Golf Thread

[magicroundabout]

So played Friday for the first time since beginning of Dec. Didn't warm up so went out completely rusty. Took 4 holes to get a swing together. Trouble was all green were frozen and parts of certain holes were also. Was a tough round because of that but the main thing I wanted was to just hit a ball. Played some beautiful drives and approach shots.

Also the choice to switch from a 3 hybrid to a 5 wood has paid off. Distance and control off the tee was a dream. Can't comment on fairway due to conditions but I was happy with what I hit.

 

[MarkA]

Trying to get into golf this year with my son who seems well into it. He's 13 and very small for his age. He can drive 200 yards and seems to have a nice swing. Is that decent? Also what's average drive for an adult male? I feel like I hit it well but seem to stall at about 250 currently. I think if I got some lessons I might be able to improve but do you ever feel like with driving you sometimes just can't fathom how you could hit it any sweeter, yet still only 250 yards. Any tips?

I have a slightly different opinion of golf and distance to most and I know my opinions are my own and it's definitely quite a debated topic.
However, my opinion is that distance is the utmost critical part to playing good golf across all golf courses.

This is my opinion having been playing for roughly 18 months now:

A 200 (avg) yard driver player isn't a strong driver of the ball, but needs to make up for it with his longer irons and short game. Although, if you're not hitting your driver far, you won't be able to hit your long irons far either. Which in turn means your mid-irons probably aren't going far either. Which makes the game very difficult to get good at. Also, these players may not be able to get to all 18 holes for Greens in Regulation (GIR) just talking distance wise, reaching par will mean a requirement of getting up and down very regularly, which is never easy. New players generally fall into this category.

A 250 (avg) yard drive player is a good driver of the ball, needs to be a good mid-iron player, relies less on long irons and relies less on a short game, compared to the above player.

A 275 (avg) yard drive player is a top driver of the ball, has a good mid-iron (distance wise) and wedge game, generally because they are not required to 'smash' the hell out of it to get it on the green.

The reason why having length/distance and speed means that you're technically a more efficient hitter of the ball.

The logical reason distance is key, is because if you swing faster, the ball goes further.
Also, the way clubs work is that each club converts swing speed to a trajectory depending on the club loft and weight distribution on the face. eg. A 9i will have more loft then a 7i, which means more energy is converted from forward motion to upward motion. When you have more upward motion, there's less dispersion on your shots, no matter how you hit them. This is another key for getting good at golf.

Lets say you are a player hitting to a 150 yard green.
Player A is hitting a 6 iron
Player B is hitting a PW

Player A has lots of dispersion on his club, due to the lack of loft on his club, however with his swing speed, that's the only club he can hit to get it that far.
Player B has very little dispersion on his club, as he has loads of loft on his club and not very much forward projection. Therefore, he aims at the centre of the green and will more than likely land it closer to the hole distance wise.
Lets say each player hits 10 balls each, Player B with his increased loft and less dispersion on the club he uses to get the ball to the hole, which means he'll get it closer much more often than Player A, just through physics.

This is why it's key to use higher lofted clubs on approach shots into the green.
How do you get to use this higher lofted clubs? Hit your driver further.
This is also why driver distance (average) has a close indication on how low someone's handicap is.

Yes, we do get the odd person who can only hit the driver 200 yards and has a single figure handicap, but his handicap will only ever reach a certain ceiling, before he needs to start concentrating on distance again. Why not concentrate on it from the beginning?

I play in a society and with my club. Hitting a ball 200+ yards is about average if you look at everyone at both. The better players in my society hit it 230-270 and their handicaps are between 10-15. All of the good players either in my club or at the society all hit the ball far, which is what makes the game easier for them, allowing them to score better.

Sorry for the long post. But in the modern era of golf, more kids are getting taught to hit it far first, before accuracy, which is the opposite to what it used to be.
This is how I'm learning the game too and it's super addictive.

 

[MarkA]

I played yesterday for the first time this month at https://bells-hotel.co.uk/golf/ very icy conditions, couldn't land the ball on the green without it bouncing the height of a bus (lol), took a few holes to realise it wasn't getting any better.

Ended coming 4th out of 17 of us, 3 putted 8 times across the whole 18. Every time you putt your ball on the green, it would pick up a pile of ice shards from the green which made it very difficult to get in the hole, especially as any ridges were like rocks thanks to the -1/-2C conditions.

My distance training has been working too, my average drives are up from 210 average to 230 average according to my golfpadgps app, my best drive over the day was 279 yards down a wide par5, assuming the ice helped with a forward bounce this time . Although I ended up shooting 93, with 2 terrible holes and not many pars this time around...
Hitting centre fairway and the ball bouncing straight left or right due to ice which turned a lot of the mud to stone, that was fun!
Still, played with a bunch of great guys who were both competitive and fun at the same time. Golf sure does bring together some really nice people. Looking at the weather going forward, there's more dry conditions coming up - here's hoping to get out more in the next few weeks!

 

[magicroundabout]

I have a slightly different opinion of golf and distance to most and I know my opinions are my own and it's definitely quite a debated topic.
However, my opinion is that distance is the utmost critical part to playing good golf across all golf courses.

This is my opinion having been playing for roughly 18 months now:

A 200 (avg) yard driver player isn't a strong driver of the ball, but needs to make up for it with his longer irons and short game. Although, if you're not hitting your driver far, you won't be able to hit your long irons far either. Which in turn means your mid-irons probably aren't going far either. Which makes the game very difficult to get good at. Also, these players may not be able to get to all 18 holes for Greens in Regulation (GIR) just talking distance wise, reaching par will mean a requirement of getting up and down very regularly, which is never easy. New players generally fall into this category.

A 250 (avg) yard drive player is a good driver of the ball, needs to be a good mid-iron player, relies less on long irons and relies less on a short game, compared to the above player.

A 275 (avg) yard drive player is a top driver of the ball, has a good mid-iron (distance wise) and wedge game, generally because they are not required to 'smash' the hell out of it to get it on the green.

The reason why having length/distance and speed means that you're technically a more efficient hitter of the ball.

The logical reason distance is key, is because if you swing faster, the ball goes further.
Also, the way clubs work is that each club converts swing speed to a trajectory depending on the club loft and weight distribution on the face. eg. A 9i will have more loft then a 7i, which means more energy is converted from forward motion to upward motion. When you have more upward motion, there's less dispersion on your shots, no matter how you hit them. This is another key for getting good at golf.

Lets say you are a player hitting to a 150 yard green.
Player A is hitting a 6 iron
Player B is hitting a PW

Player A has lots of dispersion on his club, due to the lack of loft on his club, however with his swing speed, that's the only club he can hit to get it that far.
Player B has very little dispersion on his club, as he has loads of loft on his club and not very much forward projection. Therefore, he aims at the centre of the green and will more than likely land it closer to the hole distance wise.
Lets say each player hits 10 balls each, Player B with his increased loft and less dispersion on the club he uses to get the ball to the hole, which means he'll get it closer much more often than Player A, just through physics.

This is why it's key to use higher lofted clubs on approach shots into the green.
How do you get to use this higher lofted clubs? Hit your driver further.
This is also why driver distance (average) has a close indication on how low someone's handicap is.

Yes, we do get the odd person who can only hit the driver 200 yards and has a single figure handicap, but his handicap will only ever reach a certain ceiling, before he needs to start concentrating on distance again. Why not concentrate on it from the beginning?

I play in a society and with my club. Hitting a ball 200+ yards is about average if you look at everyone at both. The better players in my society hit it 230-270 and their handicaps are between 10-15. All of the good players either in my club or at the society all hit the ball far, which is what makes the game easier for them, allowing them to score better.

Sorry for the long post. But in the modern era of golf, more kids are getting taught to hit it far first, before accuracy, which is the opposite to what it used to be.
This is how I'm learning the game too and it's super addictive.

@ 150 depending on conditions I'm hitting an 8 or a 9iron

As for distance I think personally it's about playing to your strengths. Some holes which are 380y long. hitting a drive 220y will leave you a nice distance into the green.
A hole measuring 440y you need to think about your short game. 220y drive. 160 iron front edge. wedge play for an up and down. Short game really is key to aid in lowering scores. Not always about distance off the tee. You could hit a bomb 300y drive to leave 60/80 yards but if your wedge play/distance control is off you could walk off easily with a 5.

I've said before, always play to your handicap and not the course. 18 handicap plays a par 4 as a 5. Par 5 as a 6 etc.
For yourself @MarkA if you're playing a long par 4. 440y. once you've hit your drive 200/220y. Your next shot is actually your first shot. If you then beat your handicap you're winning. Try not to make it hard for yourself.

 

[goldy6660]

Was tempted to put this in general or as a new thread but how did you guys get in to Golf, I'm tempted to give it a go but wouldn't even know where to start with, do you need to buy clubs from the offset etc?

 

[magicroundabout]

Was tempted to put this in general or as a new thread but how did you guys get in to Golf, I'm tempted to give it a go but wouldn't even know where to start with, do you need to buy clubs from the offset etc?

Before snapping my ligaments in my right knee in 2006 I'd never even watched golf let alone hit a ball.
Early 2007 my friend gave me his club to hit a ball. It went far, it went straight and the rest is history.

My first set was from eBay. Think I spent £60 and they lasted me a year or two before I changed them. I watched a lot of videos on grip, swing etc and just practiced that at first.

 

[MarkA]

@ 150 depending on conditions I'm hitting an 8 or a 9iron

As for distance I think personally it's about playing to your strengths. Some holes which are 380y long. hitting a drive 220y will leave you a nice distance into the green.
A hole measuring 440y you need to think about your short game. 220y drive. 160 iron front edge. wedge play for an up and down. Short game really is key to aid in lowering scores. Not always about distance off the tee. You could hit a bomb 300y drive to leave 60/80 yards but if your wedge play/distance control is off you could walk off easily with a 5.

I've said before, always play to your handicap and not the course. 18 handicap plays a par 4 as a 5. Par 5 as a 6 etc.
For yourself @MarkA if you're playing a long par 4. 440y. once you've hit your drive 200/220y. Your next shot is actually your first shot. If you then beat your handicap you're winning. Try not to make it hard for yourself.

Totally agree with the mindset of making the 440y par4s a par5. That's how I play these longer holes now, although it depends who I'm with. Sometimes I like to see if I can reach it (since it's the distance which is right at the end of my range) and these long par4 are usually quite wide open. If it was a straight hole and it's fairly wide, I'd throw one of my longer swings for driver and hope to hit 240/250yards. Leaving a 190-200 left, which is fine for my 3H/3W - whichever I'm feeling fine with on the day. Then other times, if my scorecard is good. I'll hit an average drive 220~ and then go for a controlled 3H in to reach the front or just short, the next shot better get me up&down.

And don't worry about my PW analogy, I'm neither PlayerA or PlayerB ,
My PW is 125 total, with my 9i being 140 total and 8i is my favourite club, so I have the confidence to hit this 140 or 170 depending how much I put my hands forward at address (for shaft lean). I almost dunked one with my 8i yesterday, but it was a foot short and ended up 20yards passed the green, thanks to the conditions

 

[goldy6660]

Before snapping my ligaments in my right knee in 2006 I'd never even watched golf let alone hit a ball.
Early 2007 my friend gave me his club to hit a ball. It went far, it went straight and the rest is history.

My first set was from eBay. Think I spent £60 and they lasted me a year or two before I changed them. I watched a lot of videos on grip, swing etc and just practiced that at first.

Do you generally have to own your own set or are there options for rental from a club? Sorry noob question. I've done driving range before just the once many years ago and that was quite a laugh but I guess it's more than just a driving range thing

 

[MarkA]

Depends on the club I believe, some bigger clubs have rentals, most don't around here.
You can usually go and get a set of old clubs on facebook marketplace, from your area for around 70-100 quid, to get you started.
Then if you enjoy it, go get a new fitted set months/years down the line.

 

[SKILL]

I've said before, always play to your handicap and not the course. 18 handicap plays a par 4 as a 5. Par 5 as a 6 etc.
For yourself @MarkA if you're playing a long par 4. 440y. once you've hit your drive 200/220y. Your next shot is actually your first shot. If you then beat your handicap you're winning. Try not to make it hard for yourself.

On this note I was playing a semi-competitive society today, Stableford scoring and as a new guy I got a handicap of 36 (my EG one is 46 after yesterdays 'fun') and actually was really good having that to specifically think about, at the start I had a run of 2 over par which obviously with the handicap was par, never been happier with double bogies

Was tempted to put this in general or as a new thread but how did you guys get in to Golf, I'm tempted to give it a go but wouldn't even know where to start with, do you need to buy clubs from the offset etc?

I had friends that were playing regularly and wanted to get out the house more really I started by going to the range hiring a Driver and Iron, liked that so ended up buying a new package set for £200 (Spalding Tour 2 from onlinegolf which is an American Golf subsidiary), they're ok but I would've been better off being less impatient and trying to find a good deal on ebay/facebook, when I looked/bought there really wasn't that much out there worth it...

If you want to play a round clubs are worth it, even if you can hire it's nice to take your own clubs to the range and get some familiarity with them imo.

 

[booyaka]

Do you generally have to own your own set or are there options for rental from a club? Sorry noob question. I've done driving range before just the once many years ago and that was quite a laugh but I guess it's more than just a driving range thing

Go to local driving range - they will have some clubs lying around in most cases....

Hit some balls - see if you enjoy it.

If you do - go see a local pro and get a half set/2nd hand clubs to start with (ebay/facebook alike even for some bits) - Find a local course where you can play 9 holes etc. Get a couple of lessons.

I got into golf as my dad played for years, still does at 79!! - I started going along with him and going to driving range with some old clubs of his that he cut down for me......Got my first half set aged 10/11 and started playing local pitch and putt courses (think short par 3 course) - and it's gone from there. Played on and off for 30 years. Played a lot more recently as my kids are a bit more "self sufficient" now

 

[MarkA]

Also, if you're on a very low budget, you can try your local charity shops. You can get whole sets for £20.

 

[stephenb]

Was tempted to put this in general or as a new thread but how did you guys get in to Golf, I'm tempted to give it a go but wouldn't even know where to start with, do you need to buy clubs from the offset etc?

Have a look at local clubs near you and see if they are offering any taster sessions. One of the clubs local to me does this and by all accounts they are very popular.

Chichester Golf For Everyone More Information

givegolfago.chichestergolf.com

 

[TheCSSDoctor]

Was tempted to put this in general or as a new thread but how did you guys get in to Golf, I'm tempted to give it a go but wouldn't even know where to start with, do you need to buy clubs from the offset etc?

My dad played golf when I was a lot younger, so I first picked up a club before I was 10 and I played on and off for years, before one particular job had a number of golfers (including my then boss) in the organisation so I started to play a bit more regularly again, and now I play most weeks and have represented my club for the last 5 years or so in different teams

Have a look at local clubs near you and see if they are offering any taster sessions. One of the clubs local to me does this and by all accounts they are very popular.

Chichester Golf For Everyone More Information

givegolfago.chichestergolf.com

I was going to post exactly the same thing as above - check out your local clubs

My wife got into golf through exactly the same method, and the club supplied everyone with a couple clubs for the session, so all she had to do was turn up. After the free taster session, she signed up for a series of group lessons, this then progressed to a mix of group and 1-1 lessons followed by a 9 hole membership for a few months and she is now a full member

She did get lucky in that a friend of hers had a set of basic clubs that she wasn't using, so my wife got those and all it cost her was a bottle of wine and some flowers as her friend insisted that she didn't want anything for them, but my wife couldn't just accept them
A couple of the clubs have been changed, but she is still using the irons, although I am hoping this year to have her fitted for something a bit better

 

[Superpatsy]

Was tempted to put this in general or as a new thread but how did you guys get in to Golf, I'm tempted to give it a go but wouldn't even know where to start with, do you need to buy clubs from the offset etc?

My story is pretty bittersweet.

My Gran got diagnosed with terminal cancer early 2021 and I was struggling mentally quite badly but didn't have a great deal to take my mind off it. Football was behind closed doors and ice hockey wasn't on so didn't really have a way to take my mind off it outside of gaming, and all the sports I played were kyboshed because of Covid. My best mate has played for about 5 or 6 years now and kept harping at me about giving it a go but never thought it was for me, I've always preferred more physical sports (football, basketball, volleyball etc.) but I thought I'd humour him. Got myself some decent 2nd hand gear from a local shop and that was that. Got myself fully kitted out now with new gear and don't regret it for one second. Although not that physically demanding, it's sure as hell one of the most difficult sports I've played but the most rewarding at the same time.

You'll be able to pick up a lot of good 2nd hand stuff locally to get you started then take it from there.

 

[jaybee]

I have a slightly different opinion of golf and distance to most and I know my opinions are my own and it's definitely quite a debated topic.
However, my opinion is that distance is the utmost critical part to playing good golf across all golf courses.

This is my opinion having been playing for roughly 18 months now:

A 200 (avg) yard driver player isn't a strong driver of the ball, but needs to make up for it with his longer irons and short game. Although, if you're not hitting your driver far, you won't be able to hit your long irons far either. Which in turn means your mid-irons probably aren't going far either. Which makes the game very difficult to get good at. Also, these players may not be able to get to all 18 holes for Greens in Regulation (GIR) just talking distance wise, reaching par will mean a requirement of getting up and down very regularly, which is never easy. New players generally fall into this category.

A 250 (avg) yard drive player is a good driver of the ball, needs to be a good mid-iron player, relies less on long irons and relies less on a short game, compared to the above player.

A 275 (avg) yard drive player is a top driver of the ball, has a good mid-iron (distance wise) and wedge game, generally because they are not required to 'smash' the hell out of it to get it on the green.

The reason why having length/distance and speed means that you're technically a more efficient hitter of the ball.

The logical reason distance is key, is because if you swing faster, the ball goes further.
Also, the way clubs work is that each club converts swing speed to a trajectory depending on the club loft and weight distribution on the face. eg. A 9i will have more loft then a 7i, which means more energy is converted from forward motion to upward motion. When you have more upward motion, there's less dispersion on your shots, no matter how you hit them. This is another key for getting good at golf.

Lets say you are a player hitting to a 150 yard green.
Player A is hitting a 6 iron
Player B is hitting a PW

Player A has lots of dispersion on his club, due to the lack of loft on his club, however with his swing speed, that's the only club he can hit to get it that far.
Player B has very little dispersion on his club, as he has loads of loft on his club and not very much forward projection. Therefore, he aims at the centre of the green and will more than likely land it closer to the hole distance wise.
Lets say each player hits 10 balls each, Player B with his increased loft and less dispersion on the club he uses to get the ball to the hole, which means he'll get it closer much more often than Player A, just through physics.

This is why it's key to use higher lofted clubs on approach shots into the green.
How do you get to use this higher lofted clubs? Hit your driver further.
This is also why driver distance (average) has a close indication on how low someone's handicap is.

Yes, we do get the odd person who can only hit the driver 200 yards and has a single figure handicap, but his handicap will only ever reach a certain ceiling, before he needs to start concentrating on distance again. Why not concentrate on it from the beginning?

I play in a society and with my club. Hitting a ball 200+ yards is about average if you look at everyone at both. The better players in my society hit it 230-270 and their handicaps are between 10-15. All of the good players either in my club or at the society all hit the ball far, which is what makes the game easier for them, allowing them to score better.

Sorry for the long post. But in the modern era of golf, more kids are getting taught to hit it far first, before accuracy, which is the opposite to what it used to be.
This is how I'm learning the game too and it's super addictive.

Interesting read. When I used to play golf years ago, my drives could sometimes go far, but about maybe 1 in 5 would go straight. My irons from 7 through to pw were good and the best part of my game. Lately trying to get back into golf, I'm finding strangely that my driving seems to be fairly consistent - as far as driving goes - especially if I only put about 80% into it. I find if I do a full back swing wrapping right round, I tend to have more chance of doing a bad shot, as opposed to only pulling back about 80-90%. If I put 100% into it I think I can get to 270 with more practice and a lesson or two on technique. I'm probably inefficient and doing things wrong.

I have always found hitting 6 iron and under really hard, so do rely on longer drives to then use the 7 iron and up. Not sure if this is a common thing as well but with irons I feel I have to fully commit and give every shot 100% otherwise they go wrong. I find it hard to do half swings with SW and PW.

The hardest thing I find about golf is that when I practise hitting irons at ranges, the matts are mostly hard so the shot seems to feel completely different to out on the course on softer grass. How often do you guys hit irons off of a Tee? I find I hit them better off a tee which I think is probably not the best way round!

 

[jaybee]

Was tempted to put this in general or as a new thread but how did you guys get in to Golf, I'm tempted to give it a go but wouldn't even know where to start with, do you need to buy clubs from the offset etc?

Do you live near a Top Golf?
This is a great way for anyone of any ability to go and enjoy golf as it's fun even if you do a bad shot, since you can still score. Clubs are right there at the bay for you to hit with and they have junior , small, and left handed clubs as well.

I've always played golf occasionally by simply tagging along with mates and borrowing their stuff. lol. I'm one of those annoying people that can play pretty much any sport to an ok level with barely any practice. You know, like to a level where you can at least make a game of it against good people. Lately getting more properly into golf as my son likes it and has got the bug. Since I'm now becoming an old man, it's a fairly natural sport to sway toward away from the likes of football etc as less physical. Although saying that, swinging for 100 balls down the range and then doing 18 holes the next day is knackering tbf!

 

[MarkA]

Interesting read. When I used to play golf years ago, my drives could sometimes go far, but about maybe 1 in 5 would go straight. My irons from 7 through to pw were good and the best part of my game. Lately trying to get back into golf, I'm finding strangely that my driving seems to be fairly consistent - as far as driving goes - especially if I only put about 80% into it. I find if I do a full back swing wrapping right round, I tend to have more chance of doing a bad shot, as opposed to only pulling back about 80-90%. If I put 100% into it I think I can get to 270 with more practice and a lesson or two on technique. I'm probably inefficient and doing things wrong.

I have always found hitting 6 iron and under really hard, so do rely on longer drives to then use the 7 iron and up. Not sure if this is a common thing as well but with irons I feel I have to fully commit and give every shot 100% otherwise they go wrong. I find it hard to do half swings with SW and PW.

The hardest thing I find about golf is that when I practise hitting irons at ranges, the matts are mostly hard so the shot seems to feel completely different to out on the course on softer grass. How often do you guys hit irons off of a Tee? I find I hit them better off a tee which I think is probably not the best way round!

I think the best tip for me, was to not swing harder with the long irons.
Technically speaking, the long irons are 'longer' in shaft length and have less loft, which means the radius is longer, therefore naturally - the club head will have more speed, without putting any more effort in. Therefore, swing the same as a PW as you do a 6i, you'll naturally get more distance.

I still hit my irons off a tee, but they're barely off the ground - it just gives me that extra bit of confidence since there's slightly more room between the ball and ground. I'm sure as I progress I'll start using less and less tees for my irons, but I don't see it as an issue. Although, on the weekend I played off a couple of winter mats which were just pure black rubber, definitely teeing up off those

 

[MR_Punk]

What a day I had yesterday. I managed to get my lowest ever score even though I double bogeyed the last 2 holes. 77 - only the second time I've broke 80. I managed 2 chip ins, one for a birdie and one for an eagle (only my second eagle). Then managed to get hit by a golf ball from my playing partner on the bag of the leg which was...fun.

 

[MarkA]

Just had another lesson with my coach.
Not too sure on him at the moment, but going to stay with him, even if we didn't quite gel as much as I'd like.

He spent the first half of a lesson discussing how I wanted to be taught in terms of priorities, as he felt that the way he wanted to teach me didn't align to how I wanted to be taught.
I have spent a lot of time learning about what things I want to train on and he had a different idea, almost stubborn-like, which is fine, but don't spend half of my lesson debating about it with me after turning up 5 mins late! (£60/hr)

Don't get me wrong, I'm different to a lot of people in terms of my thoughts on how quickly people can get better at things. He thinks people take years to get slightly better in golf, but they say these things without any knowledge or even questioning how much practice you put in. Obviously, I don't expect changes over night or even over a few days, but when I hit as many balls, practicing as much as I do, then things can change quicker and my expectations change with it.

I did tell him at the end that we should go straight into hitting balls next time and go from there. Still charged me the whole 1hr rate too.

He's a tour pro and has worked along side many big name players, but to say there's only one way to be taught and be closed minded about it, just doesn't sit right with me.

Anyone else had interesting coaching sessions?