Mental block

Played in the swindle this morning and still no joy on the course. That was tempered with the news that my team had finished third in the cross country competition. To be fair that accomplishment was more down to Alex and Terry but I will still savour the shortcake biscuits and beer I won.

The new grip is still taking time to bed in but when I catch it well it's miles better than my old one. Having limped round in a rather forlorn, error strewn 21 points I spent some time in the bar with the lads before heading home.

However, once I filled the car up at the petrol station I decided to head back to the course. I had to banish my demons and low and behold on the practice hole things clicked. This confirmed the problem. It's not my swing, or the grip, or dry fairways and bad bounces. It's not the wind, or the clubs or a lack of ability. The problem lies within the six inches between my ears.

Too tense, too many thoughts, insufficient clarity or focus. These are the challenges I must tackle. Hitting ball after ball on the practice ground it became clear that when I thought only of my target, relaxed over the ball and tried to maintain my focus on it as I swung easy I made a good connection. The new grip then ensured that the ball travelled in pretty much the right direction. I hope I get the chance to practice/play on Monday as it's medal week next week and it would be great to peak at just the right time!

Cross country...

Back at school cross country was a swear word to all but the ridiculously fit kids. Most of the teachers didn't enjoy it as it meant standing marshalling in the forest in either sub zero or monsoon conditions. The unsporty kids didn't fancy it either, though to be fair the well seasoned ones often had sick notes excusing them from participating in any form of exercise. I was a sporty type but I hated it for two reasons:

1. I wasn't very good but I was very competitive
2. It usually meant that the pitches were frozen/waterlogged which meant no football for a while

Today I participated in a four and a half hour cross country and loved every minute of it. Well maybe that's a slight exaggeration as my golf has taken a turn for the worse. I loved the majority of it excluding the moments shortly after I'd hit a poor shot.

For those if you that haven't played a Cross Country essentially consists of made up holes where for example you'd teed it up on 14th and play to the 2nd green. Originally, they had planned a more sprawling course but the significant interest and 96 entrants led to a rethink and 16 smaller holes. The format was Texas Scramble and I think we finished 11.9 under par with our handicap allowance. I'm mnot sure what the winning tally was as I had to dash off before the presentations but from those people I spoke to it seemed as though a good day was had by all.

I would highly recommend it as an interesting variation to normal play with some crazy shots over trees, to blind greens from angles you've possibly never imagined, and for the higher handicapper probably some you've played before. I must confess to a few moments of déjà vu today. It probably wasn't the best format for someone looking to build their confidence in their swing but I'm out tomorrow morning in a swindle and hopefully that will resolve those qualms.

Really good fun today and the highlight was pplaying with Terry from the Waldringfield office. He only plays twice a year, off 28, yet by the 7th hole we had used FIVE of his tee shots. That's not much to write home about if he was only playing we me, but we were also playing with our club pro! The early run of short par 3's he just kept pitching them close. I was really chuffed for him with his nearest the pin effort on one of the latter holes to about 18 inches.

As for me I need to relax and believe...

Professional advice

By the time I arrived at the club yesterday I had convinced myself that I should practice. I had hit balls on the Heath earlier but the swing was still a work in progress. As I arrived I said hello to our assistant pro Warren who suggested I take a leaf out of the Tour pro book: play nine holes, identify my weaknesses, then go practice. So despite all my plans and intentions I warmed up in the net and headed to the first.

My normal shot of late has been a pull left of the target. Imagine my joy as my tee shot only went fractionally left of target, a feeling momentarily soured as it landed on the green and rolled off the back. Our first has two tiers sloping back to front with the rear of the green raised about six foot. Three months ago this chip would have filled me with dread. Now I'm looking confidently at the contours trying to assess the right landing spot. I then debate how much roll I want. I err on the side of caution in case I over hit it. Drop the chip exactly where I wanted but the reduced release because of that cautious tee shot leaves me on the top tier. I gauge the pace of my putt but misjudge the break and finish gimme distance to the right. I've scored four on here before numerous times, but this time I was controlled and missed out on a par because of caution. A club too much from the tee and too little on my chip. To me that's progress.

I'll not detail the rest of the round but in summary. I continued to chip and putt well this is becoming a strength, I am still prone to struggling with my new grip and not scoring as well as a result. It has had most impact on my 3 wood and perhaps a visit to the driving range wouldn't go amiss to work on the longer clubs.

However, my biggest Achilles heel is bunker play. I found four bunkers in 9 holes and reviewing the scores below I'm sure you can figure out which ones. However, sometimes you have to backwards in order to get better.

So as I finished on the 9th I headed to the practice area to hit a few balls and work hard on bunkers trying Gary Smith's linear method. Verdict? Too early to tell but I think like my chipping, in three weeks time I'll be much more confident and adept. I hope my game will be in better shape for the May medal and another opportunity for a cut. Saturday's swindle will be a good barometer...

55 (36)
4(3), 8(5), 4(3), 7(4), 6(5), 5(3), 7(5), 8(4), 6(4)

Mental arithmetic?

I was quite good at maths at school. At least I was until they decided to remove all the numbers and use letters, or even worse strange Greek symbols, instead. I got a bit lost at that point and my enthusiasm for crazy equations vanished. This change of heart was compounded by a series of Physics lessons with the aptly named Mr Dick. If you got it great, if you didn't he had very little time for you. So to me these new types of calculations were a little 'mental' (in the colloquial ridiculously tough sense of the word).

That confused and tangential history aside I have a greater understanding of the golf improvement equation. It is not sufficient to simply expect lots of practice/playing time to lead to massive improvement. Technique is an important factor. My chipping has got significantly better after a little over a week because I have been practicing a more reliable method. The next conundrum for me is that age old choice between playing or practicing. When I'm not working on any changes I'll play as much as possible. But when I'm bedding in a change the lure of the course is always strong. That's the scenario I find myself in now. Do I play 18 holes or even 9 tomorrow or do I use that time to work on my new grip, chips, bunkers and putting. I'm playing in a cross country on Friday and the swindle on Saturday so it should be a no brainer...but this is me we're talking about. Either way at least I can be grateful of the chance to play some form of golf.

Fairway to go

My new grip is proving a bit of a distraction

Saturday's golf lesson was brilliant, I resolutely stand by that, but today was the grim reality of how much work I need to do to bed in the change.Taking a new grip onto the course isn't really advisable but I was under the expert stewardship of our assistant pro. First off though wow. Playing with someone who knows how to play the game is a real eye opener. Most impressive were his shots from bunkers and a couple of up and downs he made to save par. A solid nine holes from him (level par) and some great advice, support and encouragement for me for which I was really grateful.

As for me there are two stories today. The first is that I struggled massively hitting anything over 100 yards. I've moved from pulls to thinned/topped slices. A lot of it is due to the new grip feeling alien and not hitting down on the ball as a result. After we completed nine holes we headed to the practice area where Warren gave me some more advice and worked with me for a bit before heading off to hone his putting ahead of tomorrow's Europro competition. I wish him luck.

The second story of my round was my short game. What. A. Difference. We played the back nine and short game was strong. On 10 I duffed my third shot into a bunker, played a good shot out and sunk the putt. On 11 I missed the green right and got up and down for par. On 12 I missed the green left and got up and down for bogey. I had a couple of others where my putts didn't drop and am really happy with how that part of my game has developed. Despite hitting the ball like a cross eyed chameleon (I'm not sure about lizard's general proficiency at golf but I'm assuming it's not great) I blobbed the 15th and scored 16 points. To do that when I couldn't hit a ball for love nor money is a positive sign. When the new grip setlles I mean business but until then, I've got a fair way to go...

Carlsberg don't do golf lessons...

Spent a supreme half an hour with my teaching pro today and made a massive leap forwards. As per usual the first ten minutes tidied up a recurring bad habit: on this occasion the flex in my right knee. Once that was sorted my pro adjusted my right hand on my grip. Well blow me down with a feather, tickle me with a duster and call me Susan. It was like the missing piece of the jigsaw had finally been slotted into place. Now don't get me wrong I still need to work on it but suddenly everything made sense, my swing was more repeatable and the results when I caught a good'un were breathtaking (well fo me anyway).

After my last lesson I have worked hard on flattening my swing plane which my pro was happy with. The change in the grip simply moved my right hand round more so my palm faced the target. It still feels a little weird but not only are my good shots better, but more importantly my bad shots are massively improved.

Playing a lot of golf this week: 18 holes tomorrow and Thursday, a Cross Country game Friday and another 18 on Saturday. Hoping that it will click on teh course and they'll be some good scores in there. Playing Ufford Park for the first time Thursday so it will be interesting to see how my game travels. If the latest tweak works I'll be buying my pro a couple of cold ones come Friday!

Gary Smith to the rescue?

As I mentioned yesterday I'm not getting on with bunkers. So I downloaded the Gary Smith Golf Monthly App in the hope that it would make a big difference. Not had a chance to try out his suggestions in a sand trap but seeing his linear approach to bunker play makes a lot of sense.

You see Gary has ridden to my rescue before with my chipping. It was his advice that saw me move the ball into the middle of my stance and set myself up square rather than open. Admittedly the X Factor tip was the icing on the cake but he got me moving in the right direction. From what I have seen so far I think his bunker tips will be even more effective. He certainly is enthusiastic about his work!

Obviously I cannot review this app util I've tried it's suggestions in practice and on the course but importantly I do feel more confident about my ability to tackle those pesky sandtraps. Time will tell and a few review will follow. Watch this space...

Bucket and spade

Got in a cheeky nine holes this evening and learnt a lot. Two holes poor, seven holes good and I'm pleased with progress. Biggest plus points were my chipping and putting. Three up and downs were great rewards for a lot of hard work on my short game. If you've not read it yet I really recommend that you check out the X Factor chipping post, it honestly has revolutionised my game.

The two poor holes were both caused by shocking tee shots, interestingly when I chose to take an iron for safety, I won't be doing that again! My 3 wood is working so much better as I don't try to muscle it off the tee. What I have learnt is that I need to take more care over my preparation before each shot as when I did today I played really well. Following the disaster on 2nd my scoring went bogey, bogey, par, par, double, par and then blew up on the 9th. By that stage the sun was low and to be honest I wasn't really concentrating after slicing my first tee shot out of bounds.

What I also learnt today is that my bunker play has gone from bad to worse. I'm now leaving the ball in the bunker having previously been airmailing the green. Obviously I'm concerned about hitting too far and quitting on the shot. On both the 2nd and 7th today I took three strokes to get the ball out of a greenside bunker, that is quite simply not good enough. I'm planning to have a lesson on Tuesday but really need to focus on my iron striking so I'm going to download the Golf Monthly Short Game App bunker videos. Hopefully they will be as effective as the X Factor chipping clip. If not I'll be taking a bucket and spade with me on future rounds to keep me entertained as I set up camp in the sand traps!

51(36) 20 points
4(3), 11(5), 4(3), 5(4), 5(5), 3(3), 7(5), 4(4), 8(4)

Bare faced lie

No I haven't been telling porky pies but I have been seeking out dried out hard pan ground to practice on. Why? My thinking is that the margin for error is smaller and less forgiving. The verdict? A worthwhile albeit frustrating activity. It will certainly help me prepare for facing the occasional nasty lie I'll get on a round. However, the most interesting thing was when I moved onto a better lie it became so much easier. I even managed to hit a few flops off those tight dusty lies.

I've not had a proper chance to test my new chipping on course, that is happening tomorrow, but I feel more confident, more composed, better equipped and more capable. If you struggle with your chipping I recommend you give X Factor chipping a go and when you get the Bhangra of it have a practice on hard pan lies. Hopefully you'll have an epiphany like me!

Sicknote

Not well today. Nausea, headache and feeling a bit weak and faint. The upshot is off work ill but with so much to get done before the long break over Easter still trying to do what I can. With no golf likely anytime soon I thought I'd blog about my dream fourball and how in recent weeks it has changed.

Seve the Spanish Swashbuckler

When I first started playing the contenders were the greats of the game: Niklaus, Watson, Palmer, Player, Faldo, Woods and of course the irreplaceable Seve Ballesteros. Those were the names I knew and revered. Then as I got into the game more I was exposed to stories of people like Moe Norman, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen. Not to forget the Old and Young Tom Morris', James Braid, Bobby Jones etal.

My choice of the perfect fourball would have been one built on nostalgia or talent. Major Major winners who instead of a trophy cabinet or room would require an opulent mansion to be erected in their honour in order to provide sufficient space to house their magnificent haul of silverware. However, I have a sneaking suspicion the atmosphere may have been a little prickly with a focus on performance over fun. Oh how times have changed. You see when I started playing it was all about how good could I get? How low could I go? Now I just want to have a whole load of fun.

So rather than the usual suspects chosen from the Who's Who of golfing greats I'll plum for a modern day triumvirate who I think would be a great craic on the course. My apologies to Norn Iron legend G-Mac you were as close as a brazilian wax to making the cut. Luke Donald you were also squeezed out though the good humour with which you took the watermelon outfit (Augusta Saturday) ribbing on Twitter put you in a whole new light from the reserved and polite Englishman I pigeonholed you as. Justin Rose was almost a shock choice but my first golf memory is JR pitching in on the 18th to finish fourth as an amateur at the 1998 Open. And what of Lee Westwood? Close but no cigar for the amiable chap from Worksop. Besides I've heard it costs £90,000 a round to play with him! Anyway, enough of the ifs, buts and maybes here are the three golfers I'd most like to play with right now!

Ian Poulter

For starters he will probably dress like a pimp , which will get the banter started in the clubhouse while we munch on pre round bacon butties. He's forthright, passionate and funny. I think he'd be a great craic on the course and I'd like to see his short game close up. He's not as good round the greens as Donald, which I'd make sure I remind him of, but still brilliant. He will probably try and sell me some clobber on the way round, and may well design a limited edition putter headover for the occassion, which will be a nice keepsake. But most importantly when I got peckish mid round I'm sure he'd have a few Mars bars to hand.

Bubba Watson

Hits it a country mile (ok technically about a 1/4 of a country mile but you get the picture), that on it's own has to be seen in the flesh. But also, judging by his interview in Golf World this month he loves to mess about on the golf course. I want to see him bend it over houses and bring it back onto the fairway (perhaps he could give young Rory some tips). That shot in Hawaii, you know the one Driver off the deck 305 yards, hard cut to 10 foot for an eagle. Ledge! He just looks like he loves playing and his pink shafted driver shaft will make for an interesting talking point.

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy tweeted that he had been spotted house hunting

I have been so impressed with how he handled the Augusta disappointment, not to mention the fact that he is a quite brilliant golfer. By my reckoning he is going to be a major force in world golf and I'd like to play with him before he gets there and becomes too serious! Talented, modest, likeable and funny he would be the perfect final addition to my ultimate modern day fourball.

So those are my picks but who would you have? Have I committed the ultimate faux pas and missed someone off.

Like father...

No golf this weekend as my better half was at a training course. However, that blow was immeasurably softened by a quite superb bit of quality father and son time. Over the past few months my son has expressed a desire to come with me when I head off to play 'golf balls'. This weekend cemented the necessity to help him take his second steps into the sport. He has already got a set of plastic clubs but recent events have demonstrated a heightened sense of interest. During the Masters, which he dutifully watched with his old man, he insisted on posing for a picture with his plastic driver. That is the first time he has actually requested his picture being taken and actually posed for it.

One week later and he is genuinely excited to see people playing golf on our way into town. The next day after a kickabout we wander down to the edge of Rushmere Golf Club to see if we can see anyone playing. Unfortunately, there is no-one about so when we get home I put my recorded Masters coverage on. After five minutes his up looking for something. Wielding his plastic club he asks me to get him his golf ball. The yellow airflow ones are no longer sufficient he wants white ones like daddy. Luckily I've got a couple of plastic ones and next comes the demand for a hole to hit the ball into.

I use a bit of blu tack and fix a stacking cup on it's side at the end of his play may and he sets to work putting, left handed with the back of the driver. He decides that actually this is too challenging so he opens up his toy box and out comes the largest stacking cup which will offer a bigger hole for him to putt into. That keeps him happy for half an hour till he decides he wants a cuddle and a nap.

So I'm resolved to fuel his passion with a little putter and wedge and to take him down to the club next Sunday and onto the chipping green. It may be putting a dent into my driver fund but boy is it worth it! Admittedly, he's not quite perfect. He made me turn off the Chinese Grand Prix so he could watch Disney's Cars. But here's hoping he loves the game as much as me, it would be great to have golf as a lifetime bond between father and son.

Golfing gods were mocking me...

I just couldn't buy a break. Nasty lies, bad bounces...ah well

I have recognised that it is important for me to hit a few balls and stretch properly before I play. My hope is that by doing this I will avoid playing like a weapon for the front nine before springing into life on the way in. That said there will always be times in an evening when you just need to get out there. That happened last night. Guess what I only played like a weapon on the front five and a lot of that was due to the golfing gods exercising some McIlroy-esque misfortune. This isn't a woe is me rant but on five occasions last night I got well and truly stitched up. I bet the golfing overlords were peeking out from behind the limited cloud cover wetting themselves.

Incident number one the inexplicable gust of wind. Shot was looking good dead on the pin when all of a sudden it just stopped moving forward and dropped like a stone, hit the fringe and spun back into the bunker. I didn't get out that well. Pants.

Incidents two and three were nasty bounces on the fairway that threw my ball off line and directly behind gorse bushes. For crying out loud! A pulled approach on 4 that we saw bounce and the inexplicably vanish into thin air like a David Copperfield illusion was incident four. All this in the first five holes and after a solid opening three points I'm looking at a score of five points through five.

They were having a real blast upstairs now and kicked my tee shot on the sixth way right and just for good measure buried it in the rough. I didn't give my chip enough va va voom and was sitting off the green. At this point I thought enough is enough and using my X factor chipping sunk it for par. Flicking two fingers skywards I padded 7 & 8 as well. Another overhit sand shot cost me a double on 9 but a bogey on 10 gave me 13 points for the last five holes.

Positives are that my driving and chipping are much improved (seriously, if you struggle with chips read the blog post below). My putting from distance is solid but I must spend some more time on those four footers. Pleased with how inlayed and quite glad I used up so much bad luck in one half round. I'll save my positive karma for when the score counts!

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

Giving my chipping the X Factor...

Rob Akins: coaching wizard

Fortunately this is not a story about high waisted trousers and irritating Irishmen. It is a story about a little tip I found that has revolutionised my chipping. At first I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinking I could never chip the ball by the holes side. I spent oh so many nights just feeling sorry for myself, but I grew strong and I learned how to get along....err right..erm yes well anyway at first I was a bit rubbish at chipping. I had a lesson and things got a little better, then they got a little worse. My club selection was crazy, taking far too much loft far too often. Then Golf Monthly sent a couple of intrepid golfers off to a Wilson fitting and Padraig Harrington gave them both a little chipping masterclass. The key lesson that stuck in my mind was placing almost all my weight on my left side.

Since then my chipping has got much better but I still occasionally duff a few or chip too hard with no check and run away from the hole. Then this month's Golf World had the answer to my prayers. A little bit of guidance from Rob Akins, coach to David Toms. He states that "most amateurs ahave been told to lean towards the target at address and maintain that position through impact". I'm reading this thinking my god 'that's me' and wondering why this is so bad as since I've started doing that my contact has been much better. Akins continues stating that not only does this deloft the club too much (he's bang on the money there) but also that "the club's leading edge can easily get stuck in the turf". Rob you've just described every problem I have with my chipping, you have my undivided attention please continue. In the video below you'll see the X shape I'm talking about. At set up the shaft is leaning forwards but the spine is leaning away. If you drew a line along the shaft up to shoulder level and a line from the right shoulder down the arm to the floor you'll create the X.

So on my lunch break yesterday I headed up to the heath to try the X chipping technique.Oh. My. God. I was getting so much more loft on my chips, more control and a cleaner crisper connection. I'm not a fan of the 'preassemble for impact' description given in the video but the technique works beautifully. Pretty good I thought but it gets better. Over the page there is instruction on how to create spin to check a ball on landing. I have always wanted to be able to do that and given the success of the X tip I headed to the club after work. Now the X chipping method is great but the technique to spin chips is much harder. Practice required but for now I'm revelling in growing confidence and skill around the greens. Rob Akins, you've got four yesses and you're through to the next round!

Tips from the pros

Justin Rose: good in the sand and on camera

This month's Golf World contains a cracking little freebie so long as you can navigate the flagrant advertising and wooden performances. You see Taylormade Adidas have created a little DVD with tips from the pros to help make us better golfers. Obviously TM are keen to use this opportunity to get us excited about their products be it the R11 driver of Ghost putters. I have to say though that the Sesame Street themed opening for the white R11 driver did make me chuckle. They might have fared better to have Big Bird and co on hand to put the pros at ease as some of them seemed more than a little nervous. Watching poor Peter Hanson getting tongue tied on one film you do feel sorry for him. Maybe they should all have done it in their mother tongue with some subtitles, I'd quite fancy knowing some golf jargon in Swedish.

Anyway, cutting back to the purpose of this post and that was to share some nuggets that I found useful. There were other tips that I was already aware of but the two that stuck out for me were on sand shots. First up Justin Rose's bunker tip. He says take a wider stance as this encourages a shallower path through the sand, whilst a more narrow stance can encourage you to hit down on the ball. The sand shot almost went in the hole but given how it was cut and the sheepish expression on his face I get the impression he didn't do that first time!

Next great tip was from Retief Goosen, who among other pointers suggested that you need to imagine you are hitting the shot twice as hard as you would hit a chip the same distance. I am definitely giving that one a try as I often struggle with knowing how hard to swing. Between Rose and Goosen I could have found the final two pieces of my bunker play jigsaw.

Buy the Penta...or else!

Natalie Gulbis and Paula Creamer offer some advice on adjusting your shots based on sloping lies and I am sure many readers will be reviewing those two clips repeatedly, obviously to engrain the learning! Edoardo Molinari's bit on the TM Penta ball however is shocking product promotion. That said I loved his mafia style delivery at the end, which by his tone inferred that I should buy a dozen or enjoy swimming with the fishes. What he doesn't realise is that if I played a ball that expensive it would the Penta that would end up in the drink!

There are some great articles in this month's edition so if you fancy splashing some cash this month on a golf mag you won't go far wrong with GW.

Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow...

How quick are your greens at the moment? Having watched the professionals literally tapping 30 foot putts at Augusta it reinforced how slow our greens are at the moment. They will speed up over the summer but at present it's tough going. Long putts are slowing up way before the cup but the biggest problem is those short four footers. They just bobble off line. I need to get in the habit of stroking them slightly firmer.

I would be really interested to know the stimpmeter reading of them right now and what it is when they are at their quickest. My biggest fear is the impact it will have on how my game travels. When I last played Brett Vale it was like putting on glass in comparison.

Either way I need to make more time to practice my putting at the club. Went on the matt this evening and gave up after a few. It just doesn't help matters as it's way too slick. Any budding inventors out there a putting matt with a more realistic club level stimp rating wanted!

Epic

There are few words that can effectively summarise the scale of the drama that unfolded in Augusta yesterday, but epic comes close. It was a tale of anguish, courage and passion and those who savoured the thrilling climax last night will probably still be bewildered today. It seemed as though it would be a relative formality, so long as McIlroy held his nerve a solid 70 would theoretically be enough to see him home and dry. However, as precociously talented as the young man from Northern Ireland is, his round yesterday was a Holywood horror story.

The nervy bogey at the first, the missed birdie that followed swiftly afterwards indicated that all was not right. McIlroy's distractors have often cited that his weakness with his putter would be cruelly exposed in the crucible of pressure that comes with Sunday at a Major. The intensity was significantly amplified by the fact he had what seemed to be an unassailable lead. Despite the plaudits that should rightly go to Charl Schwartzel, this will be remembered as the Masters that McIlroy lost.

He was magnaminous in defeat but the pain of what could have been will still be there. Whether it is a scratch or a deeper wound has yet to be seen, but the affect of this scar could well define a career. Similarly to Sergio Garcia, McIlroy is a natural talent, a phenomenal ball striker and tee to green one of the best in the world. Garcia led the 2007 Open by three shots from Stricker and six from the rest of the field. But as he faltered and his lead evaporated he crumbled on 18th green failing to get up and down to win outright and eventually lost the playoff. Whisper it quietly the vbrilliant Spaniard believes he may be cursed, I pray McIlroy does not harbour similar notions.

It was his inexperience that cost him and I would love to know the conversation he had with his caddy on the fringes of 10th fairway. Having suffered a bit of misfortune when his tee shot careered off a tree he successfully steered himself back into play. The sensible option would have been to lay up, attempted to hit a stiff wedge and sink the putt for bogey. Instead he attempted to get to the green and sent his approach way left. What followed will haunt his nightmares for years to come, or will it?

Schwartzel finished with a stunning run of four birdies

If McIlroy puts this experience down to a growing learning curve and a lack of golfing maturity he will surely lessen the future impact of this on his game. Personally, I think had he entered the final day a single shot clear or even just two his mindset may well have been different. He may have lacked such expectancy and had less additional pressure applied by the media. However, in the end it was a scintillating performance by Schwartzel that began and finished in explosive fashion that won the day. Fifty years after Gary Player's inaugural victory it seems a fitting conclusion. As for Rory...I quite fancy his chances at the Open.

Lesson in matchplay

Battle of the Bredren yesterday finished in defeat. With myeldest brother and nephew limping round the course it effectible came down to a straight head to head between me and my older brother. It was my first time playing matchplay yesterday and my frustrating habit of starting slow hit me hard. 5 down after 9 and still 5 down with 6 to play. Once I got going my bro just matched my decent holes and as we drew nearer the end I felt more pressure and despite winning 13, 14 and halving 15 I cracked on 16 and it was all over.

I was definitely less relaxed than normal and in the interests of future medals and matchplay I must work on the front 9. Midweek 9 holes are calling! That said the banter was first class and a really enjoyable weekend with some Masters golf viewing thrown in for good measure. The higlights were some belting drives with the 3 wood. Losing the longest drive in your fourball isn't normally a plus point but when it's by a yard against a Driver and you measure it at 258 yards it does make you smile. I just have to start capitalising on those tee shots. I dud win nearest the pin though and given the distractions a solid if unspectacular performance.

Good fun had by all, an important lesson in matchplay and a spectacular effort by the greenkeepers to get the course in good nick. Fairways still worn in places and greens slow but a big step in the right direction.

Second gear...

After my practice session yesterday I finally feel that I have moved into second gear. It has been far from a smooth transition but seeing myself placed third in my division for the April medal and that 0.8 cut gave me a massive boost of confidence. I took that onto the practice area and the full swing (with an 8 iron at least) is much better. It feels more natural though I do need to weaken my grip a little bit. Much more relaxed and a smoother tempo and it felt pretty effortless. The short game is feeling much sharper as well and I feel more confident in my chances to get up and down. Chomping at the bit to tee it up tomorrow. I feel another PB coming...

The Masters

Will this image be reversed come Sunday?

It has finally arrived. The anticipation is over and now the season opening Major is upon us. I've opted not to have a flutter this year although I'll kick myself if Watney or Kim wins it! Personally I think the big story this year is going to be the return of Tiger Woods. Come Sunday I think he will be in contention and hungry as ever. His game might not be at the same level as it once was but it's arguably in better shape than it was last year when he stunned us all finishing 4th.

I'll be honest, like many I have been disappointed with Tiger, not because off his off course indiscretions but his on course behaviour. But the way he has been talking recently suggests that he is starting to regain his self belief and, possibly more importantly, returning to the core lessons his father taught him. He has also admitted that he has neglected his putting and is starting to inject more effort on that part of his game. From what I remember of prime Tiger was seeing him drop putts from everywhere and if his putter is hot he'll be a tough man to beat at Augusta. In the past six years he hasn't finished outside the top six. I firmly believe he'll make it seven years in 2011.

That said I think his biggest threat will come from American players. Phil Mickelson was breathtaking last week as he destroyed the field to win the Houston Masters and after last years stunning third round I think he'll be hungry for another Masters triumph, Major victory and a return to the World Rankings top five.

Will Bubba add a green jacket to his wardrobe this weekend?

Challenging those two I think will be two young Yanks in the form of Anthony Kim who had a phenomenal Sunday charge last year and was in good nick at Houston and Nick Watney who must have learnt a lot from his nightmare final round at the USPGA last year. Watney also had a great round on Sunday last year and in what looks like gearing up to be an all American affair I think they will be the main four to watch. That said I'll be rooting for Bubba Watson (my favourite American player) and young Ryo Ishikawa an inspirational young man.

However, as a patriot I hold out hope for Westwood, Poulter and McDowell as the most likely British contenders with Harrington flying the flag for Ireland and Karlsson and Kaymer for the rest of Europe. The real shame though is the loss of Thursday and Friday coverage to Sky, thank god for Freesat +. I'll be watching on Friday night with my family, whetting our golf appetite before hitting the course on Saturday morning. Good luck to the Europeans but if it has to be Yank, please lord let it be Watney or Bubba Watson. Hi 5!

It's a family affair...

The four amigos will be stalking the fairways come Saturday

Very excited about this weekend. My brother's and nephew are heading east for our first family golf day. It's the thing that has had me most excited since I started playing, a chance to get together, have plenty of banter and a keenly contested game. As with all siblings we are uber competitive but until now our sporting exploits have been comparative or on the same team. One interesting record was that when the three brothers played in the same cricket team we never lost a game. If we'd had my nephew we probably wouldn't have drawn any either.

I have played with my brothers individually but it will be the first time ever we're on the course as a collective. Now both of them are infrequent golfers and Miguel has revamped his swing with lessons. That said he was once a mid teen handicapper and they both hit it a bloody long way. Hoping not to get sucked into a driving contest and concentrate on my own game. After recent performances a good start could set me up to break 90 for the first time and I'd love to do that in their company.

Whatever the outcome Saturday is going to be a great day!

Over the wedge...

Got it. It's taken a while but all that practice time has finally paid off. Went over to the heath yesterday with my sand wedge and got into a great groove. Now please note that my delight here is from the perspective of a 28 handicapper. I am sure a low single digit player would hit wedge shots like mine with a degree of disdain and a commitment to practice harder to get better. One thing golf has taught me is that performance is and always should be relative. So with the caveat that the opinions below are based on my current handicap level I will get back to the point of today's post...

Pitches seemed effortless and right on the money for distance. Though the crosswind affected my dispersion a little, I was consistently hitting a similar yardage. It's also difficult to judge dispersion on the heath because they can and do bounce all over the place. I generallyt look for landing patterns around my target and yesterday it was good. My chipping was also very natural. I must control that urge to peek early and allow my swing to bring my head up as those little looks lower the trajectory and lead to more roll than I want. But all the same very solid.

But then came the pièce de résistance. Though I'd have a little go at a 20 yard flop. My word. My gob was well and truly smacked like the bottom of an insolent child in a Victorian classroom! Easy peasy as shot after shot landed within a couple of yards of my target. 

Luke Donald: my short game hero

Having these weapons in my short game arsenal is great. I can now lay up confidently to my favourite and most practiced wedge distances (anything between 105 - 90 yards) and I should hit the green or at worst the fringe. When I am trying to hit the dancefloor from further away and miss my confidence to get on the short stuff is growing on a daily basis. The long term ambition is to be sticking those shots to gimme distance or holing out but for now getting them safely on the green is a good start. It's all about getting rid of those unnecessary wasted shots that you have during a round by making my short game tighter. 

The funny thing is that it is breeding confidence in my longer game. I am less affected by an errant stroke because I feel confident in my ability to recover. I've invested a LOT of time in my wedge play. Over the past 15 months I've spent a little over 3 solid days (76 hours) practicing my short game shots but it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Poll result

So the results are in, they have been counted and verified and I can now confirm that the readers of this blog have somewhat tempered their views on my degree of progress. The poll finished before the first medal of the year and based on that, as well as my shoddy front nine performance you were right on the money. The consensus was cautious with the slightly more optimistic bunch thinking I'd reach 24-25 (55%).

I have erred away from setting any sort of target this year or making any prediction. I just want to play the best golf I can and have a lot of fun at the same time. Whatever my final number is at the end of the season it will more than likely be merited. There are a few significant differences from this year to last year though. Twelve months ago I had only just started playing on a proper golf course and it was a real eye opener.

I really struggled with bunkers early on

• sucker pins
• long par 5's
• tight par 4's
• tough par 3's
• bunkers
• wind
• managing the course
• chipping to raised greens
• putting up and down tiers
• the concentration required for 18 holes, and
• taking your medicine rather than playing the hero shot

And that is to name but a few. Playing off the yellows was daunting enough but the whites were something else. They scared the hell out of me, especially on the following holes:

• the opening hole a par 3 went up to 216 yards
• the 6th went up to 185 yards
• the 16th and 17th both lengthened with more challenging tee shots
• 18th up to 190 yards

Now, I've played so many times off the whites that this is the normal course for me. Playing off the yellows almost feels like cheating. It's a different mindset, I'm more confident and most importantly I am a better more consistent golfer now. What will happen between now and August? Who knows, but hopefully there will be more cuts and few 0.1s.

No complacency

Yesterday was positive but I have no intention of resting on my laurels. I left a LOT of shots out there and although it is inevitable that golfers will always bemoan mistakes, my aim is to reduce the number of incidents. After the putting and chipping horror show that was the front nine I ventured back up to the club this morning to do some more work on my short game.

One thing that it reinforced is that putting mats are actually not as helpful as you would hope. They roll truer and faster and have no slope. They also lack that satisfying sound as the ball hits the bottom of the cup. 30 minutes practice today highlighted how important it is to spend much more quality time on the greens. Just focussed on short putts today but will work on distance judgement on Thursday evening.

My chipping is coming on leaps and bounds, especially with the more lofted clubs. Bizarrely, I find it easier to get it close with a lob or sand wedge than a bump and run with an 8 iron. I guess I am better at visualising how those shots will behave but throw an elevated green into the mix and all of a sudden I am clueless with the 8 and 9 iron! Generally, I run it too far past but it is getting better. The outgoing Club Captain came over to see how I got on yesterday and I think he was impressed with how much my chipping has improved.

Off to enjoy the sunshine with the family now, tomorrow I'll do some work on my pitching! Battle of the Brothers next week, need my game to be razor sharp. Hope you've had a good golfing weekend.

Paper cut

What a way to start the season. I played the front nine pretty much as I had played all last season and then woke from my stupor at the half way stage. Apart from a ropey tee shot on the 1st, my fault for not warming up, the biggest problem was my fringe chipping and putting. Tee to green was probably the best I have ever played and had my short game touch been there I could easily have broken 90 today. That said 97 was my best ever score off the whites, in fact the first time I have broken 100 off the back tees.

54 strokes and +18 at the turn I resolved to score no more than 5 per hole for the back nine, and but for an unlucky bounce on 16 I may well have achieved it. The putting malaise that wrecked my front nine vanished on the 12th green as one finally dropped and my confidence returned. Nightmare moments came on the 5th when a routine 9 iron went out of bounds and the next shot went horribly left and the 11th when I hit a lovely lob wedge to four foot and then three putted.

The plus points were some cracking drives, some solid iron shots and, despite some rotten luck, some good scoring coming back. So it won't be the handicap amputation I was hoping for, but this little paper cut shows that I am heading in the right direction. I played every shot on merit and didn't allow misfortune and missed putts to affect my mood. After amassing just 8 points through the first six holes I racked up 31 on the next 12. A beautiful day and things are heading in the right direction. With the adjustment for that score on 5 I am looking at a nett 68 against SSS of 70. Depending on the CSS movement I may be in line for a small cut, possibly even moving of 28. Either way I am a happy bunny, just need to decide whether my putting needs a band aid of practice or a lesson with the pro.
97 (71)
5(3), 8(5), 5(3), 5(4), 10(5), 5(3), 6(5), 5(4), 5(4), 4(4), 5(3), 5(5), 5(4), 5(4), 5(4), 6(4), 4(4), 4(3)

Sand saved

Went to the club today for a final bit of practice before tomorrow's medal. Things are shaping up nicely but was having a bit of a problem with my bunker shots. Either quitting on them or picking them clean and airmailing the green. Super Steve who was also practicing gave me a tip. I used to aim to hit the sand and slide the clubhead under ball. He suggested just aiming to hit down into the sand and let the bounce do the work for me. Oh. My. God. What a difference. All coming out beautifully, nice and controlled. This was the only thing I was concerned about before tomorrow and now I have no fear. Happy days. Tomorrow I'm going to go low. Well low by my standards!

March statistics

End of my first golf season and the signs for season two are very positive. I have no fear hitting any of my clubs. My swing is more consistent and reliable. I can trust in my swing much more and I think after a small tweak my putting will be back on track. Season 2011/12 is one where I am starting off knowing how to score and believing in my ability to do so.

Now I didn't practie as much as I would have liked to last month, but with the lighter evenings that is about to change. More time spent on the practice area honing my swing and short game can only be a good thing. The Masters is a week away, Spring is in the air and I my friends am very, very excited!

Practice
Having a look at the table below I'll give you on guess as to where I haven't been this month? Yes I have cut the driving range asunder and bizarrely my performance with my long clubs has got better in the same time frame. Instead I've been grooving swing changes with my 7 and 8 iron on the practice hole with a fair smattering of short game practice. Knocking on for 11 hours but I have neglected my putting and the consequences for that can be seen on my round stats below. I'll make amends next month, promise!

Distance	Time (minutes)	% of practice time
Driver	0	0%
Other Woods	0	0%
200 - 250 yards	0	0%
150 – 200 yards	0	0%
100 – 150 yards	180	28%
Short Approach	300	47%
Bunker Play	20	3%
Putting	145	22%
Total	645	100%

Rounds
Check out that GIR stat. It may have knocked my putting average for six but it tells me two things. I'm spending more time on the fairway with a chance to hit the green and I'm converting more of those chances. In fact my GIR stats would be higher if I hit more fairways, that's the level of confidence I have in my wedges. I am letting myself down on birdie conversion but to be honest plenty of two putt pars doesn't leave me overly worried. The scrambling, sand save and birdie stats can wait. For now more consistent scoring, fewer disasters and plenty of pars and bogeys is what I am after.

Statistic	Performance	SS2 Handicap level
Fairways in Regulation	29% (26%)	22 (23)
Greens in Regulation	18% (8%)	15 (23)
Putts per Round	35.17 (33.98)	15 (15)
Birdie Conversion	0% (17%)	28+ (8)
Par Scrambles	4% (5%)	28+ (28+)
Sand Saves	0% (20%)	28+ (9)
Penalties per Round	1.38 (2.7)	14 (27)

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

April medal tomorrow, looking forward to getting the new season off with a bang!