I agree, but the way they measure their ability isn't by getting pars and scoring low, it is by smashing it miles in a straight line once in a blue moon.

They think their rare pars are down to skill, and all their double bogeys down to bad luck. Classic fundamental attribution error.

So not only is their assessment of risk:reward out of kilter, because they only hit one fairway out of four, but they aren't even judging themselves by the right measure anyway.

It's the equivalent of the tennis player who isn't good enough to serve at 100mph but tries anyway, over and over again, hits an ace twice an afternoon and loses every single service game.

Which is exactly why you shouldnt, 9 in 10 are going to go tittts up.

As for the range WTF would you want to wear spikes ? Get a pair of trainers on or if you really want get some shoes that have no spikes. Half the time Golf if full of dip stick show offs, especially at the range. Turn up with loads of top end stuff stroll about like they are gods gift then get on the matt and do a air shot !

Thats the thing i used to hate about golf, when i worked on a range i was only a young lad people used to look down there nose at me...... Until they saw me hit some balls. Then they want to be your best friend etc 2 faced or what lol.

Right, for the record my handicap has sneaked up to 11, after being 8 in 2008.

There's not really a great difference between the two - when I was playing more often I'd shoot low-mid 80s if I was poor, or mid-high 70s if I was on form. These days it seems I shoot mid 80s if poor, but low 80s if decent (include a few compounded mistakes to lose half a dozen shots.)

I think it might help (me and perhaps even someone else!) to commit this to the web:

First Wednesday medal of the season today targets:

- Have a warm-up, with a few chips/pitches and a few shots to get a feel for the balls (ooh-er),

- Choose a club and be confident and settled with my aim/target for every shot,

- Do not chase pars at the risk of double bogeys (at the weekend I went for a pin with a pitch, over a bunker from a soggy lie out of frustration/desperation, when a safer bump and run would've seen a 20 foot par putt).

I'm not really bothered about a score target; as long as I manage to do the things above I reckon I'll be able to improve on last week's 81!

I'll let you know how I get on - mibbe even give a mid-round update

Good luck.

Im really tempted to get my clubs out again. Ive not actually played a round for about 8 years now and that was a one off not played properly for about 15 years. A fair few of my mates have started playing now so might be a bit of a laugh. I did get my clubs out from my parents loft last year but didnt play as all the grips had gone off.

Good batts they are. I used to have a set of them. I used to hate the fact you had to keep covers on them to stop them getting covered in marks ;-(

If anyone cares...


Target 1 almost achieved, although it was a bit rushed. 2 poor chips on 1 and 2 lead to bogeys.

Target 2 almost achieved, just a couple of shots my head couldn't quite convince the body where to aim the ball (blowing a gale on my hilltop course today).

Target 3 achieved apart from 1 hole. Ended up losing a ball, and 3 putting with my 2nd ending up with an 8 on a par 4. Duhhh.

So in the end I had 2 birdies, 8 pars, 7 bogeys, and a quadruple bogey for 80-11=69.

Best score since 2010

So basically, you are swing across and too steep - why not go and see your pro and get it fixed rather than limiting yourself to hitting the ball maybe 180 yards max?

I've spent hundreds on lessons.

Golf - Arghhhhh

I played off about a 6 handicap when I was 16/17 as I grew up next to a very good course and spent a lot of time there, then didn't hit a golf ball for over 15 years.

Came back to it about 5 years ago, I can go down the range and hit 50 balls out the middle of the club, within 20 feet of where I want them to land, with the exception of the driver which I've a tendancy to slice away every now and then if I'm really trying to hit the back of the range (and what's the point of hitting the driver if you're not going to hit it 250+).

But...

When I occasionally get onto a course in the last 5 years I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've hit under 90. Last month I played with a 65 year old who couldn't hit it over 150 yards, swung with straight arms, never rotated his hips at all, never faced the target, had one foot of the ground throughout his backswing, which wasn't even a half swing - but he beat me up well and proper, on every green in 3 and putting for pars or bogey. I'm next to the green in 2 and end up putting for bogey/double bogey.

Anyway, moral is for those of you beating yourself up at the range, you learn to get good golf scores by getting divorced, disowning kids and spending 12hours a week on the course, don't expect to be good at golf playing at the driving range. Apologies if this has all been said somewhere else in the thread.

Guys you're not going to learn anything at the range by hitting 15 7 irons in a row...