I love watching all the scratch golfers and pros - but there's something refreshing watching a very relatable golfer. Keep it up. We'll all improve together!
I play a lot "alone", meaning I just sub for a tee time and see what strangers I get matched with. Among them, I have played with dozens and dozens of 30ish handicappers, and I can say with confidence: Your drives and longer irons are nothing like "what 30 handicap really looks like". You have a pretty solid swing already and better timing than half of the single handicappers at my club. Anything within 100 of the green already looks more "typical" I would say. I think your HCP will drop in no time and if you really want to accelerate it, focus on "within 100 of the green". Great game, all the best!
Thanks so much Capt Nemo. Great name btw. Idk why, but my approach play was so off on this round. Usually way better than that. One day everything will fall into place and ill be chasing the next better score. Thank you for the nice comment and for checking out my video. ✌️
@@MGGolf Since I'm a lefty, it was like looking in a mirror - especially with the pulls and putts. But your swing looks good, and that's all that really matters😉
I agree with Bill, I felt guilty laughing as well for the same reason, recently retired and trying to get back to playing more often, I’m closer to a 30 handicap! Appreciate your videos!
Just subscribed. As many have said, this is a refreshing view on golf, but I also find it quite inspiring. I played golf in high school and have been a high school coach for 7 years. But being married with children, teaching, coaching, and all of life has kept me from playing as much as I would like. I have decided to get back to being serious about golf and have been frustrated with my own play. I watched your video and it brought me back to when it was all about the journey and looking for minor improvements. Thank you for these videos, it has motivated me to keep working. Thanks friend!!
Hey thanks so much. I actually started a couple years ago but got married and then had a kid. So I had to put it on pause for a while. Now she's 2 and I can sneak out of the house a little more often to play. I'm glad you and others can get some enjoyment out of these videos. They keep me honest with myself about my gameplay and places to look for improvement. Thanks for the sub. Really appreciate it. ✌️
Loved watching this video, and have no doubt you’ve improved a ton over the last 2 months since you posted this. I just went from a 30+ handicap to about 18-20 in a matter of weeks, and the biggest help for me was to club up. It’s easy to see someone hitting their 60’ wedge around 100, when mines sitting closer to 65 yards. Thought I would throw that piece out there because clubbing up has shaved so many strokes off of my game almost instantly.
Thanks Harrison. Glad you liked it and congrats in the improvement! I actually just had my best round yesterday. Gotta work on editing the round next week. Had a couple lessons and got my irons a little more pure. Also, ditched the 56 and 60 around the green. Too many thin shots over and back. Played bump and runs this week and saved myself a few shots. Thanks for the input and checking out the video. ✌️
Great video and nice touch with the added commentary….On hole 4 when you tried to go between the trees instead of toward the “GIANT field” that had me laughing hard 😂
This is good content, Mark! Keep at it! You're getting the ball up to/around the green in regulation a lot of the time, which generally means you're making pretty solid contact. That hcp is gonna come down pretty fast, I would guess. I'm a 4 Hcp at the moment, I've been playing over 10 years, and I feel like I've only begun to scratch the surface of figuring out how to play this insane and infuriating, amazing game. I only have one suggestion for you, as I'm sure you're fairly inundated with them. On the two big pulls with irons that I see, the approach on 1 and the tee shot on the par-3 6th, you're doing something that I also fall into and need to check with video fairly often: your feet and hips are aligned toward the target well, but your shoulders are actually aimed pretty far left of target. It's great that you all this video of your own swing, because you can check it on things like that. In fact, come to think of it, I'm going to check on this very thing at the range tomorrow.
Hey Daniel. Thanks for the comment and checking out my video. I have heard about my shoulders when I went for a club fitting, and I tried adjusting it. It's not a conscious swing thought for me, but something I should check here and there. I do check my target alignment with my feet fairly often tho. I'll keep this one in mind next time I go out. Thanks again. ✌️
Me and you buddy are on the same level. It really does feel refreshing seeing someone relatable. Keep it up and with time we both will get better and lower our scores. 👍
@@MGGolf I started playing January and made a lot of progress. I don’t have a handicap yet. But I actually broke my pr and shot 54 on 9 holes, this previous Saturday!
Nicely done. I recognise this journey. Been trying golf off and on for about 2-3 years but really only started to play once a week since May 2022. According to Golf Shot, my Average to Par (?Handicap?) sits at 20. Only been using this app since May and even though to may not be completely accurate it really helps me track my progress. My big problem is my putting....those 3 putts messing up my round. Thanks for giving us mere mortals to see that we are not alone in this journey. 👍
Thanks for posting some relatable content. My buddies and I just picked up the game about 7 months ago and I will say I’m very surprised you’re the at your handicap with that driver swing. Most of my mistakes come off the tee, and I have no confidence in my driver at all. I can see you dropping strokes fast in the near future, and I’ll be tuning in to see your progression!
Thanks man. Appreciate it. A lot of people will say to not hit driver as a new golfer. I don't really agree with it. If your not confident with it yet, hit it with like 50% effort. Gaurantee it'll go straighter. As you get more confident, pick up your speed. My first tee shot of the day is always around 50% just to get it in the fairway and gain some confidence. After that I'll start picking it up. If it's starts to cause issues, I'll back it off again. Good luck in your game. And have fun. Gotta enjoy it! ✌️
Just subbed. Love these videos, and love seeing people improve. I have a couple of me in the 30s and even 40s. I got down to a 20 and now back to a 26. Your swing is significantly better than mine even when you were a 30 so I'm not at all surprised you dropped so quickly. Keep it up!
Dude thank you so much for the sub. Really appreciate it. 30 down to 20 I feel like is mostly course management. For me it was controlling out of bounds and learning bump and runs instead of high lofted chip shots. Keep me up to date as your handicap moves. We can progress together ✌️
You made me laugh....because I'm just like you! Love this video. It feels good to watch what I play like (actually, you're probably be better than me!). Anyways, great content. Keep 'em coming.
Just subscribed. You have so much potential your game is better then your handicap! The video is excellent and you have a terrific mindset when playing which is refreshing to see. Keep it up and keep the vlogs coming.
Hey Mark - work on your shoulder turn and shorten the radius of your arm swing - arms are outpacing the length of your shoulder turn causing left / right directions - dip your front shoulder down when chipping for stronger contact - you’ll get there it’s a process
I'm just starting out and I can totally relate to misses you made in this video. Your long shots are amazing tbh, unlike mine. Tee shots are still my biggest fear! Also, I'm sorry that I laughed at some of those shots because I too had those moments on the green. Let's improve together! [Subbed!]
Thanks so much for the sub Arif! I get nervous at every tee shot. Ur not alone on that. And feel free to laugh at bad shots. I laugh at myself all the time. ✌️
I love the vid, i am at the same level as you are. What helps me is to chip shots with a 8 iron at example hole 7. It is the same movement as a putter but you skip the first part of the longer grass. Greetings from the Netherlands! 🇳🇱
I don't know why, but I completely stopped using those bump and run irons shots this year. I used to use them alot and they really help to keep from skulling a chip. Gotta bring those back into the shot inventory. Cheers from Connecticut. ( Blows my mind that people across the world are watching my stupid videos lol) Thanks for checking it out. ✌️
also a high handicapper (managed to bring it down from ~30 to ~18 in the last few months). i had the shanks for awhile and saw you shank a few. one thing is you cant let a shank get to you mentally. it looked like after your shank on hole 4, some of the next few shots you looked really tentative. just commit to it. let your lower body initiate the downswing, and commit to the swing. another small trick - if you have the shanks, try to mentally aim for the inner part of the ball for your swing and it'll help you prevent hitting the hossel. gl mate
Hey thanks Jason. I don't get the shanks a lot, but when I do, they become very common. I think by that point in my round I knew something was off. I'm typically pretty good with my mental game and moving on from bad shots. For some reason it was just one bad shot after another this time. Sometimes that just happens tho. Good rounds and rough rounds. Both can sneak in there. Also, that's a nice drop in handicap for you in just a few months. Congrats on that. I would love to see myself get down to bogey golf soon. ✌️
Thanks Mike! So many pros and coaches doing RU-vid golf. Just trying to make some relatable content. Thanks so much for the comment and for checking out the video. I really appreciate it! ✌️
Best piece of bunker advice I ever got was to imagine the ball is sitting on the centre of a pound note (or dollar bill) going lengthways. Then try to hit the shot so the club enters the sand at the very front of the note/bill. I’ve never struggled with bunker shots since
Thank you so much for the advice. Idk why, but I just can't figure bunkers out. I've watched videos, done the draw a line one inch behind the ball thing, spent time in em practicing. Nothing makes it make sense to me yet. I just had a driver focused lesson. I think I'm gonna book a bunker specific lesson soon. I just had a round where bunkers cost me my best score. Don't want that to happen again. Thanks for getting in the comments for me. And thanks for checking out my video. I hope you liked it. ✌️
Subbed. Keep grinding and you will start to figure it out. Just treat every hole likes it’s a par 5 and take some pressure off yourself. I’m a 19 and I still do that!
Thanks for the sub Chris! I try to treat each hole as a single round. If it's a bad one, move on. New game starting at the next tee box. I only feel pressure when I start adding up scores mid round. Stopped doing that awhile ago. Thanks for the support man. Really appreciate it. ✌️
I'm scheduled to play that course Thursday at 5 if your interested in going back, I will be with a guy I have golfed with once. Seems like the 3 of us generally score about the same
That right there is a good course to do rounds on. As you said, its a pretty easy course. It's fairly open also which helps. The blind tee shots can be nerve wracking but you will get used to it. Hardest hole is probably that hard dogleg right. Not worth trying to cut the corner and its blind. This is a fun watch. If it helps at all, my putting makes yours look good, lol.
Would be a great course to work on irons. Really no need for a driver there. And it was only 24$ for 9 holes with a cart. Not a bad deal. Thanks for checking out my video. Appreciate it!✌️
@@MGGolf Subbed up man. It's oddly satisfying watching someone playing the same courses I have played, making the same mistakes I have made, struggle and succeed the same. Really enjoying it. If you like bouncing around trying different courses, give Stonybrook up in Litchfield a try. Another 9 hole course and if I remember correctly decently priced, (been awhile). It's a pretty tough one, at least I think so.
I actually played there late last year. Think I gave up on the second to last hole lol. I do love bouncing around. Hoping to hit a bunch new courses this year. Maybe filming, maybe just for fun.
It’s all a process for sure. I try and take the bad rounds I play and each time, ask myself about one thing to improve on that really limited me that day. I’ll be going along right next to ya throughout your journey!
Honestly the biggest benefit to filming all my rounds now is that I have to watch them back. Didn't realize I didn't hit a green all round until in editing. Thanks for following along on the journey. Can't gaurantee it'll be pretty. But it'll be real. ✌️
@@MGGolf that’s a good point. I filmed a few holes a while back and it really shows my strengths and weaknesses. I can’t film much because I haven’t found out how to have a reasonable pace of play and not back up the course while doing it yet. If you could do a tutorial on how you film sometime that’d be great :)
Kinda just have everything ready and get into a rhythm. Get weird looks from everyone even without messing up pace. I've scrapped a couple rounds just because of pace
great video .... you have a good swing and will be down to a 18 in no time. You're consistently hitting a baby draw ... I would play that shot with your irons. I would suggest to chip with something like a 9 iron ....bump and run... and that round turns into a 48.
Thanks J. I ditched the lofted wedges on my last couple rounds and it really helps out. Still need to practice with them to get a feel for distances, but they aren't flying over the greens which is nice. ✌️
Which clubs do you use? Brand, model, set configuration, and flex? I found a big improvement after I did a lot of research on shafts, head types, MOI, swing speed and lofts.
TaylorMade sim 2 max d, tensei av raw blue 75g stiff TaylorMade p790 4-aw. DG 105 stiff 56* sand wedge top flite 60* Mizuno (never use) TaylorMade spider putter Fit into irons and driver. Looking for a putter fitting and new wedges soon
@@MGGolf All in all I'd say that's a solid setup. Great driver and putter, wedges are solid and the irons are nice and forgiving. Once you straighten up your shots a little your scores will drop dramatically I reckon.
My good rounds are a little over bogey golf. My bad ones are over double bogey. Just a crappy average. Alot of my bad scores used to come from going O.B. This 9 hole round I went O.B. twice. Those add up real quick. Other than that, just stupid stuff like 3 or 4 putting. Skulling a chip over the green or fluffing one nowhere. Random bad shots that squeak their way in and add up. Not saying I should hit every green in reg, but to get zero is off for me. It's a very valid point Chris, and not rude at all. I welcome all comments and input. Thanks. ✌️
Looks a lot like one of my rounds 😂 I’ve thought about uploading bc the “relatable golfer” category definitely resonates with people. Maybe even try a break 90 or break 85 series, and the comments could provide tips too. Also just made my first eagle on Sunday - sending good luck and low scores your way! Edit* I’d love to throw a like but I’m hesitant to ruin the 69 likes you have now haha
First, LMAO to the 69. I'd do the same. Second congrats on the eagle. That's dope. Third, if you like filming and editing give it a go. Fourth, you can go like the vid now lol. ✌️
Picked it up 4 years ago and play a lot that year. Second year I got married and didn't really get to play alot. Prolly less than 5 rounds that year. Third year had a kid and didn't get to play at all. And this year playing about every other week. So depends on how many of those years count I guess. ✌️
I dont really know shit about form, but I just was watching a lesson and they said: at the top of your swing to let your hands drop just a sec before starting your hip movement as to not pull your irons left. I watched your slow mo vid also, and see you initiating to open your hip at the top. maybe that the key... ?
I think dropping the hands just shallows out the swing plane. Which is new to me. Used to come over the top last year but working to change it. That and hip rotation are current swing thoughts, especially with driver ATM. Still working out the timing of all that. Golf is too freaking hard Bob. ✌️
Not sure if your asking me or the chat in the comments. My short game leaves a lot to be desired. I've been focusing on better contact with hitting the center of the face on the putter. Simple gate drills have been helping me. Set up tees on both sides of the putter when practicing putting. The tighter the better. Ensures center contact when hitting the ball. Hope that helps out a little. ✌️
I really don't know what was up with my approach iron shots on this round. Normally better than that. All the other bad shots happen all the time tho. I don't sweat those at all. Gotta have fun and just laugh when ya do something stupid. ✌️
Honestly the only thing im seeing here that can get improvement is swing speed and shot selection. For example, your open club face from 70 yards out should just been a standard setup and the bunker shot where you full swung with a standard setup should have been an open club face. Wedges are designed for higher flight, so you don’t need to exaggerate the angle from so far out.
That open face sand wedge was such a dumb choice. If I really wanted, I have a 60 degree in the bag. And I remember thinking I have no idea how this is gonna work out. I think that's where a lot of high handicap players lose points. By playing shots that they've seen, but never practiced or played. And for some reason I played the bunker shot like a regular wedge shot. I watched the shot back and saw ball then sand interaction. All things to remember on the next round. Thanks for the input Julian. And thanks for checking out my video. ✌️
@@MGGolf I am a 19 handicap because I still make a lot of dumb choices too. I struggle with having the confidence if hitting every shot and thinking it’ll work out like I want it to instead of playing smart golf. Anything I can do to help though, I will give out my input on, just a game we all learn together!
@@MGGolf anytime! Id love to give more tips if you’re willing, but id need to really look at your swing and tell you what i notice based off of what ive learned!
I think most of your dropped shots are from pitch distance, around, and on the green. I think if you started to spend twice as much time around a practice green as you do in the range your score would drop a lot.
This was a weird round for me. I'm typically better at pitch distance, which keeps me from having to chip so much. Not sure why I was so off that day. I think I need to spend twice as much time with a coach than I do at the range as well. Thanks for the comment and checking out the video. ✌️
@@MGGolf no worries, good luck with the channel. I'd say from the tee you look good. Seems like your driver hits around 250, with tour pro average only being 280 I don't think you need to work too much on that until you get your scores a lot further down. Focus on mid irons and putting and you're gonna drop that score fast. Also, you touched on it in the vid anyway, but using the driver less and finding a long club that has higher fairway percentage off the tee is a great idea. I tend to hit my hybrid around 200 but it finds the fairway twice as much as my driver so I favour it. I'll only hit big dog when I have a lot of space to miss. Another tip that really helped me is to work back from the green. So I can hit a PW 100 yards very accurately so I try and work back from the hundred yard in. Say a 400yd par 4, I'll hit my hybrid off the tee then rather than gunning for the GIR I'll hit two easy 100yd shots onto the green and leave myself an easier put. All just food for thought.
I appreciate all the input. And I agree with you on all of it. Trying to get better this year has me needing to change my mindset from recreational play to a more intentional type of play. Instead of "hit driver at every chance and I can just drop a ball wherever", I need to start thinking about danger and playing to my strengths (whenever I figure out exactly what those are). More hybrid off the tee and more time practicing on the green. My biggest goal right now is finding a coach that I jive well with and investing into it. Hopefully break 90 by the end of this year. Feel free to subscribe if you haven't and check back later. Thanks again. ✌️
Just came across the channel it’s so refreshing to see a player like myself who is high handicapped making the exact same sort of mistakes I make here for the long run buddy ⛳️🏌️
You also talk like a 30 handicapper by giving other stuff the fould of your bad day . hahah lol. Just joking. I tend to do that as well when i play bad. I play at hcp 26. Keep it up, your swing looks nice. :-)
High handicapping is a tough life Peter. Gotta talk it off or at least laugh it off. End of the day just getting a dumb ball in a hole lol. Appreciate you checking out my video and leaving a comment man. ✌️
