Great way to round off the year...

First off a big hand to our green keeper who has somehow managed to get the course open with only two temporary greens (8 and 17). Well what can I say. It's been a frustrating year, especially with people complimenting me on my swing despite my lack of control over it. The amount of times this year I have heard the frustrating phrase "It will come"... anyway, today was a good day.

I decided to carry today so only took a half set 3 Wood, 2I Hybrid, 4, 6, 8, PW, SW, Putter. Got off to a good start on the first five holes, probably because I had made a conscious decision to swing easy. Bogey, Bogey, Par, Bogey, Double Bogey is actually worth 14 stableford points for me as it translates to Birdie, Birdie, Birdie, Birdie, Par. As per usual I then got a little ahead of myself on the sixth and hit a woeful tee shot, long second shot, chipped through the green, two out of the bunker and a three putt for a big fat 8 on a par 3!!!!

Another 8 followed on the 7th when I tried to reach the par five green  in two and hit an ugly hook into the gorse. I was spewing at the time but that turned out to be my only penalty of the day, a real rarity for me. I gave myself a strict talking to and scored par and birdie on the next two holes. I started the back nine fairly solidly but was most happy with how I played our 'Amen Corner' picking up 8 points on holes 13-15, something which is completely unheard of for me. Two gross pars on 16 and 17 had the gloss taken off them by a poor six on the last. That said I walked off the course with a personal best of 96 and 41 Stableford points.

Only one blob today and my ball striking and short game much improved. What let me down is my putting. I had a total of 37 putts today but that included six, yes that's right six three putts. A lack of practice is my excuse as none of them warranted three stabs with the short stick. Plenty of practice with the No Three Putt Training Aid I got for Christmas definitely on the New Year menu.

Overall though my stats make for very happy reading:

54% FIR
22% GIR
37 Putts
25% Birdie Conversion
14% Par Scrambles
1 Penalties

I hope you all have a brilliant New Year's Eve and wish you all the best for 2011. I'm hoping that I'll be kicking it off in even better style than I finished 2010.

96 (71)
4(3), 6(5), 3(3), 5(4), 7(5), 8(3), 8(5), 5(4), 3(4), 5(4), 4(3), 8(5), 5(4), 6(4), 5(4), 4(4), 4(4), 6(3)

My inspiration for 2011

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,

if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Kasco Winter Fit Gloves: Equipment review

Kasco Winter Fit Gloves with Heat Tex

I don't normally buy into marketing bumpf. The packaging of this glove claims that it will keep your hands two degrees warmer than a normal winter glove. I'd love to have seen that test with some poor bloke in a lab coat chasing after golfers with a thermometer...

...ok maybe they used thermal imaging but still it begged the question that if it actually did keep your hands two degrees warmer what difference would that make?

For me the difference would have to be notable with the Kasco gloves significantly more expensive than rival products such as the Footjoy WinterSof. So I opted against buying a pair online and ventured down to my golf club. Bugger me it was cold, so cold in fact that the course was frozen and shut. I opted to hit the range and decided to ask my pro about winter gloves. He couldn't rate the Kasco's highly enough. The good thing about our club pro is he knows if he throws me a googly I won't buy off him anymore.  I nearly always give him the chance to compete against internet prices and as a result he gives me honest opinion.

So I did the only sensible thing I put a Footjoy on one hand a Kasco on the other and went outside for five minutes. Not the most scientific of tests but the Kascos did feel warmer especially following a little hand rubbing. So I bought a pair.

Now I can't fault the performance. They are not a miracle glove: keeping your hand bathed in warmth in sub zero temperatures. But they do have a good grip, provide great protection against the elements and are very thin. The problem at the moment lies with me getting use to having two gloves on, especially for short shots and putting. Without the gloves my hands would be stinging cold and numb, with them I get more feel but it is a little alien. I think that over time I'll become more comfortable wearing them but at the moment it is just another distraction. That said I'd rather be out playing than in the clubhouse nursing frostbite.

Rating

For those who are used to wearing two gloves 86%

For me who is not: 77%

Ground of the Baskervilles

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle eat your heart out. The snow has cleared in Suffolk and has been replaced by a blanket of fog so thick that it would have kept Sherlock Holmes wrapped up at home with a hot toddy. Foiled again, blast. Here's hoping tomorrow will provide a little bit more visibility so I can get back on the course. In the meantime I'll rustle up a review of the Kasco Winter Fit gloves...

Golf at last

I'm lucky. Today I played golf. Well I say golf, there were winter tees, temporary greens, a dodgy swing and a bitterly cold wind. That said I consider myself lucky to have got out and played some. I also had the opportunity to play with two new guys at the club. Chris and Ken were about to tee off when I walked up to the first and they asked me to join them. Really friendly my club and it was great to play the front nine with those guys. Ken played recently in the One Arm Golfer World Championships and was telling me how the longest drive on that day went 324 yards. Amazing!

It was nice to get out and get the shoulders working. Took a half set and my carry bag. Hit some nice shots, some not so nice. Once again the key is just to swing and not try to hit the ball. I cannot believe that I am STILL battling that demon. Watching Ken play helped to reinforce the message, especially his short game wow!
Hoping to play again on Thursday afternoon/Friday but it will be some time before our greens are open for business. Garage putting, chipping in the garden, pitching on the heath and driving at the range it is then.

Long awaited return

Well today I'll be heading up to the club for the first time in a long time. I'll be taking my new practice aids with me and trying to get the swing working again. In the meantime I have found my gaming gifts a suitable distraction. For anyone who owns a PS3 I cannot rate F1 2010, Call of Duty:Black Ops and Red Dead Redemption highly enough. Brilliant games. I've also dug out my copy of Tiger Woods 2010 and it got me wondering about this upcoming golfing year. If Westwood breaks his Major duck this season, cements his status as World number one and continues to add to his huge collection of trophies: will we see his own computer game released?

Personally, I'm looking forward to the IJP mini games: Super Mars Bars Salesman anyone? Before you ask, yes I was bored that day!

Anyway back to the golf and I have to admit to being a little bit apprehensive. I'm hoping to play a full round on Thursday but must admit to being worried about how that turns out. Hopefully, today will allay all of those fears.

I hope you all had a great Christmas break and those of you have got golfing goodness have been able to get out on the course.

Merry Christmas!!!

Hope you have all been good this year and not been lumbered with lumps of coal! Have a great day!

And here's hoping the snow clears soon, so you can play with your new golfing toys!

Driving ambition

Bored out of my brain. Missing my golf big time. Broke up early to play in a few competitions and have some good quality practice time. Unfortunately, the snow has put pay to that idea. Even more disappointing is that it will be some time before I can use my Christmas gifts. What is keeping me going is the thought of my new driver.

Funds are tight, so unfortunately I may well have to wait till April and the start of the new season - far from ideal. That said I have more than enough length in the bag, just not enough accuracy. However, there are 3 models that have caught my eye and when decision time comes I'm hoping that my ball striking will have improved sufficiently for me to pick the club that I have fallen in love with.

I'll keep you guessing as to what that might be and start with the two sensible choices. Ping owns the upper end of bag, with both my hybrid and 3 wood being fruits of their labour. Given my handicap the K15 is the logical starting point. Massively forgiving this club is designed to optimise a straight ball flight. I have heard that this also comes with a ridiculously high (potentially vertical) launch. Mmmm. That said the engine of the club is in the shaft and potentially with a lower launching option that could be negated. Despite my ongoing trials and tribulations I still believe that there is a half decent golfer waiting to burst out and I have the feeling that when he finally does, this ultimate game improving club may well end up being traded in.

The logical choice would be the G15. I have it's brother and sister in the shape of the hybrid and 3 wood. I love the feel off the face on both those clubs Add that t the fact that almost every magazine that has reviewed it has drooled over its performance and it's a no-brainer-surely? Well it was, even before the poll I ran on the blog, which seemed to excite you all as much as a dose of man flu! I haven't been able to road test one yet but hopefully my pro will have a demo club in a stiff shaft in the New Year. The downside is the fact that I would love to be fitted at Ping HQ, which is effing miles away. That said given my ability, numbers do not lie, a stock Serrano stiff in a 10.5 will probably be the order of the day anyway.

Anyway, I digress, as mentioned until recently there was no need for my head to rule my heart as the pair of them were in total agreement. That was until I saw this.

Is it wrong for a fully grown man to be reduced to a fit of childishness, desperately calling out to Santa to make all his Christmas wishes come true. I like many blokes am an aspirational kind of guy: the cars I'd like to drive, the clothes I want to wear, the houses I'd like to buy. This has now transferred into the clubs I'd like to hit. You see owning the 910 D2 is not just because it is an absolutely stunning piece of kit. Neither is it just because underneath those beautiful aesthetics lies Titleist's most advanced and forgiving driver. No, the reason I would love to own this club (alongside those other things) is because it would mean I had finally 'arrived' as a golfer. Let's be honest if I'm still swinging like a dizzy orangutang the results will not be pretty. However, if I have got that handicap down to the high teens and am regularly breaking 90 I'd be able to make the short drive up to Cambridgeshire, stride into the Titleist national fitting centre and not worry about becoming the laughing stock of the driving range.

Sports Personality of the Year?

And so the debate rages on... Ian Poulter properly lost it on Twitter, Colin Montgomerie is now apparently a golf coach and golfer's across the UK scratch their heads as to how Graeme McDowell finished fifth. For my twopenneth I always feared a split of the golf vote, though some rather admirably voted for both Westwood and G-Mac.

Questions have been raised about whether the award is actually recognising lifetime accomplishment rather than a 12 month snapshot. The latter would almost certainly suggest a three horse race between McDowell, Cavendish and Williams. The first brit for 40 years to win the US Open, not to mention the Ryder Cup heroics. A phenomenal five stage wins on the Tour de France after a serious crash just weeks before the race got underway. A Winter Olympic gold medal for a British athlete that trains on a concrete track. All worthy winners in my eye with McDowell getting the nod from me because of my golfing allegiance.

I'm not saying that The Power and AP are not supremely talented. Nor am I saying that they haven't achieved amazing success. But to be honest they haven't achieved much this year. I'd argue that both are worthy candidates for the lifetime achievement award, so long as they promise not to weep uncontrollably. On reflection perhaps that is the reason behind Mr Beckham's hirsute appearance: an attempt to mask his underlying femininity, sarong anyone?

I am sure the blokes down the betting shop will be happy as larry with the result. A champion jockey, the lord of the darts and a nice bit of totty, they will be suitably made up. For me the jury is still out on whether darts is actually a sport: though some may argue the same about golf. Westood will probably win a major or two this year and be back in the running in 2011, for Graeme McDowell this could have been his one and only shot at the title. The bookies favourite may have romped home but I'm left calling for a stewards inquiry.

Snow joke

As the country grinds to a halt due to the latest flurry of snow I've been left reeling. For the second year in a row I have scheduled to finish work before Xmas, planned a shedload of golf and will most likely be left frustrated once again. So the range and plenty of putting on carpet it is then.

What makes it worse is that the two golf items on my wish list for Christmas will be left completely redundant. I'm keen to improve my short game and have asked for a No 3 Putt hole reducer and a couple of target circles.

My plan for 2011 is to play as much as possible and when it gets lighter try and squeeze in a few holes rather than hitting the range/practice hole. The vast majority of what practice time I have will be spent on short game, including regular testing against the Pelz Short Game & Putting tests.

I am cutting a frustrated figure at the moment but it has given me the chance to enjoy even more quality time with Tiger jnr and we had a great day today at a play barn and a local farm. Thank heavens for kids!!!

There's hope yet...

Thomas Sturges Watson was born on September 4, 1949. In the 1970s and 1980s, he won 8 Major Championships and headed the PGA Tour money list five times. He enjoyed a stint as world number one between 1978 - 1982 before being dethroned by a certain Meester Seve Ballesteros. Watson is ranked sixth in the list of all time Major winners and almost added an unexpected 9th title at Turnberry in 2009.

In a nutshell the guy is a legend and in the eyes of many, a golfing deity. So imagine my surprise when I saw this YouTube clip where Watson reveals the secret of the golf swing, but most importantly when he discovered it.



Funnily enough this is a tip that my teaching pro has encouraged me to factor into my practice regimen. I'm not a believer in that there is one size fits all approach to aid every golfer. I have grown to understand that you need to develop your own technique around sound basic fundamentals. You must own and believe in your own swing.

What I find fascinating is that Watson achieved his great accomplishments with a swing he wasn't comfortable with, a swing that he was copying from the great Jack Niklaus. The pause before the laughter on the vid when Watson states he discovered the 'secret' in 1992 sums it up for me. "1992? But that would have been...oh I get it, [laugh]"

I'm starting to get a bit down about my golf. Frustrated by the fact I know I can play but I'm so hideously inconsistent. This little gem helped remind me that even the greats of the game have had their struggles. Wintertime makes practice and play tough but I'm hoping to play a lot over the Xmas break and that will be the catalyst I need to make inroads into that pesky handicap.

Frozen cobwebs

I got to the club early on Saturday morning mainly because I had been frozen out of playing for a little while and felt out of practice. It was 3 weeks since my last game and it showed. I produced a whole manner of crap on the first two holes scoring an embarrassing 10 & 9. Two blobs, +11, oh dear. I feared at this stage that my chances of easily blowing away the cobwebs were limited.

But then out of nowhere my swing returned, I remembered how to putt and I started to pick up points. Despite the occasional blip (ok and a monumental feck up on the 11th) I scored on the following 11 holes (bar 11) amassing 22 points and a growing sense of confidence.

Unfortunately, it didn't last and my ongoing woes with the back stretch continued with the exception of a stunning 5 iron approach on 17 that was slightly tainted by a missed birdie courtesy of a bobbly temporary green.

In all honesty I can't expect miracles after a bit of a break. I am starting to get more consistent stringing together scores on a series of holes rather than having them dotted over the card. I clearly have a bit of a mental block on the start and end of the round as I consistently perform poorly in both places. Holes 13-15 firmly remain my personal Amen Corner.

When the swing is there it's actually pretty damn good and as my pro remarked I've got all the pieces of the jigsaw I just can't put them together on a regular basis. This is incredibly frustrating. What was nice was meeting two new golfers and being invited to join their Saturday morning gathering. The more I play and the more people I play with, the more I learn.

I had 7 penalties on Saturday and at least 7 horror shots that were truly awful. Sort that out and I'm cooking on gas.

114 (71)
10(3), 9(5), 4(3), 6(4), 8(5), 3(3), 6(5), 4(4), 6(4), 4(4), 8(3), 7(5), 6(4), 7(4), 8(4), 6(4), 4(4), 8(3)

Graeme McDowell, 2010 -- Just A Dream?

He's got my vote will he get yours?

'Fore'somes?

One of the beautiful things about golf is battle between you, the course and the elements. You have complete control of shaping your success or failure. Having been a team player for so long there have been occasions when my frustrations have boiled overh either myself or team mates from time to time. There was the time I compiled a composed fifty on a torrid pitch but we lost the match as everyone else lost their heads or the time I scored a hat trick only to trudge off the park on the wrong end of a 5-4 score line. On the flip side there was the time I the ball got stuck in my hockey goalkeeping pads and I spun round to inadvertently score an 'own goal' (we lost 3-2) or the times I fumbled the ball on the overlap when I would have been clean through for a try.

But despite those mishaps and mistakes I have always enjoyed the fraternity of team sport, which is why I am both nervous and excited about this weekend. I've played with Ian before in a Texas Scramble but entering the Winter League together is a totally different concept. He is playing some pretty good golf at the moment and has had great finishes in recent competitions and I desperately want to make sure I don't let him down. Obviously, an added dimension is that the winter freeze has prevented me from playing and practicing much, and the course is likely to be difficult to play.

I'll be heading to the course early to make sure I'm properly warmed up and following the advice of the guys on the Golf Monthly Forum here. Ian's great at putting me at ease and having seen the snowfall across the rest of the country I'm just grateful that I'll be able to play this weekend. Here's hoping we can get off to a good start and I don't repeatedly shout 'fore!' while using Ian's ball!!!

Stunned in so many ways...

What a crazy 24 hours. The snow has cleared only to be replaced by freezing fog, the ashes is hotting up and the world of golf has seemingly gone crazy. First things first I am mighty frustrated by the weather. I've not hit a ball in anger for far too long and I'm desperate to get back out on the course. I am entered in the Winter League with my playing partner Ian and it looks as though the course will be open for business on Saturday, albeit with sub zero temperatures. I'm hoping to get down the range on Thursday night to loosen up the limbs and rebuild my relationship with my sticks. I have also took some time to revisit my set up. I have a sneaking suspicion that a significant amount of my problem stems from inconsistency in my set-up, most notably my grip. Useful article in Today's Golfer this month on set up and I've been checking each element of my pre shot routine.

Thank goodness there has been some cracking sport on to stop me from going stir crazy. Kevin Pietersen has had a fair amount of stick recently but he really turned on the style in the Second Test. After a monumental 227 in England's mammoth 620/5 dec he then took the prize wicket of Michael Clarke for 80 with the last ball of play on day four. It leaves the Aussies 167 behind with just six second innings wickets remaining. I was a mere nipper the last time we beat the convicts on their own patch and am absolutely loving our new found superiority. Here's hoping the boys can finish the job off tomorrow.

Lee Westwood has been a pretty jovial chap on Twitter that was until the PGA Tour announced Ricky Fowler as Rookie of the Year. The ensuing rant was pretty much bang on the money and has drawn support from across the tweeting golf community.

"Sorry 140 letters is not going to be enough for this rant! Just seen Ricky Fowler has been given rookie of the year! Yes he's had a good year but rory mcilroy 3rd in 2 majors and an absolute demolition of the field at quail hollow! Oh yes and on the winning Ryder cup team! Please! Is this yet another case of protectionism by the pga tour or are they so desperate to win something! Wouldn't have something to do with Rory not joining the tour next year? Maybe the PGA tour just employs the same voting process as FIFA! Come on , fairs fair!"

This all occurred after the unbelievable sight of Tiger Woods crumbling in the Chevron Challenge event. Leading by four shots going into the final day I thought he was a shoe in. But it seems as though the aura of invincibility has well and truly disappeared. Under immense pressure from the scorching hot Graeme McDowell, Tiger was seemingly caught off guard by G-Mac's scintillating start.

Hats off to you Mr McDowell, I have a feeling you will have another shiny trophy for your cabinet when the Sports Personality of the Year Award is announced later this month.

Tiger bares his teeth

An empty course and a lone figure is seen honing his relationship with his new Nike Method 03 putter. Following a brief flirtation with the 01 model at St Andrews that came to an acrimonious end on day 4; the early signs are that this flat stick may spend a little more time in his bag.

We all know what a difficult year the former untouchable World number 1 has had, but judging by his form at the Chevron Challenge the signs are ominous for the golfing community. It appears that Tiger is back.

Ian Poulter has already noted that Tiger Woods has racked up an astonishing -12 on the par 5's at Sherwood CC and when he is at his destructive best, Woods birdies the longer holes for breakfast. The one bit of solace at Chevron for supporters of the European Tour has been Graeme McDowell's steadfast refusal to allow TW to get away and he remains within four shots of the leader. On this evidence and the rather stunning 'swimming pool par' on 13 G-Mac is going to be a Major contender this year.

Swinging over to South Africa and Sun City the current incumbent at the top of the World rankings has also got off to a bit of a flyer. Lee Westwood has quite simply blown the field away at the Nedbank Golf Challenge and leads the field by five shots going into Sunday's final round. A Woods win and anything less than a top two would have seen Westwood enjoy the briefest of stays as world number 1. By all accounts it looks as though that position will be quite volatile this year, which is great for golf and the sports avid following.

Having spent the bulk of my first year dipping my toes in the warm waters of following the European and PGA tours I'm now ready to take the plunge. I'll be paying much closer attention to both competitions this year and from time to time will share my thoughts with you on the blog. I'd be interested to know your thoughts, but I am envisaging a titanic tussle between the top four this year with Mr McDowell featuring as a regular in the plot line.

The big question is who will top the rankings next Christmas? I think this will be the year Westwood silences his critics and gets a major win under his belt, but with Kaymer, Woods, Big Phil and G-Mac in the mix, not to mention Poulter, Casey and the young guns McIlroy, Fowler and possibly even Matteo Mannassero it's going to be one hell of a year for the European Tour!

Snow joke

Another flurry of snow last night and although it's not as bad as other places I very much doubt our course will open again before Christmas. Real shame that as it means I miss out on three comps and I'm sure when it does reopen there will be a number of temp greens in play. All in all very frustrating. Penny putting drill it is then.

November stats

What is progress? I've been at this golfing malarkey for some time and nearing the end of my first year recounting my experiences on this blog. Personally, I can't see how I have made any progress in the past year. I'm still stuck on a 28 handicap and I'm still working on my swing. I have been reassured in numerous quarters that when it finally clicks it will click massively. I suppose it is that glimmer of optimism that is keeping me going.

The dictionary definition of progress is
n.

1. Movement, as toward a goal; advance.
2. Development or growth: students who show progress.

intr.v. pro·gress (prə-grĕs'), -gressed, -gress·ing, -gress·es.

1. To advance toward a higher or better stage; improve steadily: as medical technology progresses. 

Mmm the stats below would indicate that I am most definitely a student who is not showing progress. However, the stats for this month include my disastrous medal and since then I have had two fairly solid rounds scoring 30 stableford points in each. I have a lot more golf off the whites coming up in December, as well as my first stab at team golf in the Winter League. Hopefully I can finish 2010 on a high.

Practice

Distance	Time (minutes)	% of practice time
Driver	0	0%
Other Woods	30	4%
200 - 250 yards	45	5%
150 – 200 yards	55	7%
100 – 150 yards	220	26%
Short Approach	360	43%
Bunker Play	20	2%
Putting	110	13%
Total	840	100%

Rounds
With the exception of the birdie statistic I am pretty consistent with last month. My scrambling stats also need to be improved although I am giving myself more of a chance of saving par now than I used to. However, at the moment making par is contingent on me hitting the GIR and with my obscenely high number of penalties I can't do this enough to bring my scores down.

Statistic	Performance	SS2 Handicap level
Fairways in Regulation	26% (25%)	23 (24)
Greens in Regulation	15% (12%)	16 (19)
Putts per Round	35.33 (34.88)	19 (17)
Birdie Conversion	0% (25%)	28+ (Scratch)
Par Scrambles	2% (0%)	28+ (28+)
Sand Saves	0%	28+
Penalties per Round	5 (6.19)	28+ (28+)

The SS2 handicap level is a calculation made indicating your performance on different facets of your game.

However, these stats do not reveal what I believe is a marked improvement in my putting. So I looked at my putting and GIR stats. Comparing the past two months with the rest of the year my GIR stats have gone up from 11% to 14%. In that same timeframe my putts on GIR has dropped from 2.33 to 2.08. Hoping that all the work I've been putting into my chipping will start to have an impact on my scrambling stats soon. So progress has been limited but I did start this journey working from green to tee and things are looking much improved with the flat stick!

Itching to putt

I love my putter. In fact I love it so much that the likelihood of it ever leaving my bag is as low as a punch to the groin. The only possible contender would be a Newport Squareback 1 which is essentially the same putter with a mallet bit stuck on the end.

Anyway today due to the snow I decided to practice my putting and used the Mark Roe penny putting drill. As the snow fell gently outside the window I was yearning to be on the course and hearing the ball drop. I can't explain why but stroking the ball repeatedly over that coin was almost hypnotic. I was in a zen like state and my stroke was so fluid. Here's hoping it thaws soon as I need to get on the course this weekend.

When will I learn

Frozen off this morning so I went to the range. Things started pretty well and then went downhill. When will I learn to just get a few balls. Got a jumbo bucket and as I slowly progressed through it my approach to each shot deteriorated and so did the results. I guess it was the frustration of not getting on the course. Off the whites again next week in the December medal and then the first round of the Winter League, followed swiftly by a midweek Stableford. At this rate I'll have forgotten where the yellow tees are!

On a positive note I did pick up some Kasco Heat tek gloves and the early signs are very promising. A little odd wearing two gloves though. I'll post a full review when I've taken them on the course.

Baltic

I must be mad. Went to the course this afternoon, it was like a ghost town. A handful of cars and a couple of games taking place. I strolled over to the practice area to continue to work on my swing and get some chipping practice in.

The good news is I hit 50 full shots today and only missed one slightly right. I have definitely developed a draw and sometimes my grip is a little strong and I pull them a little. That said it felt a lot more controlled and it is starting to feel more natural. The one downside is I might have frost bite, geez it was cold. May well have to invest in a pair of those winter golf gloves as the mitts are not enough.

I have got a game in the Club Captains Sunday morning greedy so here's hoping my wallet is a little but heavier after my round!

Hello tweeps!

I have finally buckled and succumed to the allure of Twitter. I have fought a gallent and noble defence but in the end working with youn people and not being part of the social networking phenomena led to too much ridicule. At 31 being labelled an old man/antiquated dinosaur was bad enough but the chirps of "technophope" cut deep. So when Golf Monthly recently put out the shout for Twitter subscribers I buckled.

I'm still a bit of a novice and am only following golfers, as they are the only people at the moment whose day to day activities would interest me. Poulter is by far the leader of the pack, Westwood is very new on and Tiger Woods' attempts are a PR exercise gone horribly wrong.

I don't tweet much myself, what's the point when you have no followers, but the banter between the golfer's is really amusing at times. I just asked Westwood for his old driver as Poults was ribbing him for outdriving him a few times yesterday.

Anyway, I'd recommend joining the fun. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. By the way to celebrate his 10th tour win Poults has offered 10% discount for 10 days in his online store

http://bit.ly/hpYhYo and enter TXW101 at checkout.

Oh and if you'd like to boost my follower base I'm @tigerdes

A worrying feeling of déjà vu

It's snowing. At the moment it's not settling but I am fearful that I may wake up to a snowy White blanket and no golf. Last year was horrendous and I'm hoping the weather doesn't deteriorate turning Suffolk into an arctic tundra.

To make matters worse the littl'un has been ill with chicken pox this week, which has limited my practice time as I've been on bambino duty. We went out for a walk today on the Heath which is also shared with Rushmere Golf Club. I explained to him the joys of golf but as he's two he didn't really get it. He did seem to perk up when I suggested that soon we could go and play 'golf balls' together. Soon is probably a little optimistic but I've already got a putter and wedge lined up for his third birthday.

Anyone fancy a game?

At the moment it looks like I am playing solo this weekend. Was really hoping to build some momentum but struggling to find a golfing companion. Anyone free in Suffolk this weekend?

K.I.S.S.

No not the American 70's hard rock band or the dance and R&B radio station. It wasn't a smacker bestowed on me by some voluptuous wanton hussy nor an excerpt from a hugely successful single by a diminutive artist who is was formerly known as a member of the royal family (which royal family I am not sure: Sheba?).

No K.I.S.S. as an acronym for Keep It Simple Stupid something which I need drumming into me on a regular basis. I have been accused in the past of over complicating things but I really do think that this latest 'eureka' moment will massively help my short game.

I am still persevering with my distance wedges and becoming increasingly successful with distance control. Though my accuracy is still a bone of contention, I am nearly always pin high or thereabouts. I am also gaining a better understanding of my distances for my irons, thanks in no small part to lots of playing time and a GPS.

Where I have had trouble is from 50 yards and in. When I'm on the fringes of the green or wanting to play a bump and run. I have no frame of reference and consequently waste a lot of shots by over or under hitting. I've hit a fair few duffs as well because I've not been committed to the shot.

My solution is simple. I spent some time on Saturday grooving a fringe chipping stroke with a consistent tempo and back lift. I then started hitting chips with everything from my hybrid down to my sand wedge to get a feel for distance and after a bit of practice I got quite consistent. I then hit two fringe chips to a couple of feet on Sunday using a 7 iron and 5 iron, when normally I would have just used my 8 iron and tried to vary back lift. I have found that using a range of clubs and a consistent stroke is much more accurate.

On the back of the early success of that experiment I have now started working on a similar approach for bump and runs. Hopefully, this will help me improve my creativity and consistency around the greens. Most importantly, it should help me commit confidently to those really short approach shots, rely less on my lofted wedges and play the percentages. Once again time will tell...

Mr Blobby

As I sit typing this I feel completely drained. Trying to hold my concentration levels for 18 holes has left my tank pretty much empty. It was hard going today, trying to keep thoughts of how I was doing out of my head and focus on each shot. I was a tense bundle nerves on four footers and had to keep dragging my mind back to putting practice in the garage. In the end I was unlucky on four long putts that lipped out today but a total of 36 putts is a respectable total.

Things didn't start particularly well. It was a shotgun start and we got underway on the 16th. I sclaffed my hybrid into the gorse and hit my provisional further into the crap. Found the first one too a drop then chipped sideways before hitting a nice clean 6 iron. My pitch missed the green and I finished with an 8 for my first blob of the day.

I stuck with the six on 17 and hit both the fairway and green and walked off with a 4 for three points. I was back in the hunt. Two more points followed on 18 and then came my shot of the day, in fact probably the best shot I have ever hit.

Our 1st is a long par 3, 216 yards to the heart of the green. There are three tiers leading to the back and it is guarded by bunkers on both sides. For our enjoyment they had placed the flag at the back on the top tier. I drilled an arrow of a tee shot with my 3 iron that came to rest pin high about 15 foot from the flag. The birdie putt lipped out and I tapped in for a 3 for four points.

I picked up two points on the next three holes I was flying. The disaster struck. I topped my 3 wood on the par 5 5th and then hit two decent 6 irons to leave me 178 yards to the green. For some unknown reason I thought I'd hit an easy 5 iron even though my two previous six irons had gone 181 and 167 yards. Hit a poor shot out of bounds and never recovered. Blob number 2.

Blob 3 followed swiftly afterwards as my tee shot was literally caught by an outstretched gorse limb at waist height, forcing me to take a penalty drop. I duffed my first chip and overhit my second and my long putt for a point just missed.

I went back to my trusty six iron and picked up 3 points on holes 7 and 8, followed by two more points on 9. My iron play was on fire. After another two points on hole 10  I hit a peachy gap wedge off the tee on 11 to ten feet. My birdie putt raced past but I held my nerve to drain the return putt for par. Solid if unspectacular golf on 12 saw me bag another two points.

At this stage I was exhausted both physically and mentally. I knew I was out of the running as I'd already racked up 3 blobs, but I still wanted to finish strongly. It didn't happen. Some tired swings, lapses of concentration and one bastard bunker saw to that and I finished with three blobs, all eights and all one shot from nicking a point.

So how do I feel? Mixed emotions really. On the down side I could have won it today, the last I heard the leader in the clubhouse was on 40 points. There were too many silly blobs and I hit three blinking rakes in bunkers! Also four blobs from 13 - 16 is just not good enough. That said I struck the ball really well today and scored 30 points from 12 holes and that is pretty good going. I was a little cagey towards the end sticking with the 6 iron rather than risking a longer club and maybe being more aggressive would have earned me a better return. 106 is my best score off the whites and I will definitely be taking the positives from today. Positive stats included FIR 38% and the one I am most chuffed with GIR 28%.

So well played to those of you who guessed a score of 30 points. I'll be thinking up a new poll soon.

106 (71)

3(3), 7(5), 4(3), 6(4), 9(5), 6(3), 6(5), 4(4), 5(4), 5(4), 3(3), 7(5), 8(4), 8(4), 8(4), 8(4), 4(4), 5(3)

Worth his weight...

Just come back from an absolutely brilliant lesson. I was a little apprehensive because things had gone so well on Thursday and I didn't want any technical thoughts seeping in ahead of Sunday. So there I am standing on the mat, poised like a panther ready to show my pro just how far I've come...what the f....my swings gone I must have left it in the car, at home oh no I left it on the range!!!

He narrows my stance and gets me to just have some half practice swings. Nice and relaxed. Now he's talking to me about simple symmetry. Just allow your hands to rotate, nice and naturally. Yeah that feels better, more fluid. Right now just hit some with that narrower stance and shorter backlift. Bingo! The swing is back, clipping them nicely with the 8 iron out to about 135 yards, effortless. We chat some more, I hit some more and it all feels so good, so natural. Dispersion pattern significantly improved but most importantly I feel in control, just like I did on Thursday. Can I take it onto the course? Well I'll get the answer to that question tomorrow but my aim is simple, score points on every hole.

The poll on Sunday's competition is now closed with 50% of you expecting a score of sub 27 and another 25% believing I may get up as far as 30. I hope to prove you wrong and the two optimists right :). Tune in tomorrow evening to find out how I did.

It's only the range but...

Went to Ufford Park driving range last night. It's a really nice driving range with a number of flags and greens at distances starting at 50 yards going up to 180 yards. At night time the targets are lit and there are 2 markers at 200 yards depicting a fairway sized target area for drives.

I've started to get a better understanding of my swing over the past few weeks. Following some excellent pointers in the latest edition of Golf Monthly and my latest series of lessons I have been trying to engrain a few specific changes. Tonight I got to fully enjoy the fruits of my labour.

I have never struck the ball so well. I felt really relaxed and was hitting my 8 iron, 6 iron, 4 iron and hybrid so sweetly. I was pulling my 3 wood a little bit left but the nasty slice that has plagued my game for so long had vanished, well at least until I pulled out my 3 iron. However, after a few dodgy hits that was producing a nice ball flight albeit a little left of target.

Now the caveat is it was the range, I didn't have a card in my hand, I didn't have to chip or putt or deal with didgy lies, overhanging branches etc. That said I am much more confident in my ball striking and can just relax and hit it on Sunday. I have never felt like that before. I have a lesson booked with my pro on Saturday morning and will leave the full swing alone as I don't want to tinker just yet. Think I'll focus on scrambling with him instead.

I am so happy at the moment as it's been such a long hard slog and I feel that finally I am starting to understand this game. Yes the game will probably come back to bite me on the arse. Yes it will be a completely different experience when I tee it up on Sunday. Yes my swing will probably disappear as soon as it has appeared. But for now I am a very happy bunny.

The countdown begins...

Well my biggest competition of the year is drawing closer and I have to say I am really looking forward to it. Up till now I have played in standard monthly medals, but this is my first crack at an Honours Board competition. Been out on my lunch break to practice with my wedges as I had a bit of a mini disaster with them last weekend. It seems as though some of the practice I have been doing on swing plane is bedding in, I just need to be patient and accept it will take time before it becomes an automatic natural process.

One thing for certain is that I am not feeling any undue pressure from the blog predictions as you guys seem fairly convinced I'm going to have a bit of a tough time this weekend. The poll is open till Friday so plenty of opportunity for any last minute votes to be cast.

I have always believed that there is no point entering any competition unless you believe you can win it.  If I play like I did for the first 7 holes last weekend I know I am in with a shout. That said the main plan is to go out there and enjoy the stableford format, safe in the knowledge that one or two bad holes won't necessarily put me out of the running.

Theory and practice

Up until now I've got things a little wrong. I have been operating under the misconception that learning how to hit a golf ball and learning how to play golf are one and the same thing. In my defence this simple, though perhaps slightly naive, misinterpretation is understandable. Hitting a golf ball a decent distance in a straight line is nothing more than a small miracle. That said it is the equivolent of learning to play football by doing 'keepy uppies' in the garden or aspiring to become a great cricketer by only playing in the nets. Here you can learn a decent technique but how you use that skill whilst playing the game is an altogether different proposition.

For starters the 'hitting a golf ball' approach fails to accurately replicate the situations you find yourself in on course. Comedian Robin Williams sums up the sheer harshness of the sport rather succinctly in the clip below (apologies for the slightly harsh dialect assault in the prologue).

So there I am in the rough, in a bunker, under a tree, behind an obstacle and I make a bad choice, execute a poor shot or a combination of both. Hitting a ball just doesn't prepare you for the situations and scenarios that playing the game does. Don't get me wrong 'hitting the ball' is an important part of the process a sound technique will help you avoid trouble, hit fairways and greens in regulation. But as Rotella asserts, 'Golf is Not a Game of Perfect' and I frequently find myself in trouble, sometimes through a rather unfortunate rub of the green.

I understand my swing now and have a better understanding of what felt wrong on a poorly struck shot. I am now beginning the process of separating my analysis and practice mindset from my playing psyche. But crucially I have been hindering my development by going through the 'hitting a golf ball' process on course rather than 'playing the game'. There are people with butt ugly swings, a fraction of my distance that significantly outscore me because they know how to play the game of golf.

My learning starts now...

Getting there...

Played this morning with a chap called Ian who was quite simply having the round of a lifetime. He walked off the course with a net 64 after some of the most stunning wedge play I have ever seen, made all the more impressive by the fact he plays off 24. He must have hit about 4/5 shots today to within four feet and given his dead aim putting a great score was always in the pipeline. He finished 3rd in the medal last week and with shooting like that I'd say he was a favourite to win the stableford comp next week.

For a change I got off to a stunning start. Hit my tee shot right and my wedge long leaving a monster putt that needed to drop a tier as well. I gauged how I thought it would run as it dropped down the tier and just aimed to get it to run out of steam at that point. It dropped. Without doubt the best putt I have ever hit. The next 6 holes continued in that vein and I was standing at the 8th on 17 points. Unfortunately, Ian commented that we were both playing to par and the wheels came off for a bit.

I was unlucky on the 10th with a beautifully drilled tee shot catching the tree on the left of the fairway and dropping from its soaring flight like a shot duck. Then on 12 I hit the best tee shot of my life. Little bit of a following wind I smashed my 3 wood 261 yards. Putts were dropping all over the show and I was becoming increasingly confident off the tee. I hit some pretty good chips as well today including one that hit the pin and refused to drop on the 15th.

So 23% FIR with a fair few misses in the first cut of rough and 30 putts. The problem? The bit in the middle. I picked up 2 penalties from the tee box and an additional (and unnecessary) 3 from open play. I hit too many bump and runs long and a few duffed wedges short. My swing is far from perfect but I was getting in more trouble with my approaches today than from the tee.

What is promising is that I kept my mind clear, I didn't try to fiddle, I accepted the swing I had brought to the course and used it. This week while I continue to work on those pesky swing changes, I'll also spend some time working on my scrambling from 80 yards in. That cost me about 20 shots today which would have taken me sub 90. That said I am pleased with my haul of 30 points, happy with how I played, delighted with my chipping and putting, ecstatic with the three solid blows with the 3 wood and hopeful that my best is just round the corner.

107 (71)

3(3), 7(5), 4(3), 7(4), 6(5), 3(3), 7(5), 7(4), 6(4), 8(4), 4(3), 6(5), 8(4), 7(4), 5(4), 6(4), 8(4), 5(3)

Green shoots of recovery

After Sunday's disaster I have had a pretty busy week at work and this has prevented me from getting any practice in. Perhaps that was a good thing. Had planned to go to the range last night and as I was getting ready to leave the house we had a power cut, meaning I had to stay in.

Managed to get some practice in today though and I'm hoping that the first green shoots of recovery are starting to show through. I spent time working individually on three different elements of the swing and then attempted to bring them together and succeed to some extent.

In terms of changes I've:

1. slowed down my tempo and shortened my back swing
2. worked on stopping my left wrist from hinging and bringing my left arm across my body more
3. not looking up to early and keeping that right knee flexed

I had some success in improving my dispersion and was pleased with my progress today. Now comes the tricky part. I am playing tomorrow morning and intend on going out there and 'schlapping it around'. Not worrying or thinking about any of the practice from today, just using whatever swing I've brought and getting the ball in the hole. Then on Monday back to bedding in the changes during practice.

It's an alien approach to me as it's only the second time I've learnt a sport as an adult. The first was pole vaulting but we'll save that topic of conversation for another time.

1922 Cup nine days and counting...

In remembrance

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

From Laurence Binyon's poem For the Fallen

Dambuilder

"Right chaps, goggles on and chocks away!"

As an historian I always find this time of year rather poignant. Appreciation of the bravery, courage and sacrifice of two generations from two world conflicts and a sense of tremendous admiration and sadness for the soldiers who continue to protect this country and the families bearing the terrible burden of bereavement.

It is therefore with a degree of embarrassment I confess that until I studied A level, I honestly thought the phrase was 'Chocs away' and had something to do with rationing and the benevolence of members of the RAF.

November 11th has an uncanny knack of placing things in perspective. On reflection my rather moribund and sombre Sunday mood was significantly disproportionate to the round of golf that had caused it. I felt rather chastened by that realisation and my mind turned to the Ruhr Valley mission of 617 squadron. I suppose at present a poor golf shot is having the same impact on me as an accurately placed Barnes Wallis bomb. The result is a deluge of emotion and swing thoughts that leads into a negative spiral from which there is no recovery.

I must try harder to use the swing I have brought on the day and remember in the grand scheme of things it is really just a game.

My thoughts, gratitude and admiration to the courageous few that continue to protect us and the families that support them.

Car crash

I am seriously not very good at this game. Today tee shots were awful and approaches poor including 6 penalties out of bounds. Chipping was hit and miss with numerous duffed efforts. Putting dire racking up a total of 40 putts. A measly score of 122 with 18 stableford points the end product. A scorecard littered with 8's but at least this time I handed it in straight away. I don't know where to go from here. I'll keep plugging away on all the things I mentioned yesterday but I just think that I lack any natural golfing ability. So many other people have started after me and are playing/scoring better, I seem to be getting steadily worse. From a sense of optimism I am now dreading the Stableford Cup in 2 weeks time.

That said I am looking forward to playing for fun next week, when how I score doesn't matter. Snakes, Camels and Ducks is on the itinerary.

Thank you Golf Monthly

As a beginner I do spend a fair amount of time reading instruction pages of golf magazines. A little bit of me feels that this month's edition of Golf Monthly was actually written especially for me. No seriously, it was almost as if the esteemed editorial team popped round for a cuppa and engaged me in the process of planning the December edition. 

"Talk us through your problems then Tiger"

"Where do I start? It's been a tough year. I first picked up a set of sticks last August, I've had umpteen lessons and practice as much as I can but I'm rooted to a 28 handicap. In fact I can't even play to a 28 handicap. But here's the rub at times I can play some really good golf, my eclectic best is +2 gross but I either get off to a disastrous start or have a nightmare finish. Anything you can do to help would be great"

"No problem, leave it with us and we'll observe you over the next few weeks and see what we can do"


Trust me, the heel is well worn

They obviously clocked my glove as I let them out of the house as the first tip related to that. I have plenty of wear on my heel pad of my glove suggesting a tendency to have a lose left hand grip. Old glove's thrown away, new gloves and grips bought to help reduce slippage and promote a better grip.

Next? Reverse pivot...guilty as charged. When I lose concentration I do fail to maintain the flex and tension in my right knee. Spent my whole Thursday practice session working on it and have decided that will be my only swing thought until I have overcome it.

This is looking good GM what else have you got? Ah yes my chipping, now Bob Peltz (well his book) told me to have an open stance, but if you say I'm making things unecessarily harder I believe you. Feet parallel to target line from now on I promise and I'll spend half my Saturday practice working on it.

What about the other half of Saturday? Well I was going to go to the range and bash my long irons, hybrid and 3 wood but I can't now as I need to spend half the session on the short game practice area. Who says that would have been a waste of time, G-Who? Oh G-Mac well he's had a bit of a tasty year this year anything he says must be golden. Work on my distance wedges instead, no problem, I like doing that though I do struggle with my quarter swing. You don't call it that...pocket to pocket, that sounds much simpler. Will definitely give that a go. And I promise I will try to remember "hit it good, don't hit it hard".

What about my putting though, I have a tendency to overcomplicate when I can score and get tentative. How much will it miss by and adjust. Actually that's a simpler way of thinking, Nice. Really excited about my golf now, can't wait for the medal on Sunday it should be fun. Shame it's winter now though, wish I'd had these revelations when days were longer and temperatures were warmer. 50 reasons to enjoy winter golf, an immense competition to win some top quality warm clobber and the 100 top courses to salivate over...ok, ok you've done enough, I take my hat off and salute you. Golf Monthly...take a bow.

No expectations

Miss Havisham, Estella and Pip in the film adaptation

GCSE English. Tuesday afternoon. The lesson draws to a close and the geeky, swotty students file out of the classroom one by one. At the front of the classroom stands our teacher, brimming with pomposity and grinning like the Cheshire Cat. The 'lazy' are left behind to sit a retest on our course text: Great Expectations.

The Dickensian tale is one of an orphan Pip, whose life is turned upside down by a chance encounter with an escaped convict, support of a mysterious benefactor and a twisted and stunningly beautiful woman. Whether Pip actually achieves his great expectations is not the crux of the story for me. A far more telling plotline is how the harder he strives, the more his world seems to be turned upside down.

Anyway, while I was practicing my putting in the garage I happened to spy my old course text in a clear storage container. I'm a sentimental old fool and keep most things that made a significant mark on me: including the cricket ball that gave me the gap in my two front teeth.

I failed the retest, primarily because I hadn't read the novel. My teacher's steadfast determination to ensure we had all absorbed this text meant continuous retests till you passed. I read the book.

Good job too as it sparked my interest in English, which I went on to study at A level. Though I confess I am no longer an exemplar of the Eats Shoots and Leaves grammatical mantra, I learnt a fair amount from Pip's adventures and my study of literature.

So when Sunday comes I shall not be tempted into putting pressure on myself to perform. Instead I shall have no expectations and thoroughly enjoy knocking that little white ball about. Medal? What medal?

Long and short of it

No opportunity to hit the range this week so bar a couple of forays to the Heath my main practice this week will take place on Saturday morning. Bit of a dilemma on what to prioritise ahead of Sunday's medal. Accuracy off the tee or around the greens? Decided to spend some time on the short game as opportunities are scarce now because of the early onset of darkness.

Plan of action is to hit a few wedges and regauge my distances and then spend some time chipping from a variety of lies. Along with my new mindset is an aspiration to operform well against a new, slightly unusual statistic: MIR.

A Miss In Regulation requires a shot that misses the green to finish within 30 yards of the dancefloor. From this position I should get the ball in the hole within three shots, essentially bogey golf. As a result my practice on Saturday will be to recreate a wide variety of these MIR situations and attempt to get up and down from those positions. Where I fail to do this I should have a tap in / gimme for what would be a theoretical bogey.

I feel more confident in my game than I have before any previous medal but there is also a refreshing lack of expectation. I'm just looking to go out, enjoy my round and hope to score well. Exciting times...

Teflon

During my school days I spent some time in goal. There were more than a few occasions when I was unfortunately given this moniker. In fact, if memory serves me well, it was also a term used to describe my wicketkeeping every now and then. In my defence the gloves I was using in both football and cricket were hardly top of the range. Grip matters.

There were times I'd be standing up to the stumps wearing what can best be described as a pair of cymbals. Now my teammates showed no sympathy in that I reacted to the nick and got in the right position, only to see the ball bounce out.

Similarly in football they were equally critical. Despite a gale force wind blowing and a pitch bearing closer resemblance to the fields of Passchendaele, there was a ludicrous expectation that the ball should be effortlessly plucked from the air. When it inadvertently slipped from my grasp and onto the head of an opposing striker I was promptly sent to Coventry: possibly in the hope that Steve Ogrizovic would help improve my ball handling.

Bearing that not particularly illustrious history in mind, it should come as no surprise that I've recently been having golf grip issues. I really had not realised quite how worn my Tour Velvets were. In comparison to my new grips they were like bars of soap. After my practice session yesterday I am hoping that the lighter touch will lead to much improved ball control. That certainly seemed to be the case yesterday.

October stats

Limited golf this month due to my excursion to God's Own Country, but I've made some positive progress in terms of how I think on the golf course. A couple of experiments and thinking more about Stableford scores has helped me lift some of the pressure on my tee shots. Though I hit fewer FIR than I have in the past, a lot of my misses were in the first cut of rough. I think I have made positive progress off the tee I now need to translate that into solid approach shots, then maybe, just maybe I'll be cooking on gas. My clubs are currently being regripped and I've noticed that my grip is a little too firm and strong. That seems to be the principle cause of the shots I am losing left. Hopefully, after a little adjustment that will improve.

I've got my November medal next week, then a highly competitive game against big bro followed by my first Honours Board competition: the 1922 Stableford Cup. Despite one uber optimist estimating a score above handicap (many thanks for the vote of confidence, enjoy a cyber pint on me) the majority feel that a sub 30 score is more likely. Voting will stay open until the Friday before so keep your guesses coming.

So practice last month. Losing a third of the month on holiday was not ideal, but I did squeeze in a lesson and just over 7 hours practice. Very little time spent putting as I've focussed on bedding in the swing changes from my lesson. Funnily enough my putting stats have improved but they could have been so much better if it wasn't for some poor lapses in concentration. As I have no clubs this week there will be much time spent in our slightly chilly garage practicing with the short stick.

Practice

Distance	Time (minutes)	% of practice time
Driver	0	0%
Other Woods	20	5%
200 - 250 yards	25	6%
150 – 200 yards	15	3%
100 – 150 yards	220	51%
Short Approach	115	27%
Bunker Play	15	3%
Putting	20	20%
Total	430	100%

Rounds
A rather startling birdie conversion statistic, perhaps made more possible by the fact I hit fewer GIR. Though I didn't get many scrambles I was chipping close enough to make two putts a formality and I think that has removed a few unwanted 3 putts from my stats. As I mentioned above where I am missing many fairways I'm in the first cut of rough so I actually think that statistic belies the improvements I have made. That said both FIR and GIR have been adversely affected by some stupid penalties I have incurred. That first game back from Scotland being particularly woeful.

Statistic	Performance	SS2 Handicap level
Fairways in Regulation	25% (37%)	24 (18)
Greens in Regulation	12% (16%)	19 (16)
Putts per Round	34.88 (36.41)	17 (21)
Birdie Conversion	25% (7%)	Scratch (26)
Par Scrambles	0% (5%)	28+ (28+)
Sand Saves	0%	28+
Penalties per Round	6.19 (2.66)	28+ (28+)

The SS2 handicap level is a calculation made indicating your performance on different facets of your game.

The next six weeks will see me play a lot of golf off the Whites, which can only be good for my improvement. Medal next week, Stableford Cup on the 21st, Medal first week of December and the first leg of the Winter League the week after. Here's hoping it is the prelude to a very Merry Xmas.