Delighted to have appeared in this months GM with a course review and a forum thread I started. Only ever appeared in a mag once before when I got letter of the month for a playstation rag about 10 years ago. Poor black box is now gathering dust, bar the odd outing to play a blu-ray or a childrens DVD. All that processing power sitting idle yearning to grapple with Heavy Rain or God of War III. Gazing miserably out of the window as I work feverishly on my chipping in the garden. How times change?
This is huge. The fact that I'd rather hack my garden to shreds, clipping little white balls into a plastic box, than sit in front of the plasma immersed in a virtual reality is quite a turn around. Especially as once I'm back inside, I would prefer to flick on the freesat box and watch the Masters all over again. I'm more than a convert, I'm a born again golfer, a disciple of the lore of the Royal & Ancient.
Comments:
Simon Hutton
Love this post man for these reasons:
1) I’ve just had a review accepted for a coming edition of the mag too! (did you get a prize, by the way?)
2) liking the use of convert & born-again style language – to me (a minister in a Christian church) that is music to my ears!
Will look out for your review when I buy the mag and take it on holiday with me next week.
Tiger
Didn’t know/think there were prizes for every review. Thought there was just a one off one for a star review. Not received anything but to be honest it’s just nice to write something that got used. If something does come through the post I’ll be double chuffed. Glad you liked the blog post but think I need to pull my finger out and do something spectacular on a golf course soon though! At the moment my scores are going the wrong way
Simon Hutton
writing about golf is one thing playing is quite another!! I’m quite good at the former…
Friday 30 April 2010
Tuesday 27 April 2010
Reality bites
It was easy in the winter. The missus thought it was quite sweeti had a new hobby and quite funny I'd go out and practice in the pouring rain. She had no inclination to venture outside and the littl'un was only one and nowhere near as adventurous as he is now.
As the weather has improved there has been growing disdain of my weekend golfing outings. I've tried to play 'off peak' to avoid holding up better golfers, which has the direct effect of writing the whole day off. It's a two way thing though where I want to spend more time in the great outdoors with my son enjoying having kickabouts and games of chase on the heath.
It's becoming more evident that the biggest challenge I face is balancing the necessary practice and playing time without having a detrimental effect on family life. I used to be able to practice my putting three nights per week. My don would obediently go to sleep when I put him down and the missus would run on her treadmill and we'd chat as I went through my drills on the mat. Now she's soaking up the dying embers of daylight on her outdoor runs and junior would rather cuddle for an hour than sleep in his cot.
Thing is that it's not a frustration, I actually live the quality time we are spending together, I just need to figure out a different way to put the hours in.
Comments:
Homer
I’m finding less is more in terms of practice. I know I’m swinging badly and why bother practicing something that isn’t working. Got a frindly game on Saturday, a lesson with my normal teaching pro on Sunday and a 4 ball better ball on Monday. I’m off next week and so can work on the drills from my lesson and then get out and play. I’m trying to get more holes in than hours on the practice ground and only really hit the range if I need to work on the swing.
You need to find the right balance for you but maybe cut back on the practice time a bit and get as many holes as your life will let you. No substitute for on course experience even if you only use the last hour of daylight and play 4-5 holes.
Spin77
Reality bites indeed. These issues have been worked out in our house by me getting up at 6am saturday/sunday to go and play. Its the only way to get out there without it ruining the weekend!
There’s an answer to it somewhere in the day mate
Tiger
I still think I’m in the ‘train it’ stage particularly on chips and pitches but with putting and longer game trusting on the course is paramount. Mondays round will be interesting as it’s the first time the fairway wood will be in the bag. It’s difficult at this stage as I’m getting so much out of playing and practicing. As for the missus early mornings mean she can’t go for her run. That would be a big mistake. Go too soon afterwards and she feels time pressured too long afterwards and the day is ruined. I think I just have to accept the ear ache once a week!
As the weather has improved there has been growing disdain of my weekend golfing outings. I've tried to play 'off peak' to avoid holding up better golfers, which has the direct effect of writing the whole day off. It's a two way thing though where I want to spend more time in the great outdoors with my son enjoying having kickabouts and games of chase on the heath.
It's becoming more evident that the biggest challenge I face is balancing the necessary practice and playing time without having a detrimental effect on family life. I used to be able to practice my putting three nights per week. My don would obediently go to sleep when I put him down and the missus would run on her treadmill and we'd chat as I went through my drills on the mat. Now she's soaking up the dying embers of daylight on her outdoor runs and junior would rather cuddle for an hour than sleep in his cot.
Thing is that it's not a frustration, I actually live the quality time we are spending together, I just need to figure out a different way to put the hours in.
Comments:
Homer
I’m finding less is more in terms of practice. I know I’m swinging badly and why bother practicing something that isn’t working. Got a frindly game on Saturday, a lesson with my normal teaching pro on Sunday and a 4 ball better ball on Monday. I’m off next week and so can work on the drills from my lesson and then get out and play. I’m trying to get more holes in than hours on the practice ground and only really hit the range if I need to work on the swing.
You need to find the right balance for you but maybe cut back on the practice time a bit and get as many holes as your life will let you. No substitute for on course experience even if you only use the last hour of daylight and play 4-5 holes.
Spin77
Reality bites indeed. These issues have been worked out in our house by me getting up at 6am saturday/sunday to go and play. Its the only way to get out there without it ruining the weekend!
There’s an answer to it somewhere in the day mate
Tiger
I still think I’m in the ‘train it’ stage particularly on chips and pitches but with putting and longer game trusting on the course is paramount. Mondays round will be interesting as it’s the first time the fairway wood will be in the bag. It’s difficult at this stage as I’m getting so much out of playing and practicing. As for the missus early mornings mean she can’t go for her run. That would be a big mistake. Go too soon afterwards and she feels time pressured too long afterwards and the day is ruined. I think I just have to accept the ear ache once a week!
Saturday 24 April 2010
Frankie says...
Played a new course today. Brett Vale situated off the A12 between Ipswich and Colchester is a stunning little course particularly the stretch from hole 4-11. The greens were hollow toned and a little bobbly but that doesn't excuse the poor quality of my putting today. Way too much pace for most of the day with my distance judgement only really improving on the last four holes.
Lesson of the day is that I need to relax more. The swing and ball striking are definitely there. Too much pressure on myself on the par 3's saw me fall apart on pretty much all of them. Hole 10 Death or Glory I chose death not clearing the tee on my first, sticking the second in a bunker and then criss crossing the green for a 7.
Looking back through my notes of the day they are pretty much all iron shots, mainly when I relaxed. What hurt me today was my chipping and putting from the fringe. Thing is that and my putting are the two elements of my practice that have taken a back seat this month. Conversely, the iron practice is paying dividends.
Brett Vale is much more forgiving than Waldringfield but that said I lost just one ball today (a refurb into the pond on 4). That was one shot off the tee. Rest of the round I played with one ball, never done that before, ever!
Didn't score on one hole as we couldn't find my ball. We thought it had dropped short and been lost in the forest when it had in fact cleared the green. So for 17 holes I carded 103. The first sub 100 is coming and hopefully sooner rather than later.
Lesson of the day is that I need to relax more. The swing and ball striking are definitely there. Too much pressure on myself on the par 3's saw me fall apart on pretty much all of them. Hole 10 Death or Glory I chose death not clearing the tee on my first, sticking the second in a bunker and then criss crossing the green for a 7.
Looking back through my notes of the day they are pretty much all iron shots, mainly when I relaxed. What hurt me today was my chipping and putting from the fringe. Thing is that and my putting are the two elements of my practice that have taken a back seat this month. Conversely, the iron practice is paying dividends.
Brett Vale is much more forgiving than Waldringfield but that said I lost just one ball today (a refurb into the pond on 4). That was one shot off the tee. Rest of the round I played with one ball, never done that before, ever!
Didn't score on one hole as we couldn't find my ball. We thought it had dropped short and been lost in the forest when it had in fact cleared the green. So for 17 holes I carded 103. The first sub 100 is coming and hopefully sooner rather than later.
Friday 23 April 2010
Shortened short list
I thought that Nevada Bobs flight scope was usable on all clubs but unfortunately it's not set up for fairways. Chap was very nice and helpful. Let me whack a few clubs but without seeing the ball flight I was a bit stuffed.
That said one club emerged as a favourite which was the Ping G15. My second favourite was actually the MD but that's all based on how they felt and sounded. So I still need to test on a range, but have a clearer idea of the pecking order.
Also think I'm edging closer to a 3 wood & 5 wood. The G15 lofts are 15.5 & 18.5 which would lead nicely into my 3 iron. Still toying with the idea of a 60 degree lob to complete my set up till the driver comes next year/18 months time.
Comments:
Tiger
It’s odd replying to my own post but spoken to my pro and now I’ve narrowed selection we’re going to look at shaft options. Hopefully, next weekend. Things are looking up!
Homer
Shafts are the engine room and there is a whole world of flex, kick points etc to explore. I think having your pro look at it with you and who knows your swing is a huge boost. Whilst its great to hit a ball on a range and see how it flies, there isn’t anything to tell you whether you are getting optimum performance. Take your time though. There is no rush. A lot of the demo days at local ranges have launch monitors set up so maybe have a scout around and see if there are any coming up near you
Tiger
After today i feel much less pressured. Was striking my 4 & 5 iron really well knocking on 200 yards with the 4. Feel much more comfortable exploring my options with my pro. I just don’t know enough about golf to be making informed choices on technical aspects such as shaft choice. I’ll have a look to see when the next Ping demo day in my area is. Funny thing is that I’ve been working so hard on my long game that the short game is suffering. It’s never ending but that’s what I live about this game.
That said one club emerged as a favourite which was the Ping G15. My second favourite was actually the MD but that's all based on how they felt and sounded. So I still need to test on a range, but have a clearer idea of the pecking order.
Also think I'm edging closer to a 3 wood & 5 wood. The G15 lofts are 15.5 & 18.5 which would lead nicely into my 3 iron. Still toying with the idea of a 60 degree lob to complete my set up till the driver comes next year/18 months time.
Comments:
Tiger
It’s odd replying to my own post but spoken to my pro and now I’ve narrowed selection we’re going to look at shaft options. Hopefully, next weekend. Things are looking up!
Homer
Shafts are the engine room and there is a whole world of flex, kick points etc to explore. I think having your pro look at it with you and who knows your swing is a huge boost. Whilst its great to hit a ball on a range and see how it flies, there isn’t anything to tell you whether you are getting optimum performance. Take your time though. There is no rush. A lot of the demo days at local ranges have launch monitors set up so maybe have a scout around and see if there are any coming up near you
Tiger
After today i feel much less pressured. Was striking my 4 & 5 iron really well knocking on 200 yards with the 4. Feel much more comfortable exploring my options with my pro. I just don’t know enough about golf to be making informed choices on technical aspects such as shaft choice. I’ll have a look to see when the next Ping demo day in my area is. Funny thing is that I’ve been working so hard on my long game that the short game is suffering. It’s never ending but that’s what I live about this game.
Wednesday 21 April 2010
So much choice and what to do...
So I took my first step towards buying my fairway wood yesterday by popping into Nevada Bobs on my home. Originally, I had planned on testing the MD Superstrong, Mizuno MX700, Ping G15 and Nike Machspeed. Though I'd speak to the club fitting guy and get his thoughts. He suggested the Callaway Diablo, Cobra S2, Taylormade Burner Superfast and Ping G15.
Now I'm savvy enough to know he is going to try and sell me this year's models but his assertion was that as the more established club makers they have more research into forgiveness and this is related in their club design. Thing is from what I've read, with the exception of the Ping none of the others got a look in with square headed Nike and the Mizuno taking the plaudits on forgiveness.
The next thing is how do I choose given the fact that my swing is still a work in progress. Obviously as I get better my ball flight will straighten out but what should I be looking for if the majority of my shots on all the clubs I try go right? Is there any criteria that can help me decipher which of my 'exaggerated fades' (sounds better than nasty slice doesn't it) were better, and consequently which club I should buy.
Personally, I'm in the buy a second hand/the cheapest one camp, if that's the case.
This is going to be an interesting week...
Comments:
Homer
Personally I think he’s giving you a bum steer. MD, Benross etc are by far cheaper than Cally and Ping etc but its primarily because their promotional budgets are significantly less. If you look at TG magazine as well as GM MD in particular always do well in user tests.
I’d stay well of square headed fairway woods and if possible avoid the temptation to buy a closed or draw bias club as it will only mask any swing flaws.
The point is a budget club like an MD or Benross is not inferior in terms of forgiveness and in fact may well be more so that some of the bigger money names. If you are in doubt stick it out onto the forum and I’m confident you’ll get the same response
Tiger
Was kind of the impression I got, the “let’s steer the novice to the most expensive clubs” approach! Feeling more than a little disillusioned, where has customer service gone. Anyway after a bit of reading around, including a couple of old threads on the GM site, I’ve decided on my testing list. Don’t want to try more than four as I’d rather hit more balls with fewer clubs and if none of them suit try again another day. Based on all the info I can gather I’ll be having a whirl with:
Cobra S2 (new kid on the block)
Ping G15 (the people’s choice)
MD Superstrong (best of the budget crew)
Mizuno MX-700 (last year’s award winner)
Going after work Friday and I’ll let you know how I get on.
Now I'm savvy enough to know he is going to try and sell me this year's models but his assertion was that as the more established club makers they have more research into forgiveness and this is related in their club design. Thing is from what I've read, with the exception of the Ping none of the others got a look in with square headed Nike and the Mizuno taking the plaudits on forgiveness.
The next thing is how do I choose given the fact that my swing is still a work in progress. Obviously as I get better my ball flight will straighten out but what should I be looking for if the majority of my shots on all the clubs I try go right? Is there any criteria that can help me decipher which of my 'exaggerated fades' (sounds better than nasty slice doesn't it) were better, and consequently which club I should buy.
Personally, I'm in the buy a second hand/the cheapest one camp, if that's the case.
This is going to be an interesting week...
Comments:
Homer
Personally I think he’s giving you a bum steer. MD, Benross etc are by far cheaper than Cally and Ping etc but its primarily because their promotional budgets are significantly less. If you look at TG magazine as well as GM MD in particular always do well in user tests.
I’d stay well of square headed fairway woods and if possible avoid the temptation to buy a closed or draw bias club as it will only mask any swing flaws.
The point is a budget club like an MD or Benross is not inferior in terms of forgiveness and in fact may well be more so that some of the bigger money names. If you are in doubt stick it out onto the forum and I’m confident you’ll get the same response
Tiger
Was kind of the impression I got, the “let’s steer the novice to the most expensive clubs” approach! Feeling more than a little disillusioned, where has customer service gone. Anyway after a bit of reading around, including a couple of old threads on the GM site, I’ve decided on my testing list. Don’t want to try more than four as I’d rather hit more balls with fewer clubs and if none of them suit try again another day. Based on all the info I can gather I’ll be having a whirl with:
Cobra S2 (new kid on the block)
Ping G15 (the people’s choice)
MD Superstrong (best of the budget crew)
Mizuno MX-700 (last year’s award winner)
Going after work Friday and I’ll let you know how I get on.
Monday 19 April 2010
Hard graft required
So I've been analysing my rounds to date to try and figure out where it's going wrong and what the positives are. Let's start with the plus points:
Saturday 17 April 2010
Sibling rivalry
Well first things first I had a mare. Primarily, on the longer holes where I was just trying too hard. My bro was hitting a driver and I tried to keep up with him rather than playing my own game. I hit 51 on stroke index 1-5 that's +30 and scored 41 on the four Par 5's.
My bro didn't fair too much better. Though he hit better shots from the tee I generally outperformed him into and around the green. We both carded 124 my worst ever score. However, he won on matchplay 1 up and stableford.
What frustrated me were the four birdie opportunities I missed including a three putt on the 11th argh!!! However, there were a number of positives. Though it is still a work in progress my chipping is getting there and I'm starting to get the hang of it. I hit some very good approach shots today just need to do it more consistently. But best of all was my performance on four of the par 3's. I scored 15 on those four holes including my shot of the round to hit GIR on the 185 18th. The hole has trees to the left of the hole and water to the right. The green curves round to the right and hugs the water so to reac the green you have to hit a slight fade and hit the gap and roll up to the back of the green as the pins normally tucked to the right. I normally drop shot or mishit but today I hit a 5 iron pin high and though I missed the putt I stroked home the second for par number two of the day.
So I know that when the pressure's on the long game can't cope, but the short game is more than capable of firing. I scored +9 on 9 of the holes I played today, and no surprises they were the shorter ones.
Much to learn and work on, the scores are getting higher, but I'm sure I'm getting better. More practice required and a 3 Wood desired.
Comments:
Homer
A number of obvious issues. Probably trying way too hard not just on the longer shots and reacting to your brothers shots and performance rather than your own (a Rotella favourite subject)
The need to get a wood of some description and learning to use it is becoming more and more paramount
I wouldn’t worry too much. This is only the 3rd???? game on a full 18 holes so there is still much to be learnt. Focus on your own game though as its the only thing you can control.
It sounds like it was a close run thing though so you’ve probably got him worried for the rematch. Keep working hard and it’ll soon happen
Tiger
Yes, yes, yes and yes. It was a useful learning curve playing in a game I wanted to perform well in. I did notice that my game improved during a period when I felt I’d thrown the game and focussed on what I was doing but found it far too easy to get distracted when I played myself back into contention. Was my 5th round so still a lot to learn. In terms of clubs I’m going wood shopping next week .
Homer
Enjoy the hunt for the right weapon. If you check out my blog I’ve put the clubs away for a week after finally reaching rock bottom.
My bro didn't fair too much better. Though he hit better shots from the tee I generally outperformed him into and around the green. We both carded 124 my worst ever score. However, he won on matchplay 1 up and stableford.
What frustrated me were the four birdie opportunities I missed including a three putt on the 11th argh!!! However, there were a number of positives. Though it is still a work in progress my chipping is getting there and I'm starting to get the hang of it. I hit some very good approach shots today just need to do it more consistently. But best of all was my performance on four of the par 3's. I scored 15 on those four holes including my shot of the round to hit GIR on the 185 18th. The hole has trees to the left of the hole and water to the right. The green curves round to the right and hugs the water so to reac the green you have to hit a slight fade and hit the gap and roll up to the back of the green as the pins normally tucked to the right. I normally drop shot or mishit but today I hit a 5 iron pin high and though I missed the putt I stroked home the second for par number two of the day.
So I know that when the pressure's on the long game can't cope, but the short game is more than capable of firing. I scored +9 on 9 of the holes I played today, and no surprises they were the shorter ones.
Much to learn and work on, the scores are getting higher, but I'm sure I'm getting better. More practice required and a 3 Wood desired.
Comments:
Homer
A number of obvious issues. Probably trying way too hard not just on the longer shots and reacting to your brothers shots and performance rather than your own (a Rotella favourite subject)
The need to get a wood of some description and learning to use it is becoming more and more paramount
I wouldn’t worry too much. This is only the 3rd???? game on a full 18 holes so there is still much to be learnt. Focus on your own game though as its the only thing you can control.
It sounds like it was a close run thing though so you’ve probably got him worried for the rematch. Keep working hard and it’ll soon happen
Tiger
Yes, yes, yes and yes. It was a useful learning curve playing in a game I wanted to perform well in. I did notice that my game improved during a period when I felt I’d thrown the game and focussed on what I was doing but found it far too easy to get distracted when I played myself back into contention. Was my 5th round so still a lot to learn. In terms of clubs I’m going wood shopping next week .
Homer
Enjoy the hunt for the right weapon. If you check out my blog I’ve put the clubs away for a week after finally reaching rock bottom.
Thursday 15 April 2010
In Your 15th Club, Bob Rotella recommends keeping a journal using it to document good shots you have hit. The idea is that it disciplines the mind to remember good shots and reinforce memories of those shots. By consistently taking this approach a golfer will develop a positive outlook on their game, something which is a key ingredient while they are working on elements of it.
I was somewhat sceptical of the positive benefits until I reviewed my old score cards. Remember that blitz of good holes I had when I shot +8 for nine holes? Well on that day I was taking notes for my blog. After the disastrous 15 I hit on the 2nd hole the last thing I wrote was "great back to back six irons". Having been sitting on 9 shots just 100 yards down the fairway of that 500 yard par 5 I hit two great sixes to put me about 50 yards from the green. I teed up on the par 3 third having just reminded myself of those two great shots, pulled the six iron from the bag and hit the green just missing my first ever birdie.
I continued in that vein, recording all my good shots until the 12th hole when I stopped. Between holes 3 - 11 I recorded four pars, three bogeys, one double and one triple. I'm sure there is no coincidence that I played better on those holes partly because I believed in and trusted my swing.
Saturday is a big day as it will be the first time I play my brother and it's also the first day that my new journal will be in use. I hope that the competitive nature if the game will boost my concentration, my new pre shot routine will get me ready for each shot and the mental approach will reinforce positive thoughts.
I don't care what I score, I just have to win!
Comments:
Thought I’d just check in mate and see how you were getting on. Good to see your still at it and heading the right way.
Good luck for saturday mate, hope you beat your brother and record a nice win. Sure you’ll be taking me on in no time! Keep it going Tiger, and I hope your enjoying it all too
Tiger
Hey Swinger, Thanks for the message. I’m definitely getting better though it’s not showing on the scorecard yet. I’m hitting significantly less duffs than I was and actually the score consistency probably owes more to me progressing from the six iron to using the 4&5 more often. I’ve not quite tamed the 4 yet
The short game is also coming on and the problem now is hitting it too hard and clearing greens because I’m catching it so clean. I feel confident that a major break through is just around the corner. Fingers crossed it will happen on Saturday (we take sibling rivalry to a whole new level)! Hope all’s going well for you on the course.
I was somewhat sceptical of the positive benefits until I reviewed my old score cards. Remember that blitz of good holes I had when I shot +8 for nine holes? Well on that day I was taking notes for my blog. After the disastrous 15 I hit on the 2nd hole the last thing I wrote was "great back to back six irons". Having been sitting on 9 shots just 100 yards down the fairway of that 500 yard par 5 I hit two great sixes to put me about 50 yards from the green. I teed up on the par 3 third having just reminded myself of those two great shots, pulled the six iron from the bag and hit the green just missing my first ever birdie.
I continued in that vein, recording all my good shots until the 12th hole when I stopped. Between holes 3 - 11 I recorded four pars, three bogeys, one double and one triple. I'm sure there is no coincidence that I played better on those holes partly because I believed in and trusted my swing.
Saturday is a big day as it will be the first time I play my brother and it's also the first day that my new journal will be in use. I hope that the competitive nature if the game will boost my concentration, my new pre shot routine will get me ready for each shot and the mental approach will reinforce positive thoughts.
I don't care what I score, I just have to win!
Comments:
Thought I’d just check in mate and see how you were getting on. Good to see your still at it and heading the right way.
Good luck for saturday mate, hope you beat your brother and record a nice win. Sure you’ll be taking me on in no time! Keep it going Tiger, and I hope your enjoying it all too
Tiger
Hey Swinger, Thanks for the message. I’m definitely getting better though it’s not showing on the scorecard yet. I’m hitting significantly less duffs than I was and actually the score consistency probably owes more to me progressing from the six iron to using the 4&5 more often. I’ve not quite tamed the 4 yet
The short game is also coming on and the problem now is hitting it too hard and clearing greens because I’m catching it so clean. I feel confident that a major break through is just around the corner. Fingers crossed it will happen on Saturday (we take sibling rivalry to a whole new level)! Hope all’s going well for you on the course.
Tuesday 13 April 2010
Wind in the Willows
Played today and really interesting findings. Ball striking off the tee significantly improved, from the fairway getting better, around the green - lots more work required. I hit 5/13 fairways but missed two in bunkers due to wind and two in the light rough to the left. The bunkers came into play as I was hitting the 4 & 5 iron off the tee, and catching them sweetly, when I used to hit a 6I.
The biggest challenge for me is my approach shots and chipping. Got myself in some great positions today but the scoring shots let me down. Putting solid as always with just 34 putts today but scored 113. Seems strange that in some ways my ball striking is the best it's ever been, only two duffed shots. However, shot direction and wind caused havoc to my attempts to hit the green. Then my chipping deserted me and I just could not score. Positives are some wonderfully struck 4 & 5 Irons and the pitting. Just need to spend more practice time with the wedges and short irons. All in all pleased with my progress though it's not registering on the scorecard just yet.
Comments:
Homer
Might well be that your irons are flying high and being buffeted by the winds which is why a fairway wood will be a good investment. Once you are swinging properly you can learn how to hit a low 3/4 punch etc. For the time being follow Nicklaus’s advice and let the wind be your friend. If its left to right aim down the left and let it drift. If you hit it straight and the wind dies you’ll still be left side of the fairway/green. Don’t try and fight it
Tiger
I’m all with you on using the wind but a couple of times on par 3’s I would have had to aim at gorse or out of bounds in order to finish on the green. However that said I failed to get up and down which should have been straightforward for two pars instead I got bogey & double bogey. Watched the GM DVD last night and think I know where I’m going wrong with my chipping. Hopefully things will improve on that front and just two weeks till the fairway purchase. Only thing is I’ve then got to learn how to use the blinking thing
The biggest challenge for me is my approach shots and chipping. Got myself in some great positions today but the scoring shots let me down. Putting solid as always with just 34 putts today but scored 113. Seems strange that in some ways my ball striking is the best it's ever been, only two duffed shots. However, shot direction and wind caused havoc to my attempts to hit the green. Then my chipping deserted me and I just could not score. Positives are some wonderfully struck 4 & 5 Irons and the pitting. Just need to spend more practice time with the wedges and short irons. All in all pleased with my progress though it's not registering on the scorecard just yet.
Comments:
Homer
Might well be that your irons are flying high and being buffeted by the winds which is why a fairway wood will be a good investment. Once you are swinging properly you can learn how to hit a low 3/4 punch etc. For the time being follow Nicklaus’s advice and let the wind be your friend. If its left to right aim down the left and let it drift. If you hit it straight and the wind dies you’ll still be left side of the fairway/green. Don’t try and fight it
Tiger
I’m all with you on using the wind but a couple of times on par 3’s I would have had to aim at gorse or out of bounds in order to finish on the green. However that said I failed to get up and down which should have been straightforward for two pars instead I got bogey & double bogey. Watched the GM DVD last night and think I know where I’m going wrong with my chipping. Hopefully things will improve on that front and just two weeks till the fairway purchase. Only thing is I’ve then got to learn how to use the blinking thing
Monday 12 April 2010
Magic Masters
I've never watched golf on TV before after this year's Masters I'll never miss a major golf event. Not only was I gripped but I learnt so much. First off hats off to Mickelson who won the tournament from bold shot selection his run from 13-15 on day three was stunning but his second from the woods on 13 on day four was nothing short of sheer brilliance. Though he missed the eagle putt I believed that with that shot from the trees he had just won the Masters. He could swing freely knowing he had his scoring pants on.
I felt for Westwood but over the championship he was solid but unspectacular. He took less risks but Mickelson had that bit of luck and magic that rewarded his bravery. However, I learnt
most from watching Tiger. He just didn't have his A Game but carded -11. For someone who has been out of action for five months and striking the ball as 'poorly' as he was to finish tied 4th was an unbelievable achievement. He didn't see it that way but it reinforced to me the importance of being able to score.
I didn't realise that pros missed fairways and greens in regulation as often as they did but in addition to that their club and shot selection to escape trouble was fascinating. Taking putters when I expected them to take wedges, laying up when I expected them to go for it, a lot of food for thought.
So well played big Phil, commiserations to Lee Westwood and congratulations to Matteo Massanero (I still can't believe he's only 16). I've never been itching to play so much...
I felt for Westwood but over the championship he was solid but unspectacular. He took less risks but Mickelson had that bit of luck and magic that rewarded his bravery. However, I learnt
most from watching Tiger. He just didn't have his A Game but carded -11. For someone who has been out of action for five months and striking the ball as 'poorly' as he was to finish tied 4th was an unbelievable achievement. He didn't see it that way but it reinforced to me the importance of being able to score.
I didn't realise that pros missed fairways and greens in regulation as often as they did but in addition to that their club and shot selection to escape trouble was fascinating. Taking putters when I expected them to take wedges, laying up when I expected them to go for it, a lot of food for thought.
So well played big Phil, commiserations to Lee Westwood and congratulations to Matteo Massanero (I still can't believe he's only 16). I've never been itching to play so much...
Friday 9 April 2010
My game
As mentioned in a previous post I've broken down my game into five components:
To help me in my development are five individuals, two of which I doubt I'll ever meet. Theoretically, you will already know that I am a big fan of Dave Pelz and Bob Rotella. I am just coming to the end of Rotella's fifth golf book "Your 15th Club" and to be honest I think it's the book most people should read first. Unlike the other books it talks about the processes and techniques you need to use on a daily basis to improve your performance on the course. Now all I need to do is buy a journal and re read the other books!
Dave Pelz 3x4 wedge system is where I hope to end up but at the moment I am just concentrating on the three wedges I have and becoming consistent with my full and half swings. Once I've mastered that I will start to look at the quarter and three quarter swings. The Pelz book also has useful reference points for different types of wedge shots, which have proved invaluable in terms of small adjustments to make on different types of lies and what shot shape to expect, for example learning that an uphill lie will naturally generate a draw.
Supporting the theory are three very different individuals who will hopefully provide interesting and varied perspectives. First up is my coach Simon Dainty who is based at Fynn Valley Golf Club and with whom I have struck up a strong rapport. I'd highly recommend Simon to anyone in the Suffolk area who is thinking about developing their game. He is working with me on my swing mechanics and my technique on short approach shots and bunker play. Next up is Reg Clayden who is Club Captain at Waldringfield Golf Club and has a handicap of 7. Alongside occasional observations on my technique, he is helping me improve my course management and how I approach playing each hole. Every round with Reg is a real eye opener. Finally, there's young Ed Baker who has played off a handicap of 5 and is a young player full of promise. With his exuberance and instinctiveness of youth, I'm hoping I will be able te learn how to better read greens by playing with Ed. The fact that he has just started work as a greenkeeper will hopefully broaden his understanding of how greens slope, break and play.
So there you have it, 'Team Tiger'. Obviously, there will be many other people I will play against over the course of the year, all of whom will provide valuable insight to the great game. An example will be learning how to block out distractions and handle pressure when I play with my two brothers, one of whom will be brimming with banter.
Comments:
Homer
Sounds like you have a dream team going on then. I’m playing a lot with HTL off the GM forum and he’s officially 17 but is a much better golfer than that. He keeps my game honest as I’m really struggling to beat him whether I’m hitting well or not. If he can get his head straight over the summer he’ll be single figures.
I have a great relationship with my coach too and think its vital. I’m going to give it a few weeks and try and play myself out of this dip and then see where I go. I’ve got a nine hole playing lesson to take and was going to have that later in the year but might move it forward
Tiger
Yeah I hope so. Playing with low handicappers will hopefully help me learn a lot about how to play the game and most importantly how to score. Reg’s chipping is out of this world! Simon is really helping me work on my dispersion pattern. As I naturally hit it quite long if I can keep it in play and strike it consistently things could dramatically improve overnight. Lots of work ahead but I’m hoping a couple of major breakthroughs are just round the corner.
Homer
More optimism than me. Check out my blog for a sad state of affairs.
Mental
Management
Swing
Short Game
Putting
To help me in my development are five individuals, two of which I doubt I'll ever meet. Theoretically, you will already know that I am a big fan of Dave Pelz and Bob Rotella. I am just coming to the end of Rotella's fifth golf book "Your 15th Club" and to be honest I think it's the book most people should read first. Unlike the other books it talks about the processes and techniques you need to use on a daily basis to improve your performance on the course. Now all I need to do is buy a journal and re read the other books!
Dave Pelz 3x4 wedge system is where I hope to end up but at the moment I am just concentrating on the three wedges I have and becoming consistent with my full and half swings. Once I've mastered that I will start to look at the quarter and three quarter swings. The Pelz book also has useful reference points for different types of wedge shots, which have proved invaluable in terms of small adjustments to make on different types of lies and what shot shape to expect, for example learning that an uphill lie will naturally generate a draw.
Supporting the theory are three very different individuals who will hopefully provide interesting and varied perspectives. First up is my coach Simon Dainty who is based at Fynn Valley Golf Club and with whom I have struck up a strong rapport. I'd highly recommend Simon to anyone in the Suffolk area who is thinking about developing their game. He is working with me on my swing mechanics and my technique on short approach shots and bunker play. Next up is Reg Clayden who is Club Captain at Waldringfield Golf Club and has a handicap of 7. Alongside occasional observations on my technique, he is helping me improve my course management and how I approach playing each hole. Every round with Reg is a real eye opener. Finally, there's young Ed Baker who has played off a handicap of 5 and is a young player full of promise. With his exuberance and instinctiveness of youth, I'm hoping I will be able te learn how to better read greens by playing with Ed. The fact that he has just started work as a greenkeeper will hopefully broaden his understanding of how greens slope, break and play.
So there you have it, 'Team Tiger'. Obviously, there will be many other people I will play against over the course of the year, all of whom will provide valuable insight to the great game. An example will be learning how to block out distractions and handle pressure when I play with my two brothers, one of whom will be brimming with banter.
Comments:
Homer
Sounds like you have a dream team going on then. I’m playing a lot with HTL off the GM forum and he’s officially 17 but is a much better golfer than that. He keeps my game honest as I’m really struggling to beat him whether I’m hitting well or not. If he can get his head straight over the summer he’ll be single figures.
I have a great relationship with my coach too and think its vital. I’m going to give it a few weeks and try and play myself out of this dip and then see where I go. I’ve got a nine hole playing lesson to take and was going to have that later in the year but might move it forward
Tiger
Yeah I hope so. Playing with low handicappers will hopefully help me learn a lot about how to play the game and most importantly how to score. Reg’s chipping is out of this world! Simon is really helping me work on my dispersion pattern. As I naturally hit it quite long if I can keep it in play and strike it consistently things could dramatically improve overnight. Lots of work ahead but I’m hoping a couple of major breakthroughs are just round the corner.
Homer
More optimism than me. Check out my blog for a sad state of affairs.
Thursday 8 April 2010
Reinforcing the routine
So I had a lesson today and spent the best part of two and a half hours working on my long game with fairway and long irons. A few tweaks in the set up were critical but most importantly it was using my pre shot routine to build my muscle memory of the positions I need to be in.
I've certainly improved my position at the top of my back swing but having issues on the downswing that I still need to work on. The most important development however was how well I struck the 3 iron by adopting the same pre shot routine as I was doing on the fairway wood. It's by no means perfect but it is back in the bag.
What is funny is that I actually need to spend more time engraining my pre shot routine than I do hitting balls. When I get it right I can hit any club in my bag beautifully. I hope that spending more time on each shot and getting relaxed will translate to better ball striking and fewer wasted shots. Watching the pro's at Augusta is certainly helping to reinforce the message. Looks like Monday's round is going to be interesting.
Comments:
Homer
When I have a lesson I spend hours just making practice swings. My pro has taught some good golfers and he gets me to make a swing and try and do it as slowly as I can so that I can reaaly feel the club move back, my weigh begin to move and my body turning properly. He then gets me to continue the transition and downswing and feel the club drop down into the correct position and plane and through impact.
Its actually a really hard drill to do properly as the temptation is to speed up on the downswing. We then hit shots and try and swing as slowly as we can and aim to hit a 6 iron for example with a full swing but no further than 100 yards. Again really hard but it reinforces the correct turn.
With all the rehersals etc it can take me an hour to hit 20 or so balls but I can really feel it. I tend to leave it after that. When I come back I start off with slow motion swings and then build it up to a full paced swing, working on feeling the movements and making sure the club stays in the correct position.
I guess the secret is to keep working on the drills and trusting what you’ve been shown. You’ll still hit bad ones but resist the temptation to change anything and work through it. It will come.
Tiger
Sounds like a good routine and one I should try to emulate. At the moment I’m in too much of a hurry to hit the next ball and definitely need to be more circumspect and meticulous in my preparation and practice. Having had a chance to reflect my speed on the course is a direct consequence of my speed when I practice. By slowing everything down I’ll hopefully play much better. I tend to start off with good intentions but let them slip, perhaps that’s why my game falls apart over the last 7 holes. Next time I’m practicing I’ll give slow motion a go.
Homer
I try and conscioulsy step of the mat at the range after every shot or at the very least go through my grip and address set up for each and every shot. How often do you see guys machine gunning balls and getting no benefit from the session
Tiger
I’ve really got to take this approach for my whole range session as I do get sucked into machine gunning about halfway through. I hope that slowing down my play in practice will mean a better, more patient approach on the course. I’m going to start playing at a driving range in bishopsgate and at £4.80 for 40 balls I think that will slow me down significantly.
Simon Hutton
£4.80 for 40 balls… just been down the range here, £5 for 100, and after 5pm it drops to £3.50 for 100. No auto-tees though.
Tiger
That’s London pricing for you, you get three times as many for the same price on my local range but if I’m going to get the practice I need a pricey weekly visit to Bishopsgate seems to be on the cards :(
I've certainly improved my position at the top of my back swing but having issues on the downswing that I still need to work on. The most important development however was how well I struck the 3 iron by adopting the same pre shot routine as I was doing on the fairway wood. It's by no means perfect but it is back in the bag.
What is funny is that I actually need to spend more time engraining my pre shot routine than I do hitting balls. When I get it right I can hit any club in my bag beautifully. I hope that spending more time on each shot and getting relaxed will translate to better ball striking and fewer wasted shots. Watching the pro's at Augusta is certainly helping to reinforce the message. Looks like Monday's round is going to be interesting.
Comments:
Homer
When I have a lesson I spend hours just making practice swings. My pro has taught some good golfers and he gets me to make a swing and try and do it as slowly as I can so that I can reaaly feel the club move back, my weigh begin to move and my body turning properly. He then gets me to continue the transition and downswing and feel the club drop down into the correct position and plane and through impact.
Its actually a really hard drill to do properly as the temptation is to speed up on the downswing. We then hit shots and try and swing as slowly as we can and aim to hit a 6 iron for example with a full swing but no further than 100 yards. Again really hard but it reinforces the correct turn.
With all the rehersals etc it can take me an hour to hit 20 or so balls but I can really feel it. I tend to leave it after that. When I come back I start off with slow motion swings and then build it up to a full paced swing, working on feeling the movements and making sure the club stays in the correct position.
I guess the secret is to keep working on the drills and trusting what you’ve been shown. You’ll still hit bad ones but resist the temptation to change anything and work through it. It will come.
Tiger
Sounds like a good routine and one I should try to emulate. At the moment I’m in too much of a hurry to hit the next ball and definitely need to be more circumspect and meticulous in my preparation and practice. Having had a chance to reflect my speed on the course is a direct consequence of my speed when I practice. By slowing everything down I’ll hopefully play much better. I tend to start off with good intentions but let them slip, perhaps that’s why my game falls apart over the last 7 holes. Next time I’m practicing I’ll give slow motion a go.
Homer
I try and conscioulsy step of the mat at the range after every shot or at the very least go through my grip and address set up for each and every shot. How often do you see guys machine gunning balls and getting no benefit from the session
Tiger
I’ve really got to take this approach for my whole range session as I do get sucked into machine gunning about halfway through. I hope that slowing down my play in practice will mean a better, more patient approach on the course. I’m going to start playing at a driving range in bishopsgate and at £4.80 for 40 balls I think that will slow me down significantly.
Simon Hutton
£4.80 for 40 balls… just been down the range here, £5 for 100, and after 5pm it drops to £3.50 for 100. No auto-tees though.
Tiger
That’s London pricing for you, you get three times as many for the same price on my local range but if I’m going to get the practice I need a pricey weekly visit to Bishopsgate seems to be on the cards :(
Wednesday 7 April 2010
Ice skating uphill...
Played again today, had to blob two holes because of a mysteriously disappearing ball, which was frustrating and carded 96 for the 16 holes I did play. Played the 1st and the 10th really well today, but seemed to lose my way on both 'nines' after that. My fairway wood can't come soon enough but I did hit some great shots today. A 4 iron on the opening 203 yard par 3 just finished short of the green and the 9 iron shot to the green on the 10th landed on the upper tier and finished 10 foot past the hole. I two putted for par while my playing partner, who drove the green in one, walked off with a 5 having had a mare putting on the difficult uphill slope.
And his trials on that green very much reflected my performance today. When I relaxed the swing was on the money but for some reason we were locked in a never ending tussle meaning lots of topped, wasted shots, with a couple of snap hooks thrown in for good measure.
In terms of making any notable progress this game feels very much like trying to ice skate uphill or swim in treacle. Looking back over my three cards the best score I can cobble together from all my best holes is +21. The problems start on hole 12. It's at this point my swing starts to get untidy and I start losing balls, wasting shots and getting careless. I've hit six pars across the three rounds all of them coming between holes 3 - 11. I've also hit seven of my nine bogeys between holes 1 - 11.
It's early days but I need pressure taken away from my irons on the longer holes and to improve my golfing stamina for the back nine. I'm off to the range for a lesson and to practice my wood striking tomorrow, possibly with some target golf thrown in on the par 3. Then I'm hoping for 18 holes on Monday & Tuesday next week and fingers crossed the fairway wood will be coming with me.
And his trials on that green very much reflected my performance today. When I relaxed the swing was on the money but for some reason we were locked in a never ending tussle meaning lots of topped, wasted shots, with a couple of snap hooks thrown in for good measure.
In terms of making any notable progress this game feels very much like trying to ice skate uphill or swim in treacle. Looking back over my three cards the best score I can cobble together from all my best holes is +21. The problems start on hole 12. It's at this point my swing starts to get untidy and I start losing balls, wasting shots and getting careless. I've hit six pars across the three rounds all of them coming between holes 3 - 11. I've also hit seven of my nine bogeys between holes 1 - 11.
It's early days but I need pressure taken away from my irons on the longer holes and to improve my golfing stamina for the back nine. I'm off to the range for a lesson and to practice my wood striking tomorrow, possibly with some target golf thrown in on the par 3. Then I'm hoping for 18 holes on Monday & Tuesday next week and fingers crossed the fairway wood will be coming with me.
Monday 5 April 2010
It's good to be back
Back playing golf at long last and it feels great. Fully recovered now and fit and raring to go. Still meeting new people at the club but had no one to play with today and decided to spend my time practicing. Went through my whole game from tee to green taking full advantage of the facilities. I feel very lucky at our club. Alongside the 9th is a 150 yard practice hole, a practice chipping area, a driving net and putting green. Also, when things were quiet I could nip onto the tee of the 9th and practice a few drives with the 5 Wood. There was a little ring rust but it was great to blow away the cobwebs and have a chance to practice my bunker play.
I'm playing 18 on Wednesday so hopefully today's practice will have got me back in the swing...
I'm playing 18 on Wednesday so hopefully today's practice will have got me back in the swing...
Thursday 1 April 2010
March Stats
Apologies for the lack of updates. My chemotherapy has knocked the wind out of my sails a bit more than last time and I doubt there'll be any major golf played this weekend. It's also had a knock on effect on my practice with more time spent working in the evenings than practicing to get everything ready before I went on leave.I just managed 7 hours 20 minutes practice this month, with the vast majority focussed on the short game. Now I'm playing the full course I'll be making less trip[s to the par 3 and will be treating those more as target golf practice sessions rather than rounds. In March I made just two outings to the Par 3 with a lowest score of 37. I also spent a couple of hours on a golf simulator with my brother though that was more of an eye opener into the world of hitting woods than a practice session!
Practice
I am making good progress with use of my wedges and my swing changes have meant improved consistency of ball striking with my mid irons down to my wedges. There is still the odd duff and slice to contend with but as you'll see from my playing stats I'm starting to keep the ball in play more.
Distance | Time (minutes) | % of practice time |
150 – 200 yards | 85 | 19% |
100 – 150 yards | 20 | 5% |
Short Approach | 295 | 67% |
Putting | 40 | 9% |
Total | 440 | 100% |
My chipping is still my main area of focus, especially as I need to get used to the reduced spin levels on the NXXT Tour. I must admit I do miss the feel of the ProV1 around the green and am looking forward to trying the ProV!x courtesy of the Titleist ball offer in this month's GM. Interestingly the other ball they suggested was the NXT Tour so at least I can replenish my stocks having lost three first time out.
Rounds
Pretty similar scores from my first two outings at Waldringfield but completely different performances. I hit an amazing streak first time out but had some massive disasters. No stunning run of holes second time but more consistent scoring.
Statistic | Performance | SS2 Handicap level |
Fairways in Regulation | 46% | 13 |
Greens in Regulation | 8% | 23 |
Putts per Round* | 37 | 21 |
Birdie Conversion | 0% | 28+ |
Par Scrambles | 6% | 28+ |
Penalties per Round* | 4 | 28+ |
The SS2 handicap level is a calculation made indicating your performance on different facets of your game.
Using the mid irons off the tee is helping me hit more FIR and I've noticed that more often than not it's my second shot that let's me down. If I could retain the same degree of focus and preparation as I do on the tee I could put myself into scoring positions more regularly, especially on the shorter Par 4's.
My putting is making a fairly solid transition to full size greens, but I need to spend more time practicing those all important six feet and under putts. As my green reading improves I expect to see those stats fall as my distance judgement is pretty sound.
My main aim is to recover first, but hopefully I'll be back out on the course continuing my development. My next lesson will be focussed on my wood play. Depending how I get on with my friends G2 during April I may well be out shopping for a Driver and Fairway combination in May. I don't want to go overboard and liklihood is the Driver will remain a long term work in progress. At the moment the list is being headed by the MD Superstrong but I'm seriously considering the Nike Machspeed / Mizuno MX-700 because of excellent reviews on both their forgiveness.
Hopefully, by the end of this month I'll have broken the 100 barrier and be able to tell you about that elusive first birdie.
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