The destination...the journey?
 

Bucket,
This thread kind of diverted into a discussion about putting and then died after you posted your plan. What were your results? Did you reduce your handicap?

I was very interested in this thread, because my KNOWLEDGE of G.O.L.F. has increased exponentially over the last three years, but has not translated into a great improvement in scoring. I believe that if I can learn to PLAY using your list (instead of PRACTICING my way around the course and telling myself that everyone else is better than me), it will lead to lower scores. My mechanics have a lot of room for improvement, but I play with some guys who have much worse mechanics than I do, but consistently score better. It seems that, when PLAYING (getting the ball in the hole), the mental side is much more important than mechanics. I am interested in your progress.

Holla back!

So far . . . not so good . . . . I have been practicing . . . just not playing any golf at all for the most part. Only 3 rounds in at this point. Handicap is pretty much not moved . . . BUT I have a much better short game. And my swing is getting better. I look for a break out year . . . as soon as I can play.

Keep gettin' better!
 

Thanks, man.
Keep us posted.
I am looking forward to a breakout year, too. I do not want to have a good looking swing; I want to shoot lower scores.

Break-out year??? :laughing9 :laughing9 :laughing9

Ya know, I'm just givin ya a hard time. :laughing9

Get out more!
 

Infrequent rounds is a true handicap. I'm not saying that you gotta play a ton, but fewer rounds tends to inflate the value you place on individual rounds, holes and even shots. I think infrequents rounds is one of the reasons for the pitiful slow play. I think shot inflation is a better way to go...although that can become extreme as well. The best example of this is of course the PGA Tour...the pace car as it were. I know there is a lot of money at stake, but ohmygosh (valley girl tone, if you please!) some of those guys are slower than tree sap in January. There is a cadence to golf...a general time span that is generous enough to allow for individual internal timers. I think carts have done even more than Tour pace of play to disrupt the cadence of the game. I loath carts...but given the rather long walks in between some holes these days!

You gotta get out more, Bucket! Even for nine hole knockabouts. I for one have a personal interest in your progress...given your selfless contributions to our progress...and even just for the endorphins!

This is a very astute observation. When my buddy and I (who is in the same boat as I on rounds played) get to about 15 or 16, we always say "man sux that this will be the last time we play for 2 or 3 weeks." It definitely is in the back of your mind on about every shot . . . this is the last freakin' time I'll get to play this hole for 2 weeks I better hit a gurd'un. And the bad thing about it is . . . I LIVE ON A GOLF COURSE!!!

Plus you get soooooo keyed up to play. I usually stay up really late the night before I play so I don't lay in the bed thinking about playing. Plus I never get to warm up because I got to take care of kids and crap before I go. It's not ideal for sure.

I have changed my perspective on playing now. I used to just think "I gotta get out there and shoot in the 70's. I gotta . . . I gotta . . . I gotta. . . " Now I just am happy to be playing and hitting golf shots. I played 9 last week and walked by myself. Didn't keep score. Didn't even putt. Just hit 3 or 4 shots from different spots. You just gotta love hitting shots.

I'm getting better . . . just not reflected in the scores . . . YET.

Oh . . . I had to pay for my wife and kid to swim with them endorphins . . . they are EXPENSIVE man . . . ain't nuthin' but a cute carp. Unbelievable.

Recreational Golf
 

Hi Bucket. For me, I don't care much for recreational golf. Mostly
I play to help my practice. Want to figure out the nuts and bolts
of the golf swing. Then I will make my move. At 68 Ha! but still have
dreams. Frank McGee, the owner/director of the Moonlight Mimi tour
has an interesting observation. Aspiring Drumman Futures tour players
should play his development tour until they are ready for the LPGA
tour. When the girls shoot par nothing is said. When they shoot over
par then they get a thumbs down. When under par they get praise.
When their game is consistanly par or under then they can try for the
LPGA where they can make a living. One really needs the game before
trying the higher levels. One time Hogan went to the tent and said
that he had to pull out of a tournment because of health reasons.
The director said, "I am sorry that you can not play", then Hogan
said, "thats all right, half the field can play either".

For me, playing is mostly a way to learn how to score better and
get your handicap down. Not the real place to find the geometry
and physics of the swing that Homer Kelley aspired too. I will bet
that Homer would never have developed the Golf Machine if he
had spent most of his time playing golf with his buddies. Haing in
there Bucket, your improving insite into the golf swing is due to
your study, not your trying to get into the 70s or to lower your
handicap.

Not sure what exactly you're getting at, but if you're saying that playing is somehow bad for your game, you are waaaay off base. While true that Homer probably didn't develop TGM through "his time playing golf with his buddies," it has no relevance to Bucket's aspirations. He's not trying to write a book or get further insight into the swing, he's trying to improve his scores.

Better scores
 

Hi Holeout. I guess that Bucket will have to tell us what he is
trying to do. I get the impression, after meeting Bucket, that he
wants to do something really great. Bet he really wants to take
his score low. When Hogan felt that he did not have a
swing to be the best, he came home to find out why. He did
not just stay on the tour playing hoping that the tour would
make him better. I cannot see why Bucket is working so hard
to understand the swing just to play a little better with his
buddies. It would be much easier to find some buddies that shot
a little higher score.

Guess that I opened a "Bucket" of worms with my post.

Donn