41 replies to this topic

[Toolish]

After about 7 years of half arsing my golf it is time to get back in the ring.  I see a few other journals here so I thought I would kick one off as well!

 

I have been playing golf for about 20 years now.  Through that time I have had phases of working hard, and phases of not really working on it at all...I think it is time to try to improve again.

 

So right now I am playing off 4.8.  2016 I played 11 competition rounds, and only 1 was actually better than handicap so I am on the way out unless a few things change!

 

What is going to change?

 

1.  I am committing to playing more.  At least 20 competition rounds this year.

2.  I am committing to practising more.  I have been to the range 3 times this year, and 2 of those are in the last fortnight.  At least 1 range session per week.  Short game practise will be at home, at least 15 minutes per day.

3.  I am committing to practising the right things...first lesson is Tuesday next week.

4.  I am committing to playing other courses to grow my game.  I have played too much at my local course and will play more Open events to see some other places!

5.  I am committing to measuring it all.  I bought a GPS yesterday and from this point forward I will be tracking stats to work out where I am losing shots!

6.  I am committing to a weekly update here!

 

The long term goal is to get the handicap below 3 which allows me to play some of the large state amateur event.  Ideally, Vic Amateur at the end of this year!

 

 

[seve_]

I'm only 2 months in, but you have encourage me even more.

[Weetbix]

Look forward to reading about it

[Toolish]

Well, comp round 1 for the year done today.

 

Drove it really well, hit 9 fairways, the misses weren't bad and did not really cost me anything.

 

Iron play was atrocious, lots of thin shots and pulls.  Only hit 6 greens, and not many of them were close.

 

Short game was not good either, did not hit anything to stone dead range.

 

34 putts was mainly a reflection of the fact that most of my first putts were too long to be make able.  Had 4-5 of the front nine between 10 and 20 feet burn the edge.  Actually felt I putted ok, but just did not drop.

 

End result 82.

 

Hopefully the lesson will help tighten up the iron play, and it is time for some chipping practice in the back yard!

 

Onwards and upwards from here!

[Toph]

Hi Toolish. Anything changed in your personal life to give you this increased time or focus?

[seve_]

Don't let the give up be a stranger

Spent an hour today chipping bunkering and putting.

Keep at it

[Toolish]

Hi Toolish. Anything changed in your personal life to give you this increased time or focus?

 

Not really.  Just re-prioritising a few things.  Mainly related to how I spend my 'down' time.

 

Less time in front of the TV etc, more time working on golf game.

 

Got the wife on board in regards to playing more so that is a step in the right direction.

[Toolish]

Had my first lesson tonight...it was interesting.

 

I had a couple of things I knew where wrong with my swing but could not get them out of it...a couple of different thoughts and I am heading in the right direction...keen to work on the swing now I have something specific to work on!

 

Have been doing 15 minutes of putting every night and loving it!

[Toolish]

Round 2 for the year in the bank...oh how things change!

 

Driver : Hit 4 fairways!  That said there was only 2 drives that put me in real trouble.  2 found fairway pots, but they were ok, the other 6 were all within a metre or 2 of the fairway.

 

Irons were better but still not as good as they need to be.  Hit 9 Greens.

 

Putting was shocking.  37 putts for the round.

 

End result 84.

 

That said I was really happy with how I hit the ball given it is less than a week since my lesson so the swing is not ingrained at all.  Have gained 15-20 off the tee which I really did not think was possible, and probably gained 1 club with irons and it is just a nicer ball flight.

 

Lots of work to do, but I already knew that!

[Commish]

Nice to see you back on the forum, back into golf, back into bitching about golf, back into the love/hate relationship with golf.  Just nice to see you back and enjoying it really.  Won't take you long to be where you want to be with what you have shown already. 

[Toolish]

Decided yesterday to trial an alignment line on the ball.

 

Holes 100 putts in a row from 50cm, a task I had failed at the 2 days previous...onwards to 60cm today!

[Toolish]

Decided yesterday to trial an alignment line on the ball.

 

Holes 100 putts in a row from 50cm, a task I had failed at the 2 days previous...onwards to 60cm today!

 

100 putts from 60 cm today...70cm tomorrow and we roll on!

[Toolish]

Ok, so 70cm seems to be the limit as far as holing putts...a few times I got to about 30 then missed one.

 

All mental, just need to line up and stroke it but every now and then it just feels wrong.  I need to learn to back off and go again, same as when on course with all shots.  Every now and then one just feels wrong but I often go through with it anyway.

 

Either way hitting 100+ putts a day is good for my game, not so sure about my back though!

[Toolish]

Another round under the belt.  9 Greens, 37 putts.  82 Shots!

 

Ball striking is getting better each round since I had a lesson.

 

Putting is obviously the issue.  Had some practice yesterday with the putting mirror, I think I had got into the habit of standing too close to the ball, eye-line was outside the ball.

 

Moved away a bit and the whole thing felt better and on the carpet at home I made a lot more putts.

 

Only other issue is green reading, I am never overly confident in my reads!  Have been looking into Aim Point method, not sure if it is something that can be learned off DVD or need to go to a clinic/school.

[GhettoGolfer]

Another round under the belt.  9 Greens, 37 putts.  82 Shots!

 

Ball striking is getting better each round since I had a lesson.

 

Putting is obviously the issue.  Had some practice yesterday with the putting mirror, I think I had got into the habit of standing too close to the ball, eye-line was outside the ball.

 

Moved away a bit and the whole thing felt better and on the carpet at home I made a lot more putts.

 

Only other issue is green reading, I am never overly confident in my reads!  Have been looking into Aim Point method, not sure if it is something that can be learned off DVD or need to go to a clinic/school.

 

Have seen somewhere that some people have tried to "lawn bowl" their golf ball across tricky greens etc and then try channelling that feeling when putting?

 

What would you consider an acceptable putting number for you in a round of golf?