The Golf Thread - 2015
Discussion
airweaz said:
There is a fixed Vaper driver coming out very soon. Its a TW branded Vapor Pro I think. Fixed to 10.5 if Im remembering correctly.
I did see that mentioned on Twitter - didn't realise it was fixed, so thanks for that. I do like the Vapor Pro...hmmm this could get expensive 
StescoG66 said:
I need help..... Badly. Striking the ball really well all in yet consistently taking 4 or 5 to get down from 90 yards in. It's really getting me down......".....
When you say 4-5 shots in 90yds are we talking miss hit PW/SW full shot?Have you tried pitching in with a 7iron dink, and rolling towards the pin. This helped me no end till I Sussed my wedges out
StescoG66 said:
I need help..... Badly. Striking the ball really well all in yet consistently taking 4 or 5 to get down from 90 yards in. It's really getting me down......".....
If you can hit a big ball well then there's nothing wrong mechanically. It's just a question of practice and developing feel.You should spend at least half your practice time within an underarm throw of the hole. Sounds obvious, but one chip or putt per green is the difference between being an 18 handicapper and playing off scratch.
Also a bit of course management - are you working hard and taking risks to leave yourself 60 yarders that you are very nervous about, when you could be leaving yourself 100 yarders that you find much easier, with much lower risk to put it there?
ManFromDelmonte said:
Adjustable drivers are mainly useful for the fitter rather than the golfer and, in my opinion, the fitter should have sufficient stock and equipment to be able to create clubs to fit you anyway.
Having said that, it is useful when you are making swing changes to be able to keep the same driver and easily make changes to loft/lie etc. without having to buy a new club or get it re-bent etc.
I'm a fan and convert of the adjustable loft drivers. Having a driver with a standard loft of 10.5 that I've been able to adjust to 12.5 has made a huge difference to my driving. Much straighter now and I can shape the shot more reliably. I would never have considered buying a driver with a fixed loft of 12.5.Having said that, it is useful when you are making swing changes to be able to keep the same driver and easily make changes to loft/lie etc. without having to buy a new club or get it re-bent etc.
For those concerned about strange noises from an adjustable driver, I've found that once you've adjusted it you need to give it a good few swishes and then get the torx tool out again and tighten up again. You may have to do this twice before it's torqued up correctly. I guess just like car wheel nuts, it's a good idea to regularly check the tightness of the screw with the torx tool.
boxsey said:
I'm a fan and convert of the adjustable loft drivers. Having a driver with a standard loft of 10.5 that I've been able to adjust to 12.5 has made a huge difference to my driving. Much straighter now and I can shape the shot more reliably. I would never have considered buying a driver with a fixed loft of 12.5.
I know what you saying, and I myself have an adjustable driver albeit left at standard loft (8.5) and lie. My point was that, had you been fitted for that club, you would likely have ended up with a 12.5 if that really has given you the best performance. The fact it is adjustable is largely a disadvantage once you have it set up correctly.PapaJohns said:
StescoG66 said:
I need help..... Badly. Striking the ball really well all in yet consistently taking 4 or 5 to get down from 90 yards in. It's really getting me down......".....
When you say 4-5 shots in 90yds are we talking miss hit PW/SW full shot?Have you tried pitching in with a 7iron dink, and rolling towards the pin. This helped me no end till I Sussed my wedges out
SpeckledJim said:
StescoG66 said:
I need help..... Badly. Striking the ball really well all in yet consistently taking 4 or 5 to get down from 90 yards in. It's really getting me down......".....
If you can hit a big ball well then there's nothing wrong mechanically. It's just a question of practice and developing feel.You should spend at least half your practice time within an underarm throw of the hole. Sounds obvious, but one chip or putt per green is the difference between being an 18 handicapper and playing off scratch.
Also a bit of course management - are you working hard and taking risks to leave yourself 60 yarders that you are very nervous about, when you could be leaving yourself 100 yarders that you find much easier, with much lower risk to put it there?
StescoG66 said:
SpeckledJim said:
StescoG66 said:
I need help..... Badly. Striking the ball really well all in yet consistently taking 4 or 5 to get down from 90 yards in. It's really getting me down......".....
If you can hit a big ball well then there's nothing wrong mechanically. It's just a question of practice and developing feel.You should spend at least half your practice time within an underarm throw of the hole. Sounds obvious, but one chip or putt per green is the difference between being an 18 handicapper and playing off scratch.
Also a bit of course management - are you working hard and taking risks to leave yourself 60 yarders that you are very nervous about, when you could be leaving yourself 100 yarders that you find much easier, with much lower risk to put it there?
If your wedge is firing, then that's the way to do it, but if it isn't, and it is causing you more problems than it is solving, then look to a punched 7 or 8 if you don't need the height.
The dispersal pattern will be larger than a set of good wedges, but wont be as bad as a set of bad wedge shots.
After that, putting is simply crucial. But 2.2 putts per hole isn't too bad. Try to hole EVERYTHING. Every 1-putt makes amends for a 3-putt. Included in the 1-putt mindset should be chips from just off the green. The idea has to be to give them a chance of going in, and those that don't go in should be in a coffin sized area behind the hole.
SpeckledJim said:
StescoG66 said:
SpeckledJim said:
StescoG66 said:
I need help..... Badly. Striking the ball really well all in yet consistently taking 4 or 5 to get down from 90 yards in. It's really getting me down......".....
If you can hit a big ball well then there's nothing wrong mechanically. It's just a question of practice and developing feel.You should spend at least half your practice time within an underarm throw of the hole. Sounds obvious, but one chip or putt per green is the difference between being an 18 handicapper and playing off scratch.
Also a bit of course management - are you working hard and taking risks to leave yourself 60 yarders that you are very nervous about, when you could be leaving yourself 100 yarders that you find much easier, with much lower risk to put it there?
If your wedge is firing, then that's the way to do it, but if it isn't, and it is causing you more problems than it is solving, then look to a punched 7 or 8 if you don't need the height.
The dispersal pattern will be larger than a set of good wedges, but wont be as bad as a set of bad wedge shots.
After that, putting is simply crucial. But 2.2 putts per hole isn't too bad. Try to hole EVERYTHING. Every 1-putt makes amends for a 3-putt. Included in the 1-putt mindset should be chips from just off the green. The idea has to be to give them a chance of going in, and those that don't go in should be in a coffin sized area behind the hole.
StescoG66 said:
Matters not whether I try to pitch and run, or hit a lob. Practice the shots fine, just have a complete mental block when executing the shot. I end up hitting it either fat or thin............ And getting grass stains on my knees in the process.
I'm not sure if you mean your practice swings before you take the shot are fine (i.e. practice swings without the ball) or your shots are fine when practicing on the range? If you mean the former, you need to get on the range and practice on grass (driving range mats are no good for practicing pitching, lopping and chipping). If you mean the latter it sounds like you have a mental block when it comes to executing the shot on the course. The best tip I can give for this (pitching, lobbing or chipping) is ensure that you are still looking at the ground after you hit the ball i.e. don't look up for at least a second.And as Jim says...there's not a lot wrong with a 2.2 putt average. Follow his thoughts to improve it.
Making progress on my "become a good golfer" project. Now feel pretty comfortable with my driver and consistently hitting it 270yds, usually within a few yards either side of where I intended. Had one wild one that slipped away onto the wrong fairway today though. Also the first time I played a whole round with the same ball today so was pretty chuffed with that.
As predicted, my Swedish starting handicap of 54 has tumbled and today I teed off as a 37 handicapper. Scored 44 points and put my card in so I understand that means I know get cut to 33. Would like to get down to below 28 before I move back to the UK at the end of July so that I can join my local club and start with a handicap that is representative of my actual play.
As predicted, my Swedish starting handicap of 54 has tumbled and today I teed off as a 37 handicapper. Scored 44 points and put my card in so I understand that means I know get cut to 33. Would like to get down to below 28 before I move back to the UK at the end of July so that I can join my local club and start with a handicap that is representative of my actual play.
Monkeythree said:
Making progress on my "become a good golfer" project. Now feel pretty comfortable with my driver and consistently hitting it 270yds, usually within a few yards either side of where I intended. Had one wild one that slipped away onto the wrong fairway today though. Also the first time I played a whole round with the same ball today so was pretty chuffed with that.
As predicted, my Swedish starting handicap of 54 has tumbled and today I teed off as a 37 handicapper. Scored 44 points and put my card in so I understand that means I know get cut to 33. Would like to get down to below 28 before I move back to the UK at the end of July so that I can join my local club and start with a handicap that is representative of my actual play.
FYI the maximum mens handicap is 28 in the UK. So they'd start you off there anyway. Once you've submitted three scorecards that are signed then they'll issue an official handicap. Sounds like you'll be down to 18 if you can really hit the ball that far and straight...Most amateurs massively over calculate how far they actually hit their shots. My friends all claim to be able to hit 300 yard drives but in reality they rarely knock it past 250, usually they average around 220-240!!As predicted, my Swedish starting handicap of 54 has tumbled and today I teed off as a 37 handicapper. Scored 44 points and put my card in so I understand that means I know get cut to 33. Would like to get down to below 28 before I move back to the UK at the end of July so that I can join my local club and start with a handicap that is representative of my actual play.
kentlad said:
Monkeythree said:
Making progress on my "become a good golfer" project. Now feel pretty comfortable with my driver and consistently hitting it 270yds, usually within a few yards either side of where I intended. Had one wild one that slipped away onto the wrong fairway today though. Also the first time I played a whole round with the same ball today so was pretty chuffed with that.
As predicted, my Swedish starting handicap of 54 has tumbled and today I teed off as a 37 handicapper. Scored 44 points and put my card in so I understand that means I know get cut to 33. Would like to get down to below 28 before I move back to the UK at the end of July so that I can join my local club and start with a handicap that is representative of my actual play.
FYI the maximum mens handicap is 28 in the UK. So they'd start you off there anyway. Once you've submitted three scorecards that are signed then they'll issue an official handicap. Sounds like you'll be down to 18 if you can really hit the ball that far and straight...Most amateurs massively over calculate how far they actually hit their shots. My friends all claim to be able to hit 300 yard drives but in reality they rarely knock it past 250, usually they average around 220-240!!As predicted, my Swedish starting handicap of 54 has tumbled and today I teed off as a 37 handicapper. Scored 44 points and put my card in so I understand that means I know get cut to 33. Would like to get down to below 28 before I move back to the UK at the end of July so that I can join my local club and start with a handicap that is representative of my actual play.
37
I'm playing twice next week so will hopefully keep some consistency and momentum. Still making lots of stupid errors which is costing me a lot of shots and my putting is hugely variable so plenty to go at. Really enjoying it though which is the main thing.
ETA My driver is 10.5 degrees and my swing speed accordiing to trackman is around 105mph. Being 6'4" and 15 stone, my drives have quite a lot behind them!
ETA My driver is 10.5 degrees and my swing speed accordiing to trackman is around 105mph. Being 6'4" and 15 stone, my drives have quite a lot behind them!
Edited by Monkeythree on Friday 5th June 19:59
boxsey said:
StescoG66 said:
Matters not whether I try to pitch and run, or hit a lob. Practice the shots fine, just have a complete mental block when executing the shot. I end up hitting it either fat or thin............ And getting grass stains on my knees in the process.
I'm not sure if you mean your practice swings before you take the shot are fine (i.e. practice swings without the ball) or your shots are fine when practicing on the range? If you mean the former, you need to get on the range and practice on grass (driving range mats are no good for practicing pitching, lopping and chipping). If you mean the latter it sounds like you have a mental block when it comes to executing the shot on the course. And as Jim says...there's not a lot wrong with a 2.2 putt average. Follow his thoughts to improve it.
kup. Really if I even got putting down to 2 or 1.9 average, it would be the difference between 0.1 on or buffer. Playing off 10 my current form is not acceptable in my mind, given that I was off a comfortable 7 or 8 at one time.Gassing Station | Sports | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff