Re: beginner needs guidance on playing speed
- From: noone@xxxxxxxx (Hunt)
- Date: 4 Mar 2007 20:04:32 GMT
I'm late in responding to this thread, so I have gathered several of your
comments along the way. With a bit of snippage, I'll add my comments to what
many others have said.
In article <mvLDh.104$Tg7.35@trnddc03>, blumberg.NO.lindholm.SPAM@xxxxxxxxxxx
says...
[SNIP]
1. Having a few more practice swings before each shot, since my swing is
still nowhere near consistent. (Yes, I also put in time on the driving
range.)
Loosen up on the range, before the round. Practice on the range between
rounds. Develop a routine of visualizing the shot that you want to hit, keep
your pace and rhythm and then just commit to hitting that shot. Most "practice
swings," just lead to negative thoughts, as does too much time over the shot.
2. Pacing off pitches of 50-100 yards, since my eye isn't good for judging
the distance.
This will not help, unless you can consistently hit your pitch, chip or flop
exactly a certain distance. Again, gather the approximate distance info (to
the cup, the apron, the landing area, etc.) before hand, and visualize doing
just that. Practice your pitches, chips, flops, etc. on the range. Lean how
much roll you get from each club used. Visualize what you want the ball to do,
and in time and practice, you should learn to trust your swing.
3. Looking at putts from both sides of the green, since I'm not adept at
reading breaks.
Only while others, farther away, are putting - be conscious of them and do not
stand in their line, or move too much, while they are putting. When it's your
turn, you should be ready to go, with little delay.
4. In some cases, simply finding my ball, since I hit more than my share of
errant shots.
Usually a bigger problem for beginners, as they do not watch their ball's
flight carefully, and then are too busy beating themselves up, to see exactly
where it lands. Get in the habit of watching all of your playing partner's
shots, and ask for their assistance in watching yours. Mark the spot where the
ball leaves the fairway - tree, house, cactus. If in doubt (any doubt), hit a
provisional. I use a bright yellow ball for my provisional, so I, and others,
know that I have not found my original ball. Do not hit a provisional with the
same # and mark, as your original shot. Some folk "always" find their original
ball, but it seems that their "provisional" is lost! Hm-m, I always wonder
about that. Always have an extra ball(s) on your person. Do not put yourself
in the position of having to walk back to your cart, or bag, for another. You
have 5 min. to find your ball, before declaring it lost. Now, the rules state
that you are receive "stroke AND distance" as a penalty. Obviously, having to
go back to the spot, that you last hit from, and do it all again, does NOT
speed up play. Hitting a provisional requires little time. Do it, if there is
a doubt. Also, in order of play (especially from the tee), if you hit first,
and need to take a provisional, do it after the others have hit. Then, do it
with minimal fuss.
What doesn't help is that our local course schedules tee times only eight
minutes apart, so it tends to be completely jammed up during peak periods.
Normal for most courses.
[SNIP]
More generally, how can I be confident that I'm playing quickly enough?
Especially with the way our course is laid out, there will always be a big
backup at certain holes, so going by the position of the groups ahead or
behind isn't useful. What are some guidelines for beginners about how much
time is allowed to prepare for shots?
It's about the group ahead. Stay a safe shot behind them. Hope that they do
the same with the group in front of them.
[SNIP]
I'm in my 30s, so I walk. Usually, if my ball is ahead of my partners',
I'll stay behind or off to the side of their shots rather than go
immediately to my ball (assuming I already know where it is). But of course
that means a walking delay after they hit, so I can change that too.
Walking is usually faster for play, than riding in a cart - big exception is
with our desert courses in AZ, where there can be great distances between
green and tee, including some elevation changes, as well. Use this time to do
several things: judge the path, that you want your next shot to take. Decide
what club(s) you are likely to be hitting. Gather distance data as you walk -
sprinkler heads, yardage markers, etc. Depending on where your ball is,
relative to the ball of those, who will be hitting first, you might be able to
safely walk closer to your ball - it all depends. Watch their shots closely,
and monitor their ball's flight, regardless of where you are standing. Be
cognizant of their line, and do not walk/stand near it, when they are hitting.
As far as the lost ball thing goes, there are a few spots on the local
course where the ball can dip behind a series of weirdly sloping hills but
is still in bounds. On one hole in particular, any tee shot that's a bit
left is going to take a bunch of weird rolls out of sight, and there's a
fair amount of brush that can make searching slow. That's the main place I
was thinking of, now that I think about it. Yes, I do use bright yellow
balls and carry extras, but I won't hit a provisional when I'm confident my
original is still in play.
Given that you have now learned a bit about your course, be prepared to play
those provisionals.
[SNIP]
Well, I could always turn around and pay attention when they actually hit,
but I know what you mean.
Yes, pay close attention. Besides keeping you safer, it will help, when you
can tell them where to locate their ball.
I think practice should be done on the range. You
will almost certainly play *better* as well as faster
if you just develop a quick routine and do it on every
shot.
Very good comment.
The problem I'm having is that shots on the course are a lot more varied
than they are on the range, particularly with respect to my stance. Most of
the course (even what passes for the fairways -- heck, even the tee boxes)
is pretty uneven, so I'm constantly trying to make adjustments for the
different relationship between my feet and the ball. I probably should
start taking small boards or pieces of carpet to the range and practice
standing on them in different combinations.
Learn your course well. Draw a mental diagram of each hole. Play the course in
your mind, before you go to sleep. Imagine the shots that you normally hit,
where the ball ends up, and then the next shot. When on the range, play the
course. Hit driver, and watch where the ball flight takes it. Imagine where
you would have ended up on #1. What distance would then have to the green?
What club are you likely to hit from that distance? Hit that club and imagine
where the ball ended up. Say, you think that the combined two shots would have
left you 100 yards from the green, then hit your 100 yd. club. OK, so you
won't be putting on the range, but you can play the greens, on the practice
putting facility later. Make a mental note of how you did on you imaginary
round. Couple of really long putts - do some of those. Couple of putts from
the fringe, do those.
Find the slopes on the practice facility, and hit from them - uphill,
downhill, side-hill. I'm lucky to have a club with a really good practice
facility, slopes, fairway bunkers (with and without lips), side-hills both
ways. Sometimes one has to really look for similar facilities. Practice your
chipping, pitching, lobbing from all sorts of lies at the practice facility.
Hit out of the sand in as many situations, as you can simulate - downhill,
uphill, near the lip, short carry, long carry. Do it on the range, so you have
some clue, when faced with the real situation.
[SNIP]
Enough cannot be said about being ready to play. Get your yardage from any
source that you can. Even if you hike the course after play has completed and
write down yardage from landmarks, just like the pro's caddies do. Gather some
data on how far you hit your clubs on the range. Learn those yardages - know
that they will likely change, as you play more, and play better. When
preparing for your next shot, take extra clubs with you, especially if riding.
Short par-3's might play differently in the wind. Have the choices at hand,
and not back in your bag, or in the cart.
Learn the flow of the course and leave your bag (if walking) in the spot that
you will need it next, so you don't have to walk back for the bag. On my CC
course with is a traditional layout, as opposed to a links course), we usually
leave the bags on the next tee, as we walk to the green with putter, maybe a
chipping club, pitching club and maybe even a lob-wedge, unless we are
definitely on the green and will be putting, with no chance of running one off
and past the apron.
If riding, always park the cart at, or as near, as is possible, to the back of
the green, where you will most likely exit. Place any extra clubs on that same
path, back to the cart, and not at the front of the green, where you'll have
to walk BACK to get them.
Wait to fill in your score and put clubs back into your bag, until you are at
the next tee. Clear the green as quickly as is possible, but do not run. It's
really a drag to see a foursome swapping tales, cleaning clubs, recording and
arguing over scores, parked in FRONT of the green that you are waiting to hit
to. Move on quickly. Do your score/house-keeping, when you get to the next
tee.
Always know who is next to hit. Never be standing around, when you are up. Be
ready. If you play "ready-golf," there will be fewer conversations on who is
away, but be every mindful of who is hitting, or about to hit. In general,
ready-golf is the fastest way to handle it, but you have to pay attention.
Sometimes around the green, it can get slow, if all players are not "on," and
putting, so your group needs to make decisions there.
Never have to go back to your bag for anything, especially for another club,
or another ball. Have a few extra tees handy, when teeing off. Your partners
will appreciate that too.
Move quickly to your next shot, so you do not have to hurry your routine. If
you are ready to play, you should never be in a hurry, as that will insure
that your next shot is not a good one, and you'll waste your time finding a
ball, or having to take more strokes on the hole, than you need to. Be
"quick," but do not "hurry."
My CC course is a traditional setup of 6,500 yard par 71. The course rating is
72 and it has a slope rating of 130 on Bermuda grass, and with a 17.1 handicap
index, I can walk it, as a single in 3:15, including my provisionals. Normal
play is right at 4:00 with any traffic. My backyard course is a links, resort
track, with no walking, and it takes only 4:15 on most days. From the white
tees, it's only 6002 yards 68.4/128, but there are also 8 holes, where carts
are not allowed and quite a bit of hiking up and down hills to the ball from
the cart path. By taking appropriate clubs, one should never have to
backtrack. The interval time for foursomes is 8 min. and there should never be
a backup.
Being ready, and prepared is what will speed your game up. When you complete a
round, especially with better players, ask them what you could have done to
play more quickly. Do this at the 19th hole, and do not defend anything that
you may have done, should they point out the areas that need improvement. Most
better players have no problem playing with a lesser player, just not a slow
player.
Last, a couple of little books, that might help: "Golf Etiquette," Barbara
Puett & Jim Apfelbaum, "The Golfer's Code," David Gould and "Golf Rules Plain
& Simple," Mark Russell.
.
- Prev by Date: Re: Sports Betting
- Next by Date: Re: 1-Iron and 2-Iron
- Previous by thread: 1-Iron and 2-Iron
- Next by thread: Sports in Greece
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
