Hittin' the links: Golf talk

[ColoradoHusk]

My game has been very interesting for me the last couple years. Had shoulder surgery in Nov. 2013 and when I was recovered from that found that I had lost about a half club of distance from each iron in my bag. That doesn't bother me at all. But I did find that my short game was way out of tune when I came back. I didn't get to make it to the course as much as I would have liked to last summer.

This year had shoulder surgery (same shoulder) in January and I'm really wanting to get to the practice greens to help myself out. Always been a pretty strong putter just have never been good from 20-50 yds out. Course I grew up on you were able to hit a regular lofted chip into every green because they were so slow. I've had a hard time picking up how to hit the bump and run or the low pitch shots that take 1-2 bounces and stop.

Always had a classic "baseball" player swing too. So while things may look ugly from the tee/mid iron shots that's one area that I usually don't struggle with.

It doesn't matter how you take a backswing. It only matters if the club is square at impact, and whether you can repeat that well enough with your swing.

I have never had a lesson in my life, other than a golf pro fixed my grip while I was in college. Other than that, I would call myself a "feel" player. I pick up things from TV shows and magazines and may try to incorporate it, but I really just swing the golf club how I like to swing it and how it feels good to me. I am not great, but I am not terrible. I am generally happy with the way I play, considering I don't play all that often any more.

I have always had a problem with keeping the club head square at impact. I really have to focus on keeping my hips more still and almost over exaggerating getting my hands through impact. When my game is on I have a cut that I can pretty much hit anywhere and can control real nice. Never been able to hit a draw in my life.

A slight fade is the easiest shot to control on a consistent basis. I get annoyed with guys like Hank Haney who abhor the fade. Jack Nicklaus preferred playing a fade, and Tiger was at his best when he played a fade under Butch Harmon.

 

[wiuhusker]

My game has been very interesting for me the last couple years. Had shoulder surgery in Nov. 2013 and when I was recovered from that found that I had lost about a half club of distance from each iron in my bag. That doesn't bother me at all. But I did find that my short game was way out of tune when I came back. I didn't get to make it to the course as much as I would have liked to last summer.

This year had shoulder surgery (same shoulder) in January and I'm really wanting to get to the practice greens to help myself out. Always been a pretty strong putter just have never been good from 20-50 yds out. Course I grew up on you were able to hit a regular lofted chip into every green because they were so slow. I've had a hard time picking up how to hit the bump and run or the low pitch shots that take 1-2 bounces and stop.

Always had a classic "baseball" player swing too. So while things may look ugly from the tee/mid iron shots that's one area that I usually don't struggle with.

It doesn't matter how you take a backswing. It only matters if the club is square at impact, and whether you can repeat that well enough with your swing.

I have never had a lesson in my life, other than a golf pro fixed my grip while I was in college. Other than that, I would call myself a "feel" player. I pick up things from TV shows and magazines and may try to incorporate it, but I really just swing the golf club how I like to swing it and how it feels good to me. I am not great, but I am not terrible. I am generally happy with the way I play, considering I don't play all that often any more.

I have always had a problem with keeping the club head square at impact. I really have to focus on keeping my hips more still and almost over exaggerating getting my hands through impact. When my game is on I have a cut that I can pretty much hit anywhere and can control real nice. Never been able to hit a draw in my life.

A slight fade is the easiest shot to control on a consistent basis. I get annoyed with guys like Hank Haney who abhor the fade. Jack Nicklaus preferred playing a fade, and Tiger was at his best when he played a fade under Butch Harmon.

Yea never understood why people don't like hitting a fade. Just doesn't make sense. Even if I could chose to hit a draw every shot I would stick with the fade. Fits my eye more so than a draw would and I've found that hitting a cut lands softer on approach shots from 130-170 yds out.

 

[QMany]

It doesn't matter how you take a backswing. It only matters if the club is square at impact, and whether you can repeat that well enough with your swing.

I don't necessarily agree with that. If your club is square (to the target) at impact, unless your path is perfect, it will be curving away from your target. To hit a fade that finishes at your target, your clubface actually has to be closed to the target at impact.

 

[Mavric]

If you guys have an open course and are playing by yourself, play two balls for every approach and play them out. Say you have a par four, hit one drive. If you have 150 yards left, hit a full 9i and a knock-down 8i, and finish those out for a score. You're game will improve drastically, it takes little extra time, and you might find you strike the ball better with an abbreviated swing.

An even more sadistic game is a "worst ball scramble" by yourself. Hit two from every location, but play the worst one. Basically, the opposite of your charity scramble, by yourself. Even if you hit a 30 footer for birdie, you have to make it again! Tiger would play that against Hank Haney when they would play together. Tiger would routinely beat Hank, who said we was at or just over par. That is insane! I don't recommend that for everyone!

Great idea. When I am out by myself, I usually play one ball from the blue (back) tees and one ball from the white tees all the way around. If I don't have to wait on anyone, I can play "18 holes" in about an hour and 15 minutes. Depending on how many times I have to hop back and forth across the fairway.

Haven't tried the worst ball scramble yet but it's on my list. Read somewhere last year that you should play a "regular" scramble with yourself then play a worst ball scramble. Would be interesting to see how good you can play if you hit better shots more consistently and then see how much those bad shots are costing you.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

It doesn't matter how you take a backswing. It only matters if the club is square at impact, and whether you can repeat that well enough with your swing.

I don't necessarily agree with that. If your club is square (to the target) at impact, unless your path is perfect, it will be curving away from your target. To hit a fade that finishes at your target, your clubface actually has to be closed to the target at impact.

I guess my term of "square at impact" is a relative term. Yes, the club will be slightly open or closed depending what type of swing path you are taking. The most important part of the golf swing is getting a repeatable swing path that you can consistently play with. The "square at impact" term is that the face of the club is square to the path you want the ball to start off with. A "square club face" enables the most consistent contact with the ball.

 

[The Dude]

Bill Murray improvised every one of his lines in Caddyshack.

 

[NUance]

Bill Murray improvised every one of his lines in Caddyshack.

What an incredible Cinderella story, this unknown comes outta no where to lead the pack, at Augusta. He's on his final hole, he's about 455 yards away - he's gonna hit about a two-iron I think. Oh he got all of that one! The crowd is standing on its feet here, the normally reserved Augusta crowd - going wild - for this young Cinderella, he's come outta no where, he's got about 350 yards left, he's gonna hit about a five-iron, don't you think? He's got a beautiful backswing - that's - Oh he got all of that one! He's gotta be pleased with that, the crowd is just on its feet here, uh - He's the Cinderella boy, uh - tears in his eyes I guess as he lines up this last shot, he's got about 195 yards left, he's got about a - its looks like he's got about an eight-iron. This crowd has gone deathly silent, the Cinderella story, outta no where, a former greenskeeper now - about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac - It's in the Hole!

You ever notice the yardages that Cinderella Boy is hitting those irons? Funny stuff.

 

[QMany]

Have you guys played Wild Horse in Gothenburg? I have played a few PGA Tour and major championship venues, and Wild Horse is one of my top-five favorite courses.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Have you guys played Wild Horse in Gothenburg? I have played a few PGA Tour and major championship venues, and Wild Horse is one of my top-five favorite courses.

I met a few friends from Omaha, and we "Played the West". We only played the courses at Ogalalla/McConaughy and Wild Horse. We played 36 at Wild Horse on Sunday, and another 18 on Monday.

I LOVED Wild Horse. It is such a fun course to play, and it was in amazing shape. I think some of my friends have gone back there and played again, but I haven't. I would love to go back there and play. Too bad there isn't really anything to do in Gothenburg after the golf is done.

Wild Horse was designed by Bill Coore, who is Ben Crenshaw's design partner. They are more well-known for the Sand Hills Club and the renovation at Pinehurst #2 for last year's US Open.

 

[ZRod]

Bill Murray improvised every one of his lines in Caddyshack.

What an incredible Cinderella story, this unknown comes outta no where to lead the pack, at Augusta. He's on his final hole, he's about 455 yards away - he's gonna hit about a two-iron I think. Oh he got all of that one! The crowd is standing on its feet here, the normally reserved Augusta crowd - going wild - for this young Cinderella, he's come outta no where, he's got about 350 yards left, he's gonna hit about a five-iron, don't you think? He's got a beautiful backswing - that's - Oh he got all of that one! He's gotta be pleased with that, the crowd is just on its feet here, uh - He's the Cinderella boy, uh - tears in his eyes I guess as he lines up this last shot, he's got about 195 yards left, he's got about a - its looks like he's got about an eight-iron. This crowd has gone deathly silent, the Cinderella story, outta no where, a former greenskeeper now - about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac - It's in the Hole!

You ever notice the yardages that Cinderella Boy is hitting those irons? Funny stuff.

Poor first shot.

 

[NUance]

Bill Murray improvised every one of his lines in Caddyshack.

What an incredible Cinderella story, this unknown comes outta no where to lead the pack, at Augusta. He's on his final hole, he's about 455 yards away - he's gonna hit about a two-iron I think. Oh he got all of that one! The crowd is standing on its feet here, the normally reserved Augusta crowd - going wild - for this young Cinderella, he's come outta no where, he's got about 350 yards left, he's gonna hit about a five-iron, don't you think? He's got a beautiful backswing - that's - Oh he got all of that one! He's gotta be pleased with that, the crowd is just on its feet here, uh - He's the Cinderella boy, uh - tears in his eyes I guess as he lines up this last shot, he's got about 195 yards left, he's got about a - its looks like he's got about an eight-iron. This crowd has gone deathly silent, the Cinderella story, outta no where, a former greenskeeper now - about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac - It's in the Hole!

You ever notice the yardages that Cinderella Boy is hitting those irons? Funny stuff.

Poor first shot.

And that 155 yard five iron wasn't anything to brag about. But, boy can he hit that eight iron!

 

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

I feel like my problem changes daily with golf.over the past year I have developed a nasty snap hook off the tees and even some of my irons. I think it might be that the ball is to far forward in my stance, but I'm not sure.

I also hit the ball way to hard. I don't know how to use my irons effectively for their proper distance. If I'm 150 out, it's a 54 degree wedge. But if I'm 200 out, I'll use a 5 iron. I have some serious inconsistencies.

 

[QMany]

I was just talking about Tiger's "game" yesterday. From Rosaforte's Golf Channel report today:

"The best example of the progress Tiger made over the last two-to-three weeks is the worst-ball 66 he shot at Medalist Golf Club. That's where he takes the worst of two drives, the worst of the two approach shots, the putt that's either furthest away from the hole or the chip that's furthest away from the hole. And then if he makes birdie he has to validate. So if he makes a 10-footer for birdie he has to make another 10-footer for birdie. To go around that golf course, shoot six under in those conditions where you can't hide, obviously, you can't hide a weakness, and you think about the course record he shot there — 62 in 2011 — this round could conceivably be considered better."

66. SIXTY-SIX! Worst ball. That is mind-boggling.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

I feel like my problem changes daily with golf.over the past year I have developed a nasty snap hook off the tees and even some of my irons. I think it might be that the ball is to far forward in my stance, but I'm not sure.

I also hit the ball way to hard. I don't know how to use my irons effectively for their proper distance. If I'm 150 out, it's a 54 degree wedge. But if I'm 200 out, I'll use a 5 iron. I have some serious inconsistencies.

I am not a golf pro, but it sounds like you really de-loft your club at impact. I am not sure if that's a result of you swinging too hard or playing the ball too forward in your stance. Hitting a 54-degree wedge 150 yards is hitting it a long way, and when your club impacts the ball, the club may actually be at a 44 degree impact.

 

[QMany]

Tour PW average loft is probably 47 degrees.