since coming back from hand injury I struggle with iron play again. Here are 2 vids I took today.
any advice?

I see some "old mistakes", but let's hear from you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhrsUqQPK64

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmhiI7wGnwQ

Whilst I'm by no means a good golfer, looks like in the first video you need to shift more weight over to your left. when I got a lesson, the pga pro guy said like push your right leg through, but at impact you look as if you have half weight on left and half weight on right. Also shift the ball slightly more towards your left foot.

Yeah I think you have to be careful with your weight shift in your backswing. It looks like your weight is getting to the outside of your back foot, if you look at your hips. The first 80% of the swing your hips are fine, twisting back. Then that last 20% you sort of hump the air behind you as sway too far back.

This will create all sorts of timing and power problems later in the swing I think. Think of an olympic sprinter starting a sprint from the back of his heels vs pushing off the front of his foot like normal. He'll waste a few fractions of a second getting his weight to the front before he can get going. Well in golf this sucks, since now your brain has to carefully slow down all your other timings to make room for these few fractions of a second, or keep your weight back so you have to flip the club. So maybe feel like you're more in a "sprint ready" type position at the top.

Hey!

During next weekend I’m playing my first tournament ever- club championships. But it’s not that big, it’s not even a normal golf club, because it’s only driving range championships.
They created golf club even they don’t have a golf course (probably just to make more $$$). I signed up only to have unlimited driving range balls for 300$/year.

But the problem is that tournament is being held on golf course I’ve never played. So I’m thinking about going there and play a round on Thursday.
And my question is: what should I be looking for from strategic point of view? Keep in mind that I’m a beginner, so things like green’s slope etc don’t apply
I guess it’s worth playing there before I play tourney but not sure on what I should pay attention.

All comments will be appreciated!

As a beginner try to always eliminate as much trouble as you can.

For example if you hit driver 250 and 3i 200. There is a lake that starts around 215 yards from the tee box on a 440 yard par 4. Just pull 3i and turn it into a par 5. The odds of you hitting a great drive and hitting a great approach shot (from 190 yards out) is very slim so just stand on the tee box tell yourself "this is a par 5" pull the 3i hit it short of the water, lay up hit wedge onto green and 2 put for your 5.

When you are hitting aproach shots ask your self "where do I want to miss?" If there is a bunker left and water behind the green go for the front right of the green (assuming your bunker play is worse than your chipping). This works best when you are between clubs pick the shorter club when danger behind green and the longer club when there is more danger short of the green.

Eliminating penalties is the best way to lower your score. Even if you wind up turning a long par 4 into a par 5 because you laid up off the tee, it will be better in the long run than trying to hit a shot you know you shouldnt be hitting just because the score card says you are supposed to reach the green in 2.

Playing smart/correct off the tee is going to do a lot to help your scores.

I use to only hit driver off the tee when I was a 19+ handicap.

Now I hit a mix of Dr. 3w and 3h depending on the situation. My handicap is now 15 and to me that is the only major difference in my game.

What type of hand injury did you have? What caused it? I ask because I too suffered from a hand injury early in my golf career (trigger finger and carpal tunnel in my left hand)

just fell on the floor while playing basketball and bent my fingers to the other side.
It's been like 2 months ago and my max grip pressure in my left hand is ~80%

Played today a round on the golf course where we gonna play tournament during weekend.
Course is amazing. It is so much nicer that the one I usually play, so much more difficult.
We gonna play from yellow tees, which is so stupid b’cos they are designed for 8hcp or better. I believe there is no one in the club with that HC. Few fairways are about 200m from yellow tees, I believe I haven’t seen anybody who hits near 220m with driver in that golf club (driving range club)

I shoot 105 with 11!!! on par4…. 4shots to get out of a bunker hahahaha
Bunkers are so big, deep and easy to get into. On my regular course bunkers are some kind of decoration- so hard to hit into them and so easy to get out.
My main plan for Saturday is avoiding bunkers!! Today I found 4 of them, needed 11 shots to get out…
Made only 3PAR, my 5hybrid was hot today: 71%fairways
Bad putting again: 35 putts (greens were much faster than the ones I’m used to)

Aiming to score <100 on Saturday, will be really happy with that.

the nicest hole on the course (bad quality bcos it's an iphone and not the best weather)
I know it doesn't look great on this picture but it's really amazing. It's the end ot the summer so the coulors aren't that great also. But next year in teh summer I'm gonna make better pics with better camera so you can compare. Anyway

#10 par4 385m (yellow tees)

there is a big ditch (valley) across at ~ 220m, fairway is creased (not sure if it's a proper word), 3 bunkers around green

view from the tee:


view from the green:

It’s been a while since I posted here. I went to Barcelona to play a poker tournament.

Anyway, I played 2 golf tournaments since last post.
First was 2day club championships about which I mentioned above.
I didn’t play well, long game was decent, but greens killed me. They were so much faster than the ones I usually play on. On 1st day managed to make 40 putts, on 2nd 45 putts.
Story of the second round: short Par3 (it was also ‘Nearest to the pin’ hole), was 1.85m from the hole… 3 putts of course

Managed to finish 2nd in a Stroke Play netto3/4 HCP
Here are my score cards and photo (I look like ****** there but who cares)




About week later, after a poker trip to Barcelona I played another golf tournament. This time in Czech Republic, I have never played on this course before and also first round after 2week break.
Again wasn’t playing well, long game was bad this time.
And again finished 2nd in Stroke Play netto ¾ hcp




I’m not sure if I gonna break that 90 this season. Currently I feel like my swing has never been that good before, but there is also ‘something’ in every round. And also even if I break 90 on my golf course I will not be that happy, because now that I played on other courses I know that it’s quite easy.
Next try tomorrow. “good” forecast: little of rain, 8 degree, no wind ONE TIME!!

So this is the end of the season for me. Unfortunately I failed to reach my goal, which was breaking 90. I had this hand injury which lasted over one month so it didn’t help of course, but that’s a lame excuse.
To be honest I wasn’t nowhere near to break 90. Best round was 96 (98 in tournament). But I’m quite happy with my play. Last year I played less than 10 rounds, this around 25, still not that much.
My statistics say a lot:


Up&downs @ 8.6% it’s a disaster. I barely make GIR, and very often just missed the green. Inside 10m it’s 1chip and 2putts like 85% of the time. Inside 50m it’s only 60% like that and 2 chip&2putts usually.
When I played in few tournaments many guys said that I have a really nice swing, but my short game still sucks.

Those tournaments were also so frustrating. I was usually in flight with +40y.o people. Their swings were so horrible, I don’t know how are they able to hit in constantly and straight. Their short game wasn’t also that good, but still they make similar results to mine. I think there were just 4 out of ~15 who hit their drivers further that I hit my 5hybrid 24* (that’s was the longest club in my bag this season). So how didn’t I crush them? Don’t really know.

Good thing is that every time I scored >100 I felt like I had played horrible. Breaking 100 is not that hard anymore. But for next season my bar won’t be at 90 for sure

So for the beginning of next season:
-playing driver
- practicing shots <100m

Also next season I will be a member at my golf course. It’s 1200$ one-time (initial) fee and that 600$ per year and I can play as many rounds as I want for free. There is also a discount for a driving range, golf lessons etc. Good deal I guess.
I’m looking to make some long term golf prop bets with my friends (mostly just for more motivation for practicing), but so far they are not very keen on. Any ideas about interesting long term props?

I’ve got lots of plans for winter. Number 1 is: not to damage myself on snowboard. But also physical workout: core strength and balance. The Q is: how long will my enthusiasm last?

See you in this topic next year, I’m so jealous of you, who can play golf all year long

japp imo you need to be member in a club to play 50+ rounds and to get used to the shortgame and mental game stuff. --> Feel good on your homecourse etc etc.
Look away on bad swings by 50 year plus guys! Looking at them and thinking about it makes the brain trying to copy it. Try to just watch their balls (to help finding them), but look away at their swings.
avrg. 4,4 strokes on the PAR 3s really tells me its the shortgame !

gl for next season.

i made a handicapbet during last season. Winner gets for free drinks all night long. I think thats a good motivator and doesnt cost that much money

pay up front and then play for free
so much fail
lol
gl next year

told you that my english sucks

btw 2 worst things in those tournaments:
- "good shot"
- "you doing it wrong. you have to keep your head down"

haha jus watched the birdie vid, u have a pretty sweet swing for someone who cant break 90 imo

3 more months of winter here but I finally grabbed i9 and started to practice full swing.
My workout station is quite simple, I’m open to any suggestions. Currently it’s a thick exercise mat and 2layers of thin carpet.
I also made sponge balls on my own. But the problem is that they are not perfectly round and are very soft. So I cannot trust ball flight.
That’s why I need your feedback and comments about my swing so I know what to work on and don’t learn some bad habits.

Here are swings I took today. Because I’m very inconsistent, I recorded 4 consecutive swings.
Feel free to comment, criticize etc.

There is no much space so it’s hard to record and you can’t see club head at the top of my backswing. I will try to make a better vids next time. Also the light isn’t perfect, but I hope that quality is good enough.
If you’d like a slow motion let me know, I’m gonna try to do it.

FV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTomjzbIDfU

DTL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQrSAFj8guY

(hate my leg motion)

You will always hate your leg motion with a stance that narrow.
Study the great players of golf. Notice the width of their stances.

Also notice that their head position, in regards to how they look at the ball.
You won't see them having to look down their noses as much as you.
Position your head so that you are almost looking straight ahead at the ball.

Lots of good stuff in your swing.
With your work ethic, I expect you'll be exceeding your goals in time.
Best of luck.

thx for your feedback Trout

definitely different feeling with wider stance, need to practice keeping my right knee bend

any suggestion about other things to work on first ? I know there are a lot of them, but which one is the most crucial ?
In slow-mo I see how my backswing/takeaway is not perfectly on the plain- maybe this?

LFC, comparing my own swing to yours, I believe you will be shooting low 90s/80s as soon as you get a few rounds under your belt in the new season and get your short game back. I will leave the suggestions to better players but just want to let you know you are certainly improving!

bump to save the thread

maybe also someone would like to comment my last swing vid

it's -20 celsius degree here, spring and golfing is far far away

wow,niceswings!

i agree on a little wider stance and i'd say stand further from the ball. let your arms hang naturally a bit more. maybe attack the ball a bit moremtoo

nice that you,don't have all kinds of hacker weaknesses like alot of us. you have a very nice swimg

short update:

just come back from 3 weeks of snowboarding. Brought an left elbow injury with me.... FML
I should really consider stop doing other sports.

But how could you not like this:
pics:


Anyway winter is almost gone in Poland. 10 degree outside. Expecting DR opening in a few weeks.
Made already one prop bet- That I'm gonna score 85 this season in a tournament. (yes, I was drunk that time) luckily it's for small stakes.

but looking to take some bigger long term bets for this season, just to keep my motivation going (not that I don't have it).

I've just sent my membership declaration. ~1.5k$ initial fee and ~550$ yearly fee
Hope my elbow will be ready soon, can't wait to hit some balls

First visit to driving range this season. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Lovely weather. Golf course is also open but with winter holes. Fairways don’t look great so won’t be playing any rounds for few weeks.
Practice green is also in a bad shape. So going to spend next week on driving range.

Today was a first time I hit a ball since early November. Felt very rusty, many shanks and slices.
But also hit some really good shots imho, so there is a hope

New season so new goals needed.
- My current goal of breaking 90 is still on. But I hope to break it soon. Goal for the end of the season is breaking 85 (already made a small bet about it )
- HCP =<16
- Currently I’m a member in two golf clubs- one is only a driving range, but with a membership (~$450) I have unlimited DR balls. There is a club championship in August, my goal is to be in top5 in this tourney
- 2nd golf club is a “normal” one with much more better players. Club championship is 23-24.06 – goal is top20 (20th last year was 176).
- Probably I will also play in Summer Cup- 8 tourneys July-August, best 4 scores (STB) counts. Goal is top15 (about 140 STB (4 scores))

I already see my goals are again rather unreachable but it’s all about chasing the dreams, not catching them.

I also made some “all season long” goals. Most of them got come from Rotella’s book, so they are about mindset. Another is for example “aiming at the center of the green” (thank you ship—this) or spending X time on Ultimate Practice Routine (thx dagolfdoc) etc.

As I mentioned before I’m looking forward June. Me and my friend gonna travel across Poland to watch Euro2012 matches and playing golf in each city.

Big expectations for this year, I’m motivated as hell. Don’t know how I’m going to find free time to do my master (also June, but have to do research and write a thesis)

Keep fingers crossed!

Hi LFC,

Whilst I don't pretend to be an expert on golf (HC is 14) I only started breaking 90 consistantly in the last twelve months & HC has dropped from 21 to 14 over past 12 months. Reading your posts is like looking back in time at myself in a way.

I was obbsessed with breaking 90 for the best part of 18 months and it drove my wife nuts as I would spend all my spare time either at the course or reading about how to break 90 through the net and books etc. I would take the occasional lesson, but it was always on the long game.

Once I had short game lessons it took all of 2 weeks to break 90 for I learnt to get up & down.

In summary the biggest keys I felt were

1) was being able to get "up & down" inside of 3 shots from inside 100 metres. This has greaty reduced the number of doubles & triples that I take.

If I have a bogey on a hole then I consider mission is accomplished. You don't need alot of pars to break 90 & these pars will even out the doubles to break 90, but triple bogies will kill you.

2) SHORT GAME lessons with my pro - ie learning how to chip & pitch

3) Not trying every swing tip that I read - just sticking to one practise drill over and over again (feet together drill as advised by my pro). My head was spinning at times as I used to overloaded on swing advice and I tied myself up in knots when trying to hit the ball as I had 52 swing thoughts running through my head when standing over the ball instead of just one.... to quote Bob Rotella - my target is....

4) Though shall not hit over or through trees - one lost shot is better than 4 lost shots

I still spray the odd drive & iron and putt very ordinary, but being able to chip it & pitch it close means that I don't have too many long putts (ie max 2 putts) unless I hit a GIR which doesn't happen very often anyway, this alone reduces the number of putts taken.

The website "Golf Made Smple" has excellent newsletters re score improvement as as opposed to swing improvement and is aimed at the higher handicap player such as ourselves and I found it was great reading which may be of benefit to you.

Best of luck with your mission - like others have said with your determination you will get there in no time.

Cheers Steve

Thx Steve
interesting read.

It's all about short game. Last year my up&down was only at 8.6% and 0% sand saves. That says it all..

They finally cut the greens today at my golf course after the winter so it's high time to spend hours around practice green.
Also can't wait for a first full round this year

best of luck to both of us

Hi LFC,

Yep, short game and keeping the ball in play.

Mind you... you don't need an excellent short game to break 90... a decent one will still get the job done. I used to often take 4+ shots to get down in under 50m, now I take 3 and the occassional two.

I played with 2 handicapper on the weekend and there wasn't a huge difference between a long games and he missed alot more faiwarys than me and also missed alot of greens, but his short game was amazing - anything under 100m and he was up & down in 2. This and his putting was the main differnce in our scores (78 v 92).

Cheers

Steve