Golf Thread

booyaka said:
Putting lesson first before changing?

Try changing grip? Claw? Cack handed?

Heads up putting? - https://www.pga.info/discover/latest/news/science-behind-heads-putting/

Few things to consider before switching putters.....
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I agree with this - I genuinely think that the putting equipment doesn't make a blind bit of difference unless you're close to or playing off scratch. Yes the face inserts may be a challenge, bit overall I don't think it matters as much as people think. Putting practice and working on pace control will make much more of an impact.

For example, a mate of mine went from a TM Spider to a TM Z-Torque putter, with the claim that it's "game changing" - spoiler, it wasn't. He's now working on his putting more - realising that he won't improve without practice. The justification for him is that he's spent all this money on a putter, so he needs to actually practice with it so he can improve. Perhaps doing it the wrong way around, but if it works for him...!
 
Biz.Kid09 said:
Definitely sound advice, I guess im curious more than anything. I am using an ancient ping anser and I just don’t have any confidence with it and I don’t think that helps.
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again my long winded 2p's worth - take from it something or nothing... :cry:

I've had the same putter for nearly 20 years now - only constant in my bag. Never changed it.

I have got a thicker grip on it and I putt cack handed - I was search/messing around about 12 years ago when I wasn't putting great - tried it - it stuck. Cack handed for me just squares my shoulders up so much more/ more level.

I don't do heads up putting - But I do a lot of my putting routine looking at the hole. That way I spend very very little time thinking about my stroke/technical stuff.

I read the green, pick my line but don't actually use anything on the green to line it up - I guess some would say I'm more of a "feel" putter.

I get to the ball and take 3 practise strokes to gauge the feel/distance/speed of the putt - all these are done looking directly at the hole. Then slide putter from beyond the ball, back towards me, quick check alighment, then again I look at the hole, and as I my eyes come back to the ball, I go. There is no thought in my head other than the feel of those initial 3 practice strokes.

Fabulous podcast here - does get a bit technical from a science point of view. But really interesting.


But in effect - he's saying 4 things affect whether a putt goes in or not.

Speed / Line / Where you hit the ball on the face of the putter / putter swing path.

Of those 4 things - 85%/90% of whether a putt goes in is speed. The rest almost don't matter.

The best way to judge speed - is to look at the hole. Stop looking at the ball/the ground/your putter head etc. Look at the hole - you brain then works out how hard you hit the putt.

Would encourage anyone to watch/listen to the podcast.
 
Man making swing changes are so hard, I’ve gone from being a decent ish player to just not being able to swing a club without thinking about how to do x y and z. Had a rough year all round and for some reason I’ve developed a major over rotation/over swing and when trying to do half a swing it’s still more than a full one crazy game :(
 
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Yeah changes are hard, they only get better with solid practice and reps. I went through some massive changes from last may to now. Funnily enough everything only clicked 13 months after the changes.

To 'feel' your body move in certain ways and to subconsciously know you're in the correct positions mid swing is something only repetition will give you. It's such a hard sport man.

I've had 7 lessons this year, cut 7 shots off my handicap and practiced loads. Feel like it's going to be much much harder to lose the next 7 shots of at all!
 
Just bought a new set of irons for the first time since 2007! I found that fitting session almost twenty years ago so unbelievably, excruciatingly awkward, as I thinned virtually every shot, that I'm pretty sure American Golf shut down that store out of mutual embarrassment. Equally I stopped playing golf almost immediately after ordering them, and only dusted them off a few years ago. A very nice set of Yonex irons and driver to match.

I went back to AG to get fitted again today - I've never been sure whether I should have got those original irons lengthened, and I always felt I got totally mis-sold on what I really should've been buying - as they had some good early black friday deals. Obviously everything I then decided to buy was outside of these BF sales...

Bought a set of lengthened Callaway Elyte HL irons - 4i to SW, and then added a LW. I upgraded my putter recently, as well as adding a 3W and 3H. All that's left is a driver. I warned the employee today that my last fitting session left me scarred for life and to set his expectations very, very low. I'm an appalling golfer who only breaks 100 every now and then. As I'd done an hour on the range beforehand, I then proceeded to smash the **** out of everything and actually looked half-competent - we only used a 7i but almost everything landed in a decent spot and they were going 170-190 yards. Most unusual for me.

I've realised that I've been playing with relics for the past few years, with everything I tried out today - Taylor Made, Ping, Wilson, etc - seeming light years ahead of my current set. I came away from today feeling dangerously bullish about my game... now to fall apart with the news clubs next time I play!
 
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Played with the usual guys this morning and we decided to see what better ball score we could shoot between us all after a -8 a few weeks ago

Today wasn't quite as good as we only shot -6, but the conditions are definitely getting tougher, even with preferred lies

Personally I shot 73, +1 if we go strictly by the score card, but we had a par 5 on a temp green that was short enough to be a par 4, so I am calling it as +2 instead, but I was still happy with an eagle and a couple birdies
 
First knock since Spain trip nearly 3 weeks ago.

Shorter course - tee's forward.... It's all non counters now, and just playing stableford for next 3 months. I get 1 shot on the course (handicap of 5.8!!)

Played ok - course is wet/muddy etc - Good to get a knock around mind you.

Added 2 more birdies to the yearly total plus 1 eagle. (Driver, 4 iron to 15ft and holed the putt on the par 5)

Was chatting to my mate about the heads up putting - he tried it most of the day and putted very well - he's going to continue to try it over the winter. He found the heads up from longer distance very very good. Distance control was excellent.
 
Playing in these conditions and different tee boxes is interesting. I've gone over 100 a few times where I've had some nightmares on odd holes and then I went round in 9 holes in 40 the other day which I was really happy with.
MY average round is mid 90s. Today was good just a few crap chips and puts that I should have done better.
Ive purchased some footjoy stormwalker boots just waiting for them to turn up as I always suffer with cold feet and can't stand them getting wet.
Averaging 2 rounds a week at the moment which is really nice. Need to shift some pounds
 
Great weather at the weekend, a pleasure to be out making the most of it Saturday and Sunday. After some work in the week with my alignment sticks on the range I really tried to focus on swinging to the right/envisioning my club coming from the inside at impact. Compared to last weekend (where I had some real shockers when looking at the line of my divot compared to that of my target) my club path was definitely a lot straighter, still out to in as expected. Lesson in a couple of weeks and the camera never lies! In general probably the most consistent ball striking I've produced all year, still managed to throw in a couple of bad swings in the roll up on Saturday which cost me a chance at victory :p On the other hand did roll in some nice putts including one up the hill on 6th from 20ft for birdie :)
 
Some mixed weather here over the weekend but got out 4 days on the trot so can't complain :)

Friday we managed the front 9 in the dry but it started raining just after we started the back 9, as it's my local which is a 9 hole course and we'd expected the rain we just bailed and called it after 10.5 holes :p
Saturday was glorious but still only did 9 as I had stuff to do.
Sunday was 'ok', few light showers, did the society game at Shrivenham and think my biggest issue was course management, hit some lovely shots though.
Monday I had off to go play Pyford Lakes near Woking, with the group I'm heading to Turkey with in a couple of weeks, weather was not great, lots of heavy showers. Nice course though, lots of water as the name implies so makes things interesting :)

Bit of random information I found out on Saturday that a year ago the course was closed cause it was too wet, compared to that it's so much dryer still, long may it last :p
 
You know it's winter when 36 points gets you the win :p

Did my networking meeting at Cumberwell yesterday and yeah, played ok, scored 36 points, got the W on countback, good times :D

Why is it though that my thought is always 'could easily have been better though' :p I almost chipped in twice, 3 really good looking putts just didn't fall etc etc.
 
SKILL said:
Why is it though that my thought is always 'could easily have been better though' :p I almost chipped in twice, 3 really good looking putts just didn't fall etc etc.
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Every....single....round :rolleyes::p Guess the ones you didn't make, but think you should have, always stand out more than the good ones you did make.
 
Didn't get out to play today - the course was actually open despite the rain we have had with 3 temp greens, but the rain started before our tee time so we sacked it off and had a range session instead

If anyone goes to Japan to play golf, the couple I have played on Trackman have had very tight fairways, so I don't think I would like to try them in real life lol

Fingers crossed I managed to get out on Saturday morning with a couple of the lads
 
I know it's a bit "cheesy" but the Internet Invitational was great coffee viewing....

www.youtube.com

Internet Invitational

The Internet Invitational is here. 48 creators. More than $1 million on the line. The Internet Invitational starts Monday, October 27th. Catch the finale here on November 13th.
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com

24 youtube golfers - playing for a Million dollars.... (Rick and Pete are playing)

Good shots / bad shots / controversy etc

Across all the videos - 20-25 million views.

Also a great tribute to Beef.... Sadly passed away recently after this was filmed.
 
First game in about 2 months sense changing job 3 months ago. Was not to bad, scored 102 and only lost 1 ball. Honestly thought it would be much worse. Weather was crap, was that misty rain for the entire round, the river that runs through the course had burst its banks. On the plus side, had the course to myself most of the time.
 
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Our course was closed today, so we just messed about on the range and played 9 holes of our course on Trackman range as it is available for us

I didn't strike the ball that well, especially off the tee, but still won with 18 points

Can't play tomorrow but will be interested to see if the course is open again as we didn't seem to have any more rain today
 
Yet another weekend of what could have been :p Two stablefords, played supper solid front nines both days (19pts), hitting it great but then conspired to give it away coming back (14pts Sat/15pts Sun).

Saturday started back double/double, not the end of the world. Was hanging in there then on fifteen me and one of my playing partners miss the green right. I joked this would be a nice one to chip in for birdie, thined my chip for it to hit dead centre of the pin and drop in :D. Just as I'm celebrating and pulling the pin I get the news, I've played the wrong ball! Both playing Srixon, I was on autopilot and with the ball sitting down in the rough didn't even think to check for my markings :o.

What happens on the next tee is entirely predictable, worst swing of the day and fat one 40 yards into the water. Do well to recover and make bogey. Then go for an action replay at the next. Drop, chip one back into the fairway and make a great up and down from 140y to a tricky back right pin. 4pts but on another day could have been so much more.

Today start back double/triple thanks to two inexplicably under hit wedges leaving me about as far from the pins as possible :rolleyes:. Then on twelve after a lovely lay up in front of the lake leaves my club face way open on my approach and put it in the drink. Still should have scored a point but after a lovely chip went to quickly go and tap in to get out the way of my playing partners and....... Then on sixteen and seventeen hit cracking tee shots on both but came away with a pair of 5's like yesterday after two woeful approaches. By this point you couldn't make it up!

The search for a good round in 2025 continues.....
 
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