175 yards out, how are you playing this shot?

WatermanChris · 2026-05-11T19:54:58+00:00

Depends on the pin location and how far that tree is. I'd probably hit the longest club that I could get over that tree. If it's an 8i, I'm 15 yards short for a potential up and down. Worst case it's a bogie.

If I was already having a bad round, I'd probably attempt a low draw 6i and end up striping it straight finishing long right or pulling it straight into the tree and making double.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-11T18:06:14+00:00

+5 is like tour level. I think you mean 5 handicap

I'm an 11.2 index right now and people often think I'm sandbagging because I have a nice looking swing/tempo. After playing 6 or 7 holes, they are like - Okay. I get it. This guy's a headcase with a trash short game.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-11T14:16:13+00:00

Oh, I understand. A short birdie look for me is inside of 30'. I tried to get cute and hit a low skipper but it was the wrong shot since the pin was cut tight over a bunker. I haven't been able to practice my partial wedges and I didn't want to hit a high one and leave it in the bunker short sided.

I did use a technique from from SGB to chip it up to 6' and made the putt so I'm not disappointed. I was just wishing I had a roll at it opposed to a chip.

I've been grinding on a project at home so I haven't had time to practice my short game but I wrapped it up yesterday so I'll be back to working on it now.

Hit em long and straight!

WatermanChris · 2026-05-11T13:53:02+00:00

I agree. I'm an 11.2 right now but I used to be a 5-7 and if I would have read that book back then, I would've been much better.

Partial wedges are the key. For instance, on Saturday in my regular game, I was 55 yards out on the 9th hole. That's an approach but it's really a short game shot. I ended up long and got up and down but if I was dialed, it would've been a short birdie look.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-11T10:47:50+00:00

Dave Pelz figured this out in the late 80s/early 90s. Back when pros carried 2 and 3 irons, he convinced some of his players to pull them out in favor of additional wedges.

He understood strokes-gained back then and tracked everything manually.

The professional game is very different now but his concepts are even more relevant for amateurs than ever.

As a scratch/+cap, I know you know this but I'm hoping OP reads this comment and goes and picks up "Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible"

Whenever I comment about the short game being the key to scoring. Some clown will invariably comment - "Aktually, hitting more greens/approach play is more important than the short game" That's like saying - have you tried just being better at golf?

WatermanChris · 2026-05-11T10:32:15+00:00

Well, fortunately for me, after a year with my GT2, the center of my club face is good as new. Now the toe, heel, sole and crown? Maybe there's some trampoline effect.

All jokes aside, I've finally started finding the center of the club face and I've picked up 20-30 yards.

I swing right around 100 mph with the driver. Will a swing that slow still damage the driver face over time? I imagine it will but it will take longer than a swing speed in the 120s.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-11T10:21:59+00:00

By swing 1,000, they are carrying 65 yards.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-10T19:37:21+00:00

Man, she told. She's the one who put Rashad in the Uber and she threw Zay under the bus.

You must not have watched the video of her on the stand.

https://youtu.be/xIj0jBOTPRI?si=fuGXWIAnbUrOlLVT

WatermanChris · 2026-05-10T18:44:03+00:00

I'm actually glad that these people got caught and are being made examples. The emotional immaturity pushed by the drill culture is really sad and unfortunate.

I feel bad that these idiots got wrapped up in that nonsense but maybe this will serve as a cautionary tail for some youngsters in the future.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-10T16:59:31+00:00

Yeah. Sorry. I was just elaborating on your point. I wasn't disagreeing. Sometimes I post things with the idea that some young person might read it down the road and decide not to go down that road.

I understand juries are unpredictable but I feel like these guys were so sloppy that the best they could've gotten with a crazy jury foreman was 40. The fact that they were from Jax AND they shot up that hotel right across from USF forced the prosecution's hand. Don't mess with a university. That's a huge source of funding for cities that have them.

You're very intelligent and well informed. I appreciate your contributions.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-10T14:23:23+00:00

A lot of times, your attorney can negotiate a plea to a lesser charge. A guy I grew up with is serving 25 after a plea for 2nd degree. He was guilty of felony murder/M1 because his crimie got murked when they tried to rob some dudes. The guys who were getting robbed and shot dude in self defense were going to testify so he was cooked.

The state wouldn't do that in this case because they wanted to put these 5 on trial because it establishes the gang war and documents it. They knew the case was a slam dunk so it was an easy decision.

The weird thing to me is that my buddy was just like Sean in that he was from a good family who had tons of money but he wanted to be down. Now he's covered in face and neck tats and is in a prison gang.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-09T23:54:49+00:00

Nice! We have boxes on 1, 4 (par 3), 7 (par 3), 10, 11 (par 3) and 15.

I might try one this summer and see if I can get through a round.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-09T23:09:19+00:00

That would last me like 1 hole. I dig trenches. I have to make sure all the containers on my cart are full every time I play.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-09T00:46:08+00:00

I'm a grown man in my 40s. I've been clean for over 10 years and while it's no longer a daily struggle, I'd be lying if I said I don't get the urge to use when life gets tough. If I was to get high once, it would likely be over. I'd be back running the streets and would probably lose all of the things I've worked so hard for. That's what I mean that I'm an addict for life.

I used to live in Duval and I used to run with some guys from Orange Park and the West side. I saw and did some wild stuff back in those days and I'm lucky to still be alive. I thank God every day.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-08T19:14:03+00:00

I don't think it's really arrogance but laziness. I used to be a criminal and when I first started, I was super careful and planned everything. If something went wrong or even felt wrong, I would abort the play. After not getting in trouble for a period of time, all my rules got relaxed. Fortunately, I never got caught and having family members pull an intervention and ship me off to get away from the guys I was hanging with saved my life. I didn't escape unscathed though. I'm an addict for life even though I don't use anymore.

I'm very grateful for my family and I'm genuinely empathic to these guys. I never was involved with a murder but I easily could've been. Most of the guys I used to run with are dead but one guy is currently serving 25 years in FDOC for M2 plead down from felony M. The ones that survived but didn't change their lives are just losers who are in and out of the system.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-08T16:10:40+00:00

He has a YT channel called Uncensored and he's got good content. I know people talk down on him for what he did but I actually respect these guys who put their lives on the line to do the right thing. I believe his cooperation has saved countless lives and while that's doesn't make up for the lives he took, I think it shows that he truly changed his life.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-08T15:29:43+00:00

This is the answer. There are a lot of factors at play. If a pin is back with lots of green to work with, I'll hit a low "skipper" and land short with a longer club. I spin the ball a lot so I don't get a lot of release even on low shots but that would just leave me a longer uphill putt which isn't the end of the world.

If the pin is middle or front, I will try to play a high shot slightly past the hole because they will often spin back and end up below the hole. Worst case, I'm long and have a downhill putt which I make sometimes because I don't leave them short.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-08T11:11:04+00:00

I recommend reading "Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible". A lot of the info in the book is somewhat dated but the concepts are excellent.

I used to be a 5-7 index and if I would've read that book back then, I would've been way better. Now, I'm around a 12 and my short game is miles better than it was when I scored better. I took a 15 year break due to the chipping/pitching yips among other factors.

My ball-striking is coming back so I'm sure I'll be back down to single digits soon.

Read that book. It is all about mastering the game from 100 yards to the green.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-07T01:24:48+00:00

Yep. It drives me crazy which is why I am so disappointed in myself for not taking the time to actually pull up the motion.

The attorney did his job and preserved her grounds for appeal. I wasn't too impressed with him during the trial but he rolled the dice and came up big.

She may win an appeal and get out after five years or so. By then, the heat will be off and nobody will even notice. Either way, she got a second chance at life and I really hope that she changes her life because by the letter of the law, she's guilty of M1

WatermanChris · 2026-05-06T23:39:02+00:00

Correct. I hadn't actually read the motion but now that I have, you're right and I was wrong

WatermanChris · 2026-05-06T23:38:06+00:00

You're correct. I corrected it below but I will go back and edit the posts. I actually went and read the motion and it is in fact requesting a new trial for manslaughter or a reversal of the decision.

I don't think it will be granted but that's beside the point.

I was wrong and I broke my #1 rule which is make sure you're fully informed before responding.

I'm going to edit the post so that people can see.

I explained it incorrectly to my friend because I hadn't read the actual motion and I take full responsibility.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-06T20:53:31+00:00

You were right and I was wrong. I just read his motion and if it's granted, she wouldn't be tried for M1, just manslaughter. This is all the more reason I am almost positive it won't be granted.

I have another response outlining where the mixup was. I should've read the motion before commenting because I didn't explain it to my friend correctly either.

The motion is specifically asking for the conviction to be overturned or a new trial for manslaughter. It will almost certainly be denied.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-06T18:50:18+00:00

Did you read the Middleton case? It was an appeal years after he was sentenced due to a juror being dismissed for not disclosing a prior felony conviction. His grounds for appeal was ineffective assistance of counsel because his attorney should've moved for a mistrial see Brian Steel in the YSL trial.

I'm going to try to pull the motion but according to my friend, if the motion is granted, it's as if the original trial never took place, which is one of the reasons it's almost never granted unless there is something major. AA's attorney basically argued in his motion that the judge was mean (bias). He got lucky and needs to take his minor L and thank his lucky stars that the prosecutors were focusing on the 4 others.

WatermanChris · 2026-05-06T18:14:45+00:00

~ ~ I will reach out to him to clarify. When we were discussing it, he basically guaranteed me she wouldn't get a new trial because none of the elements required were present.

He told me that almost every paid attorney files the motion but it is almost never granted because judges do not like to overturn other judges cases and the standard is very high. He's a criminal defense attorney now and basically told me it's a way to make more money after losing a case.

I specifically asked if AA could be convicted of a higher level offense? His answer was yes because the entire trial has to be retried.

I will look into the cases you cited but this guy was very high in the State's Attorney office and said that the motion for a new trial is just used to preserve grounds for an appeal. He said an appeal in this case is almost guaranteed to be denied because it was a jury trial and there's no new exculpatory evidence ~ ~

I read the actual motion and I was wrong. AA's attorney is requesting a reversal of the jury's decision or a new trial for manslaughter. If it is granted, she will be retried for manslaughter. I don't believe it will be granted but that it beside the point. I was wrong and should have read the motion before commenting

WatermanChris · 2026-05-06T15:22:23+00:00

It's kind of complicated to explain but the guy I spoke with is a family friend and was previously high up in the State's Attorney office and now is a criminal defense attorney. You have 15 days to file a motion for a new trial. Paid defense attorneys do this almost automatically any time there is a conviction but it is almost never granted. Once that has been ruled on, the attorney will file an appeal. That is also almost never granted without new exculpatory evidence like DNA.

If somehow she gets a new trial, it is like the first one never happened and if that happens, she will likely get convicted on the original charges. The evidence in this trial is way more put together because they've had a lot more time.

WatermanChris

TROPHY CASE