My Road to Improvement - 7/9/25 new swing video

[bortass]

40 minutes ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

Sounds like a pretty decent round. Always nice to see a round count towards cap and that number go down. I aged out a good round from my last 20 yesterday and my cap went up 2 strokes lol...

 

One thing I try *never* to do on the course is think about my swing mechanics. I swing whatever swing I brought that day and just try to adjust to whatever the ball is doing. If I'm going to work on something, I'll do it on the range...

Yeah, what I normally do if focus on a feel or something and think about it during the swing. I have been doing better thinking about nothing, lol.

[TheDeanAbides]

14 hours ago, bortass said:

Yeah, what I normally do if focus on a feel or something and think about it during the swing. I have been doing better thinking about nothing, lol.

On course swing thoughts should be target focused. Something like “complete my swing”. Technical thoughts on the course are the antithesis of decent golf. Take dead aim!

[bortass]

9 hours ago, TheDeanAbides said:

On course swing thoughts should be target focused. Something like “complete my swing”. Technical thoughts on the course are the antithesis of decent golf. Take dead aim!

Great point. What you and @betarhoalphadelta mention is something I know but haven't been doing. I'm more likely to have good results if I stay out of my own way, lol.

[TheDeanAbides]

It’s okay to rehearse something in the practice swing, but once you’re over it definitely make it post impact focused. 

[bortass]

Saturday's round was a disaster. I'll just let the stats tell the tale. Putting and approaches bit. Conditions were not good though. 43 degrees, constant 10- 15 MPH wind with higher gusts. Cart path only and some holes were just mud because of heavy rains earlier in the week.

 

birdies: 0

pars: 3

bogeys: 3

double bogeys: 7

triple+: 5

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 190 yards

Longest drive: 242 yards

Fairways: 11/14

GIR: 3/18

Avg Approach: 111 yards

Up & down: 0/16

Putts: 39(assuming 2 putts on the two holes I picked up on)

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -20.4 strokes

driving: -3.0

Approach: -10.4

Short game: -2.5

Putting: -4.5

[bortass]

Played 18 Sunday. I played the front 9 twice because I caught people and would have had to wait if I wanted to play all 18. The first tee was open when I finished #9 and I never saw a golfer until I got back to 9 and there were people on #18 and #1.

 

Conditions were better. temps in the 70s and only a few holes were cart path only. Most of the mud was gone but still not perfect. The first 9 were from the whites and my putting was terrible. Shot a 53.... Driver was on though, nice draws so that was a bright spot. I'll do a write up of the second 9 which was from the forward tees.

 

birdies: 0

pars: 0

bogeys:3

double bogeys: 5

triple+: 1

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 229 yards

Longest drive: 241 yards

Fairways: 5/7

GIR: 0/9

Avg Approach: 110 yards

Up & down: 0/9

Putts: 23

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -10.4 strokes

driving: +1.1

Approach: -6.0

Short game: -0.6

Putting: -5.0

[bortass]

Okay, as mentioned previously I played the front 9 twice yesterday. I played from the whites in 82 minutes since I had to wait on some people for the last 4 holes and shot a 53. The first tee was open when I finished 9, so I went back to it and played the front again. This time from the forward, teal tees. It took 62 minutes and I wasn't rushing. I just played to score, like I was trying to do with the first 9 of the day. I didn't have any mechanical swing thoughts during any of my rounds over the weekend. I was just trying to swing the club the best I could.

 

 

1 – par 4, 375 yards, straight, #1 HCP, bunker front right. I use driver and it's a slight pull draw into the left rough, 227 yards. The hole is back right and behind a bunker. It's 160ish to center but I still have an angle at the left side of the green where there's no bunker to deal with. There is a steep slope fronting the green on that side because of the manhole drain that's right in front of the green on the left.

 

I decide to aim left of center with my 5i and contact is thin. It's a low draw that's left of the bunker, so while I can't see what happens, I know I'm not in it. The ball is short of the green at the bottom of the slope, 127 yards. I may have landed just short of the green and the ball rolled back down but I'm not sure exactly. I have a plenty of green to work with and I chip with my SW. It's looks pretty good and it goes 41 yards and stops 3 feet above the hole. My putting was pure crap earlier but I sink the par putt, 4.

 

2 – par 3, 133 yards, #17 HCP, bunkers short left and right, and long left. The hole is in the front and I hit a 9i. I catch it thin and it's a low draw that carries the front bunkers and lands on the green to the right of the hole. The ball then runs up the slope of the green into the back rough, luckily it stops before it reaches the slope that leads down away from the green in the back. It's a 135 yard shot and I'm almost directly above the hole with plenty of green that slopes away from me. I use my putter to chip and rely on the slope to get my ball to the hole. It's tracking pretty nicely and it breaks slightly near the hole and drops in for birdie, 2. It was a 17 yard chip BTW.

 

Funny how fortune can change. I wasn't happy with how I had played the front earlier but it was related to putting and short game. I'm only 2 holes on the second 9 but I'm feeling great....

 

3 – par 5, 452 yards, dogleg right, #9 HCP, couple of fairway bunkers on the left at the corner. I have been hitting a baby draw or slight pull with my driver the last few days, so I aim a touch more right and hit a pull draw, 209 yards, into the left rough. It's still a bit muddy here and I hit my 4w, which I had hit quite solidly when I was on this hole about 75 minutes ago.

 

This time I catch it real thin and it only runs out about 118 yards. It's in the fairway but it's still a muddy section. The hole is back right behind the bunkers. Earlier I was pitching on with my third shot and went at the hole instead of aiming left to just get on the green and avoid the bunkers and it went into the bunker. I feel good with hitting my 9i in and I aim for the left middle of the green to avoid the bunkers. I just want to get on. Contact is real solid and it's a high draw, 126 yards, onto the green. I have a GIR but I'm 56 feet from the hole. I'm putting up a couple small tiers and leave it 10 feet short... Crap. My par putt misses and it's 2 feet long. I missed a couple 2 footers earlier but I sink this one, bogey, 6.

 

4 – par 4, 283 yards, straight, #15 HCP, water left and OoB right. Right side has a slope. There's a fairway bunker on the right. I hit driver and so much for the slight draw/pull. It's a high push w/o much curve down the right side. I see my ball land near the cart path and roll down it, 232 yards total. I take relief from the cart path and I'm inside 50 yards. The hole is middle right and I need to carry a bunker.

 

I pitch with my SW and it's a bad mishit. The ball comes out nice and high as expected but I hit right off the heel, almost on the hosel, and pull it a good 5 yards left of my target line. The ball carries the bunker and lands on the little slope between it's lip and the green. My ball runs on the green, through it, and into a bunker on the left side...

 

This bunker is hard sand. Imagine sand at low tide that has dried out and has the channels from running water in it. I hit my bunker shot and don't make it out and the ball rolls almost all the way back to me since it's nice and firm. I try again and my ball lands in the bunker , almost at the front lip, and rolls behind where the first sand shot was... I get out with my third and it lands on the green and stops 6 feet to the left of the hole. I've made a mess of this one and it's looking like a blow up. I hit the put and it somehow drops for a double bogey, 6.

 

I just dodged a bullet...

 

5- par 5, 439 yards, dogleg right, #5 HCP, hazard down the left side. There's a slope on the right side which makes the fairway narrow in the landing spot. A stream runs down the right side from the corner to near the green. I tee off with my 5i from the forward tees. I hit a nice looking high draw down the right side. It was kind of surprising, 156 yards. I decide to hit 5i again and it's a lower draw, 165 yards, and into the fairway on the left side. It's a forward flag and I decide to hit 9i at the middle of the green. I hit a high push that just drops out of the sky into the back fringe, 109 yards. My ball is a foot from it's pitch mark... I'm going down slope and down a tier and chip with my putter. I hit the ball and watch it roll 16 yards and stop a foot from the hole. I also drained another one, lol. I tap in for par, 5.

 

6 – par 4, 290 yards, slight dogleg left, #7 HCP. Medium width landing area with a bunker on the left. Houses are on the right and there's a sharp slope into the left trees if you end up too far into the left rough. My drive is a low draw down the right side that carries the crest of the hill. It was a 216 yard shot and I'm in the fairway on the right. The flag is on the left and it's about 80 yards or so. I hit a partial AW and it feels good. I'm looking into the sun and can't see my ball. I wait to see if I can pick it up on the way down and sure enough I see it drop on the green near the hole. 83 yard shot and I'm 6 feet from the cup on the left. I hit my putt and it drops for birdie, 3.

 

7 – par 4, 346 yards, slight dogleg right, #11 HCP, elevated tee shot to a wide open fairway that slopes down right to left all the way to about the 100 yard marker. Bunkers on the left marking the corner and a slope on the right. My drive is a very high pull draw and only goes 217 yards and barely into the left rough. The hole is back right and I aim towards the right side with my 8i. I never see the ball but contact felt and sounded good. I do hear a thump of the ball landing. I get to the green and my ball is off in the rough to the right, 120 yard shot. I hit a decent ship with my SW to 7 feet and two putt for bogey.

 

8 – par 3, 140 yards, elevated tee shot, #13 HCP, bunker on the right side of the green. Slope to the right of this hole that is weed whacked. So it's long stuff and wild. Balls can get lost here. The hole is front right and I use my 9i. It's like the 8i on #7. Sounds and felt good but I don't see the ball until I see it drop to the right, near the bunker and into it. The bunker is flooded, so I pull my ball out and drop on the far side of it, where it rolled in. It seems the fairest place and I need to carry the bunker still. I'm above the green and this is not going to be an easy shot. I hit a small pitch with my Sw that lands on the edge of the green and it rolls to the left side. I'm 32 feet past the hole but I wasn't expecting to do much better. I guess I could have tried a flop shot but that's something I almost never practice and need to hit about once a year. I hit the par putt and get it to a foot of the hole. So a bogey, 4.

 

9 – par 4, 300 yards, straight hole, #3 HCP, water on the left as you approach the green. The pond fronts this green. I tee off with my 5i from the front tees on this hole as well. Again, it sounds and feels good but I never see the ball. I eventually find it in the fairway on the right side, 186 yards off the tee... I wish I could have seen what happened since it went 26 yards further than I would have expected. The hole is middle front. It's about 110 for cehnter and I go with 9i. This shot follows the pattern and I never see it until I pick it up dropping onto the back of the green on the right side. Only 111 yards and my ball is within a foot or so of it's pitch mark again. I'm 47 feet from the cup and have to go down a tier. I hit the birdie putt and it's heading at the hole but too fast. I make the 'please hit it' comment and it strikes the flag and stops 5 feet past the hole... I miss the par putt and 3 putt for a bogey, 5.

 

A 40! The difference between the whites and teal tees is 4 strokes as far as full 18 hole course handicaps go. This is one of the lowest 9 hole scores I've shot. I am pretty sure I have a +3 or +4, 39, from about 10 years ago. So it's not the lowest ever but it's at least tied with my second lowest 9 ever. Actually don't recall if I have shot a 40 for 9 before, lol.

 

I was real happy where my round was going from the first hole. What really stood out is what started to happen later in the round though. I have been working a little bit on my takeaway at home based on the feedback from the swing videos I posted the other week. Just trying to get the feels of what it's like when I rotate my chest and keep my hands centered with my chest in the takeaway. I found myself doing it with shorter shots starting Saturday. It crept into my full irons late in this round on Sunday. The odd feeling to me was with the downswing when I did this. It felt faster/more powerful, though I doubt it really was.

 

I think it may have started with my tee shot on #5 but I'm not sure. I know I did it with all of the iron shots on holes 7 – 9. Unfortunately, I never saw the ball flight and only was able to pick up the ball descending on a couple of times. Probably a flash in the pan round since I've flirted with scores near 40 for 9 a handful of times and haven't seen anything stick past those one off 9s. It doesn't matter to me. This round help show me some potential and I'm going to hold onto it because it's these rounds that keep me from just throwing in the towel regarding breaking 85.

 

 

birdies: 2

pars: 2

bogeys: 4

double bogeys: 1

triple+: 0

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 206 yards ( two 5i tee shots)

Longest drive: 232 yards

Fairways: 3/7

GIR: 3/9

Avg Approach: 118 yards

Up & down: 3/6

Putts: 14

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: +1.3 strokes

driving: +0.2

Approach: -1.3

Short game: +2.2

Putting: +0.2

 

[SNIPERBBB]

Your mishit SW pitch, that was your only mishit on that 9? and you had chances a par on pretty much every hole? That's the big first step to better scores.

[bortass]

9 minutes ago, SNIPERBBB said:

Your mishit SW pitch, that was your only mishit on that 9? and you had chances a par on pretty much every hole? That's the big first step to better scores.

It's the only mishit that hurt me. My other mishit was the second shot on #3 with my 4w. I hit it thin and 118 yards. Earlier when I was playing off the white tees, I hit my 4w for my second shot on #3 and hit a nice 193 yard draw.

 

Even on #4, I thought I had a chance at par, if I got out of the bunker and on the green in 1, albeit it was a much smaller chance. Realistically, it's the only hole where I didn't feel great once I missed the green because bunkers are a big crapshoot for me.

[Patnachts]

Great to see man. Channel the thoughts of those great shots moving forward. If you can start to reduce your mishits I firmly believe you would be shooting 42-45 fairly consistently. 

[bortass]

Took some more video today and posted in the swing video thread since @TheDeanAbideswas asking to see it. All I was trying to do was swing the club and forget the camera was there, lol. I did hit some real nice shots after I stopped recording. I am getting a very high ball flight that tails just a touch to the right on it's way down. I don't think the swings in the videos were good enough to have that flight, though the normal speed DTL was the best of the three that I posted.

[bortass]

Saturday's 18 was cancelled due to weather, heavy rains in the early hours. I did get out late that evening and tried to play 9, cart path only and it was soft, with some standing water. I stopped after 8 because it was too dark. I couldn't see any of my shots on 7 or 8 and Arccos stopped working because it uses light to tell the sensors to be active, lol.

 

I shot 41 for 8 from the forward tees. Not great but not bad either. 

 

Negatives:

Short game was off and my sand game sucked yet again. I only ended up in one bunker but I skulled the ball through the green and had to chip with my putter. I also had a hole with two chips.

 

Putting wasn't great either. I had a 3 putt from 12 feet, which included a missed a 3 footer, and a 2 putt from 3 feet on another hole. I couldn't get any mid range putts to drop  but I did have two good lag putts from 35 and 24 feet that both got inside 2 feet.

 

I topped a 4w in the fairway when I felt like I swung too hard from the top. The reality is I probably started down too soon. I had the same exact shot right after, just a dozen yards closer, and swung smoothly and hit a great 210 yard draw off the deck

 

Positives: I never lost a ball! That's always a good sign, lol.

 

The 4w shot I mentioned above was great.

 

My driver was solid, not many fairways but I'm not missing by much. Also there's not much curve on the ball, it's a slight draw or fade. I haven't been seeing the normal push fade miss and I feel good about swinging my driver at the moment.

 

Overall: I feel comfortable over the ball. The 40 last week helps with this obviously but there haven't been a lot of terrible mishits. I also believe that I may have some low scores in the future if I keep playing this way. Sure it'll require things to really click but the pieces are there and I have some confidence for a change. It'll happen if I trust the process.

 

birdies: 0

pars: 2

bogeys: 4

double bogeys: 1

triple+: 1

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 198 yards ( one 5i tee shot in the mix)

Longest drive: 214 yards

Fairways: 3/6

GIR: 3/8

Avg Approach: 104 yards

Up & down: 0/6

Putts: 15

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -4.4 strokes

driving: +0.3

Approach: -2.1

Short game: -1.5

Putting: -1.0

[bortass]

 

Got out for a quick 9 last night. 70s and overcast but not much wind. A great evening to be out. Course is mostly dry and I played the forward tees. I did warm up a bit just because I drove through a number of groups on 1 and 2 when I was heading to the clubhouse. I wanted to give them some time to clear out and I didn't catch anyone until my shot into the green on #5.

 

I have read the course management threads created by @Exactice808 and @ericz. The discussion in those has been helpful with @scooterhd2 and @SNIPERBBB posting things in them that really made me think about things.

 

1 – par 4, 375 yards, straight, #1 HCP, bunker front right. My drive is a mid height pull draw into the left rough, 211 yards. The flag is to the right and behind the bunker. The left side of the green is open, so I'm aiming more towards the left side of the green. Arccos has me 175ish from center but playing like 190. I don't trust the playing like number and long can be very bad. I decide to hit my 7w which will go 175ish. If it really is playing like 190, I'll be short of the green versus having a well struck 4w go long and into a hazard. Contact is pretty solid and it's a mid height draw that lands on the green and rolls into the back rough 185 yards. I chip with my putter, about 22 yards, but my read was off and I leave it 8 feet above the hole. Par putt misses a foot long and I have an opening bogey, 5.

 

This is a bogey hole for me, so this is a solid start to the round.

 

2 – par 3, 133 yards, #17 HCP, bunkers short left and right, and long left. Hole is on the left behind bunkers. It's a 9i to center and I tend to miss right. Because of this I aim a bit left. Contact is good and it's a high draw, lol, left of the flag. I see it carry the front bunker but can't tell what happened after that. It's a 130 yard shot and I'm almost pin high in the left fringe. I chip with my putter, about 6 yards, and I watch as the ball tracks at the hole and drops for birdie, 2!

 

That's much better than normal!

 

3 – par 5, 452 yards, dogleg right, #9 HCP, couple of fairway bunkers on the left at the corner. I aim a bit more right than normal since I seem to be hitting draws with my driver lately. It's a pull hook, 192 yards, and into some deeper rough right next to a fairway bunker. I don't like trying anything fancy. I have the recent threads about course management and trying to avoid big numbers in my head. I take my 7i and hit a low punchy shot with a bit more than a halfswing. Contact is good and it's a very low draw that lands and runs out, 146 yards total. I'm in the fairway and the hole is on the right behind a bunker. The left side of the green is open, so I aim there with my 7i. I hit a low push, over the bunker on the right, onto the green and I see my ball roll into the back fringe, 145 yards. I'm to the right of the hole and the green slopes from back right to front left. It's about 14 yards and I chip with my putter. It's looking pretty good and tracks at the hole as it slows down and drops! Birdie, 4.

 

Okay, now I have to try and keep calm...

 

4 – par 4, 283 yards, straight, #15 HCP, water left and OoB right. Right side has a slope. There's a fairway bunker on the right. I aim a touch right because my driver is going left and hit another pull draw into the left rough, 193 yards. Lie is okay and the hole is near the middle. I have to carry bunkers no matter what. It's 110ish toi where I think the hole is. Long on my line is another bunker and I want to avoid that. It's 97 yards to carry the first bunker and I decide to hit a partial PW. They have been going about 100 yards for me and a 9i is too much. Contact is good and I stayed aggressive because short is bad. It's a low draw that lands on the green and rolls into the back right rough, 124 yards. Oops. The green slopes back right to front left, so I'm putting downslope. I use my putter and the ball rolls 25 yards and stops a foot from the hole. Tap in par, 4.

 

Nerves are slight issue now, not bad but I'm not 100% calm.

 

5- par 5, 439 yards, dogleg right, #5 HCP, hazard down the left side. There's a slope on the right side which makes the fairway narrow in the landing spot. A stream runs down the right side from the corner to near the green. I tee off with the normal 5i that this forward tee calls for. It's a high push, 172 yards, onto the flat area of the right slope... The rough up here is whatever will grow like clover etc. I could try to hit over some trees to set up a third shot at the green with a short iron or punch something left of the trees and try to hit the green in 3 with a longer iron or layup and hit it in 4. I go with the conservative option and hit a draw with my 7i, 129 yards, onto the slope that's on the left side of the fairway near the 150 marker. Ball is below my feet so I'm not going for the green. I hit a little punch with my PW, 107 yards, down the fairway and a bit to the right side. It's 50ish yards to the hole, which is front left, and I chunk my pitch. It's very high but well right and lands in the right fringe near the back of the green. I chip with my putter and hit it way too low. The ball almost rolls off the front of the green and I have a 12 foot putt. I strike it firmly and it drops, saving a bogey, 6.

 

6 – par 4, 290 yards, slight dogleg left, #7 HCP. Medium width landing area with a bunker on the left. Houses are on the right and there's a sharp slope into the left trees if you end up too far into the left rough. The five-some of ladies that I just caught up with let me play through on this hole. I smoke my drive and it's a mid height draw, 241 yards, down the middle. I'm 60 yards from the hole which is back left. I take a bit off my SW and it's an okay shot that lands on the green and stops 12 feet from the hole. I'm putting downslope with left to right break. I hit the putt and it looks pretty good but too hard. I barely miss high and it stops 3 feet past the hole. I sink the par putt, 4.

 

I'm even through 6.... As much as I try to ignore where I am score wise, it's impossible for me to not know.

 

7 – par 4, 346 yards, slight dogleg right, #11 HCP, elevated tee shot to a wide open fairway that slopes down right to left all the way to about the 100 yard marker. Bunkers on the left marking the corner and a slope on the right. I hit a high push fade down the right side and I hear it hit trees..... NOOOOOOOOO, sigh. I hit a provisional and crush it. It's actually the perfect ball flight for this hole, a high fade. My provisional was in the middle of the fairway 53 yards short of center of the green... I don't know the actual distance of the drive because I found my first ball on the edge of the trees, 194 yards off the tee. I have no shot at the green and my goal is to hit my AW to get my ball into the fairway and a bit closer to the green. I get too much air and it clips a branch and drops. I have to hack it out now, which I do, and I get the ball into the fairway at last. I'm still a good 40 yard short of that provisional which is just taunting me. “Look what you could have done if your first swing was better!”

 

I hit a partial PW and it goes 105 yards and I'm off the back and in the fringe. It's a back flag and I chip with my putter, about 8 yards, to 4 feet. Not that good and I two putt for a triple bogey, 7.

 

It was just a bad swing. I didn't feel nervous on the tee or anything, so I don't feel like I choked under pressure. The triple does suck because I was trying to play smart and avoid a big number. I do think I had the right plan but my execution was poor.

 

8 – par 3, 140 yards, elevated tee shot, #13 HCP, bunker on the right side of the green. Slope to the right of this hole that is weed whacked. So it's long stuff and wild. Balls can get lost here. A foursome lets me play through them here. It's a flag towards the middle of the green, closer to the back than front. A 9i works on this hole and I use that. I have been missing to the right every time lately and that's a given lost stroke because it's either in the bunker or your above the green chipping over the bunker or you're in very loing grass on a downslope above the green. I aim more left based on those course management threads and proceed to hit a high push fade into the bunker, 139 yards... I didn't aim enough left I guess. It's hard, wet sand. My club skips into the ball and I launch it well over the green. Blade my chip, 30 yards, and through the green but short of the bunker. Chip with putter to 2 feet and sink the double bogey putt, 5.

 

I haven't talked about it but #8 is causing me some major problems because I always miss right. I need to resolve this.

 

9 – par 4, 300 yards, straight hole, #3 HCP, water on the left as you approach the green. The pond fronts this green. I use the normal 5i that this forward tee calls for and hit a high push fade, 169 yards, into the rough of #1 and near some trees. I could punch a low ball and try to go under the trees to hit the green but 'Homey don't play that'.. I chip the ball 30 yards into the correct fairway. The hole is back left and long is bad. It's 100 or so to center and I hit a partial PW. Contact is good and it lands on the green, 107 yard shot. I'm 27 feet below the hole and going up a tier. I hit the par putt and it's not good. I end up 4 feet from the hole and miss again. 3 putts for a double bogey, 6.

 

A 43.... Not what I expected when I had the triple and two doubles. Being even through 6 is huge for me and not something I expect. It's good to see I can play decent golf even if my swing is holding me back.

 

I really can't fault nerves for the bad tee shot on #7. The provisional was perfect. The triple bogey was just poor execution. I think my plan was correct regarding recovery. Regardless I made a mess of the hole.

 

#8 is a thorn in my side. I was looking at my last 10 rounds and I have missed the green to the right every time. That tells me to aim left and I did and landed in the bunker. I think I aimed left enough to take the miss that's to the right of the bunker and shifted it into the bunker. This is a long and narrow green as well, so it's not the same as with #1 and #5 where aiming left gives me a wide target. It something I need to work on.

 

#9 was putting, again.... This is a hole that I expect to bogey. Everything was fine excpet leaving myself a 4 footer. I don't know what the issue is but 3-4 feet seems to be an area I struggle with. Of course, I may putt fine in that range for my skill level, lol. It just stands out and I know those are not gimmes.

 

This is a positive round overall. I cannot complain about a 43. The forward tees help on #5, 6, and 9 since it shortens the hole a fair bit, as in 60-70 yards each. I like playing these tees in my practice rounds since it can make some holes easier with my distances.

 

I think what's helping me the most is I'm not thinking about my swing on the course. The swing video from 4/1 showed errors in my takeaway and I have been trying to work on it w/o a ball. I'm not spending time on the range trying to drill things. I think this is why I'm in the mindset of just trying to make a good swing and not think about 'make sure to do cast B etc.

 

My net round is probably my normal Saturday 18 and I'll be playing the whites. I have no expectations for how I'll do but I do feel confident overall. I'm not worrying about some part of my game being bad. Things aren't always perfect but I feel competent for a change.

 

 

birdies: 2

pars: 2

bogeys: 2

double bogeys: 2

triple+: 1

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 196 yards(two 5i tee shots)

Longest drive: 241 yards

Fairways: 1/9

GIR: 1/9

Avg Approach: 111 yards

Up & down: 4/8

Putts: 12

 

Strokes gained compared to a 12 HCP. 

Overall: -1.5 strokes

driving: -2.7

Approach: -2.7

Short game: +4.5, lol

Putting: -0.7

 

[SNIPERBBB]

Just something to think about on your chip out on #7... if you got to chip out, use the lowest lofted club you can comfortably chip with to get back out onto the fairway if getting any height can get you in trouble.  Ive been known even to use a putter to whack a ball 70 yards to stay under trees.

[bortass]

I have been taking the averages that Arccos gives me based on my last 10 rounds in it's score card view. The front 9 numbers are skewed since I started to play the forward tees in my practice rounds. The 1/12 numbers would have been all from the whites. The back 9 numbers should be mostly from the whites but there are some rounds where i got in 18 from the forward tees as well. I'm trying to use this data to find hot spots that I need to look at. Below is the trend. The good news is I'm reducing the number of colored cells, lol.

 

Hole	Par	HCP	Green size (DECADE)	01/12/2022 Gross over par	02/23/2022 Gross over par	04/20/2022 Gross over par
1	4	1	Big	1.7	1.4	1.2
2	3	17	Average	1.1	0.7	0.9
3	5	9	Big	1	1.1	1.4
4	4	15	Average	1.6	1.1	0.7
5	5	5	Big	2	1.3	1.8
6	4	7	Big	1.4	1	0.8
7	4	11	Average	1	2	2.4
8	3	13	Small	1.3	1.1	1.1
9	4	3	Big	1.7	2	2
10	4	10	Big	2.8	1.1	1
11	4	12	Small	1.8	0.7	1
12	4	14	Big	1.4	1.1	1.3
13	3	18	Big	1.6	0.6	0.7
14	5	4	Average	2.8	1.1	1.3
15	4	16	Big	2	0.7	0.7
16	3	8	Big	0.8	1	2
17	4	6	Big	1.8	1.7	1.3
18	5	2	Big	1.8	1.4	1.7

[bortass]

2 minutes ago, SNIPERBBB said:

Just something to think about on your chip out on #7... if you got to chip out, use the lowest lofted club you can comfortably chip with to get back out onto the fairway if getting any height can get you in trouble.  Ive been known even to use a putter to whack a ball 70 yards to stay under trees.

Yeah, I was thinking AW to limit distance and it was a bit right and higher than I wanted. A little 5i/7i would have worked too. A good learning experience though.

[SNIPERBBB]

2 minutes ago, bortass said:

Yeah, I was thinking AW to limit distance and it was a bit right and higher than I wanted. A little 5i/7i would have worked too. A good learning experience though.

Limiting distance is a good thing if there is trouble to run into it if runs a bit long. If you need to break out of jail, make sure you break out or your gonna get beat lol.

[betarhoalphadelta]

8 minutes ago, SNIPERBBB said:

Just something to think about on your chip out on #7... if you got to chip out, use the lowest lofted club you can comfortably chip with to get back out onto the fairway if getting any height can get you in trouble.  Ive been known even to use a putter to whack a ball 70 yards to stay under trees.

 

4 minutes ago, bortass said:

Yeah, I was thinking AW to limit distance and it was a bit right and higher than I wanted. A little 5i/7i would have worked too. A good learning experience though.

 

Yeah, one of those shots that I learned as a teen was the low punch. Depending how low, I might even go 5i and it barely leaves the ground, but typically it'll be a 7i. Ball back in the stance, face closed, play for some draw because your path is going to be in-out with that ball position, and the goal is just to advance the ball with not much more than a wormburner. If it never gets more than 15 feet in the air, that's no problem. That's the intent.

 

It's usually naturally limited for distance because it's not a full takeaway--which also makes it a good shot if your stance/backswing are limited by other branches/etc. And it's limited by distance because it's just a little low runner--it'll never go the distance I expect my 5i-7i to travel, although I can often advance the ball a good 100y or so with this shot with little difficulty. 

 

I spent a lot of time hacking out of trees as a teen, so I had LOTS of opportunity to practice!

 

(I would say I haven't changed much since then re: where my tee shots go, but the courses have changed. Most courses I play aren't as wooded in CA as they were growing up in IL.)

[scooterhd2]

@bortass

 

Obviously some wonderful moments in that 43. Celebrate the good more so then lamenting the bad. Those are just learning moments. 

 

Part of really good course management, is understanding expectations. Its unlikely that you are going to stripe the driver all day long and make long putts. Your going to have some testy moments out there. Be prepared and stay in the game. Scrambling and limiting mistakes to bogey or double bogey is hugely important. 

 

The driver on 7 is what it is. Its a bad shot, but not a round ruined. You did good to find your ball, and at 194 out you made a good decision to layup. But just because you decide to play safe doesnt mean you are playing safe. You have to focus and still deliver a quality shot. If you going to still hit the trees, you might as well have just gave the 4 wood a go at the green. So the absolute number 1 rule is do not hit the trees. This layup doesnt have to be an amazing shot, but it has to serve its purpose of advancing the ball and getting the next shot clear. I'd have to see the shot obviously, but it seems like a gentle 6 iron is the better play to keep the ball low. You can still hit a 6 iron 30, 50, 70, 100 yards. The approach shot isnt your best, the chip shot isnt your best, 2 putting from 4 feet isnt ideal. How much are we still thinking about the drive or what could have been if the provisional was your first ball? Thats all nonsense at this point. You are scrambling on this hole and need 100% focus and commitment on every shot to try to escape with bogey or even double. 

 

I'd be curious to see the aerial view of 8. Could need to adjust your start line if you are always right. The scorecard and analysis is going to say your short game failed you there. Bad bunker shot and a bladed chip. Obviously, out of the bunker in 1 and anywhere on the green and its likely bogey at worse. But these holes are going to happen at your skill level. Working on a reliable sand shot is always a good idea, but at this point just not hitting the bunker or getting short sided is goal number 1. If you are 20 yards left of the hole on grass, you probably shoot bogey at worse. Keep it out of the punishing areas.

 

On 9 what is the reasoning for 5 iron off the tee? The water comes into play? Would love a little more length there, especially if the 5 iron is putting you in the junk anyway. As it is, good decision to chip out and sounds well executed. PW was done to plan, and you 3 putted. Again, thats going to happen. Obviously work on 3-6 foot putts as you can save so many shots there in a round. But its going to happen. Bad luck on a hole where you already had to punch out. A good tee shot and approach with a 3 putt is a bogey, but 2 mistakes, and you are going to pay the price.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 21, 2022 by scooterhd2

[bortass]

@scooterhd2 here's #8. The tees are 30-35 feet above the putting surface. The green circle is where the forward tees are normally and the white circle is where those tend to be.

 

Aerial view straight down

 

 

Same view as above with pink drawn to try to show where the slopes are:

 

 

18 rounds of history from Arccos.

 

Edited April 21, 2022 by bortass
Added hole history view

[bortass]

Here's a couple of view of #9. The top one is Arccos with no shots taken from the Sunday round when I stopped after 8 holes due to darkness. The second one is Arccos from yesterday so you can see the shots. Water is definitely more likely if I hit driver since the fairway narrows. Also there are more trees to deal with on the right side the closer to the green you get. The 5i yesterday is roughly where most of my push fades with driver from the white tees will end up BTW.

 

 

Edited April 21, 2022 by bortass

[SNIPERBBB]

How far left are you aiming?  If right is that bad, I would be aiming at the cart path or clubbing down and trying to land on the front of the green or just short of it.

[bortass]

3 minutes ago, SNIPERBBB said:

How far left are you aiming?  If right is that bad, I would be aiming at the cart path or clubbing down and trying to land on the front of the green or just short of it.

Not left enough. I have been aiming more for middle which is in between the second from bottom tree and third from bottom trees behind the green. Left of the cart path trees are a hazard, red stakes. The dark line you see that run near the trees behind the green and curves around to the cart path is a water filled ditch.

[MattC555]

1 hour ago, bortass said:

Yeah, I was thinking AW to limit distance and it was a bit right and higher than I wanted. A little 5i/7i would have worked too. A good learning experience though.

 

I really like using my 2 or 4 hybrid to get out of the trees.  They are very difficult to hit fat and go pretty far with a limited swing.  Nice 9 holes btw!

[betarhoalphadelta]

Yeah, 9 is definitely a hole that tells you where you should be hitting it, and it's laying up in front of the pond. Everything pinches after that. 

 

[bortass]

54 minutes ago, scooterhd2 said:

@bortass

 

Obviously some wonderful moments in that 43. Celebrate the good more so then lamenting the bad. Those are just learning moments. 

 

Part of really good course management, is understanding expectations. Its unlikely that you are going to stripe the driver all day long and make long putts. Your going to have some testy moments out there. Be prepared and stay in the game. Scrambling and limiting mistakes to bogey or double bogey is hugely important. 

 

The driver on 7 is what it is. Its a bad shot, but not a round ruined. You did good to find your ball, and at 194 out you made a good decision to layup. But just because you decide to play safe doesnt mean you are playing safe. You have to focus and still deliver a quality shot. If you going to still hit the trees, you might as well have just gave the 4 wood a go at the green. So the absolute number 1 rule is do not hit the trees. This layup doesnt have to be an amazing shot, but it has to serve its purpose of advancing the ball and getting the next shot clear. I'd have to see the shot obviously, but it seems like a gentle 6 iron is the better play to keep the ball low. You can still hit a 6 iron 30, 50, 70, 100 yards. The approach shot isnt your best, the chip shot isnt your best, 2 putting from 4 feet isnt ideal. How much are we still thinking about the drive or what could have been if the provisional was your first ball? Thats all nonsense at this point. You are scrambling on this hole and need 100% focus and commitment on every shot to try to escape with bogey or even double. 

 

 

  I was thinking some about what could have been. The errors on #7 are things I would do in the normal course of a round. I'll hit a poor recovery shot. I'll have a chip with my putter that doesn't get close. I'll miss a 4 footer. The problem was I did them all on the same hole. My putter chip on #1 was to 8 feet because i misread the break and was real bad. Difference was it was my third shot on a par 4, not my fifth.

 

Overall a great round for me, not gonna lie. I was and still am so excited by it. It also highlights some of what you and @SNIPERBBBtalked about in the other threads to me. I put myself in position to have a good chance at par on 5 holes. I got lucky and sank two chips for birdie.

 

I never felt that my high level thought process was flawed on the other 4 holes. I was trying to look at what I had in front of me and how to limit the overall risk.  #5 had my second and third shots being ones to just get in position to not blow up after a bad tee shot. My second shot was a bit too far and I don't like trying to hit a green from 150 with the ball below my feet since it's all hazard to the right and there's a stream fronting most of that green.

 

It's a work in progress though!

[betarhoalphadelta]

What's your aim point on #9? How often do you end up on the right side? 

 

It looks like your score relative to par on that hole suggests it's a bit of a nemesis hole for you usually, averaging +1.7 strokes from the whites. If you're regularly hitting into those trees down the right, and potentially farther over (I seem to remember you saying you end up in the fairway for #1 a bit--is that #1 on the other side?), I'd wonder how often you're going down the left side of the fairway. 

 

It appears that being left gives you a good angle at the green, with the widest left/right dispersion possible without being wet or sandy. In addition, if you take the DECADE dispersion chart (short right to long left oval), being down the left side, the green more naturally fits that pattern if you're hitting from the left. And I don't know the slope, but it appears being in the rough short left of the pond has a lot of room past that last tree. You have to carry more water, but frankly from the distance to the green you're taking a short iron anyway. 

 

If you more often have a left->right shot shape, from the forward tees you should be able to keep it out of the trees. Tee it up and aim just off that final left side tree. If you hit it straight, you're fine, and you have a lot of room for a fade. From the whites, it would be a lot more difficult because the tee is placed so much farther left. But that's a hole that if I played a fade, I'd tee it up on the right edge of the tee box and try to aim as far left as I could to give as much room for the fade as I could. 

[bortass]

16 minutes ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

What's your aim point on #9? How often do you end up on the right side? 

 

It looks like your score relative to par on that hole suggests it's a bit of a nemesis hole for you usually, averaging +1.7 strokes from the whites. If you're regularly hitting into those trees down the right, and potentially farther over (I seem to remember you saying you end up in the fairway for #1 a bit--is that #1 on the other side?), I'd wonder how often you're going down the left side of the fairway. 

 

It appears that being left gives you a good angle at the green, with the widest left/right dispersion possible without being wet or sandy. In addition, if you take the DECADE dispersion chart (short right to long left oval), being down the left side, the green more naturally fits that pattern if you're hitting from the left. And I don't know the slope, but it appears being in the rough short left of the pond has a lot of room past that last tree. You have to carry more water, but frankly from the distance to the green you're taking a short iron anyway. 

 

If you more often have a left->right shot shape, from the forward tees you should be able to keep it out of the trees. Tee it up and aim just off that final left side tree. If you hit it straight, you're fine, and you have a lot of room for a fade. From the whites, it would be a lot more difficult because the tee is placed so much farther left. But that's a hole that if I played a fade, I'd tee it up on the right edge of the tee box and try to aim as far left as I could to give as much room for the fade as I could. 

 

 

It's really a bit of a mix. My bad misses off the tees are push fades into #1, which is the hole to the bottom of the image. These are the only two holes where you can miss way right and still be in play. Everything else is hazard or OOB both left and right. The entire area around the pond is flat, so the rough on the left fronting the pond is okay unless you get a dodgy lie because it's whatever grows over there. They do mow it but you may not be on grass, lol.

 

I think the story is in the putting though. I do a good job avoiding the water. This green is tiered and it's not uncommon for a ball to barely miss on the upper tier and roll all the way to the front of the green if it reaches the slope even if it's almost come to a dead stop. The tier also makes long putts interesting where you have to putt either partially up the face of the tier or even better from back right to front left, lol.

Hole	Par	HCP	Green size (DECADE)	Gross over par	Putts	Penalties	FW	GIR	Chip/down	Sand/down
9	4	3	Big	2	2.7		67%	11%	0%	0%

 

 

 

Edited April 21, 2022 by bortass

[bortass]

20 minutes ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

What's your aim point on #9? How often do you end up on the right side? 

 

 I forgot to answer this. I'm aiming, or trying to, down the middle.  I'm probably aimed more right from the forward tees though. Fear of the water...

[scooterhd2]

37 minutes ago, bortass said:

Not left enough. I have been aiming more for middle which is in between the second from bottom tree and third from bottom trees behind the green. Left of the cart path trees are a hazard, red stakes. The dark line you see that run near the trees behind the green and curves around to the cart path is a water filled ditch.

 

Seems to me the line is the left tree. That gives you equal distance from the path and bunker to account for either miss. Playing left edge of the green with a fade working toward the pin. A slight fade is a great shot. If you hit a dead straight shot you will still be in a fantastic position, and a slight left miss gives you a chance to get up and down. Left of the green on grass should be no worse than bogey which is a nice score on a par 3. Of course it will still be possible to find the bunker with a bad push or slice, but at that point you deserve it and we can not aim so left that we risk OB. 

 

Really important to setup for your shot here as well. The green and red lines are the same shot shape from different sides of the tee box. If you are hitting fades on this hole, align yourself to the far right of the tee box if you are not already doing so. Just moving 6 feet really opens the hole up. And I might experiment on the range hitting this tee shot with more club. You used 9 iron and seemed to hit the distance perfect. But the elevated tee box is going to give you extra stopping power. Can you choke down on an 8 iron and take a nice 3/4 swing to take 10 yards off it and just focus on contact? You may find it easier to hit a flighted shot that doesnt spin as much and stays online better.