The blonde Golf thread

[RED-DOG]

Much better round today. Used the driver and some good shots with the new wedges. An odd 3 putt and 3 off the tee but over all happier than I've been for a while with my play. My handicap is 22 but lose 3 strokes on my course because of the slope.

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Hi Kev. 95 is pretty close to your handicap then so you can be pleased with that.

My HC is currently 18.6 so I should be shooting low 90s or high 80s, it's not happening lately though, I just too inconsistent off the tee. I can drive it long and it's a great thrill when I keep it on the fairway but those threes off the tee really eat into your score and your confidence.

So, there's no point in continuing to do the same thing and expect a different result so I've decided to try to take 20 or 30% off my distance in favour of more accuracy.

I hit 50 steady balls at the driving range today. This range has tracking technology so I decided that any drive over 160 yds and no more than 40ft off centre was counted as good.

I was trying for 5 consecutive "good" drives, I only managed it twice but did a few 4s as well.

I'm playing Monday all being well so I'll update and we'll see how it goes.

Yesterday's game, a disappointing 99 for 22 sabbo's.

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[Kev B]

I hear you Tom. I used my driver in this round for the first time in about 8 weeks after practicing with it at the range. Only hit under 100 2 times in the last 6 outings having been consistently in the 90's before. I'm happy with that last round being close to my handicap. However my goal is to match or better my handicap last time I was a club member, which was 18, 20 years ago. I know but I'm supposed to be older and wiser now, maybe. 🤣🤣

[Karabiner]

I played the Saturday monthly medal today which I was looking forward to as the forecast was pretty good - chance of a light shower around 1pm/2pm - however the golfing/weather gods had other ideas as it absolutely chucked it down again from the 6th hole onwards with intermittent threatening claps of thunder thrown in for dramatic effect. I threw in the towel after nine but my two hardier/dafter playing companions decided to continue, for a few more holes anyway, when the next thundery squall arrived.

Just the 40mph winds on the menu for Monday but I don't mind that as long as its dry.

 

[Eck]

Tom, couple of questions on your driving.

What's your normal shot shape and what are your bad misses and do they tend to come at the same holes? How many 'bad' drives do you hit a round ( bad = OOB or lost?).

I understand the logic of wanting to get it into play more but I see guys who are trying to manage the ball of the tee still hit it way of line too and now they are 40/50 yards further away too. Length is a massive advantage, I had been driving really bad the beginning of the year and like you the wild drives were costing me loads. I just really worked on the dispersion and what was causing the bad ones. I hit a draw (or try to ) and worked on getting my swing more on a better plane as I was obviously swinging too far off plane from in to out. My misses would be a massive block to the right when I've left the face too open or a big duck hook when I've overdone the in to out. I worked on getting my right elbow tighter to get the club going more up than around and my dispersion is far better. There are plenty misses still but a lot of the bad swings are still well in play. That is me though and not advice obv

Was going to ask Kev the same earlier but didn't have the bottle of wine in me that makes me post. Kev, what's your leak? That was a decent card apart from the holes that always kill us. Lots of bogeys which I'm sure will turn into pars as you keep playing as some must be down to chipping/putting. That will improve if you play more but what's the main cause of the 7/8's that kill a card?

[Eck]

Ladies and gentlemen I have done it. I started out this year about 12 and went up to nearly 14 on WHS. Played a lot and truly wasn't inspiring but was getting a bit better, driving got better and I now am under double figures for the first time ever.

Sorry if this seems like I am always chirping but it has been coincident with my best run at golf and i'm playing so much more, probably about 3 times a week now when before when it was maybe once or twice a week.

Anyways i did it, Chuffed to fuck.





Should get someone to video my swing and Tom can take it apart like he did with my fry up....

[RED-DOG]

That's very impressive Eck. Congrats.

Re my swing: I don't really understand the technical aspects of it at all. The only things I seem to have control over are the set up, the speed and direction of the back swing, and the force that I use when hitting the ball, after that everything is just so explosive i don't actually know what is happening.

I experiment with different things like ball positioning, grip, stance etc and sometimes it clicks and it works beautifully for a while, occasionally for as long as a couple of consecutive rounds and I think that's it, I've sussed it. Then it goes wrong again and to my mind I'm not doing anything different.

I'm naturally good at hand eye stuff though and if I persevere with something I tend to improve naturally. (I hope)

I try to listen to what folks are telling me but I'm very poor at taking instruction, especially when it's during a game.

Here's a strange thing. Sometimes when I address the ball with my driver everything just seems right and I know I'm going to hit it good, but if it doesn't feel right I can't step away and change it, when I set up again it still doesn't seem right. Does that even make sense?