Right on target...

30/4/12 Monday Second qualifying round for the club Handicap Championship played out as well as could be expected. The result reflected the last few weeks of preparation with an 84 off the stick giving a nett 71 (32 putts) and establishing me in the top five at worst in the final sixteen players for the matchplay section. The fine weather on the day set up the charge for position in the finals and I was one of the four in the two weeks of qualifying who played to handicap or better.

Handicap Matchplay is a fun challenge, with the players handicaps coming into the scoring. Depending on the final table (once it is sorted who is competing due to availability), at this stage my opponent will be have seven strokes in their favour. All that means is that in the first seven holes on the matchplay index the opposing player has a one shot advantage. IE Opponents gets a Par I have to get a Birdie to halve the hole. Being in form and playing to handicap was the key to this years finals challenge for me. That has been established and it is time to move on to the next phase of the golf season.

I had been considering during 2011, to set up the 2012 golf season into a series of specific performance periods. The effort put into coaching and practise in the build up for Southern Ports from January to the beginning of March , was well directed but beyond my capability at that time. After the tournament this season I maintained the golf conditioning with playing competition golf on Saturdays and Sundays. Four months into 2012 it seems that I can undertake two month stanzas of golf conditioning, which entails rest, practise and playing, comfortably.

The structured approach to golfing is not a new thing for me, making a conscious decision to establish a schedule of club and tournament events and training together with a management plan is. That it has been in progress for eight weeks and already the first positive results have been delivered. While this will not win golf events, I do believe it increases the ability to win. Actions are what wins and there are many things that I am doing to make that happen. The mental side of the game for me I began to see a need to give this intangible facet of the game a solid form.

All of my energies in golf are directed at overcoming obstacles whether they be swing or grip mechanics, mental strategies, physical preparation or opponents in competition. The last one is the most important, as much as it could be termed that golf is a solo sport, each golfer is competing against a field of opponents. In the coming Matchplay events this is the spread of other handicaps I am up against, two on 6hcp, three on 11hcp, two on 13hcp, three on 15hcp, four on 20hcp and one on 30hcp. Five of these golfers had scores as good as or better than my qualifying score. I put very little stake in the personality of the opponent in matchplay, my approach to this is best described by a short version of a quote from Steven Bowditch;

“It all comes down to what you really want shoot.. ( your goal) once past that you have to use the great line.. F@ck it!!.... You have to want it and have to be prepared to crash… Do not ever let fear hold you back!!!”

My positive attitude to golfing is not one of blind ignorance to the various other facets of the game which have to be dealt with. At the minute I am playing well and have to improve by three to five strokes by the end of the season to be a chance in the club championships. This season has seen a return to the club of several low handicap golfers who are currently playing themselves into form. While they are doing that I am putting in the effort to have a game that can challenge them.

Today as has became the Monday exercise on the golf course, no range or green practise instead going for a nine hole walk, belting golf balls. Competition golf I play within my limits, minimum risk for maximum result works for me. I play with many golfers who load up and belt the ball and I do take notice of the good and bad shots. Mondays during the nine hole walk is the only time that I let rip off the tee, unconcerned about making bad shots as well as good ones. The bad shots mean I have to practice the recoveries from impossible lies. It also means I get to experience the two shots today that showed there is a big drive in my playbook. The best of these today had me with a forty metre second shot to the green after carrying 250 metres in the air. This practise is fun, that now has me with the information to take to the driving range and explore the 250 metre drive that is possible.

Thankyou for your time and attention all “Hit ‘em Straight”

Geoff

A taste of winter golfing...

24/4/12 Tuesday The round on Sunday was our first taste of winter weather with the coastal wind that is an understated description of this course condition. Golf courses on the coast are affected by this in different ways. To use another sport as an example of how the prevailing wind is at the Robe course, the national wind surfing titles have been held off the beaches because waves and wind are guaranteed. The weather has been benign to say the least of late, with warm days and relatively still air. The rapid darkness after 5pm and the chill in afternoons the few signs of winter on the way.

The dark rain filled clouds passing over head on the way to the club did not bode well for the days golfing. With the round on the day being the first qualifying rounds for Handicap Championship, Caledonian Inn Trophy and a Monthly Medal that was enough to have me committed to play. I had even gone out and practised in the wind and showers the day before just to tune my game up. Started off with a triple bogie, after the wind pulled my third shot to the par 5 green into the scrub never to be seen again. Then a double bogie from a three putt on the second hole had me up against the wall. Five of the next seven holes were pars the only blemish another three putt for a double bogie. With a 45 on the front nine I was feeling confident in getting a good score for the day after the ratty start.

On the par 5 tenth after another shot pulled into the scrub it was looking like another battle around the course. Found this ball 1.5 metres up a tree and ignoring my playing partners laughter started climbing with wedge in hand. Dear readers I am not an agile lithe flexible body type a more apt description is perhaps a brick wall on epileptic legs. Perched precariously up a tree, my legs splayed out on branches and about to swing a wedge is a Youtube disaster video about to happen. A playing partner could not bring himself to film it, instead having his phone out ready to call an ambulance.

None of this crossed my mind from the second I looked at the ball it was a shot that could not fail. Even as I was climbing up the tree and finding places to put my feet as soon as I was balanced and could keep my eyes on the ball I knew it was still a can do shot. It was a well hit lob shot finished 2m short of the green and saved me a penalty stroke. Missed the bogie putt for a 7 and was satisfied. The downfall of the round came two holes later on the notorious 12th hole. A 323m par four straight down a gentle slope to a long green, with virgin bush to the right and for 135m on the left, off the fairway you are in a lot of trouble. Then the unpredictable hole feature, that on this day was baring it’s teeth. You are hitting straight towards the Southern, where the prevailing wind comes from. At 108kg not a lightweight there have been days I struggled to stand on this tee, let alone swing a club and hit a ball to a target. On this day the ball was hit well enough except to the right and the wind killed the forward momentum and into the scrub they disappeared. After the 9 a quintuple bogie on this hole, 4 pars of the final 6 holes, missing three birdie putts. A 47 to finish the round and a gross 92 with 32 putts has me tied in eighth position so it will be out to improve and crack into the matchplay rounds.

Back to the 12th hole briefly, playing it on Friday I made a mental note to play for the centre of the fairway. This was forgotten on Sunday it is a mental fault, from the early days of having a slice caused by poor technique, it takes time to believe in the new improved me. Was happy enough with the rest of the round that had the continued improvement in greens hit in regulation, and several near misses. While not winning or playing as well as I wanted too the season has only just began. The goals are made achievable by achieving them in increments. Winning the first 4 games of football does not get the premiership cup in a football teams trophy cabinet.

Back onto the practice fairway and chipping putting green again this week. More of the same consistent regular routine that is working well enough. The development of golf between my ears in the brain box is going to need some more work. This is improving and is why I have no frustration or disappointment with golf at the minute or any other time. Thankyou for your time and attention. “Hit ‘em straight all”

Geoff

Championship qualifying time....

18/4/12 Wednesday. Had to change the travelling plan for the weekend to play at the Heywood Open Tournament. Work commitment on the Sunday made it too difficult to be able to guarantee getting there in time to play, being a 27 hole competition it meant leaving at 6.30am to get there by 8.30am Tee off. Was looking forward to the challenge as I had not played the course, my body is happy it is a no show as it was a real struggle to complete the 18 holes on Sunday just gone. Working on the rehabilitation this week since Monday and it is gradually improving. With the Sunday competition at the Home club a combination of events, 1st Qualifying Round Club Handicap Championships, Monthly Medal and 1st Round of the Caledonian Inn Trophy.

Have won the Caledonian Inn Trophy the past two seasons, so will be putting in a good effort to defend the title. The Handicap Championship was mine in 2009 and this season my game is a lot more consistent and I should be in the mix to make the matchplay finals at least. The past few weeks of practice have been good for establishing the consistency with my swing and general stroke play to an acceptable level for my handicap. I had been drifting out each week and was on 14 handicap for Sundays round just gone. The result on the day has me back to a playing handicap of 13 again.

The change to the new Bridgestone J36 clubs had been a little unsettling in my rythym and tempo. That combined with having pushed myself too the physical limits since January resulting in a golf game that was erratic. The coaching changes worked from day one in that time but it was a longer adjustment than expected. It was very hard to stop falling back on old habits that destroy the effectiveness of improvements in recent months while physically struggling. This is an example that the mental aspect of golfing saves strokes as much as having a good swing. It is imperative that a golfer concentrates on ‘doing the right thing’. It can seem pedantic as an amateur golfer out having fun that it is just as important to have your mind disciplined just as the professionals do.

Part of the refreshing my mental golfing attitude has been the past two weeks of experimenting with driver shaft changes. At the same time the regular practice was maintained on the range hitting balls with 6 and 9 irons with chipping and putting practice on the greens. In refreshing the mind practice, I was out on the range belting balls with reshafted drivers. Enjoying the gradual realisation that each one now has the same consistency in distance, regardless of the flight pattern. Previously they were so different it was impossible to compare if the various head sizes did make much difference. In this week the practice with the drivers has been more controlled going for accurate ball placement on fairways now that the distance issue has been evaluated. I am currently favouring the 400cc Fastrax 10 degree offset Driver this week alongside the MDD Tour 380cc Driver with 8.5 degrees loft. My reason for this is that as winter sets in the run on fairways is going to decline and the run from the MDD Tour driver will be negated.

I am still considering getting a new shaft for the 400cc (and 420cc driver) as it has a short used shaft from a Taylor Made 370cc in at present. Having reached this stage and getting good results is satisfying, the next step will be getting a professional opinion on a shaft upgrade and if it is worth it. Another option being considered is purchasing an Exotics Tour CB3 430cc driver. I have read some reviews that given it is a relatively newer model especially that may be a better choice. I am getting the 220 m distance off the tee with ease at the minute. Adding another consistent 10m would be a major improvement off the tee and at the minute I can only see that as possible with improved technology.

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

 Geoff

Back on the practice range...

16/4/12 Monday. First round of the John Leake Trophy was played in fine weather yesterday and scoring 37 stableford points was good enough to have me in 7th place. Trailing three pairs of golfers with 41, 39 and 38 points respectively. It was particularly enjoyable playing a round of golf that required me to draw on every bit of my ability to get a good score on the board. By the end of the day I was struggling physically to play my best, the last three holes were played with very little energy left in the body and mind for golf. Finishing with two bogies and a double bogie on the 18th hole, (there I missed a 10cm putt for bogie) just nothing left to drop an un-missable putt.

Started the round with a wipe on the 1st hole and finished with a wipe on the 18th, end result was scoring 18 points on the front nine and 19 points on the back nine. In a week of experimenting with drivers my practise on the range was maintained. The specific routine on the range was using a 6 and 9 irons alone, establishing a consistent swing and accurate pattern with the balls. The confirmation of this effective practice was five GIRs and birdie chances, only got one and that was satisfying. There was several near misses in shooting for the green and this was given further support with much improved chipping. Unfortunately the putting let me down, the frustrating regularity of the putting failure was the ball being online and stopping short of the hole. This is a combined execution/mental fault with the stroke and I have worked on it in practice. When I say the ball is short of the hole this is 5 cm or less, whilst a miss is the same result be it a metre or one centimetre, the fault in my case is very small.

Sitting here now I can visualise the putting on the day and the balls trickling into the hole or stopping short during the game. This is never the case when on the practice green which I put down to; as it is practice I putt aggressively at the hole without any fear. In the putting routine of ten ball sets 2-3 will be slightly short and the rest in the hole or past it. Yet on game day short putts are nearer the 60 % mark. There is no excuse for not improving this and more practise is the key to drop 3-4 shots off my scores. Two of the Birdie attempts were short and that was really irritating.

Today it was back on to the range the added challenge was taking the Titleist AP2, 6 and 9 irons, using them in rotation with the Bridgestone 6 and 9 irons that are in the bag. What was satisfying is that there is no real difference between the distance that the irons get no matter what the brand name. The Bridgestones are the better choice for my game at the minute. Especially as they have thicker grips and this is a very noticeable variation that affect my control on the balls flight. After hitting 50 balls it was enough for the session, still feeling a few stiff spots in my body at the time. Went out 4 hours later and hit 20 balls with the Mdd 380 cc Tour and the Dynacast 400cc Fastrax, drivers. I was a little erratic off the tee yesterday and while feeling okay decided a little session would be fine.

Had a mixture of shots off the tee on Sunday and while it was nothing too bad made the smart choice of using the #2 iron off the 11th, 12th and 13th tees, were missing the fairway is a disaster. All three shots were in the centre of the fairway with enough distance to make the holes winners for my score. The #2 iron was very handy on the day on several holes and the mid size cavity back is definitely assisting my game. In the range session the 400cc driver was the better consistently with accurate shots, distance was the same with either length wise. The Dynacast driver performed a lot better than it did with the original shaft. I am tending towards removing the shorter Taylor Made 370 driver shaft and getting a new stiff flex shaft for it. Nothing urgent but if there is another 10m available for me with a change to this driver it will be a bonus that cannot be ignored.

The coming weekend if the weather is fine with no rain, a carload of us are heading off at 6.30am to play in the Heywood 27 hole event on Sunday. It is also a qualifying round for the Handicap Championship at my home club on the same day. There is a second qualifying round the following weekend so there is no need to play both. Unless I dont make the cut, that would be my own fault for playing crap though.

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

 Geoff