Finally broke 80 again!

General Discussion
#1

Played a small tournament at the club this past Saturday. Thought I would do ok even though I have barely played or practiced this year. The handful of times out I have shot mid 80’s with an uncooperative driver and iffy short game. I figured if I played conservative I could eke out another mid 80’s round.

Round started out normally with me missing fairways and pitching out, but I was then throwing darts with short irons and wedges. I had decent chances to save par at times, but was struggling with the aerated greens. Still I was making pars and bogeys with no “others”.

We started on #12 (shotgun) and I had 4 bogeys and 3 pars. The front I was better with 6 pars and 3 bogeys…and several lipouts. I then made par on the tough #10, but when I got to the final hole #11 (#1 handicap) I threw out the conservative playbook and promptly made a nice triple…idiot. Still a 79 on a tough par 69 is the best I’ve done since 2009.

All I have been doing is swinging a rope and I hit balls for 10 minutes into my net working on my takeaway and tempo. I do putting drills in my home office as well. No time for the range or practice green since work is crazy and my wife is laid up after 2 foot surgeries. When she recovers I don’t know that I will go to the range much, probably just the practice green for chipping and putting. If I can get the driver going I may have some better rounds in me.

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#2

More will come.
Your next goal will be breaking par.

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#3

During my commuting time that week I was listening to The Four Foundations of Golf. Coincidence that I played well that weekend?

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#4

You should keep on the track which works for your situation a bit longer. Some times, a simple phrase will help individual during their journey in life.
So until it proves to you that you’ll need other enlightenment, keep doing what you do for now.
Distinguish and identify the difference between a motivational encouragement and something which will help you to improve your golf game for the long term.
I know one thing, take care of your health. For golf is a sport, which needs physical ability to execute the knowledge we gathered.
Tom Morris was chosen for apprenticeship, not for just to make feathery golf balls, b ut his potential to be trained for golf skill to game with the noble and the gentlemen golfers. Because, Tom was a strong lad.
In other words, Tom Morris was chosen because of his physical potential. This was how the legend was formed, so was other legends in the sports. Some were born with and some were determined to get to the places they’ll need. Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan after the accident were determined to get to the places they needed to be.

No one could tell you if you’ll need to improve on your physical ability or something between your ears. Advice from someone close to you and has been observing your golf game would be more helpful.

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#5

I will as I don’t have a choice. My wife has been laid up after 2 foot surgeries and may need a 3rd. She hasn’t been able to walk or drive for over 6 weeks now and it will probably be another 2-4 of that. We are understaffed at work too so I work 45-50 hours/week and commuting 6 hours each week. I make the most of my 10-15 minutes hitting balls into the net or the 5-10 minutes of putting drills.

I think even when I can get some practice time in at the range and green I will continue with the drills. My main struggles are setup, takeaway and tempo and I am addressing those with the drills.

I think not being able to play or hit balls has made me fully appreciate the few times I do play. One of my regular playing partners has been able to play a lot this year with both his kids at college and his wife is always traveling for work…I’m so jealous lol. But it seems like I get more enjoyment out of my 1 round than he gets out of his 3-4.

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#6

Congrats Kev! No small accomplishment! You’ve hit the second to last of the Holy Grail’s for amateurs. Next stop… break 70. The practice is great, it’s what keeps us all somewhat sharp. Course management is what will keep you crackin 80 and keep the scores coming down! Good Luck!

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#7

Thank you, but I don’t think sub 70 is in the cards for me without a LOT of practice. I will likely struggle to shoot in the 70’s again without more time to play and practice. The tournament this weekend is match play so I won’t have to worry about a blowup hole as much.

I have figured something out that’s letting me hit the ball farther. I went out for 9 last night and didn’t score well, but mostly because I hit the ball much farther than expected and long at my course is no good. Maybe it’s the rope drills as I didn’t do much speed training this winter?

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#8

My goal this year is to eliminate double bogey or worse on every hole and secondary goal is no more than 3 bogeys per side. I play each hole as it’s own entity and each shot as it’s own entity. I caught 2 rounds last year where I broke 70. Rest were 75-82, because I didnt take double bogey out of play. I would like to jar more midrange putts, one or 2 per round would be helpful. My chipping has improved because I made my acceptable circle larger. Keep plugging away. The deal is if you did it once, you know you have the ability to repeat that. Add a little thinking man’s game to that and you’ll be surprised at your results.

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#9

Sorry to hear that you’re going through a rough patch in life. Wishing your wife will find a solution and recovering from her ailment.
When we’re going through changes involving golf, practice and a matter of getting grooved in the new routine to feel comfortable is the key.
You can even practice the set up and check in a mirror if you have one in the hallway or on the side of a dresser. Repetition is the key to speed up the change over.
When I changed my golf grip from interlocking Vardon to over lapping then to modified overlapping. I had a 2 iron by the side of my chair an practice the grip the golf club while watching the television. It annoyed and distracted my wife, so I made a shortened version and weight the shaft down to have the right feel to practice grip and regrip for weeks, finally the new set up felt “normal” again.
Of course, you’ll need to validate the new changes on driving range and golf course where it really counts.
Before we have the video and smart phone camera, we had the full length mirrors at the end of the driving range for us to double check our posture, setup and golf swing.
Now I see the young golfers bring their smart phone with a tripod to record and view their golf swing. You can utilize your smart phone for self critic. This is something we never had in the old days.

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#10

Really nice!! CONGRATS!!

Do hope things work out better for your wife, not only so she’s more comfortable but also reduce that big stressor on you…

Nice to hear that you really enjoy your golf on those limited times you have - I’m a retired old fart and have much more flexibility, so i appreciate your perspective :+1:

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#11

Thank you for the kind thoughts. I knew this year would be a busy one so I’m grateful I still get to play almost weekly.

One graduation is done, another one in 3 weeks, a few weddings and the wife may be hobbling around in a week or so. We’re told there’s a good chance she will need a 3rd surgery, but hopefully it won’t come to that. Unfortunately retirement is still a ways off for me unless I hit the lottery.

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#12

Kev, sorry to hear about the Queen! I’m in the same boat. Queen MJ has a degenerative lung disease and it really limits her. I’m grateful she kicks me out of the house every Saturday and says play from dawn until dusk… which we usually get in in 27 to 36, plus a little lunch. I miss playing everyday, but I have to take care of alot around the homestead, or it doesn’t get done… and our home, thank God is predominantly one floor with no steps…so that helps the wife get around. Dad’s and good husbands are important…especially being one. I do like getting kicked out of the house once a week though.

On a second note, before we had to call it last week because of heavy rain, I want to share what happens when you don’t think properly and how it can affect you. On hole 1 I hit a wayward tee, but it stayed where I could find it and hit it again, had 96 over trees…hit the 50 to 12 ft and missed. #2 Decent Drive into wind, pulled a 7i L but pin high, little chip to 7ft missed for Bog, #3 Pulled the drive left just into heavier ruff and it was wet, but ball reasonably sitting up. I’m close enuff where if I catch the 3W I’m there, I always tell my partners don’t be tempted just get it down to 100 or less. of course I follow my own advice, instead of hitting a 7W or 5i, I pull the 3W… I popped it up, right underneath it, ball went maybe 75yds in plopped into even thicker ruff, because it was sitting down hit the 7W, club twisted, into the front bunker, hit a crappy bunker shot onto green and left myself a 60ft uphill putt on aerated greens and proceeded to 3jack for a lovely 7 on a 5par!. I’m muttering to myself to #4 and proceeded to pull my tee shot on a par three under a tree that I would normally have no business being near…chipped out, flopped to 6ft, missed that for another DBL Bog. So 4 holes in 5over…just because of poor decision. Made Birdie on #5 because I drove the green (i was so ticked)…but then the deluge came. I promise you, I wont make that mistake again… do what the lie dictates 80% of the time. I can live with missed putts and a poor shot, you can’t score with poor decisions and someone like me, I carry poor decisions over, I don’t with a poor shot or missed put…it’s gonna happen, we all get our share… poor decisions or playing the wrong club, when we know it’s iffy at best… that keeps the scoring in check for us weekend dummies. Hope Queen Kev gets better quickly!

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