The Golf Thread

ChileMass said:

Riv -

Most golfers will tend to overswing the shorter irons and underswing the longer ones. It's really just the weighting and the length that screws with you. Most golfers will therefore place the ball a little further back in their stance (4-6" right of center for a right-handed hitter) when hitting shorter irons (and maybe open the clubface a bit) and place the ball further forward when hitting a longer iron (and maybe close the face a bit). However, don't put the ball too far back or you will catch too much dirt, or too far forward cuz you will tend to "top" to ball. And then go to the range and do it about 100,000 times over a 25-year period, and you might break 90 someday.

Doesn't that make you feel a whole lot better - ?? :wink:

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I pretty much hit my low and high irons from the same spot. Sometime I will shift ball position slightly, but not much. I ussually line the ball up about one inch to the left of center (I am a righty). The only club I change my stance for is my driver or 3w off the tee. I pretty much have the ball tee'd up in line with my left foot so I can hit the ball just as the club starts on its up swing. The biggest improvment to my game over the years was to ease up on my swing. I now only take 3/4 swings (or smaller) and work on making good clean ball contact. I am also finding that I hit the ball further and straighter than I used to when I always try to crush the ball. I my friends comment that my swing looks pretty slow, yet I hit the ball much further and straighter than they do. It really pisses them off. My big weakness on the course is my short game. I would rather be 90 yards away from the green than 20 yards away. My putting also sucks! I am consistantly on the green in regulation and find myself 3 or 4 putting :roll: I just don't have time anymore to put into improving this part of my game. Too many other things going on and too many other hobbies

Problem with yard sales is I still don't know enough about old equipment to tell the good from the bad or the pro from the amateur (though I do know to look for cavity backed irons for game development). I am just starting to get to know a little about current equipment.

Where is DrJeff with his tournament update?

MR. evil said:

I pretty much hit my low and high irons from the same spot. Sometime I will shift ball position slightly, but not much. I ussually line the ball up about one inch to the left of center (I am a righty). The only club I change my stance for is my driver or 3w off the tee. I pretty much have the ball tee'd up in line with my left foot so I can hit the ball just as the club starts on its up swing.

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Same here. One of the best "digital lessons" I received was instead of playing with pall position in the stance, line up the ball just to the left of your jaw straight down from your left arm and change how far backward your back leg rests depending upon club length. That really helped me find the right spot in my swing where impact should happen. Before I had been playing with ball location and it just kept screwing me up.

Regarding putting, that is one of my better game aspects at this point. I need to learn how much swing speed generates what types of distance. But my aim is usually very good. I two put or better for most holes so long as I don't under shoot my first put. Pitching and chipping needs a lot of work though as a two putt happens but a two chip or two pitch is just brutal.

Back to the Par 3 today and I am surprised to say that I actually improved my score. From a 54 to a 52. It would have been a lot worse without making two pars. I managed to get every score possible between 3 and 9 today :roll: Just felt absolutely terrible out there. Haven't hit this bad in weeks despite getting a better score (largely due to not counting rehits from the tee on three lost balls). Really need to get back to the range this week and get back to basics. Too many full rounds and not enough practice time has me going out and playing below my ability level. I really don't care about a high score and a few bad shots. I am disappointed when I am playing way below what I am capable of on even an average day.

riverc0il said:

Where is DrJeff with his tournament update?

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Here ya go.

Overall, we played like DOGS My foursome was me playing to my roughly 6 handicap now, about a 15 handicaper played pretty close to his number, and 18 who played more like a 25 and a 25 who played close to his number.

The person who the tournament was in memory of was an avid golfer who LOVED the course set up tough, and his relatives asked the course superintendant if he could us the toughest pin location on EVERY hole. Let me tell you, if you got the ball on the wrong side of the hole (which we did alot), you're 1st put would be say a 15 footer(of course we missed it ) and then we'd have a 20 footer coming back up the hill (for some reason we made most of those ).

The team didn't win any hardware(not that I'd expect to only shooting -4), but it was a beautiful day out, and the beer was cold and plentifull all day

was the tourney a scarmble or best ball?

I am playing in a scarmble on Thursday..... I hate scarmbles! They totally throw me off my game. I will be in a four-some with my father and 2 of my uncles. They are going to want me to kill it off the tee, and go for risky shots everytime so they can then play it safe when I miss. I know that is how you should play a scarmble, but it just kills my game for my next round when I am playing my own ball for 18 holes.

MR. evil said:

was the tourney a scarmble or best ball?

I am playing in a scarmble on Thursday..... I hate scarmbles! They totally throw me off my game. I will be in a four-some with my father and 2 of my uncles. They are going to want me to kill it off the tee, and go for risky shots everytime so they can then play it safe when I miss. I know that is how you should play a scarmble, but it just kills my game for my next round when I am playing my own ball for 18 holes.

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Scramble. I tend to enjoy them, since usually I'm able to "build" my team with a "steady" player who hits lead off and gets us in the short grass 225ish out, then usually we'll have to players that aren't the best of golfer's but can bomb the ball (just not quite sure where it will land all the time ) hitting 2nd and 3rd, and then I'll hit clean up, which depending on where the 1st 3 tee balls ended up will be either me just really taking a swing at it or playing the safety shot. The fun thing about the course we played yesterday from the tees we played is that it was just under 6,000 yards, so our 225 person was really leaving us a "realistic" 2nd shot(we he hit the short grass), so on alot of holes where even off the back tees if I was playing my own ball, I usually hit 3 wood or even 3 iron on a couple of holes, I was able to take a rip with the driver and go for the green (the course has 3 par 4's that were playing 300-315 yesterday and all were downhill!).

The biggest problem though I notice day in and day out in Scrambles, isn't so much the overswinging on a driver that causes the problem, but that you'll often end up with alot shorter approaches than we're all used to playing, and more often than not it seems that the 75 yard approach shot where not too many folks are comfortble with(or used to), and we won't hit it as close as if we had a full wedge/short iron from say 125. And I can honestly say that I've seen WAYYY to many times over the years when in a scramble as a group, we'll go 0-4 on a 75 yard approach shot when the 4some has been going 3 for 4 or 4 for 4 from 125 yards. I'm guilty of the same thing in my own game too. Realizing this, I tend to try and leave myself with a comfortble distance (if I have choice) in my own game.

That's the whole mental aspect of golf, is figuring out what your strengths/ comforts are on the course and then trying to hit the shots that play to your strengths/comforts. That's why i really enjoying what the pros on TV, just seeing how they mentally play the course to their strengths and then do everything they can to play to them, verses the typical amateur who all they think is "try an hit it as far as I can wherever it goes" as opposed to "it will be an easier hole if try and hit it over there"

MR. evil said:

was the tourney a scarmble or best ball?

I am playing in a scarmble on Thursday..... I hate scarmbles! They totally throw me off my game. I will be in a four-some with my father and 2 of my uncles. They are going to want me to kill it off the tee, and go for risky shots everytime so they can then play it safe when I miss. I know that is how you should play a scarmble, but it just kills my game for my next round when I am playing my own ball for 18 holes.

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The last four man scramble I played in was back in June. We had an order we stuck to and I was first since I'm the most agressive and being first kind of stinks because there is alot of pressure. Some of the narrow holes..I would ordinarily just hit a 5-iron 180-200 yards so I would be safe in the fairway but in the scramble format..every shot off the tee was a driver. I luckily sunk quite a few 6-15 foot putts to take the pressure off the other players. We ended up shootinga 63 and tying with two other groups for first..and the actual winners were determined by how well they performed on the hardest handicap holes.

My Dad and I are probably playing in a two man scramble in September. We played in this one two years ago and prizes are given out based on flights. So the top group from the bottom 1/3 gets prizes but the bottom group of the middle 1/3 gets nothing. In that format..we'll most likely shoot about a 75..

drjeff said:

The biggest problem though I notice day in and day out in Scrambles, isn't so much the overswinging on a driver that causes the problem, but that you'll often end up with alot shorter approaches than we're all used to playing, and more often than not it seems that the 75 yard approach shot where not too many folks are comfortble with(or used to), and we won't hit it as close as if we had a full wedge/short iron from say 125. And I can honestly say that I've seen WAYYY to many times over the years when in a scramble as a group, we'll go 0-4 on a 75 yard approach shot when the 4some has been going 3 for 4 or 4 for 4 from 125 yards. I'm guilty of the same thing in my own game too. Realizing this, I tend to try and leave myself with a comfortble distance (if I have choice) in my own game.

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Being new to the game, I have two comments on the issue of the short game. The first is that I immediately noticed how important the short game was on my first round of golf. Which is why I went out and ordered wedges ASAP. Though wedges are great to have, you still have to learn how to use them. Most folks hitting the range swing mostly drivers, hybrids, and low irons. You don't see a lot of people show up to the range and go through a bucket of balls with their wedges and low irons. When I hit the range, I usually start with my wedge and higher number irons and work my way up towards my 6I and only go for the woods once I feel I have improved my iron swing.

The other comment I have is in regards to equipment. It seems most people buying drivers and woods are all about distance. If it doesn't go long, then it ain't worth it. To me, accuracy trumps distance by a long shot. I have only played full courses in scrambles, but I noticed that on most holes except for the longest par 5s that you can easily hit the green or close by with a non-driver wood teed off accurately in the fairway followed by a mid-number iron. It seems silly to risk going left or right for an extra dozen or two dozen yards when accurate shots will get you there just as quick if not faster in many cases. The long drive sure is fun, but there are few things I enjoy more than a perfectly hit straight as an arrow 6I off the deck.

riverc0il said:

The other comment I have is in regards to equipment. It seems most people buying drivers and woods are all about distance. If it doesn't go long, then it ain't worth it. To me, accuracy trumps distance by a long shot. I have only played full courses in scrambles, but I noticed that on most holes except for the longest par 5s that you can easily hit the green or close by with a non-driver wood teed off accurately in the fairway followed by a mid-number iron. It seems silly to risk going left or right for an extra dozen or two dozen yards when accurate shots will get you there just as quick if not faster in many cases. The long drive sure is fun, but there are few things I enjoy more than a perfectly hit straight as an arrow 6I off the deck.

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For the past 5 years I alway hit a 3W off the tee instead of a driver. I was very consistant with my 3W (still am) and hitting driver wasn't worth the risk. It wasn't until recently that I have been hitting driver off the tee. I was lucky to find a driver / shaft combo that worked for me and I have been hitting the D as consistant as my 3W. Interesting that a co-worker has the same exact driver / shaft combo, same lenght, and I hit his club like crap. I find that I hot 3i off the tee on many short par 4's. I would rather be hitting 5 or 6 iron to the green instead of PW or LW.

I don't even both with my driver any more. I can kill a 3W for just as much distance as my driver with much less risk. Probably don't have a good driver/shaft combo for my swing style. And I slice the driver like crazy but get the 3W straight most of the time, so obviously I am doing something different with the driver that is messing up impact, perhaps face of the club not aligned I would guess. In any case, I will revisit the driver when I get my skills up. For now, I don't even put my driver in my bag if I am going out to play a round (well, hypothetically when I start playing full courses instead of par 3s!).

riverc0il said:

The other comment I have is in regards to equipment. It seems most people buying drivers and woods are all about distance. If it doesn't go long, then it ain't worth it. To me, accuracy trumps distance by a long shot. I have only played full courses in scrambles, but I noticed that on most holes except for the longest par 5s that you can easily hit the green or close by with a non-driver wood teed off accurately in the fairway followed by a mid-number iron. It seems silly to risk going left or right for an extra dozen or two dozen yards when accurate shots will get you there just as quick if not faster in many cases. The long drive sure is fun, but there are few things I enjoy more than a perfectly hit straight as an arrow 6I off the deck.

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MR. evil said:

For the past 5 years I alway hit a 3W off the tee instead of a driver. I was very consistant with my 3W (still am) and hitting driver wasn't worth the risk. It wasn't until recently that I have been hitting driver off the tee. I was lucky to find a driver / shaft combo that worked for me and I have been hitting the D as consistant as my 3W. Interesting that a co-worker has the same exact driver / shaft combo, same lenght, and I hit his club like crap. I find that I hot 3i off the tee on many short par 4's. I would rather be hitting 5 or 6 iron to the green instead of PW or LW.

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I don't golf often, but most of the time I'll hit a 3 iron off the tee. Partly because I can hit it better than my woods and partly because my woods/driver have always been shit. I actually don't think I even have a wood in my bag right now. Way better to swing light and hit straight than to try to crush it out of the tee box, unless of course you can.

I am very confident with my driver, in fact, i don't even have a 3 wood. I do carry a 5 though.

riverc0il said:

For now, I don't even put my driver in my bag if I am going out to play a round (well, hypothetically when I start playing full courses instead of par 3s!).

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That is what I did for years until I found a driver / shaft that worked for me. I am not sure this will work for everyone but this is the advice a co-worker / scratch golfer gave me. He told me to find a store with an in-door range and hit as many drivers as I could till I found one I liked. Once you find a model you like go back to the rack and take 5 or 6 more of the same exact club. Hit all of them until you find one that is really sweet. Even if that club is all dinged / sctached up from others testing it, buy that club. The only thing you should do is have the grip changed to something more you liking. His explaination for this was that not all club heads and shafts of the same type will play the same. Some club heads will have slighly different weights. Shafts of the same type will flex and twist slightly different from one another. Put those things together with the human factor of assembling the club and you can very easily have 10 different Taylor Made 580 drivers that all play slightly different from one another. He says this has less impact on irons as you don't swing them as hard. So for the last 5 plus years he has all of his irons custom made, but gets his driver and 3W off the shelf.

I [Hart] Skiing said:

I am very confident with my driver, in fact, i don't even have a 3 wood. I do carry a 5 though.

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Funny that I can now hit a D or 3W off the tee very well. And I am also very good with my long irons. But I cannot hit a fairway wood off the ground to save my life. I don't even have a 5W. I carry a rescue club instead. But I ussually hit a 2i or 3i in situations were most hit a 5w.

I think part of the problem is that with my irons off the ground I hit down into the ball for spin. But with a fairway wood you need to almost hit it clean off the ground and I just cannot seem to do it. Then again I am also lazy and do not practice anymore.

riverc0il said:

I don't even both with my driver any more. I can kill a 3W for just as much distance as my driver with much less risk. Probably don't have a good driver/shaft combo for my swing style. And I slice the driver like crazy but get the 3W straight most of the time, so obviously I am doing something different with the driver that is messing up impact, perhaps face of the club not aligned I would guess. In any case, I will revisit the driver when I get my skills up. For now, I don't even put my driver in my bag if I am going out to play a round (well, hypothetically when I start playing full courses instead of par 3s!).

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I think you're ready for a full course. For newer golfers a driver is a very difficult club to hit straight. I would still keep it in your bag for practice though..and every round you play is practice. Sometime keep a legit score to see how you really stand..no mulligans..no improved lies. Then track your scores the same method. It's a good habit to get into. I'm tough..I hardly ever give gimmes unless it's within a foot. My Dad gives his buddies like 3-footers which amateurs miss 1/3 of the time. Alot of newer golfers don't tee their driver up high enough..especially the more modern drivers with large heads. Alot of golfers including my Dad use offset drivers to help cure a slice or fade. They are incredibly forgiving. On a 400 yard par 4. The difference between a 250 yard tee-shot and a 200 yard tee-shot is huge. I'd rather have 150 yards from the rough than 200 yards from the fairway...because I can go at the green with a more lofted club. Wow now I want to play golf..

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

I think you're ready for a full course.

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Almost. Want to get some practice in with my new wedges first. I clearly need range time right now to get my swing back. $18 twilight rate for the full course right down the road from where I live which isn't a bad rate at all. Gets dark earlier now though. That is where DrJeff's speed golf comes into play!

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

Wow now I want to play golf..

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That's what I am talking about! Just got my new clubs and am itching to get in some practice time and play a round.

Has anyone done one of those custom fitting deals where you swing a bunch of different clubs and they analyze video to see what types of fitting, shafts, etc. will work best for your swing? Worth the $$$ to dial in your preferred specs or is it junk science designed to sell expensive top of the line clubs?

riverc0il said:

Has anyone done one of those custom fitting deals where you swing a bunch of different clubs and they analyze video to see what types of fitting, shafts, etc. will work best for your swing? Worth the $$$ to dial in your preferred specs or is it junk science designed to sell expensive top of the line clubs?

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I'm sure it's synonymous with putting a beginner skier on an expert ski...

riverc0il said:

Has anyone done one of those custom fitting deals where you swing a bunch of different clubs and they analyze video to see what types of fitting, shafts, etc. will work best for your swing? Worth the $$$ to dial in your preferred specs or is it junk science designed to sell expensive top of the line clubs?

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I doubt it is worth it till your a much more experienced player. Over the next couple of years your swing (path and speed) will probably change several times. I would wait till you more dialed in to a swing and then go that route.