Talk about a blowup

[ezra76]

I started the back 9 birdie, par, par, par today. Then a terrible blocked drive into a tree, didn't even reach the white tees. Managed to save a bogey as I hit the new 60* to a foot from 60yds. Then another par and another bogey. So I'm at +1 with a par 3 and a par 5 to go. Severely blocked the tee shot on the 230yd. par 3 and hit the second from under a tree, into the bunker, plugged into the lip. Tripled it. Then hit another big block off the tee on 18, fat 5W out of the rough beyond the treeline and then hit a tree with a 6iron. Made another triple on that hole. Shot 86 for the round with 3 triples.

Oh well, like I say, it's the law of averages. I cannot control it. Same swing that produced the birdie and pars, just the way it goes, won't be breaking 80 until I'm truly good enough to do so... and I ain't good enough yet.

[warbirdlover]

Do you know what is causing the blocks when they happen? I'd work on finding out if not so you can just fix that. Still sounds like you are playing some pretty solid golf for the most part. Blowup holes haunt us all..

[Eracer]

We all know that learning to play golf involves reaching a series of plateaus, overcoming those plateaus, and moving on to the next plateau.

I've learned that I've been thinking myself about seventeen plateaus too high, and that my current plateau is all about recovering from blowup holes. I can start out a round going par-par-bogey-bogey-par, feeling like I'm going to have a good round. Then when the inevitable (and why exactly is it inevitable??) triple-quad-quad sequence happens, I have to calm down, recover, and get back to playing golf. That wasn't even possible a few years ago. After a few bad holes I'd get so bummed that I wouldn't even try hard anymore.

I'm getting better at getting back to making good shots after I've had bad holes. Good players - those who are seventeen plateaus ahead of me - can recover after one or two bad shots. That's my goal.

[ezra76]

Originally Posted by warbirdlover

Do you know what is causing the blocks when they happen? I'd work on finding out if not so you can just fix that. Still sounds like you are playing some pretty solid golf for the most part. Blowup holes haunt us all..

Yeah, I need to figure that out. I'm trying to hit draws sometimes and I don't have my grip correct, leave the face open with in to out path. I hit a couple nice cuts with it today too. I should just try to get back to the fade swing. The shot on 17 was a 5wood. I hit it off the toe bad. I was trying to cut it and just threw it out OTT from the top. I got a bad break as my next shot would have been near perfection if it was literallery about 2 inches longer. I had to go under branches and over a wide bunker. Drove a low trajectory, high spin skipper with the 60 right into the lip.

I just need to work more on my swing. It's the same thing, too far back and inconsistant. Also simply trying to do too much off the tee. I proved it to myself on 16, where I usually hit 3W. I hit a nice simple drive, not trying to kill it from the top, slightly open to the target. Hit it dead straight and a 60* wedge into the 370yd. hole.


Edit- On a good note... an 88 yesterday and the 86 today dropped me into the 11's from a 12.

[gwlee7]

Don't worry Ezra, it happens to everybody as they are trying to get their game to that next "level". For me, it is moving down to under a "5" handicap. The blowing up part is frustrating and I did it today as well. I was standing on 14 tee box at +2 and promptly finsihed out with 2 doubles, a bogey, and 2 pars to shoot 79. I shoot lots of 76s, 77s, and 78s but very few 75s or lower. Sports Psychologists would say something about being out of your comfort zone. I know that I do get kind of "nervous" as I approach a low number. I've got to get over this if I intend on playing the golf I know that I can play. Let's both do it!!

[twofast2s]

i think you're thinking too much. trap draw, high cut fade, etc... why don't you just hit straight shots?

i was about to blow my back nine as well, after that skull shot on 10th hole right next to the cart path, i pretty much lost confidence in my chipping/pitch. i was chipping way too long, getting at least two putts per hole. you were up by 4 strokes going into 17th hole, and blew up a bit. i had similar round, and i also couldn't shake that off.

surprisingly, i only had 33 putts today. not bad. definitely could've done better though.

don't be so down on yourself man. things come and go. everything will click eventually.

Originally Posted by ezra76

Yeah, I need to figure that out. I'm trying to hit draws sometimes and I don't have my grip correct, leave the face open with in to out path. I hit a couple nice cuts with it today too. I should just try to get back to the fade swing. The shot on 17 was a 5wood. I hit it off the toe bad. I was trying to cut it and just threw it out OTT from the top. I got a bad break as my next shot would have been near perfection if it was literallery about 2 inches longer. I had to go under branches and over a wide bunker. Drove a low trajectory, high spin skipper with the 60 right into the lip.

I just need to work more on my swing. It's the same thing, too far back and inconsistant. Also simply trying to do too much off the tee. I proved it to myself on 16, where I usually hit 3W. I hit a nice simple drive, not trying to kill it from the top, slightly open to the target. Hit it dead straight and a 60* wedge into the 370yd. hole.


Edit- On a good note... an 88 yesterday and the 86 today dropped me into the 11's from a 12.

[ezra76]

You mean like my "Woody Austin" tee shot?

BTW - I had 29 putts. 5 1putts on the back.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by twofast2s

i think you're thinking too much. trap draw, high cut fade, etc... why don't you just hit straight shots?

I agree with what you are saying. But there are times when I find myself trying to manufacture a shot that requires a draw or fade. During my last round I had a poor downhill sidehill lie in the rough on the left side of the fairway. The lie screamed "BIG FADE."

So what did I do? Took a 5-iron and tried to violently hook the ball around the trees in front of me.

What was the result? A huge slice about 150 yards up into the woods on the right side.

What should I have done? Hit a wedge into the fairway, taking the right side out of play.

Why did this happen? I tried to manufacture a heroic shot, instead of taking my medicine and giving myself an opportunity to save a stroke (or two.)

[gpo]

Blow-ups happen. On Friday I shot 1 under on the front that was even with missing a 4.5 footer for birdie. Anyway on the back it goes, Bogey, Double, Par(12 footer), Par, Double. Nice stretch and definitely a way to ruin a round. I am pretty sure I lost a little focus and wasn't committing to the iron shots.

You can only play one shot at a time.

[ezra76]

Well I went to the range for 2 1/2 hrs. this evening. I only hit a bucket of balls, lots with irons feet close together. Putted for a good hour and a half. If the swing won't cooperate, I'm just going to try to be the best putter I can possibly be.

[JEFF4i]

Thats usually a pretty good plan Ez.

[twofast2s]

Originally Posted by Eracer

I agree with what you are saying. But there are times when I find myself trying to manufacture a shot that requires a draw or fade. During my last round I had a poor downhill sidehill lie in the rough on the left side of the fairway. The lie screamed "BIG FADE."

So what did I do? Took a 5-iron and tried to violently hook the ball around the trees in front of me.

What was the result? A huge slice about 150 yards up into the woods on the right side.

What should I have done? Hit a wedge into the fairway, taking the right side out of play.

Why did this happen? I tried to manufacture a heroic shot, instead of taking my medicine and giving myself an opportunity to save a stroke (or two.)

i think there are options when choosing a shot. one certain shot is better than the other one. i've been having hard time hitting my ball straight or draw. i'm fading most of my shots and i can't change that during a round. i don't want to change my set up for a draw b/c i'm not comfortable w/ it. so i play fade for that round. however, sometimes trying to draw when i've been hitting fades wouldn't hurt or a bad miss if i went completely right, so i can try it then. these are only for my driver and FW. i can usually control my 3i-pw easier.

[JEFF4i]

Originally Posted by twofast2s

i think you're thinking too much. trap draw, high cut fade, etc... why don't you just hit straight shots?

He's right, y'know.

[ezra76]

I played yesterday at a little 117 slope track that I used to play more often a few years ago. I shot 39 on the front but was erratic off the tee. Then on the front the erratic tee shots started catching up. Combined with hitting 2 balls into the same pond from opposite directions off downhill lies in the rough, I shot 47 on the front.

I've got to be getting the clubface open at the top or something. Driver is either blocked or hooked. I hit it straight a few times but setup draw. On the last hole I finally hit a deep baby cut. The only good thing is I'm definitely longer than I used to be. The finisher is 374 uphill. I used to get a little inside 150 with the high cut. Yesterday I was inside 100. Also noticed it on the 368yd. 9th hole. I used to hit 9 or PW in, hit the 60* wedge in yesterday from 80yds.

[JEFF4i]

Shorten up your swing on the drives, working on tempo, rhythm, and control?

Not sure bud, but you've got the distance to sacrafice a couple.