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Re: New TP Looking for advice

• JimbeauC 5,835 Posts

  Sun, Jan 1 2012 2:47 PM

  I did a search, but everything was about club choice. The new conditions are killing me. Does anyone have some sage advice on how to handle the transition. Heh. My average is going in the wrong direction. Any possibility that I'll get demoted a tier back to Pro?

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Sun, Jan 1 2012 2:59 PM

  JimbeauC:

  Any possibility that I'll get demoted a tier back to Pro?

  No. What part of the new game is giving you trouble?

• DannyPhan 1,013 Posts

  Sun, Jan 1 2012 3:04 PM

  I feel your pain. (insert Bill Clinton impersonation) Same thing happens to us all. Wait till you hit Master and I hear Legend is even worse.

  Takes a while to adjust to the new environment, give it some time and keep playing.

• JimbeauC 5,835 Posts

  Sun, Jan 1 2012 4:25 PM

  YJ,

  Mostly putting. I can't make sense of how hard to putt. If I back off a little, I come up short, but if I use my old routine, I zoom 6 feet past the hole. Pitching is much the same. Seems I'm always either 3-4 yards short or long. I used to pitch to 2-3 feet with great regularity.

  DP,

  I'm thinking that at this rate, I may have hit my highest possible tier. Might as well make myself at home. 

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Sun, Jan 1 2012 4:41 PM

  JimbeauC:

  YJ,

  Mostly putting. I can't make sense of how hard to putt. If I back off a little, I come up short, but if I use my old routine, I zoom 6 feet past the hole. Pitching is much the same. Seems I'm always either 3-4 yards short or long. I used to pitch to 2-3 feet with great regularity.

  DP,

  By the sound of it , it's the green speed that's throwing you. When you moved up they changed and got a little faster. Just know this and start thinking how to get that roll to slow down. Each time you advance the green speed will increase and you'll be going through this again. There is no quick fix, you just have to back off a little and get used to it.

  Putting is a big part of this game and how you gauge the speed of a putt is something that will always get in your way. There's a pretty good method outlined in the Putting Tips under the FAQs called the avatar move method. It lets you figure out the distance for each putter move and helps to get the distance under control. I use it to this day and swear by it. That may help you. Otherwise, the only thing you can do is work out for yourself just how much to back off your swings. We've all been through it and it will get better, just work on it.

   

• JimbeauC 5,835 Posts

  Sun, Jan 1 2012 5:45 PM

  Good encouraging words, YJ. Thanks.

  The following shows some promise. I take 15% off the distance to get my base. The uphill/downhill seems about the same as before, right around 1"=1'.

  Pitching is more problematic. Seems no matter what I do, I'm 3-4 yards short or long. Heh, I gave up on chipping long ago. It never worked right. 

  I'm used to making the occasional birdie. Now I make the occasional par. Hi Ho.

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Sun, Jan 1 2012 7:03 PM

  That 1" will always be the same but here's another way to look at it. Putt uphill like you're used to but back off down hill-that's where the speed gets you. Lip outs are 99% speed so you'll probably see those as you get closer to dialing in the speed.

  Revisit the chipping but just don't chip from the deep rough and don't try to baby those swings. Partial swings less than about 70% are going to cause you problems. When chipping, switch to the putter and look at the chip in reverse. Plan the roll like you would for a putt, then switch back to the chip and fire away.

  Play for par and the birdies will come.  :-)

• JimbeauC 5,835 Posts

  Mon, Jan 2 2012 1:23 PM

  All,

  Good advice. 

  I just finished the back at Oakmont. 1 over, complete with 2 birds. Only one 3 putt and three 1 putts. 

  I just started thinking of my putter meter as being 35 feet instead of 30. Similar thinking has helped pitching. I'm down to pitching to 1-2 yards away, which isn't as good as before, but a step in the right direction. 

  Maybe this will prove of benefit to others. 

  Thanks again.

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Mon, Jan 2 2012 4:32 PM

  1 over is a good effort at Oakmont, JC. If you can do that there with those vicious greens you'll really do well on the calmer greens.  GL