The Golf Thread - 2018!

[thebraketester]

Looks a very unfriendly hole.

[SpeckledJim]

That does look problematic for a right/handed slicer. Tough one.

Hard to tell from there, but a couple of wedges might be the plan, if there's a flat ish bit on the left of the fairway that will hold a ball falling from height?

Or a three quarters 6 iron low down the left and then deal with the consequences? Can you approach from the left with a bump and run, or does it demand a lofted pitch in?

My typical bad shot is a ballooning fade/slice so I'd be thinking twice about taking that green on in one.

[Blackpuddin]

SpeckledJim said:

That does look problematic for a right/handed slicer.

But it also looks impossible for a right-hander with a draw! How can that hole be played?
ETA: course says "drive for the mound just left of the green which will allow the ball to roll down to the pin". Hmm.

Edited by Blackpuddin on Tuesday 29th May 16:11

[Juanco20]

Blackpuddin said:

But it also looks impossible for a right-hander with a draw! How can that hole be played?
ETA: course says "drive for the mound just left of the green which will allow the ball to roll down to the pin". Hmm.

Edited by Blackpuddin on Tuesday 29th May 16:11

That is the play but you're talking about a 10 yard landing area so it seems like it was written for Tiger and Rory when they eventually turn up for a round

The course etiquette is to stand on that mound and wave the group behind down to keep an eye on their balls. It's funny watching some that got 20 or 30 yards deep in to trees, bounce around for 5 seconds and then end up in the middle of the fairway. Others can just catch the overhanging trees and get sucked in to the wood never to be seen again

[Blackpuddin]

I reckon they need to fire up the chainsaw and carve a draw-shaped chunk out of that forest. It would still be SI1 but at least it would open up some sort of a doable challenge for regular players.

[SpeckledJim]

Blackpuddin said:

I reckon they need to fire up the chainsaw and carve a draw-shaped chunk out of that forest. It would still be SI1 but at least it would open up some sort of a doable challenge for regular players.

Or move the tee back 20 yards and make it a legitimate par 4!

[Juanco20]

It does get easier after that with 3 driveable par 4s. Get through 8 with your card intact and you can really push on the back 9. Had 24 points coming back yesterday

[Potatoes]

Potatoes said:

HaplessBoyLard said:

Woody John said:

Titleist are a players club.

Based on what? Are my AP1 game improvement irons “players clubs”. With a couple of exceptions they’re about as high launching, low spinning, jacked loft as they come.

Titleist make clubs to suit everyone. Same as every other manufacturer.

I'm quite happy to accept the "Titleist are a players club" line... that makes me a player!

After all that I sold the Titleist driver, couldn't control the damn thing unless I swung at 60mph...

Stuck it back on eBay, got my money back plus a little and bought a Ping Rapture V2 Driver with a Diamana stiff flex shaft to go with my Ping Rapture Irons.

Lovely driver... because I can control it and swing at the ball, I'm able to get much better distance.

So yes, I concede that on this occasion. I am not the player Titleist make clubs for!

Edited by Potatoes on Saturday 2nd June 07:50

[Juanco20]

I've suddenly realised after watching numerous videos and looking at loads of images that I've been misunderstanding the grip with the right hand

Whenever I heard the lifeline should sit over the thumb, I always thought it meant the hollow/gap that is created should sit right over the top of the thumb. This requires the right hand to be turned over to the left a little. This however is apparently a very weak position and it should actually be that the lifeline presses in to the side of the thumb and fleshy pad of the right hand sits on top of the left thumb

Haven't had chance to try it out yet but it might explain why my bad shot is always a push fade/slice. It definitely feels a lot different holding it this 'neutral way' so could take a bit of getting used to

[thebraketester]

The V between your thumb and index finger should roughly point up at your right shoulder.

[swisstoni]

Grip is one of those things that is almost impossible to learn from videos and books. Plus people have different size hands, and there are different philosophies out there.

I worked hard to get a good grip. I’m now taking lessons. One of the first things the instructor did was crank my left hand round so that left thumb is at 5 o’clock on the grip!

I thought i wouldn’t be able to hit anything but duck hooks and for many shots I couldn’t. But I have adapted and it has made me better overall.

I’m only half way through the course of lessons, so I’m not sure where all this is headed yet.

[Juanco20]

swisstoni said:

Grip is one of those things that is almost impossible to learn from videos and books. Plus people have different size hands, and there are different philosophies out there.

I worked hard to get a good grip. I’m now taking lessons. One of the first things the instructor did was crank my left hand round so that left thumb is at 5 o’clock on the grip!

I thought i wouldn’t be able to hit anything but duck hooks and for many shots I couldn’t. But I have adapted and it has made me better overall.

I’m only half way through the course of lessons, so I’m not sure where all this is headed yet.

Funny you should say that. I had first lesson with our new Pro last night and he tore my swing apart (at my request)

He's done the same thing with my setup and grip (even my left hand was weak when I thought it was on the strong side of neutral). It feels so weird and that everything is going miles left (which it does if I still swing over the top). Swing on the correct path from the inside and the ball flies dead straight

Edited by Juanco20 on Thursday 7th June 12:26

[JamesNotJim]

You can play golf with any grip, but you need to understand the strengths and weakness’s of your grip. I’m fairly strong in my left hand but perfectly neutral in my right hand. I also a baseball gripper as I have small hands.
Being able to under stand the results and causes of a bad swing is what will help you to advance as a golfer on any level.

[kentlad]

TVR Moneypit said:

If I may ask the more experienced of you......

What are the things to look for in a good pro / coach? Is it a case of you get what you pay for? Are the Pro's with the latest all singing all dancing fancy pieces of kit generally the best?

I've got another round coming up in the next couple of weeks and I'd like to make an improvement on my previous 140 over par.

I’ve had two coaches with distinctly different teaching methods. One with lots of tech who was great at measuring & another who was a top 100 coach who broke my swing down using feelings & movements rather than numbers that meant not a lot to me. I improved more under the top 100 coach & at a much faster pace. He made golf feel far more simple. And thus i now have a swing that I can play with & know I’ll shoot around 30 points if I’ve had say, 6 months off, mainly due to poor putting & short game. With obviously the odd mis-hit.

Ultimately though, find a style that fits your learning preference. But I would say, for yourself - as a fairly high handicapper (from the sounds of your post) That you need to find a coach who simplifies the basics for you. Grip, stance, impact. Those 3 things are the basis of a good swing. If you hold the club incorrectly, address the ball poorly & cant return to a good impact position then you won’t improve. A good coach will always adapt to his student.

Edited by kentlad on Friday 8th June 07:16

[Juanco20]

JamesNotJim said:

You can play golf with any grip, but you need to understand the strengths and weakness’s of your grip. I’m fairly strong in my left hand but perfectly neutral in my right hand. I also a baseball gripper as I have small hands.
Being able to under stand the results and causes of a bad swing is what will help you to advance as a golfer on any level.

Yep, you can't change your grip drastically and then still swing the same way. The problem with swing changes is that it is so engrained muscle memory that it takes a lot of work/practice to get that new feeling

And it is one thing thinking you've got the feeling correct on the practice area and then a totally different ball game pulling it off on the first tee when your brain/body reverts back to what it has always been used to

[HaplessBoyLard]

TVR Moneypit said:

If I may ask the more experienced of you......

What are the things to look for in a good pro / coach? Is it a case of you get what you pay for? Are the Pro's with the latest all singing all dancing fancy pieces of kit generally the best?

I've got another round coming up in the next couple of weeks and I'd like to make an improvement on my previous 140 over par.

It can be hit and miss finding a good coach.

I watch most of Mark Crossfield’s stuff on YouTube and what he seems to do is look at the numbers a launch monitor gives and how that might be causing the bad shots you see, and then finds a way to move that number to something closer to optimum. Trying to find someone who teaches like that local to me is proving difficult.

A coach just telling me “you have to swing it like this” but offering no evidence as to why will never work for me. I’m too stubborn.

If you’ve never had lessons then it’s probably a case of trying out a couple of local coaches and see what works for you.

[thebraketester]

I have been working on my strike with my irons recently. My tendency is heel strike cause by me moving onto my toes through impact.

A few from todays practice session.




I think launch monitors are brilliant, but you can often tell a lot by noting the strike by using foot spray and looking at the ball flight.

[Woody John]

Potatoes said:

Potatoes said:

HaplessBoyLard said:

Woody John said:

Titleist are a players club.

Based on what? Are my AP1 game improvement irons “players clubs”. With a couple of exceptions they’re about as high launching, low spinning, jacked loft as they come.

Titleist make clubs to suit everyone. Same as every other manufacturer.

I'm quite happy to accept the "Titleist are a players club" line... that makes me a player!

After all that I sold the Titleist driver, couldn't control the damn thing unless I swung at 60mph...

Stuck it back on eBay, got my money back plus a little and bought a Ping Rapture V2 Driver with a Diamana stiff flex shaft to go with my Ping Rapture Irons.

Lovely driver... because I can control it and swing at the ball, I'm able to get much better distance.

So yes, I concede that on this occasion. I am not the player Titleist make clubs for!

Edited by Potatoes on Saturday 2nd June 07:50

Ping make a great driver. Keep er long n straight

[yorky500]

Yesterday I had a vastly improved round over the previous Sunday (I was so pissed off I did not even keep score but I lost 3 balls!). Shot 81 with 4 putts missed for birdie within 6 feet - I just do not seem to have a feel for the putter or the greens here.

No idea what the greens run at on the Stint, but damn they are slow and well over watered. Its a surprise as I play them nearly every Sunday!

[kentlad]

Anyone else watching the US Open this week? Favourite has to be DJ. Although that thick rough & narrow fairways will really favour a straight driver - i could see Stenson get close & at 28/1 he's pretty good value...as is Simpson at 66/1!