GOLF - 2022

[kiethton]

fourstardan said:

kiethton said:

First game of the year today - 12 of us at a very, very wet and boggy Westerham, so much so I had to leave the trolley in the car and carry the bats for the first time in a year.

Finished with 33 points, 2 off scooping the £80 taken by the winner. A blob on 18 and 2 stupid shots (taking on tree gaps) cost me big time. Given the state of the course the greens were horrifically slow which, being the opposite of my home course, was hard to adjust to. At least it was vaguely near handicap to start the year off!

80 quid for shooting handicap this time of year...whens the next roll up

Just a knock-around with mates rather than anything formal - shows you the calibre of the competition!!

Of us all 9 were in the 30-35 points range and 3 in the high 20's - shows handicaps are working I guess, shame mine is so much lower than all the others.

Will say that even at my own home-club, shooting handicap will more often than not get you in the top-3, especially in a medal.

[Rosscow]

Yep same here, anything 33 and higher and you’re in the top 3 or winning. But then we all play a lot of golf, a lot of comps, and regularly put cards in.

[ben_h100]

HNY all. Still class myself as new to golf but here’s hoping that I make some improvements on my game this year and reduce my HCP. It’s currently 39.6 which I gained after submitting cards from my first ever three rounds - plenty of room for improvement..!

On that note, I am looking for some advice from the GG golf collective…

I currently play with a set of second hand Ping i20s that I bought off eBay last year. Having played a fair bit now, and with a better understanding of club types, I’m under the impression that perhaps these are not the best clubs for someone like me (high handicapper).

I’ve been gifted a bit of cash and am debating getting a fitting for some G425 irons. From what I’ve read they are a lot more forgiving and may help me improve my consistency.

Am I likely to experience a noticeable difference in your opinions? Of course I’ll be booking a fitting, but I’m interested to your thoughts.

Thanks..!

[HaplessBoyLard]

ben_h100 said:

HNY all. Still class myself as new to golf but here’s hoping that I make some improvements on my game this year and reduce my HCP. It’s currently 39.6 which I gained after submitting cards from my first ever three rounds - plenty of room for improvement..!

On that note, I am looking for some advice from the GG golf collective…

I currently play with a set of second hand Ping i20s that I bought off eBay last year. Having played a fair bit now, and with a better understanding of club types, I’m under the impression that perhaps these are not the best clubs for someone like me (high handicapper).

I’ve been gifted a bit of cash and am debating getting a fitting for some G425 irons. From what I’ve read they are a lot more forgiving and may help me improve my consistency.

Am I likely to experience a noticeable difference in your opinions? Of course I’ll be booking a fitting, but I’m interested to your thoughts.

Thanks..!

I don’t think the i20 irons are hard to hit. They’re a good set of clubs. You might be better off using some of that money to book a few lessons and think about getting fitted for something else when you’ve got a bit more time and practice under your belt. Your swing is likely to change a lot as you improve. I’m not sure a fitting now will have that much of an impact.

[Challo]

HaplessBoyLard said:

ben_h100 said:

HNY all. Still class myself as new to golf but here’s hoping that I make some improvements on my game this year and reduce my HCP. It’s currently 39.6 which I gained after submitting cards from my first ever three rounds - plenty of room for improvement..!

On that note, I am looking for some advice from the GG golf collective…

I currently play with a set of second hand Ping i20s that I bought off eBay last year. Having played a fair bit now, and with a better understanding of club types, I’m under the impression that perhaps these are not the best clubs for someone like me (high handicapper).

I’ve been gifted a bit of cash and am debating getting a fitting for some G425 irons. From what I’ve read they are a lot more forgiving and may help me improve my consistency.

Am I likely to experience a noticeable difference in your opinions? Of course I’ll be booking a fitting, but I’m interested to your thoughts.

Thanks..!

I don’t think the i20 irons are hard to hit. They’re a good set of clubs. You might be better off using some of that money to book a few lessons and think about getting fitted for something else when you’ve got a bit more time and practice under your belt. Your swing is likely to change a lot as you improve. I’m not sure a fitting now will have that much of an impact.

Agree. Keep the irons and get lessons and see how you go. No point spending money on new GI irons, only to be wanting to get better irons once your handicap improves. Unless they are too short or long just keep hitting them.

Also if you start getting lessons your coach might recommend some other changes that would benefit you more. Perhaps your driver is wrong, or you need a hybrid etc.

[48Valves]

Blackpuddin said:

Tomm3 said:

Yes I need to turn more. Practice swing is smooth but actual shot is all panic getting back to the ball.

I do that! Default strike on short shots is about 9 inches behind the ball (no exaggeration) resulting in a short fat or I leap up into the air and top it. Very little in between those two extremes unless I force myself to concentrate on a spot about 9 inches ahead of the ball. Going for another practice in a minute to try and extend the followthrough which helps when I remember to do it.
On 17.6 at the moment and sort of playing to that but as others have mentioned the weather and course condition variables are huge at this time of year.

Posted by someone on the 21 thread. This video explains good chipping fundamentals. https://youtu.be/n-G44RSHHzg

Whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap of moving the ball ever further back in your stance. It will just make things worse.

[Tomm3]

48Valves said:

Blackpuddin said:

Tomm3 said:

Yes I need to turn more. Practice swing is smooth but actual shot is all panic getting back to the ball.

I do that! Default strike on short shots is about 9 inches behind the ball (no exaggeration) resulting in a short fat or I leap up into the air and top it. Very little in between those two extremes unless I force myself to concentrate on a spot about 9 inches ahead of the ball. Going for another practice in a minute to try and extend the followthrough which helps when I remember to do it.
On 17.6 at the moment and sort of playing to that but as others have mentioned the weather and course condition variables are huge at this time of year.

Posted by someone on the 21 thread. This video explains good chipping fundamentals. https://youtu.be/n-G44RSHHzg

Whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap of moving the ball ever further back in your stance. It will just make things worse.

Good video thanks. Must have watched most of the chipping ones, only way I'm going to get through this is to take a bag of balls and practice before a game I think.

[Blackpuddin]

Tomm3 said:

48Valves said:

Blackpuddin said:

Tomm3 said:

Yes I need to turn more. Practice swing is smooth but actual shot is all panic getting back to the ball.

I do that! Default strike on short shots is about 9 inches behind the ball (no exaggeration) resulting in a short fat or I leap up into the air and top it. Very little in between those two extremes unless I force myself to concentrate on a spot about 9 inches ahead of the ball. Going for another practice in a minute to try and extend the followthrough which helps when I remember to do it.
On 17.6 at the moment and sort of playing to that but as others have mentioned the weather and course condition variables are huge at this time of year.

Posted by someone on the 21 thread. This video explains good chipping fundamentals. https://youtu.be/n-G44RSHHzg

Whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap of moving the ball ever further back in your stance. It will just make things worse.

Good video thanks. Must have watched most of the chipping ones, only way I'm going to get through this is to take a bag of balls and practice before a game I think.

Yes I've looked at that video before and many others The problem with that one is that it gives you no info about weight, foot position, clubface angle, the arc of the club through the hitting area etc etc all of which contribute in some measure to the success or failure of a chip. That vid encourages contact behind the ball (which in my case is definitely a problem not a benefit) and 'using the bounce', a phrase teachers routinely chuck around without explaining how it works in this type of scenario or really what it actually means. I've never seen a clear explanation of bounce. I'm quite a literal person though. 'Bounce' puts the wrong thought into my head. 'Using the bounce' might work in sand or on nice fluffy grass but I can't see how it works on a bare lie or a muddy one with flattened grass, which is the type of lie we are all playing on in the UK at the moment.

[48Valves]

Bounce works in exactly the same way off a muddy lie as it does from a bunker. You just need to make contact with the ground closer to the ball.

If you try and pick the ball cleanly from a wet/muddy lie hitting down with the ball in the back of your stance, you are either going to thin it or fat it.

Unless I need to go over something. At this time of year I do a lot of my chipping with a hybrid or a 6 iron. The nice wide sole helps prevent the fat shot and needing spin isn’t much of an issue.

[Blackpuddin]

Thanks, interesting, I am scared of blading it and end up either doing exactly that or fatting it. Maybe I need more of a vertical hit.

[kiethton]

Blackpuddin said:

Thanks, interesting, I am scared of blading it and end up either doing exactly that or fatting it. Maybe I need more of a vertical hit.

This time of year (with wet ground) this can be even worse.

In winter I rarely use anything more lofted than a 50* wedge around the greens, even then I often set-up to de-loft it too - why?

- around the greens you can take a putter-type stoke to minimize any potential of hitting it fat/thin or cutting into the mud
- with softer greens even if you pitch it lower it'll still stop a lot quicker than in summer
- keeping the ball lower/swing shorter will typically improve the strike, minimise any wind impacts and keep the outcome of the shot straighter

Just my 2p but everybody's different - to me the american pro-style hit hit high darts golf doesn't work in the UK as our greens and course designs (foundation, grass etc) are totally different.

[48Valves]

kiethton said:

Blackpuddin said:

Thanks, interesting, I am scared of blading it and end up either doing exactly that or fatting it. Maybe I need more of a vertical hit.

This time of year (with wet ground) this can be even worse.

In winter I rarely use anything more lofted than a 50* wedge around the greens, even then I often set-up to de-loft it too - why?

- around the greens you can take a putter-type stoke to minimize any potential of hitting it fat/thin or cutting into the mud
- with softer greens even if you pitch it lower it'll still stop a lot quicker than in summer
- keeping the ball lower/swing shorter will typically improve the strike, minimise any wind impacts and keep the outcome of the shot straighter

Just my 2p but everybody's different - to me the american pro-style hit hit high darts golf doesn't work in the UK as our greens and course designs (foundation, grass etc) are totally different.

I would agree with this. You want to be shallower into the ball not steeper. I would personally not de loft a wedge as I’d be more likely to dig the leading edge into the ground. I prefer to go to a lesser lofted club.

I do like the toe down method with an iron, seems to work well for me.

[Blackpuddin]

kiethton said:

Blackpuddin said:

Thanks, interesting, I am scared of blading it and end up either doing exactly that or fatting it. Maybe I need more of a vertical hit.

- around the greens you can take a putter-type stoke to minimize any potential of hitting it fat/thin or cutting into the mud
- with softer greens even if you pitch it lower it'll still stop a lot quicker than in summer
- keeping the ball lower/swing shorter will typically improve the strike, minimise any wind impacts and keep the outcome of the shot straighter

All good if you can judge the rollout of a lower shot and you don't have anything to go over!

[deckster]

Blackpuddin said:

kiethton said:

Blackpuddin said:

Thanks, interesting, I am scared of blading it and end up either doing exactly that or fatting it. Maybe I need more of a vertical hit.

- around the greens you can take a putter-type stoke to minimize any potential of hitting it fat/thin or cutting into the mud
- with softer greens even if you pitch it lower it'll still stop a lot quicker than in summer
- keeping the ball lower/swing shorter will typically improve the strike, minimise any wind impacts and keep the outcome of the shot straighter

All good if you can judge the rollout of a lower shot and you don't have anything to go over!

Have to say I agree with this! Maybe it's a combination of our greens being terrible right now, and the fact that my high pitch shots are pretty reliable, but if anything I am playing more aggressively at the flag at the moment simply because I haven't been able to even slightly read the greens for a month or more. And as kiethon says, stopping the ball dead isn't a problem!

[ben_h100]

HaplessBoyLard said:

I don’t think the i20 irons are hard to hit. They’re a good set of clubs. You might be better off using some of that money to book a few lessons and think about getting fitted for something else when you’ve got a bit more time and practice under your belt. Your swing is likely to change a lot as you improve. I’m not sure a fitting now will have that much of an impact.

Challo said:

Agree. Keep the irons and get lessons and see how you go. No point spending money on new GI irons, only to be wanting to get better irons once your handicap improves. Unless they are too short or long just keep hitting them.

Also if you start getting lessons your coach might recommend some other changes that would benefit you more. Perhaps your driver is wrong, or you need a hybrid etc.

Thanks both. I've given it some thought and agree that new irons won't change anything overnight. Instead I've given the i20s some TLC and gone for some nice GolfPride grips to give them a freshen up. I've also booked a series of lessons with my club pro - the first one for this lunchtime in fact!

Medium term, I'm going to continue getting practice both on the driving range and out on the course with a view to improving course management. One thing that has become clear is that currently, there is little point in me going for the 'wonder shot' 150+ yards out and expecting to get on the green. Laying up and chipping on yields better results for me at the moment.

Another area I'm looking to improve on is hitting the driver. I'm so poor that I don't bother taking it out with me on the course. I've been gifted a Titleist 917 so will look to have a session with the pro to get fitted properly and learn how to actually hit it. Will be useful for the longer holes.

[deckster]

Lovely if chilly on the tee this morning. Very interesting to see the difference in carry with dry air rather than the heavy dampness we've had for the last few weeks - I completely overshot the first few greens before I got used to it. Greens were comical, mind.

Plus next time I will take orange balls. Having to search for your ball on the fairway because it's so well camouflaged gets old very quickly.

[Blackpuddin]

deckster said:

Lovely if chilly on the tee this morning. Very interesting to see the difference in carry with dry air rather than the heavy dampness we've had for the last few weeks - I completely overshot the first few greens before I got used to it. Greens were comical, mind.

Plus next time I will take orange balls. Having to search for your ball on the fairway because it's so well camouflaged gets old very quickly.

Nice. Would love to see the top pros playing in conditions like this for a change but I don't suppose we ever will. Maybe there's a business opportunity for somebody to set up a Winter tour in proper winter conditions. Years ago I played in the snow at St Moritz (the snow being compacted to make the 'greens'). You needed to know a bit about angles to work out where your ball might be!

[Rosscow]

deckster said:

Lovely if chilly on the tee this morning. Very interesting to see the difference in carry with dry air rather than the heavy dampness we've had for the last few weeks - I completely overshot the first few greens before I got used to it. Greens were comical, mind.

Plus next time I will take orange balls. Having to search for your ball on the fairway because it's so well camouflaged gets old very quickly.

Astonished that the course was open with that much heavy frost!

[deckster]

Rosscow said:

deckster said:

Lovely if chilly on the tee this morning. Very interesting to see the difference in carry with dry air rather than the heavy dampness we've had for the last few weeks - I completely overshot the first few greens before I got used to it. Greens were comical, mind.

Plus next time I will take orange balls. Having to search for your ball on the fairway because it's so well camouflaged gets old very quickly.

Astonished that the course was open with that much heavy frost!

I confess I did arrive at the course half-expecting to be told it was closed. But then the management is very driven by visitor green fee revenue and it's often the only one in the area to be open when conditions are bad.

[Ashfordian]

deckster said:

Rosscow said:

deckster said:

Lovely if chilly on the tee this morning. Very interesting to see the difference in carry with dry air rather than the heavy dampness we've had for the last few weeks - I completely overshot the first few greens before I got used to it. Greens were comical, mind.

Plus next time I will take orange balls. Having to search for your ball on the fairway because it's so well camouflaged gets old very quickly.

Astonished that the course was open with that much heavy frost!

I confess I did arrive at the course half-expecting to be told it was closed. But then the management is very driven by visitor green fee revenue and it's often the only one in the area to be open when conditions are bad.

My old place would have been open, on normal greens but temp tees, in this weather because the ground is properly frozen and you don't do any damage when walking on ground like this. (the greens would have been a joke to try and hit onto, as mentioned due to them being solid)

The course would be closed though when only the top was frozen, so that when you walked on it you broke the surface and left longer lasting indentations/footprints/damage.