Official Golf Thread

zalb916 · Oct 3, 2010

Originally Posted by Piobaire

The driver still just feels off. I feel I'm sort of coming over from the outside and swinging in.

Don't let the driver frustrate you too much. 25+ years of playing and the driver still feels off for me. Don't feel bad about sticking to your 3 wood or long irons off the tee for now.

Piobaire · Oct 3, 2010

Originally Posted by zbromer

Don't let the driver frustrate you too much. 25+ years of playing and the driver still feels off for me. Don't feel bad about sticking to your 3 wood or long irons off the tee for now.

Thanks for the encouragement. I have to keep reminding myself I only started this journey in late June.

This morning, we went back to the par 3 exec course we started out on. Okay, both of us can see huge improvement from our first trip out there. Almost every hole, on the green in one or two strokes. I par'ed or bogeyed almost every hole. Mrs. Piob was doing almost as well, and for the first time since we started playing, actually over-clubbed herself at a hole. She felt like Bubba Watson

StephenHero · Oct 3, 2010

I hit a 4 iron off the tee. It keeps me near the fairway, and keeps my John Daly impression latent.

zjpj83 · Oct 3, 2010

I'm going to play a world class course in the New Year, but it's been a while since I've played regularly. Any advice on how to bring my game up kind of quickly? I'm going to try to hit the range as many weekends as possible.

I also need a new three wood. Don't want to break the bank, but I want something decent. I have a Callaway driver and had a Ping 3 wood before I broke the shaft. Any advice?

Thanks.

nootje · Oct 3, 2010

range time and try to sneak in one or two 9 hole rounds to get a feel again.. For scoring, focus on the short game. Any three wood of the bigger OEM's should do fine, just pick one that feels and hits right/straight

zjpj83 · Oct 3, 2010

Thanks, I will definitely try to play some too, since I know short game is key.

Piobaire · Oct 3, 2010

Speaking of short game, I'm getting some wedges. Playing the par 3 course today drove home that a standard PW and SW are not enough for a short game. I constantly feel over clubbed but too far away to properly chip or pitch.

PERhodes · Oct 3, 2010

I'm not sure if they're still being manufactured or if they're even readily available on the used market but I would highly recommend the Titleist High Performance L wedge(60 degree). I've been playing both the 56 and 60 degree models for upwards of ten years and they've been a tremendous asset, both are very versatile clubs. I play mostly at an older Ross course with deep bunkers and significantly elevated greens and the L wedge is great out of the traps and off the greens where you want a higher trajectory with short to zero forward spin. I can also muscle up the LW to about 85-90 yards and the SW to about 110. They have a specially designed sole that allows it to cut through thick US Open spec rough with no problem or at least far better than any other wedge I've tried including the Cleveland and Titleist Vokey.

Pilot · Oct 3, 2010

Originally Posted by zjpj83

I'm going to play a world class course in the New Year, but it's been a while since I've played regularly. Any advice on how to bring my game up kind of quickly? I'm going to try to hit the range as many weekends as possible. I also need a new three wood. Don't want to break the bank, but I want something decent. I have a Callaway driver and had a Ping 3 wood before I broke the shaft. Any advice? Thanks.
Try to work on something consistent off the tee. that yo can put in the fairway in a crunch. Short game will take off the most strokes though. work on your wedges from diff yardages. 20-30-40-50 etc..

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Speaking of short game, I'm getting some wedges. Playing the par 3 course today drove home that a standard PW and SW are not enough for a short game. I constantly feel over clubbed but too far away to properly chip or pitch.
Unless you're in a situation where you need to put a lot of spin on the ball or hit something really high and soft, a 56 should pretty much be the club of choice for most things 50yds and in.

StephenHero · Oct 3, 2010

Wedges are really hit or miss. I once had a quite reputable wedge that I couldn't hit at all. Just terrible. Then I lost it and was forced to use this antiquated thing that Bagger Vance would have sneered at. It had a wood shaft, as is in made from a dead tree. But it was perfect. I now aim for the sand trap on approach shots.

coolpapa · Oct 3, 2010

Originally Posted by Stylish Pilot

Short game will take off the most strokes though. work on your wedges from diff yardages. 20-30-40-50 etc..

We've probably all heard this advice a hundred times, but it's very good advice. You'll shave more off your score at a great course if you can get up and down and make putts.

Pilot · Oct 3, 2010

Originally Posted by coolpapaboze

We've probably all heard this advice a hundred times, but it's very good advice. You'll shave more off your score at a great course if you can get up and down and make putts.

Yep. it's good advice but most people think if they go chip for 10 min after they get done pounding their driver 200 times at the range that they'll be fine.

For every bucket I would hit on the range i would do 30 min of putting and chipping/wedge shots.

You really have to go out there with a bag of balls and make 20-30 swings in a row from the same distance to get the feel of a wedge shot

coolpapa · Oct 3, 2010

Originally Posted by Stylish Pilot

Yep. it's good advice but most people think if they go chip for 10 min after they get done pounding their driver 200 times at the range that they'll be fine.

For every bucket I would hit on the range i would do 30 min of putting and chipping/wedge shots.

You really have to go out there with a bag of balls and make 20-30 swings in a row from the same distance to get the feel of a wedge shot
I spend more time on the chipping green than on the range generally. To have the ability to hit a variety of shots around the green is a huge advantage. I practice lobs, pitches, low runners, etc and feel really comfortable around the greens. Since I rarely hit them, this is important.

StephenHero · Oct 3, 2010

The 2-3 easiest strokes to slash off a beginner's handicap are the long (30-40'+) putts that they always judge poorly. With minimal practice, you should be able to put those within six feet about 80% of the time. When you leave it 15' short you really kill yourself.

nairb49 · Oct 3, 2010

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Speaking of short game, I'm getting some wedges. Playing the par 3 course today drove home that a standard PW and SW are not enough for a short game. I constantly feel over clubbed but too far away to properly chip or pitch.

Many different options for wedge combos. Will depend on your wood/hybrid/long iron setup as to whether you can carry 2/3/4 wedges.

A common setup is PW, SW, LW and it will also depend on the courses you typically play. I play a "traditional" loft setup with a 48degree PW and so I carry a 53 gap and a 60 lob.

A very important thing to consider is that a LW is not an easy club to hit. A lot of mid-high handicappers go right to the LW, some even go to 64 degree wedges to hit those high/soft flop shots and end up chunking it/slicing underneath it/skulling it across the green.

If you have the patience, work on getting up and down from everywhere with your PW and SW before you start tackling the LW and your long term short game will thank you for it.

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