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LarryLong

Third handicap card - thank God for the new handicap system

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Third and final handicap card today, and I put in a shocker. 106 off the stick. The only consolation is that thanks to the new handicap system, this round will just sit in my rolling 20 and mock me whilst having no effect on my handicap.

I hit rock bottom today in a golfing sense. In the space of three bad rounds I've got to the point where I'm just spraying it everywhere, and not making consistent contact with the ball on full shots, something I usually don't have a problem with. Zero confidence. My chipping has completely deserted me, I can think of three holes today where I had three chips, and it would have been even worse if I hadn't given up and started putting from anywhere inside 25m off the green. It's embarrassing. I also putted like a dog, just to make a total mockery of that well-known old wives tale that says that if one part of your game goes to crap, you tend to improve in others. I just sucked all-round.

I'm not saying I hate golf, mind you. I just suck at it right now.

Still, there were some positives. My highlights reel for the day included:

- Making two pars in a row on the back nine, then getting a rather tasty well-cooked sausage from the bbq. Here endeth the highlight though, after finishing the snag I promptly duck-hooked my tee shot on a par three into some nasty trees and finished with a 6,
- Getting out of two bunkers by smashing it into the lip and bouncing into the air and onto the green
- Holing a putt from 3m off the green on the last hole for par

The wind really blew on the back nine, so it was fun getting to experience Queenscliff in a gale. It's not an easy course on a windy day. I hit the biggest slice possible on one tee shot and watched in amazement as the howling crosswind took hold of it and powered it straight down the middle. Yeah, I meant that.

Next round? I dunno. Need to gather my thoughts. Meditate a little, maybe sacrifice a chicken or two. If it gets any worse I'm in danger of considering a chipper, and we all know what that means.
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Comments

  1. Yossarian's Avatar
    I'd go the chicken route before a chipper. Chippers are very ghey.
  2. BrisWesty's Avatar
    Queenscliffe + wind + handicap cards = a difficult day. Don't sweat it LL. Tomorrow is another day.
  3. LarryLong's Avatar
    Sage advice Westy. The damage had been done before the wind got up in this case, but that's still the way I'll be looking at it. None of the blokes I played with had more than 28 points, and there were a few others in the clubhouse looking worse for wear too.

    Yoss, I've actually got a chipper at home (should whack it up on the pro shop to see who leans that way, actually). It is sitting in my closet, just waiting to come out, but it's not going to happen because I'm determined to convince myself that 3 wedges are the way to go. What a lovely metaphor.
  4. AndyP's Avatar
    Try a hybrid or 7 iron around the greens, and see how that goes.
  5. Yossarian's Avatar
    Best metaphor ever!

    As an 18 capper i am fully qualified to offer advice but i've been having a lot of success chipping with a narrow stance, grip right down, hands forward and really focussing on hitting the ground just in front of the ball. seems to be working.
  6. LarryLong's Avatar
    Andy, that's what I'd like to do, but historically I've never had much touch and I'm not too good at hitting 'soft' with a less lofted club if you know what I mean. I tend to bash them accidentally or I get scared of bashing them and quit on the stroke. That was my reason for getting a 52-56-60 wedge setup - I was having more luck when I could have more of a swing at the ball and know that it wasn't going too far. I had a system where I always took the same quarter swing and just varied the club. It really worked for a while, but I'm starting to doubt the wisdom in that - especially at Queenscliff where lots of the chipping is off really sandy lies that tend to disintegrate as soon as the club hits the ground. Very little margin for error in this approach. Maybe I do need to suck it up and do whatever it takes to learn to bump and run. At my age it's time I started playing like a cagey old bloke.

    Yoss, that sounds about right. I actually went to the beach the other day and hit some balls off flat sand and noticed that I'm often hitting before the ball or and rarely after it. I usually just look at the ball, so I'll concentrate more on hitting in front of it and see if it makes a difference. If I don't duff anything in my next round I'll send you blokes a beer each.
  7. hopeihitstraight's Avatar
    Mate know how you feel,put a second shot on a par 4 about a metre away. The rest of the day all the wheels fell off the truck. But I am a sucker for this game again and that one shot keeps me going for another week.
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