So how's your golf game these days?

Played a quick 18 yesterday and shot a 88. Missed at least three birdie putts that are usually money for me. Getting closer to my goal of 85 but man is it hard. I probably won't be able to get out until Sunday as we have our member-member tourney running all weekend.

It's amazing how much of a change occurred when I got more of an athletic stance and closer to the ball on my drives.

Thinking of getting some Cobra irons at our shop. They're at least two, maybe three years old. On sale for $399, but since I work there I might be able to swing it for $275-ish.

 

Golfed for the second time this year last weekend...shot a 102 and will likely be keeping my driver in the bag most of the summer. I hit 4-iron off the tee outside of the par 3s.

I sacrifice some distance, but keep it straight and avoid the poor shots that get me into trouble. Had I kept the driver in the bag on the first nine I would have easily broken 100...damn penalty strokes...

 

Had to lay off for a couple of years, back and shoulder problems. Played my third round of the year, doing crazy things like hitting a 21 degree-loft rescue club through the green on a 195 yard par three. Find I have two swing speeds at this stage of my comeback: hard and clank. What's worse, I take the putter back like Johnny Miller (as a senior); jerk back, jerk through. 99 (53/46) on a par 72 rated 69.5, 125 slope course. At least I improved on the back, which is rated 2.5 strokes harder than the front.

I couldn't hit a decent half shot or a flop shot if my life depended on it. Man, I used to be able to choke a six iron and hit it stony from 145. Now I hit a full six 150-160 in the air and it runs another 10-15 yards. Frustrating. I'm working on it. (Yeah, we're all day to day.)

 

A couple weeks ago I called my gradfather and said if he ever needed someone to substitute for his team in their Monday night league that I'd be free. He called me Monday night saying they just needed a body (I hadn't played in a month).

It's a nine-hole league and I was even through seven (seven straight pars). Bogeyed the last two to shoot 2-over 38. Was extremely pleased considering I won two points for pop-pop's team and I had the best score for the team that day.

On a side note, a couple years ago I took a lesson with my dad from a nearby course pro. He told us that of all the weekend hacker golfers out there (guys who play once a week or less), only about 35 percent of them break 100. Of that 35 percent, only 20 percent break 90. So, if my math is correct, only 7 percent of your weekend hackers can break 90 regularly. I think that helped put things into perspective, especially for my dad, to realize that bogey golf isn't so bad when you're only playing once a week or so. It also makes me feel pretty good about myself since I'm a 85 average or so.

 

That's a cool stat.

 

Just played the 18th with another noose around my neck. Triple bogey 7 to shoot 35-42--77.
Hard to be disappointed with 77, but jeez, it sucks ending the round with triple.

 

I was just out there practicing and I was wondering, how do you increase backspin on your ball when you are hitting it onto the green? I always just launch it as high as I can and hope to make a giant crater to make the ball stop.

 

Depends on the ball/club you are using.

The key is to hit the ball before you hit the ground.

The grooves in your club also have to be clean, without any dirt, grass, krap in them.

I always put the ball (as I am looking down to the ground, if I drew a line from my right nut to the ground, it would go right on top of the ball.

Swing hard.......Hit ball......take divot.

Takes LOTS of work.

 

Only if I didn't give my right nut for the Red Sox to win the World Series. I am using my PW or a high iron (8,9), occasionally my 56 degree SW.

 

First off.....sorry about your nut.

Second of all....you won't get a lot of spin off your 8 or 9 iron.....you will get some off your pitching wedge, and you will get some off your sand wedge.

 

Maybe this will save some of the greens that I play on. I think the greenskeepers are getting tired of losing their mowers in the holes I leave.

 

Backspin comes from several things.

First is the ball that you're using. A Pro V1 will spin better than a DT90. It's got a softer cover and different core, providing better spin. Conversly, that means more slice/hook when you miss hit the driver.

Secondly is the loft of the club. The more loft, the better chance of spin. Now, I can back up a 4 to 5 iron sometimes. Well, get it the check quick.

Thirdly is the grooves on your club. The cleaner you keep them, the better off you'll be. The air has to compress when you hit the ball. With clean grooves, that air will escape better, causing more compression, thusly more spin.

Fourth is the angle of attack. The steeper you can hit down on the ball, the better. Most pros will delay their wrist release until the last possible moment to afford a steeper attack.

Fifth are the greens. Softer greens = more spin. Bent grass > Bermuda.

Sixth is the crisp contact with the ball. The idea spot is to hit the ground and ball at the same time on a steep attack.