Monday 7/2/11 Stabelford round on Sunday with a final tally of 36 points two holes wipes score wise and 8 fairways hit. The memorable moment losing the nearest the pin to a hole in one. Good to finish tied for 4th place 3 points behind the winner. Used the 3 metal off the tee, the Driver for 3 holes only and 2 of those were woefully inaccurate resulting in a wipe and 1 point.
One of my throw away sayings for many years has been; “I am going fine until I start thinking” it is used in jest to lighten a moment, which comes in handy during some golf rounds.
Of late too much thinking has been causing a little disruption to my game. Reaching the improved level of my handicap in recent weeks has been a result of practise, practise and study. I am not what would be called a student of golf it is more apt to say that I am an informed golfer. There is an adage which goes “a little knowledge can be dangerous in the wrong hands”. At times this “little knowledge” has caused some problems in my game when I begin to surmise there are faults the need correcting.
Having carried the results of several injuries from a motor vehicle accident for two decades, it is always a consideration to make sure that as little strain and damage is put on my physical weaknesses. This protective attitude to my health can become a problem if I do not keep it within the realms of reality and not wander into the error of ‘self diagnosis’. Much the same as self diagnosis of Golf Technique instead of going to a professional it is so easy to fiddle with real and imagined problems. A pointless excercise can take up time and bring a self imposed fog on your own golf games progress. I keep myself in check and although at times do wander down this path it is good to recall another adage from the legal fraternity, “A man who represents himself, has a fool for a lawyer.” When it comes to golf I try and keep to the basics, when I meander into the act of self coaching it is soon realised to be a waste of time and potentially dangerous.
Of late during the recovery from the injury in January I became over protective on the physical front and this flowed over into a journey of equipment that is suitable or not to my game. Over a two week period my thoughts were that perhaps using stiff flex shafts was an error and using regular flex shafts would be better. This was enforced with the ease of using #3 Metals off the tee and fairways during the recovery period. Yes the injury happened while teeing off with the 9.5 degree driver. It was caused by the person playing the shot not the club itself. The success using the #3 metal came from my improved swing technique, not the club and it having a regular flex shaft.
Instead of deciding that was the cure after spending some time hitting regular flex Drivers I followed this path. Put in some extended practise sessions hitting all my clubs, played several rounds, then grabbed a selection of regular flex drivers and did it again with my stiff flex driver as well. The result was that the problem was not the shaft flex. Problem was a combination from the lack of dedicated driver practise over several weeks and the injury distracting me from the effect that lack of practise.
Only a couple of weeks to go before the Southern Ports Tournament and the next schedule of filming for the movie “Another Crack at The Title” My game is tuned up and I have some solid form, will try to get some coaching prior but that is not crucial. The vital facet is to continue practise and not get complacent with the improvements this has created. Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all” Geoff
Monday, February 07, 2011
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
The first sub 80 score...
Tuesday 1/2/11 Golfers have many facets in their game that deliver noted moments of satisfaction and enjoyment. Of them all, the first time is always a personal achievement, not that all will be remembered ie birdie, par, pitch in the hole. Where as the first eagle, hole in one, those that are particularly rare in golf are the first time events that stay with a golfer. When it happens the game becomes a little bit friendlier after all of the effort put in to master the skills needed.
Today I was going to post a brief description of the round on Sunday in the club competition. This was the first serious hit out since injuring myself several weeks ago. After last weekend and the effects of playing in the heat and not taking my water bottle, ignoring the need to have a drink. This weekend a filled frozen waterbottle was first thing in the bag. Even so it was a draining day on the course, made a few mistakes and made them up as the round progressed to finish with an acceptable total in the stroke round. Gross 89 for a Nett 72 with 29 putts.
Today I decided to get out for my first full practise session on the range since injury 3 weeks ago, a full 90 minute session hitting irons and the #3 and #5 Fairway Metals. Initially I was not committed to putting in a full session. Feeling no ill effects during the course of the practise, the stops were pulled out to let me work on a swing fault as well. Ever since taking up golf I have scooped the ball with my irons. In recent months the improving technique and stable consistent swing, set up making the change to hitting down on the ball with irons. This was successful today adding better distance from 9 to 3 irons and good accuracy as well. All in all a very satisfying practise session.
Feeling in good nick and with some time available I drove the 45 km to Beachport intending to play 9 holes and familiarise myself with the 3rd of the Southern Ports courses for the end of February. Played the first nine well scoring 40 off the stick in the cooler conditions with a gusting wind making some of the holes a little difficult. As a 17 handicapper getting a score like this and time to play another 9 available the ante was upped to play 18 and have a crack at breaking 80 for the first time.
This score would have no official status or relevance to any but myself if I made the target. It was a chance to have a first and realise a significant return for all the practise of late. Yes dear readers, cracked the fabled 80 mark today with a 38 on the back nine, grand total of 78 off the stick. That gives me a gross total of 167 in two days of golf at Sthn. Ports Courses this week. I would play the 3rd course as well on Thursday if my travelling would allow it this week but cannot. Having followed the same practise and preparation routine as last season for the week long tournament even with the injury setback all is 100% for my crack at the title in a months time.
My track record at all 3 of the tournament courses over the past 3 months has been garnered from practise and excercise to peak at the right time. Taking into account that this is summer and the courses are far more benign than the winter. The score today would not have happened if the solid 90 minute workout on the driving range had not been done earlier. The goal is to maintain the form and establish consistent standards from now until the tournament and hopefully break 80 in official competition in the meantime. Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all”Geoff
Today I was going to post a brief description of the round on Sunday in the club competition. This was the first serious hit out since injuring myself several weeks ago. After last weekend and the effects of playing in the heat and not taking my water bottle, ignoring the need to have a drink. This weekend a filled frozen waterbottle was first thing in the bag. Even so it was a draining day on the course, made a few mistakes and made them up as the round progressed to finish with an acceptable total in the stroke round. Gross 89 for a Nett 72 with 29 putts.
Today I decided to get out for my first full practise session on the range since injury 3 weeks ago, a full 90 minute session hitting irons and the #3 and #5 Fairway Metals. Initially I was not committed to putting in a full session. Feeling no ill effects during the course of the practise, the stops were pulled out to let me work on a swing fault as well. Ever since taking up golf I have scooped the ball with my irons. In recent months the improving technique and stable consistent swing, set up making the change to hitting down on the ball with irons. This was successful today adding better distance from 9 to 3 irons and good accuracy as well. All in all a very satisfying practise session.
Feeling in good nick and with some time available I drove the 45 km to Beachport intending to play 9 holes and familiarise myself with the 3rd of the Southern Ports courses for the end of February. Played the first nine well scoring 40 off the stick in the cooler conditions with a gusting wind making some of the holes a little difficult. As a 17 handicapper getting a score like this and time to play another 9 available the ante was upped to play 18 and have a crack at breaking 80 for the first time.
This score would have no official status or relevance to any but myself if I made the target. It was a chance to have a first and realise a significant return for all the practise of late. Yes dear readers, cracked the fabled 80 mark today with a 38 on the back nine, grand total of 78 off the stick. That gives me a gross total of 167 in two days of golf at Sthn. Ports Courses this week. I would play the 3rd course as well on Thursday if my travelling would allow it this week but cannot. Having followed the same practise and preparation routine as last season for the week long tournament even with the injury setback all is 100% for my crack at the title in a months time.
My track record at all 3 of the tournament courses over the past 3 months has been garnered from practise and excercise to peak at the right time. Taking into account that this is summer and the courses are far more benign than the winter. The score today would not have happened if the solid 90 minute workout on the driving range had not been done earlier. The goal is to maintain the form and establish consistent standards from now until the tournament and hopefully break 80 in official competition in the meantime. Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all”Geoff
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Quandary with the Driver...
Set up and hit 40 balls in the try out session in lots of 5. The Rippa was easy as before and this time I had more control over the fade/slice and got a good enough grouping. Average distance 210 metres Was fine and hit one perhaps 240 m but it was a real effort and a low percentage of success and would be a disaster to try in a comp round. Not to forget the whole purpose of trying out the regular flex drivers is to have a club that I can use when my back is starting to feel the strain of too much golf and I need to wind back the effort in playing Drives in particular.
The Scorcher took a little adjusting to after using the Rippa being a very different shaft. Had to put a little more effort into hitting the ball as the stiffer shaft required more swing speed. Accurate offf the tee in a few shots the average distance was 220 m with this club. It was more acceptable and comfortable to use, being so similar to the Cobra Driver. The quandary is that I am looking for a club to use when giving the injury flare ups a respite and recovering when I do have the misfortune to over do golf.
Yet the Scorcher feels better in my hands, but I now want to try it with a more flexible shaft as the shaft is too firm for the purpose required.
Even though I use the driver for 12 to 16 shots in a round depending on the course, the only times I ever aggravate existing injuries is with this club. I have a good grasp of what I can and cannot get away with in my golf game in regard to the various permanent damages of past events upon my body. Pacing myself is a definite feature of my preparing for future games. This year I have been progressing towards the March Southern Ports Tournament using the same training program I did for last seasons attempt. My fitness though is markedly improved since that effort 12 months ago, added with the benefits of no longer smoking and including a diet regime in the two months prior to the comp as well to assist in my crack at the title. Having dropped in handicap to “B” grade the improved fitness has been a definite aid in recent weeks for score and stamina in rounds. Currently playing off 17 and having played to 12/14 and 15 in recent weeks in competition I am now winding back to preserve my body in the last four weeks prior to the 3 round tournament.
The grand thing about golf is that I can play it successfully and competitively with minimal discomfort and most important, win on my own merits. Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em Straight all” Geoff
Friday, January 28, 2011
Regular Flex or Stiff Flex Driver...
Friday 28/1/11 Had a day off the course and enjoyed catching up with some book work and did nothing more than a little pitching practise with the net. Did consider heading to the practise fairway and hitting a few long irons, chose to hold that over until tomorrow and instead headed to the pro shop and tried out some new drivers.
Still happy with the Cobra S9.1 (stiff Flex) it works well enough, this was a moment taken to try out some regular flex drivers after my experience with the using the #3 Metal while recovering from the back injury. Got a good swing rythym happening and hit 25 balls, alternating with 5 balls with the Cobra (9.5) then 5 with a Rippa 10.5 Square Head driver. The two felt totally different hitting the ball and the regular flex club did feel “softer” in my hands. The Rippa drives mostly faded in the begining. Then I settled down and hit 5 of the best I could with each.
One ball from each club was the best possible booming straight drive I could work for in a game. The Rippa still felt gentler and even more responsive to working shots with it. The Cobra was it’s usual effective steady self as I have became used to over 12 months.The solid hits with it were brutal in comparison to the Rippa.
Tomorrow I am going to go and have another solid try out with the Rippa and see if I can get the fade out of the shots. Distance wise it was the same with either club, as the back injuries are always going to occur from time to time I am convinced that getting a regular flex driver in my collection of clubs is a must.
Not in any rush to choose and get the club yet but it is going to be the next purchase to give me the selection of clubs that will best suit my game requirements.
Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff
Still happy with the Cobra S9.1 (stiff Flex) it works well enough, this was a moment taken to try out some regular flex drivers after my experience with the using the #3 Metal while recovering from the back injury. Got a good swing rythym happening and hit 25 balls, alternating with 5 balls with the Cobra (9.5) then 5 with a Rippa 10.5 Square Head driver. The two felt totally different hitting the ball and the regular flex club did feel “softer” in my hands. The Rippa drives mostly faded in the begining. Then I settled down and hit 5 of the best I could with each.
One ball from each club was the best possible booming straight drive I could work for in a game. The Rippa still felt gentler and even more responsive to working shots with it. The Cobra was it’s usual effective steady self as I have became used to over 12 months.The solid hits with it were brutal in comparison to the Rippa.
Tomorrow I am going to go and have another solid try out with the Rippa and see if I can get the fade out of the shots. Distance wise it was the same with either club, as the back injuries are always going to occur from time to time I am convinced that getting a regular flex driver in my collection of clubs is a must.
Not in any rush to choose and get the club yet but it is going to be the next purchase to give me the selection of clubs that will best suit my game requirements.
Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff
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