A new low...or is that high?

Well my GST handicap now matches my Frome GC handicap of 25. This is to be expected I suppose as that is now where I play most of my Golf. In just over a year I have gone from 20.2 to 24.5 on this website. Can anyone else beat this decline?

The reason? Golf lessons leading to a new swing…and a very tight unforgiving course. I have had 5 lessons this year, one a month throughout the golfing calendar in the attempt to arrest the slide from last summer. My goal was to get down below 20 having come so close last year. Although I am hitting the ball more cleanly than I ever have, my consistent slice from last year (which I could compensate for to some extent) has turned into spraying it about both ways. My game off the tee has really given me problems and caused me most grief.

However, ever the optimist, there is still time to arrest the slide before winter sets in. I had the 5th of those lessons tonight and hopefully with practice this can be the final push to lower my handicap before the nights close in.

Have any of you out there got tales of woe or joy you would like to share.

The end of the golfing season approaches, unless we get a late summer to make up for the previous three months. Have you met your golfing goals for the year or are you as frustrated with the game as I am! I seem to remember a lot of posts going up in the spring time announcing where people would like to be with there game by summers end. Has anyone succeeded?

My revised goal is to get back to 23, by the end of October (Probably at least 10 rounds between now and then thanks to another golfing break in Devon). If only I can keep it straight off the tee!

Cheers Wayne, much appreciated encouragement.

I do feel there is a good round in me soon...I do play through the winter too (makes the summer golf feel even better) and will probably play a blinder sometime during January in a blizzard!

I too have had a frustrating decline or rather a lack of improvement through the summer.  I played through the winter for the first time last year and since joining the VGS have played more than ever before though this is still only every two weeks or so.  By April I had a sense of things improving and was seeing sub 100 rounds at last and full of enthusiasm set about buying some new irons and looked forward to a glorious summer when I hoped to see by the end of the year some rounds in the low to mid 90's. 

Alas though since then my game seems to have gone completely to pot and I am back to rounds of mid to high 100's.  This is mainly because I tried altering my swing to what I felt I should be doing by watching others and ended up doing neither my old swing or altered swing properly.  Alas I have returned now to what I feel happiest with and hope things will begin to improve again. 

I have yet to have the lessons I promised myself and maybe now the summer holidays period is over I shall have a couple and practice technique through the winter on the range and have the odd underwater game and maybe, just maybe, I shall start to see that improvement next year.

Guys,

If it's any consolation after every lesson I have it takes about 4 weeks to get use to the changes & then another 2-3 weeks to start seeing the results.

Stick by it & you should see some results.

J. 

There is not much wrong with your game, Paul. I think you are an excellent striker of a golf ball.

John

I'm slowly creeping up to the 22 I had when I started on GST.

At least some don't manipulate their handicaps.

We all have to play to the rules Mr Marshall. Im probably playing to 26 handicap.

Not much Joy then, just tales of woe so far...

Paul, 

Shaping it one way or the other with the longer clubs the gives you control, although I have tended to favour the draw.

I do however try to hit my medium and short irons straight.

Watching your game the other week told me that you strike it very well, a slight tendency to come off the drives on occasion, causing a slight push, although you got it together nicely on the back nine and played like your swing deserves. Oh how wish to have that power.

John

I like to see everyone play proper golf shots and I observe very carefully all the players with whom I am playing.

Before your three joined myself and Danny, he hit, I think a three wood, maybe have been a five wood, an enormous distance up one hole he only required a quiet nine iron to the green, but as you know, Danny does not do quiet and proceeded to push it right, over the green onto the next tee. He recovered well from there with a little deft chip to the side of the green where he got down in another two shots.

John

Stop John, you're making me blush.

Danny, did I describe it in perfect detail, or did I miss something.

Threatening to pack the game in is not the answer, you have natural power because of your size and you do not need to force anything. Quietening yourself down will reap the rewards, mark my words.

John

How do I do that,and keep my tempo though?

At the moment your tempo is way too quick for it to be consistent, as, if you remember, you had some awful tee shots as well.

At the moment you hit it flat out and when it is spot on then we see those awesome drives. You would not lose any length by being smoother and your timing would start to become more consistent. The real benefit would be the shots into the green as they would have the necessary control required for good scoring.

With the right direction I feel you have enormous potential.

Have we any more takers for Pedham, yet?

John

Well done, Jason, you are obviously keeping the driver within the course these days.

John

Nice One Jason, well done

Thought i was on for breaking 90 today with 42 on the front nine at Frome, but came back with 53! Still my best score around the course, but gutted to blow a cracking front nine with basically one or two poor holes (15 & 16) on the back nine AGAIN.

HO HUM!

A new PB at Frome today, 93 gross off the whites. Strange round one birdie, no pars but only two triple bogeys. Very unexiting golf but earned me 5th place  (out of 40) and a bit of cash. 4 people on 2 under net, me on one under. So close, usual missed opportunities.

Still hang on to my club handicap of 25.4 for another week.

I managed to play at 2pm yesterday JP. Started off swining very smooth, and went birdie, par, par, on the first 3 holes. Then the putter went well shakey, 3, 4, 3, putts over the next 3 holes. The wheels came off big time. Ended up with 95. Thats with 39 putts, about 5 over my normal putting average. Also 4 penalty shots. Knock another 9 shots off that score, and 86 don't look to bad.

Hi Danny, sorry to hear the game did not go too well. I know the feeling.

I played at South Winchester yesterday and was awful for the front nine but managed 19 points on the back and won £7.

Next week I am playing Cams Hall(Fareham) on Tuesday, my own club Sherfield Oaks on Thursday and Merrist Wood on Friday. I have no doubt I will play crap at all of them.

I have now purchased two wedges that are guaranteed unshankable and, do you know, they really work, so hoping to show rapid scoring imnprovement.

We had better sort a game out before the winter sets in though.

John

Surely Danny will have to push you, not carry you David