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New to master and need help!

• Sastradamus 10 Posts

  Fri, Jun 18 2010 5:40 PM

  So I'm new to the game and played like a maniac over the past 2 weeks to get to master and am quite surprised with the difficultly. Went from shooting low rounds back to high 70s and am just starting to get close to even par on the easy courses. I've almost got putting speed down as I'm now missing around 8-12 putts a round by < 1 ft.

  My biggest issue has to do with playing out of bad lies ESPECIALLY from 10-20 yards. I consistently either miss perfect by 1 pixel and end up flubbing the shot 1 yard or i hit the same shot and it releases cleanly and i hit the ball 10 feet past the hole.Also chipping the ball is a nightmare as I often don't get it off the rough/fringe so I almost always use the pitch. I was consistently getting these same shots to within 2-5 ft on pro. I'm also using less distance to account for green speed on my shots but it isn't enough it seems. Can anyone give me some tips on this or tricks they use? Something seems horribly wrong when I can place the ball closer to the flag from 110 yards than 10.

  My other question has to do with clubs. Am I correct in assuming the more the swing meter is too the left the slower the club? I'm having difficulty adjusting to the master speed after buying the taylor made set and am surprised to see many posts suggesting the even faster TriMaster sets. Help/opinions appreciated.

  Many thanks in advance.

• TheLighterDark 1,404 Posts

  Sat, Jun 19 2010 11:06 AM

  When I'm playing from off of the green, I almost always use a Flop shot. Reasons why:

  1. You're ball will go higher, which allows you to safely clear any object in your way (trap lips, traps, fronts of greens, etc.).
  2. You'll be able to stop the ball better, which will really help with the Master green speeds.

  Since Flops require you to (realistically) open your club face up, the ball will move a few yards to the right. It's not a bad idea to take a round to acquaint yourself with the adjustment.

  The only times I would ever use Pitch or Chip is if I have an uphill chip that has no object to clear in getting the green.

  Sastradamus:

  My other question has to do with clubs. Am I correct in assuming the more the swing meter is too the left the slower the club? I'm having difficulty adjusting to the master speed after buying the taylor made set and am surprised to see many posts suggesting the even faster TriMaster sets. Help/opinions appreciated.

  I assume to mean where you are clicking the in comparison to the "ding." If you are usually left, that would typically mean that the club is slower. With faster clubs, more times than not, you'll end up to the right of the "ding."

  Just take time to familiarize yourself with the new club speeds before upgrading to even faster ones.

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Sat, Jun 19 2010 11:22 AM

  I think he's talking about the meter icon in the club attributes. The more straight up and down it is the faster the meter, sastradamus.

  TLD's advice on the flop is dead on, learn that shot. In fact, BolluxinBruges, one of the best golfers here, just posted an interesting observation. Paraphrasing what he said, most middle to high average masters invariably choose the wrong shot on the approach.

  Learn what each shot does and then fit them in your attack. Your approach is what is going to get your score down by making the putting easier. GL

   

• Sanco 1,345 Posts

  Sat, Jun 19 2010 10:04 PM

  Yes sastradamus, left is slow and the more to the right is faster...

• Sastradamus 10 Posts

  Sun, Jun 20 2010 12:26 PM

  Thanks for the advice so far and the clarifying the meter. Any tips on playing 10-20 yard shots from the rough or bunker? This is an area I'm really struggling with. I'm either hitting it 30 feet past the hole or if I try to hit what I think is the correct speed if i miss perfect contact it just goes 1 yard and i waste a stroke. Thanks.

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Sun, Jun 20 2010 2:47 PM

  Sastradamus:

  Any tips on playing 10-20 yard shots from the rough or bunker?

  Definitely the flop shot except at Oakmont. When you don't have to navigate a high bunker wall pitching out of traps works great. Pitches roll after landing so expect that. Flops work great when you have to get up and over and they tend to roll less on landing. Never hit those shots with a partial swing less than 75%!   There are exceptions to this but save that for when you're confident getting out.

  Investing in a 64 degree wedge is huge because full swings with that are very easy to map and traps at Oakmont won't take anything more than a lofted wedge to get out of. Full swings with a 64 degree wedge always get you out. 

  KIA #4 has a very nasty bunker guarding the pin. The 64 gets you out every time (50% swing.) The 64 paid for itself the first time I hit it out of there. It's an invaluable club-get one. Hope this helps. GL

  
  

• Sastradamus 10 Posts

  Mon, Jun 21 2010 9:41 AM

  Thanks for the great advice once again. I picked up a 64 degree wedge and it made a big difference. This was the club i was missing to allow me to hit close chip/pitch shots from bad lies with control.

  Was able to shoot 69 on KIA for my first round in 60s since turning master despite having problems finding the fairways. Typically, this would have been a +4 round so I'm hoping with everyones advice and a new club, I've turned the corner. Thanks.

• Bluenose12 2,101 Posts

  Thu, Jun 24 2010 3:23 AM

  When you get to Master level does the Green Speed go from fast as it is in Pro to the speed they are on the Oakmont course?

• Sastradamus 10 Posts

  Thu, Jun 24 2010 10:23 AM

  The green speed does indeed increase, breaks in the putts are more exaggerated, and elevation has a bigger impact.  I've been missing a lot of  "easy" putts that were no brainers as a pro since being off by a single a pixel could seriously change your putt. On the brightside, my average has dropped back into the high 60s so there is hope.

  Good luck!

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Thu, Jun 24 2010 10:43 AM

  Bluenose12:

  When you get to Master level does the Green Speed go from fast as it is in Pro to the speed they are on the Oakmont course?

  No. The default speed for masters is Very Fast. You can see it if you set up a practice round using Very Fast greens. The Open speeds are Tournament speed which is much faster.