I'm reading Gio Valiante's Golf book on "Flow" - it's for those of us who need mental help with the golf game. One of his suggestions is to right about shots that when really well. The idea is to get them cemented into our subconsciousness so we can draw on them when we're playing.
May 28, 2014 - GC Am Tour at Kenny Perry's Country Creek Golf Course:
On number 8 a par three over water. It played about 145 yards, no wind to contend with with temperatures in the mid 80's - a perfect day. I was first up in our group. My 8 iron was the perfect club for this distance. The green is slightly below the tee box so I thought the 8 iron, normally a 145 club, would be plenty with the flag in the middle of the green. I made an effortless swing keeping my poster (not standing up on the ball as I sometimes do) and just "flushed" it. The ball sailed high and with a slight draw tracking right at the pin. It landed perfectly about 8 feet from the pin. When I got to the hole I found my pitch mark 6 feet above the ball - wow what a shot.
Number 10 Driver: This is a par 5 with the tee box perched on the side of a hill and a large ravine between the tee box and the fairway. The fairway is almost perpendicular to the tee box so you have to make a decision as to how much of the ravine you want to carry. The fairway is above the tee box so you have to pick a tree as a target. At a minimum, the carry is probably 150 yards. I was last to hit. I felt like I could easily carry quite a bit of the ravine, so I pick out a tree in the distance and made an effortless swing holding my posture and the ball flew right at the target with just the slightest draw. It was a thing of beauty and effortless. Brian and one of the other players drives were very good as well, but when we reached our balls, I was 50 yards in front of them.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Driving Range May 22, 2014
Once again, Riverside Golf Academy. After the success of last night I felt really good about grooving my new swing even more. But unlike Wednesday night, I may have hit 5 pure shots out of 30 - frustrating. What went wrong? I don't know.
Driving Range May 21, 2014
This was my first trip to the driving range (River Side Academy) since my second golf lesson on May 15th. My main focus was to keep my grip pressure the same throughout the swing and keeping my swing on plane with the one piece take away. I started with my 8 iron. I starting hitting the best 8 irons I've ever hit one right after the other. I then moved to my pitching wedge and more of the same. Next my driver and again great results and then my 6 iron. Of the 30 or so balls in the bucket, I hit at least 25 pure. I walk away feeling really good about my swing and my upcoming GC Am event on Saturday in Kentucky.
GC Am Tour Major - Kohler, WI May 17th and 18th
After my second lesson with Toby Thursday night I had hoped I would be ready for the Kohler Major. After all, after my first lesson with Toby I had my best Tour round of the year, so now I'm thinking maybe it's trophy time! Friday Margaret and left for Kohler via Chicago where we spend the day. We arrived in Kohler around 9 PM - too late to go to the practice range and try out my new one piece take away. But no worry, I'll get to the course early for my 9 AM tee time and hit the driving range. Unlike other majors I've played in where each group has a specific tee time, this major decided to have a shot gun start. That meant that 250 players showing up for the same tee time! When I got to the driving range it was three deep waiting for a spot. I decided to skip the wait and just work on my short game and putting - possibly a huge mistake.
Our group started on 12, a par four with plenty of fairway to hit. However, there was a small pond just in front of the tee box. A sand wedge would fly the pond, that's how small it was. Yep - I topped the ball with my driver and splash - right in to the pond. That was my start of the round. It struggled through out the round with my swing and finished with a 105 - last place by 4 shots.
Day two I was first off with the other two players just above me in the standings. So my goal for the day was to beat these two and assure my self of not finishing in last place. Once again I started off with a drive into water and an 8 on the first hole a par 4. I actually made up some ground and was ahead of one of my fellow players when on number 10 I shot an 11. After that I just couldn't swing the club and finished with a 110 last place by 9 shots. The only pure shot of the day was a lay up 9 iron on number 18.
My biggest problem of the two days was clamping down with my right hand just before impact. It caused a lot of pulled hooks or fat shots. Mostly pulled hooks.
Our group started on 12, a par four with plenty of fairway to hit. However, there was a small pond just in front of the tee box. A sand wedge would fly the pond, that's how small it was. Yep - I topped the ball with my driver and splash - right in to the pond. That was my start of the round. It struggled through out the round with my swing and finished with a 105 - last place by 4 shots.
Day two I was first off with the other two players just above me in the standings. So my goal for the day was to beat these two and assure my self of not finishing in last place. Once again I started off with a drive into water and an 8 on the first hole a par 4. I actually made up some ground and was ahead of one of my fellow players when on number 10 I shot an 11. After that I just couldn't swing the club and finished with a 110 last place by 9 shots. The only pure shot of the day was a lay up 9 iron on number 18.
My biggest problem of the two days was clamping down with my right hand just before impact. It caused a lot of pulled hooks or fat shots. Mostly pulled hooks.
Golf Lesson May 15, 2014
This was my second lesson with Toby. This week he wanted me to increase my shoulder turn. To do so we worked on a one piece take away keeping the same swing plane that we had developed in lesson one. It certainly seemed simple enough and the results were very good, increasing distance with no more effort. I was ready to attack the GC Am major at Kohler.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Monday night golf league May 19th
GOOD
I was striking my irons really well. My first pure strike was on the second hole with an 8 iron. Smooth swing and perfect results. That continued on the next whole with a 6 iron approach, and the next with a 7 iron approach and the next with a 5 iron approach. All using my new swing mechanics.
BETTER
I need to get better at smoothing out my woods. I had a tendency to want to "hit" them this round which causes all sorts of problems.
IMPROVE
I need to continue to work on consistent grip pressure throughout the swing eliminating the "hit right hand clamp down" just before impact. I do this because at the last second I think I need to add a little more power to get the ball to the target, but intellectually I know I don't.
I was striking my irons really well. My first pure strike was on the second hole with an 8 iron. Smooth swing and perfect results. That continued on the next whole with a 6 iron approach, and the next with a 7 iron approach and the next with a 5 iron approach. All using my new swing mechanics.
BETTER
I need to get better at smoothing out my woods. I had a tendency to want to "hit" them this round which causes all sorts of problems.
IMPROVE
I need to continue to work on consistent grip pressure throughout the swing eliminating the "hit right hand clamp down" just before impact. I do this because at the last second I think I need to add a little more power to get the ball to the target, but intellectually I know I don't.
About my golf schedule
I played 23 full rounds (18 holes) of golf in 2013 on 23 different golf courses and all but one of those were in Golf Channel Am Tour (GCAm) events. I do play in a Monday night 9 hole golf league on the same course. It is a very relaxed rules league unlike the GCAm Tour which is strict USGA. As of this writing I'm 65 playing in the Senior Sarazen Flight for 12 - 15.9 index players.
2014 will be much like 2013. So far this year (May 20th) I've played in six GCAm events all on different courses. I'm playing in my Monday night 9 hole golf league and this year I will play in the Myrtle Beach World Am tournament in August. That is a four day tournament that is net play.
2014 will be much like 2013. So far this year (May 20th) I've played in six GCAm events all on different courses. I'm playing in my Monday night 9 hole golf league and this year I will play in the Myrtle Beach World Am tournament in August. That is a four day tournament that is net play.
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