A Busy Weekend

SATURDAY- I finally played a round with the new swing changes. I hit the ball okay, but man, the short game killed me. I've been spending a lot of time on drills for the swing and no time on the short game. Also, the greens are still filling in from aerification, so they're just a little bumpy. Overall I'm happy with how I hit the ball with just the little changes I've made to the swing. 


Stats for the round:
Score - 90
Fairways - 36%
GIR - 22%
Putts - 35
Scrambling - 14.3%
Sand Saves - 25%




SUNDAY- I hit the ball much better this time, just couldn't score. Once again the short game stopped me from doing anything out there. I had 13 bogeys, which could have easily been pars if the putter would have worked. I'll definitely be hitting the chipping and putting green this week. 


Stats for the round:

Score - 89
Fairways - 43%
GIR - 22%
Putts - 35
Scrambling - 7.1%
Sand Saves - 0%

Looking Better Already

Last week I was able to start working on the lessons Dan gave me. The driving range was finally dry enough to open, so I played Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It's a little hard to practice on the course but since the range was closed I had no choice. I played...eh.                               So man it was nice to finally hit the range and start working on my swing. I was hitting a small draw about every 10-15 balls. Everything else was straight or a little fade. Contact was so so. I'm hoping tomorrow will be better. 

I sent the videos to Dan to look at and make sure everything looks good.

                                                                               His response: 

Minor change but will help ball flight big time.  In the backswing want a touch more hip turn. From there it will feel like there is a slight shift left with the lower body (might feel like hips stay closed just a touch long than normal). This should yield some solid small draws. Already looks much better!

Lesson One

Here's the video of my swing that I sent Dan Carraher.

  

His response to the video was this (with some editing):


There are some good things going on but we definitely need to clean some things up. The first thing we're going to change is your setup, your upper body is too far forward. Make sure your head doesn't get forward of the middle of your stance. I want your shoulder over your ankles and your head in the middle of your stance. This should make you feel more behind the ball. From the new setup I want you to hit half shots 7 irons maybe 100-110 yards feeling both arms are straight the entire time. It will feel very wide, and somewhat robotic. Think Steve Stricker. You should be able to hit low draws if doing this correctly, hands will feel very passive and ball flight should be low. This will get your arms and pivot in sync and get your arms straight in follow through, getting rid of the chicken wing. To add to this drill you can do it with a small ball (softball sized) between your forearms just above your grip. Do this right and the ball shouldn't fall out.


Now the rain just needs to stop so I can go to the range and practice.

*Breaking News*

As of yesterday I have a golf instructor from Florida helping me with my swing. His name is Dan Carraher, and I found him on one of the golf forums I visit daily (www.golfwrx.com). He's charging me $20 per online lesson - what a deal! Here's the link to his website: http://dancarrahergolf.com/.  I'm not sure which direction my swing is going now. I did tell him what I've been working on, so we'll see if it's the right swing for me or if he'll have me go a different way. Granville could be in store for a sleeve of golf balls from me since he took the bet about the swing change. I've sent Dan some video of my swing from yesterday and he has already looked at it and given me feedback and drills to work on. 

I will post the video that I sent him and his views of my swings and recommendations soon.   

Its Been Awhile

Well, let's see what's new. Oh yeah... it's been raining all week. The rain did stop for a day though, so I got to hit my new toy. I love it! =) Now if I could just get my swing together the world would be a better place. So far I've let Doug, Ron, and Bud hit my driver. Bud and Ron really liked it. I think Ron said he was going to eBay for one when he got home. 

Awhile back I bought a 3 wood shaft off eBay, but the guy lost it during his move. Instead he let me choose a different shaft. Since the driver has a high ball flight, I went ahead and got a driver shaft instead of a 3 wood shaft.  I really like Graphite Design shafts, so I emailed them and told them my number from the Golf Galaxy launch monitor. They recommended the Graphite Design Aura Red stiff flex, so I webr with that. The shaft should be ready tomorrow afternoon, but I doubt I'll be able to hit it till Monday. The weather man says there's more rain coming this weekend.     

Oh SNAP!

The courses just got a little shorter!

My new baby!

R9 SuperTri Info











I got back from Golf Galaxy with my new Taylormade R9 SuperTri! I traded in some clubs the other day and got some store credit. I still have my 2007 Burner driver, I'm going to sell it on Ebay since Golf Galaxy wouldn't give me much for it. In the simulator the R9 was flying about 15-20 past my driver. This driver has many possible configurations with the movable weights and open and closed face at address, with the option to also change the loft a few degrees.

I got the 9.5* with the Fujikura Motore 60 shaft in Stiff. I can't wait to hit it on the course - too bad it's been raining like cats and dogs since Friday, and it's supposed to keep raining throughout the week. In the meantime it won't be leaving my side.

Better than Yesterday

You'd think after yesterdays great performance I wouldn't be too anxious to get back out there, but I had even more of an itch to play and prove that I can actually swing a golf club. I played with Doug again at Sunset Whitney and shot 87, 45 on the front and 42 on the back with a birdie. I only lost one golf ball compared to the nine yesterday. I did however only hit the driver once today, and it was a big slice. I haven't been able to hit the driver for some reason, I need to get to a driving range where I can play around with it. I was pretty happy otherwise with my round. The putter was on fire, I had 26 putts on aerified greens. This was my best scrambling round of the year so far. The only bad part was when Doug made his 7 foot putt on 18 to win 1-up. At least I gave him a scare. I'm not sure when I'll be playing again because the weather man is saying a chance of rain everyday next week.    




Stats for the round:
Score-87
Fairways -36%
GIR -11%
Putts -26
Scrambling -37.5%
Sand Saves -0%

A Little Wager

I know I've been switching my swing theory around a LOT lately, each time saying that this is the one. But this time, the swing is here to stay. And just to show how serious I am about this swing, I'm willing to bet on it.  For anyone that wants to, I'm betting a sleeve of golf balls. 

So here's how the bet would work: 

Leave me a comment on the blog saying you want in on the bet. The bet is that until the end of September, I keep this same swing, and if I still have the same swing then you have to buy me a sleeve of golf balls (my choice). But if I revert to my old ways of switching between swings and I don't still have it, I will buy you a sleeve of golf balls (your choice). You have to place the bet by next Saturday 3/19 if you want in.  

Odds of winning:

you 0%

me 100%

Rome Wasn't Built in a Day

Yesterday's round was a disaster... I think I shot 110+ with the new swing. It was either really ugly or really good, there was no in-between. I lost a total of 9 golf balls. The driver killed me, I didn't hit a single drive straight with the driver. Man, when I did hit a good one, it felt like I was the best player in the world. I did have a birdie on the 9th hole, I hit it to about 6 feet of the pin and made the putt. Other than that it was the most frustrating round I've ever played.

I played with Doug, Granville and some of Doug's buddies. I felt really bad that they had to see me play like that. It was embarrassing. I also lost another round to Doug and now I owe him Subway. Towards the end of the round I was more comfortable with the swing and started hitting it decent again.

 I'm still not giving up on this swing though, it is here to stay for a long time.

New vs. Old

New Swing

Old Swing

Okay, so here's a look at my new swing vs. my old swing.

A couple of things I changed going into the new swing: 

1. I changed my grip from neutral (one knuckle) to strong (2 1/2 knuckles) 2. I'm swinging more left on the downswing. 3. I'm trying to have my shoulders more open at impact. 4. Trying to load my weight into my right side instead of onto my right side during the backswing. 5. My setup is now more of a reverse K.

 My footwork is much better in the new swing. Also, if you look at the finishes, the new swing is more around my body and the old swing is high and trying to help the ball up into the air. My new swing is giving me a much more penetrating ball flight and a draw. The old swing gave me a high ballon ball flight. 

I'm looking forward to redeeming myself against Doug tomorrow at Sunset Whitney C.C.

Finally Some Progress

(5 Iron) 3-8-11

My Golf Swing Bible

I'll give more info this weekend about the swing...

Like a Broken Record

Well I blew it again! I played with Doug on Saturday morning, which also happened to be his birthday.  The first four holes were okay. I went bogey, double bogey, birdie, par, and then it was all downhill from there. I shot a 42 on the front. I couldn't set myself up for anything good on the front, and to top it off the putter didn't help much either. Somehow I was up 6 shots on Doug. Then came the 10th hole, a triple bogey. I had a double bogey on 13, a triple bogey 14 from the middle of the fairway and another triple bogey on 17. Needless to say I failed again. I had a 52 on the back giving me a 94 for the round. Doug I hope you enjoyed your birthday gift from me.

Stats for the round:
Fairways - 36%
GIR -17%
Putts - 35
Scrambling - 13.3%
Sand Saves - 0%

Heading in the Right Direction

I played with Granville and Doug today after work. No matches, just practicing with Granville, and Doug was working on his game. I started off shaky for the first 2 and then I settled down. Going bogey, par, par, triple, birdie, birdie and double. Back to back birdies... I haven't done that in four years! My first birdie looked as if it was going to be a hole in one too! My tee shot landed about 9 feet past the hole and I made the putt. Then on hole 8 I hit a 9 iron into the green and stuck it within 4 feet of the hole! I must say it was a very good miss hit 9 iron. =) Then I blew my chance of three straight birdies with my next tee on 9. My shot landed short of the green and rolled back down the hill into an unplayable lie. Oh well, I guess next time I won't leave it short. Doug was done playing after 9, he'd already played 18 earlier.

Granville and I decided to play the first three holes again. After the first hole I asked Granville to grade my swing today and he said it was a B. I also asked him to grade my swing from before I made the change and he said C-. I would have given myself a D before the swing change, and now probably a B-. I still have a tendency to get a little wild off the tee but I think we may have solved that problem on 2. Granville notice that my shoulders were open at address. I'll be working on that now along with the takeaway. I almost had another birdie on 3 but could make the 15 foot putt. I hit a beautiful 5 iron to the center of the green pin high. That was a good swing to end on. After dropping Granville off at his car and going to put my clubs into my car, Granville yelled across the parking lot, "B plus!" Sweet!    

Hit and Miss

Yesterday I played 9 holes with Doug after work. No match this time, we both were working on our game,  but next time it's on like Donkey Kong! =)  My round was up and down. I'd hit a good shot and then turn right around and hit a bad shot (mostly fat shots). I think I had a little sway in the backswing and thats what was causing me to hit the ball fat. On my good shots I could tell I was staying center. I did however hit my best ever 60 degree wedge shot on number 6. I was about 50 yards out and had a tree right in my way. The tree must have been 30 feet high and I only had about 10 feet in front of me to clear it. I cleared the tree by inches and landed a couple of inches past the bunker and rolled on the green. I think I had the wedge completely open just to make sure I got over the tree. Other than that shot I had a lot of bogeys but finished with a par on the last hole.

I did play 4 holes today in a little bit of rain after work just so I could get some more reps in with the new takeaway. Once again it was hit and miss with the swing. I talked with Granville and he said he be playing in the afternoon tomorrow so hopefully he'll spot something in connection with the fat shots.

Thank You Granville

Well my round with Doug is put on hold for now, but I ran into Granville and had the chance to play with him. That turned out to be pretty lucky for my golf game. The video above is from hole number 8 just after Granville had me make one change to my swing on 7. He wanted to get some space in my backswing and keep the club from getting behind me. WOW is all I can say.

So here's how we got to this swing change. The first 6 holes I was spraying the ball left and right, pretty much anywhere but straight. He asked me if I would try something for him on my takeaway on the 7 tee.   It's a good thing I did because I hit this nice little draw, which hit the green. and I made par. =) My first one of the day. Even though I got a birdie on the 6th hole, those shots weren't even that great. My tee shot on 8, which is the one in the video, was put in the fairway, leaving me a wedge into the green and giving me another par. I hit the smoothest 9 iron ever on #9 and flew the green almost going OB. I ended up taking a bogey. I couldn't believe I hit that 9 iron that far with that little effort. Just as we were finishing up, Bud came by and wanted to see if we were going to keep playing. Granville was done but I want to keep playing with the new swing change. Before I dropped off Granville at his car, I told him he was my new coach.

We went and played the first 3 holes. I hit my drive down the left side of the fairway. My next shot was a little fat leaving me about 120 yards to the pin. I hit a choke down 9 iron and STUCK it within 6 feet of the pin. Bud was so impressed. He said my swing has never looked better. I  told him to give Granville all the credit. I missed the putt but took another par. The putter was so close today, which is a good sign of things to come. I took another par on #2 which is pretty good cause I can't remember the last time I had a par on that hole. The 3rd hole I hit my tee shot a little short, it was probably the worst shot with the new swing change. I hit a good chip shot but it landed a little hard and ran 8 feet past the hole. I missed the putt but it was a good stroke, and I took a bogey which put me +2 for 6 holes with the new swing. I can't wait to swing the club tomorrow. Thanks again Granville.  

Putter Where are You

Well after a big rain storm on Thursday and Friday I was finally able to play 9 holes today. We got almost 2" in 24 hours. I think these pictures say it all!

 #17 green

 #15 fairway

I played with Doug today at Sunset Whitney. We played match play again and it was pretty close for the most part. I hit the ball REALLY well, especially the driver. So much so that I hit it on holes I normally hit a 3 wood on (like #6 and #8). Today it was about the putter and not in a good way. The putter pretty much cost me the match.  Doug and I were pretty much going back and fourth; he'd win one and then I'd win one. We were all square going into the 9th hole and I had a putt to tie and missed it. The putt was only about 12 feet and it was a fairly straight putt. I thought it would break at the end and it just stayed straight. I three putted the first hole, then left a putt short on 6, and followed by a near miss on 7 from 8 feet. Oh well, I'm now down another soda, but I can try to even things out tomorrow with a victory over Doug after work.   

A Year from Now

I'm officially 29 years old today! In light of this I feel like it's time to set a time frame for my blog. 

My goals before I turn 30:

1) Break 70

2) Get an eagle

3) Get index down to at least 3 or 4

4) Birdie 3 holes in row

5) Finish in the top 3 in a tournament

Tick tock...

Back to Even

Well, after a week of rain I was fiiiiinally able to play some golf. I played yesterday and today, both days I played 9 holes with Doug. Both days we played for a soda...Doug was already up 2 sodas from before, but we're square now after I won both days.

During yesterday's little match we played points for pars and birdies, and whoever had the most points after nine holes won. Well neither of us scored a point until the 5th hole. We both played bogey golf before that. I thought I wasn't playing too bad for not playing for a week. Then I pared 6 and 7, giving me a one point lead with 2 to play. We both hit our ball in the hazard on 8, so no points were scored. On the 9th tee I was up by 1. My tee shot landed on the front of the green and spun back about a foot off the green. Doug hit his ball on the green about 20 feet from the hole. I hit my second shot and its rolling towards the hole... its still rolling towards the hole... it's in the h-o-l... ohh, man just missed it. I tapped in for a par securing at least a tie if Doug made his birdie putt. Well, he missed his putt, giving me the win. Doug's soda lead was cut down to one then. After playing I went and picked up my 3 wood with the Aldila NV shaft.

Today we played match play. All day I was looking forward to hitting the 3 wood. I didn't start off hot with the 3 wood but when I needed it the most it came through later in the round.

I'm up 1 after 2
I'm up 1 after 4
I'm up 1 after 6
I'm up 1 after 7

So this is where the 3 wood came through today, the 8th hole. Doug hit his tee ball in the hazard, now all I needed to do was put the ball in play. That's exactly what I did and that lead to a par to win the hole and the match. Doug did want me to let everyone know that he had the only two birdies of our match.

The soda betting is all square for now and once again the rain is coming for the next couple of days, and even the possibility of snow. I guess it;s just a waiting game again till I can get out on the course. Overall I do like how I played this week for not playing at all last week. I just need to play more and get more reps in with the new swing.

Rain Rain Go Away

It's been raining all this week. I think we got about 3 1/2" which means I never got a chance to make it to the course and practice. Next week looks a little more promising to be able to hit the range. I was able to do some drills in the house, and no, I didn't break anything. I am however in the process of getting my 3 wood reshafted with an Aldila NV. The stock Taylormade shaft was ballooning the ball on me so this should help give me a lower ball flight.

A Decision

I've come to a crossroads with my golf game. Lately I've been trying every other swing theory out there, then taking bits and pieces and trying to add them to my own. All this has done is cause havoc on my game and my mind.

So as of today. I'm here to say... I've finally chosen a swing theory. My swing will be in the hands of Sean Foley. I feel I played the most consistently with his swing and just need to work through the bad days and not look for quick results. I already started watching Sean's DVD again, writing down drills, and planning for world domination.  

18 Holes at Sunset Whitney Country Club

Well I finally had a decent round. I shot an 87 at Sunset Whitney yesterday after work; 39 on the front and a big 48 on the back. I don't know what it is about making the turn with the 70's in sight. It's like my golf swing just tightens up and doesn't work. I'm thinking way too much about it and don't let the game come to me. The next time I play I'm not going to add up my score for the whole round and see how that goes. The putt did better today with 31 putts needed. After not hitting a bunker in my last round, I hit five of them yesterday. I was able to get up and down on two of them. I really need to get my short game going if I'm going to shoot low.

Stats for the round:
Fairways - 50%
GIR -28%
Putts - 31
Scrambling - 23.1%
Sand Saves - 40%

My swing is heading into a different direction: http://www.rotaryswing.com/

Photos from Yesterday

 

4th hole at Sunset Whitney

 

8th hole at Sunset Whitney

Yesterday Viano and I caught up with Doug on the 15th hole. After the 18th we played the front 9. I played okay, but every once in awhile I'd hit this hook or a push slice. Doug and I were having a little fun betting for sodas and Taco Bell. We ended up breaking even. Neither one of us were thirsty or hungry enough to make any good shots. 

I'm hoping to play 18 holes on Sunday at Sunset Whitney and to get back on track to shooting some  decent scores. Thank you to those who voted on the poll. 

Results From Peach Tree Country Club

The first round of the season is in the books. It was a battle to survive out there! We played from the tips which measure 6859 yards, and the course was lined with trees. To make things more fun the wind was blowing 20-30 mph! Then, to top it all off, the pin locations were placed on slopes. I mean. you had to make the putt, otherwise you rolled at least 6-8 feet past the hole. Even if you were below the hole and putted there was a good chance it would roll back down to you. 

I ended up shooting a 95 with 37 putts. I actually played better than I scored. I hit the driver really well, but the wind would grab it and take it. My irons were okay but I really can't grade my putter. These had to be the most unfair pin locations I've ever played. The course had a lot of doglegs and was relatively flat. Even though none of us played all that well, we still had fun. Even though Ron said he's retiring from golf. I'm sure he'll be back next week. =) 

 

The Last Two Days

I've played 27 holes in the last two days. On Thursday I played 9 with Tyler. It had been awhile since I played with him, probably 2 or 3 months. Needless to say I didn't play very well, not one solid shot. I think I was 7 over for the round, just trying to save bogeys on every hole, though I did have 3 pars which felt like bogeys. After playing I hit the range for about 15 minutes before it closed and I really couldn't figure it out there either. I was a little bummed as I headed home.

Friday I played 18 holes with Doug and Ron at Sunset Whitney, again for a couple of sodas. I took a triple bogey on the first hole, already putting me behind both Doug and Ron, and that's how it stayed the whole day. It was one of those days where the putter was hot and the rest of the game was cold. I pretty much conceded the match after the 10th hole.

But after the 10th hole I started picking Ron's brain about his  swing. He'd recently starting doing some swing changes himself and was hitting the ball really well.  He's basing it on the Jimmy Ballard philosophy. I started watching his swing more closely to see what he was doing, and decided to start trying it on the 11th hole. I went par, bogey, par, par, par, par, bogey (should have had a par on the last hole but I misread the putt). Also about the 15th hole Doug became my caddie. He was telling me I was under-clubbing, so I told him he could be my caddie for the rest of the round. I was able to get through the ball much easier with Ron's swing. It really is a pretty simple swing. Since Ron was helping me with my swing I decided to help him with his putting. I think he had 5 or 6 one-putts on the back 9. I had him move the ball back in his stance along with a straight back and straight-through swing. I told him to play more break than he thinks there is. He stopped missing his little 3-5 footers. We may have created a monster with his golf swing and improved putting... I think he could go low today.

So when I got home last night I decided to do a little research on Jimmy Ballard. I found some video of him on the Golf Channel and like what he has to say. I'm still keeping some of the Sean Foley stuff in my swing and adding some of Jimmy Ballard. I guess we'll see what happens today at Peach Tree Country Club. I'm thinking I could get 79.

13 Holes with Doug

I met Doug on the 15th hole today after work. He told me if I caught him on the back then he'd play with me on the front. I used 15-18 for warm up holes and then Doug and I battled it out on the front 9 for a soda... and I mean, we battled.

After 2, I was up 1 stroke.
After 4, I was up 2.
After 6, I was down 1.
After 8, we were all tied.

So number 9 is a 128 yard par 3 over water with a bunker protecting the left side of the green. Today the flag was on the left side. When the flag is on the left side I always aim for the center of the green. I hit my spot perfectly today. Doug hit his tee shot into the bunker. We got over to the green and Doug hit this beautiful sand shot within 5 feet of the hole. I still had about a 15-20 footer downhill with a good size break to the left for birdie, and I left it short to about 4 feet. It was Doug's turn and he stepped right up and sank it. I had a little breaker to the left and I....... shame on you for thinking I missed it. I made it, so we ended up tying. All that work and we tie. I guess I better do a better job of holding onto the lead next time. The 5th hole really caused all the problems today. I hit a bomb off the tee to the middle of the fairway. Then I chunked a 7 iron, followed by a chunked 56 degree. I finally hit the green on the next shot but I was about 20 feet from the hole. I hit my first putt, then my second putt, and finally my third putt drops in the hole. I hate three-putting more than anything. I'd rather hit three shots out of bounds than 3 putt. Other than that I thought I hit the ball pretty well today.

 I'll be hitting the range tomorrow followed playing 3 or 4 hole. I might take some video of the swing and see if I can get the club to stop going past parallel. I can't wait to play Peach Tree Country Club!

Peach Tree Country Club

I finally know where I'll be playing my first official round of the season: Peach Tree Country Club in Marysville, CA. Doug, Granville and Ron will also be joining me that day. A big thank you goes to Walter for setting this up.

Peach Tree Country Club

Practice, Practice, Play

I've been working hard over the last two days preparing for my round on the 5th. I hit the range on Monday and then played 9 holes with Bud. We played the back 9, which was a little wet compared to the front. I hit the ball really solid, so solid it got Bud's attention. He said my work on the range is starting to pay off. My only problem was even though I was hitting it solid, it wasn't going in the right direction. It's weird because on the range I hit a straight or a little draw, and out on the course I have this little cut shot instead. I'm not quite sure what's causing this to happen, but hopefully I can figure it out soon. 

Today I spent a little time on the range and played 9 holes with Viano from work. We played the front 9 and it was WINDY! There had to be a constant breeze of at least 15 mph and gust of 25. I played really well, I was kind of surprised. I went par, bogey, par, bogey, par, par, par, bogey and bogey. The putter and the sand wedge were off today. They're the reasons for the bogeys. I'll be spending a little extra time on the putting and chipping green tomorrow. My ball striking was good for the most part. I actually had fun playing in the windy conditions. I've really developed a 3/4 knock down shot; it's starting to be my go-to shot into the green. 

My plans for the rest of the week include playing 9 holes on Wednesday, the range on Thursday, and 18 holes on Friday with Doug and Ron at Sunset Whitney after work. I can't wait for my round Saturday. Don't forget to vote on my poll!

Hmmm...

Well, I got another butt-kicking from Doug on Saturday. I just couldn't get anything going. Sometimes it would be the tee shot or approach shot that wouldn't quite hit its mark. I stopped keeping score after the 15th hole. If I remember correctly I shot a 51 on the front with a something something on the back. I think I had 3 or 4 pars, everything else was a bogey or higher. The swing felt good, but I just wasn't getting the results I wanted. It wasn't until the 18th hole that I hit my best shots of the day...of course they come at the end of the round. Isn't that how it always works? So now I owe Doug a soda but I have a chance to win it back next Saturday.

Here's some video of my current swing. I really like the takeaway but it's still a little long. I'm trying to  stand a little further from the ball, which helps me to bend over more and balances out the weight distribution in my feet. Before I had most of my weight towards my toes. Next I want to work on not going past parallel at the top of the swing, and also on my follow through.

Update

I've been practicing really hard the last couple of days, and am hitting the ball much better than before. I'll be posting some video of the swing later today. 

Doug invited me to play with him today at Sunset Whitney Country Club. If everyone remembers, Doug kicked my butt last time, so I'm looking for a little redemption. I feel today will be a good test of how the swing is coming along. 

I have one week before my official season begins, so I'll be practicing all next week and maybe play 9 holes here and there. I'm really looking forward to playing in some tournaments this year. I also posted a new poll on the blog so if you have time to vote that would be great!

Stuck in a Rut

First, I need to apologize to Gran, Viano, and Doug for my play the last two days.

I played the front 9 with Gran and Viano on Tuesday after work. I had 8 bogeys and 1 par. The par was on the 9th hole - I didn't hit one decent one until the 8th hole. I just couldn't find the swing or any kind of rhythm. It probably didn't help going straight to the tee box and not warming up on the range. I do give myself credit for not having anything bigger than a bogey for the 9 holes.

Today was another one of those head-scratching days on the course. I played with Viano and Doug after work. Doug and I decided to play for a soda, since he owed me one from the last time we played. I think we're keeping an open tab for our betting. Well, we are now even... I couldn't do anything out there. Doug kicked my butt. I think I hit 3 or 4 good shots out there, and to make things even worse the putter was off. Once again no warm-up on the range, and I'm starting to think that not a good idea. So tomorrow and the rest of the week I plan on spending a lot of time on the range. I might even try and bring the wife out to help with practicing. I need to get back on track with the swing and get ready for February 5.

Sunset Whitney with Bud, Friday with Keith

Yesterday's round at Sunset Whitney Country Club was very interesting to say the least. The weather was so nice compared to the last time I played. We started on the back 9 first because of a tournament played earlier in the morning. I pared the first hole and it was downhill from there. I went bogey, +5, triple bogey, double bogey, bogey, bogey, bogey, bogey. I ended up shooting a 52. Ouch! My tee shot was causing a lot of problems for me, though I did figure out what I was doing wrong about the 15th hole. My wrist was cupping durning the backswing, causing the club face to open and making all my shots go to the right. After correcting the problem I was able to get on a bogey streak. The putter was a little off too, but I was feeling good about the swing going into the back 9. What a turn around on the back 9...I started with a par and went bogey, bogey, par, par, par, par, bogey and bogey. I hit a lot of good shots on the back. Bud was really impressed with how I turned things around. I shot a 41 for the back 9, giving me a 93 for the round. If I had figured out my mistake earlier I feel like it could have easily been in the low 80's or maybe even a 79.

I definitely feel the swing is moving along very well. My take-away is much better, now I just need to work on the downswing. I'll try and post some video of my old swing versus new swing. I can't wait for February 5 and to see what this new swing can do. I will break 80 this year and it will be very soon!

On Friday I was finally reunited with Keith after almost two months of him being out of town. We played 13 holes. I pretty much played bogey golf until the last five holes. I went birdie, par, par, par, par. Keith is also in the process of changing his swing. He thought my swing was looking much better than last time he saw it; he really noticed my foot work had gotten better. We're going to try and get together later in the week and play.

Horrible...then Amazing

The title to the blog explains everything about today's practice session. I played with Doug and Bud after work. I rushed out there to meet them on the sixth hole, with no warm-up and barely any time to stretch, and I hit my first ball out of bounds. I teed up another ball and hit a drop kick 3 wood to the middle of the fairway. The next hole I had an easy chip shot and skulled it across the green, leaving me a delicate chip shot coming back, which I hit close to the hole. On the 8th hole my tee sat in the fairway. I hit my approach shot and skulled it to the right, setting up a tricky shot with little green to work with and a bunker to clear. I hit a perfect flop shot over the bunker, it landed softy, rolled towards the pin, and hit the flag stick stopping 6" away from the hole. I looked at Doug and said, "Why is it the hard shots are the easy ones to pull off, and the easy shots are causing the problems?" I really didn't hit another good shot till the 4th hole. I ended up playing 6, 7, 8 and 9 again. Doug and Bud stopped playing with me after the 6th hole. I think they got tired of my bad play. After they left I decided to make some changes to the swing, and low and behold, it was amazing. I hit probably my best ever choke down 5 iron. Then on the 8th hole I hit another solid shot. So solid I almost shed a tear it felt so good. I hit another solid tee shot on number 9. I was sad that daylight was running out because I would have loved to keep playing and see how the swing held up over 9 holes. I guess that's to be seen tomorrow.

As a side note, I talked to Keith after my round and he is finally back in town and coming out to the course tomorrow. I haven't seen Keith in about 2 months. He said he's coming out later in in the afternoon so we can play together. Also I will be playing with Bud on Saturday at Sunset Whitney. It's going to be a full 18 on Saturday but only a practice round.

Practice and Play

I had another good practice session today. It was so good that I decided to play 4 holes. Once again I had a par putt attempt on 3 out of the 4 holes and had a birdie on the first hole. I went birdie, bogey, bogey and bogey. Once again the putter was close but just not dropping in. I'd say my average putt was about 10 feet. I think the putter is just staying luke warm till my round on February 5. Other than that I really like how I'm   striking the ball... I think this could be the best I've ever hit.

Still not sure where I'll be playing yet on the 5th of February. The courses I'm looking at are Catta Verdera, Teal Bend, Timber Creek, and Woodbridge. I haven't played any of these courses yet so I'm looking forward to playing a new one.

9 Holes with Doug

I got to test out the swing today against Doug. He was nice enough to wait and play with me after work, so we bet a soda for the 9 holes. My goal for the round was 40 this time, since after my last goal of 39 it ended up being 50. Well, this was a much better 9 holes. I had a par attempt on every hole today along with 4 looks at birdie. Too bad the putter was misbehaving.

Here's how the little match went down....
After three holes I was up two.
After six holes I was still up two.
After 7 holes I was up one.
Heading into the 9th hole I was up one, Doug's tee shot went right and my tee shot came up short. Doug had a tough chip and my shot wasn't too hard. He hit his shot and nearly made it... I mean, it was in the hole for a split second and rattled out and went about 4 feet by the hole. My second shot ended up about 5 feet from the hole, leaving me a tricky right to left breaker. If I made my putt I would win our little bet, if not, Doug would have a chance to tie. So I forgot about all the close putts I had today that almost dropped and just thought about making this one. I stepped up to take my practice swings, then put the putter behind the ball and take one last look at the hole. Smack.....rolling....rolling.....breaking.....rolling.....breaking.....rattle, rattle, rattle. Yes! I made the putt, it caught just enough of the left edge and fell in.

It was good to test for my swing today and I look forward to many more battles with Doug down the road. I'm really starting to trust the swing. I even pulled out the driver on the 4th hole which I always hit a 3 wood on. Doug had to do a double take because he was so surprised.

On a side note, Doug really noticed a difference in how I was hitting my irons today. I'm happy to see my practicing is paying off.

Video of Swing

As promised, video of my swing from today. I really like where the swing is headed but I still want to shorten it. I'll be going back to the range tomorrow to work on some drills.

Tournament Schedule

This year I plan on playing in a few tournaments. I wanted to try to play in some last year but the timing was never right. Here's the tentative schedule of events that I'm going to try and play:

April 16-17  Roseville City Amateur @ Diamond Oaks and Woodcreek
May 14-15   Plumas Lake Amateur @ Plumas Lake
June 11-12   Sacramento City Amateur @ Haggin Oaks
June 18-19   Sacramento Two Person Better Ball @ Diamond Oaks

2011 NCGA Tournament Schedule

New Title for Blog

My blog is now titled Tickel's Golf Journey.

The new website address is www.tickelsgolfjourney.blogspot.com

9 Holes with Gran and The Range

Yesterday I played nine holes with Gran. Before we played I was finally able to get on the driving range for about 45 minutes. I pretty much worked on two drills the entire time. The first was where I would stick a towel under my right armpit and make a full swing, trying to keep the towel from falling out during the swing. The other drill was, after setting up I would take my foot and put it next to my back foot, take a couple of half swings, then on the third swing make a full swing and step forward, getting the weight on the left side and trying to hit the ball. This drill was harder for me to do than the towel drill. With the towel drill I could really feel it help to limit my arm lift.

My nine holes with Gran weren't very good. Before we teed off I set a goal of shooting 39 for my practice session. I guess that was a little low of a score, since I ended up shooting a 50. I hit the ball really good off the tee, but man, my short game has taken a dive. I couldn't have hit the broad side of a barn within a hundred yards of the green. I would either skull it over the green, or duff it and hit in the bunker. I had no touch around the green; my chips would run 7-10 feet by the hole. The putter was behaving a little. I had one highlight yesterday and it was a good one fortunately! It was on the 7th hole, 170 yards par three. I hit my best six iron shot ever. I played a little 2 yard fade and ended up 5 feet from the hole. Yes, I made the birdie! That hole definitely made up for the whole round. After playing with Gran I went back to the range for 30 minutes working on the same drills.

I will have some video of my swing later today.

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday I played 3 holes with Gran after begging him to play with me. He'd already played 18 holes in the morning and just finished playing another 9 in the afternoon. He won the first hole and I won the second one. I had a tricky 3 footer to tie the 3rd hole and made it. I guess will continue that game another time. After dropping Gran at his car I decide to play the first three hole again, since the range was closed. This time I didn't do so good. I was trying a couple of things from the Sean Foley dvd. After that I went to the putting green for about ten minutes. I gotta say, this might be a really great year for putting.

All day all I wanted to do was hit balls on the driving range but no, it had to rain. We closed the range since the balls were plugging. Once again I played 3 holes trying to work on moves from the Sean Foley dvd. I hit some good ones and then turned right around and hit a "what the heck?" shot. The weather man said no more rain for the next 7 days, so I should be able to get plenty of practice in on the the range.

I've watched all of the Sean Foley dvd and really like. The dvd goes well with the collection of short videos he did for Golf Digest. I've been rehearsing the moves on the dvd in the mirror every day. I'll try and take some video of what I'm working on tomorrow at the range.

Sean Foley DVD

Woohoo, I finally got it! This DVD was a Christmas gift from my wife's grandparents, but was on back order and shipping was delayed because of the bad weather back East. I started watching it and really like it so far; I'm already making a list of drills to do next time at the range. Watch out WORLD here I come!

It's Here

It's Here!!

Practice...

Another day practicing in the cold. I decided to just hit the range and the putting green today. I hit two buckets of range balls and spent a lot of time hitting little 10 yard shots and chip shots. The rest was spent on full shots. After the range I headed over to the putting green and rolled a couple of putts in. There wasn't anyone around to tape my swing on the range so I set the camera on the green. I know what you're thinking, how many takes did it take to get this shot? All I can say is, more than 0 and less than 3. Oh, the putt was from about 15 feet.

I think I've decided on a date for this year's first official round - February 5. Not sure where I'll be playing yet but I have time to figure it out. We're supposed to have rain on Tuesday through Thursday so I'm not sure when I be hitting the course again. I will have some other playing announcements coming later in the week.

Brrr at Auburn Valley

#1

#10

I've never played a colder round of golf in my life than today! It was FREEZING!! I lost the feeling in my hands after the fourth hole. The course was soaking wet from the storms a week and a half ago. My shoes were wet and muddy along with the bottom of my pant legs, my socks were soaked by the 11th hole, and my toes were so frozen that it hurting to walk. So what does this cold do to my golf game you ask? 

It wreaks havoc on it. I think I hit 4 fairways; the driver was everywhere and I only hit one green. I had 4 pars with lots of bogeys and double bogeys. The putter was the strongest part of my game today with 29 putts. The ball pretty much plugged wherever it landed, or at least had mud on it every time after teeing off. It was just too cold and wet to be consistent. So I'll not be counting this towards my handicap. I've decided to start my season in February or March, the weather channel says there's still plenty of rain coming this month. The courses around here are still wet and don't look like they're going to be drying up anytime soon. For now I'm just going to concentrate on practicing and playing 9 holes here and there until the conditions get better. If I'm going to be shooting low rounds I need to make sure I have all the shots necessary. 

All in all I had fun with Ron today regardless of my frozen extremities. Ron and I will definitely be playing Auburn Valley again when it warms up.

New Poll

I have a new poll on the blog. Please stop by and vote if you have time. Thanks

It's a go at Auburn Valley

My first round of the year will be at Auburn Valley Golf Course tomorrow with Ron from work. I'll be cleaning the clubs tonight. Here's the website to Auburn Valley Golf Club:
http://www.auburnvalleygc.com/



Goals for 2011
--------------------
Get handicap down to 0
Shoot in the 70's
Two birdies every round
8 eagles for the year
Hit 50% of my fairways
Average less than 29 putts a round

The Range and More

I finally was able to hit the range today. It was another cold one - the thermometer outside the pro shop said that it was 41 degrees. Oh what I go through to work on this swing! I felt good about the range today; my swing is starting to feel more natural. One of the changes that I'm working on is standing closer to the ball and moving the weight from my toes to the center of my feet. Also, I'm setting up with more weight on the left side at address (55/45). Lastly, I'm working on a steeper shoulder turn. I had Craig from the pro shop videotape my swing today, but it was a little too dark so I'll have to do that again next week.

I may not end up golfing at Catta Verdera on Sunday after all. Instead, we may be going to Auburn Valley Golf Club. I was supposed to go with Freddie to Auburn Valley when he visited in October, but we were unable to because it was raining. I should know which course it will be tomorrow.

No Range, but........

I wasn't able to hit the range today, bummer. The ball picker broke down so they had to hand pick everything and closed the range early. Instead I played four holes in the freezing cold. Seriously it was 42 degrees out there! think this might be the coldest weather I've ever played in.

I was finally able to play a little of the back 9 - the whisky run, which is holes 10,11,17 and 18. I went par, bogey, bogey and birdie! On eighteen I hit an amazing 6 six iron from 175 yards. I stuck it to about six feet...man, that shot felt so good in the cold weather. They say the weather's going to be the same tomorrow. Once again I'm going to try and go to the range and if not I might just play the first 3 holes. I hope the Golf Gods let the sun come out tomorrow cause I'm freezing my ball out there! =)

My Top 10 Courses Played to Start the Year

1.Torrey Pines (South Course), La Jolla, CA
2.Makai Golf Club, Princeville, HI
3.Steele Canyon (Canyon/Ranch), Jamul, Ca
4.Gray’s Crossings, Truckee,CA
5.Torrey Pines (North Course), La Jolla, CA
6.Sevillano Links Golf Course, Corning, CA
7.North Ridge Country Club, Fair Oaks, CA
8.Alta Sierra Country Club, Grass Valley, CA
9.Granite Bay Golf Club, Roseville, CA
10.Sunset Whitney Country Club, Rocklin, CA

New Spikes

Getting Prepared

I just installed new spikes for my big round on Sunday at Catta Verdera Country Club. I haven't tried these spikes before. This upgrade should save me at least 2 strokes. =)

Sent from my iPhone

9 Holes with Doug and Bud

I got another 9 holes in today after work, I played with Doug and Bud. My ball striking was good for the first three holes and then it went downhill from there. I had a couple of pars and plenty of bogeys with two blow up holes. The short game is slowly getting better. We finally opened the driving range today, so tomorrow I plan on hitting the range. The course is really drying up well for all the rain we've had and how cold it's been during the day. I plan on posting a video of my swing on friday.

First 9 Holes of the Year

Woohoo! I finally got to tee it up yesterday. I played after work and course conditions were still really wet. Had a couple of drives plug on me and made it hard to find my ball. I thought I played well for not touching a club for a week and half. I had a couple of long birdie attempts but nothing would drop. I ended up with 4 pars, 4 bogeys and 1 double bogey. The short game is a little rusty but the putter was solid, no three putts.

I'm going to try and play again today. I can't use the range because it's so wet that we had to close it. Ron and I are going to play this weekend at Catta Verdera Country Club in Lincoln, CA. I've never played there so should be fun.

So What's New

I haven't hit a golf ball since December 22nd. We've had a lot of rain and with the holidays just haven't been able to get out and play. The weather is supposed to be dry this week, so I'm hoping to get out there and see where the swing is.

The game plan for the swing has changed a little. The Hank Haney philosophy is out and the Sean Foley philosophy is in. I've already started doing some drills. I'm really looking forward to the new year.

Fresh Start

Bye bye 2010, hello 2011!

I think its time to restart the journey of becoming a scratch golfer. It's been about 4 or 5 months since the last post...I've got a lot of updating to do. So all this week I'll be getting everyone up to date on the game and swing.