Stroke Saver: Looking At Numbers Is More Valuable Than You Think

 

My recent round that I played at a long time favorite course from a longer set of tees made me realize something I had always known, I stink on the back 9 there. I have three holes on the front that give me a few problems, but for the most part, scooting around the front in the 30’s is a pretty easy task for me. The backside, well, that’s a different story. From errant tee shots to strange club selections on the par 3’s, the back 9 at Riverbend has just been one I could never figure out, until this week.

 

I sat down and looked at how I played the course on Sunday and found that I was hitting full shots into the greens, which is something that I never get to do when playing from the blue tees or white tees. I was hitting good drives into areas that normally found trouble from the shorter tees, but were finding fairways and openings from the backs. Given the circumstances that the round was played under, I wouldn’t be surprised if I shot a 75 from there the next round out. In fact, I’m almost willing to bet that I will. Thinking about this made me start looking at some course numbers for the various places I play and the results were stunning.

 

It’s just not a good scenario to put yourself into when your 50 yard and under game isn’t 1000% accurate.

 

Starting with Riverbend, since I’ve played there a half dozen times this year and from all three tee boxes, When I played my old style of grip-it and rip-it golf, I was only leaving myself 2-5 approach shots per round that were full clubs into a green. Most of them were 1/2 lob wedges or less into those short par 4’s. 2 of the full shots were long irons into par 5’s to reach them in two. Obviously, if my game was “on” then this isn’t an issue, but instead of being able to attack the hole with a solid 90 yard approach shot, the majority of the time I was having to play an almost impossible shot over something or trying to stick a shot into a tiny gap on the green, next to the flag. It’s just not a good scenario to put yourself into when your 50 yard and under game isn’t 1000% accurate. More often than not, these finesse shots end up in a greenside bunker or the rough next to the green.

 

I was beating myself before I even teed off due to the fact that I didn’t have the approach shots I needed for that course in my bag when I played it.

 

Looking at High Cedars, I found a similar situation. I played the front tees there since, “everybody else was,” but it left me all sorts of half clubs and 5 yard off yardages instead of jumping back 20-30 yards and having something full to hit into the greens. Maplewood only confirmed my information when I checked my ‘typical yardages’ there as well. I was beating myself before I even teed off due to the fact that I didn’t have the approach shots I needed for that course in my bag when I played it.

 

This led me to develop the 5 ball drill. It’s based on most driving ranges “large buckets” or in my case, about 164 balls. I took a look at the yardages and my “typical shot” that I would hit there and wrote it out. From there, each time I hit a club, I would get 5 balls from the bucket at my driving range. When I ran this little numbers look for the white tees at Riverbend, I got the following results:

 

Club Selection: D (14) - 1I (0) - 3I (1) - 4I (1) - 5I (1) - 6I (1) - 7I (1) - 8I (1) - 9I (0) - PW (1) - 54 (1) - 58 (10) = 32
Five Ball Drill - D=70, 1=0, 3=5, 4=5, 5=5, 6=5, 7=5, 8=5,. 9=0, PW=5, 54=5, 58=50 = 175 balls – 1 ball per group

 

Ultimately, you just want to groove that 25, 50, 75 or 100 yard shot that you will need to have in your bag for that next round.

 

This gives me the practice shots I need to get down for that course that week. If you need to work on 50 yard shots with your lob wedge, then work that into the 50 balls you have allocated for that club. In fact, going a step further with this would be to use the 5 balls that you calculated needed the club for to hit the shot you needed for that hole. You can go even further by using the ‘playing the hole’ idea that I often reference in previous practice posts. Ultimately, you just want to groove that 25, 50, 75 or 100 yard shot that you will need to have in your bag for that next round.

Before you go out and spend a ton of money on yardage measuring devices, new clubs and of course any training aids, make sure you aren’t spinning your wheels somewhere else. They have always said that the putter and wedges are where pro’s make their money, but it’s really that 60% wedge that sticks two fee from the hole that they are talking about. Find the shots that are giving you the hardest time on the course and practice those until they are stronger than they need to be. Your scorecard will thank you.

Blog Babble: Did The Back Tees Really Make A Difference

 

So there I was, playing a course that I had played hundreds of times back in the day, but from a place that I had never attempted before. Back when I started playing there, they only had red, white and blue tees. Today, there’s purple, gold, white, blue and black. The question that is still racing through my head, even three days later, is if the course really played any harder from back there or not? I mean, I know i left a bad 6 iron out there and at least 5 putts… That would make a 74, or about what I can shoot from the whites on a good day. It just didn’t seem to matter too much, at least for my game.

 

I do want to put a disclaimer on the above statement – for my game. You see, for me, I typically drive the ball well, 250-300 yards and have a short wedge left into the hole. When I back up two clubs, this means I’m hitting 8 or 9 irons into the green instead. Shorter par 5’s are iron off the tee and iron into them. My game currently has two issues – 1) I don’t know my on course club distances yet and 2) I tend to go into pinseeker mode on holes where there is a safer play. The other non-game issue is the fact that I still tend to catch a shot heavy during a round and flush one down the toilet. It’s those first two that kill my scoring the most though.

 

Not knowing my on course distances creates havoc when I’m hitting, what should be, a scoring approach. From 100 yards, I should know my shot. Unfortunately, over the last 2 weeks, my 100 at the range  has become a 115 on course. My 80 yarder on the range has become 90 on the course. It’s quite an annoying issue in general, but it kills what little chance I have of scoring well when I can’t dial in my attack shots perfectly at the range. It’s getting closer though, and after just two rounds with the new clubs, I can’t expect miracles quite yet. This does take me directly to issue number two though, pinseeking.

 

Pinseeking is the act of ignoring the dangers of a hole placement and going right after it.

 

Pinseeking is the act of ignoring the dangers of a hole placement and going right after it. For example, a pin tucked behind a bunker on the right edge of an elevated green has plenty of  safe play options available to it. If the flag is in a tough spot, walking away with a par will look really good for most. But if you are 2 over and want to get back to even, you shoot straight at it and hope you nail the shot. For me, my game isn’t at the point where I should do this, but it was at that point once upon a time. It’s hard for me to switch off that reaction and take the safer, larger margin for error shot to the safer part of the green. Our playing partners don’t help in this either. One shot knocked stiff and they expect us to be at 5 feet on every hole. It’s nothing more than an ego trip, and ego’s often equal higher scores.

 

Back to the topic though, did playing the back tees make any difference and should you play them? Well, let me start off with saying, no, if anything, the longer distances put me in less trouble and left me better approach shots than the middle tees did. I can actually play the back tees and hit within 5 yards of my distances on all but two holes. The two par 3’s that are 6 yards a piece off from my new yardages are the only holes that don’t fit me at my local course. That is what you want to look at when considering if they are right for you. What approach clubs do you use now and what would you need to get to the holes with another 30 yards tacked on? It’s really only a club or two difference on most holes, but for someone that is hitting 3/4 wedges into every green, that two club drop can be a welcomed addition to the game. The next time you run your pre-course shot setup, look at the different tee boxes and see how often you are hitting wedges into greens. If it’s more than 65%, you probably need to move back. Just the opposite is also true, if you are hitting nothing but hybrids and long irons into holes, you probably need to move up.

 

For me, I’m taking another stab at the long course before heading out on vacation in July. I should have my ‘new to me’ Wilson M3 Tour driver in the bag at that point and have a bit more sleep than I did the last time I tried this. If everything goes according to plan, I should have a nice little round up posted for you Thursday the 7th. If not, well, I’ll see you with more babbling in the near future.

Stroke Saver: Managing Missed Shots With The Punch

Image: An approach shot from the trees at High Cedars Golf Course in Orting, WA.

When you start spending more time looking at approach shots like the one above than you do looking at them from the fairway, your game just might be in trouble for that day. It’s easy to get caught up in making a miraculous shot that saves a par, or even nets a birdie after a bad shot instead of just playing the right one. Looking at the image above, the front edge of the green is visible from a few different angles, but the tall tree in the center is too close to go over with enough club to reach the flag. The options to go for it are very limited, and none of them is the right play. That doesn’t mean you can’t, but it means if you want to score better, you probably shouldn’t.

When you watch a tour pro on TV, watch how they react to a shot like this. Of of them will pull out a mid to long iron and play a “punch and run” shot to the fairway or they will take the slightly more dangerous line and go for the green. 9 times out of 10, the punch and run guy saves his par and moves on. The story isn’t the same for the guy that took his chances. Maybe 10% of the time, the guy plays it out to the right, through that open tree and draws the ball back to the flag, where he is able to make a par as well. It looks way more impressive, but the safer play is to setup your 100 yard club and knock it stiff.

The Setup: ball back, stance open, hands forward, clubface slightly open and swing like you’re cutting across the ball.

The slicing punch and run is one of my favorite shots to hit. I would say 95% of my punches are played with the same club, the 3 iron. I begin by placing the ball in the back of my stance, much like I do with a wedge. I used my same setup technique, feet together/ball centered, then I move my left foot forward to position he ball in the back. This keeps the lowest point of my swing where I set up for it. From there, I open my stance about 30 degrees to my target line, making sure to aim to the left of the trouble. Depending on the trouble and the landing area, I can move this shot anywhere from 5 yards to 20 yards without much issue. Keep that in mind as you aim left of the trouble, the further you go, the further you need to bring the ball back.

Once I have the ball back and my stance open, I fan the club head open to being directly aimed at the trouble spot. This is going to allow me to hit the ball with more side spin than if I was squared up to my target line, which would be just left of the trouble spot. From there, choke down about half way on the grip (until you feel comfortable with the club and stance) and perform a forward press to get your hands in front of the club head. This will deloft the club you are using and keep the ball very low coming off the face. Once you are set, take about a half swing with the club and watch the ball fly off the face low and left. With the face angle and cutting swing from the open stance, it will begin to turn right almost immediately. With a bit of practice, you will be able to steer this shot just about anywhere you want it to go.

The harder you swing, the more spin will be placed on the ball and the further right it will turn for you.

I have had quite a few people ask me if this shot works in reverse, or as a low hook. The answer is yes, but it’s not an easy shot to master at all. When you close off a lower iron, then deloft it, there’s a great chance that you will end up driving the ball straight into the ground creating what looks like a topped shot or you will shank the ball off the hosel due to the offset that most longer irons offer. Tour pros practice shots like this constantly on the range, so you can work on it there for yourself, but that punch-slice will be a bread and butter shot to add to your bag to escape trouble. Remember, if you can make the ball go far enough right, it’s almost the same as making it go a little left.

Equipment Deals: 15% Off $99, 25% Off Nike Apparel And Callaway Ball Savings

Once again, Golfsmith.com tops our Equipment Deals this week. Their 15% off any purchase of $99 or more is good enough to get my nod this week. The free shipping bonus is just the icing on the cake. The usual ‘stipulations’ apply to this deal, like no super deals on Taylormade, Callaway, Ping and a few others. You also cannot combine this deal with others to save a bit extra.

Golfsmith.com makes it two out of three this week with their 25% off select Nike Apparel. This is a very limited time deal, but if you are in the market for some new shorts, pants or a Therma-Fit Cover=up, this is a great time to grab them. Keep in mind that the full retail price is shown on the page online, the 25% discount is valid when you use the NIKE25OFF coupon code during checkout.

Finally, just for the trifecta, we give the good folks at Golfsmith.com one more deal this week. The Callaway Hexbite balls are on sale 2 dozen for $35 or 3 dozen for $50. A great deal if you want a solid players ball with a bit more grip for those summer greens.

• Paying For This Blog With Links

Playing A Round: Riverbend Golf Course, Kent, WA

 

 

Yes, I was back at Riverbend again this week. No sleep due to an arrival home from the Drive-In at 4 AM meant that it should be a rough round, and I was right, for at least the first few holes. Our 6 AM tee time was  bumped forward by the pro shop, which left no warm up time or putting practice. Sometimes you just have to make due though, so off to the tee I went. Keep in mind, I also was in a cart for the first time in forever and was carrying my Wilson 8813 putter for the first time in 15 years – not the day to be on no sleep and no warm up. Oh and to make matters a bit rougher on myself, I was playing from the tips, or adding about 700 yards to the course today. Really, once I was in the back tee box on 1, the only thing that mattered was that the weather was gorgeous and I was on the course.

 

 

The 347 yard par 4 first still played wide open off the tee. A short, 250 yard driver off the tee left me an even 100 yards in to the flag. My 54 degree wedge settled on the left side, where I proceeded to run my put about 8 feet past. I missed the comebacker by about 6 inches and tapped in for a 3 putt bogey. The second hole was playing almost 50 yards longer than the whites, at 423 yards, it was a long way down the fairway before I could see the green. I played a 1 iron off the tee, but pulled it slightly into the left rough. I played a draw with my 3 iron to run up to the front of the green before a chip and 2 putts to escape with another bogey. The par 5 3rd hole was stretched out to 504 yards, which actually played much better for me than the usual distance did. I hit driver off the tee into the left fairway bunker. A 7 Iron played perfectly to 100 yards out before my 54 degree wedge landed about 15 feet from the pin. A two putt par left me 2 over after 3.

 

The 4th hole was another that was stretched to new lengths for me. At 438 yards, this hole could have been a par 5 for some shorter hitters, but as it sat, it just made for a 50 yard longer approach shot for me. A good drive found the fairway and my 7 iron found the green in two. Two putts later and I was off to the 5th with a par. The part 3 5th was playing 136 from the black tees, so I chose my 135 yard, 9 iron for the tee shot. I must have hit it perfectly or my yardages are way off as I flew it all the way to the hill on the back of the green, or about 7-10 yards further than it should have gone. I didn’t get my chip close enough and left myself a very tough side hill putt that I wasn’t able to make. A tap in gave me a solid 4, but it should have been a better score given the shots I hit. The 6th didn’t want to give me much either. Walking on to the tee box, I found myself staring down a 544 yard par 5. My driver sailed right, into the second fairway, but still was very playable. I managed to play a perfect 5 iron over the trees to 100 yards out, which left me a perfect 54 degree wedge in to the green. Two quick putts and I was off to number 7 and only 3 over after 6.

 

I continued the decent play into the par 4 7th. Playing 314, this hole retuned the round to a bit of a normal feel. My 1 iron came off the club a bit lower than normal, but left me about 90 yards to the flag. My 54 degree wedge found the back of the green and a 2 putt netted me my 4th par of the front side.8th was definitely a longer play than normal, but at 180 yards, I was hopeful that my 7 iron would find the green. It was the right club, but the shot went left of the green where a spectacular chip saved me and gave me a tap in par. The The 9th hole also played very familiar from the back tees, with them only adding about a single club to my approach. A good 1 iron down the middle left me about 140 in. I once again pulled my 9 iron (135 club) and proceeded to knock it clean over the green. A difficult pitch shot left me a two putt for bogey to finish out the front at 4 over par, 40.

 

 

Moving on to the backside, the 10th hole was playing 377 and laid out very similar to the 25 yard shorter boxes that we would normally play. A 1 iron and a sand wedge, along with chip and a 1 putt had me start off the back with a par. The 11th wasn’t quite as kind with the backs playing 2 full clubs longer than normal. I hit a strong 1 iron off the tee, but came up just short of the green on my 8 iron approach. A chip and 2 putts later, I left the hole with a rough bogey. The 12 played much more friendly as a low draw found the fairway 235 yards out. That left me 135 to go on the 364 yard par 4, which was a solid PW with a bit of extra. I had learned my lesson from the earlier holes that the 9 was carrying out to 145 instead of 135. 2 putts later, I had another par.

 

The 13th was playing like a beast. At 166 yards, it was a solid 2 clubs longer than normal. A very solid 7 iron didn’t fade for me and I found the left side rough. There was no green to work with from my position, so I played it safely down from the trees to the front edge of the green. 2 putts later, a bogey was on my card and I felt a bit lucky to have it. The 14th was a magnificent hole to look at from the back tees. At 573 yards, it seemed to go on forever. I pulled the driver to hit as far down the fairway as possible on this one, and I hit a perfect right center drive that ended up in the fairway bunker. A quick 7 iron out of there and a 54 degree wedge  and a chip from the left fringe got me within inches of the hole for a tap in par. The par 4 15th was also playing 2 clubs longer, and looked much narrower from the back. My 1 iron found the left side of the fairway, but left me a very difficult shot over the greenside bunker to have any chance of getting on the green. This was where my one swing mistake of the round happened, a chunky 6 iron that just fluttered down the fairway about 100 yards. A lob wedge got me up to the green, but a difficult line on my putt left me with a bogey 5.

 

Moving on, going back across the bridge to 16, I really wasn’t a fan of what I saw. This painful par 3 had been drawn out to 195 yards or about 2 and a half clubs more than usual. That half is the real problem as it put the distance square between a 6 iron and a 5 iron. For some reason, I went 6, but managed to hook the ball left into the rough. A chip out and a two putt left me with a bogey 4, but it was ugly. I couldn’t have drawn up 17 any better than I played it. A perfect 1 iron off the 383 yard par 4 left me 125 yards to the hole. A solid pitching wedge landed left of the flag for a two putt par. It was a well played hole. Finally the walk back to the 18th tee box was scary – and I mean scary – as the black tees had me marching 4-5 clubs further back than the rest of my group. That’s right, 60 yards from the rear, I hit my driver – and not well – out into the fairway. My second shot was a draw 3 iron to the edge of the water. A little 54 degree wedge and a few putts and my round was finished at 8 over par, 80.

 

For having no sleep and being in the car for 10 hours before my round (It was an hour and a half to the drive-in, 5 hours of movies and an hour and a half back – plus the fact we got there so early) and no warm up, I would consider an 80 from the tips pretty decent. I will be venturing back to them next round just to see what I can do from them on a normal day. I have a feeling that I shall return to the 70’s next round, but we will see. We’re planning on hitting Willows Run’s Eagles Talon course on the 7th of July if everything works out for that outing. Of course, playing somewhere new always has challenges, but we will see what comes of that. For now, I’ll be back as a single digit handicapper on the 1st of July!

Budget Beater: Play Early Or Play Late To Save More

Image: Approaching the 15th green at Riverbend Golf Course in Kent, WA.

Prime time golf rates are downright scary. When you think about that $40 round being a value, it gets a bit crazy. Of course, this is where you can use a bit of online time to save yourself a ton, and even more if you make you golfing hours a bit more flexible. For example, looking at some of the nicer courses that are available for public play in western Washington, by teeing off earlier or later, you can save yourself quite a bit of money. Willows Run Golf Course in Redmond, WA, has two courses available. The longer, and more challenging, Eagle’s Talon course features a weekend prime time rate of $60 for 18 holes. By changing up your round to an afternoon round and teeing off at 3:00, your rate drops to $36. That’s a 40% savings.

Other courses won’t have quite the discount that Willows offers, but even smaller courses like Snohomish Golf Course in Snohomish, WA, offers a $7 after 3:00 on the weekends. That’s still almost 20% off the regular rate of $38 for 18 holes. Some courses even feature early bird tee times, like Riverbend Golf Course in Kent, WA. If you tee off during prime time hours (7:00 AM to 11:59 AM) on the weekend, you’ll shell out $42 for 18 holes. The pre-7:00 AM rate is just $32. That’s almost 25% off the standard “prime time” pricing.

If you are a weekend warrior that makes it out once or twice a month, you could save $288 a year on 12 rounds a Willows Run by teeing off after 3 or about $100 playing afternoons at Snohomish. You could even save $120 by teeing off before 7:00 at Riverbend. That goes a long way to cutting that golf budget back to a manageable amount. Plus, if you go that early, you are back home before noon for a nice relaxing afternoon or if you go late, you can get some chores done before you head out for a relaxing evening round.

Blog Babble: I Don't Care If The Ball Moved...

Let me get this straight, and no, I don't care what the slo-mo video that was viewed eight billion times shows, the ball moved. Right? The ball moved. Now, did Mr. Johnson cause that ball to move or not? That is the question that really needed to be addressed in the final round of the US Open on Sunday. Johnson said that the ball moved. The official agreed that the ball had moved. The official then made the judgement call, while standing in the spot that the movement happened, that it was not a foul and instructed Johnson to putt out without incurring a penalty. Thank you, we are done here.

Then, the USGA had to get stupid, and you can't fix stupid. First off, don't go back and look at it on super slo-mo video and certainly don't contradict your rules officials on the course that were standing in the spot where it happened. If an umpire misses a called third strike in baseball and then the next pitch is driven out of the park for a game winning home run, they don't go back and tell the hitter he is out after the game is over. If there is a foul on a three pointer with 30 seconds left in the game, you don't wait until after the team wins by two to tell them that there will be 3 free throws after the game ends. It's just not done.

The USGA says they "regret" the way it was handled, but they should come right out and say, "We blew this one big time." There's nothing short of that. If Johnson had grounded the club and had the ball roll 4 feet on those lightning fast greens, I could see this going down much differently, but it didn't. It moved a fraction of an inch and didn't give him an advantage in the slightest. While I am all for the integrity of the game and the following of the Rules of Golf, once an official has ruled (and I will say one more time, he was ON SITE) it needs to be finished.

This was not a situation where a player improved a lie in the woods, or kicked their ball out from behind a tree to get a better view of the green. This was a case of a ball moving a fraction of an inch on a lightning fast putting surface and not making one bit of difference in the outcome of the tournament. Congrats USGA, you just made yourself look dumb by going to that video AFTER the fact.

Oh, and by the way, Mr. Johnson, congrats on your title - and your first major!

Stroke Saver: The Key To Scoring Is Consistency

Image: Consistency begins at setup. Placing the ball between my feet on every shot is a repeatable action.
You have probably heard this a thousand times before, but I’m going to say it again. The key to your best swing isn’t about the arc, the plane, the club you swing or anything else like that. The key to your best swing is repeatability. If you can take a 7 iron from your bag and swing the same swing 10 times in a row, you should be able to shoot in the 80’s without any problem. When you get to the point of being able to do this with all your odd numbered irons, you should be able to drop that number into the 70’s. When your whole bag follows, you need to go join the tour. Having a nice consistent swing will lead to everything else falling into place. Your game will become more about planning how to play a hole, rather than reacting to where your ball went. Consistency is the key.

Image: Driver ball position: When swinging from the tee, the right foot drops back, while the left foot stays in position.
With a consistent swing, your contact point will be the same across your clubs. My setup is rather simple now, and I keep it this way to make my swing as consistent as possible. I start with my feet together and the club face lined up to the target behind the ball. This establishes a base line for the ‘bottom’ of my swing. I then vary the ball position 3-4 inches depending on the club I am hitting, all the time only shifting my feet, not the ball location or the club head. If I am hitting a long 3 iron off the tee, I will move both feet equally out to about shoulder width. If I am hitting a wedge, I move my front foot forward to my front shoulder, but leave the back where it is. This puts the ball about 1-2 inches off my back toe with the club in a slight forward press. This forward press allows me to hit ‘down’ on the ball more and make cleaner contact with the higher lofted short irons and wedges.

Long iron position: Both feet move slightly out from the ball, with the right moving further back off the ball than the left moves forward.
Starting off with a repeatable setup makes a swing easier duplicate time after time. I constantly see people on the course or at the range trying to ‘move’ the ball position around based on the club they use. They have 13 different locations for 13 different clubs in their bags. This may seem like a great idea, but it almost requires them to have 13 different swings. I really have three settings: Driver: front foot even with left shoulder/back foot  out to stable position, Long Iron: front foot even with left shoulder/back foot out to stable and Short iron/wedge: front food even with left shoulder/back foot stays planted at setup point.

Short iron position: The right foot stays in place while the left foot moves forward to encourage a downward strike on the ball.
All three setups start at having my feet surround the ball and then moving. Placing my feet together with the ball centered on them guarantees me a consistent setup every time. if there is a particularly wet day, I might have to adjust how far my feet move slightly due to the ground being softer. If there is a windy day, I will shift the front foot further forward and leave the back foot planted to keep the ball lower. Everything is adjustable from the starting point, but a normal round doesn’t need much in the way of tweaking to be done right. Try this trick the next time you are at the range to see if you contact becomes more consistent.

Equipment Deals: GPS Under $100, Baffling Driver Deal And Bunches Of Balls

Ediwin Watts Golf Stores has a deal on a new Neo Ghost GPS system. For $99.99 (regularly $129.99) you can grab those exact yardages you need to hit the front edge of the green or get closer to that back pin placement. The Neo comes preloaded with 35,000+ courses, a battery that will last 3 full rounds before needed to be charged, and auto course/hole advance recognition. For under $100, the Neo Ghost is a great deal. * - Post publishing, I also found the Neo Ghost for $98.58 in assorted colors and free 2 day prime shipping.

 

If you’re in the market for a lower cost, game improvement driver, the Cobra Baffler XL is available in a 9.5 degree loft with a stiff shaft for only $79.99 from Amazon. The Baffler XL features an offset design to aid in alignment and ease of hitting. It’s the oversized face with E9 face technology is largest driver face that Cobra has made. With the additional weight of the head being moved to a lower/back position, the head is more forgiving and helps control the direction of the ball flight on off-center hits. The Cobra Baffler XL is also available in other lofts and shaft flexes at a slightly higher cost.

There is also a huge sale at Golfsmith this week on bulk ball buys. From the 3 for $50 on the Callaway Hex Bites to the buy 3 get 1 free deals on many Srixon or Bridgestone models, there’s pretty much a ball for everyone on sale. The most notable deals of the day are the TaylorMade Areoburner Soft’s at 2 for $35, Nike’s Hyperflight balls at 2 for $40 and the Srixon Q Star (or $19.99 at Amzaon per dozen if you don’t need that many) deal of buying 3 dozen and getting the 4th free. Anyway you slice it, hook it or top it, these balls should keep you playing all summer long at quite a hefty discount.

• Paying For This Blog With Links

Playing A Round: Riverbend Golf Course, Kent, WA

Today’s round at Riverbend Golf Course in Kent, WA, was my first round out with my Wilson FG49 irons. It was also some of the best playing conditions I have had this season. Our 6:30 tee time had us out so early that there wasn’t time to warm up properly, but that didn’t stop me from breaking out the 1 iron on the first tee and giving it a run down the fairway. Little did I know what the rest of the round would have in store for me, but I was really anxious to find out.

Reaching the first tee cold, I pulled the 1 iron from my bag. I caught it a bit thin, but a 230 yard shot that landed right center of the fairway was a much better start than the last few rounds. A quick 54 degree wedge to the green and a three putt later, and I had dropped to 1 over after 1. The par 4 second got under way with a 1 iron down the left side that drifted into the rough. The ball ended up on a bit of a downhill-side hill lie. My 8 iron from the rough took about 3” of turf before it got to the ball and it ended up placing me down in the hole on the left of the fairway. A punch 3 iron for my third put me just right of the green. A chip on and two putts left me 3 over after 2. The par 5 third hole started out much better than the last few rounds. A shorter (230 yard) 1 iron found the fairway. A perfectly placed 8 iron left me 100 yards to the center of the green. Unfortunately I listed to the craziness in my head and went after a flag stick on the back of the green. I flew the green and the ball was lost behind it in some tall grass. I chipped on, and putted out for bogey.

Moving on to the 4th hole, I blasted a 315 yard drive, dead center in the fairway. A 54 degree wedge landed on the right front of the green and a two putt gave me a par. The par 3 5th killed me with a 3 putt bogey. I hit a gorgeous shot into the hole, right over the bunker to a tough pin placement. Unfortunately, the putt I had was a slick downhill one that ran a good 4 free past the hole. The combacker missed by about 2 inches and I was moving up further over par. The 6th hole actually yielded a par for me for the first time in a while. My driver drifted left into the trees, but a great 7 iron over the corner saved me. A 54 degree wedge to the back edge of the green and a 2 putt finished out the hole. I was now 5 over after 6.

The 7th played out well for me today. A great 1 iron down the middle and a smooth 54 degree wedge into the hole set me up for a 2 putt par. The par 3 8th happened to get me today though, My 7 iron landed pin high from 175, but it was off to the left of the green. A good chip left me a tricky downhill breaking putt that just missed the hole. I carded another bogey to take me to 6 over par before moving to the 9th. The 9th played out very well for me with a scorching 1 iron hitting the center of the fairway. That was followed by a gorgeous 54 degree approach shot that settled on the green about 10 feet away. I nailed the birdie putt to bring me back to 40 on the front.

We started off the backside on the par 4 10th. I pulled my 1 iron slightly left off the tee, which then caught the cart path and bounced left on to a side hill lie. I caught my 8 iron heavy and left myself about 50 yards to the pin. I managed to get the ball close, but missed the par save and settled for a bogey. The 11th went without much fanfare. 1 iron to the middle of the fairway and an approach shot that fell on the right front of the green. Two putts later, I was away with a par. Number 12 was definitely a bit more exciting though. My tee shot turned left a bit more than I wanted it to and found the water. I knocked my approach stiff and putted out for my par. It was a great save and left me 5 over after 12.

13 is still one of those pesky short holes that never seems to play to one of the clubs in my bag. Today was no different as they had the flag at 135, which would normally be a pitching wedge, but I was blasting everything about 5 yards longer today, so I had to improvise. I decided to play a fading pitching wedge in to see if i could cut that yardage off just a touch. I hit a perfect shot in and it finished just short right of the green. I didn’t start the ball far enough left due to the fact I didn’t want to pull it and get in trouble. Either way, the up and down for par was ok in my book. With memories of the last time I played 14 still stuck in my head, I pulled driver again and played my comfy draw off the tee. Just like last time, the ball sailed off the face on a great line, but the ball never moved left. Fortunately, I found the area right in front of the 12th tee box and had a decent line in to the hole from 230 out. My 3 iron found a landing spot just left of the green. A chip and a two putt had me finishing out the hole with a par. 15 wasn’t as kind. My 1 iron caught the trees to the right of the hole. I had to take enough club to clear them, which left me about 100 yards to the green. A 54 degree wedge parked me pretty close to the hole, but not close enough to save par. A 2 putt bogey had me moving on to 16.

16 was playing darn near 155, which was right in-between clubs once again. I decided with my extra distance, I would club down to a 9 iron off the tee. It was the right club, but I left it slightly open which left me right of the green. My first putt was close, but I left it a few inches short and ended up with a tap in bogey. 17 had to be the hole of the day. I blasted a 1 iron off the tee on a perfect flight path, landing about 270 yards in the middle of the fairway. A perfect 54 degree wedge landed me 6 feet from the pin, which netted me a birdie 3. After coming off that high, I decided to play 18 safe and hit the 1 iron again. This time, I wasn’t so lucky an any shape or form. I caught it very thin and rolled it out about 100 yards to the right, and it just kept rolling… right into the water. From there, a stunning 3 iron made up for quite a bit of the damage, but the length of the 18th was just too much to cover from so far back. a bogey 6 ended my round with a total of 7 over, 79.

So, just like that, my first season goal was destroyed in 7 rounds. From not having played since 2007 to today, I have gotten myself back in position to be a single digit handicapper. I know I left a few shots out there, but honestly, I’m not 100% sure that I could play much better than I did today without investing a serious amount of time and money into it. The FG49’s performed better than I could have dreamed, and maybe with a bit of fine tuning, I could get them a bit sharper, but I see somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 being my best play at this point. Which is where my next season goal is going to take me – 75 or bust!

Budget Beater: Book Discount Tee Times With The Golf18 Network

With over 3,500 courses in their data base, the Golf18 Network has a course to please almost every golfer out there. From booking a weekend tee time at your local course, to planning where to play on your next vacation, they have you covered. The Golf18 Network utilizes the ability to work with local courses to book out their last minute tee times to save players 50, 60 and even 70% over booking directly through the course. Of course, that doesn’t always mean that there is going to be a weekend slot for when you want to play, but keep checking back as times open up based on what the course releases.

The Golf18 Network has booked out over 3.2 million tee times for users throughout the world, Based on a 50% savings off the average round cost of $40, that equals $64 million in savings for golfers that have used the service. Just doing a check as I type this, I can grab a tee time at the Nile Shrine Golf Club about 45 minutes from me for 32% off the regular rates. If I want to play closer to home, Blue Boy West is listed at 62% off the original pricing (and has a cost of just $15 a round!) and is only 15 minutes from my home.

Probably the strongest aspect of the Golf18 Network is the fact that they cover so many markets in the US and into Canada. Don’t expect miracles, like getting on to Pebble Beach for $50, but sign up for their mailing list and try them out today. Currently, they are running a special that will give you a $25 credit after you book your first tee time. That would mean I get a $15 round at a local course and $25 to spend on a nicer course later – or just use it for another free round at Blue Boy. The deal gets even better when you use the Golf18 Rewards program. When you book a number of tee times during the year, you earn credits, and reduce the fees you will pay for booking tee times all year long. If you book 50 tee times in a calendar year, your account will receive a total of $240 in credits and you will never have to pay a booking fee again. The more you book, the more you earn.

Overall, the Golf18 Network is a great way to stretch your golfing budget a bit further. While they don’t have access to course in every market, the ones that they do have offer up an exceptional value and real savings. The Golf18 Network captures the spirit of my “Budget Beater” series to a “T” – great prices, good value and lots of opportunity to save money and still play great golf. If you are new to the program, don’t forget to sign up for an account and get your $25 credit after you book your first tee time!

• Paying For This Blog With Links

Stroke Saver: Course Management Begins At Home

No matter how many times I see it happen, it always amazes me. A foursome arrives at the course 30 minutes before their tee time, grabs some coffee, starts loading up their cart and heads over to wait in line at the first tee. After 15 minutes they are called as on deck and they pry themselves out of their cart to stretch out a bit. A quick bend or two and they reach into their bags for their drivers and head over to the tee box. The first guy takes 2 minutes to check his stance with a club shaft, then takes four or five practice cuts before scuffing his tee shot 20 feet past the ladies tees. The next guy fairs a bit better by pounding it 100 yards out there, but 100 yards to the right. The next two guys manage to find a bunker and the right rough, but their round is basically destroyed right from the get go.

If you want to go out and have a great time with the guys and not worry about scoring, then by all means, don’t pickup that scorecard at the pro shop and go have fun. But if you are expecting to go out and compete with the boys, make sure you mentally setup the round at the range the week before. Start with a few warm up shots, then play the course in your head and out on to the range. Begin by mapping out your ideal clubs in to each green, then work backwards to the tee box. So, for example, at Riverbend Golf Course in Kent, WA, from the blue tees, the first hole is 347 yards. Normally in the past, I would have ripped a driver 275-290 down the middle (or into the trees) and left myself a 1/4 to 1/2 wedge into the green. Fortunately, it’s much easier to hit a comfortable 3 iron off the first tee and follow that with another full swing of a 9 iron or wedge.

Continue this process at the range by picturing the hole in your head and working through the holes with your clubs. What Iron would work best off the tee here or there. How would your strategy change if they move the tee boxes around or lengthen a hold 10-15 yards. What if they play the par 3’s short or give you a harder pin placement. Imagine all the possible scenarios while you practice. If you get a bucket with 60 balls in it, you can play almost the entire course and warm up quite easily. Just remember, don’t work the big sticks too much. In fact, with my pre-course card for Riverbend, I have 18 shots (out of 36) that would be made with a 5 iron or less on the course. That means over half my practice should be with those shorter clubs. The sharper those short irons and wedges get, the closer to the flag stick those scoring shots will go. This doesn’t mean go hit wedge after wedge at the range flags, but playing out the shots you need to reach the stick on every hole you are going to play.

Don’t get me wrong, starting off with a round with a booming drive down the middle sure sends a message that you’re serious about beating the course into submission that day, but even the tour pro’s are happy to hit 70% of their fairways with a driver. This leaves them a 30-40% chance that they miss it and that percentage is even worse for you. There’s nothing like your rounds starts off in the trees, or worse. Instead, the smarter, and safer play is to poke a long iron or hybrid off the tee and leave yourself a nice full shot into the green. Making a chart like above for your next round and see how the numbers work out for you. If I play mine to a “T”, I end up with 36 shots from tee to green and only hit my driver 6 times over 18 holes. If I can manage to hold my puts to 2 per hole, I should walk off the course even par without taking any major chances or hitting that “killer shot”.

If you want to play competitive golf, wait until you get on the first tee to start your course planning, your chance of being successful take a pretty serious hit before you even start. Again, this is a tip for those that want to shoot better, not just go out and play. Think of it as tournament golf verses recreational play. If you’re playing to win, even if it’s against yourself, a bit of pre-planning will go a long way.

Equipment Deals: Save 20%, $280 Off TaylorMade’s R15 Driver And More

If you are in the market for anything golf related, Father’s Day week is usually the time to find a great deal on it. As retailers try anything to get you to spend your hard earned money at their locations, you will find amazing markdowns and deals on everything from clubs to bags and apparel to balls. The first deal of the week isn’t a particular item, but rather, it’s a $50 coupon off any purchase of $250 or more at Golfsmith or Golfsmith.com. Just use code JUNE125 to get this great deal placed in your cart. If you can’t find enough to fill your cart to the $250 mark, grab the $20 savings off $125 purchase or more. Both deals come with free ground shipping as well.



Golfsmith.com also has a fantastic deal on a driver that will help give you the confidence to find more fairways. The TaylorMade R15 driver series is at liquidation pricing with many models moving past the 50% off stage. If you are in the market for a new driver, this R15 deal is a tough one to beat. Using code JUNE125 at checkout will also save you an additional $20 on this item, unless you choose to add another $30 to the cart, in which case you would save an additional $50 on this purchase.



You can also grab one of the best values on the market today in the Garmin Apporach G6 GPS unit for $149.99. With detailed information on every hold on the course available to you, your scores should get better and better. Knowing how far the bunker on the right is or if that front pin placement makes the shot a 9 iron or PW will only make your scoring improve. The Garmin G6 deal can be combined with the JUNE125 promo code to bring the final price down to $129.99, or about the same as some entry level units from manufacturers that you’ve never heard of before. You can grab the Garmin G6 from Golfsmith.com and receive free ground shipping as well.
Whether you need some new shoes, balls or clubs, this weeks deals should fit just about everyone out there. If you’re working on your target game, the Garmin G6 can help. If you need a few extra yards off the tee, the TaylorMade R15 driver should be able to help you there. If you already have it all, but just need a few more accessories or even a funny driver cover, the JUNE125 promo code at Golfsmith.com should give you a great deal on what you want. Don’t forget that the free ground shipping promotion applies to these deals as well!

• Paying For This Blog With Links

Budget Beater: Save On Local Courses Through GroupOn

If there is one thing that is better than saving on golf equipment, it’s saving on a round of golf. While playing early bird rates and afternoon rounds can save you some cash, a bit of planning ahead can do even better. One of my favorite sites to save is good old Groupon.com. Groupon often has specials at local courses that can save you anywhere from a few bucks a round to a pretty good chunk of cash. Earlier this year, I picked up a round of golf for two with lunch for $49. This was at a course that normally costs almost that much for a single to play.

The $19 deal at Gateway Golf Course in Sedro Woolley, WA, includes golf and a hot dog lunch for two or you can book a foursome for $39. The Groupon deal includes a round of golf for your twosome on the 5582 yard repeating 9 hole course. Normally, this deal will set users back $58 for the golfing, plus the hot dog lunch. Of course the deal is only good for 90 days from the date of purchase, so make sure to take advantage of the deal when you buy it or you are just going to be tossing money away. Any way you look at it though, a good deal from Groupon is a great way to stretch that golfing budget a bit further.

• Paying For This Blog With Links

Stroke Saver: Why Do I Play Old Clubs?

One of the most common questions I get asked on a regular basis is, “Why do you play old clubs?” Well, I’m usually very direct in answering this one, then quick to follow up with a question of my own to them. I play old clubs because I hit them very well, they feel great in hand and most importantly, I have the confidence in them to hit any shot I need at any time I need it to happen. After spouting off this quick reply, I usually follow up with, “How many shots did your new clubs shave off your last round?”

A lack of confidence in their current set of clubs is why most people get on the new gear bandwagon. They remember those rounds last year where they could have shaved a stroke off 5, or hit it just a bit closer on 16 and saved their round. What they seem to forget is that an extra hour of putting practice with that old putter may have made the putt on 2 so they didn’t need to shave that stroke later in the round.

Changing out gear and trying new stuff is always fun, but don’t ever expect to get better by just changing out your clubs, balls or shoes. The biggest reason why those new clubs hit the ball better is because you think you can hit them better. You go to the range more to get used to them. You spent a lot of money on them so they need to work better than your old ones. Confidence goes a long way to pulling off a shot on the course and that should be the goal of your next set of clubs. Whether they come from a thrift store rack or a custom club fitting, confidence is where the game is won and strokes are shaved off the card.

As for me, I’ll keep hitting these or another similar set Wilson irons until the heads have nothing left on them. Sure, I’ll reshaft them someday and probably have to re-groove and sandblast the faces again, but they are worth the effort to keep knocking 7 irons stiff from 165. Now, go get your clubs and get out to enjoy a nice round.

Equipment Deal: Wilson Zip Golf Balls Are An Incredible Value

Back in the day, I played two balls in tournament play. The first was the Titleist Tour 100 Balata and the second was the Maxfli HT100 balata ball. Both of these provided a cover that would shred and get knocked out of round, but they felt so good coming off the club head that I just didn’t care how long the ball lasted. That was tournament play, not the meaningless practice rounds and $5 rounds I played with friends. Those rounds were filled with Nitros, Ultras, and Ram Tour Balatas, or the under $1 balls. Today, I’m mostly search for those decent under $1 balls which I have found in the Wilson Zip. The Wilson Zip comes in at just $.83 a ball, and has an aggressive spin rate and has that perfect click coming off the club face and putter.

The 302 dimple pattern brings back memories of the Molitor 302 and a few others from my younger playing days. The flight pattern on the Wilson Zip is low enough to play through most conditions, but still produces enough arc to stop the ball on most putting surfaces. Putting the Zip is also a very pleasant experience as well. The slight click off the face gives you the feel of contact, but the softness of the cover provides you with a very light feeling at contact. I like to think of the Wilson Zip as the little brother to the Duo line. The current Wilson Golf lineup includes 4 different ball models, the Zip being the lower of them. The Duo and Duo Spin are the mid and upper-mid range, while the Tour FG is the highest offering from them.

The performance of the Duo line was very similar to the Zip for me, but the lower ball fight of the Wilson Zip is what lead me to packing them in my bag. The cost of them was also a major consideration since I was really tying to keep the costs under $1 a ball. The Duo’s cost double what the Zips do, and without much in the way of a performance increase for me. That pretty well made the decision for me: an $.83 ball that performs as well as a $3-4 ball and feels better than a $1-2 ball? Yep, that’s what made it in my bag and you can have them in your bag as well by just clicking here.

• Paying For This Blog With Links

Budget Beater: Always Buy Used Or Last Year’s Models

Let’s be honest. Golf equipment prices are crazy. $1000 for a set of irons. $400 for a driver. $250 for a hybrid. $300 for a putter. If you are bag shopping right now, you’re well aware of the fact that purchasing your new setup will cost you thousands of dollars. In fact, $2000 is almost considered escaping  with a bargain when purchasing a new “pro line” set of clubs. While we can’t all get lucky finding an almost new set of Cleveland TA6 irons for $10 at a local garage sale, you can shave $100’s off that new set if you start looking at the used market first.

For example, the Titleist 716 AP1 irons run $899.99 new, but at 2ndSwing.com you can grab a set for $629.99. The great part about purchasing used clubs is that someone else has already taken the retail hit on them, so you don’t have to. Golf clubs are like cars, the second they leave the lot, they aren’t worth as much. You can also get a very good feel for the success or failure of a club by how many are available in the used market. You never want to see a current club be overly available in the used market. This usually means that they weren’t hitting them well and they have moved on to something new. There is one thing about buying a used set of irons though, make sure that the clubs you purchase have a very good return policy. If you have never hit them before, you’d hate to plop down $500 on something that you end up hating. At least you should be able to get your money back out of them if you get a good enough deal.

Another way to save is to purchase last year’s models new, like Taylor Made R15 460 driver. It can be found for $249.99, or $250 off the original $499 price tag in the Golfsmith Outlet section. While that’s not a used deal, per se, it’s a great price on a very relevant piece of hardware that will serve you very well for years to come. Buying new, generation old clubs is a great way to save quite a bit of money on new equipment. You’ll still find the used equipment to be a bit cheaper, but the fact that you can go to a store and still hit the 2015 clubs and buy them new at a discount is certainly appealing when making an investment this large.

The last piece of advice to buying used clubs is to be open to hitting everything. As someone who has spent 12 of his 15 years playing using forged blades, going to a cavity back iron doesn’t interest me one bit. That said, finding a quality set of irons for dirt cheap makes it easier to think about in the future. While the club styles may change, an almost new set from 2005 is going to be just as playable as a almost new set from 2012. In fact, except for a few dings and nicks, my set from 1988 clean enough to play with today. Just because I prefer the thin top line of the blade style head, doesn’t mean I won’t consider a bigger head. If I strike the ball well with a club, it starts looking good to me, regardless of the actual look of the club head.