All hail the short game...

[bdcrowe]

So I played a (barely) local course today called Nob North in N GA today. The wind was high, so GIRs suffered. Oh how the short game saved me. More and more it seems to me that distance and full swing should be about 33.3% of what most golfers should worry about. 50 yards and in can turn a bad round decent and a good round great. OK, so I'm just repeating common knowlege, but it bears repeating.

 

[Rockford35]

It always bears repeating. Short game way outweighs the long drive.

R35

 

[Slingblade61]

There's no question.

The problem I have is supressing my testosterone and taking a half swing.

I wonder if I can get an estrogen pill in the pro shop?

 

[Rockford35]

Yes.

They come in sleeves of 3 and they have the words "flying lady" written on them.

R35

 

[caddyshackgolf]

Yea that can always use repeating. For me bar none my short game is the biggest part of my game. I really have to work on it this year.

 

[Youngun5]

amen,

with the whole iron dilemma i was going through the short game was what kept me going, now, i think i have everything together, my driver is just sending them out there farther and straighter than ever, my fairway woods are just dead straight, my long irons are smooth, my mid and short irons just won't leave the flag alone, my chipping has always been superb, my putting is top notch now, i rate my putting the strong point of my game, this time last year it was my weakest, goes to show you what hard work can do

 

[bdcrowe]

amen,

with the whole iron dilemma i was going through the short game was what kept me going, now, i think i have everything together, my driver is just sending them out there farther and straighter than ever, my fairway woods are just dead straight, my long irons are smooth, my mid and short irons just won't leave the flag alone, my chipping has always been superb, my putting is top notch now, i rate my putting the strong point of my game, this time last year it was my weakest, goes to show you what hard work can do

TheMaster, please log off of Youngun's ID and log back in as yourself.

 

[IrishGolfer]

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

So the gates were opened on Saturday. First medal round of the year over 18 holes. Conditions were good, albeit a bit cold at 7.30am. I was off on holiday on Thursday and Friday had had sneaked a bit of practic on Friday with the new 3 wood but also some greenwork with the flat stick, so I was feeling good on Saturday first thing. I also spent 45 mins on the beach hitting wedges (Now that's a great way to avoid hitting a shot fat. 1/4 inch behind the ball on hard flat sand and a 100 yard shot goes 30 yards!!!). Great thing is that while the kids were building a sandcastle, I was able to hone the old wedge. Sorta guilt free pratice.

I digress. Saturday's round saw me get off to a hot start, level par for first nine, the hard side with a strong breeze. One bogey compensated by one birdie. So feeling good.

Then on the back, I started off badly. Three putt on 10 for a bogey. I then stupidly drove into a fairway bunker on 11 to drop a second shot. The free fall had started. I three putted the 12th from no distance, missing my par from 2 feet. I also 3 putted 13 for bogey and followed by the same on 14, albeit it for a par. On this par 5 I nailed a 3 wood onto the dance floor to about 40 ft, I hit a decent approach to about 3 feet and horse-shoed my putt. So I'm now 4 over. Need to settle down. I parred the next and hit a massive drive downwind on 16. The pin was in a tight spot, and I left my approach slightly short of the pin, to leave a tricky approach to a crowned part of the green. I hit the putt from 15 ft. a bit soft and it caught the crown and rolled back down to where I originally was. So 2 more putts has me now on 5 over after 16. I'm really not enjoying this now.

I got a good par at 17 into the wind, chipping to 6 inches and then hit the best drive of the day on 18, leaving me a bump and run from 60 yards which I put to about 10 ft. I thought if I holed the putt I am back to 4 over, which for the first round of the year would be good enough. Guess what? I three jacked that sucker!! So after striking the ball so well I am back in 42, 6 over and post a 78 for my start to the season, 35 points.

That gentlemen includes SIX 3 putts on the last 9 holes!! Most of that was careless, for instance at the last I just walked up to a 2 ft putt without marking it and horse-shoed it. But I'm more concerned about the mental break-down and lack of concentration. I don't feel that I yipped anything and I feel that I have a solid stroke and set-up, nothing unorthodox and I wasn't decelerating (my biggest weakness).

BD talks about the short game. Boy, is he right. I had a great chance of posting a decent score. The back nine in Portstewart is the weaker half, so to collapse back in 42 was evil for me and it killed me. I hit 14 GIRs and 10 Fairways, so just imagine how that feels to walk off with a 78.

Ah well, at least that's my campaign this year off and running. I need to start working on my putting routine, especially from inside 10 ft. Anyone any thoughts / suggestions on holing out? Self harm doesn't work, and neither does the putter across the knee. It's not the putter, it's the putter!!

 

[Bravo]

IG - it really hurts to start off hot and then melt down like that...Still you have to feel good about your season opener. You have strong ball striking and this is the hardest part of the game to me...especially when you are rusty.

I had five three putts a week ago and had the same attitude you did - because I hit quite a few GIR. Somehow I got away from the techniques I used with good results for years.

For years I was a steady putter - especially on the short ones. So last week, I went to the practice green and forced myself to go back to the method that I took for granted for so long. Somehow I lost this...

Then I used it again yesterday and putted really well with three birdies. Six one putts overall and only one three putt. My birdie putts were of 8, 10 and 14 feet...so I did hit em fairly close.

Much of this technique has to do with your eyes and your field of vision.

One putts of six feet or less....(or however wide your field of vision is - see below)

Address the ball as you normally do. Look down at the ground/ball/putterhead.

Look for the hole in the left side of your field of vision while not moving your eyes from the overall focus point of ball/putterhead. The ball/putterhead are in the center of your field of vision but you can see the hole over on the left.

Then, you take your stroke and as you do - you are "seeing" the putterhead go straight toward the hole/targetline. Although you "see" the ball in your field of vision - you have the highest awareness of the putterhead moving straight toward the hole. (Obviously the ball is in between).

This helps me in two ways.

1) I don't tend to de-accelerate. The putterhead moves straight toward the hole/targetline. The ball is in the way. The fact that I see the putterhead moving toward the hole helps me accelerate through impact. Dont know how but it works for me.

2) I tend to maintain a better line. I am seeing a perpendicular line move toward the hole...the perpendicular line being the putterface...

I know this sounds weird but you know how weird I am anyways...

It came from a book I read years ago about vision in sports.

 

[IrishGolfer]

IG - it really hurts to start off hot and then melt down like that...Still you have to feel good about your season opener. You have strong ball striking and this is the hardest part of the game to me...especially when you are rusty.

I had five three putts a week ago and had the same attitude you did - because I hit quite a few GIR. Somehow I got away from the techniques I used with good results for years.

For years I was a steady putter - especially on the short ones. So last week, I went to the practice green and forced myself to go back to the method that I took for granted for so long. Somehow I lost this...

Then I used it again yesterday and putted really well with three birdies. Six one putts overall and only one three putt. My birdie putts were of 8, 10 and 14 feet...so I did hit em fairly close.

Much of this technique has to do with your eyes and your field of vision.

One putts of six feet or less....(or however wide your field of vision is - see below)

Address the ball as you normally do. Look down at the ground/ball/putterhead.

Look for the hole in the left side of your field of vision while not moving your eyes from the overall focus point of ball/putterhead. The ball/putterhead are in the center of your field of vision but you can see the hole over on the left.

Then, you take your stroke and as you do - you are "seeing" the putterhead go straight toward the hole/targetline. Although you "see" the ball in your field of vision - you have the highest awareness of the putterhead moving straight toward the hole. (Obviously the ball is in between).

This helps me in two ways.

1) I don't tend to de-accelerate. The putterhead moves straight toward the hole/targetline. The ball is in the way. The fact that I see the putterhead moving toward the hole helps me accelerate through impact. Dont know how but it works for me.

2) I tend to maintain a better line. I am seeing a perpendicular line move toward the hole...the perpendicular line being the putterface...

I know this sounds weird but you know how weird I am anyways...

It came from a book I read years ago about vision in sports.

Thanks Bravo

Ima gonna try me that move. I remember getting a lesson in putting a few years ago from a female Swede golf professional at a corporate golf day just outside Stockholm. She was very tasty so I wasn't really paying attention to the details of it, but the basics were that she looked at the target (hole) and swung the putter. She holed like 8 out of 10 putts from 6 feet and never looked at the ball, just the hole.

Anyway, as I said I was kinda distracted.

 

[The master]

IG pretty good gonig but howw could you see on saturday the fog was super duper thick, also get practicing if you think 78 is good you are in trouble mate!!!

 

[Bravo]

IG:

I would be the same...I would'nt remember a single word she said...

Oh well as I always say...Men think with their dicks - not their heads...

 

[Youngun5]

TheMaster, please log off of Youngun's ID and log back in as yourself.

yes, i would appreciate it

 

[Youngun5]

Thanks Bravo

Ima gonna try me that move. I remember getting a lesson in putting a few years ago from a female Swede golf professional at a corporate golf day just outside Stockholm. She was very tasty so I wasn't really paying attention to the details of it, but the basics were that she looked at the target (hole) and swung the putter. She holed like 8 out of 10 putts from 6 feet and never looked at the ball, just the hole.

Anyway, as I said I was kinda distracted.

annika might have a chance yet