explain what the photo is on a few occasions.

I’ve had my current avatar since this morning…and I’m not changing for anyone.

For me AB….it’s all about getting the ball into play off the tee. Hence the 3W, and the driver very rarely gets a run, and probably won’t until I spend some time practising with it, and get more confident that I am capable of hitting fairways with it.

As you know, I’m not long off the tee, so I figure I need to be playing solid hybrid 2nd shots off the cut stuff. I reckon I’m about 70-80% fairway with the 3W….I don’t keep my stats, but that would be my feel for the number.

And take my medicine. Don’t turn one bad shot into two.

On taking the medicine Goldy I also am trying with that. I saw a clip called ‘awkward 8’ where the teacher explains that a awkward lie is often easiest hit with a half swing 8 ir to return you to safety. It has worked well for me so far.

At the moment, arithmetic. Need to be able to add up lots of strokes, not points.

Thanks, that would be good. I’ve been using it for over 4 years so I’m pretty well identified by it. Even had to explain what the photo is on a few occasions.

Runner up (with Mark Gibson), 3 legged race, North Ainslie Primary School athletics carnival, 1966.

We can see what it is, Tricky Makes you wonder who the smart arse was who chose that as a trophy.

Interestingly, no-one has nominated ‘English’ as what they’d like to improve.

What am I trying to improve? My golf swing, of course.

I’ll probably never be satisfied with what I’ve got.

Bunker shots are my weakness, especially on other courses with different sand or whatever. Not sure how to work on improving that area, except stay out of them.

my whole game as iv only just started. focusing on keeping my shots straight not so much distance.

Better GIR…that is improve on 1-2 per round. How, continued work on my ball striking and alignment

my whole game as iv only just started. focusing on keeping my shots straight not so much distance.

Welcome to the forum

Working hard on hitting fairways. If I hit them or close to them I can score. plus sink more putts. I ave 32 most game. I would like to have that under 30 by years end.

my sledging,
got asked one day which footy team i followed by some random club member, i said
“i don’t, i prefer contact sports”
the we had 3 hours of silence,
magic

My main focus this year on the practice side of things is my putting. I am trying to put 80% of my extra practice time into that and hardly work on my longer game, save for the fact that I hit a bucket to warm up before playing.

This means that I am trying to be more conservative with all the rest of my shots – keep it in play in good position on the second shots so that I have a good shot into the green. Otherwise want to work a little bit on some basic skills for chipping and bunkers to make sure I am consistent (if not spectacular) with those skills, so that I can do most of my concentrating on rolling in long putts.

I think in my thread I had one pretty simple goal:

More greens in reg but keep the putting stat stable if not better.

After the first few rounds of the year, I think I need to also add to chip better, maybe record a “missed green, 1 putt” stat….

I am improving (marginally) in relation to slow play. In that, I am recognising what I may need in relation to mental preparation and correction for various degrees of slow play – whether it is the general pace of the field, or of the group I am in.

I have come to realise that there is a slowness that I cannot adjust to, so I will be avoiding such situations.

Why am i improving ?

before i couldn’t care less….....no i just don’t give a shit, seems to be working ;-)

More greens in regulation. Will achieve this by spending more time practising shots between 60-110 and less time practising my driving.

My chipping.

When I chip the ball, it basically has to be good enough to replace a first “lag putt”, and leave me within that 3 foot circle …..... no matter where I’m chipping from around the green.

The fact that I am chipping, means I’ve missed the green, so my chipshot becomes my “lag putt replacement”, and it had better be a good one.

If I’m not within makeable one putt range after my chip … then I’ve just wasted it.

A chip and two putts for me, is exactly the same as 3 putting a green, and pisses me off just as much.

My chipping.

When I chip the ball, it basically has to be good enough to replace a first “lag putt”, and leave me within that 3 foot circle …….. no matter where I’m chipping from around the green.

The fact that I am chipping, means I’ve missed the green, so my chipshot becomes my “lag putt replacement”, and it had better be a good one.

If I’m not within makeable one putt range after my chip … then I’ve just wasted it.

A chip and two putts for me, is exactly the same as 3 putting a green, and pisses me off just as much.

+1 bazillion to this….

Well it appears that I’m not improving my ball striking yet.
With the help of the golfer’s enabler that is eBay, I thought I’d give the “blades for better ball striking” experiment a whirl.

I picked up a set of TM Rac MB’s for the princely sum of $100 last night and after racing down to Somers and back after work, I headed off to MGA with much gusto.

The plan is to use the MB’s solely at the range as my MP-52’s have been good little vegemites and deserve their place in my bag.
So with regular visits to MGA the idea is to find that sweet spot more often.

After a few 3/4 PW’s to warm up, I’m thinking “yeah these feel nice”.
Not quite travelling as far as the 52’s but that’s probably to be expected.

Moving on to 7 iron, I notice more of the same.
That is a lovely soft feel but certainly a club less distance.
Perhaps it’s the heads, perhaps it’s the shafts, perhaps it’s just me.

Then it hits me…..or should I say…. it hits the hosel.
For the next 70 odd balls in the bucket I proceeded to hit every part of the club except the face.
Hosel Rocket Fest 2013.
Could have sold tickets to the show.
“Come and see the world’s greatest chopper….be marvelled by his crapness”

Was the worst range session I’ve had in my life.
I’m almost scared to pick up the MB’s ever again!
Thank god I got them cheap :)

Lets just say at this stage, I’m not a firm believer in the blades for better ball striking theory.