2025: The First Few Weeks

The golf season is finally underway! After some snow and soreness that hampered the first couple of weeks, I've been able to get a few rounds in. However, they've been terrible..

So what's going wrong?

Looking at the Strokes Gained data on Shot Scope, the new driver seems to be working, but not much else.

The irons have been a bit of an issue, with my approach shots strokes gained as low as -3.46 (when compared to a 10 handicap). A few thin shots, some hosels—not a recipe for success. The driver has been saving me, but I'm still not convinced it's anywhere near as good as the Ping G400 (RIP). But I am still in early-season form all around.

My handicap to end last season was at 10.8. So far this season, it has shot up to a 12.1. Obviously, there is some work to be done to fix that.

From here on out, I'll need to be a little smarter with my practice to improve — more focused. So far, I've mostly just been hitting balls and collecting data on my new launch monitor, and having those carry distances has helped, but the focus on things like strike quality has not been quite where it should be.

My best round of the year, a respectable 41, came after a fairly lengthy warmup. So I've decided to lay out a practice plan for myself that I'm going to stick with for the next few weeks and make an effort to stick to and see how things go:

Driving Range

1. 5-10 punch outs (yes, I struggle with that often)

2. 5-10 100-120 3/4 swings

3. 5-10 short-iron shots

4. 10-15 mid-iron shots, mixing in draws and fades

5. 5-10 long iron shots

6. 5-10 40-80 yard wedge shots

7. 5-10 driver shots

   
   

   Practice Green

8. Land 10 chips in a 3-foot circle

9. 7/10 20-foot putts in a 3-foot circle

10. 10 3-foot putts in a row

But all's not lost. My league night last week turned out pretty well - a respectable 41. And done with 19 putts. And my new wedge seems to be treating me well. The last round of nine holes had two shots land exactly pin-high with that club, so I feel like it's already made the purchase worthwhile.

With a week or two of solid practice, I'm sure we'll start seeing some strokes drop off those scores.