Ok in the spirit of DougE's getting-to-know-you discussion in the other forum, let's talk about what's really interesting--your golf game. The numbers on the game page tell a lot about but obviously there's a lot more to the story so let's attempt to fill in the rest in a free-form sort of way. Naturally I will start.

Vardon grip for most shots including greenside bunkers. Reverse overlap for chipping and putting and some pitch shots.

I'm medium long off the tee and about average with the irons. Tend to hit a fade with the driver and draw with everything else. Two-way miss with the long clubs and full wedge, everything else tends to miss left. Miss thin more than fat, toe more than heel. Medium sized divots generally. When I'm a little off I have trouble hitting a high driver...but I will just tell people "I'm trying to hit it low today".

I actually have fun playing conservative strategy. Whether it means hitting 3w or 5w off the tee when possible, zoning in on a specific target on the safe part of the green, and over the last year or so, learning to love the "more club, less swing" approach shot.

Aggressive around the greens, typically like to make a plain chip with a PW and some roll however no short side is too short, no lie too bare to shoot it straight up in the air with LW. One of my favorite things in golf is the spinning SW pitch shot. Try to hole every putt and most chips, none of this three-foot circle nonsense.

Don't do a whole lot of practice swings and generally pretty quick to hit my shots though sometimes it takes me a little while to zone in on a target line, maybe it's my astigmatism. On the green is where I tend to take the most time (believe others should too). I use a sharpie line to aim and take two practice swipes before hitting it.

I am intense during a round in my own quiet way. I don't really like talking about yours or my golf swing during a round. I won't indulge in anger if anyone else is around. When nobody's around I have occasionally flung a club after a mishit though just for the hell of it.

Confidence is probably the strength of my game and it probably borders on arrogance or delusion. For better or worse I will take on just about any shot, except for high draw with a 3i off the deck. But it also helps me to shake off a bad shot, bad hole or even a bad nine and keep on trucking. Hell I can have a bad 17 holes and still be optimistic about the 18th.

in a word....or two

#total clusterfack.....

guzzlingil wrote:

in a word....or two #total clusterfack.....

Dude, you are a 12 handicap. This is literally, literally, a slap in the face to every golfer who is above a 12 handicap. Literally.

Overlap Vardon grip for everything except putting and certain chips using a toe down 8 iron, which are reverse overlap. Standard length putter

Shot pattern varies although my stock Driver shot is a very slight fade. Irons and other clubs tend to be slight draw. Of course, depending on the phase of the moon, I might draw my Driver and fade everything else. I typically try to decide early in a round whether my game is following the usual pattern or if something is up. When I figure it out early, I typically score well. If I fight it, look out.

My driving distance is average at best, especially compared to players on golf blogs. A well struck drive on a flat hole with little wind and a reasonable bounce/roll will go 230 yards. Over the course of a round my average would be somewhat less but my most consistent club is the Driver. About the only time I won't use it is when there is a cross hazard I could reach. Off the tee my big miss is a high slice. Usually I have that under control. When I don't, keep the kids indoors.

Irons tend to be shorter than most players. At 150 yards I would waver between a 7 and a 6 and my selection would be determined by what was in front and behind the green.

I am more of a "picker" than a gouger and as such tend to hit thins rather than fats although I am very capable of rolling the sod over.

I am competent around the green, including the sand. I generally feel confident over a sand shot. Playing the McKenzie-designed U of M golf course has given me LOTS of practice from the sand.

I tend to try to "die" long putts into the hole.

Other players have told me that I don't spend a lot of time over the ball. I tend to pick a target, make an easy practice swing, set-up and go. I do not use a laser or GPS. If a course has posts at 100, 150 and 200 that works for me.

A number of players have remarked at my tempo - smooth and easy. I suspect my swing speed is on the lower end of the scale. I have never had it measured but I will be fitted sometime this year and should find out then.

As a pessimist, my game strategy tends to be conservative. I consider where the miss is going to be and often play accordingly.

I'm a 17 handicap, though I'm golfing much better than that in my early pre-season rounds. The season officially begins on March 25 here.

My driver is the best part of the game. I hit a pretty consistent slight fade with it. I had been trying to fix that fade for the longest time, but I'm learning to embrace it this year. I can hit a draw when I want to with my driver, but the fade gives me more control. My hybrids and fairway woods have a slight draw. I can't fade them if my life depended on it.

It seems like the longer a club is, the better I hit it. My nemesis is the middle irons, particularly the 5 and 6. My biggest swing flaw is keeping my front shoulder over the ball through contact.

Chipping is a problem for me. It's all about club selection. I seem to always come up short or way too long. I'm confident that if I can get better at selecting the proper club when it comes to chip shots, my handicap would improve immensely. Some people say "just hit it harder", but my beleif is that you can use the same stroke with several different clubs to get several different results. Don't get me wrong, I have several different shots that I can use with several different club, but my shot selection has more to do with my lie than anything else. I pick the shot based on my lie, and I pick the club based on how much roll I need.

I don't mind an occasional three-putt when I have over 50 feet for my first putt. Bogey golf is okay with me. I figure that if I'm consistently getting bogeys, then the pars and birdies will come.

I used to have a temper on the course, but I've worked on that. I want to be the guy that everyone wants to play with, so no matter how badly it's going, I always try to keep my cool. That's who I want to be out there. I don't want my attitude to affect someone else's game.

Streaky would sum up my overall game, what works one week, won't the next. I'm also a gear head, enjoy looking at and reading about the new gear, from clubs, shoes, shirts, whatever. I use a Vardon grip and a reverse overlap for putting. My drives are average length 225-235 and I tend to fade or push em right, though when I least need it, I'll get a draw. My driver probably hurts me more than any part of my game. My irons/FW/ Hybrid are generally staight to a slight fade, average length. I do like to try to work the ball, though my success rate is probably 60-40. The sand is a tough spot for me, everytime I think I have finally got it, I'll go thru a streak of difficulty. My pitching and chipping is generally good though I'm not knocking down pins. Most putts die in the hole. I'm pretty level headed and don't get too worked up when things aren't working. I would describe my swing tempo as slow. And I like to think that I'm a reasonably paced player.

I play well enough to stay consistently in double-digits. I'm happy with the way my game is. My wife thought about getting me some lessons for my birthday, and I told her I'd rather put the money toward playing golf, or building my daughter's swingset.

I generally play a fade. I have found a consistent shot shape, and I play it. I don't "work" the ball. If a shot goes left, I've most likely gotten crossed up in my downswing, or didn't square the face properly at address.

I'm fairly consistent off the tee, and with my irons. My biggest problem has always been judging distances. I use a basic GPS on my phone to gauge what club I think I should be hitting. I found another app that will tell me how far I actually hit, so hopefully, my club selection will start getting better.

My short game is streaky. It comes and goes. Greenside bunker play is pretty good. I don't find many fairway bunkers, so I have no idea how that part of my game is.

My worst shot is the long pitch. Anything from 30-60 yards, and I'm screwed. I just can't hit anything consistently from that range.

I love the flop shot around the greens. There is nothing more satisfying to me than throwing the ball almost straight up over a bunker and having it land softly a couple feet from the hole.

I don't carry a fairway metal. I've thought about getting a 4 wood, but I've got 2 hybrids that get the job done, and like lessons, I'd rather spend the money on playing golf than on buying new/used clubs.

I'm a hobby guy. I tend to find things I enjoy and try to learn as much as I can, and make my own stuff. For a while, I played paintball. I bought a used marker off eBay and then set about upgrading everything I could. Golf has become the same thing. When I was shopping for a new set of irons, I gave very serious consideration to buying the proper tools to build my own clubs. I haven't given up the idea, but I don't have the money or space to setup the proper work area right now. It may come, in time. For now, I'll just get my vice setup so I can do my own re-gripping.

Quote:

guzzlingil wrote: in a word....or two #total clusterfack..... Dude, you are a 12 handicap. This is literally, literally, a slap in the face to every golfer who is above a 12 handicap. Literally.

wasn't meaning to come off as a d'bag.....but I seem to make 2+ mistakes a round that cost me strokes....every round...lost 4 balls this past Sunday....

I'll tell you Beef, you sure can get us thinking.

Two years ago I changed to a baseball grip and got fitted. Worked hard on my game. I know my limitations and would not care to play anything over 6500 yards. On occassion I will go "all the way back". Humbling.

I use driver on every tee shot other than par 3's. I may not hit the fairway but I am confident it will stay in play. Tee low to hit low and depend on roll. Average distance somewhere between 230-250. Relatively straight. Miss is a hook.

Very confident with woods. 7 iron from 150 but may go 8. I tend to shoot for the front part of green.

Very aggressive from 120 in thus producing large divits. I mindlessly go after every pin and try to hole everything from on or around green figuring at worst "bogey", but it has produced quite a few birdies too. Because I am agressive I have on occassion bladed my lob wedge 100 yards over intended target.

I don't worry about what "may go wrong" or make sure you "don't hit it there". Take a glance down the fairway, note certain spots and let it go.

I play with friends or solo. Doesn't matter. Don't mind playing with people I just been paired with. I don't participate in useless chatter but I am polite. How well or how bad they play the game doesn't bother me. Others have said I am one of the quickest players they have evr played with.

Used to get P O'ed over lousy rounds but when you play over 100 rounds a year whats the big deal. Tee it up again tomorrow.

Adding to my previous post because, well, it's fun!

I use a lot of training devices. The Medicus and the Tour Striker have been the two most helpful, but I think that switching to blades was the most beneficial of all. Since I started using the Tour Striker, I don't ever hit my irons thin anymore. I do, however, hit them fat more than I'd like. And through my use with the Medicus, I usually am pretty dang close to the sweet spot on my driver. If I miss, something seriously went wrong.

My most common miss with the driver is a high, arching slice that gets ugly in a hurry into the wind. This is the result of me failing to keep my front shoulder covering the ball through impact. It creates an inside follow through that will always cause a slice.

My most common miss with my irons is the 30 yard chunky duff. I'm usually good for a couple of these a round, and they usually occur on hole number 14 at my home course whre the approach is over water.

I'm probably the least confident golfer on the course even when my game is going really well. If I had a buck for every time I said "now if only I had the balls to go for the pin", I'd probably be able to buy a golf course.

And one thing I've adopted lately is that when I'm swinging a club well, I won't take practice swings. This usually comes into play with my driver. I've had quite a few rounds lately where it has been flawless, and I figure I only have a certain amount of swings available to me before I'll have to fix something. So when I find that groove, I step up to the ball and hit.

Vardon Grip for every shot except putting. Putting is just a regular "classic" putter style grip.


I've been told i'm pretty long off the tee, but i think in my handicap bracket i'm average. Irons i'm a little short i think, but generally very accurate. Shallow divots all the way around unless i'm hitting a certain shot. I tend to chunk only pitches. Full shots are more thin if it's a miss. Misses with the driver are normally fades or slices (clearing too soon). Everything else is missed left if it's missed. Generally it's an alignment problem.

I strategize constantly, but don't take too much time with it. I'm a shot maker by nature. Not a risk taker, but a shot maker. High, low, right and left i can make it happen. My downfall is most certainly my short game - most notably my putting. If that falls into place, i know i can easily be scratch if not better. I'm a "rule of 12" kinda guy and that's how i chip. Works well.

28 seconds to flight tops after picking a club. Stand behind the ball to get the line, 2 practice swings, address and send. I like to have my shot worked out before i get to the ball.

Downfall would have to be my anger. I've got it in check now though. The problem is i know my potential and sometimes rather than taking a fresh look and reworking the swing on the fly to make things happen, i just get angry that i can't do what i normally can and "tin cup" it. No more of that though.

This is good stuff ppl, keep it coming. No rules, no format, just whatever comes to mind.

I have always had a problem keeping my concentration through the round. Seems to be getting worse as I get older. I also never know whether the good Joe or the bad Joe is going to show up on a givin day. Chipping and putting has been my forte for many years and as I get shorter and shorter I must rely on the short game more and more. When I was 65 I was still averaging 250 yards with tee shots. A typical 7 iron was 155 yards. Now its 200 off the tee and 130 with 7 iron. To all of my golfing bretherin. This is what the future holds for many of you.

guzzlingil wrote:

Quote: guzzlingil wrote: in a word....or two #total clusterfack..... Dude, you are a 12 handicap. This is literally, literally, a slap in the face to every golfer who is above a 12 handicap. Literally. wasn't meaning to come off as a d'bag.....but I seem to make 2+ mistakes a round that cost me strokes....every round...lost 4 balls this past Sunday....

I make that many mistakes on every other HOLE.

This reminds me of a guy I was talking with a week or two ago. We started talking golf and I said I love the game but am not very good. He said he isn't very good either. I asked him what he normally shoots. He said his best game is a 77, but he normally shoots above that. I wanted to punch him in the neck.

My game:

One word: inconsistent

I'm capable of making all of the shots I need to make in order to score in the 90s, but I don't often make them when I actually need to. This drives me absolutely up the wall.

Despite being nearly 6'3'' and about 225 pounds, I'm not a big hitter. Lately my drives have been straight and running in the 210-225 yard range. Straight and that distance is just fine with me. Unfortunately, like the rest of my game right now, my drives are inconsistent. I've gone back and forth between a slight fade and a slight draw lately, with extremes occasionally in each direction.

My fairway shots are what have been destroying my scores lately. I do okay with my irons, but my fairway woods have completely left me. I'm not sure how to get them back.

My favorite clubs right now are my seven iron and my 24-degree Perfect Club hybrid. These are the clubs that screw me least often

I have a weak grip that my golf instructor has tried to change, but it helps me get my clubhead around so I'm not planning to change it. Probably a mistake, but I have bigger problems in my game that I need to fix before I fix something that's actually working.

The strongest part of my game is inside 30-50 yards. Lately my chipping has been very good, even for me. I'm pretty proud of that. Unfortunately, when it sometimes takes four strokes to get within 50 yards on a par 4 ... that good chipping and putting only helps so much.

My handicap is a 29. Given that I'm nearing the end of the third year since I started playing, that's an embarrassment to me. My goal is to get it down to a 25 this year, but I have significant doubts I'll be able to do it. We're buying a new house next month, so funds for golf lessons are tight.