The New Irons have been selected....

16/6/11 Thursday The NEW IRONS!!! Had no idea that my search would end so quickly after setting myself on the trail only 7 days ago. The set chosen is used and come from the 2010 club champion and are the set he was using when I won the 2009 club handicap championship against him. Had always intended to have a hit with his old Bridgestone J33’s and played with him on Sunday and organised it during the round. Having moved on to Titleist AP2’s and down to a 7 handicap from the 10-12 he was on in 2009 was a factor in my choosing to have a hit with them. Was a like a kid on Xmas eve the night I received the clubs, then kept grabbing odd sticks while walking around the house and having a bit of a set up and waggle in the living room.




First two days were a couple of hours on the practise range alternating between the J33’s and my current favourite iron the Ping Karsten clones. The J33’s are a combo set with cavity backs from 2 to 7 irons and blades from the 8 to PW. Yes the set has a 2 iron which I had never used before even though I use a #2 Maxfli 16 degree Hybrid. As I played 2009 without using Drivers and #3 iron was first choice off the tee then and successfully I add in winning and getting 8 or so strokes off my starting hcp., I had a plan. After two days of range practise and champing at the bit to get on the course in earnest. Discovered some major changes in my iron play with the J33’s. First and most obvious was the added distance with the lofted irons, with a definite improved control in shot play. Secondly was the need to change my stance, moving a little closer to the ball at address, fixed the early problem of pulling shots to the left.



Today was the day the plan was put into action, simply play 9 holes with the irons only. With a strong wind it was a definite challenge on some holes and a 46 off the stick was a credible score. With one three putt and a little inacuracy caused mostly by selecting a club too much on three second shots I was very satisfied. I must comment on the 2 iron, used it of the tee on all holes except one par 3. It was excellent hitting into the wind and with it as well. Apart from the clubs owner another golfer (and former club champ) I play regularly with uses a 2 iron a lot. This player is going blind (glaucoma) and has drifted out from 4 to a 10 and needs a spotter to play. Have caddied for him in championship match play and learnt a lot, watching a fella who cannot see where his ball goes yet as his swing so good that hi ball rarely if ever is off the fairway.



The accuracy of the lofted clubs was superb the PW made the difference from 100 m and in. Last week that was a distance that had me struggling in club choice. Tomorrow is the “Chicken Run” and this time will be the irons and the driver in unison. Lack of distance off the tee today really did stretch my capability on all second shots with and into the wind on the par fours. This set of clubs have a good history for me to measure myself with in progress for the next couple of years.



The former owner of the irons hits a long ball, where as I have never been in that realm. At times of late with the better swing and physical condition it has felt that there was a little more in the tank on some iron shots. Leading me to question if the irons needed to be upgraded and hence the start of my search last week. With the J33’s that bit ‘extra’ is now coming into the stroke play and is going to take a bit of getting used to.



The past two years of trial with cavity back and blade irons has worked for me. If I had used these clubs last season when they were available it would have been a wasted effort. That I can “feel” these irons surprises me, the difference between these and what I have progressed with to this stage is like chalk and cheese. It has invigorated my delight in golf even more, visualising practise sessions with deliberate efforts shaping shots. This has made every bit of effort, pain, enjoyment, and disapointment to get to this level of playing golf worthwhile. Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all”, Geoff

Footyhead's Rd 12eview Carlton V Brisbane

Highlight of the round was the game between Geelong and Hawthorn, showing how tight it is between the top 4 sides. Rd 12 was an easy victory for Carlton over Brisbane, Collingwood def Melbourne and adelaide's poor form continued.

Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff

Hit the wall or another door to open......

The first week of dedicated practise in preparation for the coming Club Open events starting in July was not the best fun. Being out in the wind and rain with the cold temperature stinging my cheeks and nose did create a mental note of the practical use of balaklava in winter golf. The first session using 3-7 iron blades did not take long to have me get the technique going as it should. A big incentive for improvement is hitting balls and not have the hands stinging from mishits.

Friday night’s 9 hole “Chicken Run” was my first competitive hit out for the week. This is a fun event that I play to enjoy, winning is not the be all and end all of this comp. Even so it is handicapped differently which I use to my advantage. For me that means I am playing off 12 (now down to at least 11) which was 2 strokes less than my official hcp on Friday. (In January everyone starts on their Golf Link handicap, every time you win you lose a stroke plus every score over 20 points lose another stroke.) I also took the 460cc Cobra driver out for its first hit in 3 months. Besides 6 GIR’s with the iron shots, the distance off the tee was significantly longer that with the 380cc Driver. Again the fall down was inaccurate drives with the Cobra and the distance added does not make the effort worth doing to get this club into the bag at the minute.

Interesting bit of detail was discovered mid week while researching in my search for a new set of irons. I have 20 odd year old knock offs of the original Ping irons with Shark stiff shafts. (“Ping's Karsten I irons are a remake of Ping's original irons. They have a barrel hosel construction and deep single cavity located closer to the heel side of the back of the club.”) The review of these irons remarked that this design was not inducive to hitting the ball long. I have often wondered if my inability to hit the short irons very far at all was a swing fault of my own or if the clubs had an influence on this as well.

With improved accuracy with my irons the 10 m shortfall with 7, 8, 9 and Pitching Wedge is literally the difference in hitting the green or missing short. The practise has helped a lot in now being able to take an iron longer and hit it well enough to the green and not go through. I have now invested in a Distance Range Finder as my “eye” is not accurate enough in gauging the distance and I too often end up underclubbing. I am looking forward to combining the use of this piece of equipment in my game to improve accuracy and Greens in Regulation shots.

Now to Sunday’s round, the definitive proof of how practise is a major benefit to playing better golf. A gross 82 for a Nett 68 was full of confident stroke making. Even the mishits shots were a chip away from the green. After two weeks of carrying the 60 degree wedge I have taken it out of the bag, personally I prefer using the set’s sand wedge for lob shots and the pitching wedge for pitch and run on the greens. The group coaching session on short game and putting with the club pro last week has improved my skills. Nothing major yet just the bit of fine tuning that has added consistency by removing technical errors from the strokes played. To also win the putting comp. with 27 and nearest the pin with closest for the monthly competition so far (1.02m) on the day were part of how well I played.

The magical 80 figure was not broken and this time though it would have been nice to achieve I made the errors that cost me in the end. Having played this well though makes it possible in the day after to sit back and after reviewing the score say that 3 strokes could have been shaved off the score. Optimistically perhaps 5 or 6 less shots could have been possible, but dreams have to be a little tempered with reality. The handicap goal has always been 10 and that was seen as an unattainable golf dream by others never myself though. Now as the figure is nearly achieved I can say at the minute, I do not believe there is much fuel left in my tank to surpass that.

Once it is reached though I will begin starting to enact the plan going the next step into single figures. I will continue to follow the steps and procedures written in my golf books that I have published in the last two seasons. Nothing special about them and no “Secret” method revealed to make it possible to play better golf either. Nothing but following the basic techniques of golf swings, getting professional coaching and practise, practise and practise. Sitting here right now making the attempt at single figures is going to take a hell of a commitment on my part and will not be attempted until I can maintain playing to 10 first. This will be easier than last season when I broke the 20 mark and struggled with the transition during winter.
Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all.”
Geoff

Hitting the ball forward works best...

Tuesday 7/6/11 Wind, rain and the lazy cold that goes through you instead of around has settled in since Sundays cancelled round, pretty much confirming that winter has arrived. The inner golf nut is not distracted by these changes in weather conditions, in my case it has upped the ante in practise becoming even more important. Having already mapped out the increased commitment in preparation last week, for the start of the Various Regional Opens come July, there is no backing away now the weather has gone crap. Mind you sitting here at the minute I am realising that sometimes my golf obsession does border on the edge of stupid, stupid man behaviour.

The benefit of having made the commitment to get in form for July and onwards did deliver during the cancelled Sunday round. The score was on track for a a good one up until the cancellation of the round due to weather, hail, lightning, wind and big fat rain storms caused a rush for the clubhouse after 6-8 holes play. I was doing damn well with only one wipe and that was caused by the wind blowing the ball off the tee and a ball flying right across two fairways into lost ball oblivion. If it had not been for a playing partner telling me he saw the ball taking off sideways as I played the stroke I would still be wondering what the hell happened. The wind is a major influence here on the coast during winter and must be taken into all game day thinking.

Practise this week, yes out there in the crap weather started with getting the iron play adjusted to hitting into, accross and with the very strong winds. Coming in at 110kg myself it is a struggle to stay in place on the tee and on the fairway, let alone play good strokes.The adage “hit easy when it is breezy” works well with and into the wind. The lofted irons require the most concentration for my game, 20m to 80m out from the green with a howling wind is not easy from club choice to playing the shot. Did my prefered iron tune up exercise using blades and getting the swing down pat then pulling out the cavity irons and sure enough hitting the ball so much better. It does not take many mishits stinging the hands with the blades to stop me making lazy errors in set up and swing.

Even with my much improved swing over the past 3 seasons, my lofted iron shots are not powerful distance eaters. Even with the injury effects on my body that make me take it easy. The preference for me has always been consistent accurate strokes, being able to hit a wedge 100m has no appeal to me what so ever, which is a good thing as I average 80m with the pitching wedge. The 8 and 9 are my club choices for 100m distances, in the winter wind even the 7 iron gets a look in for the shot at times. It adds to my golfing enjoyment to have a lot of versatility with my irons ever since I returned to golf. With the latest leap in improvement off the tee with the driver my game now has a good foundation to be able to add a better short game.

Since the last week I have began to trawl the golf club market in earnest with the nearness of my 10 handicap goal. The time has come to prepare and get the set that will take the next step down to a single figure handicap. Still with 4 strokes to go to ten and having played to 11 and 12 in recent competitions the reason for starting to look seriously is because there are several sets that I have to whittle down. The Bridgestone J series appeal and I will be trialing a set of those in coming months, Titielist AP2’s, TalyorMade Burners, Wilson Ci/9’s, Callaway X series all have been given a run. Taylor made R9’s did not make the grade with me which I was bemused by. R9’s just did not feel good at all yet the cavity back Burners were a delight to hit. Mizuno fans do not feel slighted same as with the AP2’s it is a club choice that is out of my pockets reach for now. Together with the belief that my game is not at a level that warrants those at the minute. As confident as I am in my ability to improve and play a decent round of golf, a reality check that works for me is not to get capability and ambition confused.

After all of the experimenting with various clubs blades and cavity backs the sensation of a beautifully hit ball from either is delightful. The changes in my swing and improvement in my bodies flexibility have gone hand in hand since December 2010. It has not been easy or enjoyable at times as my previous posts reflect when expressing how pain is something to avoid. A game improvement iron is the best choice at this stage, something that will deliver feel and sensitivity to strokes played. Plus give a little tolerance to my shortcomings. Whilst I played well with the blades during the summer months the results fell away rapidly as I could not maintain performance and consistency. Two months of playing well with them was a great learning experience and I will return to them besides use as a practice tool.

Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all” Geoff