Good scores and good fitness go hand in hand

Have been off the golf course for the past few weeks and refreshing my fitness in fact. I believe that golf is a game that does suit people who are not athletes 100%. In my own situation every time I improve my fitness my golf improves s well. Since returning to the game in 2009 my fitness has probably improved 100% plus. I still have limitations from injuries and that is part of the motivation to improve physically. Without doubt that has happened because of golf that is from my GP and the physical therapists I use to keep in tune. Footy fitness would be terrific in my case to achieve but I could not do that level of training without various part breaking down. At the minute I am in reasonable condition. Played the first 18 hole comp. round in a fortnight and finished with 80 gross and square in a par round. Physically I was tiring towards the end though and that cost me a better score. A few weeks ago I realised that it was time to stop. Was loving playing golf bu could not maintain the effort consistently. Surprisingly after a few Chiro and Bowen treatments the cause was one that had been a goal for some years. I have improved myself physically in movement and flexibility to the stage that I am now able to move and use bits that have been stagnant for 20 odd years. In the competition round Sunday my drives were all on the 220 metre mark and yes there were a couple even longer. That 220m is usually my maximum, not my average and was done effortlessly. The freedom of being able to swing and my hips move through the shot has added the distance to all clubs, WOW is still the reaction to the drives. Now that I am back playing it is the less is more program again. Play a couple of 9 hole rounds and one 18 hole round each week will be the plan or this settling in period. Back on the diet plan as well with 1.5kg dropped in the past 2 weeks so far. Walking 40 minutes every morning except golf days. At this stage last season, I was barely functioning with so many sore bits. This year even though I needed to have a two week break I am travelling 80% better. Working on my fitness is the key combined with the weight loss is the foundation for season 2016 already begun. In 2014 I was so broken down that I could not pick up a golf club from November to February. That will not be the case this year and I am going to be very cautious and stick to my tried and proven plan that has developed in the past six years. Reason is that I have crept out to 10,9 hcp in the past two months after getting to 9.8. The only ambition for the rest of the season is to consolidate the single digit handicap. Thankyou for your time and attention Geoff

Fitter, stronger, better...

The past fortnights and more of golfing have been fun yet the scores terrible and rounds tiring. A combination of winter weather, adjusting to the new swing and fitness were the cause. Not a single moment of not enjoying being out in the weather, a times a struggle to stay upright in the winds. My game could not maintain consistency in these conditions. That was accepted by me very quickly and I still got out and kept playing as this is the only way to adjust to the changes. Importantly the fitness issue was identified early by myself and in the past two weeks that has countered a lot of the issue with struggling to play with the changed swing. Never would I have expected to make a note of my game in the same light as Tiger Woods. yet today I am. In the past week I came across an article on Tigers game and his swing changes. My changes began a few months ago and still I am struggling to play consistently and not fall back to the previous less effective and efficient swing. There are regular moments of erratic golf which astound me in past weeks while playing. Hitting several irons consistently and well and then hitting the same club so well it flies another 20 metres over a green. This eats away at confidence and has been a major influence on recent very poor scores. Again the weather has made it difficult to get out on the course practise area and hit balls and that has contributed a lot to the struggle. Then the fitness, it is not one thing which makes playing golf entertaining, and engrossing. The regular walking each morning had been a good thing, the omission of my regular strengthening exercises was not even noted. Until I started doing them again and the difference in my game play was literally immediate. Straight away my chipping returned to the previous accurate effectiveness around the green. The consistency with the full swing also had an immediate improvement. Doing strength building exercises makes it possible for my arms and body to maintain the new movement and body actions. Thankyou for your time and attention Geoff

Winter golf tough conditions, good for your golf...

The grand total of 24 points had me in 4th place. Only 8 ofthe 18 in the field finished the day Lightning it was on the tough side of hard, well worth the effort. A crap score in tough conditions and all I got out of the round was bonuses. The swing settled into the improved groove from the past weeks practise. Putter was on target and the ball went in the hole as I wanted. The game problem was once again not used to playing confidently with the improve capability. It feels strange to be saying this, it has been the problem that has been apparent for several weeks. Usually I pick up a golfing game point and work on it. This is a mental matter though and takes a lot more attention. All it causes is me 'pulling' shots. Not hitting through the ball and finishing the swing correctly. Incredibly irritating on game days as I lack the concentration coherence to do this well at the minute. Time is not the issue and for many there is that self imposed need to get results fast. My approach is not down that path. All that is needed is getting the result right an that takes patience. Today there is more clarity and a better capability to not make the same amount of the same error in the competition this afternoon. Thankyou for your time and attention Geoff

Attacking golf, a change in play...

The changes to my golfing are still in motion and getting nearer to settled. It has been a good weekend of rounds following the unsettled frustration on the previous fortnight. Briefly as reader of my posts are aware my game has been based on playing to handicap for the first 15 holes and depending on my game state at that point either go for a sub par round or play to par at best. Long established and effective in scoring well for several seasons this has now been targeted for change. One of my golfing foundations is that the game pays for itself, either through winning vouchers or balls etc. in competitions or major club trophy events. This has been lessening over the past two seasons, still wining major club seasonal trophies, which are good for a couple of hundred dollars in vouchers. The weekly voucher wins though have significantly reduced. Winning more second and third placing than firsts now, simply because I do not get those massive 4 to 5 under handicap scores as my playing handicap has lowered. Whilst this has not been a big influence on my game and enjoyment of golf there is an awareness of the scarcity of wins. With the current availability of amateur golf , 'back yourself to win' options I have decided to add this to my golf spend. This is no spur of the moment decision, already well aware of how much in front I would be if this had been started in March 2015. It has taken until now to get more important golf aspects settled without adding a distraction. Instead I can now incorporate this to my game as a reward for the effort put in. Simply every competition I play is now valued added for myself. There is another more active reasoning behind this also. I need to have an incentive to make me follow the new game that is settling into place. Fact is my golf has never been particularly attacking ectept for putting. Generally it is hit the ball forward sometimes get a green in regulation, My GIR 28.36% B Grade 31.37% PGA 64.70% Mostly chip then try for 1 putt up and down pars. Hence my daily 50 chip 50 putt practise session. The past fortnight has seen the addition to this of 100 (minimum) long iron shots #5,6,7,8,9,PW each day to targets fro 100 to 150 metres to the range. I am never going to get the goal and hold it unless I add a minimum of 20% more to my Greens in Regulation average. Adding $20 per round to my weekly competition spend which gives a minimum of $80 in vouchers if playing less than my handicap is well worth the price. The prize is the bonus which makes putting n all the effort worthwhile. It is an incentive to play my best golf all the time and make changes to improve performance. Thankyou for your time and attention Geoff