Seeing if I can get to scratch in 365 days (6.7 to 0.0): First 61 Days

Practice
#61

Grunch: where are you losing shots? I.e., using some sort of “shots saved” tool to figure out whether you’re dumping them on drives/approaches/short game/putting.

Next, since you’re able to devote some large blocks of time to this, have you considered trying some fitness/speed improvement program to improving your CH speed, and thereby, your distance?

EDIT: and now I see it’s 150-200 that may be giving you fits. Plus, you’re injured.

I would advise—and I’m certainly not a pro!!!—resting your shoulder until it’s fine. Then, getting some sort of putting carpet + training system, and getting to the point putting to where 6-7 feet and in are boring. Hone your stroke. Then, get your approaches to a point to where: they’re either 6-7 feet away, or they’re easy lags to that distance. Pars are the goal; birdies are happy accidents. Unless par 5s, and if you’re really cranking 260 drives, you can be getting those home in 2. In theory.

1 Like
#62

All,

I really appreciate the comments. Going to shut the game down for a week and rest the shoulder. Putting mat has been in stalled in my home office, so let see if I can get the rock rolling.

1 Like
#63

Which mat did you get?

1 Like
#64

I am using Pro Residential Golf Mat 3’X5’ with Foam Pad that I got from Amazon.

1 Like
#65

Day 157 Update
Handicap: 6.4 (Yes that is higher than my last update. Hahaha I am getting worse)
Hours Practice: 156.5 Hours
Total Money Spent: $1326.59
Ball Hit (Estimate): 12,000.00

Not much has improved since Day 120 to be honest. I played some golf, played in a buddies golf tournament, and moved houses. I have broken out the schedule below.

Day 121 - 130: My wife and I recently finished our new house so we have spent most of the time unpacking and packing boxes. I also hurt my shoulder from my last update, so while I hit very little golf balls I did putt a little, and focuses as much time on that. The biggest lesson that I learned is when I putt I putt better using a lighter club. It is amazing how much better it is the light the club is. Also I gained a mindset to not care about 3 putting.

Day 131 - 140: I realized that I rarely spend a full practice session on chipping. Having a new back yard I decided to place 5 squares and chip to them from a mat on the other side of my yard. These chips are in lengths from 5 yards to 15 yards. I did this for about 5 hours over these days. This really improved my chipping which I will explain more about later.

Day 141 - 150: No golf at all. Right when my wife and I completed our move my father decided (Which makes me super happy) to move down the street himself from Virginia, so this was spent helping him move in.

Day 150 - 157: This time does include golf and I promise isn’t just a story of my life outside the game lol. Every year my 3 best friends and I play in what we call the Abe. All three of us grew up around IL, so that is where the name came from. It ranges from a Wolf tourney, to stroke play, to stableford. This year we decided that we would play Stableford for 3 rounds. The week started with my buddy Grant and I playing a local course where I proceeded to shot a 45 on 9 holes (Yikes). I am honestly not surprised as I drove from FL to IL (About a 13 hour drive) two days before, so I wasn’t that mad at my play. The next three days would include 3 rounds around 3 local STL area golf courses. I started strong with an opening round 78 but boy would that quickly end. The next two rounds ended with a 87 and then a sad 91. I scored 32 points the first round just to score 35 the next two combined. However, I was excited because this was the first time that I could actually see strokes gained from legit real life play. What I learned was a little surprising. My chipping/short game is the best part of my game ranging from scratch to a plus 6. A PLUS 6!!!; what I though was my worst part is actually my best by a landslide. Combining the three rounds I am driving the ball as a 10, approaching as a 24, and putting as a 12. All I can say is Wow! The trip ended with me on the last green with about a 9 foot putt for birdie, where I turned to my friend John, and ask God for a sign on whether I should quit the game. I proceeded to hit a 9 foot putt 7 feet past the hole to three putt for a bogey… On top of that when we got back home I developed a cough, and guess who is now COVID positive. This guy! So, Day 157 - 170 is going to be spent in a hotel room away from people.

What I learned: I had a theory that my putting was bad because I was always afraid of 3 putting. My putting really wasn’t that bad as I now have the mindset that who cares if you three putt. I learned that with this mindset I am getting the putt to the hole a lot more often and at least giving myself a chance. The second thing is I can’t do this by myself anymore. I am caving in and going to get lessons once my COVID fun has come to an end.

I will try to check back in around Day 190. Take care everyone and stay safe out there. Hit them long and straight. Many birdies to you and your family.

4 Likes
#66

I love that you run this out to the hundredths.

3 Likes
#67

Same here! Now I’ve got a hankering to carry two putters in the bag…

2 Likes
#68

All it has to do is be more useful than you 14th most useful club…

I could probably replace my 3 wood with it and not see any real scoring changes without the 3 wood… (or 5 iron, it’s not a club I hit a ton)

2 Likes
#69

Not to hijack the existing thread,… but I am exactly where you just described. I’m about ready to ditch my 3W only because I don’t really go to it much… and I’ve already given up my 5 iron in favor of an 11W (plus I am much more comfortable with my 6i than the 5). But I’m giving up clubs now in favor of more wedges. Once I’m full up at four, I’ll start looking for a “long putter”, maybe with a bottom that favors the fringe cuts.

1 Like
#70

Has anybody here ever gotten lessons from a PGA Superstore? Pro/Cons, thoughts?

#71

I laughed out loud…

#72

I don’t think it matters where you get your lesson, it only matters on who is giving the lesson and how you learn/interact with them.

4 Likes
#73

Day 190 Update
Handicap: 6.2 (.2 lower, but I feel like I am about to play some good golf)
Hours Practice: 197 Hours
Total Money Spent: $1933.59
Ball Hit (Estimate): 13,000

Some big improvements since Day 157, starting with a full understanding of weight transfer in the golf swing. My old swing was almost reverse to what my body should be as I wasn’t loading my right side in the backswing at all. Turns out if you load and transfer it is a lot easier to hit the ball far and straight. Added about 40 yards to my drives overnight.

Day 157 - 170: Nothing really happened as I was in quarantine with COVID 19, following that I stayed with my Dad who lives about 5 minutes down the road from my house in order for my wife’s vaccine to take (Just bad timing for everything). Day 169 was my first day back to practicing where I did two 18 strokes gained putting practices. Saw my worst and my best and I did 18 putts ranging from 3 - 13 feet, with each putt being to a different hole. First round was a 17 handicap, and the second round was a +12. That is typical to my golf game as my A game is pretty good, but there is a huge drop off from my B or C game. Day 170 was my first lesson in about 3 years. I went to PGA superstore and really enjoyed the coach that is there. I learned that there was little to no width in my golf swing and my backswing was way to much inside. Went to range for about an hour after practicing what we worked on.

Day 171 - 180: Finally got home after spending 3 weeks away from home, with golf trip and COVID things. I started to work on making some swing changes that my coach mentioned that I should try. Started out really bad but worked through things and stuck with it. Three things that I focused on were eye contact through impact, making slow motion practice swings, and not bringing the club inside. I play in my first Veteran Golf Association tourney on Day 177 where I put together a nice 77 with not my best stuff. What saved me is I putted like a +8 (OUT OF MY MIND). Day 179 was big for me as I have decided to try to model parts of my swing after Rory. Not sure if this is a good idea or not, but I love what he does. Went ahead and wrote a two-page document on what I do the same and different than him.

Day 181 - 190: This is where I think the game is starting to actually get better. Like I said above looking at Rory’ swing I started to learn that when he takes a backswing he comes back very little, but when I swing I got forward a little. On the downswing, it is the exact opposite. It is very little but I went to the range and worked on it for about an hour and oh boy! I have been missing out. My 3 Wood which usually go about 210 is now going 250. The impact of the golf ball is so much better also. On Day 184, I played in my second VGA tourney and I found something. I fired off the most fun 75 I think I have ever had. The reason why is I birdied 6 times (including every Par 5), and actually felt like I had control over my golf ball. Drove the ball as a plus 4, which is the best that I have ever done. The rest of the time I continued to work on drills and feeling that my coach gave me.

Hoping that this is the start of the improvement process. Feel like I am hitting the golf ball the best ever.

7 Likes
#74

Good luck on the climb to the top of the Mt. EVEREST.

Make sure you’ll stop and smell the flowers during this journey, not many golfers can hold a scratch index at anytime during their golfing days. Getting below a 3 is already extremely rare.

No matter when you get there, it’ll be an awesome accomplishment. Although my opinion is that you had made it tough for yourself to accomplish this goal, unless, you are a full time golfing nuts. Kind of out of reach for the weekend warriors.
Perhaps, gifted golfers could accomplish this one year goal.

1 Like
#75

I was thinking about this very intently over a fantastic football weekend…AND I didn’t watch any games… :frowning_face: I did see the NFL network rewinds tho! Anyways, there was an LPGA Tournament of Champions event at Lake Nona. There were several “scratch players” (amateurs) inclusive of Annika. Derek Lowe (who can really play) shot +6 or +5 over the 3 days to win the amateur portion. DK was -16. Think there’s a difference? OOOF! But, keep at it…I am no longer going to worry about my index, I’m humbled permanently; gonna just be about fun for me and trying to bomb it 250 :muscle:t2: for an old guy…LOL!

#76

Golf Magazine yammered on at length about that, yesterday. “See! Women are just as good as men!!!” Etc… It looked strange to me. Scratches, and players like Mardy Fish, who the article said has a +2.6, shouldn’t be scraping it around Lake Nona (What were the tees set to? Can’t imagine it was the 7,250 for Tavistock) in the 77-81 parades that these guys were shooting.

Unless they really weren’t giving a $/=t, of course. Which also seems strange.

1 Like
#77

They played from the same tees. Just goes to show you how good any pro is compared to what is today considered “scratch”…LOL Scratch today, IMO, is a BS number. Now I’m going back to when I thought I was playing well at age 26! My teacher laughed at me when I mentioned Tournament Golf to him. His response to me was this. AND I have taken plenty of guff on here about it… Here’s almost exactly what he said. He gave me a course to go play, fairly difficult layout, 6900 yds, play it from the tips… you must walk the course… play it 4 str8 days. The par was 72. His exact words were…shoot 68 all 4 days in a row, with no heat on you, no pressure, no nothing… Do that and you are scratch player that could consider just trying out. Other than that…you are a very good recreational golfer! That’s how good these pros are at any level. Today I’m happy to threaten breaking 80 from 6200yds. The game is just that hard when you truly put a measuring stick on it! I go back to this, I was friendly with a PGA pro that won a PGA. We were home and we got a chance to fool around for a quick 18 with him, the course we played was like 6200 yds…Fooling around, drinking some beers…par 70…he shot 58!

#78

It would be interesting to know what the female pros would be rated at playing from 7000 yards

They are obviously great players but would be interesting to see the actual data

There is a 15yo female at a club in town who shot 64 from ~6400 yards… pretty damn impressive!

2 Likes
#79

LPGA players don’t hit it far enough to compete at 7200 yds. They can and do compete usually at 6400-6800 yds. Just a titch under senior tour distance…but they have to walk…seniors get to cruise! At any level PGA or Champions… what would be fun, is to see how they do in a 140yds on in contest. My gut tells me it would be very competitive!

#80

Yes, I know they played the same tees. I’m just mildly surprised that “scratch” golfers (many/most of them athletes, and with prior tournament experience on various celebrity golf tours/PGA Pro-Ams) were having such a hard time with a colder course that had some rain, but didn’t seem as tough as, say those conditions in Abu Dhabi that week. Think they played at 6500 or so, and I wouldn’t have thought “Scratch Golfer” would be having that much difficulty going under par. IIRC, Fish shot one of the only one or two rounds under par for the Amateurs.

Weird.