Fitness means better golf...

22/1/13 Tuesday. A very successful weekend of golfing on Saturday and Sunday again. The fitness training is delivering obvious benefits in tandem with practise. In this my second set of rounds for 2013 after the week before I broke my handicap on Saturday with a 38 stableford point round and backed up on the Sunday with a 36 Stableford point round. These results have got my playing handicap down one stroke to twelve. In the coming weeks I will be adding a new facet to my training which is expected to drop several strokes off my handicap and establish a solid single digit playing handicap. All of the recent improvement shown by the competition results has come from the improved fitness and weight loss. This is not an instant change and the dieting started in August 2012 the fitness training was gradually introduced in December. A daily routine since January 1st, 2013 using strand pulling (chest expander equipment) exercise routines and swimming. My golf practise has not increased or changed from the past 3 years in terms of action and time spent. Whilst this with coaching has definitely developed golf skills, it is the fitness that has made the execution much better on the course. As regular readers will be aware my game has never been a long one due to health and physical condition. Hence my total focus has always been on establishing a proven correct swing technique to make the ball go forward as well as it is possible for me to do so. No prizes for guessing who won the Long Drive competition on the Sunday, it was me. Once again I had a great game off the tee and noticeably consistently much longer. This was also happening with the rest of my clubs and did cause some difficulty with club selection. My game attitude is one of having fun more so than usual at the minute. Taking the opinion that as I am hitting the ball much better than 2-3 months ago, so what if this is causing problems. I had never imagined that hitting the golf ball like I am now, could feel so good! Golfing feels so fresh and new to me every week and these days I hit many shots that are so sweet, it is sensational. Sunday I tied in second place in the A Grade at Kingston SE. Playing for fun is the focus but the success in the competition is still an important motivation behind the enjoyment. There is a consistent fault in my game at the minute and this is exacerbated as a result of the improved fitness. In all of my past two weekend rounds (four) I have belted putts way past the hole. It is in part a misread of the green speed at the time. The major cause is that my strength has significantly improved and these misreads end up with the ball going four to five metres too far. In my reading of other golfers game diaries and many observations on the analysis of our golfing rarely is fitness given as much attention as swing plane or grip, stance etc. My Golf Diaries were not much different. Physical condition was a regular subject in mine, as I have permanent injuries which affect my game so they would get attention. Mostly because of the limitations placed on my ability to swing a club correctly. Fortunately awareness of injury as a regular facet of my life, does make me look at improving the condition, just as I have my golf swing. Rory McIlroy has made significant changes in his physical training and Tiger Woods was always noted for it. There are many lesser contemporary golfers who have done the same as well and this is something that many club golfers have ignored as a way to significantly improve their golf. I fully expect this fitness program I am now doing in tandem with the new golf training system starting in coming weeks to be the cause of a three to eight stroke drop in my playing handicap. Thankyou for your time and attention “Hit ‘em straight all” Geoff

Two competition rounds in two days...

13/1/13 Sunday Hack and Slash attempt. It was a lot of fun and this morning I was feeling the effects of playing 36 holes in two days. Not as much as last night when it as lights out at 9.30pm after going to sleep in the lounge chair well before that. It was harder work on the course yesterday with a strong breeze steady all day and gusting during up several knots during the round. A stroke round so every shot counted and I had a lot more than expected. At the end ofthe day though only three more than Saturday with a 91 Gross for a nett 78 with 31 putts. Now for the good news I continued with the hit the tee shots flat out again instead of reigning in the effort to compensate my current lack of match practise. There was plenty of energy left in the tank thanks to the current fitness program. Two rounds in two days after my last competition hit out on the 23rd there had to be a reckoning. The tally of extra shots and penalties began with an out of bounds on the first hole, lost ball on the fourth, ball bounced up into a tree on the fifth for a penalty drop, lost ball on the 12th. 4 penalty strokes added to the score together with having to play three shots as chip outs onto the fairway from under trees on the 13th,17th and 18th holes for a total of 7 extra strokes from inaccurate tee shots. No happy dance at the end of the day with the final tally. I was satisfied with all of my putting except for a three put on the sixteenth. The putting comp on the day was won with 28 and I had 31 not far off the pace. Short game was also a much improved display. Using the 56 degree wedge and pitching wedge at various times doing lob shots and chip and run all with reasonable results. Golf is good when you can get out on a day like yesterday and take the challenge up without recent match play and relying on practise alone. Thankyou for your time and attention. Geoff

First competition round for 2013...

12/1/13 Saturday. The desire to play a competition round was soothed today by doing exactly that. Took the trip to Kingston and finished the round at -3 in the Par event. 88 off the stick with 29 putts. The first time in seven rounds I have had less than 30 putts so the practise was a benefit on the greens to begin. Was grouped with two single digit golfers and another on 13 as I am. The three of them are noted long hitters off the tee so my new found driver ability was going to be tested as well. My approach to Par rounds is very different to other competitions, it is one of having fun and going for the gold. No holding back and attacking at all times to try and get + scores on holes. It is a game that I have chosen to accept the challenge and not hold back in going for the wins. This can lead to blow out rounds of course and I am willing to lose when throwing everything at a game to get a result. Off the tee was a revelation in the improvement of this facet of my game. Dear readers I not only matched the big hitters I was longer at times. This alone was worth the day spent on the course. My accuracy faltered at times and even that was not even a concern. Fact is I have never stood up on the tee block in a competition round and on every par four and five hole swung flat out 100% every time. This was all down to the improved fitness and testament was on the final hole a par five into the wind. The tee shot was straight down the centre 230-240m and there was more in the tank and I used it well with the next shot. The putting and short game as well was improved in many aspects. This is early days in 2013 and the round today has been very satisfactory in relation to the practise and training that has been put in. Thankyou for your time and attention "Hit 'em straight all" Geoff

Hit the Fairways it helps....

9/1/13 Wednesday. After the social hit yesterday stretched out on the couch some time was spent considering the the results and events in the round. For nine holes there were four pars and they all were from greens in regulation on 2 x Par 4's and 2 x Par 3's. Being a social round I was not holding back off the tee and on two par 4 holes in particular I took the short cut across the dogleg. Both times I hit the first ball into the bush. The second balls were all placed perfect, over the dogleg and 50 metres closer to the green than my competition round shot. There was a definite unease when playing the first of the unusual shot choices. Did not set myself up correctly on the tee block etc. only small faults but enough to get off target. The correction and ease of the second shot and accuracy proved the point that my mind not ability is the reason for the fault. For the record both times I hit the greens in regulation from the second ball played. From this it could be said that I managed to par 6 holes. Bogies on the remaining 3 holes in this social round and it is obvious why I was satisfied with the first hit in 2013. The matter which had me still revising this round last night was the importance of hitting the fairway, better described perhaps as accuracy off the tee in my challenge for a single figure handicap this season. Browsing the iseekgolf forum came across another a thread which asked the question of single figure handicappers on what mattered. Five replies included hitting the fairway/accuracy off the tee. This refreshed my mind on the topic. After putting so much effort into coaching, short game practise technique development I realised that all of this has worked well. Yet I rarely practise with the Driver! The big stick has had specific problems in its use by me. Originating from the ever present mva injuries it is only recently that I have been able to take a full swing. This is still such a thrill after 20 years I have to admit even crap shots feel good and I enjoy just being able to do it. Having to now learn how to hit the ball off the tee with a full unrestricted swing is a big step. It is as if I have two game styles, the #3 to putter clubs are all played as a 13 handicapper, the Driver is played as a 27 handicapper. I cannot allow this disparity to continue, it is only an overnight realisation so the first step has been made.It is going to be odd to be out on the range hitting a lot of driver shots in the following weeks. I will have to make a conscious effort to do this and clear my mind of the previous favouritism. Thankyou for your time and attention, “Hit ‘em straight all” Geoff