Golf - Practise and it gets better

16th March 2010 Had a casual 9 holes yesterday morning first real hit in four days or so apart from practising pitching and puttting. A bit sloppy with a few shots but that was no matter and there was a bit of experimenting being done. Mind you there is no doubt I am not a good golfer just good enough to play to my handicap on most days. With the season proper started it is time to return to my chosen way of playing the game that worked so well in 2009, Accurate and Percentage golf. Summer was filled with a lot of practise with the drivers 1 to 5 and having added the Cobra and being consistent with off the tee with accuracy and of course the extra 20-30 metres it was money well spent in lessons and club. To be honest using the 3 and 5 has really added nothing much to my game at all. (as posted before only used irons last year) Admittedly after having the original driver break as described previously, the quality of the sets drivers is in question to me. In the future the 3 & 5 drivers will be replaced with better quality clubs. The original Shark XLT-3 was good value on par five holes with the second shot yet on my club course I am easily well past the 150m marker using a 3 – 5 iron as well. The XLT-5 was handy for those occasional fairway shots 180 metres plus out or into the wind which are just too risky to attempt with belting the ball with the 3 iron.


Preferring to stick with my accuracy over distance, and the consistent results of my irons I am going to take the 3 and 5 fairway drivers out on the bag for comps. The Cobra will stay for those 15 holes it gets used on the par 4 & 5 tee blocks and the distance it gives with acceptable accuracy for me. I am going to get myself a couple of hybrids to replace the fairway drivers. Been considering this since November having seen the results other players get with them can see them as a worthwhile addition to my set. Will add a #2 Hybrid and a #3, anything with a loft from 15 to 18 degrees for the first club to go in the bag.

The practise over summer has definitely improved my golf, it took 4 months and 2nd place in the March Southern Ports Tournament “C” grade confirmed the effort was worth it. I dropped 5 strokes thanks mostly to improving a few parts of my game. Particularly pitching and chipping accuracy from 100 metres in. Hitting greens in regulation from 100m – 150 m + is still very erratic at about 20 to 30% success which for a 22 handicapper is a bonus, getting a stroke per hole and 2 stokes on 4 holes. The increase in my confidence has gone well with being more aggresive in attacking the green and even though my ability is far behind the low teen and single figure golfers it is thoroughly enjoyable getting pars and a birdie or two per round.

Off to have a bit of practise this morning, before sitting in the club this afternoon running the Beginners Ambrose comp. which the club has continued after its success in gaining new members last year. I got tired of sitting back and listening to all the ideas for membership drives, so put myself forward with a list of suggestions from other members. I believe that if you are going to suggest something then it is only fair you commit to putting in the effort instead of it being lumped on the usual members who seem to get all the jobs.

Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff

Golf - returning to my sport of choice

Welcome to my obsession! The good thing is you have the same problem in most cases if you are reading this at I Seek Golf.com. So forget about this being anything close to sensible balanced opinionating and comments. Good grief it is about how golf is intertwined with my life. Admittedly most of the extremes with my golf are covered with the words; “going internally berserk” but among golfers it is not even noticeable.


Had to think twice at how long I have been playing again and it was in May 2009 that I started out on the course again with a 32 handicap to start. Played virtually every day for that month, every second day in June and by July had a routine of sorts that included playing 9 holes a couple of days a week 18 on Sunday Comps and 1-2 hr practise sessions on the other days. In a position to be able to do that and it suits me and if you have any failure to get what golf is for me, read the first sentence again lol. Mind you also missed out on a lot of practise hits with soft tissue injuries up to Dec. 2009. The best one being the straining of scar tissue in my back and ribs from a car accident in 1983. F@#!king hurt a lot for 6 weeks and had to play in the “C” grade finals with it. The good thing being that the injury was actually a part of putting my back muscles into being where they should be in my body after having healed “crooked” so it was a good thing. The Pain sucked and anyone who wants to recommend “No pain No gain” I hope you enjoy me kicking your groin as hard as I can and helping you to improve.

Soon purchased a new set of Shark XLT clubs on sale at Drummond’s clearance. a 2006-7 model but for $195 good value quality stainless steel cavity, steel shaft 3-Sw Irons Drivers 1-3-5 Titanium Head, carbon shafts. I played all my competitive golf with my Irons mostly, preferring the accurate consistency over the wayward spraying with the driver and No. 3 wood. Each golfer has their own ‘way’ of playing mine worked for me. In the 2009 season using iron’s only I won two monthly medals, won the club handicap championship, Won handicap section in two club opens “C” grade and second in another.No 1 Driver has been replaced with a King Cobra S9.1 driver as it broke. Simply the face of the club began to cave in as it was made with lesser quality metal after less than 3 months use up to Jan 2010. Here is the first new thing learnt since returning to golf; Technology makes a huge difference. Even at my best with the original driver I was still 20 to 30 metres on average shorter than with the Cobra. Had made the decision to not have any lessons until I was at least half decent at golf and on 20, Was putting in a serious effort to reach that figure in Jan and it was when the driving went to shreds at this time I had a lesson. The club professional actually picked up the face damage during the lesson plus gave me some valuable coaching. Even so the two weeks of lost club golf cost me the target and I made it to 22 when the time had ran out. No complaints it was a bonus really. I wanted to reach 20 and qualify for “B” grade in the Sth Ports Tournament instead played “C” grade and came second after the three days. So here I sit this weekend 14/3/10 opening day is a Pinehurst comp. and the season commences today, with the Captain’s Trophy next weekend 21st followed by the 1st qualifying round for the club Handicap Championship. Going to try and reach 16-15 hcp in 2010, the Cobra driver definitely makes that achievable. Managed to play to 16 socially a couple of times over summer but winter golf is a lot harder.

Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff

Carlton bury Collingwood "Footyhead's" comments on rd 8

"Footyhead" completed his first interview for 2009 on the Friday night before this game with a former AFL Forward scout and will upload it later. Several interviews with past and current AFL footyheads are in the schedule for the season to give the average footy fan and others a bit of an insight into what the game involves besides the spectacle on the oval.



Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff

Fremantle fillet Carlton - "Footyhead's review rd 7"

A late upload of Footyhead this week not due to sooking about the loss though lol. Been busy arranging interviews with AFL and former AFL people for future FOOTYHEAD's to give a bit more insight into what goes on week to week at AFL clubs in the quest to win games.



Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff