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Hit a plateau ????????

mddubya

Hybrid convert
Nov 6, 2007
6,029
2
Ughhhhhh, I'm stuck in the mid 40's for 9 holes, mid to upper 80's for 18. I know, thats not terrible golf, and trust me, I'm glad I'm able to not go out there and embarress myself now-a-days. Well, usually anyway, there is the occasional high 40's thrown in to keep me humble.

But it seems no matter what I do, I can't break through and go under 80. My iron play is the best its ever been. Yeah sure, I'll catch one fat occasionally and only advance it 30 yards or so, and I may blade a chip shot now and then. Even my putting has come around somewhat. But my biggest problem is still off the tee box. I'll start my round off hitting my 2 hybrid off the 1st tee. Either it or my 4 wood off the 2nd. Driver off the par 5 which is wide open. As the round progresses I may hit driver a few times more. I'll be going along fine, playing my power fade, (still CAN'T hit a draw with my driver), then out of nowhere, wham, the fade transforms into a huge slice and I'll send one OB. Or out of the blue I'll block one so far to the right it goes OB.

A friend pointed out today that my swing was pretty upright, which I'm sure isn't helping any with the fade/slice. Anyone have any good tips or drills to help flatten out a swing?

I'm in the perfect situation to improve my golf game. All the free time in the world, (still can't find work), and can play for free when I walk my home course. I know a couple of lessons would be the ideal answer, but the lack of work prohibits that right now. So any drills or video suggestions to watch would be greatly appreciated.
 

Augster

Rules Nerd
Supporting Member
Mar 9, 2005
1,473
23
The way I have been playing lately, I have only bad news for you.

In order to break 80, you need to be able to hit driver. Period.

Lately I've been playing so well that if I'm keeping my driver in play, I am right around par or less on that 9 holes. On the front 9 today, I only had 1 punchout, took a bogey, and still shot 3-under. Just kept the driver in play the rest of the time. On the back, I kicked the driver all over the place and shot 4-over 39.

On days that I have both 9's hitting the driver terribly, I'm not breaking 80.

Drive for show putt for dough is the worst saying in golf. I've never putted a ball out of bounds. Or into a hazard. Hit 3 from the tee two or 3 times a round and find out how little your putter matters to actually shoot a good round.

I can only encourage you to get the driver squared away to improve your golf. Try teeing the ball lower. Half, or less than half the ball above the top. This makes it more like a "golf swing" instead of a "driver swing" and you'll find the sweet spot, or just above it, more often.

Without cash for lessons, I'd say search YouTube for free tips and drills. They have to be out there.
 

SilverUberXeno

El Tigre Blanco
Jul 26, 2005
4,620
26
I disagree with Augster that you need driver to break 80.

I agree with Augster that you need to be able to hit it a reasonable distance off the tee in order to give yourself consistently good looks at the green on your second shot (on Par 4). If you can hit your 3w 230+, that's probably enough. But if you can hit your driver 250, think about it. If you are able to hit driver on 12 holes, that's 240 yards you're taking off of the course. Hit 12 8-irons, then hit 12 6-irons. Better grouping with the 8? Probably. Only by a few yards? A few yards is an extra 10 feet on that birdie putt. Ten extra feet on your putt 12 times is a lot of extra work.

Augster's advice on swinging the driver like it's a golf club (heresy!) is spot-on. If you're trying to get a big axis-tilt at address, it's going to be very hard for you to make a good on-plane swing. I feel that getting comfortable with a forward ball position will automatically tilt you as much as is necessary to get your positive angle of attack.

Also, how "occasionally" are you fatting/thinning your chips? Twice per round is WAY too much. If you want to go sub 80, or closer to it, those two shots you're tossing a round are not acceptable. Believe. You can chip, and you can hit a good chip EVERY time. Seriously. Commit, make the stroke, then make the short putt you leave yourself. Every time you wuss out, punch yourself in the balls. See Pavlov for further details.

How many GIR are you hitting ? If your iron game is as good as it's ever been, I'm hoping at least 6/9 or at least 11/18.

And you cannot, CANNOT, hit a ball wayward off the tee. 3-off-the-tee is catastrophic. Again, if you understand your swing, and you can hit 1 great drive, you can hit 18 or 100 great drives in a row. PERFECT drives will be a little more rare, but the only thing funking your swing is you, probably getting greedy and trying to pound it with the wrong muscles.

You're intelligent. The ball doesn't lie. Watch it fly, and listen.
 

wirehair

Life's too short to drink cheap wine.
Apr 29, 2005
2,489
3
Sounds like you're convinced that you can't hit a driver. Without confidence you never will.

Hit driver on every hole you can and work through it. Focus on swinging within yourself and hitting it straight; play "short golf" for a while. You'll likely suffer in the short term but soon you'll have the same locations you have with you're hybrid or 4 wood. When that happens on a regular basis, crank it up a bit, and see what's up.
 

fisher

Well-Known Member
Nov 16, 2008
1,263
0
Just know your misses. Warm up before you play and if your driver is a slice or a push pick targets down the left side. I have a friend who has the ugliest driver swing of anybody I know....a 30 to 40 yard slice. He knows where its going though. Often he is starting his ball out over the trees on the left and it comes back to the right side of the fairway. Its ugly but it works. He shoots mid to low 80s with that ugly, over the top swing.
 

FATC1TY

Taylormade Ho' Magnet
May 29, 2008
2,878
0
I'll agree. Get the driver moving. My tee game is at the top of my list and it's the best it's ever been. I have my driver dialed in perfectly, and I'm just crushing them. I might catch one off the toe and push it a round, but it usually enough that I can recover and get par/bogey for it at best.

I got some newer more forgiving irons, and I'm pounding the hell out of them.

I think irons can be the weakest part of the game and still be okay. If you miss the greens, and have a killer wedge game, you can putt your way to par.

I have a terrible wedge game, I leave pitches and chips really far.. I'll leave bunker shots short on the green. I'll mishit my putter and leave myself 4-5 footers on 20 foot putts for bogey.

But I rarely hit 3 off the tee, into a hazard, or anything silly. With my atrocious short game, I still manage to limp out with a mid 40, low 40 on 9 when I luck out from some ugly inside 60 yard play!

Go look up some Manzella... you tube.
 

SCGolfer

Well-Known Member
Jan 12, 2007
760
0
I don't disagree with what anyone has said at this point. But you can't say that the key to breaking 80 is hitting this many fairways and this many greens and so forth. You just can't get in trouble. It is that simple. You should know your home course pretty well. Hit driver when you need it and leave it in the bag when you don't. Work on your short game and you will never be out of a hole. I shot 77 last friday.......I hit 6 fairways and 8 greens over the 18 holes. Key is I was only in serious trouble on one hole and I made par on it. Drove it in a creek on a par five. Took my drop...laid up and stuck a pw to 3'. I hit my drive way right on 18...pitched back up the fairway...and played my iron shot to 2' and made par. Made good decisions and keep the ball in play. I guess I will disagree with augster a bit in that I don't care if you hit every fairway with a driver if you can't putt you will never break 80. You can't go out and average 34-35 putts a round and expect to break 80 consistently. Dubya work on that short game....you can break 80 without hitting a driver well.

Jason
 

Hackin_Away

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
337
2
The drive for show putt for dough comment was funny. I never really thought about it that way, but you're right. I mean obviously 3 putting from 15 feet is horrible. But when you get yourself right into trouble off every tee or worse, in the water or OB...it really makes the entire game suck. I played my first league round last night, 9 holes, and shot so bad I don't even wanna say the score. Worst round I have had in quite some time. Was one of those days where I hit crappy off the tee and into water/ob, etc...and even when i smoked one off the tee, it'd find the worst place to end up...siigh.

Not sure im the right person to give tips or drills, LOL...so sorry I cant help ya dubb. Whenever ya get one, get to the range and work it out, haha!
 

eclark53520

DB Member Extraordinaire
Supporting Member
Dec 24, 2007
17,521
7,590
South Central Wisconsin
Country
United States United States
.you can break 80 without hitting a driver well.

Jason

I agree.

You can hit every fairway and every green, but three jack just 8 of those holes and you are over 80.

I don't have any suggestions...i haven't even broke 90 yet...so i'll keep my mouth shut and read.
 
OP
mddubya

mddubya

Hybrid convert
Nov 6, 2007
6,029
2
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #11
Thanks for the advice everyone. Until I can get this over active power fade under control I know I need to not hit driver but on a couple of holes. The ones with plenty of bailout room.

I feel I'm right on the cusp of breaking 80, I was just hoping somebody had the majic answer, :)
 

wirehair

Life's too short to drink cheap wine.
Apr 29, 2005
2,489
3
Screw it, grow some cojones & just hit the effing driver. We don't wanna hear about the great lay up on 9, we wanna hear about how you stepped up to the tee and crushed one. The whole tuning fork vibrating in the loin thing is what you're looking for.

BTW, how do you feel about show tunes? Do you prefer Barbara Streisand, of Liza Minelli?
 
OP
mddubya

mddubya

Hybrid convert
Nov 6, 2007
6,029
2
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #13
Screw it, grow some cojones & just hit the effing driver. We don't wanna hear about the great lay up on 9, we wanna hear about how you stepped up to the tee and crushed one. The whole tuning fork vibrating in the loin thing is what you're looking for.

BTW, how do you feel about show tunes? Do you prefer Barbara Streisand, of Liza Minelli?

Don't worry Wirehair, in a practice round, I'll be pulling the big dog out on everything but the par 3's. But for now, you are right, I have NO confidence in my driver. So in a match that counts for something, I'll be playing it somewhat safe. Besides, my Tee 4 wood isn't that much shorter than my driver is anyway.

As for showtunes , I prefer Catherine Zeta Jones in Chicago, ;)
 

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