Ultimate respect

Young people generally get a bad press these days for being lazy, trouble making good for nothings. I have always held the belief that perceptions such as these are drivel fueled by poor journalism, prejudice and stereotypes created by a handful of incidents. That said I have never expected or witnessed a greater act of kindness as that displayed by Ryo Ishikawa. Aged 19 the young Japanese protege is wowing pundits and fellow players on the professional tour.

But even more staggering is his phenomenol generosity of donating his entire 2011 earnings plus ¥100,000 Yen for every birdie he scores. Modest Ishikawa claims that the motivation of playing for other people will hopefully spur him on to greater levels of performance this year. He certainly has won the hearts and minds of pretty much every golf fan out there and will thoroughly deserve the rapturous welcome he receives at Augusta next week. I will most definitely be rooting for him.

Based on last year's performances the total donation could be as high as $2million. A staggering act of generosity by an honourable young man. Ryo, I salute you and will dig a little deeper into my own pocket.

Mental gymnastics...

It seems though I've been retreading old ground recently. First there was my chipping and pitching, then then the putting and now the mental part of my game. Bob Rotella's books are like a comfort blanket wrapping you in warmth, reminding you of how to think about your game and reinstiling the principles of a sound mental regimen. It's funny how you get complacent about things and then realise you've been hindering yourself. Reading his books as a complete novice I had fewer positive memories to draw on, visualisation was tougher and a lot of the wisdom was lost on me.

I blogged a few days ago that I felt like The Prisoner and that maybe this misperception was halting my progress. I was right. I can tell you now without any exaggeration I am not a 28 handicapper. The CONGU system may label me as one but that's a temporary misunderstanding. The basis of this bold assertion is simple: my game is much better than that. What's lacking is concentration and self believe. In fact that last sentence is grammatically incorrect: I should have used the past tense.

In a day I have whittled through "Your 15th Club" and it is a timely intervention. I've got this weekend's medal to warm up before giving both my elder brother's a spanking on the 9th April. I have also realised how lucky I am to play with the guys I play with every week. They have boosted my confidence in my ability, offered helpful advice and been a really positive influence on my game. It's no surprise that since I've been playing with them I've got better.

Some of you will be thinking "we've heard this all before" but there is a big difference this time. This time I BELIEVE it!

The small details...

McDowell putting masterclass in GM

The more I play golf the more I understand it is a game with minute fractions between success and failure. It is also a game where you can get complacent and little errors creep into your game, sometime to devastating effect. Recently I've noticed my putting has been off. Everything feels the same and I had no explanation for it. Interestingly at the same time there were a proliferation of posts on the Golf Monthly forum all about putting. So interest piqued I thought I'd spend 20 minutes this evening on the putting mat. I discovered that I wasn't quite over the ball and that meant misses right, exactly the malaise that has affected me on course.

One very small tweak later and it is all good once more. There is the slight issue of taking a putting stroke from the comfort of a twelve stimp dead straight and flat putting mat, onto a bobbly, slow course green. The challenge similar to transfering arrow straight range shots onto the course. Nonetheless I am optimistic that my short putting woes will be less of a feature in Saturday's medal.

The weather forecast suggests some rain is coming this week which I think will be good for the course. I just need to sneak in a couple more practice sessions between now and the weekend so I'm in tip top condition. Those of you who have voted that I'll still be on 28 in August have been a great inspiration!

Chipping away...

Things are on the up and this evening I had a chance to spend some more time practicing on my short game. So target circle and wedges in hand I made my way over to the heath and spent 80 blissful minutes working on my short game. Interestingly I seem to be playing fewer chips nowadays, this is mainly because I find myself playing my third shot (on a par 4) to the green and hitting it. The root cause is either a ropey tee shot or a duffed second shot that usually leaves me in wedge range.

My distances and accuracy are much improved and I seem to be finding the green, hitting two putts and walking off with bogey. That was certainly the case on Wednesday. I hit four GIR, making three pars one bogey. I also hit nine greens one over GIR and two putted them all. But crucially when I missed the green one over GIR I didn't get up and down. Most of the time I didn't give myself a chance. In fact I am probably likely to finish closer to the hole from 90 yards than I am from 19, especially when I have to go over an obstacle.

Without wishing to tempt fate, I have got better at chipping in terms of connection, but in my efforts to ensure I don't leave it short, I often run it long. So today was about keeping those hands soft and working on my touch and landing zone. I'm not going to pretend that a single session has resolved my issues but I did get a little more consistent on distance control.

Luke Donald is my short game hero and, as the Masters draws near, I'll be intrigued to watch his wedge play around Augusta. Judging by his twitter feed he certainly spends a lot of time working on his wedge play. I'm still trying to keep up with Padraig Harrington's 20 minutes a day recommendation. I must confess it is much harder than I thought it would be: balancing golf with a commute and family life is tough.

The new season is almost upon us and the April medal is drawing near. There is still time to place your vote on my handicap progress in the first half of the season, so please have a gander opposite and let me know your thoughts. In the meantime I'll keep chipping away at my short game...

Steady

Captain's Drive In today and I did feel for our new skipper who has knackered the ligaments in his right arm. Not only could he not play but it affected his drive. That said an enjoyable day's golf even if the weather has decided to take a turn for the worse. What a difference a year makes. This time last year I hardly knew any members of the club but now I know so many. It's a really warm, friendly and welcoming atmosphere and I feel lucky to have a club like that on my doorstep.

Format was Two Ball Better Ball and we scored 40 points but it should have been so much more. My putting was poor today and despite putting myself into some great positions I just kept missing scoring opportunities. I really need to spend some time on those chips around the green and my putting. That said had I played on my own I would have been around the 36 point mark so I need to take some confidence from that. I found it dfficult judging my yardages in the wind today and a few times finished short or long as a result.

So practice required, progress being made and steady scoring the result. April medal next week and great opportunity for a cut.

The Prisoner

Many years ago, before the digital high definition explosion, television was simple. There were three established channels and a new one just being born. Remotes didn't exist so adults had children to ease the burden of leaving the comfortable confines of their armchair to "turn it over". With the exception of a few programmes most were re runs and westerns were often on the menu. However, I have vague memories of a cult tv show and one immortal line. I never really understood why the man was running away all the time, or why he was so scared of a big balloon. However, what really got me flummoxed was the fact that he repeatedly bellowed out that he was not a number, but I don't recall him ever telling us his name.

I was in high spirits yesterday following Wednesday's round and reading an article on Boyd & Parry I was struck by a reference to a certain Mr Ian James Poulter. There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance and many think IJP flirts precariously on it's boundary. As Boyd's mentor he has certainly made one thing unequivocally clear: above all else you have to believe in yourself and your ability. Having read a fair bit of Rotella, Poulter is right on the money. Golf IS a Game of Confidence.

So perhaps that is where I've been going wrong. Rather than rebelling against a label like the mysterious 'Six' I've accepted it, possibly even used it as a comfort blanket. "Yes I did have a bad round but I am a 28 handicap". The fact of the matter is the only thing that labels my 'standard' is that number and it isn't accurate. I have often been told you don't hit it like a 28 handicap, or putt like one. My chipping is markedly improved as is my course management. Maybe the one thing holding me back from progress, is me...

Smiling!

Spring has arrived and I feel blessed that I booked today off two months ago with the specific ambition to play golf. I felt relaxed, happy, confident and had the pleasure of some great company and I think that had a positive effect on my golf. I scored 17 points on the front nine with an unlucky blob on the 5th. I say unlucky because I sliced my second shot a little and thought I knew where it had landed but when I walked up there it had vanished. I dropped another on a line with the gorse bush that I though swallowed it and thinned it in there going for a glory shot. Amidst all that we were trying to let the group behind play through and it all got rather congested so I picked up.

It didn't really affect me that badly, probably because I'd hit one of the best shots in my life off the tee on the 4th. Playing a little bit downwind my two playing partners went first and both belted beautiful drives. I felt inspired by there efforts and the noise at impact told me I'd caught it sweetly. I sailed past both their efforts with a 279 yard 3 wood. To give you an indication of the wind factor the tee shot on the 5th played into the same wind, I hit that almost as well and only got it out to 225 yards.

It felt like things were just clicking into place and all the hard work I had done on my wedge distances was really coming into its own. I hit 24% GIR today and some great approach wedges when GIR was beyond me. As a result I spent a lot of time on the green today, rather than the fringes, which led to a lot of two putts with one naughty three.

I had so much confidence with the 3 wood and though I got lucky with a couple of daisy cutters it proved a solid foundation. That said the two highlights for me today actually came after poor shots/rotten luck. On our 12th I found myself in the rough and my attempt to chip out caught a tree and remained in the right hand rough. It was an awkward lie, ball sitting down and resting above my feet. I hit a great PW to 12 feet allowing for the draw the slope would cause. Though I didn't save par it showed me that I had made progress in my understanding of how to play awkward shots. The second saw my tee shot on the 15th draw a little too  much and travel too far finishing in the gorse. My view was blocked so I took the ball back on a line to 190 yards and then nailed my 5 iron to ten feet. I didn't see it land but my playing partners were suitably excited to let me know I hit a good'un. I came back with 24 points for an overall score of 41 points (85 shots for 17 holes) and cursing my luck I didn't finish the 5th for what might have been a PB.

I'm really happy that all the hard work is finally starting to pay off. I feel more in control and funnily don't actually think I am playing anywhere near my potential. My short game still needs sharpening, my putting could be improved and there are still occasions when I make poor decisions. It's great that my consistency is much better with 3 pars, 10 bogeys, three doubles, one triple and a solitary NR today. Here's hoping I've saved some good shots for Saturday's competition. April medal here I come...

85(66)
5(3), 8(5), 4(3), 5(4), -(5), 4(3), 5(5), 4(6), 4(5), 5(4), 3(3), 6(5), 6(4), 4(4), 5(4), 6(4), 5(4), 4(3)

End of the beginning...

Today I had the month 24 appointment for my clinical trial. It's an important stage as it marks what will hopefully be the end of the chemotherapy phase of my treatment. I do feel much better than I did when I started out on this journey two years ago and its funny how times have changed. Back in 2008 when I was first diagnosed I was starting out on my second full season at Coplestonians FC. I'd finished the year before as top scorer and was keen to reclaim that trophy. Pre season had been tricky with lack of sensation in my right leg, which when you're playing football and are right footed isn't really ideal. I played the first game of the season and despite the leg had a really good game. I didn't score, but I did rattled the bar from 30 yards with a stinging effort. I was a bit of a football nut, I trained hard and never left the pitch without my tank on empty. I guess that's why I'm so obsessed with golf. When something that is such a significant part of your life is taken away you need to find solace somewhere else. I feel lucky to have found such a fantastic substitute.

So there I am today completing my questionnaires in the waiting room and sitting oppositie me is Anthony Alastair Johnstone multiple winner on the European Tour. He has been an inspiration to me as he has battled back from MS to win on the Senior Tour. I'm not normally  bashful type but it did seem inappropriate to interrupt his sift through the Guardian newspaper. In hindsight I am kicking myself, but c'est la vie. Here's hoping our paths cross again in more uplifting circumstances. In the meantime I shall continue my quest to figure out how to improve at this frustrating yet stimulating and challenging game. Well you never know, our paths my cross on a golf course and it would be quite nice if I didn't still play like a nob!

Ready, aim, fire...no not over there!

I am becoming increasingly convinced that the root of my golfing problems, and by that I mean the sizeable ones, is my set up. On Saturday one of my playing partners observed a few idiosyncrancies with how I address the ball. Today on the heath I aimed to get to the bottom of things. While the slice or fade I occassionally hit is definitely down to my steep swing, the far more frequent pull is down to two things.

First setting up too close to the ball and second inadvertently aiming about 10 yards left of target. So yet another amendment has been made to the pre shot routine to help improve my visualisationm of the shot and more imprtoantly get me aiming the blinking thing in the right direction. Worked a treat on the heath today let's hope it is as effective on the course on Wednesday. I won't bore you with the details now, but if it does work I'll tell you what I do differently.

Much more exciting news is that the clocks go back next weekend meaning more opportunities to golf in the evening. Praise the lord, hallelujah, happy days!

House of Mirrors...

I have to concede that after yesterday's round I felt confused, dejected and a little bit nauseus. Playing off the yellow tees I guess I had a distorted perspective that recent rounds off the whites would have made me stronger, yet my world seemed to be turned upside down. Hindsight and reflection can be helpful aids to put the world to rights and in this instance have been very helpful. Firstly, as I was playing in the swindle I was off an artificial handicap of 18. That masks your real performance and in a bizarre twist of perception makes you believe you are playing worse than you actually are.

After an ok start my tee shot found the green on the 3rd but my putting touch deserted me. I walked off with a four. A slightly pulled 3 wood off the tee of the 4th forced me to play out sideways and I duffed my approach. That said I was on the green for 4 and should have tidied things up. Nope three putt number two. Again a solid, but pulled, tee shot got me in troucble on the 5th and having carved my way from rough to fairway to rough to green I three stabbed again. A par on the sixth gave brief respite followed by what would have been par on the 7th if I hadn't pulled my second shot into a forest of gorse. Hit GIR on the 8th, three putt and almost repeated the trick on 10. It's been three weeks since my last proper stint of putting practice and it showed.

Despite a meltdown on the back nine with three blobs I carded 15 points. If I can eradicate the pull with the 3 wood things are looking up. It gives me an extra 30-40 yards off the tee which takes the pressure off my second shot, unless I have to chip out sidways that is! As for the putting, I'm just calling it a bad day at the office, a freak occurence. Lots of golf scheduled for this coming week all gearing up to the Captain's Drive In on Saturday. In some ways I'm glad I had a bit of a stinker today, you don't want to peak too early!

104(71)
4(3), 9(5), 4(3), 7(4), 8(5), 3(3), 7(5), 5(4), 6(4), 4(4), 4(3), 7(5), 8(4), 5(4), 8(4), 7(4), 5(4), 3(3)

Wii fit for golf

Using the camera has given me a real insight into how I am actually swinging. I thought I was quite controlled but actually I'm a bit thrashy. So I'm starting to work on my core by using a couple of games we have on the Wii. I'm hoping a regular pilates workout will improve my balance and core strength. This should help address my swing being a little uncontrolled and give me a solid base around which to rotate. It's funny but now I have a visual idea of what I'm trying to achieve with my swing it makes me more aware of when I get in the wrong positions.

I read an interesting article in Golf World yesterday about Tiger Woods' swing. The article was based on the perceptions of his five coaches and it will be interesting to compare this piece with next month's Golf Monthly interview with the man himself. Michael Jordan once said that Tiger believes he can be the first person to beat golf. His coaches on the other hand seem to imply that he perhaps has overtinkered and plays his best when he reverts to his natural instincts.

I'm at the other end of the spectrum but I do still think about my golf a lot. A big challenge for me is that I do hit the ball a long way. As a result when it goes offline it gets me in big trouble but when it goes where I want it to I score well. I guess admist all these little things such as chipping practice and using the wii, I mustn't lose sight of the need to trust natural instincts and above all else enjoy playing. Work means I will struggle to get any practice time over the next couple of days. Thankfully, Saturday morning will see the return of the swindle and I believe the first weekend off actual handicaps. A relaxed game off the yellows of 28, here's hoping I finish quids in.

Mmmm maybe I'll pass on the pilates and play a round on Tiger Woods instead...

Reading material

I love a magazine. From regular purchases of Match and then 90 minutes through my football obsessed teenage years, on to a variety of console magazines during my twenties. It is unsurprising that as I have now reached the dawn of middle age (the good news is life apparently starts now) that I subscribe to golfing publications. Two in fact but the road to choosing them has been a bizarre one and underlines the importance of engaging with your readers. The first magazine I purchased was Golf Monthly and it culminated in a letter of complaint. The front cover claimed a range of tips lurked inside those pages that would revolutionise my short game. What I found was a single pager from Gary Alliss that told me stuff I already knew/figured out on my own and I was a newbie. Not impressed. To be fair to GM they replied to my terse communication promising a copy of their short game handout from an earlier issue. Plus one for replying, minus two for not sending.

So I bought Today's Golfer at that time it had a younger, fresher more modern feel. It was light reading and I liked it. I visited the website, which also 'spoke to me'. After a few months they gave the magazine a face lift. I approved a lot and wrote to the editor to tell him so. He didn't reply but then again he is a busy chap why send a response to mr random? However, during this time I ventured on to the respective forums of each magazine. Golf Monthly's was brimming with eager keen golfers sharing advice, tips, jokes by contrast the Today's Golfer site was lifeless, soulless. Then came the dual masterstroke a forum exclusive offer to play for GM against Team Ping and a half price magazine subscription offer that the editor gave us prior notice so we waited to take advantage. They changed the look of the magazine making it much more modern.

That said I still subscribe to both, primarily because TG keep offering ridiculously good subscription offers with free Z-Stars. But that maybe about to change. Golf World have got in on the act cold calling me with an offer of three issues for a pound. I took them up on it and have been extremely impressed with what I have read so far. So I will at point of renewal need to lose one of my subscriptions. Interactions with the GM staff, the wonderful forum, the unbelievable opportunities and the calibre of the magazine mean I'm a loyal reader. So it seems that the days of TG luring me in with ball offers are over and Golf's answer to Grazia is on it's way off my reading list.

Eyeline Target Circles: Equipment review

I must admit I had high hopes for these, and then they arrived. To say I was underwhelmed would be an understatement. There seems to be a common thought process associated with golf: "the people who play it are minted". In my opinion this myopic opinion is wholly inaccurate. Perhaps in a bygone age when golf catered for the wealthy it held a semblance of truth but nowadays it is nothing more than a myth, perpetuated by unfortunate soles such as myself who are desperate to improve and pay over the odds for improvement aids. I apologise that this is turning into a rather long winded and seemingly irrelevant monologue, but the fact of the matter is that at £45 for the pair I feel ripped off. A wiser investment would have been a luminous tray and a coping saw. If I have been somewhat over effusive in my praise for training aids to date, this episode will go some way to redressing the balance.

First and foremost these do not work as effective target circles around the hole. The marketing bumpf will lead you to believe that they sit flat enough to allow balls to pass unaffected across their surface. In reality this is poppycock, with shots diverted off target as they approach the hole, or held captive as they attempt to roll past it. They do however serve as useful targets for landing area but due to your intention to be as accurate as possible this makes only the smallest circle a useful aid. Either they lack the flexibility of alignment sticks or I lack imagination but I cannot think of another way to use them for practice. If you think of something please enlighten me. Adding insult to injury is the difficulty in actually placing them in a circle, they seem to be more at home in an oval shape. There's also the problem of transporting them. I like training aids that fit in my bag so I can take them, use them to warm up and then have them on my round. The small circle achieves this but the larger red one steadfastly refuses to fit without being bent slightly: an act that renders it even more unable to lie flat.

At present I'm using them for pitching (red) and chipping (yellow) landing targets. But if you've got the best part of fifty quid burning a hole in your pocket I'd suggest looking at some of the other aids I reviewed!

click here for more reviews

Rating 62%

Finally...

Have a little look at the video above and you will see my swing mentor The Big Easy: Ernie Els. Fantastic smooth tempo and importantly a similar height as me 6' 3". At the moment my focus is on three areas. The first is the flex in his right knee, mine is a little straight which could cause a tendency to reverse pivot. The second is the swing plane I want to be a lot flatter to help me swing in to in. Finally I want to improve my tempo, I thrash at the ball from the top a bit. Now I have venturd out with with my TZ10 I'll be recording my swing more regularly to keep an eye on my progress. The biggest lesson learnt is that when you think you are over doing the swing change, you are in reality probably not even close.

So drum roll please...ladies and gentleman I am proud (really? are you sure?) ok I'm pleased to finally provide you with some evidence of my swing work in progress. The shot was taken with an 8 iron travelled 155 yards and had a bit of fade finishing 5 yards right of target. Enjoy.

Anyone seen my keys?

First off apologies. Still having video issues and insufficient time to resolve. Hopefully, swing video appearing tomorrow. Having looked at it and that of Ernie Els (who is my swing role model) I understand a little more what my teaching pro would like me to do in the back swing. But enough of that, how did today go.

It's strange because I haven't been hitting the ball as well as I know I can and yet I am still managing to score. In fact I am scoring better than I ever have done. Previously I was dependent on GIR or great tee shots to help me put points on the board. Currently, my shots off the tee are a little hit and miss but I'm scrambling better, though not for par!

Off to a flying start today with 14 points through the first six holes and only one decent tee shot struck on the 5th. I blobbed 7 with my first tee shot finishing a yard out of bounds and my approach shot drifting right and OoB as well. A scrappy point on the 8th and then I found my rhythm again scoring 11 points through the next five holes. Another blob on 14 again courtesy of a ropey tee shot and I fought for single pointers on the next three holes. Low and behold I find my swing on the 18th, stick my tee shot to 15 foot and two putt for par and 4 points.

So a grand total of 33 points split 17/16. No duffed chips to report (hoorah!) but on a couple of  occasions I did take one club too many and give myself problems as a result. Putting was pretty solid (28 for 16 holes) but I did have a couple of unnecessarily poor three putts where I lost concentration. It could have been my best ever strokeplay score off the whites today, but it was my best stableford score and that is pleasing.

I need to start building my confidence in using my hybrid and 3 wood. Best tee shot today was on the 5th and that was with the hybrid so I know I can do it. I just have to believe I can. Wonderful company once again with Ron, Andy and Ian. Not played with Ron and Andy before and once again another couple of golfers who think I've got a lot of potential I just need to get more consistent. Chatting with the club pro afterwards he pretty accurately summed me up: "He's got all the shots in the locker, he just can't find the key!"

85 (63)
4(3), 7(5), 3(4), 6(4), 6(5), 4(3), -(5), 6(4), 5(4), 5(4), 4(3), 6(5), -(4), 7(4), 6(4), 6(4), 3(3)

Unforeseen technical issues

Apologies for the delay in posting my latest swing video. I honestly thought my new camera purchase would make things easier but in order to upload HD video to YouTube I have to use some freeware to convert the file...didn't see that coming. Suffice to say I've not had the time to do it yet but will hopefully sort that tonight.

Another thing I've been struggling with is the Padraig's Harrington short game practice mantra: "20 minutes a day and see the shots drop off". I thought this would be relatively straightforward but I was so wrong. The days I work from home or weekends it's easy. In fact I normally fit in 30-40 minutes. But the three days I commute its a real challenge as often the only option is putting and it's not as enticing as chipping or pitching practice. Well at least not when you are doing it on an artificial mat in the garage. Those of you with expansive, well lit gardens or a course on your doorstep: you have my envy!

Swing video coming soon...

Turned down the opportunity to play nine holes today in favour of practicing. Spent a little over two hours bedding in the latest swing change and doing some short game work. Full swing is still a work in progress and I'll have a video to share with you tomorrow once I've converted the file. Swing plane still needs to be flatter and I'm still a bit out to in but its better than it used to be.

As for the short game I have a new pre shot routine which so far has eliminated the duff shot from my repertoire. I know look at the target and make three practice swings trying to get to what feels like the right amount of backswing. I then settle over the ball, look once more at the target and then focus on the ball through impact, preventing myself from leaning back or peeking too early. I think the practice strokes looking at the target and the final look up helps me retain the visualisation of the shot, making me feel less inclination to look up when I play the actual shot. Need to wait till Saturday to see if it works on the course.

In bunkers I now set up as if I am playing a shot at 45 degrees to the pin. When I am comfortable I then open the face to point at the flag but still swing along the original target line. Again things were much improved and I also experimented with a range of different lies and bunker positions.

It was interesting taking the TZ10 out with me and I'll try and capture some interesting videos during future practice sessions to liven up the blog. Now I don't have to worry about the rain that is certainly more viable. Anyway enough of my rambling, keep your eyes peeled of the swing vid, hopefully premiering tomorrow evening!

A wristed development

99.99% of the time using the words 'cut', 'my' and 'wrists' in the same sentence has negative implications. I think I may have found one of the few instances where actually the opposite is true. You see it has suddenly dawned on me that I need to cut my wrists out of my golf game. These periodic revelations always appear as common sense once the light bulb finally decides to stop flickering and stay on.

This morning I had 30 mins chipping practice in the garden, followed by a few practice swings of the full swing. The chipping is part of my attempt to meet Paddy Harrington's recommendation of 20 mins short game practice a day. As I walked back in doors I realised that you actually play golf, predominantly with your back and shoulders. Chipping and putting wrists are a big no, no. While there is a degree of wrist hinge in the full swing I actually swing better when I just focus on good upper body rotation. It improves my tempo as well. Mmmm. Well my pro has sentenced me to hitting lots of balls to bed in the latest change. We'll see how I get on, on Tuesday!

No 3 Putt: Equipment review

Probably one of the simplest concepts I have seen in a golf training aid. I'm not a fan of mirrors and rails as I like to keep my putting natural and less technical. Effectively all this does is sit in the hole and make it smaller. There are two rings with both designed to be used for short putts (3 - 5 feet) whilst you can use just the outer ring for longer putts. Essentially, this helps focus the mind on a smaller target providing less margin for error. When you then take the aid away the hole does look massive.

At first this aid served to diagnose a problem with my putting stroke. I needed to improve my stroke and have greater control of the clubhead. So I made a few adjustments to my grip and eventually found a slight modification that worked. Now I spend about 30 minutes a week practising using the No 3 Putt on the mat in the garage and so far so good. I am much more solid on those shorter putts and am sinking more from 6-10 feet as well.

It's a really simple training aid, can be carried everywhere and is a brilliant tool for warming up on the practice green before a round. The only downside that for a giant plastic polo it is overpriced (about £13 is the best I have seen). Nonetheless, I would still recommend it to anyone that wants to sharpen up their putting within 10 feet.
Rating 83%

Anyone got a painkiller?

Sore side, bruised confidence and a savaged scorecard are the results of todays medal. Prior to starting off I was informed that the format was medal stableford, so not the pure medal I had initially hoped for. Things started well. Pulled my 3 iron a little but I was pin high. My chip ran long but I putted in from the fringe for a par and four points. I then walked onto the 2nd tee and proceeded to hit three, yes that's right three, consecutive balls out of bounds. Perhaps being a stableford was a good thing after all. While the second and third tee shots went way out the first only finished a couple of yards on the wrong side of the posts. That small margin made a big difference. It obliterated my confidence and I had to scrap to reach 14 points on the front nine.

Silly errors compounded my round from the off and I flitted from moments of good, solid golf to some of inexplicable incompetence. Lack of concentration at critical moments was costing me shots all over the place and I came back with 15 points for a total of 29. That has caused a bit of dent in my golf confidence, things seemed to be going quite well but today it was a real mixture. Putting and short game really solid on the front nine, abandoned me on the back nine, almost at the same time as I got into a groove with my swing. Erratic, as I was dubbed today, is probably the most accurate turn of phrase.

However, the sore side is actually a good thing. The new swing forces me to make a fuller turn rather than use my hands and the dull ache is a reminder that I was using that additional bit of rotation. It certainly had an impact on my distance useful off the tee but not on the two occassions I cleared the green!!! It does feel smoother, less of an effort and more controlled when I get it right. Sadly I think it means I need to spend some dedicated time on the range/practice area bedding it in rather than on the course. Hopefully it won't take long...

99 (66)
3(3), -(50, 5(3), 5(4), 7(5), 5(3), 7(5), 8(4), 6(4), 8(4), 3(3), 7(5), 6(4), 8(4), 5(4), 7(4), 5(4), 4(3)

Whisper it quietly...

...I think I'm making progress, real tangible should be getting a handicap cut soon progress. Had a lesson today and it was quite simply fantastic. Working a little on my hands in the backswing where I have been guilty of cupping. Cupping is where there is a movement in your wrist in your backswing that can lead to a steeper angle of attack. My pro pointed out that this has caused me problems in my transition causing me to increase my tempo and thrash at the ball. All I know is that with this modification everything feels smoother and more controlled. I am perhaps drawing the ball a little too much but that may be down to how I have compensated in the past.

I have honestly never been more excited about my progress. After the lesson I carried on practicing and from ten consecutive shots I stuck 7 on the green from 150 yards with an 8 iron. Unheard of consistency for me. Now all I need to do is keep my head, maintain my composure and trust the swing on the course tomorrow. Trying very, very hard not to get carried away.

I also had a little short game chipping practice and although it didn't go as well as it has recently, the firmer greens obviously played a significant part in that. A few chip ins and some in gimme range brought a smile to my face, just need to keep the hands soft! So March medal tomorrow, the course looking in fantastic condition, my swing improving and short game getting there: it's going to be one helluva day!

Fractions...

There are some things that you don't tend to get taught in golf. One of those important lessons is how to tee the ball up correctly. When I started playing I used 6 iron off the tee and red castle tees. When I joined my club I invested in some wooden tees and continued feeing up with a small amount of the tee showing. As I have progressed and used longer clubs I have continued to tee it up the same way. I suffered with a mild slice with the long clubs and inconsistent ball striking. Thankfully I was recently encouraged to tee it up 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. I've since carried out a bit of Internet research and found this interesting article.

The advice about Driver tee height and sky marks was particularly fascinating. Teeing too low being the actual cause of the dreaded club scarring. So from now on I'll be teeing my long irons, hybrid and 3 wood higher. Here's hoping it's another step in the right direction.

Wedging my bets...

I have been practicing with my wedges religiously since I started playing golf and I now think I am able to benefit from all of that effort. Whether I have deliberately laid up to a set distance or inadvertently positioned myself in a tricky predicament or partial shot yardage I have an arsenal of shots to call on.

Having tried the Pelz 4x3 wedge system I encountered a few problems. While I was consistent with half swing shots I found I was less accurate on full wedge shots (apart from my PW) and inconsistent on swing length and strike with the quarter swing. So I went back to the drawing board and with the aid of the new practice utility on the Shotmiser I have approximate distances to cover shots from 120 yards - 40 yards.

I say approximate because I am not consistent enough yet to say I am exact (normally +/- 2/3 yards) but I am getting better.

My new method is pretty straightforward and predominantly involves two shot types: half swing and quarter swing chip. The half swing I set up with my feet slightly narrower than a full shot and my left foot flared. It is more relaxed than the full swing and I am to swing back to 9 o'clock (although I probably go back as far as 10!) and swing through to 2 o'clock to ensure I accelerate through the ball. The quarter swing chip I set up as I would do for a chip but with a slightly wider stance. This means a change of grip to my putting grip. I do not flare my left foot and place 90% of my weight on the left side. I then swing back to my pocket and swing through to my other pocket or just above it. Again it's nice and relaxed and it feels more controlled using the putting grip.

Over the past month I have been pretty consistent with my half swing shots and hope that using the distances below as a starting point I will be able to wedge it close more often. Anything under 40 yards I tend to be more analytical of the situation in front of me and prefer to use as little loft as the situation will allow.

120 yards: PW (half swing)

115 yards: PW (choked half swing)

110 yards: GW (full swing - probably the weakest of all the shots)

105 yards: GW (choked full swing)

95 yards: GW (half swing)

90 yards: GW (choked half swing)

85 yards: SW (half swing)

80 yards: SW (choked half swing)

75 yards: LW (half swing)

70 yards: LW (choked half swing) or PW (quarter swing chip)

60 yards: GW (quarter swing chip)

50 yards: SW (quarter swing chip)

40 yards: LW (quarter swing chip)

February stats

Being away on holiday for the first week of the shortest month of the year was always going to have a negative impact on my practice time. That said I have also passed on practicing in favour of playing a few holes on several occasions. I definitely think spending more time on course has been helpful and finally I have got to grips with my putting and chipping with much more consistent stroke for both.

No lessons in February but I am due for a check up this week where I anticipate my pro will want me to work on slightlyflattening my swing plane. Things are in good shape ahead of the start of the new season and I still have a month to go. The excitement is building...

Practice
So a little over 8 hours practice this month with a clear focus on putting and chipping. The short game has come on leaps and bounds as a result.While my short game practice remains a consistent percentage with previous months I have definitely upped my putting time. My stroke feels much more solid now and as you will see from my rounds statistic for putts per round my performance is already better than last year. I am a little down on my target of an hour a week putting practice but I have already shaved off nearly three shots on last year's average.

Distance	Time (minutes)	% of practice time
Driver	0	0%
Other Woods	15	3%
200 - 250 yards	8	2%
150 – 200 yards	10	2%
100 – 150 yards	30	6%
Short Approach	262	52%
Bunker Play	5	1%
Putting	170	34%
Total	500	100%

Rounds
Interestingly this month the statistics don't make for comparatively happy reading. Last month I got off to a flyer, whilst this month there has been some experimenting on course, mainly with the trialing of the 910 driver. A horror round with the D3 being the main culprit. Nonetheless things are improving and moving in the right direction. I expect the scrambling statistic to significantly improve when I can be more consistent from the tee as often I am not in range to give myself a realistic chance of saving par. Most importantly the number of penalties I am picking up is dropping and I am scoring more consistently. In the past I have been a bit sporadic with my scoring with several pars and numerous disasters. Now I am consistently scoring bogeys and double bogeys. Once conditions improve I would expect to see a few more pars on the card and if I can keep the rest consistent the handicap should start to tumble.As mentioned above my PPR stat is already down from the 36.68 average in 2010 and I am closing on my target of 32.68 putts. The stats for March should make for interesting reading! 

Statistic	Performance	SS2 Handicap level
Fairways in Regulation	26% (46%)	23 (13)
Greens in Regulation	8% (20%)	23 (14)
Putts per Round	33.98 (33.53)	15 (15)
Birdie Conversion	17% (0%)	8 (28+)
Par Scrambles	5% (5%)	28+ (28+)
Sand Saves	20% (0%)	9
Penalties per Round	2.7 (3.18)	27 (28+)

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

I am chomping at the bit to try my new putting and chipping techniques on dry, true greens as opposed to the lottery of those of the rain sodden or temporary variety. I am also keen to see the benefits of playing a better ball on my short game control. The new practice utility on the Shotmiser is helping me construct an accurate series of wedge distances within 100 yards and by playing mini fun challenges when I practice I'm having a lot of fun whilst getting better. Roll on next month!