WTF, how does that make any sense? The people who are not paying taxes on their winnings are complete idiots. If you win a golf tournament and don't pay taxes on your winnings, does that make golf illegal?

Ship check your private messages

also, ship's view about poker's legality is unfortunately the one shared by the masses. I'm not sure if people just assume it's illegal or wrong w/e or there has been some sort of subliminal advertising we're unaware of. It's one of the reasons why I don't tell anyone in the real world that I play, although I guess that kinda makes me part of the problem.

It seems naïve to think that all online poker players pay their taxes exactly according to their winnings, just like there is obviously a problem with cash tip reporting. My point was more to the fact that I was told earlier in the thread I should go to jail for tax evasion for trying to help a friend barter for web development help. I can assure my reasoning in this thread is to help the guy with his golf brain, not get into a tax debate. Let’s stop talking taxes…agreed. At least I’m going to.

Tony,

From the sound of it you and I are pretty comparable in terms of our games. You may be a bit longer than me but I am probably a little better 100 yds and in. I suspect I am a bit older than you as well (40).

In any event, I used to have a similar problem with inability to close out rounds. You just have to be able to not think about where you are in a round. There was a book I read called "Going Low" probably 10 years ago that helped me think differently (sorry don't recall the author).

Basically it talks about the stuff all the sports psych talk about (not getting in the way, staying in the present, etc.) For whatever reason it resonated with me and I began to allow myself to go deeper when I was playing well. Now I don't even think about it. If I am 2 under par I just try and figure out a way to get to 3 under. If I make a bad swing I dismiss it pretty easily and remind myself that I am playing well.

Ever since the I have lifted the pressure of just trying to shoot under par I have had multiple sub 65 rounds including several in tournaments. I even got to -7 at the US Mid AM Qualifier several years ago even knowing -2 or -3 would get me in. I just kept trying to make another birdie. So instead of just trying to hang in there to shoot 70 or 69 I am not even thinking about it and trying to get to 65 or 66.

Talking to somebody or thinking about being deep will certainly help but until you convince yourself that you are good enough to go deep it is like a self fulfilling prophecy.

Oh and you have to have a consistent pre-shot routine.

Only other thing that might be an issue is conditioning...are you out of gas the last few holes?

This is simply not true. The best players in the world (i.e. tour players) average 12-15 feet from shots 100-125 yards. Now I agree they probably hit WAY more than 10% of their shots inside of 10 feet but to say a 12 could hit 75% inside of 20 feet and 10% inside of 10 feet is laughable. I bet a 12 handicapper would average 30 feet or more from that distance. Just statistically they are going to miss the green A LOT even from that short distance.

Get rid of the 1 iron. Not even Tiger carries a 1 iron. It is an old macho relic that has no place in a modern elite player's bag.


Oh and just so no one forgets Ovechkin FTW/Crosby sucks

I don't have the golf credentials that some on this board do, but I do watch tons and tons of it, and I can tell you that the thing that seems to separate those guys who are the 'great' players from the rest of the field are those short putts. Like I mean inside 10 feet. It always seems that the guy who wins each week on the PGA tour pretty much doesn't miss any of them. If I was a golfer of the skill level you're talking about, I'd focus a whole bunch of my practice time on those specifically.

Beyond that I can tell you that I agree with ship-this about the importance of a preshot routine, and the others who talked to you about how to practice and what, and the mindset going into the last round. What I would add from my own sports experience is that the thing that is hardest to beat is hours. By hours I mean practice, practice, practice, practice, practice and more practice. Thousands and thousands of hours of it. Every top athlete I've ever seen is the guy who is the most dedicated and puts in the most hours working to stay on top - and I challenge anyone to say otherwise.

So, you're weak with your wedges? Go hit 10,000 wedges and then see how weak you are. Same goes for your irons, or driver, or whatever (and especially for putting). Like Vince Lombardi once said, the harder you work, the harder it is to surrender!

True but it sort of colors the expectation. This is why the guy is winning that week. On average Tour players "only" make about 50% of their 6 footers with percentage going up the closer to the whole they get obv. Not sure there is data but I suspect the avg tour player makes ~25-30% of their 10 footers. SO the weeks where they make 80-90% they are going to be in contention.

And then there's Tiger Woods, who never misses one. My stance would be that if HE can do it, YOU can do it (and so could I). Why not?

I think this was accurate 15 years ago or so.
Today's PGA Tour pros make significantly more I believe.

But your point is still a good one.

One thing I don't think many people appreciate is how good all the pros putt.
I would take the worst 2% of the putters on tour against the best 2% of the putters at the local club.

edit: shotlink probably has these (6 ft.) percentages.
Sorry I'm to lazy to look it up.

As JTrout said, the 50% stat was accurate back in the 90's, but today IIRC it's 70+%. I seem to remember a year or so ago when I saw a number on this and was really surprised how much it had increased during that time.

See, as perfect as the greens are on tour, if you don't have to start the putt outside the hole, it's almost a gimme. It's only until you face a putt where speed really matters that it gets difficult.

A common misconception due to the constant Tiger suckling. Tiger is certainly a great clutch putter, and now (but certainly not always) one of the best putters on tour. But there are others who are comparable from this length if not better.

BO

I just pulled this off the net from Tiger's performance last year:

From inside 5 feet: 54 of 54 (100%)

From inside 10 feet: 63 of 66 (95.5%)

Please tell me who comes close to those numbers.

See, this is exactly why people just don't understand.

First off, as you edited, you have no idea as to this sample size. In addition to being way too small, you have no idea as to where they were pulled from. They were probably cherry-picked from 1 or 2 victories.

Secondly, all this shows is that he was 9 of 12 from 5-10 feet. 75% from this distance over no sample size could happen to a 5 handicapper. It's light-years from a big deal.

If you want to have a valid discussion about this, please show stats from a complete season and rankings amongst tour leaders.

BO

tiger woods in 09:

putts inside 5 feet: 663/676 98.1% 2nd on tour...top performer was at 98.2%

putts from 5-10 feet: 113/182 62.1% 9th on tour...top performer was at 65.2%

Great numbers, well done.

So objectively, Tiger is one of the best putters on tour from inside 10 feet, but most certainly not the best. Naturally, every media outlet makes it out as if he's the best and nobody even comes close.

BO

Off topic, but I really love it when this gets posted. Really.

Care to explain your sarcastic argument with actual reasons? It's obvious you disagree, but as someone who enjoys a good discussion, I'd like to see what you have to say about the topic.

Well, if I had to have someone hole a 10-footer for everything I owned I know who I'd pick. Deep down you know you'd pick him too.

I like my 1 iron because first and foremost, I like it and am confident in it. I will use it as a driving iron and it'll go straighter than my driver and 3 wood. I will use it from the fairway as a long iron from anywhere from 2050-235 (this fills the gap between the 3 iron and 3 wood almost perfectly btw), and I will use it as a trouble club from the trees when I need the ball to go very low and a long distance- with a hook or slice if I need it.

You might say that I'm giving up additional distance and accuracy by not getting some sort of 1 driving iron/hybrid, but I have not to this point found a hybrid that I've liked. For me, they all go too high and my conclusion basically is you wind up having slightly easier shots from the rough at a cost of fewer overall shot choices.

People that say that there's no place for a 1 iron in your bag are the same people that say take the unplayable lie instead of turning your club around and hitting it lefty, or don't hit that driver off the deck, etc. - relying too much on conventional wisdom rather than how well you know yourself.

I don't feel like I'm the player that needs to switch to a hybrid because thats the direction that the golfing world is going (easier to hit clubs that go higher and straighter) - I don't play a ProV, I don't putt a Scotty Cameron, etc.

You gotta judge people based on their results, not any individual stastistic. You could have a pro that was #1 in every category by a lot, everything except putting, and you'd probably know nothing about him.

If you measure results- tournament wins, wins/start, money made etc., he is far and above the best and nobody even comes close.

You are wrong about this.
If you put a little more thought and effort into it, you will be able to see this.

i respect the advice you gave earlier itt, but i'm still going to disagree.

i know my game better than conventional wisdom knows golfers as a whole. if i am confident i can step up and hit a driver off the deck, then I'm going to go ahead and do it.

my EV calculator for golf shots is very different than most golfers so normal conventional wisdom plays a fairly small role in my decision making. not to say that many of my decisions don't fall lockstep with conventional wisdom, just that I base my decisions more off of personal experience than what i've just been told.

See my bolded above. From current players, of course I'd pick Tiger, assuming of course I couldn't pick myself. From players throughout the years, that would be a very difficult decision.

But of course that's not what we were discussing. We were discussing best putter on tour from inside 10 feet, and that's not Tiger.

Regardless, he is certainly one of the best from inside 10 feet. And that impresses me because 13 years ago, he wasn't a very good putter at all. He busted his balls to get to where he his on the greens today.

So what? That's not what we're discussing. We're discussing putting from 10 feet and in. And Tiger is not the best. Please stop suckling Tiger, he's trying to quit. Heh heh.

BO

In a way I can respect your confidence in your game and your decision making. But just so you know, you are basically ignoring the advice of some golfers who are 4-6 shots better than you.

BO

There used to be dozens of touring pros that carried a one iron.
Now, basically none do.
Do you think they quit carrying the club because conventional wisdom told them not to?
Do you think they are the kind of players that won't hit a Driver off the deck, or a flip a wedge around and hit it left-handed?

I don't really care wheather you carry a one iron or not. It's not that important. You obviously believe in it, and that's great.

What is important is your way of thinking. Your beliefs.
For you to make significant improvement, you will need to significantly improve your mental game.
You know this, because you started this thread asking for help.

Best of luck.

The one iron certainly is fun to hit, though, if you can do it well. Golf is a game where you're allowed to have fun, if you want to - no matter how well you play.

But maybe instead you should try a two iron with a one iron length shaft. I carried one of those for a while and I found it was a pretty good balance.