Playing out of my comfort zone

7/12/11 Wednesday. It has been a gradual revealing of the following, that golf is a game of playing outside your comfort zone. As a person who does the best I can to be comfortable, to be able to make the effort and accept not staying comfortable as the better way to play golf surprised me a little. It was not a eureka moment reached with a coalescing of a lightbulb over my head. This had been mentioned to me by others in the past and taken on board to be reviewed at a later date.


A few things had to happen before playing golf outside of my comfort zone could be considered worthwhile. My own capability as a golfer had to reach a standard that would give confidence and consistency to allow playing a more attacking game. For the past three seasons, playing bogie golf was good enough for me to win and slowly improve most of the time. More times than before in 2011 I had blow out scores into the 90’s, coming in with scores 10 strokes or more over my handicap of 12. To come in 10 strokes over my handicap rarely would happen when in the 15 to 20+ handicap range. Getting the right club set up has taken a couple of years to establish also.

After watching the play off videos of the Robe Open and Village Classic it was glaringly obvious that my setup of small head drivers had to change. This worked in club golf and competition golf well enough this season. It is not going to have me in the hunt for success in Open A grade fields. That extra 20-40 metres less off the tee is a millstone, no matter how accurate and consistent my small head driver shots are. The change has not been a major problem, at the minute I am playing 9 holes each day and no range practise. The injury is still healing and I enjoy the walking and hitting 40-43 shots using all the clubs. Last week, an enjoyable 9 holes in the club “Chicken Run” put all of the changes into the round. Sticking to not having set club selection for any shots, doing the setup routine before each shot and playing off a 9 handicap in this comp. and not my actual 12hcp. Managed 15 Stableford points after the nine, did not drop any of the birdie puts and missed a couple of close ones as well.

Then relaxed over a few cold bevies in the club house, which included a first hand observations of the Presidents Cup from a former club champion. The consistent tempo of the various golfers was one topic of conversation and then something that I have already been out and used in practise this week. Putting has been a targeted game improvement that I must get proficient with in the near future. The particular drill that was discussed was from watching the USA Team on the green. They were all doing the same putting drill, hitting at a single tee as the target. This morning I set up on the practise green for 30 minutes with a single tee as the target with 6 balls and putted out with each one until the tee was hit. Best I got was 4 hits from six balls, from 3 metres. Either side of that distance varied from 2-3 hits. I will keep at this for the next three months and establish better results in my rounds from it.


“Drive for show and putt for dough” a golf adage we are all familiar with. For me in the past week it has been turned on it’s head. Tee shots have become as calculated and well thought as setting up for putting strokes. The setup routine is the same, the clubs can be anything from irons, hybrid, 3 metal and... back in the bag the 460cc Cobra Driver. The summer weather has helped to a certain extent. Even so I am hitting the 3 metal (Cobra also) easily 200 to 220m with the accuracy of the 380cc - 400 cc drivers. The 460cc Driver though gets 3-4 hits each nine, off the tee. That is delivering 230-270 m without any shaping, just straight and long. The best I can do and it is good enough. This has brought that much needed increase in GIR results on holes. Birdie putts occur regularly in the past week where as previously they were oddities. It is fantastic to stand on the tee and see the ball soar across a dogleg creating a 100m shot at the green. No more less enjoyable than hitting functional straight drives along the fairway and leaving the ball just as well placed.

Still a lot of practise to go that is nothing unexpected in golf. With the elbow injury still hampering my stroke play and general daily use of the arm, I can see the needed 2-3 strokes less on each nine as a reality. This mornings 9 hole hit finished with a 41, included one double bogie with an OB from a bad drive and a three putt for a bogie on a par three hole.

2011 has been a successful and enjoyable season on and off the golf course, with the following results. Southern Ports Competition in March. Following runner up placing in 2010 in “C” Grade. “B” Grade delivered second place this time after a playoff at the end of the 3 rounds during the Tournament. Played in the Masters Games at Naracoorte Golf Club, came away with a Silver and Bronze medal at the end of the weekend. Managed to win one monthly medal, Caledonian Inn Trophy that I tied for in 2010 my goal was defending the title. I pulled that off with my last round getting over the line in the best 2 out of 3 stableford scores. Club Championship Runner-Up, hung in there for 32 of the 36 hole match play final and thoroughly enjoyed the surprise appearance in this finals event.
Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all” Geoff

2011 Robe Village Classic Golf Invitational

1/12/11 Thursday. The return to form after the layoff over the past two weeks is working at the minute. Nothing spectacular more so back to my previous standard, with perhaps a little improvement which is an unexpected bonus. Starting on Monday this week I have played 9 holes every day and several additional improvements to my game have been established as the restriction of the golfers elbow abates. Once again getting positives out of the negative has rewarded me, admittedly the frustration and anger that boiled over last week still sucked.


So far this week the first major improvement has been the hitting of greens in regulation, giving birdie chances. This has never been a consistent aspect of my golf, which the analysis and introspection of the past month while limited on the course has highlighted. The following are some game improvements that have came from the experience, 1) Established a defined setup routine for tee and fairway shots, 2) Improved swing plane, 3) Pitching and Chipping accuracy and versatility improved, 4) Returned to using any of the clubs all of the time. With a little more physical improvement to follow there is a few other specific aspects of my game that have been identified for development.

The restrictions from MVA injuries are abating through regular playing of golf since 2009. To the extent that now I am going to target getting a complete follow through on my swing, as far as my body limits will allow. In this the progress has been very extensive already, flexibility and rotation of my hips has improved at least 20% in 3 seasons. To attain an improved forward swing will be a valuable addition to my ball striking. This one addition will go hand in hand with my practise of tee and fairway shots. Secondly, yet most importantly is improving the results on the green when putting. This part of my game has really suffered from the Golfers’ Elbow injury. Even now I am using the lighter and shorter putter to accommodate the strain the action puts on the tender spots.

Beside the obvious enjoyment at being able to play again, the use of blades has been a very successful exercise for my game improvement. The need to strike the ball well with blades to get a good result is a great incentive when practising and playing with them. I still alternate between using blades and the Titleist AP2’s, whilst my consistency with the blades is maintained when returning to the AP2 irons the improvement is markedly noticeable. With Ebay and the variety of used irons available there, picking up a set of blades for $30 and paying $100 for extensions and new grips was unbeatable value. I am not a coach and thoroughly recommend any golfer to not hesitate in taking lessons from qualified coaches. This has been the best thing I have done in my golfing, followed by regular practise routines. That is not discounting the vocal minority who will espouse that coaching was wasted on them, just take note this is a minority of golfers.



Which brings me to the free part of improving your golf, watching good golfers play the game. The last few weeks I have benefited from this during the club Open with playing partners and this past weekend in the Robe Village Classic Ambrose, followed by the 18 hole Classic Invitational event for 5hcp or less golfers. This year I followed the deciding group of 4 players tied on 71 gross and filmed the two hole play off. Doing this was well worth the walk, and the deciding factor in two changes that are now part of my game. Establishing and following a setup routine for each shot, putting is the one that is lagging in this. Coaching is needed for my putting, as well as a little more recovery time for the elbow injury. This also assisted in returneing to using any club for all shots instead of automatically grabbing what seems best. These two changes came from my observations and discussions with the low handicap golfers played with during these events. Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all”
 Geoff

Back to playing the game at last...

29/11/11 Tuesday. The past weekend golfing was a pleasure to see and play in, starting on Friday afternoon with my first decent hit in 2-3 weeks. The 9 hole “chicken run” competition on Friday afternoons is fun and my approach to this is to especially enjoy the round and use it to tune up my game for competition. Having spent so long on the side lines of late it was good to be hitting the ball well and enjoying the company of my playing partners. Akin to a scene from Caddyshack the skies around us on the course were black with flashes of lighting sparking across the roiling sky followed by rolling thunder. With two holes to go the wind changed direction and the storm clouds turned towards us and soon big fat raindrops were splatting onto heads. Sitting on 16 points and playing well I stuck it out to the end. Totally drenched by the finish and a total of 20 points was well worth the soaking.




Saturday was the Robe Village Classic Ambrose and our four put in a very credible effort. With a final total of 7 under for the day, getting 5 birdies on the front nine our game lacked the putting skill on the back only adding another 2 birdies to the scorecard. We did not get any bogies or worse in the round either, but not able to drop the birdie putts on the back nine had us miss out on the prizes on a countback at the end of the days play. Best total was a 14 under, proving that the summer conditions are a boon to playing better golf. Each team included 1-2 players who were invited players for the next days Robe Village Classic Tournament for 5 hcp. or less golfers in the Mens and 18 or less in the ladies tournament. Personally I felt some responsibility for out teams shortcomings on the back nine, struggled after the 11th hole to putt well especially. In the team talent scale I was the 2nd best golfer, with a Scratch, me on 12, a 23 and a 27.



No matter it was great fun and it was well worthwhile to see the difference between my standard and a scratch golfer up close and unleashed off the tee. With the consistent set up of each hole with a shot on the fairway every time before the scratch golfer teed up, it was possible to see first hand the talent that is in the hands of low handicappers. On the day he used the driver several times off the tee in the Ambrose which if it was a solo stroke round would have used anything from a fairway metal to #2 iron. That comment was filed away in my brain box together with the observation of the same game approach from Mark Pretty (+1 hcp.) who played in my group during the Robe Open on the 6th of November.

Mark Pretty and Dylan Morgan were both tied at the end of the Open’s 18 holes and there was a playoff to decide the winner. Out club has a two hole playoff with best gross score deciding the winner and if tied it is sudden death play until there is a winner. The 2011 Robe Open video footage of the 5 playoff holes has been edited now and is included in the post here;

1st playoff hole



2nd Playoff hole



3rd Playoff hole



4th Playoff hole



5th Playoff hole



Winners Presentation Robe Open 2011





This was an interesting notation in my mind when referring back to my first year back golfing in 2009. I played successfully in that season using the #3 iron off the tee for 6 months before getting coaching from the club professional in January 2010 in using a Driver. Even today with the smaller driver (380cc) in the bag, I do not have to change to a #3 metal off the tee when that is a better choice than a 460cc Driver. Improvement with the #2 Hybrid in coming months is a must, this club is going to be a vital ingredient among others in my quest to reach a 5 handicap. Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all” Geoff

A little dummy spit... Feel a lot better now

24/11/11 Thursday. Getting close to spitting the dummy at the minute, had a gutfull of not playing golf today. After spending a few hours at the club sorting out the stock in the bar and with the electrician getting the power fixed went to the car and got the sticks out of the boot and played five holes.




Bit of anger in the first few holes so some ratty shots, still hitting greens in regulation was done a couple of times. Putted crap and did not care was just happy to throw off the shackles and have a swing. Still some damned pain in the right fore arm, that is not a good sign. Of course I would rather have the arm ,even if it is a bit second rate than be a Mr Stumpy. In fact as I write this the anger is really roiling away, a good thing. Have been through a lot of physical discomfort for a long time so my acceptance of it is very limited. Being fitter from playing golf and enjoying the handicap progress, stopping something so good is not easy.

Saturday is the Village Classic Ambrose, unfortunately only two of us from last seasons successful team can make it and I am not in prime form. That said it is an Ambrose and will suit my current game very well. Pretty pumped to play after so long away, hahahah two weeks of reduced golf. Then Sunday a day of watching a field of 24, 5 or less handicap golfers playing for the 2011 Village Classic honours.

The power problem had been noticed for 6 months or so and was a dimming of the lights in the main. Sparky gets the call and says it is not a good sign, as an electricity nimrod I had no idea what this potentially meant. A mini Hiroshima or a burst of cow flatulence. To make a long story short after answering no to the questions ie has any one been shocked with the juice or any electrical equipment been fried. He was surprised and then showed that instead of 240 Volts the club was getting up to 300V. ETSA sent a crew straight away and fixed the lines and so now we are back in the safety zone. By pure luck it seems because the club gets limited use through winter, not much wedding hire etc the possible disaster was avoided.



The Club AGM went well last night, bigger attendance than the last one, which in AGM terms can be a concrn as if members are happy they dont come out in large numbers. Yet the meeting went along smoothly the floor members voiced no concerns or problems with the plans and decisions mooted for the coming expansion. New people on the committee as well which is a good thing and I have stepped down from Secretary and taken on Vice President for the year. Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all”, Geoff