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My Life (Sub 80)
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FixdePitchmark wrote: »Was driving shocking bad today - irons ok, but driving just went. Slice, hooks tops. I feel the timing of my driver is all out. Anyway, it has been all range. Even, I’m not that mad in that stuff out there.
Banging away, this dude with all the pro gear goes in the bay next to me.
He looks that part, a travelling sales man or a CEO. I’m hitting at the 150 green, He starts hitting it at the same green, all his shots draw slightly, then fall on the green , 9 out of 10 times. I decide I’ll take a closer look at his bag "Keith Horne" on it. I remembered his name for some reason – I think it was the Irish Open.
A tour pro. He is lying 85th in The Race To Dubai, a late starter on tour and 2 good years in a row. Fingal driving range, not the most glamorous on the tour stops. Me not the most glamorous of driving range neighbours.
His short irons were amazing, but the odd thing was, he made mistakes. I was dying to ask him for a few tips, but decided not to be a spa. Got a good laugh out of just watching his ball flight. There was nothing that blew me away, it was just the consistency was amazing. Playing well within himself. Me 100mph all the time. He was looking at me going “fool”.
He had no coach or caddy, playing in an average range at Dublin Airport. It reminds you that even a slight bit off the top level is a precarious existence.
A bit of fun, I could see him watch me a bit, he knew, I knew who he was. A bit of a smile and a knowing look. For a few shots I could play a shot like him, or any shot he hit. The problem is, it was about 40 balls out of 100 for me, for him it was 95 out of 100. To make a comparison is ludicrous, but fun.
He, not even a top top pro, he needs to stand next to guys on the range who hit 96 and 97 and 98 and 99 out of 100 - perfect. He needs to organise his own training and flights and life and coach and driving range. Just one tiny bit away from the very top. It looks a great glamorous life the tour pro. But, you look at it for some and wonder sometimes. Perhaps it is not as glamorous as you think, away from family and friends, in the cold and worrying about the future, missing cuts, the injuries.
I hit a few good ones at the end and 2 or 3 great drives. I admired the couple more shots I see from the tour pro. A week off for him (no such thing ?), a big one on in USA. His life so different to mine, the Ryder Cup players lives so different to his. But all the same life. All the same game.
This made me smile
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spacecoyote wrote: »Nice post again Fixed.
I've had what feels like a bit of a breakthrough with my swing that I think will really get me moving towards that sub 80 round myself.
I mentioned a while back in this thread that I was going to a Karl Morris mind session in the Spa Well. Well, I can honestly say its one of the best golf investments I've made.
He does, as you are now doing, put a fair amount of emphasis on the short game, which I'm trying to do myself. But the thing that really stuck with me was his talk about the swing.
He was essentially saying that amateur golfers (and plenty of pros I'm sure too) have become obsessed with what their bodies are doing while they swing. His way of illustrating the point was to ask everyone in the room to pretend they were brushing their teeth. His point being that, when you learn to brush your teeth, you learn what way to move the tooth brush. You don't learn to raise your right arm, bend at the elbow, rotate your wrist, etc....
The idea being to think of the golf swing similarly. He wanted us to focus on thinking about what the club needed to do to play a certain type of shot, rather than where every part of the body needed to be.
So, after that session, a couple of days later I decided to put it into practice out on the range. I'd gotten to the stage where all I could hit was a fade, with a bad shot being a slice, but by just taking the advice picked up in the class I found that I was able to shape the ball with considerably more ease. I was able to hit Straight balls, Draws & Fades. Admittedly, not everything was perfect, but I just felt very in tune with my swing & the club.
Tried it out on the course the following weekend & found I could hit a draw pretty much up & down the clubs, albeit with a few pulled draws in their too, but it is a work in progress.
I feel so much more confident now that I can push my handicap lower and am really looking forwards to winter practice.
I think maybe there just might be too much going on in your mind while your swinging the club?
Now, don't get me wrong, he didn't say you should ignore technique, if you have a bad swing, a great mind isn't going to help that much, but by the sounds of things you have the swing in you, you might be just getting in your own way somewhat?
Thanks for all the replies and thanks lads. It is hard to know what any of this reads like. It is just how it sounds in"me" head.
Yes, I do get into thinking about the body and arms so much, It makes me tense up and over think the shot. The only thing is, that this is mostly on the range. I don't tend to do this on course as much.
At this stage I've had rounds of 14 and 15 holes near perfect holes (for me). The fault that has come in to cause me to lose breaking 80, is a driver problem . I can now decide to drop driver at certain holes - but these breakdowns are unpredictable. I decided to try resolve this. Going to RCD and missing almost all fairways was a real let down and made me say, I'll never let that happen again, or go back to a place like that and let it happen again.
But at the same measure my driving was very good a few weeks later.
The putting has improved - was definitely over thinking that. Improvements with practice and relaxing more.
I still don't know my new swing, I will be getting a lesson every month this winter and get to know my new swing. Can you play with freedom when a swing is not natural to you. It is like going to the pub with your boss versus your best mate. It is like a cheap suit now. It feels wrong, but the seams are stronger.
I reckon at this stage, when I have a major slice or hook, it is me over doing my new swing or relapsing to the old me.
Maybe. I'm all wrong and should avoid any swing thoughts, I guess my pro will tell me.
I'm a way better golfer now - It was such a pleasure to hit 10 - 9 irons onto or just off the 150 green last night , stand tall, keep right leg firm, good shoulder turn , fire left hip open ,come down on the inside to outside , good strike, griped right, relaxed release, slight draw, on green.
Too many swing thoughts , YES, but with years/ months it will be more natural, never as natural as the raw untrained golfer I was. But, more hope of success and less certainty of failure.
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GUI Maynooth? Is that Carton House? I didnt realise how close that place is to where I work so I promised myself I would go over some lunch time for short game practice. But then I got wondering if there was membership required or if it is ok to just walk in and start practicing?
Nice swing by the way in your youtube. It was a bit like watching Luke Donald :-)
Donald
. I know, swing a bit to jerky and too fast, but at the start was worse - if you can believe that - A fat John Daly. 
It is next to Carton - but not part of it. Very Pricey if not a member - they will let you use it for about 10 euro for 2 hours - But it is 10 euro an hour - I think I would join if not so far away. But, it is expensive if non member. Has taken 2 to 4 shots off my game.
Short game lessons there would be class. Great to get roll out on green.0 -
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I've been reading this thread for a while and decided to finally register on boards and post a reply.... I can really empathise with you FDP. I have been playing golf regularly for years, played a lot of pitch and putt as a kid. Golf has played a huge part in my life and I really love the game.
The problem for me is that my handicap is 15. For someone who plays as regular as me and with the passion and drive to only be a 15 handicapper is tough. I have never broken 80 either but I have come close many times. This year has been tough for me too. Started the year at 16.5 played really well into the early summer and for several weeks in a row I was scoring 36 points and above. The handicap dropped to 14.5. Twice in three weeks I had great chances to become a 14 handicapper and messed up the 18th- one week I only needed a point on the last and the other a 2 pointer would have done. On both days I was just one shot too many.
It then became an obsession to get down further and ever since my game has gone to crap. I have gone from 14.5 to 15.1 in just over two months- that's nearly a +0.1 every week. My confidence is now shattered and to be honest I'm glad the winter season is about to kick in. I need to get off the golf course and get some lessons. My problem is time and money. I already spend too much on golf as it is. I have a wife and kids that have demands too.
At the start of the year my aims were to break 80 once, have a double bogey free round and get my handicap down to 12. Half way through the year I thought I would do it. I did none of them.
It's such a frustrating game!! But just like FDP, I am not giving up on the dream....
Barna Boy - (That Galway ?)
Great first post. Thanks for your empathy.
Yes, had times I was trying too hard and got worse (as in months) - Lessons are the way to go and they are not as expensive as they were - but spending too much money myself too. I guess I just decided that this year was a one off. The stuff I have gained from this year will stand to me if in the future. There is great free tips on here from lads off +1, scratch, 1, 2, 3. The most I picked up over the year was on here.
I spent too much time practising with errors in my swing - I only improved when a pro told me what the flaws were - I spent hundreds of euros for near 5 months hitting thousands of balls the wrong way.
Moving into the short game was the quickest shots I made. (AS I WAS TOLD AGAIN AND AGAIN ON HERE) . But I wanted to fix the swing flaws first. Maybe a long winded way to try it and has so far proved unsucessfull - So ignore me -:):rolleyes::o:mad::(:eek::cool:
But with kids etc. there is only so far you can go - it was sort of crazy to take this on now, but something that was giving me an itch.
Best of luck on boards 92 % are sound 8 % are weridos and freaks like me. :P0 -
FixdePitchmark wrote: »Barna Boy - (That Galway ?)
Great first post. Thanks for your empathy.
Yes, had times I was trying too hard and got worse (as in months) - Lessons are the way to go and they are not as expensive as they were - but spending too much money myself too. I guess I just decided that this year was a one off. The stuff I have gained from this year will stand to me if in the future. There is great free tips on here from lads off +1, scratch, 1, 2, 3. The most I picked up over the year was on here.
I spent too much time practising with errors in my swing - I only improved when a pro told me what the flaws were - I spent hundreds of euros for near 5 months hitting thousands of balls the wrong way.
Moving into the short game was the quickest shots I made. (AS I WAS TOLD AGAIN AND AGAIN ON HERE) . But I wanted to fix the swing flaws first. Maybe a long winded way to try it and has so far proved unsucessfull - So ignore me -:):rolleyes::o:mad::(:eek::cool:
But with kids etc. there is only so far you can go - it was sort of crazy to take this on now, but something that was giving me an itch.
Best of luck on boards 92 % are sound 8 % are weridos and freaks like me. :P
Practice ,practice, practice ! However I've acquired a Golf Buddy in recent times & reckon it's worth 4 shots per round. You get to know on longish par 4's that you're not going to reach the green so it's chip & putt time. On par 5's I find I now use less club 2nd shot and lay up to a comfortable distance resulting in more pars & birdies.
Over the last few weeks I have realised that I hit iron shots further than I thought, so the Buddy has given me great confidence. I finally broke 80 a week or so ago & have to say the Golf Buddy was like an extra club in the bag.
On a final note putting is very important, eradicate the 3 putts and watch your score tumble.
Remember the old saying "Drive for show, Putt for dough" 0 -
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Lads, there was a great debate, on my approach by the lads on here. It centered on if I should achieve it by course management or short game or swing changes or lessons or playing more. It got heated.
In the end, I went for a swing change and then working into green. It was slower, but I believe that had the chance of making me a better golfer in the long run. The only problem was that the modifications to my swing were large and irreversible once you committed to them. I spent a good 3 months at this. Could not even practice short game due to the work I put into that.
In summary
I spent too long, not getting a lesson, did not know how poor my swing was.
Spent 6 months doing it my way, hitting thousands of balls (waste of time, energy, money and plasters).
Spent 3 months changing swing. This was actually much quicker than I expected and a bit easier.
Spent 2 months so far on short game.
The shots are coming in quicker now, the birdies are more frequent. I’ve improved as a golfer. After all that - I went from scores of 89 to 85 range , to 85 to 81 range. I’ve had rounds with 14 pars, and one with 2 birdies and 12 pars. Just didn’t score sub 80 due to O.B or a few crazy holes.
So even though I have not got there yet - my approach is paying dividends at the end. But there are a thousands ways to break an omelette (;)).
I put this summary up here as it may help somebody who wants to improve. It shows that stubbornness with swing flaws is a waste of time.
You can course manage and short game your way below 80, but are you a better golfer overall ? will you come to a wall just under 80 ?
Anyway more work less talk.
BTW lost 1 month talking ****e on here – but gained 3 by listening.
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