2017 Aims and Ambitions.

There's usually a thread along these lines, thus far there isn't one.

So, with the days beginning to draw out and the new season not that far away let's take a look at what everyone is looking to achieve in 2017.

What is/are your aims for 2017 and what are you doing to get there?

Super - Excellent topic

Goal: Get better with my short game.

How to do it: Make sure I spend 50% plus of my practice time doing just that. Also, get a short game lesson.

(It's so easy for me to just hit the range and bang away from perfect flat lies. This year will be different!!)

Play enough golf to make it worthwhile!

If I can manage the above, then it's still two things - better approach play from 100 yards in and becoming more consistent with the driver.

This could be the final year our course plays as an 18-holer before it's ploughed under for mcmansions. Probably won't play any more until/unless I move as area alternatives have no character or design qualities.
So: Play more, try to return to my level of 20 years ago. (A bit of a reach in all honesty. It's all in the longer clubs, off the tee where I struggle with yips. Ugh.)

Yeah great topic Super, for me its get the handicap down. Like Shotrock above, the plan is to practice the short game, and practice it well. Especially my putting.
If you look at it, there are very few pro's that really love putting. Most are between the extremes of "hate it" to "are terrified of it"! Really I can only think of Spieth as someone who I'd say really loves it. Most pro's want to be excellent ball strikers, and a lot of respect in the game is reserved for the consummate ball strikers, where in reality being an excellent putter for a regular ball striker will typically give you a better stroke average.

I've got my driving, putting and short game in great shape, so for me the priority is to hit more GIR. If I can do that, then all the other competitive ambitions I have for the year, such as the club Majors, R&A Gold Medal are much more realistic.

Club Champs remain the focus competitively.

Current form could lead to getting down to scratch if I can transfer my pre-season form from October last year to the present into Scorecard form.

I need to work on the mental, physical and technical parts of my game, especially related to my driving, long irons, short irons, wedges and putting. Otherwise I'm pretty satisfied.

Play a bit more than last year. Maybe try get back up to 8 or 9 hcp so I can really enjoy myself pi55ing off the low boys in hcp comps

I think for the first time since I started playing I will have other priorities more important than golf which will take priority. Having spent 10 months out of work in 2016 work will obviously be a priority to get myself back on an even keel. That starts in Sweden on Monday. The end of March will see me become a Grandad for the first time too.

Having said all that golf will still be my chief distraction although I expect to play probably about 30% less qualifiers than in recent years. A good year for me will be getting back to Cat 1 (currently 6.0), I'd also like to break level par gross in a qualifier. Most important though I'd like to be able to look back on 2017 and say I really enjoyed my golf.

pedro wrote:I need to work on the mental, physical and technical parts of my game, especially related to my driving, long irons, short irons, wedges and putting. Otherwise I'm pretty satisfied.

Pretty sorted for 2017 then?

Find something more useful to do.

MontysMerkin wrote:Find something more useful to do.

So maybe you should take the next step and ask the paper girl out?

pedro wrote:

MontysMerkin wrote:Find something more useful to do.

So maybe you should take the next step and ask the paper girl out?

brilliant

My game relies too much on feeling and tying to find my swing every time I play golf. It's ok if I'm playing regularly and I can keep in a groove. But with young kids at home I don't play regularly enough to stay in the groove.

So my aim for 2017 is to find a more consistent swing that takes out one side of the course. Especially off the tee, and even more so the 1st tee.

Not sure the wife (or police) would be too happy with me doing that. Is it common practice round your way?

It's pretty common round my way, there are a lot of golf courses and therefore golfers locally. No my wife will not be too happy with me trying to find a more consistent swing, if it means time on the range instead of at home. Don't think the police care though.

Weird. The police round here are very keen to find a more consistent swing. Mind you they are all fecking useless. Especially off the tee, and even more so the 1st tee.

As discussed with super previously I often sweep iron shots instead of compressing at impact. My aim this year is to start hitting iron shots proper again.

My fixes are maintaining spine angle through impact and less weight transfer to toes as my weight transfers on the downswing.

I fear I may be suffering from early extension

Just to try and play a bit more, though may be tricky with my regular playing partner having baby two un February. Tbough game one of tge tear is tomorrow, it'll be cold but should be dry.

McLaren wrote:As discussed with super previously I often sweep iron shots instead of compressing at impact. My aim this year is to start hitting iron shots proper again.

My fixes are maintaining spine angle through impact and less weight transfer to toes as my weight transfers on the downswing.

I fear I may be suffering from early extension

I'm sorry Mac, but what does the above even mean? "Compressing"?? If you hit the ball, it's compressed - sweeping vs. digging isn't going to make any difference to "compression". Not sure Tom Watson had much of an issue with "compression", he didn't hit serious divots and he wasn't too shabby. As for maintaining spine angle through impact, you'll either hurt yourself or it isn't going to help you. Early extension???
Just get out and play.

I knew someone would take issue with the use of "compression". You must know that phrase is used to describe hitting shots with your hands and shaft slight ahead of th ball at impact. Further, from the rest of my post you can tell what I am trying to do.

Why always you Navy?


Like the time I pointed out a to you a still head should be the result of many other well executed fundamentals a nice divot after the ball is the reward for getting quite a few elements of your swing correct.

I bought myself (in theory wife and kids bought) myself some of those Footjoy trainer style golf shoes for Xmas, so my aim is to use them maybe half a dozen times at least this year.
Have a bit more time at weekends now (occasionally anyway) and a mate who likes to play a quick round and get off, so could be a chance to play a bit more.
Also it's the big 50 this year and have permission for a lads long weekend abroad, plus my sister has already bought me and her hubby a round at Slaney Hall which is meant to be a nice track.
All in all hopefully should be a nice golfing year.

McLaren wrote:I knew someone would take issue with the use of "compression".  You must know that phrase is used to describe hitting shots with your hands and shaft slight ahead of th ball at impact. Further, from the rest of my post you can tell what I am trying to do.

Why always you Navy?


Like the time I pointed out a to you a still head should be the result of many other well executed fundamentals a nice divot after the ball is the reward for getting quite a few elements of your swing correct.

It's not always me Mac, as you well know. The common thing is the guff you sometimes come out with. I have no idea what you mean by 'early extension' really and I suspect few others reading this do either - early extension where/when? 'Compression' is a phrase used by people that don't really know what they're talking about or can't describe what they really mean in terms that make any sense. If I have poor 'compression', what's that saying? Stuff all. It's nothing I can use to improve my 'compression'. As for the 'spine angle' baloney, it's old news and not good for you. No doubt you want a head up, arse out, looking at the ball out of the bottom of your eyes posture as well? It's what you say if you've recently read Golf Monthly or something.

On the still head thing, I know that's what you meant. What I meant was, focussing on a 'still head' is a swing thought that I use when I get too loose and it makes me concentrate on NOT trying to blast it, otherwise I can't keep it still.

Never mind. Maybe I just got out of bed the wrong side...again. Let's not deflect this thread with more of our nonsense.

Diggers wrote:I bought myself (in theory wife and kids bought) myself some of those Footjoy trainer style golf shoes for Xmas, so my aim is to use them maybe half a dozen times at least this year.
Have a bit more time at weekends now (occasionally anyway) and a mate who likes to play a quick round and get off, so could be a chance to play a bit more.
Also it's the big 50 this year and have permission for a lads long weekend abroad, plus my sister has already bought me and her hubby a round at Slaney Hall which is meant to be a nice track.
All in all hopefully should be a nice golfing year.

Hey Diggers - good to hear you're still alive and kicking. How's the teaching going? Welcome to the 50+ club for later this year.

Hey Navy, early extension..well that happens less and less as far as I can tell! Used to be an everyday occurrence.
Teaching is good, drives you mental most of the time but also gives you enough to make you feel like it's worth all of the hassle that goes with it. Bit like being married really I guess.

Diggers wrote:I bought myself (in theory wife and kids bought) myself some of those Footjoy trainer style golf shoes for Xmas, so my aim is to use them maybe half a dozen times at least this year.
Have a bit more time at weekends now (occasionally anyway) and a mate who likes to play a quick round and get off, so could be a chance to play a bit more.

Too much information?


Hope you get to wear the footjoys too, and not just to Sainsbury's. I was in Ikea yesterday afternoon and spotted a bloke walking around in golf shoes... not the trainer style but soft spikes. And he can't have come straight from the course as he was wearing jeans and a hoodie. Bizarre!

McLaren wrote:As discussed with super previously I often sweep iron shots instead of compressing at impact. My aim this year is to start hitting iron shots proper again.

My fixes are maintaining spine angle through impact and less weight transfer to toes as my weight transfers on the downswing.

I fear I may be suffering from early extension

It sounds lke you over-pronate starting around P2 sucking the club too inside by P3 with your arms behind you at P4 across the line, or sometimes laid off, which leads to getting steep and casting causing a loss of your power accumulators and leverage so by impact your flying wedge is completely gone seen by a flip and an early extension.

raycastleunited wrote:

McLaren wrote:As discussed with super previously I often sweep iron shots instead of compressing at impact. My aim this year is to start hitting iron shots proper again.

My fixes are maintaining spine angle through impact and less weight transfer to toes as my weight transfers on the downswing.

I fear I may be suffering from early extension

It sounds lke you over-pronate starting around P2 sucking the club too inside by P3 with your arms behind you at P4 across the line, or sometimes laid off, which leads to getting steep and casting causing a loss of your power accumulators and leverage so by impact your flying wedge is completely gone seen by a flip and an early extension.  

Quite.

raycastleunited wrote:

McLaren wrote:As discussed with super previously I often sweep iron shots instead of compressing at impact. My aim this year is to start hitting iron shots proper again.

My fixes are maintaining spine angle through impact and less weight transfer to toes as my weight transfers on the downswing.

I fear I may be suffering from early extension

It sounds lke you over-pronate starting around P2 sucking the club too inside by P3 with your arms behind you at P4 across the line, or sometimes laid off, which leads to getting steep and casting causing a loss of your power accumulators and leverage so by impact your flying wedge is completely gone seen by a flip and an early extension.  

Wise words, and as comprehensive an explanation of your woes as one could wish for.

Aims

Find ball after each time I hit it. Get ball into hole. Try not to get too grumpy if/when I do neither.

Work on flexibility but tie in with core strengthening.

Roller

You seem to play a fair bit of golf, I doubt you would want to think so little about the game. We all know have the fun is tinkering with our swings and getting annoyed when things are going wrong.

I play once a week with the occasional double header (Sat/Sun). I have a couple of hours in the week generally putting, occasionally chipping. I know that I don't do enough to get as good as I could be, and I'm pretty much self taught so I deliberately keep away from thinking and tinkering as a little bit of (so called) knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Tinkering without time or effort to bed in just doesn't appeal.

I play with what I take to the course and try and get the best I can out of that on that day. When it's good it can be very, very good, when it's not it can be awful.

A bit of a "hey ho" whatever happens happens attitude (see aims above) is, I think, a very good one for my type of golfer. Thinking when on the course is generally bad for my scoring (by which I mean swing thoughts are bad rather than strategic thinking, which is good).

Roller_Coaster wrote:Work on flexibility but tie in with core strengthening.

I've just started on a programme of this with a personal trainer.

God its boring!

Hi you guys are just brilliant reading this . All the technicalities and full of ambition Great stuiff .
Personally just hoping to play every couple of weeks and enjoy