The little things make the golf better...

Wednesday 24/4/13 Survived a dental visit today and took sometime to be able to get out and hit some balls. Not very energised to begin and kept to a casual walk over 5 holes exploring the swing changes. Effectively with the consistent standard I have now it is all about getting accuracy for GIR results from 150m into 100m. I have not been practising this enough of late, business is booming and interfering with golfing. Not a total tool though and do put the career before the golfing. Even so there is some fine tuning to be effected before I start hitting lots of balls. It is a very simple set up change when addressing the ball. Opening the face of the irons a little to prevent the damage from pulled approach shots. Not certain how this fault got established initially. I will guess that is may be a part of playing with too small grips for so long. Now that has been rectified the closed face is glaringly obvious. Making the slight adjustment in opening the face and swinging to the target has the ball on target and that is the goal. The Driver topic has still not run its course yet in my game. Happy enough with the R5 and the M Flex shaft. Going to keep my eye out and perhaps pick up an R9 with a suitable shaft. Not a must get piece of equipment at the minute as I am still improving off the tee technique wise for a few more weeks. Thankyou for your Time and Attention Hit the ball, find the ball, hit the ball , Geoff

Wet, cold, tired and a winner...

Sunday 21/4/13 Four hours of steady rain and wind that did not cease until the group teed off on the 18th hole. With the wind remaining and the rain becoming drizzle. Thorough soaking of the course and players was a minor inconvenience. The freezing cold hands was the main problem trying to keep circulation and feeling in them to grip a club. It was a game of endurance and sticking at the game plan. A couple of three putts hurt and one lost ball were the major score breakers. I was coming back from the difficulty of adjusting to the weather in the first six holes well enough. It was a round that every shot was hard work. My concentration and shot making technique were all tested and passed well enough. Won the day with a nett 77 (gross 90) also claiming Ryan's Run for the best Back Nine on the day with a nett 37.5 Tied in the putting comp. with 28 losing after after a count back. Saturday 20/4/13 The trip to Heywood was not a great scoring day on the card. short game and putting was a major fail. The driver off the tee was given a workout taking advantage of the wider fairways to see how effective the new club is. Absolutely proved that this is a major plus in my game. Accuracy, consistency and distance were all delivered. As well as something unexpected added to the game ability that I can do. Heywood Golf Club Open Always played the hit the ball straight golfing strategy, yesterday I took on the course with deliberate fade and draw shots using irons and hybrids around doglegs and trees. I have known how this is done for some time and occasional practise on the range showed I could do it. Never have I chosen to play these shots in a game as a first choice. Yesterday though the game was one of exploring my capability and I did play the fade and draw shots. They worked and my playing partners commented on the shot execution with cheers. It was amazing to set up and open and close the club face and then chose the line of flight to be played and do it perfectly. I do not see this as a major game change in being able to play the shots. I do take this ability as a major proof that I have got well executed swing and shot playing technique to rely upon. Thankyou for your Time and Attention Hit the ball, find the ball, hit the ball Geoff

Round Two Southern Ports tournament...

Sitting 16th place and in range yesterday and then I fell off the mark on the last hole of each nine in the second round. Went all or nothing again and faltered on those two holes to fail in my charge for a par round or better. A 7 on the par 4, 9th and a 9 (OB with second shot) on the par 5, 18th did the damage. Having 25 putts was a win for the day. One round to go at Beachport and still a chance to make the daily winners list with a better effort. As the saying goes 'bugga' Had my chances and could not quite get there in the end. The tournament is great fun make no doubt. Mine was not the only frustrating round and many were much worse. It was not an easy day and the last four holes were played into a strengthening wind and in the end it was enough to break my concentration. One poor club selection that cost me all of the hard work of the previous 17 holes. Yet it was such great fun throwing everything I had into the effort. Fighting back from the triple bogie on the ninth hole. was a great buzz. The feeling at the end of the round is best described as 'stunned' It did not hurt and the bemusement I was going through was just as apparent on many other golfers faces in the clubhouse. To sum up how this event works is that the winner of the gross yesterday had a 74 off the stick and in the first round scored an 86. Playing off scratch and out of the running for the Gross Championship the golfer has bounced back onto the winners podium. My experience in 2011 was similar could not get over the line all tournament until the 3rd round and claimed a second place on that day. As disappointed as I was afterwards, to have had 25 putts was a great boost. In fact that was the benchmark of my confidence on the day. It was a combination of mental lapses and perhaps a touch of tiredness on the last hole that brought me undone. A days rest on Thursday will rejuvenate the energy level for another charge on Friday. Thankyou for your time and attention, "Hit 'em straight all" Geoff

Final Golf Range session 2012

It was hard work just to get a decent basic swing established in my game. The consistency which is the key to playing good golf is not something which just happens. The practise which all competent golfers do is what gives them the game that delivers winning results.

My resume' was highlighted with poor fitness plus physical disabilities and that was before I picked up a club and tried to hit a ball when returning to the game in 2009.
Season 2012 was when the coaching sessions finally achieved the results needed. It has taken 3 seasons to establish a credible swing that could actually be used to develop a swing from which is closer to the expected standard required to play consistent golf.

These obstacles have all been significantly improved upon since then as a handicap fluctuating between 12-13 shows.
I will continue to push myself again in 2013 and this time as with every other season have a better place to begin from again. Thankyou for your time and attention. "Hit 'em straight"
 Geoff

Home Club Open this weekend...

10/11/12 Saturday. A good week of golfing fun finally getting out to practise without interruptions.The cross us amateur golfers bear is that we have to let golf be second more often than not to our regular living. In my example the need to have less time golfing is not that much of an irritant. The balm being that my golf has improved a lot since 2009. The 'less is more' as an ethos to recover from the injury flare-up in August has been maintained in line with not having to practice as much to play reasonable golf.

Fluctuating between a 12 to 14 handicap in the 2012 season whilst playing to a 6 handicap in my best competition round in review has me satisfied at the minute. Did not manage to reach my goal of a ten Handicap in 2012. it was always a big ask given the combination of ability, fitness and other commitments.

Already my fitness has been improved with reducing my weight by 8kg in the past three months and well on target for losing 10-15 kg in total by January 2013. The past month while gradually playing more golf again has been highlighted by the noticeable difference of being 8 kg lighter.

This week concentrating on putting has been the main goal, closely followed with range time with the #3 to #6 Hybrids. Hitting them well enough yet have had too many shots that hook to the left. This has a major affect in lessening the greens reached in regulation. I need that to improve to improve my handicap. It is not a major fault that needs correction as it is caused by the adjusting to being able to rotate my hips when swinging. This was almost impossible in 2009 when i returned to the game. This is a significant physical ability change, I lapse into the previous restricted body movement pattern unconsciously still and this causes the ball to draw to the left a lot at times. 

All is good though and with the club open tomorrow I am still considering if playing Kingston today is going to happen or instead play socially on the home track. Thankyou for your time and attention. "Hit 'em straight all."
 Geoff

Better golf with better equipment...

1/11/12 Thursday. Continuing the equipment experiment yesterday and today has seen a few changes in the clubs now in the bag. Making allowances for my ability has been enhanced with the technological advances in club development. There is such a wide variety of game improvement clubs that golfers can access to provide game stability.

This has seen me since returning to the game use cavity back, Shark irons, Bridgestone j33 and j36 combo sets, Titliest ap2 and  hybrids with a complete set from #3 to PW. This came about after another breakdown at the end of a season and physically restricted from playing my best golf. In the past two months using the hybrid set my golf has improved and I am back to playing to or near handicap.

Now with the improved physical condition and weather as summer nears I have had a few social hits with the ap2 irons. After this experience during the week the bag set up is #3 to #6 hybrids and #7 to PW, SW irons. So far the difference is with improved short game distance, maintaining the accuracy of past weeks with all hybrids. What is noticeable is the improved 'feel' of the iron compared to the softer feel of the hybrids.

Some time to go with this development yet the idea is to have the option of two set ups that are compatible with my physical limitations. As I have commented recently my golf is not about making big improvement or changes now. It is fine tuning and building on the good golfing base that been established with coaching and practise. It is not one thing that improves my golf it is a complete package from tee shots, fairways, short game, putting and mental approach. Thankyou for your time and attention. ‘Hit ‘em straight all’
Geoff

Irons and Hybrids a choice of sets

31/10.12 Wednesday Arriving home yesterday I had some time to take a walk around the course after catching up with the various work and domestic tasks. Daylight saving is a good thing in that respect for a golfer who has to do a real job as well. It was a hot day and intending more to get out for the walk than practise anything specific took the irons instead of the playing set of hybrids. It has been a long time since any serious attempt to use the irons and the first hole was very ragged. Then it was with some amazement I began smacking the ball well with a birdie, bogie, bogie, par, par finish. This took a bit more effort than using the hybrid set yet the power and strength of the shots was not muted as it is with the game improvement sticks. The experience has inspired me to get out and have another hit with the irons again today. Not overlooking that the recovery from the past seasons golfing has made a marked difference to my capability with the irons though. Whist the complete hybrid set has been in my hands during this period of recuperation and I have been playing to handicap (12/13) or close to it in this period. The irons have been in my hands when playing my best golf earlier in the season so perhaps I can alternate between the two sets as part of my tournament preparations. Once again golf has delivered another interesting experiment for me to ponder and enact. I can see this as a continuing the less is more attitude and having some fun as well on the course. I am beginning to formulate a playing experiment with the two set and see if it can deliver good golf with less strain than the past season. Thankyou for your time and attention. ‘Hit ‘em straight all’ Geoff

Summer form improving still...

29/10/12 Monday Continuing with the less is more golfing approach. Having fun while playing and enjoying the reasonable form that is happening on the course. Kingston SE on Saturday a Par Round and -2 at the finish could have been better and dont care that is was not. With the improvement in my playing obvious to myself there is no need to get into 'winner' mode at the minute. The club open is coming up in a couple of weeks and as well as a work change that will make more golf possible in 6 weeks all is travelling as I want. In December I begin preparations for the Southern Ports Golf Tournament in march as well as has been done since 2010. This is what gets my game in tune and has been the core ofthe improvement from a 25+ handicap to the current 12. This season though it is going to be a lot less efort to prepare. I now have a reasonable golf game established and it is the fine tuning to be able to play single figure golf that is the practise goal. Thankyou for your time and attention. ‘Hit ‘em straight all’ Geoff

Ball goes forward a good thing...

26/10/12 Friday The past weekend of golfing delivered a return to form in my game. The Monthly Medal started off with a 9 on the par 5 first hole and ended with a 46 for the front nine and a 39 on the back a Gross 85, Nett 72 and played to my handicap on the day. The total of 29 putts was satisfactory and putting the 56 degree wedge in reserve with preference for using the pitching wedge in close was a good decision. Never been a 'pitch and run' golfer of any note and have been practising this aspect of the game a lot. It was not for lack of wanting to add this facet to my game. Lack of time to practice everything I want to develop has been a reason in the past. Fact is that these days I have less need to practice the basics as much and can work on game skills more often. I have never been in a rush to become better at the game and something that golfers realise eventually I believe is that patience is a much needed quality to play the game. On Sunday I took the trip to Penola fr the Championship Ambrose pairs competition. A fantastic day even without the golf for $30 the food alone makes it a good day let alone playing a round of golf included in the registration. Was a day when again the 56 degree wedge caused more damage than needed in the first 5 holes and after putting it away in preference to the Pitching Wedge it helped. Made up the double bogies to finish with a Nett 72. Well off the winning scores. Not disgraced at all and a lot of fun was had and that is as much a part of golfing as winning. Did win a raffle and two premium bottles of wine went into the booty bag for the day. Golf wise the day at Penola also delivered another game improvement result that has came from the latest bout of recuperating. The 2 Iron was very effective on those long second shots on par 5 holes. This club has a much more consistent accuracy standard than a fairway wood does in my hands. With summer drying out the fairways the added run has the conditions which benefit using the iron. Continued playing a moderate amount of golf this past week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with the good weather and a late afternoon 7 to 9 hole hit out. Still maintaining the less is more approach and enjoying golfing without practising a lot. Today I will play 9 holes in the club 'Chicken Run' and head to Kingston Saturday for their Par round. First chance to get away and play for a month due to various home club duties which come from being Bar Manager this season. Will be good to return to the general membership in 2013 and step back from committee. I must admit there is a twinge of guilt in stepping back officially yet I am still going to be actively involved in membership recruitment, junior development and competition and a lot of stirring to get the pot bubbling along to the future. Thankyou for your time and attention. 'Hit 'em straight all' Geoff

Played competition golf again...

1/10/12 Monday Good Grief it is true I do still play golf! Seems like forever since I have played a competition round and it is over a month since recovery from the injury flare up and getting knocked out of the championships. Finally bit the bullet and played Sunday and had a couple of goes at getting to the club, yes there was fear in my mind at playing again and doing myself an injury. Monthly Medal and finished with a 93 for a nett 80, the 26 putts won me the flat stick comp. on the day and apart from a 9 on the second hole was travelling very nicely. Until the 18th with an OB and into trees with the second off the tee and finished with an 8. Managed to claw back a decent score after the 9 and it was a driver fault from some lingering injury restrictions both times that caused the blow outs. This morning it was out to the club to do the Junior Coaching and then the bbq duties for the coring volunteers. A great day and it would have been fine to hit some balls but out of time at the finish of the day. Physically was feeling some stiffness that was noticeable yet not debilitating. The mental errors on the day were not that destructive or important to me even though they damaged the round. The most important part of the day was to front up and play and not be as crap as expected. My game has not fallen apart with less practise and play. Confidence has been given a big boost in getting on the course and playing the game again. Thankyou for your time and attention. "Hit 'em straight all' Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff

The club championship preparation...

22/8/12 Wednesday. Pacing myself this week in the build up to the weekend golfing, maintaining the practise and playing routine that has been established through the season so far. It is very satisfying to know that the past twelve months has been effective in improving on the previous season. While still not the best golfer in the field of championship competitors, my preparation has put me into a position to be able to challenge the best.

It was a big test and perhaps to some an overstepping of the reality of what was possible in attempting some of the goals I have tried for during 2012. That was never a consideration in my mind with the entry into Southern Ports Golf Week and the various regional Club Open tournaments. Not winning was not failure. The transition into A Grade at the high end of that handicap division was never going to be an easy one. I did not have the consistent golf game to be successful on the travelling golf competition circuit this past season. I did have several ‘one hit wonder’ winning shots for long drives and nearest the pins in various open competitions. So I was not ineffectual in playing among the better class of golfers.

The coming weeks of rising to the challenge are exciting to contemplate. In the field I will be a decade or more years older than the favourites and golf wise less powerful off the tee and fairway. So the past season of dedicated practise, obtaining equipment that has improved my accuracy and distance and much improved fitness and body condition is my compensation. In past months the weekly competition results have delivered the proof that there are three A grade golfers who are in consistent winning form, I am one of those. Playing seven competition rounds at my home club since the twenty seventh of May have resulted in three first place and two third place results and only twice have I been headed by another A grade golfer.

This week the Driver has been left out of the bag during practise. Choosing to play only with #3 hybrid to PW during nine hole rounds and on the range. This is to assist in improving the GIR rate with the longer clubs. Range practise is good for establishing consistent shot play. Doing it on the course is where it matters, hence the increased use of the longer clubs in practise rounds by taking the driver out of the bag. There is another purpose in this round play as well. Our club championship is decided by match play after qualifying rounds. Creating extra pressure on myself during practise with tee shots that are twenty metres or more shorter, is about getting accustomed to having to get the best result with all shots. Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all”

Geoff

Club Comeptition only this weekend...

11/8/12 Saturday. The past week was not the most golf inclusive for a while. Playing the Kingston Open on Sunday was a tale of two nines in what could be termed very challenging weather conditions. Strong winds passing rain squalls were the feature on the front nine and I scrambled to a 45 off the stick and that was a good effort on the day. After lunch and feeling confident the wheels fell off my game. It was a collap[se across the board, putting chipping fairway and tee shots all compounded to return a 52 off the stick for a gross 97 on the day. A Gross 90 would have delivered a second place finish in the A Grade on the day.

It was a frustrating end to the round and it came about through lack of concentration in the main and a little physical restriction. Overall my travelling performance in the various club opens in the region have not been successful in the competitions. Yet when returning to play in my home track competitions I have been in the winners list. This weekend is the Millicent Open on Sunday and I am going to give this trip a miss. The course is one that is a challenge to play and as much as it would be great fun to make the journey, it will be a home round for me and running the competition to cover for others who are going. Taking the trip to Kingston later this morning though to test out my current form, played nine holes yesterday with the Nextt all Hybrid set and the comfort with the new set is getting established.

The following is the blurb for the Nextt Hybrid set, “This Nextt Golf Axis Overdrive Hybrid Set features a unique hollow design that allows for a much larger and effective sweet spot. The refined weight system provides a lower centre of gravity that allows the player to get the ball airborne faster and with more accuracy.” The ease of swinging the clubs and the large sweet spot is especially noticeable. The clubs feel so light and so far my ball striking from the six iron to the pitching wedge has been very good. The accuracy and distance are all benefiting from the hybrid design and while away this week I spent two sessions at a driving range giving the #2 to #5 hybrids a good workout. At the minute all is on track for the coming club championship qualifying rounds which commence on the 19th of August.

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

Geoff

Complete hybrid set delivers astounding results....

4/8/12 Saturday. Yesterday afternoon I played the easiest nines holes of golf ever in my experience. Not the best, the easiest, not the most fun, the easiest, that sums up the playability of the complete hybrid set that I now have in the bag. I scored a gross of 41 (5 over par) in the nine holes played with the hybrid set. My first plan when they arrived was to get on the range and hit balls with my six and eight irons and then compare the shots with the equivelent hybrids.

I had no idea what the hybrids would feel like or any expectation of what the effect would be when hitting balls with them. The day was a very hectic one and I had a 40 minute window in the early afternoon to get on the practise range without the regular set in the car. No matter I know my distances well enough to get an idea and lined up and started hitting balls. After twenty I was not Gobsmacked but totally confused, never has hitting a ball been so easy and the effect so good. Okay the promo for the clubs did say more distance and straighter shots many clubs do. That the ball way scooting 15-20 metres longer after impact was a surprise that had me reeling.

If you had practised like I have for almost four years, got to a twelve handicap and tried out most club types getting a five to ten metre increase with new sticks would be more believable. When ten shots with each stick go fifteen to twenty metres longer than usual and effortlessly how surprised would you be? Exactly and my first reaction was to want to get home grab the irons and return to the range. Instead I took my time finished the weeks tasks and headed out for nine holes. How convinced was I that these clubs were going in the bag? Not 100%, I played the nine holes with the factory plastic still on the club heads as the pictures show. I was hedging my bets and if they failed the test I was going to sell them in almost pristine condition.

When I got home after the nine holes as soon as the pictures were taken the plastic seal was off and the set is ready for action. I hit #3, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9 and PW during the round. The defining moment was a 140m shot to the green with a 7 iron that hit the green and finished on the back edge with a one and a half metre roll. Took the #8 Hybrid out for its first hit then, the ball dropped on the green and stopped three metres to the right of the pin. There was a bit of a breeze behind me, even so my usual easy eight iron is 125 metres not 140. There was another follow on effect from the hybrid use and that was the driver off the tee became o easy to accommodate to after playing each hole. The hybrids felt like the Cleveland Tour Launcher (440cc) driver, so light and the swing speed so much faster. As I got used to the hybrids stepping onto the tee and swinging the driver began to benefit from the similarity in feel.

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

 Geoff