Finally, a stiff wood with much needed length

It's coming! Okay moving on from double entendre I finally ordered my 3 Wood today. Getting a Ping G15 3 wood with a UST Mamiya Proforce Axivcore Tour Red 79 shaft. All this based on a fitting session with my pro and having read up I fully understand his rationale. I'm a fairly strong lad and have a swift swing speed. The principal consideration from my pro was torque. He felt that higher torque shafts were twisting on downswing causing the clubface to be open at impact. I had no idea what he was prattling on about at the time something about kick points as well if my memory serves me correctly. Anyway I dutifully toddled off clinging to his wisdom and did some research. Up until now I've never grasped quite how important fitting is. Having been through this process I get it now. Everyone should get fitted for every club they ever buy. Period. I'm just starting to get my head round it. You need someone who knows your game and your swing to offer impartial advice. I'll explain why.

My pro isn't based at my club. I travel to see him as he has a great and growing reputation. I went into the club shop at my club and asked if they had a demo version of the club I've just ordered so I could try it on the course. He didn't but instantly wanted to know how good I was and why I wanted that shaft. Effectively that bit of kit is 'too good for a beginner'. However, when I told him who my pro was he was fine about it. But he still had me doubting.

Then I went into Nevada Bobs to order it (I've got vouchers). Guy at the counter again wanted to know how long I've been playing and why I wanted that particular shaft. Told him pro recommended it and again it was fine. Again had me doubting my ability. Now when the club arrives there is going to be this nagging doubt in my head that I'm not good enough to use it.

In fact if I didn't have absolute faith in my pro I may well have changed my mind and bought a different shaft. This would have been ridiculously based on two people's opinions who have never seen me swing a club. Don't get me wrong they meant well and I appreciate that they wouldn't blindly sell me stuff. It's just that I now have doubt where previously I was extremely happy. Here's hoping that when it arrives we get off to a good start!!!

Lone Ranger

I played on my own for the first time yesterday and was a little nervous about my ball spotting ability (or lack of) contributing to hours spent searching for my ball during a fruitless and dull round. I couldn't have been more wrong. Once I got over my early nerves/anxieties I played some pretty good scrambling golf. By that I mean that if I hit a good tee shot, I'd follow up with a poor approach or vice versa. I hit no GIR and only 3 FIR. On both counts these were my among my worst statistics yet I posted my best ever score of 105 with 31 stableford points.

Highlight of the round for me was saving par on the 10th with an up and down from the sand, my first ever sand save. I almost chipped in to save par on the 17th and also recorded my first ever par on a par five hole. Doing some wedge practice later today (as more often than not my approach let me down) but I think I am starting to learn how to score. I was also pleased with how I didn't let bad shots affect and instead saw them as opportunities to rescue par or secure bogey at the very worst. Playing again on Thursday and Saturday, hopefully things will continue to improve.

105 (71)
6(3), 8(5), 4(3), 9(4), 7(5), 5(3), 5(5), 5(4), 5(4), 4(4), 5(3), 6(5), 6(4), 6(4), 7(4), 7(4), 5(4), 5(3)

A new home for the blog...

I hope you like the new home for the blog. Apologies that it is a little rough and ready at the moment, it took quite a while just porting over all the old posts and incorporating the comments. I hope by the end of the week it will be looking much tidier and over the course of the month there will be much richer content. If you have any observations or comments please let me know. Happy reading.

Tiger

Changing priorities

It's my birthday in August and my siblings are already geared up to the fact that a bit of cash towards my golfing exploits would be extremely appreciated. Originally I was looking for contributions to a DMD. However, things have changed.

The golf season ends in October and after yesterday I have realised I would get significantly more benefit from my driver. I'll then have those long winter months to hone my skills with it, ready for season 2. I'm getting my fairway this weekend so I'll have 3 months practice with my 3 wood before I get the driver. The swing is developing nicely and I'm even hitting my 3 iron with growing confidence. Bearing that in mind I should be ready for the big dog in autumn. Especially, considering I arguably hit it better than the 3 wood at my fitting!!!

I'll then have a look at the DMD again at Christmas time when hopefully there will be a new model out and ths year's releases will be heavily discounted.

Comments:

Homer
It makes sense. A DMD is a nice to have but until you have a decent set up that you can hit well with and are confident with then you won’t be able to move on.

Bad day at the office

I had one of those days today where I just didn't want to keep playing. Thing is my ball striking was pretty good, my chipping not too bad and my putting solid. But the fecking wind!!!! I either didn't allow enough, or too much or it died and the ball went dead straight or it was in your face. I hit one GIR today by aiming 40 yards left of my target and allowing the wind to bring it back on target. Countless good shots wasted because of the weather deciding to take my ball and send it miles right.

It was a learning curve and took a 4 on the 18th by hitting a bump and run with my three iron, chip and two putt. List countless balls where they just up and disappeared like a fart in the wind. But I'm sure it landed here!!!!

To add insult to injury I found the thick rough on the 15th and chunked my 6 iron on a concealed stone. I only hope it is just cosmetic.

All in all an unmitigated disaster. Saturdays lesson is to focus on bump n run and punch shots.

Comments:

Homer
I’m at the other end of the spectrum I played with HTL in a 4 ball better ball comp which subject to ratification we’ve won. He was awesome and my game got swept along on the back of his performance and so it has given me confidence back even if technically I’m still struggling.

It was hard in the wind and its only something you’ll learn how to play in with experience. Nicklaus always said let the wind be your friend and so if its left to right aim left and don’t try to manufacture anything and let the wind do the work. Into the wind you’ll need to learn how to hit lower flighted shots but as I say it comes with time.

Never give in. Once you walk off once it becomes too easy to do it again and again. Accept its a bad day at the office and look for that one shot per round you can look back on

Fit up...

Ever get the feeling the golfing gods are mocking you, giving with one hand while taking away with the other? Well that's exactly how I felt after my fitting session with my pro for my woods. We were looking at shafts for both my driver (future purchase) and fairway woods. My main problems in my swing have been:

• overhinging at the top


• swinging way too fast on the downswing


• not turning my wrists

Which generally causes fat, erratic, slice. The work I've been putting in has helped to combat these three things and I was pleasantly surprised that my ball striking was pretty good during the fitting. That was the thing I was most worried about as how do you know what suits your game when you are spraying it here there and everywhere?

Fairway wood seems to be solved. There's a second hand G15 (barely used) up for sale with the shaft that is the closest match of the limited fairway options. Winner I thought, I get to try on the course before making my mind up as well. Thank you golf gods for this manna you have bestowed upon me, on which I shall feast heartily, and be mightily chuffed with the extra notes in my back pocket.

Then came the burn. The shaft I performed best with was the Fujikura Rombax 7Z08 or to you and me "a shaft that costs as much as a blinking driver!!!" Performance was so much better with this shaft, particularly on dispersion and distance. So I have to start saving the pennies for next year (I think I know what's on my Xmas list). The real shame is that it will cost me a fortune to get the same shaft in my fairways. Oh well, hopefully the G15 fairway will perform well and become my new best friend on the course, while I try and raise extra funds by selling some body parts to pay for my big dog! Anyone want to buy a kidney?

April stats

Well the golf season has begun in earnest and I am still to play my first medal. I was supposed to be teeing it up tomorrow but bottled it as I haven't got my 3 Wood yet and would be playing with people I don't know. Anyway, more about the fitting session tomorrow.

There was a definite shift in priorities this month with just over 11.5 hours racked up in practice, with a large proportion dedicated to embedding a few critical swing changes. I'm really pleased with the progress I am making (as is my pro) and my position at the top of my swing is much improved. I'll be posting a video after my next round. Unfortunately, The time allocated to bedding in those changes has meant that for the first time I have neglected my short game. I have to say I am not getting on well with the NXT Tour's around the greens but my lack of practice and developing technique hasn't helped. My bunker play has improved markedly over the month but my chipping and putting have been less than impressive. I hope that in May that a return to focussing the short game, couple to improved ball striking and more distance from the 3 Wood will finally culminate in posting lower scores. This month is about gearing me up for June's medal competition.

Practice
As mentioned above I've dedicated a lot of time to my woods and long irons this month.

Distance	Time (minutes)	% of practice time
Driver	45	6%
Other Woods	175	25%
200 - 250 yards	50	7%
150 – 200 yards	55	8%
100 – 150 yards	55	8%
Short Approach	205	29%
Bunker Play	30	4%
Putting	80	12%
Total	695	100%

I spoke to my pro today about ball choice and he said I should be playing the Pro V1x, but if it's too costly as I'm smashing it all over the place to invest in some Pearl/Grade A lake balls. Hopefully, I'll gain more control because of my practice but also the lower spin on the V1x should help as well.

Rounds
My scoring hasn't improved and I know that owes to the quality of my performance within 120 yards. I am planning on spending the next two months focussing on getting the ball in the hole. Period!

Statistic	Performance	SS2 Handicap level
Fairways in Regulation	45%	14
Greens in Regulation	7%	24
Putts per Round*	35.74	19
Birdie Conversion	0%	28+
Par Scrambles	6%	28+
Penalties per Round*	2.87	28+

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

This month's stats are fairly similar to those from March with the FIR (1%), GIR (1%) and Putts Per Round (1.24) all going down fractionally. Pleasingly, I was less wayward with fewer penalties per round, a downward trend I hope to continue. It didn't click for me in April, but I must remember to be patient and that I am still a novice. I am capable of more, I just need to relax and give it time.

Comments:

Spinn77
Learning from scratch is tough, but its like anything, you’ll learn, get better, level out a bit, notice or learn something else and then improve a bit more…and so on. Your doing everything really to keep this kind of cycle going. The only thing stopping you is hours spent practising and on the course itself.

You’ve set yourself a few years to do it, so relax, more than on target.

My personal view is that getting down to about 20 is pretty hard from where you’ve started from. The next 12 shots of that are easier by comparison (especially given your attitude to this). The final 8 i think will be the hardest as its so much more unforgiving.

Tiger
I hope that’s the case. Fingers crossed the arrival of the 3 Wood will alleviate the pressure a bit on the longer game. I totally understand what you mean about starting off. There are so many things to work on and learn that it will take a while to get competent at them. I think the swing is getting there so can hopefully concentrate on the scoring game for a couple of months.