Went out for the first time this past weekend

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Got this real cool shot of one of my longest putts on the morning. Probably like a 15 foot putt but the best part is you can see the curve of the ball in the morning dew:

What a great morning it was. Only played 9 but got a couple pars (which is always good for me) and spent most of the morning at like 1 or 2 shots over par.

 

[packerzrule]

Great read.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Great pic!

I got out this past weekend for the first time this season as well.. Had to use some swing lubricant but finished up around 86. Short game was miserable.

 

[gohusk]

Actually starting to get some dry weather in Seattle. Makes a huge difference. Usually you get the ball just a little fat and you're laying a crater for a divot and losing like 30+ yards. Bunkers way different too. Wet conditions I'm basically taking a driver swing force-wise to get it out of the green side bunkers to get through the cement mix. Obviously don't have to do that with the fluffy stuff.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Great pic!

I got out this past weekend for the first time this season as well.. Had to use some swing lubricant but finished up around 86. Short game was miserable.

Sub 90 1st round is very good in my world.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Sub 90 1st round is very good in my world.

First time out is usually better than my midseason form lol.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

First time out is usually better than my midseason form lol.

Oh...no!

A good friend of mine, loves to play golf, but never practices, has a bad swing flaw that he won't get corrected so he's just hit a wall...90 is a very good round, mostly 93-96...but he has a blast, pays his bets at the course or 19th hole, and is always ready for the next time.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Oh...no!

A good friend of mine, loves to play golf, but never practices, has a bad swing flaw that he won't get corrected so he's just hit a wall...90 is a very good round, mostly 93-96...but he has a blast, pays his bets at the course or 19th hole, and is always ready for the next time.

Damn that unquenchable 19th hole! lol... Can never get better than par on that one (par 5 or 6 I think?)

I'm sort of the same way but with minor swing flaws every now & then that aren't consistent. I have only developed an incurable slice once and that was 3 years ago, which hasn't reared its ugly head since. *knocks on wood*. Not sure how I fixed it, probably just disappeared luckily! Majority of the time I play a smooth draw which plays nicely. The duck hook will sometimes happen off the tee with my driver, but I blame that on all my years of playing baseball. My wrists get a little snappy sometimes because of it.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Damn that unquenchable 19th hole! lol... Can never get better than par on that one (par 5 or 6 I think?)

I'm sort of the same way but with minor swing flaws every now & then that aren't consistent. I have only developed an incurable slice once and that was 3 years ago, which hasn't reared its ugly head since. *knocks on wood*. Not sure how I fixed it, probably just disappeared luckily! Majority of the time I play a smooth draw which plays nicely. The duck hook will sometimes happen off the tee with my driver, but I blame that on all my years of playing baseball. My wrists get a little snappy sometimes because of it.

As you probably know by now...I love the game, but I'm not a great player by any stretch...80s golf for the most part with a few 70s sprinkled in thru out the year.

I started the game with a slice like most of us...via lessons...I changed that slice to a draw and I played a draw for 10+ yrs...then...it got ugly...after not playing for about 6-8 months...my lower body was not syncing up with my arm swing and I started hitting duck hooks too.

Took about a month...fresh lessons (actually the last lesson I've had), to fix it...basically a slight grip change and ball position...now I hit a nice fade which I seem to be able to control a lot better.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

As you probably know by now...I love the game, but I'm not a great player by any stretch...80s golf for the most part with a few 70s sprinkled in thru out the year.

I started the game with a slice like most of us...via lessons...I changed that slice to a draw and I played a draw for 10+ yrs...then...it got ugly...after not playing for about 6-8 months...my lower body was not syncing up with my arm swing and I started hitting duck hooks too.

Took about a month...fresh lessons (actually the last lesson I've had), to fix it...basically a slight grip change and ball position...now I hit a nice fade which I seem to be able to control a lot better.

Its amazing how small changes make all the difference. Makes it one of, if not the most frustrating game!

But 80s golf is the same for me. I don't see many 70s so you probably have me there! I only shoot in the high 70s when I play my "home" courses, but thats still pretty rare. Those "home" courses being ones that i've played over 50 times a piece. But I just don't get out as much as I used to. Hopefully some day when I retire I'll be swingin the links more!

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Its amazing how small changes make all the difference. Makes it one of, if not the most frustrating game!

But 80s golf is the same for me. I don't see many 70s so you probably have me there! I only shoot in the high 70s when I play my "home" courses, but thats still pretty rare. Those "home" courses being ones that i've played over 50 times a piece. But I just don't get out as much as I used to. Hopefully some day when I retire I'll be swingin the links more!

If I had it to do all over again, I would learn the game backwards...work from the green back to the tee...it's taken a long time, but the strongest part of my game is scoring 30 yds and in...if I control my tee ball, I'm normally in the mid low 80s...if my short game is also...high 70s. Syncing it all in one round is the hard part.

Out of my normal rotation of 4 tracks...one course I hate the layout...fairly short, tight, with a lot of white stakes waiting for stray shots....but it's close by, almost always in good condition and the price is good...I shot even par for 9 holes and still could not break 80 there.

Starting next month I hope to be out there at least once a week again.

 

[night]

Drive for show, putt for dough.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

If I had it to do all over again, I would learn the game backwards...work from the green back to the tee...it's taken a long time, but the strongest part of my game is scoring 30 yds and in...if I control my tee ball, I'm normally in the mid low 80s...if my short game is also...high 70s. Syncing it all in one round is the hard part.

Out of my normal rotation of 4 tracks...one course I hate the layout...fairly short, tight, with a lot of white stakes waiting for stray shots....but it's close by, almost always in good condition and the price is good...I shot even par for 9 holes and still could not break 80 there.

Starting next month I hope to be out there at least once a week again.

Low 80's...I wish I was that good. I usually shoot like 1-2 over the par on the hole. I get like 1 par on one hole per 9 lol. I started playing right around high school but I played baseball all the way through school, so it's taken me a good 10-15 years to just erase my baseball swing. When I get lazy or tired, it finds it's way back.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Low 80's...I wish I was that good. I usually shoot like 1-2 over the par on the hole. I get like 1 par on one hole per 9 lol. I started playing right around high school but I played baseball all the way through school, so it's taken me a good 10-15 years to just erase my baseball swing. When I get lazy or tired, it finds it's way back.

Low 80s...there was a caveat in there somewhere! lol...but yes, if I drive it in play which I do most of the time...that allows my short game to take over and I'll post 85 or better. If I'm a bit wild with the driver high 80s or worse.

I hear ya...baseball swings typically have the lower body weight shift down pat in golf...but in golf there's not as much lateral movement. If you're making a par every 9 holes, you have some game, but you're probably mishitting it more than you'd like and not getting the ball on or specifically around the green in regulation enough to give yourself more chances to make par.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Low 80s...there was a caveat in there somewhere! lol...but yes, if I drive it in play which I do most of the time...that allows my short game to take over and I'll post 85 or better. If I'm a bit wild with the driver high 80s or worse.

I hear ya...baseball swings typically have the lower body weight shift down pat in golf...but in golf there's not as much lateral movement. If you're making a par every 9 holes, you have some game, but you're probably mishitting it more than you'd like and not getting the ball on or specifically around the green in regulation enough to give yourself more chances to make par.

Honestly, despite my picture above, I struggle with putting a lot. I can never seem to get the speed right. I can usually get it to the green on a par 4 in 3 hits and I can usually put for par. But I never actually get it. I miss the first one, and then get it in on the next two. Leaving me 1-2 over par on the hole.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Honestly, despite my picture above, I struggle with putting a lot. I can never seem to get the speed right. I can usually get it to the green on a par 4 in 3 hits and I can usually put for par. But I never actually get it. I miss the first one, and then get it in on the next two. Leaving me 1-2 over par on the hole.

Averaging 3 putts per green...ouch!

Do you practice putting much? What happens with your 1st putt? What is the average distance to the cup? 30-40'?

I'm not a great player obviously, but I'm a decent putter...what I do...I don't hit balls much now...maybe once a week and warming up before a round...but I chip and putt at least twice a week and sometimes 3.

My benchmark putt is 10 paces (roughly 30')...I've hit 1,000s of them...uphill, downhill, etc. now I'm very comfortable with the speed for a 30' putt on my home course practice green...so when I go play...the 1st thing I do is pace off 10 steps and hit a few putts just to gauge the speed of the greens I will be playing that day. I adjust to slightly faster or slower greens.

Why 30'? Because I started getting an average distance when I hit the green in regulation and 30' was about right.

Also I practice those 3 to 6' putts a lot because that's my average leave for a chip or pitch. Bottomline...for us amateurs, you gotta get those putts down to around 30 total for 18 holes.

 

[Jack_John_Mark]

I got out for my first round of the year on Saturday. Was +1 going into the 17th hole and then went bogey, triple to finish at 77.

Wasn't happy about it. Rolled into a nice hole off the tee on #18. Tried to hit out of it and chunked it into the sand. The rest from there you can about imagine how it went.

 

[NEhomer]

Great pic.

There isn't any evidence that you looked at the putt from behind at all. By the looks of it, you stepped right up and rapped it. The crazy thing about golf is that that could be the reason why you struggle with putting in general or it could be the reason why you made that putt!

 

[gb2]

Got this real cool shot of one of my longest putts on the morning. Probably like a 15 foot putt but the best part is you can see the curve of the ball in the morning dew:

What's amazing about this pic, according to your footprints, you didn't even get behind the ball and line it up.!
You just walked up to the putt from the right side in the pic, and rolled it in.!!..

Good job sir..!!!...............

 

[packerzrule]