Darn, according to the yardage from your bag, you have the tools to be a scratch.
I don’t golf enough. Was at a point before I started a family.
Now with my youngest one getting ready for the first residency position I will have more time but, I’m also not able to swing the golf club like I used to.
That’s life. As most of us saved up enough money to get their dream sports car, they won’t enjoy the speed, owing to the deteriorated vision and slower reflexes. Or maybe we’re smarter to appreciate and reserve our time here.
If you can utilize the 60 degree in your bag often than you’re a better golfer than most of us. I could never get along with the 60, not even the 58 I have. Even my SW has 54 degrees of loft.
I’ve learned the game with two wedges, the PW and SW and that’s my comfort zone.
This just came over the News report that more than 500 home runs of last year of Major League Baseball could be attributed to the climate change from global warming . They say the warmer air promoted longer air time.
I don’t see my drive getting any longer, perhaps because the fairways were so damp which produced less roll-out.
Yes I do, I have 1 major flaw in my game. I have suffered since around age 46, it appeared from out of no where and has seriously plagued me ever since. It has prevented me from being able to score on a very consistent basis. I’m a better than average putter. I average 7 to 9 GIR per round. I Have to work on other parts of my game to make those that much better, I suffer from chipping and pitching yips. I have done so for the last 17 years 
. It’s totally mental. I have hit hundreds of thousands of balls in practice, when I get on course they appear like a virus that never goes away. It can last a whole round or just a few holes. I have had some of the best instruction available to cure them. It is something I can overcome on occasion but I cannot shake them. For instance, I had a round last year that started 3-3-3-3-3-5-3-4=31 With a 37 back 9—add em up 68 with 2 blown chips…but it’s always lurking to turn a round like that into a 74. My instructors are baffled, I put in the work. I am better than what I was, but if you average 1.4 birdies per round. But average 5 missed chipping opportunities out of 9. I can be less than 15 yards from a hole, I will flub one hitting the ground and watch the ball go 2 ft, then take a deep breath, and blade the next one over the green and turn a 4 into a 7. Do that 2x a round…Well there is your 8 hdcp. I no longer play competitively so to be honest I don’t care, I celebrate the good ones and laugh off the bad ones. I have no issues getting into people’s pockets when the chance comes up. They see me struggling on the practice area and think I’m a mark. I always welcome those maroons BTW I’m very good with the 60 on a full swing just not on a 1/4 swing. Totally mental. I used to have a 64 in my competitive days. The instructors have used Popsicle stix, duct tape, tried a putter grip, cross handed, one handed, drill after drill… the right hand slightly flips at impact, the left wrist breaks down and there you go. I’m so not confident sometimes I’ll use a putter from 20 yards out once the virus appears on course. That’s why golf spelled backwards is FLOG!
Here’s what I can tell you regarding my last fitting experience. I hit my clubs that had S300 shafts in them. We tried the X100s, the S400 (which I have had prior) and R300s. For whatever reason, I found the X100s really felt great, had a lower ball flight—which is what I wanted— and I didn’t lose much distance. I never tried the X because I was afraid to (mental). They worked great for me. The regular shaft went further with a 6 iron but was kinda all over the place according to trackman, The X100 had a slightly lower spin rate and according to Trackman, a much tighter dispersion. So a couple years ago I traded out the shafts and mentally again felt like brand new clubs. The TI shafts are much more consistent and most likely required less tinkering to get the club swing weight correct for a player…so you are correct there. What I really meant that they are a different animal, the shaft stamp on TI is cool looking and cost like $45 a piece compared to $21. So most likely a big marketing difference more than anything. We, or rather I don’t have access to the club builders the pros do, but I know what I like. I did not “feel” any discernible difference except on the R shaft, everything felt the same…Trackman data was the piece that made me switch. For me the X100 performed best so there you go
The shaft label is pretty bling-y, LOL. Your experience mirrors mine with them. Lower flight, less spin, tighter groups, but not harsh or telephone pole-like. I don’t feel I load them as well as I could, but in best Skinner-conditioning style, I load them properly every so often, and they feel and sound fantastic. Keeps me coming back…
Just not digging the elbow pain. Theraband + Reverse Tyler Twists help a bit, but still…
You know, a few suggestion for you since I had seen quite a few golfers went through what you are experiencing.
If you used to be a decent around chipping and putting, but experiencing changes now. This phenomenon could be attributed from a few things, definitely not your nerve as we were lead to believe.
No precise diagnosis, these are just a few possibilities which you can find out if they apply to your case.
-have a trust worthy optometrist exam your vision.
-have a physical therapist specialized in sport injury exam your hands and shoulders. Perhaps referring you to further exam from other specialist for injury resulting from repetitive activities.
Seek a trust worthy optometrist as you would seek someone to operate for open heart surgery. As we age, our vision will deteriorate over time from all the hours under the Sun on the golf course. What you see will lead to your decision on executing the golf swing. All great golfers have sharp vision. I seriously believe the famous celebrity golfer Jack Lemmon who was dedicating his life besides his work and family to golf had never achieved his dream of making the cut for the Bing Crosby Claim bake ( now AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am). He had poor vision.
All top athletes in their field of sports have sharp vision. Without exception. So your vision had probably changed since your 46. In a subtle way not enough to influence other activity just yet.
Have someone check your hands ( carpal tunnel ) , this will happen to most the golfers from hitting thousands if not hundreds of thousands of range balls. The vibration and shock wave will damage the nerve to give that involuntary twitch. I had my left hand done and it made a difference in how the hand feels comparing to the right without the correction.
The shock wave from hitting the golf ball and the ground will travel through your hands, arms, shoulders, and to your spinal core. Injured core will interrupt your motion through the complete golf swing. Especially those finest move like 1/2 to 1/4 swing. The chain of motion is broken down because subconsciously your brain will try to stop you from hurting yourself further. I was diagnose with such and had gone through therapy for about 8 months, still doing the exercises they taught me every week.
If you have a bad experience of not able to execute the golf shot like you know that you had done it a thousand times in the past with ease, that, will put a question mark in your mind. Like you said, like a cancer and it will grow on you, lurking in the back of your mind every time you’re in the situation.
I’d bet those might be the cause, and if you’re able to pin point the cause, the healing will take a little bit of time.
Physically I’m good, I have always played with built up grips since I turned 30, I don’t have pain, nor carpal tunnel. Vision is checked every year, I’m slightly near sighted, so vision is strong there, meaning things start to get slightly blurry 15ft out, It would not affect anything within 6ft on in. My chipping and pitching goal is from like 15 yards is a 10-12 foot circle. When my left hand breaks down, the seed is planted and its a confidence thing… I think about it all the time once it happens, sometimes it self corrects, sometimes it continues throughout the round. It’s the worst when it begins on the practice green. It’s 100% mental, the technique breaks down, nothing more, it sucks! I’ve gone through several maladies like hosel rockets or fats or toe hits or the dreaded castings…we all have. I can and have corrected those quickly, the chipping yips is just always there. I try not to think about it because that’s the worst. I try to trust what I’ve been taught and for the most part it works, but it’s what keeps me from being a better player. In match play it’s less of a problem, if my opponent makes a 3 or a 4 and I blow up it’s one hole. Medal play is a different story. Nine years ago I won the county matchplay and I lost a few holes and my opponent actually scored better than me, but I could win a match 2&1 or 1up and who cares what the medal play count was Right?
At 64, I just have fun now…elation and frustration, a few choice words for the hole, but on to the next, every hole, every shot is a different adventure…for me that’s what brings me back!
Do you wear RX glasses while golfing?
There is a difference between seeing well within 10’ to seeing everything all the way to the green from way out.
Believe me when I say the vision will determine the execution of the play. There is nothing wrong between your ears ( we hope, 
).
Good vision that carry one’s day to day routine is very different than the sharper vision a top athlete has.
When I was good at the physical activities , they used to call me eagle eyes ( albeit with the aid of RX lenses ). I could see the pin position from over 300 yards away and the hair on the back of a fly, didn’t require extra lighting when the room gets dark with the sunset… Lost it after the cataract surgery and now according to my optometrist, I’m still close to a 20/20 with corrective lenses. Used to be 20/30 with the lenses.
I have heard that’s true. TI stuff like heads and shafts are sorted out so they do get more consistent stuff. If the pro wants constant weight, descending weight or whatever they can easily get it. They also like heads with a certain loft and face angle and even adjustable stuff can’t always get them where they want so heads are sorted too. I used to like buying heads from Wishon for this reason as they would hand select the closest thing in stock to your specs for a few extra $$.
I only wear Rx glasses while driving per the optometrist. It’s not the eyesight. I can see pins, I can follow ball flight. I can see dimples on the ball. I’m not kidding it’s an actual confidence issue. It’s like hey there’s OB on the right. Inevitably, seed is planted and you hit the double cross right! It is 100% a physical breakdown about a 1/2 inch before impact. It’s been videoed. The instructors have set up drills and I practice thru the gamut. I hit at least 60 chips before every round and I play 2 rounds every Saturday. Do the math, and that’s like 80 rounds a year and that doesn’t include instruction and just practice. Maybe before I die I’ll get it. I keep saying this is the year I’ll get it cured. LOL!
Well, good if you confirmed that.
Then it could be the fear of potential failure?
This happens to every golfer sometime, more often to a particular group for some reason.
If I could figure this out, I’d be following the Tour to render my service to the millionaires to make millions.
We say if one had not been pushed to the limit one will not know how to handle the pressure when they’re near the limit of their ability.
One other thing which the top golfers could handle better than those not in the loop is the ability to go from being relaxed back to focus on demand.
Brooks Koepka failed to claim his major not because he was lacking the ability but he got it from following a slow playing group ahead of his own group. Someone else handled the situation better than he did. That cost was humongous.
Just curious, did you ever try chipping cross handed? I’ve never seen it person, but Matt Fitzpatrick seems pretty good at it and I think a few other pros have done it. Putting Left Hand Low is not that hard, but I’ve never tried chipping that way.
Yes, I’ve tried putter grip, one handed, cross handed, baseball grip, interlock and my standard Varden grip. Everyone of those have worked for a minute. But once on course, and I get that mishit. It’s mental. I can make decisions based on a poor tee or poor long fairway iron. I’m I’m really good with a putter as long as go through my routine. I just really struggle from like 50-60 yds in. My putter saves me a lot. I’m able to get out of green side bunkers within 3 shots 97.3% of the time At best for me a birdie with luck, about a 24% conversion rate for par, but usually no worse than bogey. A mishit chip for me and I’m staring at double…I mean I always found bunkers easier for me because it’s the only strike you are purposely missing the ball. The short pitch/chip once I let the negative slip in and then it’s a battle for me. I think everyone has their demons on course. One of my partners can chip like a pro, he can’t hit a fw wood. I can turn away and just listen, if I hear click, he’s struck it well, usually I hear thud click. He grounds out a lot He works on it all the time, once he gets that thud click something creeps in. For me I will keep working hard and hopefully this year is the year the yips go away.
Which club and what method do you use from 50-60 yards in? Where and what would be your typical misses which would trigger your mental paralysis?
You don’t need to answer if you don’t feel comfortable sharing.
Even with your feedback, without seeing what you are doing, will be like the Chinese pulse diagnosis. Remote control but still a myth whether it works or not.
Sure I can share what I do and the club(s) I use and I will tell u it all depends. Depends on lie, wind, slope, you know uphill, downhill, side hill. I keep a very neutral, close together stance, no more than a 8 inches between the feet, I utilize a neutral grip, I play the ball on a flat lie towards the front of the stance, weight distribution toward the lead foot probably 60/40, sometimes more. The shaft is more straight up and down as I don’t like using the leading edge and I utilize bounce on the wedge. I usually use anything from a sw to a 9i. The closer I am I will use a 5/6/7/8 iron like a putter. The technique is correct, what happens at the bottom of swing my right hand gets twitchy and it gets ahead and the left wrist breaks down it’s an instant. So what happens the leading edge digs in. Golfers call it a “ chili dipper”. The momentum is stopped and the ball goes 2 ft. That’s when on the next shot I have to then be careful of blading it, u know, hitting the bottom 3rd of the ball. My instructors (PGA pro) are baffled because it comes and goes like a virus. It can last a round, it can last a hole. The worst thing is when the right hand speeds up I have double hit the ball. At least now it’s not a penalty…. Lol… on the other note I wouldn’t call it fear of failure, but it is a confidence /mental issue. I have played my best when I only prepare a strategy and I’m not thinking about mechanics of the swing. I don’t think using a full wedge, I just pull the trigger and execute and do I hit a push or pull, sure, not often, but that extreme confidence in my swing, or with the putter, I go through a routine and I’m pretty good. According to the app I use I gain 4-6 strokes per round with the flat stick. It’s those short pitches, it’s a combined mental and mechanical breakdown…I fight it all the time, if I can keep the bad chips down to a couple and not compound the bad mechanics, I’m happy. I’m going to attempt this year to stop thinking about the pin and the 12ft circle to just get it on the green…, kinda take my bunker approach, For now, I’m gonna try making bogey acceptable as a start, taking the larger number out of the equation and try that approach to curing the malady.
It sounds similar to one of my playing partners. He drives the ball better than most of us, his irons are so so, his putting is great, but his chipping and pitching are hit or miss.
He doubles hits it more than anyone I have ever seen. I’ve seen him double hit it on our #6 hole at least half a dozen times from the left side. It’s near impossible to pitch it well from that side as the green is steeply running away from you so need the perfect lob shot. Most either leave it short in the rough or it’s running off the other side. Give him that shot or similar and he’ll double hit as often as he’ll chunk it.
He’s tried to help me with driver and I’ve tried to help him with a wedge, but we both have mental blocks there at times. It’s annoying, but we still love playing and trying to figure it out.
When you are having issue with 50-60 yards pitch, which club usually gives you the hiccups?
It is great that you can utilize most the clubs in the bag, I’m trying to picture which one you normally use for the 50-60 yards pitch?
According to your description, it sounds like you were trying to hit/snap at the golf ball with the right hand.
I don’t like to use the term of 1/2 swing or even using the clock hands as many do with the partial golf swing. The way I learned was doing it as throwing a basket ball or a rolled up paper ball. we don’t say set the arms as such for a free throw or change the arm position for a 3 pointer. We do it by experience and hand-eye coordination. Our brain have more capability than the current A.I. we need to trust it more.
If you are already utilizing different golf club for different situation on the golf course for the 50-60 yards pitch shot, then the only other element I could think of at this moment with what you described is your right hand action was not involuntary. Meaning, you forced it to happen.
Pitch shot is usually a through motion, not a hit motion.
I learned the pitch is a mini golf swing.
Chili dip ? It would not matter if the golf ball is gone, it would if your contact with the turf is behind the golf ball. Move the golf ball back in your stance, try an inch then more until you find the right position for the short pitch.
Try this practice, open your stance a little more than usual and place the golf ball more toward the back of the center in your stance. Try a few more different variation until you find the magic spot for you. Never lock in to what the text or video or instruction. Practice, and practice a lot to find out what works for you.
Never be afraid to take a divot with the shorter pitch shot. Chili dip happens when your swing is stopped. The damage will be minimized if you swing through the golf ball.
I started practicing with different golf clubs to the same distance first, then later I practice with one golf club for different distance when I was younger.
Our favorite driving range game between my buddies and I were to use 8 or 9 irons of choice, to targets from 50/75/100/120 yards out. Winner gets a free beer or two after the practice. Everyone’s short game was decent back then. It was relatively cheap for driving range back then, so we did not feel guilty practicing pitching and partial swing.
A more frugal pal, will take his shack bag to the corner between several hole on this public golf course and stayed there the whole afternoon practicing pitching. Lots of back and forth walking but he horned his pitch shot that way.
Kev… you hit it on the head. It’s mental and physical. I’ve seen it on video. It’s an involuntary move at the very bottom of the arc. The right hand speeds up, the right wrist pronates --> ( the left wrist breaks down --> ) supinates! It just happens and I can’t predict it. I still go through the drills before every round… I take 5 balls to the practice area and hit from 12 different areas, Takes about 20-25 minutes. I can tell you it happens more on tighter lies than in does on a lie with a bit more cushion. If I can rid myself of that this year I can truly shave a few strokes off the game. But at least when you double hit it now it’s not another stroke. I had another good player at the club tell me it’s my shoulders… so we’re going to try that experiment this weekend. He thinks its too much shoulder tilt L higher than R. He thinks if I can level those out a bit more on the short chips, I would lose the propensity to have the leading edge dig into the ground and I should pay alot more attention to the slopes, just like I would on the greens…which makes sense at least to me. We’re only talking about a 1/2 inch or so miss behind the ball, but striking the ground instead of the bounce gliding through the ground… on a very short shot all that clubhead momentum stops hence the issue.
I could see that. My buddy has such a great driver set up with that tilt and what I would call a flatter swing than many of us. He hits a beautiful medium high tiny draw all day and gets a lot out of average swing speed. He will hit 3w off the deck nicely too with a low baby draw.
Once you get to the irons that swing doesn’t work so well for him. I think he should play a set of hybrid irons to get more height, but he’s a traditionalist. I think he sets up the same for a pitch as well and like the irons he’s prone to fat shots and worse. Most of our problems tend to come down to setup, take away and tempo I guess.
100!! (As the kids would say.)
He’s got a FW swing. Why not go with woods/hybrids as far as it’ll go? Take an 11W or 13W—go full LPGA starter kit. And then go Cleveland Launcher-style irons.
Who cares, so long if it works?
I’d do it, if my swing went that way. (Instead of looking at 2i and going, “Hmmmm?”) I game a DF 2.1 putter. Aesthetics and me parted company in golf awhile ago…
I used to sneeze on the GI style of golf clubs, just love the looks from the 60s to the 80s minus the first few generation of popular GI irons.
I realized that we don’t wear the golf clubs like a piece of jewelry. It is a tool to allow us to enjoy our time on the golf course.
Maybe 20some years ago, my two buddies and I walked on a local daily fee golf course, we got teamed up with an elderly gentleman.
Charlie, explained to us that he had just got back into the game after a long layoff. We asked why the long layoff, he then explained that he injured his neck during an accident. The C3-C5 were fused by surgery to prevent further injury. Long 15 years or so he could not play golf.
His bag was full of golf clubs from 20 years ago. We paid little attention to him beyond the casual handshakes and first name exchange on the first tee box. His drive was straight but weak, maybe 200 yard at most. He tagged along.
First hole was a long par 4, 407 yards slightly up hill climb with elevated green. We got on the green in two and looking for birdie putt. He struggled a little and made 3 onto the green. We’d all missed our birdie chance and Charlie made this long double bent putt from 16’-18’ away. All tied for par… the rest of the front nine was similar, Charlie struggles a little from tee to green but somehow he kept making those putts.
On the 11th, another long par 4 ( mind you this was before all the tech explosion for driver that can go long ). Charlie made an impossible birdie while the rest of us bogie and par. One of my buds said to Charlie, what kind of putter are you using? It was an ugly small head bronze putter with dark patina. Probably will sell for $1.99 at a thrift store but it was magic in the hands of Charlie.
The fact is, the old putter looked attractive to the three of us, and one of my buds actually did a research after we got back and bought a similar putter from the auction site.
Any tool in the hands of a craftsman will be a prized piece.