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Looking at my stats from the last game it was obvious that I didn’t keep the ball in play enough off the tee, notably even with the 3 Wood. I think I was trying to hit the ball too hard. I also mishit a few fairway wood and hybrid approach shots.
The other thing I threw away shots on was pitch shots, that I had to repeat twice on two holes. They were inside 65m ( my 100% power SW distance) so I judged the distance/ partial shot needed and got it wrong. My chipping close in and putting was O.K.I had a brief practice session today. Brief because it started to rain. I worked on 3 Wood shots off the tee, 7 Wood fade shots off the deck ( starting line) and partial pitch shots. Tuesday is my next game.
I played at 8 :00 a.m. with 3 other brave players. It was overcast and slightly drizzly.
I tried to play conservatively with the intent of keeping my tee shots in play. I pushed the tee shot with Driver on hole 3 just a bit wide. Then on hole 6 and 9 I managed to mistime my 3 Wood tee shots. I suspect I was trying to hit them too hard and lost my rhythm. I over faded my Driver tee shots on holes 12 and 14, leaving less than ideal second shots. 5/18 tee shots not in play.
On the front 9 I hit one birdie ( par 3 8th) and par on the 4th ( happy with that) and the rest all bogeys, except on hole 6 when I struggled off the tee and scored a 6.
On the back 9 I scored 2 pars ( 10 and 13 ) with the 13th latter being a scramble after a poor second shot with 7W. I had a few brain farts when I tried shots that I probably should not have due to my skill level. I managed to have two chip shots on #16 & #14, as well as mishit another 7W shot and 4 Hybrid all costing extra shots.
Score OTS 88 ( 1 birdie, 3 pars, 11 bogeys, 3 doubles) 33 points
2 GIR, one up and down, 32 puttsWe had a big night last night at Rotary. It was our club’s 80th birthday. I got to bed around 12 and woke a little hungover, with just enough time to make it to the tee.
How did I play? 4 double bogeys in the front 9 and 2 in the back. All caused by different things. On 2 and 3 I hit poor tee shots and poor second shots. Poor chipping on 7 and 9 cost me extra putts. I rallied towards the end of the back 9. I hit 5pars, 7 bogeys for a 91 OTS(48/43)
Socially it was a fun game. I did use my “midpower” fade to get on the fairways with Driver and I even hit a nice draw on 17 only to roll up onto the grass trap mound again. Putting wasn’t all that bad and I hit the occasional good fairway shot.
Panadol and a good lie down this arvo I think will be in order.
Moral of the story: never drink cheap red wine children!1 user liked this post.
Playing just after dawn has its disadvantages. It was cold and the greens were covered in dew. Today I was concentrating on keeping my tee shots in play, playing by feel ( think line/ play line idea) and trying a different putting style.
Hole 0ne; I hit 3W off the tee and got to the corner O.K. It left a distance to the green that was too far for an iron shot, so I faded a 4 Hybrid and it just finished short of the green. Perhaps a draw shape might have rolled on, but possibly through the green! Anyway i chipped on nicely with my 50 degree, leaving a 1.3 m putt. I missed! (bogey)
Hole 2; I got the feel of the swing I wanted, then let one go with the 3W. the flight was good, but start line was a tad too central and the ball rolled off the fairway into the trees, left side. I punched out with the 3H and then hit a 7 iron at the green. I have been drawing my iron shots, but this one went straight…. into the bunker. I slapped the sand and got it onto the green. The first putt rolled up to the hole and stopped ; short! (double bogey)
Hole 3 : I pushed the Driver shot slightly right rough. Having been there before, I felt confident to punch a 3H shot down the fairway. My8 iron approach shot was from a downhill/ above feet lie and was short of the green. The 50 degree chip ran past the pin leaving a downhill slider. I only just missed. ( bogey)
Hole 4&5: I kept the 3W tee shots in play and chipped/ putted fine ( bogey)
Hole 6-9 : tee shots in play ( check), hit 3/4 GIR and putted in for par.
Hole 10: I hit a good draw shape Driver shot, a good 7 iron to be pin high and chipped in with the 50 degree ( birdie). That brought a smile to my face!
Hole 11: I hit a 4 H off the tee to the green and two putted form 5.5 m (par)
Hole 12: The Driver shot was fine, but the 7W at the pin was great. It ended up rolling through the green, so I had to bump it over the raised back of the green an then putted uphill from 9.6 m . The second putt was a tap in. ( bogey)
Hole 13: went well getting to the dogleg corner, then I missed the green left with a 8iron shot into the sun glare. ( like hole 7/ no vision just hit and hope). I did a nice SW chip to 1.5 m and holed it ( par)
Hole 14 : over the water tee shot. I tend to either push it out right or hook with river on this hole. Today I got just enough curve to stay on the right side of the fairway almost. The ball was in a divot, so I thought of trying a 7 iron fade and it worked. A high floater hit the green. ( par)
Hole 15 : I hit a nice tight draw off the tee. Then a 4 Hybrid to the left side of the green. 2 putts from 4.4m ( par)
Hole 16: I hit a fade off the tee( short but in play) then two 3 woods to reach the green, well almost. I chipped in with a 3H for birdie. Who need long Drives!
Hole 17 Drive of the day that rolled into a grass trap. I hit a 6H shot near the green, 50 degree chip and one putt ( par)
Hole 18: decent 3 W fade but didn’t come back enough. (wrong start line) . My chip with PW was good/ 1.5 m from pin and I dropped the putt for par.What did I learn?
1) The putter works better using the gravity golf method. 28 putts is way better than usual.
2) I didn’t try any hero shots when the ball was in a poor lie, accepting that I had to keep the ball in play above all else
3) when I am having a bad driver day, use the 3W off the tee. I can use the 7W to make up for the distance loss on the second shot.
4) I used a small target for each shot and generally played better ( except when I forgot, of course) direction wise.
5) using practice swings until I got the feel I wanted for the shot seemed to help.1 user liked this post.
The weather for the Vets game was good. it was warm and only light winds (for here).
I started off playing conservatively with two bogeys, but followed with a string of double bogeys. I was getting to the green with my approach shots, but the first putts were long ( 3 putt territory). I lipped out on the three second putts in a row. I managed pars on holes 5 ( par 3) and 9. I used the 3 Wood of the tee a lot ( holes 2,4,5,6,9) and it worked getting the ball to position.On the back nine holes I started with two pars and a bogey ( all scored @ 4). I hit two more doubles on 14 and 16 due to poor Driver shots. One pulled left under a tree and one pushed right into the trees. I had a FTE experience ( failed to escape) and promptly blew any chance of a decent score on the 16th hole. Brain farts= ( 4). I did make amends on 17 when I hit a ripper Driver shot and hybrid to the green for a par (one of three on this 9).
OTS 91 ( 5 pars, 8 bogeys, 5 doubles+) 36 putts, 3/18 GIR, 4/13 up and down.
It looks as if I need to spend time with my Driver again. I still seem to push it right on 16, but at lest my usual push on 14 didn’t occur. I hit it a little too far left over the water, and the ball rested under a large low tree branch so I had no shot. A metre plus/ minus and I would have been able to shoot at the green. Golf is cruel!
Two Steps
1) 3Wood off the tee was great
2) lag putting was much better; but I rimmed out several times.One Step back
1) Driver two way miss.Just to get some exercise I spent 2 hours attacking the sweet pittosporum in the rough on hole 12. After the battery went flat on my chain saw, I played back towards the club house.
I worked on my tee shots; aiming a little further left and swinging just right of my intermediate point with a slightly stronger grip, I hit some decent draw shots off the tee. I disciplined myself to do my full PSR before all iron shots and hit mostly good ones. I tried hitting the 3 W off the deck on one hole, but gave up. The 7W is so mush easier! I hit a few 7W working on start line and aim. Better! I adjusted the 6Hybrid to a more toe up setting and that got rid of the fade shots to the right. I trialled using my Arc Master putter as it was intended for longer lag putts and got pretty close to the hole. I still like using it arm lock style for sort putts.
Roll on Monday ‘s veterans game to see if I can improve. It is at Portland, so I will be at an advantage. I counted up 12 shots that were caused by the NQR technique/ poor decisions last game. I am playing off GA handicap of 13 now.
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I started the game with gusto with a par, bogey, par scores, until the 4th hole got me(again). I hit the 3 W off the tee to position, then a conservative approach shot to the right side of the green, but the wind caught it and it finished about 10 m wide. Did I mention it was windy today? Cold too! Anyway my chip shot wasn’t hard enough and I left a 10 m putt. I missed twice on the 4 degree green to score a double bogey. I hit a really good tee shot with the 3W that finished 1 m from the hole on the par 3 5th hole and I made the putt. Three more pars followed. I hit my tee shot on the par 3 8th into the sand trap again, when it was about 10 cm short of the fat lip. Learning from Tuesday I used my hybrid to bunt it over the lip and scored a bogey (not a triple bogey). So I hit a 39 OTS on the front 9.
We met another group of golfers hitting off from the 1st tee , while we hit off on the adjacent 10th tee. I think I got stage fright and pushed my Driver shot into the trees. I was tempted to have a go at the green with a low draw 3H shot, but showed some discipline for once and took my medicine. I used my distance chart ( 25/50/ 75/ 100 %) power swings to good effect today on several holes to get onto the green and score one point for a double bogey. I hit a tree off the tee on the 11th, but used the distance chart again to get within tap in distance to par the hole. The last 7 holes I played bogey golf. Final score 84 OTS, one better than on Tuesday.
6 pars, hit 10/14 fairways, 5/18 GIR, 33 putts, no up and downs.
Two steps forward
1) The Cobra 3 Wood helped keep the ball in play
2) I was tidy inside 100 m ; chipping was pretty good.One step back
I mishit 3 iron shots ( fat) possibly when I didn’t do my PSR to check I was the right distance from the ball.
I mishit two 7W shots to the right, possibly from poor aim/ trying to hit them too hard.?1 user liked this post.
Tomorrow I am playing with my son-in-law and his Dad again, but this time in Portland. I broke 80 at Heywood course when I played with them last .
I picked up a second hand Cobra Speed Zone 3 wood in Mt Gambier today, while delivering plastic bottle tops for recycling into fence droppers/ wire strainers. Once at home I hit a few holes using the 3 wood. It worked best for me at 16 degrees both off the tee and the deck. The 3 wood? ( or is it a 4 wood) went well when hitting a draw ( best was 203m) and fades ( 170-180 m). It went where I aimed it, so it should be good on the narrower fairways.
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Better. 85 OTS. Down to 13 handicap
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Better! I hit 85 OTS today / 37 points.
one birdie, 6 pars, 9 bogeys, 2 double bogeys.
I hit 10/14 fairway: the short driver worked well to get into position.
5/18 GIR: my irons shots were good today.
3 up and downs/ 7possible
putts 34.Where did I lose strokes?
Hole #
1) My 7 iron approach shot was short. There is a down slope into the green. If the shot had gone2 more metres it would have run onto the green.
2) My 6 H fade shot didn’t quite fade enough , so I had a short chip onto the green and the SW shot checked a bit much.
3) I slightly pulled my draw shot and clipped a tree, then hit a good 7W. I fatted a above feet 7i shot approach.
4)I made par
5) ditto
6) ditto
7) ditto
8) blow up hole. I pulled my 8 iron, leaving me short sided over a bunker to a down sloping green. I hit a LW shot that hit the far side of the bunker. then tried to be too cute to get out of the sand. A better decision would have been to use the hybrid to roll it out. Stupid!
9) i three putted on hole 9. They have put the holes in the edge of ridges today to be difficult. It was!
10)I made par
11) I made birdie; sunk a 4.6 m downhill putt.
12) I miss hit a 7W and came up short.
13) I hit a ripper 7W second shot and it went 1 m too far and rolled into the bush on the corner. I had to chip it out!
14) I pushed the Driver shot and then clipped a tree trying to go over it with a 7 i ( I should have laid up), put a 3H bump and run onto the verge, then 3 putted!!!
15) I pushed the Driver shot, came up short with the7 W and took a 8 i chip to get on the green.
16) I hit a 7 W second shot into the edge of the pines. I hate hitting off deep pine needles, but I got it out well with a 3H punch shot and a full SW onto the green.
17) I tried very hard not to push the Driver shot, so I pulled it instead, hit a tree and had to punch out. I hit a good GW to the green though
18) short driver fade to the green and 2 putts for a par to finish on.Overall ‘ two steps
1) tee shots in play more
2) tidy inside 100 m with iron shots hitting the green or very near.One step back
1) errors in club selection put the ball into difficult positions.1 user liked this post.
MM stroke & putting at Beacy.
Drives were crap, fairways were crap putting was mediocre. 34 putts 24 stab points. Drowned two balls off the tee and had an airy from another tee.
It was drizzling before we went, should’ve saved my money and gone home.
But the company was good.Beacy? Where is that?
I sold my F9 5 wood and will pick up a Speedzone 3 W next week.
I have been playing around with shaft flex, shaft length and head design for my Driver for a while now. I experimented with a couple of Nike Vapor speed heads and R flex at 45 inches and A flex at 44 inches. I hit the R 45 inch shaft further, but was more accurate with the 44 inch. I sold them both after about two years of use for what I paid for them. After the 5 W went, I had a 44 inch shaft left with a Cobra tip. I found a cheap Cobra F7+ for $80, so I bought it . Today I hit it at standard loft ( 10 degrees? supposedly it goes from 8-11 degrees) with the 12 gm. weight in the front port (It has forward, rear & draw position) . I had a good centred hit position and a lovely low fade shape with it. It should be an option for the dogleg right shaped holes on the local course.
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Golf is a fickle games isn’t it?
I started well with three pars in a row. then for some reason my putter went on strike. I 3 putted on two consecutive holes. The greens had been heavily watered and were slow. I seem to have developed a case of the ” timids” and hit short. I played army golf down the 7th hole, after trying to fade my second shot , but not managing it well. I thee putted again. I did a little rally and hit par on 8&9.
Then came the back 9 holes! I hit a crap driver shot, but it was on the fairway. I tried to slam a 7 W but only managed to push it into the tree line. I had a clear shot at the green and tried a bump and run PW shot, that stopped when it hit the ground. Soggy as! On 11 I hit a pretty good tee shot on the par 3 hole, the best one for a while actually. Then I took three putts to creep into the hole. I broke out the Driver again on 12 and sliced my ball into the right rough, where it remained hidden form sight. I went back to the tee and hit a good 3W shot and scored 4 ( par) with that ball+ 2 penalties. So much for playing smart today! I hit off on hole 13 with the 3W and then to the corner with 7W and followed with a good 9iron to the green + 3 putts. It was another that almost dropped , but not quite. I repeated the three putts on 14 and 15. I finally one putted on 16 to par that hole. Three putted on 17 (again) and hit a great tee shot onto the green on 18 with the 3W. I was relieved to par with a tap in second putt.
It was a frustrating game. Score 43/47OTS 7 pars, 5 bogeys, 5 doubles and one triple. Worst putting ever! It has been one of my strengths of late.
I hit most Tee shots into play; great with the 3 W, so-so with Driver. Approach shots were generally good, and my short game was effective at getting onto the green. GIR 8/18 , 3 up and downs. 41 putts. Tomorrow is another day. No more golf for a few days. The Rotary Art show is on over the weekend, so I will be busy.I did 18 holes today in very pleasant conditions in the early afternoon.
I hit 9/14 fairways and the other 5 were in the short rough, so they were in play. The 3 Wood off the tee is a better option on several holes for me. I even hit two over 200 m with the 3 Wood, but mainly around 180 m on most shots. I even hit a couple off the deck quite well, so I must have improved in the last two years. in 2020 I gave away trying to hit a 3 Wood.
I hit 10/18 GIR which is high for me. I got 2/18 up and downs. 7 pars/ 11 bogeys just by playing conservatively. There is a message there. I only played shots that I knew I could hit.
Arccos was not impressed with my putting stats ( 39) but I was trying to roll the ball onto the green from the verge to see if I was more accurate with the putter compared to the SL hybrid I usually use. Answer: possibly if the verge is smooth, not if it is rough.
I am playing in the club comp tomorrow. Let us see if I can play a little better than I have been.
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