3Jack 1.22.11 Round

[Richie3Jack]

Course: Stoneybrook East
Ball: Srixon Z-Star
Stimp: 10

Beautiful day out. Decided to play with my dad. Playing okay right now. Some things in the swing are a little off, but it will do for now.

#1 - Big drive down the middle. Hit a SW with not enough gas. Tough 1st putt that I left to 5-feet and made the par (E)

#2 - Good driver down the middle. Tried to hit a high 9-iron, but the wind took it and it fell short. Good chip to 3-feet and made par (E)

#3 - Hit a 5-iron well, but missed left. Probably should have hit a 6-iron. Chip went long, but I made a nice 10-footer coming back for par (E)

#4 - So-so driver down the middle. Killed a 3-wood, but found a bunker 85 yards away. Hit a decent shot out of the bunker onto the green. First putt almost went in, but wound up 8-feet bye (40 foot putt, 3% slope downhill on 10 stimp). Pulled the putt and 3-putted for bogey (+1)

#5 - Good hybrid down the midde. Hit an 8-iron onto the green. 2-putted for par (+1)

#6 - I hate this tee because it's badly uneven and I hit one fat and short of the green. Decent pitch to 8-feet. Hung the putt on the lip and made bogey (+2)

#7 - toe -hook into the wood. Punched out. PW onto the green, 2-putted for bogey (+3)

#8 - Good driver down the middle. Played a 3-wood left and drawed it a little bit and into the deep rough. I should probably hit a hybrid or 3-iron there, but instead I wanted to be aggressive for now. Anyway, pitched on and 2-putted for par (+3)

#9 - Good driver down the middle. LW onto the green. 2-putted for par (+3)

#10 - Driver pushed into the water. Dropped. 7-iron onto the green and 2-putted for bogey (+4)

#11 - Good driver down the middle. Skanky 3-wood over into the hazard. Still had a shot and hit it on the green. Was on the bottom tier and aimed at 0 and almost made the putt and came away with a par (+4)

#12 - thin 7-iron into the bunker. I was buried into the bunker with a 4-foot lip. And hit it over the green. Hit a so-so chip to 10 feet and made the bogey save (+5)

#13 - Good driver down the middle. Hit an 8-iron onto the green, just missed the putt and made par (+5)

#14 - Hit a good driver down the right side. Cruel here because I flushed a hybrid at the flag. One of the play partners hit a low hook. My ball took a terrible bounce left. His took a great kick to 5-feet. I almost made an eagle, he makes the eagle. (+4)

#15 - Ugly 8-iron that missed short of the green. Rule of 12 chip (9-iron) to 3-feet and made par (+4)

#16 - Good driver down the middle. Cut a 4-iron right of the bunker. Good pitch and a save for par (+4)

#17 - hit a 3-wood to try it out and crushed. Probably close to 275 yards. But, I hit it too far and was in the woods. Hit a shot onto the green and drained a 35 footer for birdie...double breaker that I played right at 0. (+3)

#18 - I had been hitting fades all day and then I play for it and draw it into the fairway bunker and have no shot and knock it out on the fairway. Hit a nice 9-iron onto the green and 2-putted for bogey (+4)

THOUGHTS: Not a particularly good day out there as I was a bit distracted as my dad wanted help with his swing and the play was slow and then the 2-some we played with quit after 9-holes and then we had to join another 2-some. Arghhhh.

Hit the longer clubs well, had some struggles with the irons. Want to work on some things this week during the PGA Show.

We'll see.

39-37=76 (+4)
10/14 fwy
9/18 GIR
30 putts
6 impeded shots






3JACK

[mchepp]

Just a casual observation but it seems you have had a number of rounds recently with a high amount of impeded shots. Is out something you have noticed as well?

[Richie3Jack]

Yes. Working out the kinks a bit with the driver. I also have been a bit more aggressive because I'm trying to get swings in with the driver and the 3-wood. In tournament play I would probably be a bit more conservative. Like #17, I killed a 3-wood and thought there was a chance it could go too far. But, I wasn't shooting the course record or playing in a tournament or for money, so I gave it a rip for 3-wood off the tee practce. Still made birdie anyway.

That being said, next week I think I'll have another lesson with George. After that, I'll try to play a little more 'logically' and shoot for score. I think it's nice and all to try and work on some things, but if you get into the habit of throwing caution to the wind, come game time that can be a detriment. I think it's a big detriment mentally because you can start to develop the attitude of thinking about giving free rips and not thinking about putting the odds in your favor instead. Also, with good scoring there's a bit of a grind in that as well, even if you go low.

I think it's part of why Moe Norman was so remarkable. He could 'go for broke' and shoot a lot of tremendous scores doing so. I think for every great score I can shoot 'going for broke', I'll have 9 bad scores.

But, very good observation there. People usually neglect just how important 'impeded shots' truly are.









3JACK

[mchepp]

Golf Digest a few years ago came up with this scoring system for seeing how much your driver was hurting your score. It was like 0 points for being in the fairway or in the rough with no tree in your way, 1 point for a fairway bunker or being behind a tree that you could reasonably hit the ball on the green, 2 points for being behind a tree with a difficult shot but not impossible, 3 points for being behind a tree with only a punch out available, and 4 points for OB or water. Something like this. Then you would add it up and then divide by 2. It was the only truly decent thing I ever found in there and it was a decent approximation to your impeded shot category. Your's is a bit more refined with the par 3 strategy but tracking your driving always was a way to track my scores.

[bentshaft]

How are you liking the Z-Star?
Is that your go-to ball now?

[Richie3Jack]

Yes, I pretty much like the Z-star the best. The new Callaways are glorified rocks. I probably like the Pro V1x the second best.





3JACK