A win in more ways than one...

Tuesday 11th Feb. In the past three seasons by this time of he year I have been in dedicated training for the Southern Ports Golf Week which begins on the last Saturday of February (for the past 39 years.) If it was not for the shoulder injury that would have been exactly what would have n\been my golfing experience since December. Instead I have barely picked up a club and this weekend was my second competitive round for 2014. It is a new development that my attitude has been revamped and invigorated with the simple pleasure of being able to get out and just play golf again. The Ace last week has added an even stronger belief that I can do anything on a golf course and we all know how important confidence is for the game. This past weekend I went out and enjoyed the round and won the competition as well. Golf is not a game that requires superb fitness to play well. Thankfully, as athletic prowess is not something I have much of. Over the last three holes I was definitely flagging in strength and condition, much better stamina than last week though. While it is not a game requiring excellent fitness, I believe that 'match conditioning' is needed to play good golf and that is not about athleticism. As I once again am going through a period of physical rehabilitation and recovery, about the 60th time since 1982 it feels as good as can be expected. Definitely believe and feel this recovery is enhanced by the much improved fitness and condition from playing golf and associated exercise since 2009. The anger at having to do physical rehabilitation again is not diminished, let's not go there and risk collateral damage. I do channel the energy of anger into my motivation. It is very powerful and has to be tempered so it does not create one of those painful golfing dickhead personas on the course. I am a very happy person always. It is a lot more fun using anger for golfing motivation today than it was 20 years ago when using it as energy to be able to get out of bed or just walk along a street. Warning using the 'No Pain No Gain' adage at me will deliver a kick to your groin and a beaming smile from me, while saying "Pleased to be able to help you." Always good to get that darkness out of my system and get on to the next step forward. Today is the follow up chiropractic treatment and the improvement since last week have been excellent. so much so that I am know starting to plan the Golf Week strategy with a belief that winning is possible again. My major game concern is the start of a gay fade off the tee block has began to feature. That is caused by the physical shoulder damage and should not be a major problem to overcome in the next two weeks. That long running problem with poor green in regulation statistics has been improved since returning to play in the past two weeks. The limited practise I have done was with the 7-8 irons hitting 20 odd balls without any pressure. which has carried over to my competition play. Chipping is poor at the minute. Simply as I have not been able to endure the required amount of repetitive practise to get consistent of late. Yet with these failings my golfing is good enough to win as I am playing confidently and not trying to "play out of my skin". All I can rationalise it down to is the hiatus in playing has let my game settle down and be refreshed mentally. The improvements from using the Dreamswing in 2013 are now seen as my usual game and not the 'new' game that was always being mentally noted while playing last season. Hit the ball, find the ball , hit the ball. Thankyou for your time and attention Geoff

Hole in one today!!!

Sunday 2nd February. Hole in One Day! Yes dear readers today I achieved one of golfs holy grail's for players. Surprised of course, watched the ball fly towards the hole hit the edge of the green pop up into the air and bounce on the full into the hole. A #4 Hybrid on the fourth hole a 165 metre par three.

I think this was my first 18 hole competition outing in 6 to 8 weeks at least. Resting up recovering from injuries and busy with work as well has curtailed even practice sessions of late. Today a mild 34 degrees and free from work commitments so I bit the bullet and decided to get out and enjoy a social competition round. You know that you are respected when the captain comes up introduces himself and proceeds to tell you that golf requires holding the rubber handle bit and hit the ball with the club shaped bit. The greens keeper asks if you have paid your green fees as that is required by visitors when playing on the course. Put the pressure on for the rest of the round, after scoring the trick shot. I had a sudden ramping up of pride in not wanting to get the ace and then score 30 points. It was flaming hard work the injuries were tender and had a decent limp with the right groin and hamstring at the limit by the 18th. The dodgy shoulder was totalled after the 16th. Yet the never give up attitude had me throw everything into the last hole, best drive of the day 250m +, green in regulation almost a birdie and finished with a 3 point par and 37 points.

Once again failure to get greens in regulation was the weakness in my game. Struggled with chipping and still not disappointed considering the lack of recent practise. Sitting here well fueled with cider, ice packs on shoulder and proud that I rose to the occasion, hurting or not to play as well as i did. Pride may be something others frown upon I do not. Today I aced a hole and tried my best to score well to do this justice. Thankyou for your time and attention. Hit the ball, find the ball, get it out of the hole and do a happy dance. Thankyou for your time and attention , Geoff

A doctors visit, step one to better golf in 2014

Yesterday was spent inside pondering the state of my golfing capability. Unable to get out and hit balls due to the combination of work and injury. Not my preferred choice on such a great summer day but a forced necessity. A day well spent after all was said and done and at this early hour of the new working day I have formalized the coming golf season plan with very unexpected direction. The first step in my 2014 golf season is to go to my doctor and discuss the recurring injuries which really stifled the past seasons golfing. The fact is that my various broken bits from a MVA in 1982 are the cause of the problems. What is also a fact is that I am in the best physical fitness condition in a decade due to Bowen Therapy, playing golf since 2009, combined with swimming and strand pulling in 2013. There is two particular injury flareups which affect my golf, oh and general life also. My back muscles seize up and become inflamed, painful and restrictive. This is not a major restraint as it once was, doing a couple of sets of strand pulling exercises in particular, literally resets my back muscles withing minutes. The major debilitating injury is in the groin, no not my thinking stick, it is a muscle strain of sorts down the right thigh. It is a symptom of my actual back injury that throws the hips out of alignment and starts with a favoring of the right leg when walking. This adds strain to the groin and eventually the area is sore, restrictive and simple walking is difficult as is sitting in one place without discomfort. This is nothing like the pain and discomfort I have had in the past so it is a good thing. Having improved this condition so much in the past decade my mind is tuned into looking at all options that may improve my health a all opportunities. I do not self diagnose my problems and devise treatments, that is what professional health practitioners are for. Right now the obvious recurring groin problem in the past year is the symptom that needs review. Whilst Bowen Therapy repairs it the increased physical activity of golfing is part of the problem. The cure is not to stop golfing, I have to go to my GP and start the process of preventing the groin strain from happening so often and if possible stop it altogether. There is more to golf than hitting the ball, finding the ball is very important as well. Using that phrase as an analogy, is my first step towards having another crack at getting a single digit handicap in 2014. Thankyou for your time and attention. Hit the ball, Find the ball, Hit the ball. Geoff

Welcome to the closing chapters of the 2014 edition of "I am not 3 metres tall and bullet proof".

It has been a year of what feels like progress and improvement even if I have gone out from 12 to currently 14.6 handicap wise. Major failures in all of the matchplay events was a disappointment especially after being among the top qualifiers in the club championships. The trophies for the season include four monthly medals, Winning the three round Caledonian Inn club competition, winning Robe Open Division II Gross and Nett as well as Runner up at Kingston Golf Club Summer Open Div II. These achievements do soften the failure of not improving my handicap. The obvious problem for me on the golf course in 2013 was injury, nothing major but debilitating restrictions which hampered my ability to play consistently and with comfort Typified by the last three weeks of struggle with groin strain. Frustrations comes from actually being much fitter the since 2009 when I returned to the game. As well as having improved my golfing technique so well that I had to clear out all the regular flex equipment and return to using stiff flex shafts mid season. This was a very unsettling period virtually like when I returned to the game in 2009. I was in the dark about my distances with clubs, with all shots combined with the adjustment to using hybrids from, #2 to #6 irons in the bag now. I laugh and enjoy golf because while it is not at my peak right now, I am doing as well as expected from the time spent being able to practise. This week i did not touch a stick until Sunday am. when i wandered over to the course and had a few swings to see if I could consider playing. Which by the end of the days round was a limping struggle but not any pain. Finishing with 34 points and that due to missing a couple of easy putts and chips that could have made a 38 point result achievable. The season failure was in the approach shots I have to get Greens in Regulation into my game to reach my dream of a single digit handicap. That is all which is holding me back, now with a driver (Powerbilt Airforce One N7) and swing that gets 220m consistently (up to 240m regularly) and accuracy. The failure to get the ball on the green from 120 metres and less is killing the dream. Which is never ended until my last golfing breath so onward and downward for 2014. All the best to those who travel through my ramblings each season, Have a great 2014. Thankyou for your time and attention. Hit the ball, Find the Geoff