the golf thread

[OSU_Buckguy]

It also sounds like your swing plane might be a tad too step.

in spite of the difficulty of addressing swing problems on a message board, i'd tend to agree with wingate in regards to wade's issue. how tall are you, wadc? i'm guessing you're taller than a 6-footer. in fact, i'd bet that you, wade, don't swing "behind your back" enough, which you think you're doing too much. the swing plane may be the key here. as hogan states in "five lessons," one should imagine a pane of glass that extends from the ball through the armpits to behind the body. a golfer's hands should maintain that plane or fall to just under that imaginary glass pane when the hands are behind the body. one way to achieve this better is to close the left shoulder at address. wade, your shoulders may be pointed out towards 11 o'clock. instead, the shoulders should be pointed to 12 to 1 o'clock at address. this may help you get behind your back and on plane, which should keep you from being steep on the downswing and from swinging over-the-top. sniping the ball on double-crosses should be less of an issue if this is done.

i highly recommend hogan's book that was referenced earlier. it is simple but exhaustive. the chapter on the grip should be required reading for each golfer. the detail that hogan supplies about this small yet vitally important swing competent can transform a game.

 

[Gatorubet]

Great tip. Gonna try it DA

 

[THEWOOD]

any of you BPers play Red Hawk up in Findlay? I played out there with my father in law last weekend. Shot 80, missed some easy short putts and should of shot closer to 75. Its not a bad course, just very slow.

I also played out at Seven Bridges here in the Chicagoland yesterday. It was ok, more of the style of golf course I enjoy, meaning tight not links. Shot an 81, I dont think I could of hit my driver any worse.

I have really gotten back into golf this year. I have played more golf this year than the previous 5.

 

[jlb1705]

Shot an 87 today. Under 90 for the first time ever.

 

[MaxBuck]

Shot an 87 today. Under 90 for the first time ever.

Congratulations! The milestone rounds are always memorable.

 

[DA-Bucks]

Shot an 87 today. Under 90 for the first time ever.

That's a BIG golf milestone!!! Congrats!

 

[wadc45]

in spite of the difficulty of addressing swing problems on a message board, i'd tend to agree with wingate in regards to wade's issue. how tall are you, wadc? i'm guessing you're taller than a 6-footer. in fact, i'd bet that you, wade, don't swing "behind your back" enough, which you think you're doing too much. the swing plane may be the key here. as hogan states in "five lessons," one should imagine a pane of glass that extends from the ball through the armpits to behind the body. a golfer's hands should maintain that plane or fall to just under that imaginary glass pane when the hands are behind the body. one way to achieve this better is to close the left shoulder at address. wade, your shoulders may be pointed out towards 11 o'clock. instead, the shoulders should be pointed to 12 to 1 o'clock at address. this may help you get behind your back and on plane, which should keep you from being steep on the downswing and from swinging over-the-top. sniping the ball on double-crosses should be less of an issue if this is done.

i highly recommend hogan's book that was referenced earlier. it is simple but exhaustive. the chapter on the grip should be required reading for each golfer. the detail that hogan supplies about this small yet vitally important swing competent can transform a game.

I will look into that...especially the stuff about the grip.

We shot -9 at Jaycee's...couldn't make a putt to save our lives. Shot 86 at the home track yesterday...still missing drives left but they were at least playable. I was trying to "swing out to right field" which seemed to flatten out the flight a little. I think I am definitely set up at 11 o'clock as I was so used to playing a cut for years.

I'm about 6-1 and have a very steep swing with my irons...you'd have a hard time finding someone who hits the ball as high as I do which is something I really like about my swing...however I have the ability to hit a knockdown iron when I need to. My swing with my driver is definitely flatter...more in line with the "pane of glass" theory. That is in part because when I address the ball I have typically stood so that the tip of my driver reaches the ball and then right before my swing I extend my hands that extra inch or two to get the club face lineup up with the ball. That extension forces me to rotate a little more with the driver and to swing flatter so as to get more carry and roll. It seems to be it is all of a sudden become a timing issue...I think I am just getting my wrists turned over a tad early.

 

[stowfan]

This is exactly what I am struggling with...my swing provides high approach shots with my irons but it causing me to snap hook drives. I think I just rotate the club around my back too much...

My 15 year old son has exactly the opposite problem. Off the tee he is great, his short game is already above average and I'm sure will improve with practice. His problem is he hits his 6 iron through PW like a beginner.

For the last 73 years a junior golf tournament has been held at Good Park golf course in West Akron. This year over 250 kids participated, and was won by a high school senior to be who is already a Buckeye commit. The young mans name is Grant Weaver, mark it down.

My son played in the tournament for the first time last week. The first day of the tournament, my son went off the back 9 at Good Park. He triple bogeyed 10, double bogey 11 and finished with an 81. If he could hit the green with his second shot as often as he hits the fairway off the tee, we would really have something.

If anyone knows of a teaching pro in the greater Cleveland/Akron area who has really helped their iron play, please let me know. Attached is an almost year old photo of my son. BTW, did I mention, I'm very proud of him?

 

[DA-Bucks]

My 15 year old son has exactly the opposite problem. Off the tee he is great, his short game is already above average and I'm sure will improve with practice. His problem is he hits his 6 iron through PW like a beginner.

For the last 73 years a junior golf tournament has been held at Good Park golf course in West Akron. This year over 250 kids participated, and was won by a high school senior to be who is already a Buckeye commit. The young mans name is Grant Weaver, mark it down.

My son played in the tournament for the first time last week. The first day of the tournament, my son went off the back 9 at Good Park. He triple bogeyed 10, double bogey 11 and finished with an 81. If he could hit the green with his second shot as often as he hits the fairway off the tee, we would really have something.

If anyone knows of a teaching pro in the greater Cleveland/Akron area who has really helped their iron play, please let me know. Attached is an almost year old photo of my son. BTW, did I mention, I'm very proud of him?

I'm not sure who is a good instructor up there, but if you or your son knows of any good Jr. golfers in the area (at tournaments or courses you play) then ask them who coaches them and their opinions of that instructor. If that fails or isn't an option, go to a few of the golf ranges and set up shop just outside the teaching area and hit balls slowly. Listen to how the instructor teaches their lessons. Teaching should be a back and forth experience between the student and instructor and the instructor should be patient, calming, and exacting with the student (especially HS age students). Interview that instructor, ask about his teaching methods and philophies. Get a trial lesson (don't jump into a series right away!) and see how that goes. Leave the range talk about the experience with your son afterwards and see if there is a good connection or interest with that instructor. If that works out call them back on the phone to set up a series of lessons every other week. You can do once a week if he plays a lot and you have the $$$ to afford it, but a series of 10 every other week will stretch out over most the summer and keep things fresh and moving forward.

If an 81 is a good score for your son in a tourney now at 15 (especially given the few bad holes) then I'd look for his average to drop to the mid-high 70s next summer and hopefully by his Junior year he'll be near scratch.

Good luck!

 

[jimotis4heisman]

My 15 year old son has exactly the opposite problem. Off the tee he is great, his short game is already above average and I'm sure will improve with practice. His problem is he hits his 6 iron through PW like a beginner.

For the last 73 years a junior golf tournament has been held at Good Park golf course in West Akron. This year over 250 kids participated, and was won by a high school senior to be who is already a Buckeye commit. The young mans name is Grant Weaver, mark it down.

My son played in the tournament for the first time last week. The first day of the tournament, my son went off the back 9 at Good Park. He triple bogeyed 10, double bogey 11 and finished with an 81. If he could hit the green with his second shot as often as he hits the fairway off the tee, we would really have something.

If anyone knows of a teaching pro in the greater Cleveland/Akron area who has really helped their iron play, please let me know. Attached is an almost year old photo of my son. BTW, did I mention, I'm very proud of him?

umm you seemed to have skipped the most important parts...

did your son have an enjoyable experience?
was his father screaming at him like a ranting lunatic the entire time?

 

[stowfan]

I'll address the second question first, there were NO spectators allowed so
I have an air tight alibi, NO I was not an asshole. He had beyond an enjoyable time, he loved it. He wants to bag his park and rec baseball next year and play in as many Jr. tournaments as possible.

For the next 3 weeks he will be preparing for the high school varsity try outs. Last year as a freshman he was the #1 on the JV. Due to day light concerns the HS golf season starts around August 10th.

I do want to relate a story my son told after the first day of the tournament. The first day, they paired the kids based on projected scores the kids wrote down on their application. My son put down a projected score of 85, and shot an 81.

So his foursome included a very nice young man from Hudson (83) who played with a snotty kid from Bath (84). My son played with a young man from Copley. Not only did the poor kid shoot a 109, he was quite over weight and struggled carrying his clubs in the 92 degree heat.

The kid from Bath thought it would be good sport to make fun of the fat kid. The story related to me was, after about the third insult my kid let him know, if he didn't shut up, he would make him shut up. That wasn't the exact conversation related to me, but this is the work safe forum, you know what I'm saying.

 

[calibuck]

Good job Stow. Tell your son to tell the kid that golf is a gentlemen's game (only sport where you call a penalty on yourself), and if the kid (not your son) doesn't like it, take up bowling......

Hey out there, my group (a 2, and two 6's) have informed me that I'm a 'sweeper' and that's why I'm not as long as they are, and my irons don't bite or pull back. I"m 6'6", and 225 lbs, with 1" over and 5 deg upright (irons). I've read the above, and kinda think that might be my problem(s).

Any thoughts? Carry a 12, so not great, but doing some things right.

Thanks,

Calibuck

 

[jlb1705]

I decided to reward myself with a new club...

OK, a used club. And actually, I went to Golf Galaxy to buy a glove, and left with a club instead. :tongue2: I'm always sure to check out the used rack to see if there are any deals. I've slowly upgraded my starter set on the cheap, but still need to do something about irons, hybrids & fairway woods. This time I had a $20 reward certificate on hand, and was able to pick up a TaylorMade Burner 07 5h. (25*) for just $30. I had tried out some other used hybrids on past trips, but this was the first one that felt good every time I made contact.

I'm eager to take it out to the range and see how it does in open space. This should definitely replace my 3h & 4h from my starter set, and perhaps my 5i too since I don't hit it particularly well. My starter hybrids were particularly horrible - steel shafts and terrible feel on contact. They had nearly no forgiveness, so slightly less than perfect contact was heavily punished. I think I'm consistent enough where I'll see some benefit from clubs that still result in a decent shot from "good enough" contact. If this one works out like I think it will, I'll be looking for a 3h or 4h to go from the same line to accompany it.

 

[fourteenandoh]

For the next 3 weeks he will be preparing for the high school varsity try outs. Last year as a freshman he was the #1 on the JV. Due to day light concerns the HS golf season starts around August 10th.

find an area where you can pace off yardage without getting killed (ie not on a crowded driving range). take a bag of old balls and a towel. tell him to learn a 30 yard shot, a 50 yard shot and a 70 yard shot. once you have those down, fine tune it to 30, 40, 50, 60, 70. then take it a step further and learn to hit high soft shots and low burning shots from each distance. i swear that will drop strokes off your handicap faster than any other technique i know. it doesn't matter how bad you hit your driver, if you can get up and down from 50 yards you aren't going to shoot much higher than 80.

i had a golf course a few blocks from my house growing up. i would ride out to the 13th hole about 40 minutes before dark and do that drill. i couldn't hit the ball for [censored] in high school (i literally averaged 3 GIR per 9 holes my sophomore year), but i could get up and down.

 

[sparcboxbuck]

find an area where you can pace off yardage without getting killed (ie not on a crowded driving range). take a bag of old balls and a towel. tell him to learn a 30 yard shot, a 50 yard shot and a 70 yard shot. once you have those down, fine tune it to 30, 40, 50, 60, 70. then take it a step further and learn to hit high soft shots and low burning shots from each distance. i swear that will drop strokes off your handicap faster than any other technique i know. it doesn't matter how bad you hit your driver, if you can get up and down from 50 yards you aren't going to shoot much higher than 80.

i had a golf course a few blocks from my house growing up. i would ride out to the 13th hole about 40 minutes before dark and do that drill. i couldn't hit the ball for [censored] in high school (i literally averaged 3 GIR per 9 holes my sophomore year), but i could get up and down.

Agree... being deadly from 100-150 in is key to scoring. Having the confidence to lay up in the short stuff knowing that you'll give yourself a chance at bird from 100-150 really makes a difference in how you approach the course.

Best of luck to him!