May 27 2010 Practising what you preach is a must with golf, words are not going to improve technique and skills, hitting balls correctly is. Got out early to have an 18 hole practise round to see if my deductions were correct in the improvements that would be worked on in coming months. Used the short shaft, Keith Knox blades and finished the front nine with 48 strokes (21 putts). Came home in the back nine with 43 strokes (15 putts). Total 91 strokes and 36 putts for 18 holes, deduct my handicap (21) for a nett 70. There was four 3 putts and a couple of duffed short pitches in the 18 holes. Did not have any warm up hits the first five holes were where most of the putting errors and duffed pitches were made. Before a round, having 20-30 practise hits plus putting warm up is my usual routine. Not to be taken as an excuse, this is the reality of my ability and 21 Hcp.
Moving the ball back in my stance definitely had the effect that was deduced yesterday and is an adjustment to compensate for the short shafts on the Keith Knox irons. A little wallow in the pleasure of using these sticks, delightful and easy in the hands to swing and strike the ball. The shorter shafts will have to be replaced eventually. Today my mind was on the task did hit a couple of fat and thin shots but once the front nine was finished as the score showed came home very well. Hitting greens in regulation and on the last hole was 2cm off getting a birdie to finish. Also left the big driver at home again and used the #3 metal off the tee and fairway again and well to. A great improvement on the disastrous efforts that were why it was taken out of my bag. Very satisfying to play to my handicap today and only taking four days to get some good insight into the practise routine and game plan changes needed to go down in handicap again. Putting and pitching will be concentrated on in the build up to Sundays round and see if I can come in among the winners.
Tomorrow morning I am caddying and walking the course with two of the finalists in the club Handicap matchplay comp. In a testament to the recently introduced handicap system one of the players who has a degenerative eye disease is in with a good chance. He is going blind slowly and has virtually no peripheral vision, under the previous handicap system he was on 11-12 now out to 17-18. He requires his playing partners to watch his ball when it is hit as he cannot see it’s flight in the narrow tunnel his eyesight is reduced to. I am going to do a bit of caddying and mostly be watching the balls for both players. His opponent is a player who is beginning to get consistent with his game. Hits a very long ball and never holds back, in March he won the first round of the Southern Ports Tournament C grade on a day where the wind was a gale blowing balls backwards, sideways and into orbit. Was the second best qualifier in this championship, the number one qualifier was knocked out today 4 and 3, beaten by the player who wiped me off the course. Have a great coming weekend and Hit ‘em straight all.
Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff
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