DROPPING HANDICAP.....FINALLY!!!

[hogannut]

Finally.....after a year of struggles, lessons and recently equipement changes (I know....pics are coming.....I'm to dumb to figure out how to post them, and now my parents have the camera for 2 weeks on holidays) my handicap has dropped 2 weeks in a row. I started off at 3.2 and was at 5 and with my score from Sunday it has gone from 4.8 to 4.5. I doubt I will get it down to 3 this year, but there is still a month left. If I remember correctly there is a cut off to posting on GAO (RCGA...whatever) of October 31st. So another 2-3 games left to post! Man this year went fast!!:eek:

[Louie]

Nice going on your recent success on getting your cap down. Keep us posted to see if you hit 3.

[BowmanvilleJim]

I think the cut off is Oct 15th

[nearace]

great job mine has not moved this year,maybe a little more effort required;)

[hogannut]

I will say I have put a lot of range time in this summer. However yesterday I had my last of the 3 lessons I signed up for this year. My instructor was very happy with my progress. I picked up on most things fairly quickly this year except for my wrists that are still to active. Finally yesterday afternoon I started hitting the little half wedge shots like he wanted me to!! So I have what's left of the season to keep working on it. Also this half shot drill is perfect for hitting balls in the dome because they only fly about 50 yards.

As I said it has been an uphill climb, but right around August things started coming together, and posted a couple of 76's in tournament play. Since then I had a 75 and 78 yesterday, starting off 4 straight bogeys and I only made one bird yesterday. IMO....never go play right after a lesson!!

Anyway, as a self taught player I can say I caused myself more grief and aggrevation than was necessary if I had taken some more lessons along the way. I don't endorse running to your teacher everytime you hit a bad shot, but having a qualified instructor who gives you the correct drills to correct your own swing flaws is so much more productive than hitting ball after ball at the range, "hoping" you'll figure it out.

In fact by doing that you are actually making things worse by engraining poor mechanics into your muscle memory.

BTW.....the cutoff for posting is October 31st.

[nearace]

I will say I have put a lot of range time in this summer. However yesterday I had my last of the 3 lessons I signed up for this year. My instructor was very happy with my progress. I picked up on most things fairly quickly this year except for my wrists that are still to active. Finally yesterday afternoon I started hitting the little half wedge shots like he wanted me to!! So I have what's left of the season to keep working on it. Also this half shot drill is perfect for hitting balls in the dome because they only fly about 50 yards.

As I said it has been an uphill climb, but right around August things started coming together, and posted a couple of 76's in tournament play. Since then I had a 75 and 78 yesterday, starting off 4 straight bogeys and I only made one bird yesterday. IMO....never go play right after a lesson!!

Anyway, as a self taught player I can say I caused myself more grief and aggrevation than was necessary if I had taken some more lessons along the way. I don't endorse running to your teacher everytime you hit a bad shot, but having a qualified instructor who gives you the correct drills to correct your own swing flaws is so much more productive than hitting ball after ball at the range, "hoping" you'll figure it out.

In fact by doing that you are actually making things worse by engraining poor mechanics into your muscle memory.

BTW.....the cutoff for posting is October 31st.the best point stated above was correct your own swing flaws,most teachers want you to swing like them as I have found in the past,my main problem is attention to detail if I get lazy my scores balloon:shhh:

[hogannut]

the best point stated above was correct your own swing flaws,most teachers want you to swing like them as I have found in the past,my main problem is attention to detail if I get lazy my scores balloon:shhh:

This was actually the most impressive aspect of the instructor I am working with. I am a member at the range he works out of (Golden Ridge..FYI) and he assesses each students issues on an individual basis. Now...some mechanical issues can repeat themselves from person to person...obviously, but he just doesn't have one approach, and also speaks to the student for the level they are on. When he is teaching beginners he isn't as technical as he is with me, because they won't understand and therefore won't improve.

A golf teacher has a very difficult job. They have to explain/engrain something very difficult to people who may not have the time or ability to fully grasp it. If you think that PGA players take YEARS to make changes it is almost a miracle if a teacher who sees a student maybe 3 times in a year can make them better. Now, a PGA player already has a good grip and stance and so on, so their changes are more subtle and therefore more time consuming.

Anyway my point is you are 100% correct a good teacher MUST be able to assess a students ability and how much they can help them, and they essentially have to do that within the first 15 minutes of the first lesson or they risk losing the student. Not a very fair way of making a living IMO!:eek:

[Greywolf]

I think the cut off is Oct 15th

FYI, the active season with GAO is April 15 - October 31st.

[swaaain]

Great, your is going down, and mine is going up. Now that I have a kid on the way, it will be over 10 by the end of next season.

Jeff

[owenmxz600]

Great, your is going down, and mine is going up. Now that I have a kid on the way, it will be over 10 by the end of next season.

Jeff

you don't have far to go now do ya?:rofl: :rofl: :shhh: :help:

[hogannut]

Great, your is going down, and mine is going up. Now that I have a kid on the way, it will be over 10 by the end of next season.

Jeff

All this "complaining" that babies interfere with golf!!??:confused: It's quite simple.....the baby can caddy. I mean come on, he/she's been loafing around for 9 months it's time he/she earns their keep. A baby seat and some duct tape allows you to play, although you'll have to take a cart, and the same duct tape can be a baby sitter when you are at the range.

Get your priorities straight....baby or work on your game. The answer is obvious!:D ;)

[avidgolfer]

Great, your is going down, and mine is going up. Now that I have a kid on the way, it will be over 10 by the end of next season.

Jeff

I would say something but... the walls have ears!


One thing I discovered this season was that my handicap/average score would hover in a certain range for weeks (no matter what I do right or wrong) and then suddenly something would click and my handi/score would plummett about 5 strokes. After that, my handi/score would stay in a new range that is 5 strokes lower. Some time later, boom I would score 5 strokes lower and then I am in a lower scoring range.

It was a cycle of disappointment and joy. Disappointment of working on the game and being stuck in the same scoring range... and then the joy and puzzlement of suddenly scoring better.

[leftintherough]

All this "complaining" that babies interfere with golf!!??:confused: It's quite simple.....the baby can caddy. I mean come on, he/she's been loafing around for 9 months it's time he/she earns their keep. A baby seat and some duct tape allows you to play, although you'll have to take a cart, and the same duct tape can be a baby sitter when you are at the range.

Get your priorities straight....baby or work on your game. The answer is obvious!:D ;)

OR, the HN method of getting a caddy. Get compromising pictures of your buddy with another women and threaten to go to his wife. ( or good photo shop technics), as it wasn't me. Anyway, its motivation for me to keep HN ball's clean until my kids are old enough to handle the divorce....

[hogannut]

OR, the HN method of getting a caddy. Get compromising pictures of your buddy with another women and threaten to go to his wife. ( or good photo shop technics), as it wasn't me. Anyway, its motivation for me to keep HN ball's clean until my kids are old enough to handle the divorce....

Ya.....blackmail works too. How about posting some of those comprimisig pics for everyone to enjoy. Please make sure we don't actually see any man in the pictures, as that would be a bad thing.:hush:

[leftintherough]

Ya.....blackmail works too. How about posting some of those comprimisig pics for everyone to enjoy. Please make sure we don't actually see any man in the pictures, as that would be a bad thing.:hush:

Hey ! You promised you wouldn't publish them until the kids are age of majority.

[hogannut]

Hey ! You promised you wouldn't publish them until the kids are age of majority.

Ya....I promise a lot of things!

[leftintherough]

Ya....I promise a lot of things!

And I'll take delivery when we are between the ropes, Homer !

[hogannut]

And I'll take delivery when we are between the ropes, Homer !

You did say ROPES right? Ropes are the only thing I would get between with you!:eek:

[leftintherough]

You did say ROPES right? Ropes are the only thing I would get between with you!:eek:

Ropes as in the Open. Quit watching those brokeback tapes dude!

[nearace]

not that theres anything wrong with that (politically correct):eek:

[leftintherough]

not that theres anything wrong with that (politically correct):eek:

Howie, you're making me nervous !

[nearace]

Howie, you're making me nervous !dont be camping season is over :eek: