Golf

[Thracian]

On 13/10/2016 at 21:17, Izzy Muzzett said:

Shot my best round of the year today. Gross 73 one over par off the white tees in a midweek stableford competition for 43 points. Just one of those days where everything clicked and Lady Luck shone down on me for once. If only I could play like this every week 

 

Cracking score off the white tees, so much concentration required. I think any good golf round requires good fortune, perhaps more so this time of the year when a heavy footmark can make a perfectly good putt turn off line just in front of the hole or hit some other miniature obstacle on the green.that said, there's no way anyone scores 73 off the whites without being an excellent player.        

Edited 27 March 2017 by Thracian

[Thracian]

On 14/10/2016 at 17:21, Izzy Muzzett said:

Cheers bud, yesterday's round felt like a real 'one off' 

Yeah, I'm currently off 8 h'cap but will probably be cut to 7 now. Lowest I've been is 6 but that was hard work - especially in winter as I'm not the longest  You're right, it's all about improvement and work on your game to stay half decent I guess.

I used to play Ullesthorpe, Lutterworth, Kilworth in my youth, but now play down south with a load of gooners and Chelski fans 

 

Seems to me there's a mental barrier to overcome as you get a lower handicap - the thought that you can't afford mistakes.

At first I became a bit defensive and dropped far too many putts short but, in the end decided you've got to think "birdiies" rather than just pars, and make sure you give the putts a chance to go in by hitting them with enough weight whatever.   

Edited 27 March 2017 by Thracian

[Izzy]

18 minutes ago, Thracian said:

Cracking score off the white tees, so much concentration required. I think any good golf round requires good fortune, perhaps more so this time of the year when a heavy footmark can make a perfectly good putt turn off line just in front of the hole or hit some other miniature obstacle on the green.that said, there's no way anyone scores 73 off the whites without being an excellent player.        

 

10 minutes ago, Thracian said:

Seems to me there's a mental barrier to overcome as you get a lower handicap - the thought that you can't afford mistakes.

At first I became a bit defensive and dropped far too many putts short but, in the end decided you've got to think "birdiies" rather than just pars, and make sure you give the putts a chance to go in by hitting them with enough weight whatever.   

Cheers mate 

 

Yes, golf is definitely more of a mental challenge for me rather than technical now. I've recently been cut back down to 6 again so just haven't got any room for error. A double bogey or the odd 3 putt and my handicap has gone in a couple of holes so I've got to concentrate so hard these days.

 

And like you say, I'm now thinking birdies and really need at least one or two each round to off-set any errors. And it is all about the putting really. No prizes for leaving them short but just need the confidence to always make the one coming back!!

[Thracian]

8 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

 

Cheers mate 

 

Yes, golf is definitely more of a mental challenge for me rather than technical now. I've recently been cut back down to 6 again so just haven't got any room for error. A double bogey or the odd 3 putt and my handicap has gone in a couple of holes so I've got to concentrate so hard these days.

 

And like you say, I'm now thinking birdies and really need at least one or two each round to off-set any errors. And it is all about the putting really. No prizes for leaving them short but just need the confidence to always make the one coming back!!

Haha, when my kids ask me what I want for Christmas there's nothing more than to master the art of putting!

I'm still haunted by hitting our par five fourth in two for the first time in my life (wind assisted) and the taking four putts from 25 feet! I can miss from any distance, even a few inches. My wife laughs and says it's a wonder we ever had kids at all!      

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, Thracian said:

Haha, when my kids ask me what I want for Christmas there's nothing more than to master the art of putting!

I'm still haunted by hitting our par five fourth in two for the first time in my life (wind assisted) and the taking four putts from 25 feet! I can miss from any distance, even a few inches. My wife laughs and says it's a wonder we ever had kids at all!      

I am a diabolical putter. I reckon had I honed that skill in my youth I'd have reached a fairly decent level but back then all you wanted to do was leather the driver and long irons. There's still no better feeling in golf than crushing a 2 iron off the deck and sadly that's where my talent lies and with the putter I'm a disgrace. The odd times I do hole a few then I can easily shoot in the low 70's but I'm known to shoot mid 80's having hit 60/70% of greens in regulation hahahahaa.

[Izzy]

40 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I am a diabolical putter. I reckon had I honed that skill in my youth I'd have reached a fairly decent level but back then all you wanted to do was leather the driver and long irons. There's still no better feeling in golf than crushing a 2 iron off the deck and sadly that's where my talent lies and with the putter I'm a disgrace. The odd times I do hole a few then I can easily shoot in the low 70's but I'm known to shoot mid 80's having hit 60/70% of greens in regulation hahahahaa.

Funny how we all get it round differently. I couldn't hit a 2 iron off the deck for all the tea in china. In fact I've got no confidence in my long irons at all so it's rescue clubs all the way for me. My driving is average at best and my GIR stats are woeful. I've had to learn to scramble my ass off over the years and this is now my strength. I get it up and down pretty regularly now but it's hard work. If we combined your long game and my short game I reckon we could do some serious damage  

[foxoffderby]

My 11 year old son (12 in May) has just been signed for Derbyshire. He's been playing since he was 6. He now hits the ball between 240 and 260 yards and is playing off 18.6. Busy Easter and summer ahead lots of tourneys to attend. First one this Friday. He's happy as he's playing for the county  he gets an official pass from school to play golf.

[Ric Flair]

51 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Funny how we all get it round differently. I couldn't hit a 2 iron off the deck for all the tea in china. In fact I've got no confidence in my long irons at all so it's rescue clubs all the way for me. My driving is average at best and my GIR stats are woeful. I've had to learn to scramble my ass off over the years and this is now my strength. I get it up and down pretty regularly now but it's hard work. If we combined your long game and my short game I reckon we could do some serious damage  

Hahahahaa crazy mate and that's why we're all so addicted to the game. I just can't read greens, it's not so much my stroke is really bad. I've done all sorts of hypnosis and EFT on myself (fully qualified) but it's what lets me down, I have no ability to read greens. When I hole a few putts, confidence returns and it becomes easier but it's like I see things differently, weird.

 

I can't hit rescue clubs, hit low raking hooks with them. In fact fairways woods I'm very iffy with as well. Driver absolutely fine, and long irons are my forte. Decent mid iron and wedge player and my chipping is good but putting is just painful. Played the marquess and dukes at Woburn two weeks ago. I think I shot 79 gross in the morning and I'd hit 13 greens out of 18. Didn't hole anything inside 5 feet except one to save bogey hahaaa. Then in the afternoon was even better/worse. Hit 8 out of 9 greens on the front 9 with 4 inside 10 feet for birdie and made zero of them.

[Izzy]

1 hour ago, Ric Flair said:

Hahahahaa crazy mate and that's why we're all so addicted to the game. I just can't read greens, it's not so much my stroke is really bad. I've done all sorts of hypnosis and EFT on myself (fully qualified) but it's what lets me down, I have no ability to read greens. When I hole a few putts, confidence returns and it becomes easier but it's like I see things differently, weird.

 

I can't hit rescue clubs, hit low raking hooks with them. In fact fairways woods I'm very iffy with as well. Driver absolutely fine, and long irons are my forte. Decent mid iron and wedge player and my chipping is good but putting is just painful. Played the marquess and dukes at Woburn two weeks ago. I think I shot 79 gross in the morning and I'd hit 13 greens out of 18. Didn't hole anything inside 5 feet except one to save bogey hahaaa. Then in the afternoon was even better/worse. Hit 8 out of 9 greens on the front 9 with 4 inside 10 feet for birdie and made zero of them.

That must be soul destroying mate  

 

I'm assuming you've tried 'plumb bobbing' and other techniques? It would do my nut in not converting all those birdie opportunities!!

 

I must admit I'm a quick golfer but I do spend my time on the greens. I'm always checking the slope/grain, reading my putts from all angles and constantly repairing pitch marks on my line. Maybe I'm just lucky that I can read greens well - I just always assumed everybody could!!! 

 

But that's still great shooting around Woburn. I played the Marquess last June and it chewed me up and spat me out. It was just too long for me. Then a few weeks later I watched the British Women's Open there on TV and saw them shooting 63's and 64's. That's when I realised how far away I am from actually being any good at this stupid game 

[Izzy]

1 hour ago, foxoffderby said:

My 11 year old son (12 in May) has just been signed for Derbyshire. He's been playing since he was 6. He now hits the ball between 240 and 260 yards and is playing off 18.6. Busy Easter and summer ahead lots of tourneys to attend. First one this Friday. He's happy as he's playing for the county  he gets an official pass from school to play golf.

Good lad  Hitting it that far at aged 11 is mighty impressive! I'm sure his handicap will come tumbling down now he's been picked for the county. We had a junior at our club who was a similar age and he went down from 17 handicap to 5 almost over night it seemed. He then went to the Lee Westwood academy for a couple of years and is now a pro. I hope your son keeps enjoying it and does well. My lad is 7 and I'm desperately trying to get him into golf but he just doesn't listen to me trying to teach him and it winds me right up! 

[Donut]

2 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Hahahahaa crazy mate and that's why we're all so addicted to the game. I just can't read greens, it's not so much my stroke is really bad. I've done all sorts of hypnosis and EFT on myself (fully qualified) but it's what lets me down, I have no ability to read greens. When I hole a few putts, confidence returns and it becomes easier but it's like I see things differently, weird.

 

I can't hit rescue clubs, hit low raking hooks with them. In fact fairways woods I'm very iffy with as well. Driver absolutely fine, and long irons are my forte. Decent mid iron and wedge player and my chipping is good but putting is just painful. Played the marquess and dukes at Woburn two weeks ago. I think I shot 79 gross in the morning and I'd hit 13 greens out of 18. Didn't hole anything inside 5 feet except one to save bogey hahaaa. Then in the afternoon was even better/worse. Hit 8 out of 9 greens on the front 9 with 4 inside 10 feet for birdie and made zero of them.

Try reading putts a little more intuitively. It often helps.

 

A lot of people read the greens by eyesight usually from behind the ball. Before the adam scott style of sighting some players, notably paul lawrie, would read putts with the feel of the green as they walked on the green.

 

Also observing the general lie of the land from water to bunkers, and more extreme features like mountains will offset a read you arent sure about.

 

A good thing to work on as well is pace. If you have consistent pace you can judge break consistently because you can appreciate the front of the hole can be 1 2 or 3 o clock on a breaking putt depending on pace.

 

The hooking issue is your swing path. I would imagine whilst you hit the driver well you also have a tendency to hit a straight push as your bad shot possibly? It gives a clue as to thr overall issue. Id also imagine you may hit your fairway woods a little thin?

 

The fact your fairway woods and rescue can be squiffy suggests your path is a bit too much inside out. It doesnt show up as much with your irons where you can stay on top of the ball a little more

 

 

Edited 27 March 2017 by Donut

[Thracian]

1 hour ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Good lad  Hitting it that far at aged 11 is mighty impressive! I'm sure his handicap will come tumbling down now he's been picked for the county. We had a junior at our club who was a similar age and he went down from 17 handicap to 5 almost over night it seemed. He then went to the Lee Westwood academy for a couple of years and is now a pro. I hope your son keeps enjoying it and does well. My lad is 7 and I'm desperately trying to get him into golf but he just doesn't listen to me trying to teach him and it winds me right up! 

The problem is getting through the teen years and still being motivated.

Whacking the ball 250 yards with a kind handicap and getting all the encouragement imaginable is one thing, dealing with playing off scratch against kids who've been tutored since they were nippers is quite another, especially when it might be months and months between victories.

It happens with so many sports and things like music too. How easily distractions of being a young adult can compensate from the literal and metaphoric pains of practicing day in day out to keep in touch with players who are just that bit longer off the tee, a bit more imaginative when they're in trouble and ruthless when they get in front.   

There's no easy way through this period or easy answer to the talent and determination of others.

But I hope the lad gets through what I call the doldrums and emerges a champion. There's no short cuts. He'll have to dot the i's and cross the tees to be a winner. And have nerves of steel.

I almost matched Izzy with a 74 this afternoon - but off winter tees, in warm, virtually windless conditions and without the pressure of being in a competition but ended up disappointed having finished the first nine in 36.

In reality that would have no chance of winning any kind of scratch competition. To win you have to make things happen, and when you get in front you have to push still harder rather than hope the rest will falter. Because someone always sticks in there and does something special. Close to scratch gets an honourable mention. Below scratch is the only place to be.            

[Donut]

14 minutes ago, Thracian said:

The problem is getting through the teen years and still being motivated.

Whacking the ball 250 yards with a kind handicap and getting all the encouragement imaginable is one thing, dealing with playing off scratch against kids who've been tutored since they were nippers is quite another, especially when it might be months and months between victories.

It happens with so many sports and things like music too. How easily distractions of being a young adult can compensate from the literal and metaphoric pains of practicing day in day out to keep in touch with players who are just that bit longer off the tee, a bit more imaginative when they're in trouble and ruthless when they get in front.   

There's no easy way through this period or easy answer to the talent and determination of others.

But I hope the lad gets through what I call the doldrums and emerges a champion. There's no short cuts. He'll have to dot the i's and cross the tees to be a winner. And have nerves of steel.

I almost matched Izzy with a 74 this afternoon - but off winter tees, in warm, virtually windless conditions and without the pressure of being in a competition but ended up disappointed having finished the first nine in 36.

In reality that would have no chance of winning any kind of scratch competition. To win you have to make things happen, and when you get in front you have to push still harder rather than hope the rest will falter. Because someone always sticks in there and does something special. Close to scratch gets an honourable mention. Below scratch is the only place to be.            

This is a neat post.

 

The best advice for the promising kid is to not lose sight of why they started in the first place. It wouldnt have been thoughts of a +1 handicap, it would have been the enjoyment of the game.

 

A lot of promising golfers will place their self worth at a correlation with the number on their scorecard. Dont do that. At elite amateur level, someone will shoot -5 each day. By nature, a golfer loses more than they win. Embrace it and make it count when its your turn.

 

Sorry if i went kind of deep there.

 

Irrespective of tees and conditions, 74 isnt a bad knock. Good playing.

[foxoffderby]

3 hours ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Good lad  Hitting it that far at aged 11 is mighty impressive! I'm sure his handicap will come tumbling down now he's been picked for the county. We had a junior at our club who was a similar age and he went down from 17 handicap to 5 almost over night it seemed. He then went to the Lee Westwood academy for a couple of years and is now a pro. I hope your son keeps enjoying it and does well. My lad is 7 and I'm desperately trying to get him into golf but he just doesn't listen to me trying to teach him and it winds me right up! 

Yeah my lad didn't listen to me either. Best thing to at that age is to have group lessons with other children. Its fun that way and when they enjoy it they learn quicker.

[Thracian]

1 hour ago, Donut said:

This is a neat post.

 

The best advice for the promising kid is to not lose sight of why they started in the first place. It wouldnt have been thoughts of a +1 handicap, it would have been the enjoyment of the game.

 

A lot of promising golfers will place their self worth at a correlation with the number on their scorecard. Dont do that. At elite amateur level, someone will shoot -5 each day. By nature, a golfer loses more than they win. Embrace it and make it count when its your turn.

 

Sorry if i went kind of deep there.

 

Irrespective of tees and conditions, 74 isnt a bad knock. Good playing.

"Embrace it" ... you're so right about that.

 

As I've often said "you'll never beat the game". Just enjoy your good shots and the special moments we all have, revel in the fresh air and the joy of the countryside and forget all the bad things at the next tee.

 

Whenever I miss an easy putt or smash a teeshot into the canal I think of the cardiac ward my wife was in at Glenfield Hospital and all the people who'll never have the energy and strength to walk a golf course . It sure keeps things in proportion.     

[HowardsBulletHeader]

On 26/03/2017 at 23:08, Izzy Muzzett said:

Agree about DJ mate, he seems to be on a different stratosphere than the others right now. But I fancy Rory at his best could push him close. Just hope it's a close and exciting Masters this year and not a procession.

 

Good luck with your own game this season. I've come to the conclusion after 30 years playing that golf is all about putting. I shot a one over gross 73 in the midweek medal last week and got cut to 5.5 - so nearly a cat 1 player which had always been my dream.

 

I had 9 x 1 putts and 27 in total. Just one of those days where I couldn't miss. I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm only average at best tee to green, so spend 90% of my practice on putting these days..

 

On 27/03/2017 at 00:30, Donut said:

 I dont play now, im a former category 1 player, lowest I ever reached was a 1.8 handicap, but youre right with your assessment, the short game is where you can find the quickest amounts of improvement in your score because these shots make up most of your total shots and dont rely so much on perfect striking.

 

Another thing id suggest to get better is forget "working the ball". Just hit one type of shot all the time.

 

If you watch pros live, and really study them, especially off the tee pros work the ball very, very little. They have a shot they like, and they hit it over and over again.

Both of you have just hit the nail on the head with my two main problems in golf. 

 

1) Putting. I miss too many chances. 37 points on Sunday, 31 putts which isn't horrendous. However 4 of my 1 putts I chipped from off the green to inside 5 feet and holed it. Only once in 13 greens I hit did I make a birdie putt. I know you can't make them all but I had 4/5 really good chances.

 

2) I overcomplicate shots, particularly with any decent wind around. I'll start trying to hit low stingers or hold one against the wind or something like that with an inevitably poor outcome. 

 

I've gone from 4 to very nearly 6 in the last 18 months and there are two big factors why!! 

[Ric Flair]

27 minutes ago, HowardsBulletHeader said:

 

Both of you have just hit the nail on the head with my two main problems in golf. 

 

1) Putting. I miss too many chances. 37 points on Sunday, 31 putts which isn't horrendous. However 4 of my 1 putts I chipped from off the green to inside 5 feet and holed it. Only once in 13 greens I hit did I make a birdie putt. I know you can't make them all but I had 4/5 really good chances.

 

2) I overcomplicate shots, particularly with any decent wind around. I'll start trying to hit low stingers or hold one against the wind or something like that with an inevitably poor outcome. 

 

I've gone from 4 to very nearly 6 in the last 18 months and there are two big factors why!! 

I think putting is definitely mentality rather than technical. The only thing that's ever really helped me was Bob Rotellas book Putting Out Your Mind. I read that and for a month or two I was markedly better, just stopped thinking and trusted my intuition. The reasons for me reverting to type is over time and barely playing much, I've forgotten to stop caring on the greens. As I said yesterday, I somehow can't read greens. I often think it breaks the other way to how it does break, which is embarrassing. Fair enough overcook or undercook a read but not completely miss it the other side time and time again. I often just aim straight and hope for the best.

 

Hahaha thankfully I can only hit a few types of shot so I don't try and tinker even when I know I ought to try a different shot due to conditions, lie etc.

[Ric Flair]

15 hours ago, Donut said:

Try reading putts a little more intuitively. It often helps.

 

A lot of people read the greens by eyesight usually from behind the ball. Before the adam scott style of sighting some players, notably paul lawrie, would read putts with the feel of the green as they walked on the green.

 

Also observing the general lie of the land from water to bunkers, and more extreme features like mountains will offset a read you arent sure about.

 

A good thing to work on as well is pace. If you have consistent pace you can judge break consistently because you can appreciate the front of the hole can be 1 2 or 3 o clock on a breaking putt depending on pace.

 

The hooking issue is your swing path. I would imagine whilst you hit the driver well you also have a tendency to hit a straight push as your bad shot possibly? It gives a clue as to thr overall issue. Id also imagine you may hit your fairway woods a little thin?

 

The fact your fairway woods and rescue can be squiffy suggests your path is a bit too much inside out. It doesnt show up as much with your irons where you can stay on top of the ball a little more

 

 

I've got a bit of an early years Garcia loop in the top of my swing that I've never shifted and to be honest, no point trying. When my timing is right then I can absolutely rip it but there are occasions where I can also play like a 28 handicapper, which is scandalous when you're off 6. I am very accurate and reliable with irons, long irons especially but woods and rescues I'm the pits with. I've been fitted for a driver a couple of years back and it's a 14 degree R15 which for some reason just suits, I don't seem to lose any distance from the loft and I'm pretty reliable with it too. My bad shots are snap hooks mate, I take it too far on the inside and then loop it even further inside sometimes and then hit out and it's heinous.

[Donut]

9 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

I've got a bit of an early years Garcia loop in the top of my swing that I've never shifted and to be honest, no point trying. When my timing is right then I can absolutely rip it but there are occasions where I can also play like a 28 handicapper, which is scandalous when you're off 6. I am very accurate and reliable with irons, long irons especially but woods and rescues I'm the pits with. I've been fitted for a driver a couple of years back and it's a 14 degree R15 which for some reason just suits, I don't seem to lose any distance from the loft and I'm pretty reliable with it too. My bad shots are snap hooks mate, I take it too far on the inside and then loop it even further inside sometimes and then hit out and it's heinous.

Generally speaking better players have that type of destructive shot in their arsenal because they dont have an over the top path.

 

The loop is neither here nor there you can still play great golf from that plane shift. What might help on the days the hooking appears is to get a good feel for the club exiting lower and more left through impact. Optimal path for an iron on trackman is about a degree out to in , a very marginally inward path counteracts the fact tge clubhead is moving downward, to hit a straight ball (not always desirable).

 

You may benefit from a rescue with no offset and a slightly open face. It will lower your flight a little (sounds counter intuitive but there is science to it) and should lessen your draw a little.

Edited 28 March 2017 by Donut

[Ric Flair]

I've done some more Masters research and one more who's coming out on top of my stats is Brooks Koepka. A few weeks ago I'd have gone nowhere near him but he was in very good form in the Match Play last week just a touch unlucky. He's 70/1 in places which is a good price.

[Izzy]

1 hour ago, Ric Flair said:

I've done some more Masters research and one more who's coming out on top of my stats is Brooks Koepka. A few weeks ago I'd have gone nowhere near him but he was in very good form in the Match Play last week just a touch unlucky. He's 70/1 in places which is a good price.

Mate you've already backed 1/4 of the field so far remember. At this rate you'll have money on more players than not 

 

And I'm not sure you really rely on stats or research to decide your bets. Looking at your picks, I reckon you just choose those players with weird sounding names! 

[Ric Flair]

12 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Mate you've already backed 1/4 of the field so far remember. At this rate you'll have money on more players than not 

 

And I'm not sure you really rely on stats or research to decide your bets. Looking at your picks, I reckon you just choose those players with weird sounding names! 

Hahahahaaa for some reason I'm doing very well this season on golf, I'm about £900 up since October. There's not much method to the madness though, I can't pretend that. I have some very loose criteria I use each week but ultimately it's impulse, hence the sheer number of bets I've already placed on The Masters. I did this last year and barely broke even. Follow at your peril.

[HowardsBulletHeader]

I've backed McIlroy, Casey and Haas so far and I am now thoroughly hacked off that Sky are paying 8 places and I've only got 5 with those 3 bets. Grrrrr. 

[Hirsty The Blue 94]

Only guy I know I will definitely back at the Masters is Phil Mickleson. Looking very good again, and less wayward off the tee than in previous year. Set up for him to do well too as a lefty. Going to get in now at 30/1 because if he plays well this week that will drop a bit.

[Ric Flair]

9 hours ago, HowardsBulletHeader said:

I've backed McIlroy, Casey and Haas so far and I am now thoroughly hacked off that Sky are paying 8 places and I've only got 5 with those 3 bets. Grrrrr. 

Yeah can't believe Sky Bet have gone 8 places and 1/4 odds. Incredible offer. They are offering some very good prices as well. I've been banned from Sky Bet though (my own doing a few years ago) so all my antepost bets are with PP which is 6 places. All bookies will extend more places very soon, that's the price you pay for putting your bets on before the week of the event. I've only done this as I'd not have had the dough in my account had I left it. I've been putting bets on as and when I've won other bets.