Hello Guys, Ive recently been reading up a lot on these golf forums about practice and personal goals and such. Some people started there own threads on their roads to "breaking 80" so, instead of a blog, i decided to start my own thread on my road to "breaking 80"

The goal is simple: Shoot under 80 strokes at my local golf course (Weston Golf club, Toronto Ontario) by the end of august. The more ambitious goal would be to get my handicap from the 15.9 as of right now to an 8 or under. This im ok with getting by the end of the year TBH. I would also not mind to play some University golf. I have not looked into yet but a good friend of mine plays who is a 2 handicap. this perhaps could be my 2013 goal

About golf course: Weston is where Arnold Palmer won the 1955 Canadian open (I beleive this was his first win as a pro) It Plays 6777 yards from the tips and has a 133 slope and 73.2 rating

Cliffs: 19 years old. 2nd year playing golf. started 2012 season late april as a 23-24 handicap and have since then imrpoved to a 15-16. Very athletic 5'10 185 built like a truck and played very high level hockey back in the day. I will be taking lessons 1-2 times a week until the end of august as well as playing 18-36 holes a day everyday until then. I also plan on following the "Docs" advice on his insane practice plan. (i will obv motify this program a little to myself)

Original 2012 goal: Cut handicap in half from 23-24 to 11-12. Although i am not their yet (15.9) I feel that this will come very soon and decided to challenge myself a little more since I have finished work and have some spare time on my hands.

The Plan: I plan to post in this thread a few times a day providing a detail description of how my day went, with regards to golf obv. I can get as detailed as describing evrey hole played as far as how shots/ thought process goes. (if this is too much just let me know and i wont get into that much. but i would like to write about at least 1 round in detail) so you guys can see where im coming from and break down my thinking.

I plan on playing a minimum of 1 round everyday on average until the rest of August. Of course i will take some rest days however, there will be days where i play 36+ holes in a day.

My days will generally consist of the following:

8:00am-12:00pm play 18
1:00pm-2pm do light workout
3:30pm-4pm work strictly on putting
4pm - 8pm play another 18
8pm-8am rest.

For the second 18 i play, this 4 hour bracket will be suplimented with the "Docs" insane practice strategy. Here i will likely dedicate 2 hours of range time to work on short game, chips, pitches, bunkers, shot shaping, etc. and then if there is time left over squeeze in a quick 9 holes.

What I want from you guys: Any sort of feedback would be great! Dry humour is fun too! nothing better than having a bad round and reading a lols comment about your round or what others think of it.

I can also post some swings on youtube if you guys want to provide feedback on that (never done it myself always got coach to do it, but i figure i can film myself from my ipad)

I will likely be editing this OP many times and adding some stuff to it i feel is important. If there is anything else you guys would want to know or feel i should add let me know! Also, if you guys are in the Toronto area come out and play a round!

Doesn't 1 to 2 lessons a week seem like a bit much? Wouldn't you maximize your results from having lessons by finding only a few things at a time to work on?

I always thought a few lessons a month with ample time to practice what you learned in between each one was the best approach.

Anyways, good luck with your progress. Posting videos of your swing is encouraged.

I broke 80 twice this yearvin just my second year of golf so you can do it.

Good luck on your goals and if you need anyone to play Weston with you and contest your scores, I'm game

OP if I was you I'd spend from 4-5 working on short game and 5-6 working on putting then play 9 instead.

I currently do this, I figure i come with a problem. coach tells/confirms my problem. he tells me how to fix problem. i spend rest of 1-2 weeks fixing it. come back with a new problem etc.

I refered one of my friends and they through in some stuff for refering him, part of it was 3 free lessons. I bought a package of 6 and used 2 of them already and i have no clue when they expire or if they do (i should probably figure that out) that being said i have 7 lessons with about ~10 weeks of golf left

As long as your cool playing with a bunch of 19 year olds we are game! Also being a 2p2er im assuming you like to do tha gambools. all my friends play poker and we can get some pretty fun games going for loonies and toonies.

Breaking 80 and getting my handy cap down to 8 or under are 2 very diffrent goals! im pretty confident i can break 80 this year but i also want to cut my handicap down! thank you though!

Was strongly considering doing something like this, I stated in OP that second 18 is kind of a "floating" item, i will likely be mixing it up with shortgame/putting/short irons/ bunkers/ chips/ etc during this time. followed by a lax 9 holes.

Finally figured out how to multi-quote...AH TANK GAWD

As someone who only plays a couple of times a year but played off a 10 handicap when I was 17 (27 now) I can tell you the key to breaking 80 is 100 yards and out game. Practice your wedge game constantly, a lot of people focus on chipping and putting which of course is huge but 120 yard shots and in make and break my rounds anyway.

Also, really think your way around a course. Course management is a huge part of golf. Don't be afraid to hit a 3 wood or 3 iron off a lot of tees

Range Session Today... approx 2.5 hours

worked on: 3wood/ 3 rescue 4-5irons for about 2 buckets worth. i officially cant hit my old 3wood anymore. but ive found my 3 rescue. can pop that thing an easy 220-230. mostly straight shots is what i want. however i can sometimes play a nice draw with this club if i want. i am pleased with this because usually i am about 10ish yards short on par 5s with my 4i hopefully this rescue can get me there in 2 now.

Bunker play: about a half bucket from the sand, wanting to know how to put more spin on shots from here. basically make them stick (any advice here would be awesome)

Edge of green/fringe chipping: other half of bucket, probably worst part of my game. im absolutly horrid. My friend offered to help me here, just havent had the time to be told how/what and practice it. i would say i end up further away from flag at end of shot because i end up shanking it. (any advice here would be awesome also!)

Just outside 100yard play: 2 buckets. Beautiful. I was hitting absolute darts today although i feel like ive been pulling my shots a little right (i am a Left btw)The shots were great, however in my head i feel like im lining up for straight shot. but instead it goes a little more right. this is probably a quick fix, something i will adress in my lesson tomorrow.

All in all i went through about 5 buckets of balls today, which is approx 450 balls.

Feedback starters: when at the range myself, i find that i shoot very quickly. IE just go through buckets very fast, set up shoot, on to next one, shoot, set up etc. any tips on slowing down?

My hand sweats like a mofo and my glove gets absolutly soaked. any tips on keeping them dry? maybe baby powder? or should i just stick to 2 gloves for every 9? (obv reuse them, but just so they stay dry)

Also, I hate to complain but here goes. Sometimes after roads i have very sore feet. (i think its called Plantar Facitis?) where i feel pain in my heel. Ive played everyday for the last 2 weeks and its starting to hurt, i probably just need to rest it! but i hate resting!

That was it for today. I have a lesson tomorrow in which i will be working with my driver for the main portion. after lesson im really feeling a lax 9 if there is still daylight, if not. continue at range and work on putting.


Thanks for following!

Try an 8 iron from the fringe; play it back in your stance and be gentle. Has really helped me at times when I'm not hitting my wedges well.

Yeah, was going to suggest this. I use a 7 and just bounce it roughly halfway and let it roll. I find always fire it shorter than I think is necessary as I used to always be heavy on the ball.

Hey OP, just a social golfer these days but did get down to 3 when i was 17yo, now 30yo, just hack it around off 7 for funsies with friends and social drinks but probably have a little usefull advice on getting the handicap down a bit.

Driving ranges, practice ranges are very overated imo op. You get in to a good rhythm on the range after 5 mins and hardly miss a shot, yet when on the golf course do you ever hit the same shot in sequence, never, unless you oob one and have to re load that is

One thing that has'nt been mentioned enough is working on your actual swing (plane- most important, grip, tempo and timing) and this is what i find the practice range is best for, not just plummeting down 100 balls in half an hour.

As for the short game, that is just a practice, practice and more practice spot until you have the feel and touch to be confident with all sorts of shots from 50m in and make sure you get on top of your wedge, sand wedge and lob wedge once you have mastered chipping with these clubs, your game and scores will be lowered dramatically, no chipping with 7,8,9 irons like a 70yo grandfather

All the best with it, will keep an eye on your progress.

being consistant is something ive been trying to work on since day 1 and is probably what separates many good golfers from great golfers.
Never tried this! Will give it a try today after lesson and see how it goes! My friend also recomended using a a driver or 3wood and almost "putt" it out. havent tried this one either but will experiment!

I agree, I think as of right now im probably focusing more on quantity rather than quality. This will have to change. definatly going to slow down more at the range.

Thanks for following guys!

With regards to your previous post about me being "rich" im not at all! Weston is a private course where i paid for my intermediate member ship from poker winnings. (brag: it also helped pay for my first year in uni!) its only like 2200 a year until im 25. then the ******* initiation fee comes and slaps you across the face. but at least then i have the choice of if i want golf to be part of my life. therefore on a "per round" basis at any local public semiprivate course i would be paying 50$ a round. (to play weston as a guest its $155 round) Ive played probably 50 rounds this year already so im getting my money's worth by the end of the year!

My coach does video slow mo analysis every lesson and draws all the angles and **** like that on some golf program we have at the course. working on my swing mechanics is something he strongly emphasised.

I have a lesson today, hopefully it dosent rain though, kinda cloudy right now ;( but i will try and post the videos sometime this weekend latest by sunday.

I agree with what everyone says as make sure you are getting everything you can out of your lessons. When I used to teach I would try to get students to at least wait a few weeks between each one since if they haven't really worked on what you taught them you are just going over that again.

I used to have the same problem you did when I played in college by going through buckets of balls quickly. Remember if you are doing that you aren't really learning anything. You are probably ingraining old habits and really not adopting new ones. Really think about what you are trying to accomplish when you hit balls. Its ok to fly through a bucket when warming up for a round but if you are doing it when you are practicing to get better you are just wasting your time.

When I find myself doing that still I can usually tell as I tend to get really quick. It especially happens to me when I am hitting Drivers. One thing that really helps me is to hit two Drivers and then two wedges. They both are unique in their own way and it really helps with tempo.

Also, when you are on the range don't just blindly hit the ball. Make sure you are aware of what you are hitting at. Create games out of it. As an example when hitting drivers create a fairway from the flags and see how many you can hit. We used to have contests like this on my college team but it helped alot and made you focus when playing. If you are doing it just yourself keep track of it and try to best yourself each time.

Do those things and importantly when you practice try to feel like you are accomplishing something. To many people just blindly go out there and hit balls.

lesson went well today. My swing path et all is looking pretty solid however i am having some trouble transfering my weight during shot especially with driver which is causing me to cut or sometimes slice the ball hard. I should have the video he took of me up by sunday. if not, i will get myfriend to film me with my ipad and post it on youtube or something. I played 9 after the lesson today in ****ty weather. it was raining pretty hard so course was very wet. sometimes i like to play when its raining. i find the rain falling on you very soothing. I also almost got attacked by 2 deer. afaik they are vegetarians so they dont eat people but i had my 6 iron ready just incase.

Im going to take tomorrow off to rest up any sore muscles. its also my friends birthday so were going to go bet on some horses and have a drink or 7. Im also going to purchase a 60' wedge. i was thinking the spinmaster vokey with a 4 degree bounce. (any recomendations on wedge? i have a 56 SV tour right now and love it but i want something withh a little extra loft to get the ball up)

Going to play first 18 on saturday and will keep you guys posted with results.

PS. If youre interested in following me on twitter i post some real time shots,brags,beats, and funny jokes (at least i think so) i will follow back! @MrSeeYouPee

Is there a reason you haven't posted videos?

Posting videos by sunday the latest. weather has been kinda crapy here last few days so i didnt feel like bring out my ipad in the rain to film it. hopefully clears up tomorrow or sunday, regardless though, there will be a video up sunday.

My coach also takes videos of me but he voice over dubs them and draws some stuff on it to point out certain things. i dont know if im allowed to post those on youtube or not.

Cool... can't you redub them?

Hey guys just an update,

Weather has been pretty crapy lately, i tried taking some videos today at the range but it was pretty cloudy the ground was very wet so i didnt really feel like bringing my ipad out. I will however try to figure out how to upload my instructors videos on here somehow. im not a computer wiz so bare with me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koi8pRgygaA&feature=plcp

link to first vid left side of vid is 8iron right side is the driver.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPVxlm8N6Vc&feature=plcp

7iron from side veiw


What went on in the lesson. Im having trouble transfering my weight from my back foot to front. causing me to open club face up especially with my driver. i hurt my back about a week ago and i dont know if thats why my driver just suddenly got worse. anyway, please take a look at those videos and let me know what you guys think. dont be scared to be harsh, let me here it.

Tomorrows game plan:

10AM-11 Wake up + breakfast
1130 - 1 workout Cardio, core, back, +arms
130-2 eat lunch and ****
3-4 range, short gaimz, putting (20 mins each)
4-8pm round of 18
8pm+ rest

Christ. How much areyou paying for lessons. Tbh the guy doing the voice over doesnt really seem like he knows what he is talking about.

It was almost comical, just as the guy was saying you are leaving your clubface open, your driver shot takes off to the right, indicating your clubface was SHUT.

And everything about how your shoulders and hips were too open to the target was pretty bad. Watch some pga tour swings; 99% of them are going to have their hips open to the target even more than you.

He was right about how you are cutting across the ball with the driver. But I bet you can improve this instantly by changing your ball position at the setup. Where is the ball in your stance whe you are set up with the driver?

For a 16 handicapper your swing is pretty damn good. Read the ball flight laws thread in this forum. Once you read and understand that thread, you will probably know more about the swing than your golf coach.

Also dont play so many rounds of golf. Your time is much better spent at the putting and chipping green. From an improvement perspective, 18 holes of golf is an enormous waste of time. You are spending 4 hours to hit the same number of shots you could hit in an hour at the practice area.

If you want to make the best use of the lessons you have left (you pre paid for them, right?) have him help you work on your short game. Learn something about the golf swing yourself so you dont have to completely rely on other people to improve.

+1 to Augie's post. You aren't hitting the ball right as a left hander with an open face unless you are a magician.

If the ball slices, then the club face is OPEN relative to swing path.

His shoulders are open at impact, and that's what the instructor is really concerned about. PGA tour pros do not have their shoulders this far open at impact.

read the ballflight law forum, before i had a solid cut shot but then it just turned into an awful slice (back to old problems) and i dont know why? I think im just trying to kill the ball which is casuing me to go way left.

In the video i think the ball started right because i was aiming there, the ball ended up way left of the target though. from what i understand from the ball flight laws if im "slicing" 1. swingpath is in line, club face is open. 2. clubface is square, but my swing path is out to in. 3. both swing path is out to in and clubface is open. correct if wrong!

BTW Driver ball is inline with my front heel. as i go down in clubs ball gradually makes way to middle of stance. once im at 9iron or less hitting from the back of mystance.

not quite sure if joke because leftys shoot backwards or serious

i will try and get some swings of myself agian today from back angle and side. im going to be by myself there so i will just take about 5 swings per video and post them.

Thanks for all the feedback guys