Phew what a scorcher! I hit the practice field yesterday to put into action the set up changes from my lesson on Friday. It was so hot even early in the morning and it was definitely a case of quality and not quantity in the warm sun.
I have to say that early signs weren't good and the first few shots were rather thin. Better a hot sunny day than a freezing morning in January where each one would have stung from finger tip to the very top of the arm. Have you noticed how you only begin to thin shots as the weather gets colder? I was beginning to panic but I trust Rhys implicitly and I knew it was going to be a big change. The firmer base definitely gave a more solid base on which to turn and the swing felt a lot more solid and compact.
The good news was that as the session progressed the ball striking began to get much better. It didn't quite reach the same quality as the ones I produced in the lesson but there was a definite upward trend. I even ventured as far as hitting some longer clubs. The hybrid is still a temperamental animal and the good ones were sublime. The bad ones went left, with a dose of extra left on top. I did feel brave enough to try the driver too and again the good ones were a step up compared to my normal fare. There were a few dodgy ones too but I was starting to feel the heat and getting tired.
So what did I learn from this first session. Well, the firmer base came easily but the temptation to continue to turn the hips was a hard habit to break. It just doesn't come naturally but the results speak for themselves when I get it right. It's going to take a lot of work, plenty of slow motion rehearsal to get the feeling of what the leg and hips should do and total trust that I'm on the right track. It is hard to be too bullish after just one session in scorching sunshine and unseasonal heat. I am confident that I will get it right. The weather forecast for the week isn't so good with a blustery breeze. With the light going so soon I'm tempted to migrate reluctantly from the Royal Ascot practice ground to a driving range. At least I can keep going when the light goes once they crank the floodlights on.
So then, firmer footing, better ball striking and a rather pleasing tan on my arms to boot. What more can you ask from a Sunday morning working on your game. It is a step in the right direction and with the choice to scale back my playing to focus on my swing still to be made I can have the best of both worlds. I've not got too many competitions to worry about so can work hard and then hit the course in roll up games with no pressure or threat to my handicap. All in all the arc of the curve is decidedly upwards and I'm rather bullish about progress.
Monday, 10 September 2012
Saturday, 8 September 2012
From Firm Foundations Single Figures Are Born
I had a lesson last night with regular teacher Rhys ap Iolo at Downshire Golf Centre near Wokingham. I've not been swinging great as regular followers of my ongoing quest for single figures will know. If you don't then where have you been? I got down to a low of 9.8 after the Club Championships in June. Since then I've had three 0.1 increases. A couple of my rounds have been tales of frustration where I've played reasonably but have thrown in a few big scores to ruin otherwise competitive rounds.
I was due to play last weekend but an unscheduled visit to A&E put a kibosh on that. I've not felt happy with my swing for a couple of weeks and it feels as though everything is moving during the swing. Nothing seems stable and shots were inconsistent.
I explained the problems to Rhys and he watched me hit a few. His all singing, all dancing software showed the shot in all its gory details but from the data and the video captured from behind and to the side he could make a diagnosis. In simple terms I was right in the fact that everything was jiggling around and the feeling I was getting was correct but the cause wasn't coming from where I thought it was, the upper body. It was the dancing legs and exaggerated hip turn that was causing it all to be unstable from the ground up and that there needed to be any number of compensations from there to try and make a reasonable connection.
I managed to tax the teaching brain of Rhys. Was it better to cure the legs, hips or arms and once that was decided what to do to find a cure. Still that is what he is there for and he is a teacher that not only is very good at what he does but is someone I trust 100% with my game. If he says we need to change something then it is for the benefit of the swing and not to justify me being there. The fact that the launch monitor, software and Rhys's approach means that it is very simple to understand the fault and the fix.
In the end, the verdict was that nothing ever succeeds without a firm basis to build on and that the collapsing knees and moving legs were causing a number of faults in the swing sequence. I needed to stand on a firmer base and try and swing without as much hip rotation. Basically it went back to quietening everything down.
As always, the drills are always an exaggeration. I stood there with my legs feeling wider apart and with a feeling of the gap increasing as I swung. To be honest the set up felt like I was standing there looking like a cross between Charlie Chaplin and someone trying to lay an egg. It definitely didn't feel good and I doubt it looked particularly elegant.
Like all things in golf though, it isn't about what it looks like but how the ball flies and where it goes. Look at Bubba or Furyk. Neither are textbook or elegant but they seem to have earned a crust over the last few years. The monitor records every swing and it was funny to see how my good ones at the beginning, hitting a 7 iron 143 carry, decent swing speed, smash factor etc compared. Take away the bad ones I hit as we made the changes, once I cottoned on to what I was doing, we were hitting off a firmer platform. The top half with less hip movement felt more compact and we actually got the ball sailing out over 150 yards. All the other numbers fell into place too.
It is going to take a significant amount of rehearsals, slow motion swings and loads of balls to get this to sink in. The hip action has been with me for years, which shows I'm in pretty athletic shape for 46. The theory that less rotation gives everything time to synch up and become more stable was a key link to the Winter programme we were going to work on. It does feel very good in the teaching bay with Rhys standing there. Of course it all comes down to doing it properly tomorrow on the practice ground. We know it works as I hit some shots that took my breath away. Knocking down a 30 year old wall of idiosyncrasies and faults will be a long taxing road.
That said, the road towards single figures is a one worth taking. I've got myself into a position where the carrot is dangling tantalisingly close. The work we did last night and plan to do going forward mean that once I hit 9, hopefully before the curtain closes on 2012, we wont be stopping there and that 8, 7 and who knows, even lower is obtainable. The short game will need a serious makeover as that is closer to 28 than 9 but we need to take it one problem at a time. A firm base to set the swing on, just like the guys you see on the TV, is the way forward.
The Plane Truth one plane system is a revelation and my 2012 season has been a joy. Not every round has been great but even the majority of the bad ones have been so much better than they would have been a year ago when I reached a nadir of 14. The good ones have been so much better than I could have imagined and I have a firmer concept on where the swing is suppose to go as I hit it. As I've said, breaking down 30 years of rubbish is arguably the biggest hurdle to overcome but Rhys seems to think it's a case of stripping it back, for now, layer by layer.
Either way the plan is to hit the range early tomorrow before the heat and sun really get going and it is quiet and stand there looking vaguely ridiculous with my new stance and try and hit it with minimal movement. Take a breather, replenish fuel loads and then a few hours sharpening the short game and putting. Keep that ticking over all week and hit the course on Friday when I've a day off work. That will give me a good idea of my progress. Until then we'll work on firm foundations. It is where single figure golf begins.
I was due to play last weekend but an unscheduled visit to A&E put a kibosh on that. I've not felt happy with my swing for a couple of weeks and it feels as though everything is moving during the swing. Nothing seems stable and shots were inconsistent.
I explained the problems to Rhys and he watched me hit a few. His all singing, all dancing software showed the shot in all its gory details but from the data and the video captured from behind and to the side he could make a diagnosis. In simple terms I was right in the fact that everything was jiggling around and the feeling I was getting was correct but the cause wasn't coming from where I thought it was, the upper body. It was the dancing legs and exaggerated hip turn that was causing it all to be unstable from the ground up and that there needed to be any number of compensations from there to try and make a reasonable connection.
I managed to tax the teaching brain of Rhys. Was it better to cure the legs, hips or arms and once that was decided what to do to find a cure. Still that is what he is there for and he is a teacher that not only is very good at what he does but is someone I trust 100% with my game. If he says we need to change something then it is for the benefit of the swing and not to justify me being there. The fact that the launch monitor, software and Rhys's approach means that it is very simple to understand the fault and the fix.
In the end, the verdict was that nothing ever succeeds without a firm basis to build on and that the collapsing knees and moving legs were causing a number of faults in the swing sequence. I needed to stand on a firmer base and try and swing without as much hip rotation. Basically it went back to quietening everything down.
As always, the drills are always an exaggeration. I stood there with my legs feeling wider apart and with a feeling of the gap increasing as I swung. To be honest the set up felt like I was standing there looking like a cross between Charlie Chaplin and someone trying to lay an egg. It definitely didn't feel good and I doubt it looked particularly elegant.
Like all things in golf though, it isn't about what it looks like but how the ball flies and where it goes. Look at Bubba or Furyk. Neither are textbook or elegant but they seem to have earned a crust over the last few years. The monitor records every swing and it was funny to see how my good ones at the beginning, hitting a 7 iron 143 carry, decent swing speed, smash factor etc compared. Take away the bad ones I hit as we made the changes, once I cottoned on to what I was doing, we were hitting off a firmer platform. The top half with less hip movement felt more compact and we actually got the ball sailing out over 150 yards. All the other numbers fell into place too.
It is going to take a significant amount of rehearsals, slow motion swings and loads of balls to get this to sink in. The hip action has been with me for years, which shows I'm in pretty athletic shape for 46. The theory that less rotation gives everything time to synch up and become more stable was a key link to the Winter programme we were going to work on. It does feel very good in the teaching bay with Rhys standing there. Of course it all comes down to doing it properly tomorrow on the practice ground. We know it works as I hit some shots that took my breath away. Knocking down a 30 year old wall of idiosyncrasies and faults will be a long taxing road.
That said, the road towards single figures is a one worth taking. I've got myself into a position where the carrot is dangling tantalisingly close. The work we did last night and plan to do going forward mean that once I hit 9, hopefully before the curtain closes on 2012, we wont be stopping there and that 8, 7 and who knows, even lower is obtainable. The short game will need a serious makeover as that is closer to 28 than 9 but we need to take it one problem at a time. A firm base to set the swing on, just like the guys you see on the TV, is the way forward.
The Plane Truth one plane system is a revelation and my 2012 season has been a joy. Not every round has been great but even the majority of the bad ones have been so much better than they would have been a year ago when I reached a nadir of 14. The good ones have been so much better than I could have imagined and I have a firmer concept on where the swing is suppose to go as I hit it. As I've said, breaking down 30 years of rubbish is arguably the biggest hurdle to overcome but Rhys seems to think it's a case of stripping it back, for now, layer by layer.
Either way the plan is to hit the range early tomorrow before the heat and sun really get going and it is quiet and stand there looking vaguely ridiculous with my new stance and try and hit it with minimal movement. Take a breather, replenish fuel loads and then a few hours sharpening the short game and putting. Keep that ticking over all week and hit the course on Friday when I've a day off work. That will give me a good idea of my progress. Until then we'll work on firm foundations. It is where single figure golf begins.
Sunday, 2 September 2012
An Inglorious Climax
The Masters at Royal Ascot is a 36 hole medal event. It's invitation only and open to the winners of monthly stableford and medals and honours board events over the last twelve months. I was fortunate enough to have qualified for the event courtesy of a medal win earlier in the summer and had a pretty steady practice round in the normal Saturday morning roll up.
All was set. I'd found a bit of momentum and the horrific midweek practice session where I was more Mr Bean than Mr Average was banished. I'd found a little spark of something on Friday night and had taken it into a respectable if not earth shattering round yesterday. Even my nemesis the short game was working. I've reverted to the linear method and the comfort blanket and margin of error it gives me. It worked well yesterday with several up and downs. I was using my Aimpoint chart and their method of green reading and made a few good length putts and was missing on the high side and with good speed.
Why the in depth build up? Well all my preparation went to waste. I came off after the round feeling distinctly light headed and after a trip to London to see my family I came home last night feeling rather funny. Not ill per se but what your mother would have called "not quite right". One minute I was getting ready for bed and fine, the next I'd keeled over. Cue a trip to A&E, a drip, and a lengthy visit. Nothing untoward diagnosed and it was put down to dehydration and exhaustion. I've spent all day resting but any dreams of going low and getting towards my goal of single figures are over.
Although the Royal Ascot golf calendar doesn't stop throughout the year and we play on over the winter, the Masters signals the real end to the competitive season. There are a couple of decent events such as our 125th anniversary stableford competition but I really wanted today to be a signal of intent for my game and to be able to get a cut.
Having been seriously ill about six years ago and coming rather too close to popping off this mortal coil for comfort I'm acutely aware of my health so today has been a bit of a shock and a realisation that despite my obsessive fascination with the game of golf, and the pursuit towards my goals there are more important things in life.
It certainly wasn't the climax to my 2012 season I was hoping for. However on reflection it has been pretty good all in all. I've come down from 13 to a low of 9.8 (now crept up to 10.1) so I've dropped three shots. However the biggest plus has been a more consistent level of play. Even on my really bad days I've found a way to get it round. The one plane swing Rhys ap Iolo at the Downshire in Bracknell has been teaching me has given me a better more reliable swing. Ball striking has improved beyond recognition and I've been able to put together some good rounds. I've had a personal best in competitive play over the new Royal Ascot course of 76 +6 gross for a net 66 (-4) in the second round of the club championship. Above all though I've enjoyed my golf so much more in 2012 and isn't that what it's all about at the end of it all?
There is still a lot of work to be done. Rhys and I are going to discuss how we move my swing forward for the 2013 season. Putting, bunker play and the short game is going to be something I invest a lot of time in as the new season approaches. Until then, the winter will be given over to nuances of the one plane swing methodology. I've a number of faults ingrained with panache over the past thirty years that for the moment refuse to go away. Whether we can work with or around these is where Rhys will earn his corn and he'll need to make a decision on what can stay and what absolutely has to go.
I'm actually prepared to strip the swing back as far as it needs to go. If that means going back to basics and starting from scratch on a new swing, plane and set up then to be honest I'm happy to forsake rounds over soaking wet or frozen courses for hours of constructive and dedicated practice. I'm getting older and this represents my last real chance to push my game forward and get something not perfect but functional and reliable. I've got a very good teacher, and while I've still got the fire and desire to improve then Homer's Odyssey is not over by a long chalk.
So there we have it. Not the end to the season I had planned. I've still got a Golf Monthly charity day at Blackmoor Golf Club in Borden, Hampshire in October in aid of Help For Heroes to look forward to. These Golf Monthly days are more about the company and the fun rather than being all about playing competitively. I'd still like to play well though. The Saturday morning games with the usual band of brothers are always enjoyable and represent a chance to play without the pressure of card and pencil. It gives me a chance to put any swing changes into play and if they don't bed in the worse that will happen is a ribbing in the 19th and a few lost balls.
While I could have done without the trip to A&E, and with a hernia operation looming, 2012 hasn't been to bad to me. A win, a few top threes and one or two what could have been's when I had a chance to compete if not win. Once I've got the operation out of the way I'm sure 2013 will be full of promise. There will be new kit to test and try, new instructional aids and tuition to work with and hopefully a few new courses to visit and play well at. An inglorious end? Not really. Just a full stop on this year and the start of a new chapter.
All was set. I'd found a bit of momentum and the horrific midweek practice session where I was more Mr Bean than Mr Average was banished. I'd found a little spark of something on Friday night and had taken it into a respectable if not earth shattering round yesterday. Even my nemesis the short game was working. I've reverted to the linear method and the comfort blanket and margin of error it gives me. It worked well yesterday with several up and downs. I was using my Aimpoint chart and their method of green reading and made a few good length putts and was missing on the high side and with good speed.
Why the in depth build up? Well all my preparation went to waste. I came off after the round feeling distinctly light headed and after a trip to London to see my family I came home last night feeling rather funny. Not ill per se but what your mother would have called "not quite right". One minute I was getting ready for bed and fine, the next I'd keeled over. Cue a trip to A&E, a drip, and a lengthy visit. Nothing untoward diagnosed and it was put down to dehydration and exhaustion. I've spent all day resting but any dreams of going low and getting towards my goal of single figures are over.
Although the Royal Ascot golf calendar doesn't stop throughout the year and we play on over the winter, the Masters signals the real end to the competitive season. There are a couple of decent events such as our 125th anniversary stableford competition but I really wanted today to be a signal of intent for my game and to be able to get a cut.
Having been seriously ill about six years ago and coming rather too close to popping off this mortal coil for comfort I'm acutely aware of my health so today has been a bit of a shock and a realisation that despite my obsessive fascination with the game of golf, and the pursuit towards my goals there are more important things in life.
It certainly wasn't the climax to my 2012 season I was hoping for. However on reflection it has been pretty good all in all. I've come down from 13 to a low of 9.8 (now crept up to 10.1) so I've dropped three shots. However the biggest plus has been a more consistent level of play. Even on my really bad days I've found a way to get it round. The one plane swing Rhys ap Iolo at the Downshire in Bracknell has been teaching me has given me a better more reliable swing. Ball striking has improved beyond recognition and I've been able to put together some good rounds. I've had a personal best in competitive play over the new Royal Ascot course of 76 +6 gross for a net 66 (-4) in the second round of the club championship. Above all though I've enjoyed my golf so much more in 2012 and isn't that what it's all about at the end of it all?
There is still a lot of work to be done. Rhys and I are going to discuss how we move my swing forward for the 2013 season. Putting, bunker play and the short game is going to be something I invest a lot of time in as the new season approaches. Until then, the winter will be given over to nuances of the one plane swing methodology. I've a number of faults ingrained with panache over the past thirty years that for the moment refuse to go away. Whether we can work with or around these is where Rhys will earn his corn and he'll need to make a decision on what can stay and what absolutely has to go.
I'm actually prepared to strip the swing back as far as it needs to go. If that means going back to basics and starting from scratch on a new swing, plane and set up then to be honest I'm happy to forsake rounds over soaking wet or frozen courses for hours of constructive and dedicated practice. I'm getting older and this represents my last real chance to push my game forward and get something not perfect but functional and reliable. I've got a very good teacher, and while I've still got the fire and desire to improve then Homer's Odyssey is not over by a long chalk.
So there we have it. Not the end to the season I had planned. I've still got a Golf Monthly charity day at Blackmoor Golf Club in Borden, Hampshire in October in aid of Help For Heroes to look forward to. These Golf Monthly days are more about the company and the fun rather than being all about playing competitively. I'd still like to play well though. The Saturday morning games with the usual band of brothers are always enjoyable and represent a chance to play without the pressure of card and pencil. It gives me a chance to put any swing changes into play and if they don't bed in the worse that will happen is a ribbing in the 19th and a few lost balls.
While I could have done without the trip to A&E, and with a hernia operation looming, 2012 hasn't been to bad to me. A win, a few top threes and one or two what could have been's when I had a chance to compete if not win. Once I've got the operation out of the way I'm sure 2013 will be full of promise. There will be new kit to test and try, new instructional aids and tuition to work with and hopefully a few new courses to visit and play well at. An inglorious end? Not really. Just a full stop on this year and the start of a new chapter.
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Two Rounds - So Different
It was time for the Longhurst Cup at Royal Ascot this weekend. It's a medal competition and an honours board event so all in all a bit of a big deal. The format means competitors can pick which three days of the long weekend they want to play their two rounds on. I chose to play Sunday and bank holiday Monday.
I have been enjoying some decent form of late and there was nothing much to be concerned about. I started well and scrambled an opening par with a good putt. I followed with three successive pars but made a mockery of the easy par four 4th hole and three putted. A par at the next and one over gross and going well. Then disaster struck.
I pulled the tee shot at the par three 6th but had assumed it had landed in the rough to the left of the green. When we got there it was nowhere to be found and I was forced to make the "walk of shame" back to the tee to hit another. I hit a similar shot and it was very close to disappearing into the bushes. My partners had found the original several feet deep into the undergrowth and totally unplayable. In the end I racked up a horrendous triple bogey. I bounced back with two more pars but then made a mess of getting down from the edge of the ninth with a woeful chip and three putts.
The back nine started well and I was ticking along nicely until I dropped a silly shot at the par five 15th having missed the green with an approach from the rough. From there I melted like a polar ice cap. I took a nightmare triple bogey at the sixteenth including my first four putt in memory. Another dropped shot at the penultimate hole and a bogey at the last completed the limp home. However it was still a respectable 81 gross, net 71 (+1) and was very much in contention with a round to go. Given the two triple bogey's in there it could have been a very low score. What might have been.
The second round started well and I was again ticking along well until I came to the 4th. A decent drive left 132 yards and it should have been an easy 8 iron into the green, two putts and move on. Instead I missed the green right and duffed the chip a few yards onto the green. Three putts later and a nasty double bogey on the card. A par at the next and we were back to the 6th hole. Could I erase the memory of the previous day?
I changed club and hit a 4 iron and hit it well but just missed the green to the right and it landed on the fringe. Another stab instead of a flowing chipping action and another thinned effort left a six foot putt. It stayed out and a double bogey to add to the triple registered the day before.
I rallied and was able to struggle out in one stroke more than my front nine in round one and given that I hadn't hit it well and my chipping had regressed to those dark, miserable days I endured at the start of the season it wasn't a disaster. I just needed to regroup and have a solid back nine.
What followed was a elongated ride on the bogey train. Every hole was the same and I found a way to make a one over par score on each and every hole on the back nine. I didn't hit the ball badly but the problem was that when I missed the green the short game had deserted me completely, my head was scrambled and I was duffing or thinning every recovery. I couldn't make an up and down if my life depended on it.
In the end I racked up an 86, net 76 (+6) and finished on 167, net 147 (+7) and finished 14th overall. I am disappointed but on the other hand if I can play as badly as I did in the second round and six over par is as bad as it get,s it shows that in the bigger scheme of things the ball striking isn't too bad.
The big cause for concern is how quickly the short game has gone backwards and left me. I didn't chip well in the first round but yesterday was a complete nightmare. Why did it happen? How do I stop it happening again? I thought I had really turned a corner but the nightmare lingers on. Given the fact I hadn't really worked on the swing last week I am pretty content with the majority of my game. Sadly I've crept back up to 10.1 and edging myself further and further away from single figures but if you can't chip and putt you can't score.
On the positive side I'm in the Masters at Royal Ascot next weekend. This is an invitational event and open only to winners of monthly medal and stableford events and club honours board events over the last twelve months along with previous winners of the Masters. This is my fifth consecutive year of qualifying for this event. It is 36 holes medal play with both rounds taking place next Sunday. A chance to get straight back on the horse and I will work on the short game and find a way to get it working.
It's strange how well I swung the club in the first round and how easy everything seemed to come and yesterday the timing wasn't there and I couldn't find any sort of spark to galvanise my round and every time I took a step forward I'd take a big step back. Still I guess that encapsulates the frustrating nature of this great game. It is said in these events you can't win it after round one but you can lose it. To that degree I did well to keep in contention and I just need to put two consecutive rounds together, cut out the unforced errors and find a short game. Add in the worse putting performance of 2012 with a four putt and numerous three stabs and it shows how well the rest of the game was. All the shots were wasted around and on the green.
Things will get better. The Masters is the last big event of the year and I plan to go out in style. With a hernia operation and some winter swing changes on the horizon Id love to get to my target of single figures in one fell swoop with two sub-par rounds next week. Here's hoping.
I have been enjoying some decent form of late and there was nothing much to be concerned about. I started well and scrambled an opening par with a good putt. I followed with three successive pars but made a mockery of the easy par four 4th hole and three putted. A par at the next and one over gross and going well. Then disaster struck.
I pulled the tee shot at the par three 6th but had assumed it had landed in the rough to the left of the green. When we got there it was nowhere to be found and I was forced to make the "walk of shame" back to the tee to hit another. I hit a similar shot and it was very close to disappearing into the bushes. My partners had found the original several feet deep into the undergrowth and totally unplayable. In the end I racked up a horrendous triple bogey. I bounced back with two more pars but then made a mess of getting down from the edge of the ninth with a woeful chip and three putts.
The back nine started well and I was ticking along nicely until I dropped a silly shot at the par five 15th having missed the green with an approach from the rough. From there I melted like a polar ice cap. I took a nightmare triple bogey at the sixteenth including my first four putt in memory. Another dropped shot at the penultimate hole and a bogey at the last completed the limp home. However it was still a respectable 81 gross, net 71 (+1) and was very much in contention with a round to go. Given the two triple bogey's in there it could have been a very low score. What might have been.
The second round started well and I was again ticking along well until I came to the 4th. A decent drive left 132 yards and it should have been an easy 8 iron into the green, two putts and move on. Instead I missed the green right and duffed the chip a few yards onto the green. Three putts later and a nasty double bogey on the card. A par at the next and we were back to the 6th hole. Could I erase the memory of the previous day?
I changed club and hit a 4 iron and hit it well but just missed the green to the right and it landed on the fringe. Another stab instead of a flowing chipping action and another thinned effort left a six foot putt. It stayed out and a double bogey to add to the triple registered the day before.
I rallied and was able to struggle out in one stroke more than my front nine in round one and given that I hadn't hit it well and my chipping had regressed to those dark, miserable days I endured at the start of the season it wasn't a disaster. I just needed to regroup and have a solid back nine.
What followed was a elongated ride on the bogey train. Every hole was the same and I found a way to make a one over par score on each and every hole on the back nine. I didn't hit the ball badly but the problem was that when I missed the green the short game had deserted me completely, my head was scrambled and I was duffing or thinning every recovery. I couldn't make an up and down if my life depended on it.
In the end I racked up an 86, net 76 (+6) and finished on 167, net 147 (+7) and finished 14th overall. I am disappointed but on the other hand if I can play as badly as I did in the second round and six over par is as bad as it get,s it shows that in the bigger scheme of things the ball striking isn't too bad.
The big cause for concern is how quickly the short game has gone backwards and left me. I didn't chip well in the first round but yesterday was a complete nightmare. Why did it happen? How do I stop it happening again? I thought I had really turned a corner but the nightmare lingers on. Given the fact I hadn't really worked on the swing last week I am pretty content with the majority of my game. Sadly I've crept back up to 10.1 and edging myself further and further away from single figures but if you can't chip and putt you can't score.
On the positive side I'm in the Masters at Royal Ascot next weekend. This is an invitational event and open only to winners of monthly medal and stableford events and club honours board events over the last twelve months along with previous winners of the Masters. This is my fifth consecutive year of qualifying for this event. It is 36 holes medal play with both rounds taking place next Sunday. A chance to get straight back on the horse and I will work on the short game and find a way to get it working.
It's strange how well I swung the club in the first round and how easy everything seemed to come and yesterday the timing wasn't there and I couldn't find any sort of spark to galvanise my round and every time I took a step forward I'd take a big step back. Still I guess that encapsulates the frustrating nature of this great game. It is said in these events you can't win it after round one but you can lose it. To that degree I did well to keep in contention and I just need to put two consecutive rounds together, cut out the unforced errors and find a short game. Add in the worse putting performance of 2012 with a four putt and numerous three stabs and it shows how well the rest of the game was. All the shots were wasted around and on the green.
Things will get better. The Masters is the last big event of the year and I plan to go out in style. With a hernia operation and some winter swing changes on the horizon Id love to get to my target of single figures in one fell swoop with two sub-par rounds next week. Here's hoping.
Monday, 20 August 2012
Aimpoint Golf - The Mist Is Lifting
Let me ask you a question. How well do you putt? I'm sure many of you will say "Hey Homer I putt well and hole my fair share". Fair enough say I. Let me ask you another question. Forget putting mechanics, how well do you read the putt? Can you honestly say you can look at every twenty foot putt and say with sincerity you feel confident you know which way the ball will break and how much break to allow?
I attended a seminar by Aimpoint Golf at the Downshire Golf Centre last Friday. Hosted by Jamie Donaldson, their European Senior Instructor it was a two and a half hour course giving detailed information on how to truly read a green and give yourself the correct break. Founded by Mark Sweeney as a ground breaking TV graphic in 2007 many of you will have seen Aimpoint on the Golf Channel coverage of the US PGA Tour. However he soon realised the potential to show the club golfer the correct way to aim their putts correctly and Aimpoint Green Reading was born.
According to their blurb "After going through the AimPoint Green Reading education, you will
never again have to guess at how much a putts breaks. Any putt. Learn that
putting is predictable and discover the most effective and reliable ways to
determine the direction and precise amount of break for any putt, all based on
gravity (only works on earth)". You have to say that is a big sell and going to be hard to live up to.
They have a snazzy video clip which emphasis the point
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQQoGxFfbeM
So what is it all about and does it live up to the hype. It is an intense interactive course but Jamie is an excellent teacher. As well as working alongside tour pros he is able to deliver the key component of green reading in a detailed yet easy to grasp manner. He takes each of the things that make a read and explains their relevance and encourages the group to learn for themselves with some practical examples using the contours of the putting green. It is a real hands on learning experience.
After learning how to read a green, the pupils finally get their hands on their own chart which gives the magic number and shows the amount of break for the putt based on the information gleaned by the read using the techniques shown. The one thing that each and every one of us found was how much break some putts need. I would look at a putt and think 3-4 balls outside the cup. After doing the read, even on a short ten footer the break could be as much as 10 inches and I have clearly been guilty of under estimating break all these years.
The group was split into pairs and we took it in turns to read a putt under Jamie's expert eye. He watched how we assessed the putt making sure we approached the putt from the correct angle, took into account the key factors and used the chart correctly to ascertain the break. The challenge was then to make the putt and standing over the ball after making a read was arguably more nerve wracking than holing a vital putt on the 18th green.
It is something that will take a lot of time and practise to perfect and the quality of the read will improve over time making the line and break something I can trust. It's then down to me to make a decent stroke and deliver the ball accurately and at the correct pace. I've invested in a training aid to help confirm my reads on the practice green and playing a few holes on my own
After all the hype, was it worth the cost? At £90 it wasn't cheap but I should point out that having paid this fee, I am entitled to attend as many fundamental level seminars as I want or feel I need to really grasp the principles. This means I could go another 2-3 times if I desire and it would be free so based on that it isn't as excessive as it sounds.
Does it work? It's early days and I did use it the day after in the monthly stableford. I did feel a little self conscious going through the motions to get my read and looking at the chart. However I did feel happier in the knowledge that if the book said 3 inches left to right then it was 3 inches left to right. I didn't make any putts from distance but each and every one of them gave the hole a chance. I usually have at least one putt per round that I think will go one way or the other and inevitably it will go the opposite way and I never seem to see it. The round on Saturday had none of these and by looking at the lie of the green and using what I was shown I could make a reasonable read. The quality of these will get better over time.
As with a lot of things, Aimpoint won't appeal to everyone and that's fair enough. However if like me you have struggled more with the reading of putts than the stroke itself then it is definitely worth a look. I stand over the ball confident in my ability to send it where I've aimed but now I have ability to aim correctly and that makes a big difference.
If you are interested, you can find out more at Jamie's own site at http://jamiedonaldson.co.uk/Jamie_Donaldson/Home.html or follow him via Twitter at @golfdonaldson. If you still can't find a course being held near you then you can e-mail him at jamie@aimpointgolf.co.uk Courses are regularly held at the Downshire Golf Centre near Bracknell and are organised by Rhys ap Iolo who can be contacted at rhys.apiolo@bracknell-forest.gov.uk or via Twitter at @Rapi31.
I'm not going to preach to you and say it'll make all the difference but I am convinced even at this early stage that it has given me another tool to make the game simpler in the same way having a lesson gives you a building block to swing the club better. It will take time and patience and I've no doubt I'll get frustrated when I get the read wrong or the ball still refuses to go in but in my mind the mist has lifted and I can see all that lies before me.
I attended a seminar by Aimpoint Golf at the Downshire Golf Centre last Friday. Hosted by Jamie Donaldson, their European Senior Instructor it was a two and a half hour course giving detailed information on how to truly read a green and give yourself the correct break. Founded by Mark Sweeney as a ground breaking TV graphic in 2007 many of you will have seen Aimpoint on the Golf Channel coverage of the US PGA Tour. However he soon realised the potential to show the club golfer the correct way to aim their putts correctly and Aimpoint Green Reading was born.
 |
| Mark Sweeney - founder of Aimpoint |
They have a snazzy video clip which emphasis the point
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQQoGxFfbeM
So what is it all about and does it live up to the hype. It is an intense interactive course but Jamie is an excellent teacher. As well as working alongside tour pros he is able to deliver the key component of green reading in a detailed yet easy to grasp manner. He takes each of the things that make a read and explains their relevance and encourages the group to learn for themselves with some practical examples using the contours of the putting green. It is a real hands on learning experience.
After learning how to read a green, the pupils finally get their hands on their own chart which gives the magic number and shows the amount of break for the putt based on the information gleaned by the read using the techniques shown. The one thing that each and every one of us found was how much break some putts need. I would look at a putt and think 3-4 balls outside the cup. After doing the read, even on a short ten footer the break could be as much as 10 inches and I have clearly been guilty of under estimating break all these years.
The group was split into pairs and we took it in turns to read a putt under Jamie's expert eye. He watched how we assessed the putt making sure we approached the putt from the correct angle, took into account the key factors and used the chart correctly to ascertain the break. The challenge was then to make the putt and standing over the ball after making a read was arguably more nerve wracking than holing a vital putt on the 18th green.
It is something that will take a lot of time and practise to perfect and the quality of the read will improve over time making the line and break something I can trust. It's then down to me to make a decent stroke and deliver the ball accurately and at the correct pace. I've invested in a training aid to help confirm my reads on the practice green and playing a few holes on my own
 |
| The Bubble will confirm my reads and help my confidence grow as I continue to learn how to read greens |
Does it work? It's early days and I did use it the day after in the monthly stableford. I did feel a little self conscious going through the motions to get my read and looking at the chart. However I did feel happier in the knowledge that if the book said 3 inches left to right then it was 3 inches left to right. I didn't make any putts from distance but each and every one of them gave the hole a chance. I usually have at least one putt per round that I think will go one way or the other and inevitably it will go the opposite way and I never seem to see it. The round on Saturday had none of these and by looking at the lie of the green and using what I was shown I could make a reasonable read. The quality of these will get better over time.
As with a lot of things, Aimpoint won't appeal to everyone and that's fair enough. However if like me you have struggled more with the reading of putts than the stroke itself then it is definitely worth a look. I stand over the ball confident in my ability to send it where I've aimed but now I have ability to aim correctly and that makes a big difference.
If you are interested, you can find out more at Jamie's own site at http://jamiedonaldson.co.uk/Jamie_Donaldson/Home.html or follow him via Twitter at @golfdonaldson. If you still can't find a course being held near you then you can e-mail him at jamie@aimpointgolf.co.uk Courses are regularly held at the Downshire Golf Centre near Bracknell and are organised by Rhys ap Iolo who can be contacted at rhys.apiolo@bracknell-forest.gov.uk or via Twitter at @Rapi31.
I'm not going to preach to you and say it'll make all the difference but I am convinced even at this early stage that it has given me another tool to make the game simpler in the same way having a lesson gives you a building block to swing the club better. It will take time and patience and I've no doubt I'll get frustrated when I get the read wrong or the ball still refuses to go in but in my mind the mist has lifted and I can see all that lies before me.
Saturday, 18 August 2012
Two Games - Same Result
It has been a flurry of golfing activity this week. I've discovered I can chip using a conventional chipping method and have lost hours of my week on the putting green grooving the stroke and getting some feel for the shot. Add in a lesson and a seminar on the art of reading greens along with two club competitions and it's been all go.
I played a rare midweek stableford on Thursday afternoon. I tend to be unavailable as work gets in the way and time is limited. I was planning to just have a social round with my regular golfing partner Mike Stannard. He has been struggling a little for form and I wanted to just try a few things out and test the short game on the course. However when he arrived there were two members looking for a game and before I knew it we were in it and on the first tee.
I had one of those rounds that will ring a loud bell with golfers everywhere in competitive play. I couldn't get anything going and every time I made a modicum of progress or recovered from a set back, I'd find a way to undo all the good work. I did have a couple of moments of bad luck too with two shocking lies. I missed the green at the par three eighth only to find the ball lodged on an upslope directly under the lip of the bunker.
On the fifteenth I missed the fairway left in the semi rough but was unfortunate that it found a hole, presumably an old divot and the ball was barely visible let alone playable. I chopped it towards the adjacent fourteenth fairway and then tried to take the green on from 197 yards, Sadly I hit an imposing tree on edge of my target line and the ball went AWOL.
I didn't score on either hole and while you can put a strong argument forward for not being in these positions in the first place, the fact that I couldn't attempt a recovery did seem particularly galling. In between though I did hit some decent shots. I chipped stone dead while standing in a bunker at the seventh with the ball chest high outside the hazard. I chipped and putted for par at the ninth and tenth to salvage par.
In the end my 31 points was only good enough for fifteenth place in the division and a 0.1 increase on the handicap. Still, there was always a chance to repair that with the monthly stableford today. I was paired with Mike Goodwin and Geoff Adamson. Both very good players and Mike has a sublime short game while Geoff hits it miles with effortless ease so I needed to be on my game.
On the hottest day of the year it was always going to be hard going and so it was essential to get off to a quick and solid start. Hitting the opening tee shot out of bounds wasn't the ideal start and even though I chipped an putted with my second ball to salvage a point, the tone was set.
The round had alarming similarities with the midweek competition. I couldn't get anything going but unlike Thursday, the ball striking wasn't as solid especially off the tee. Where I was able to at least get ahead of my handicap on occasions, today I was always hanging on and trying to preserve a net par on most holes.
There were a number of unforced errors but also moments of sheer frustration. I hit my drive on the third hole right but had a good lie and 157 yards to the centre of the green. I hit a lovely six iron but it was literally a yard too short, pitched directly on top of the green side bunker and bounced back in. On another day it would have landed and taken a kick forward. I had a number of makeable putts on several holes but my stroke was poor. It may have been because I was intent on reading the green better following my Aimpoint seminar last night. It's no good knowing it is going to break six inches right to left if you then put an abysmal stroke on the putt.
I had 31 points again and another 0.1 back to get me back to 10.0 and a step further away from that elusive single figure handicap. I didn't play as well today and with the forecast set firmly on SCORCHIO tomorrow I'm in two minds whether to get back out and play or hit some balls, work on the changes my teaching pro Rhys ap Iolo instigated yesterday or try and groove the chipping and putting stroke.
It's been a packed few days but I feel happy that I'm getting the information and ammunition I need to kick on again. You can't play well every time and my two rounds weren't poor but just lacked a spark and the rub of the green in places. I feel better about my short game but need to find my driving again. I do have something from the lesson which should help.
Last year these two scores would have been doom and gloom but I realise my game in 2012 is in a better place and I'm doing the right things. The rounds were different but the result was the same. Sometimes you won't get what you deserve. I shot a personal best recently without swinging well and I know some days you can hit it great and not make a score. These performances were down to errant shots and pure bad luck at times but I'm still just one round away from single figures so there is still plenty to look forward too. If I needed a positive, the hot weather today and Thursday have done wonders for my sun tan.
I played a rare midweek stableford on Thursday afternoon. I tend to be unavailable as work gets in the way and time is limited. I was planning to just have a social round with my regular golfing partner Mike Stannard. He has been struggling a little for form and I wanted to just try a few things out and test the short game on the course. However when he arrived there were two members looking for a game and before I knew it we were in it and on the first tee.
I had one of those rounds that will ring a loud bell with golfers everywhere in competitive play. I couldn't get anything going and every time I made a modicum of progress or recovered from a set back, I'd find a way to undo all the good work. I did have a couple of moments of bad luck too with two shocking lies. I missed the green at the par three eighth only to find the ball lodged on an upslope directly under the lip of the bunker.
On the fifteenth I missed the fairway left in the semi rough but was unfortunate that it found a hole, presumably an old divot and the ball was barely visible let alone playable. I chopped it towards the adjacent fourteenth fairway and then tried to take the green on from 197 yards, Sadly I hit an imposing tree on edge of my target line and the ball went AWOL.
I didn't score on either hole and while you can put a strong argument forward for not being in these positions in the first place, the fact that I couldn't attempt a recovery did seem particularly galling. In between though I did hit some decent shots. I chipped stone dead while standing in a bunker at the seventh with the ball chest high outside the hazard. I chipped and putted for par at the ninth and tenth to salvage par.
In the end my 31 points was only good enough for fifteenth place in the division and a 0.1 increase on the handicap. Still, there was always a chance to repair that with the monthly stableford today. I was paired with Mike Goodwin and Geoff Adamson. Both very good players and Mike has a sublime short game while Geoff hits it miles with effortless ease so I needed to be on my game.
 |
| A welcome sight on a very, very hot and testing day |
The round had alarming similarities with the midweek competition. I couldn't get anything going but unlike Thursday, the ball striking wasn't as solid especially off the tee. Where I was able to at least get ahead of my handicap on occasions, today I was always hanging on and trying to preserve a net par on most holes.
There were a number of unforced errors but also moments of sheer frustration. I hit my drive on the third hole right but had a good lie and 157 yards to the centre of the green. I hit a lovely six iron but it was literally a yard too short, pitched directly on top of the green side bunker and bounced back in. On another day it would have landed and taken a kick forward. I had a number of makeable putts on several holes but my stroke was poor. It may have been because I was intent on reading the green better following my Aimpoint seminar last night. It's no good knowing it is going to break six inches right to left if you then put an abysmal stroke on the putt.
I had 31 points again and another 0.1 back to get me back to 10.0 and a step further away from that elusive single figure handicap. I didn't play as well today and with the forecast set firmly on SCORCHIO tomorrow I'm in two minds whether to get back out and play or hit some balls, work on the changes my teaching pro Rhys ap Iolo instigated yesterday or try and groove the chipping and putting stroke.
It's been a packed few days but I feel happy that I'm getting the information and ammunition I need to kick on again. You can't play well every time and my two rounds weren't poor but just lacked a spark and the rub of the green in places. I feel better about my short game but need to find my driving again. I do have something from the lesson which should help.
Last year these two scores would have been doom and gloom but I realise my game in 2012 is in a better place and I'm doing the right things. The rounds were different but the result was the same. Sometimes you won't get what you deserve. I shot a personal best recently without swinging well and I know some days you can hit it great and not make a score. These performances were down to errant shots and pure bad luck at times but I'm still just one round away from single figures so there is still plenty to look forward too. If I needed a positive, the hot weather today and Thursday have done wonders for my sun tan.
Monday, 13 August 2012
Running On Empty
After the meltdown on here and the furore around car park golfers, it was back to playing this weekend. Saturday was the usual early morning roll up while Sunday was a club match away at Caversham Heath.
Practice has been sparse so Saturday was really a chance to test my current form and iron out any faults. The tee shot at the opener was a little thin but the first drive of the day with the big dog was solid. The pitch into the green was also thin and a pattern was emerging but despite this I was scoring well and was only one over after six. I dropped my usual shot at the 7th and then missed the green at the short and easy 8th. Still three over gross was better than handicap. Sadly I still had to play the 9th and a shocker off the tee paved the way for an ugly double.
The back nine was a carbon copy. It was another solid start but by the time I dropped a shot at the 14th, I felt tired mentally and physically and dropped shots all the way home. In the end 31 points was a disappointing return but in a small field it was enough to grab the paltry pot.
The round had been a rehearsal for the club match against Caversham Heath. I played the home leg earlier in the season and always enjoy playing at Caversham. It's a long course but it's fair and the greens are always in good nick. I was partnered with Paul Hadden, off 12 as I had been in the first game and so I was with a solid partner.
We started off in explosive fashion. I made a par to win the first, Paul did the same at the second, and I chipped and putted to halve the 3rd. The 4th is a long par five and I made an error off the tee and found a bunker. I didn't get it out very well and with Paul in trouble we were in danger of losing the hole. I went for it and pulled the five wood to cover the 228 yards left. I flushed it and it made the green and I secured a half. We lost the next to a net par but I regained the two hole advantage with a great birdie at the 542 yard par five 6th hole. Good drive. solid second and a wedge to five feet.
However we started to leak shots and both Paul and I started to struggle and we lost three holes on the trot to turn at one down. This would become two and by the time we were on the 14th time was running out. I was in trouble off the tee again but Paul was on the fairway. He hit hit 4 wood into the green at the long 428 yard par four. It was good as soon as it came off the club and heading for the heart of the green. It pitched, ran on and closed in on the flag. It looked close and indeed it was. It rolled up and in for a superb eagle two (net albatross) and was good enough to win the hole.
When the Caversham pair failed to match my par at the 16th we were back to all square. However as I had done on Saturday I was feeling tired and running on empty.
I managed to find the green on the 180 yard par three which plays over a lake. I had a long putt and with one of the opposition handily placed I needed to get it close. One of the features of the greens at Caversham Heath are the undulations and I had a wickedly sloping putt, left to right and down hill. I made a good stroke but was left with a two foot putt for par and a half. I made a good stroke but maybe pushed it a tad or maybe hit it a fraction strong. Either way it missed. One down and one to play.
The last hole is a downhill 415 yard par 4 through a valley with slopes lining both sides. Both Caversham players hit good drives and we needed a win to force a half. I hit another bad drive and hooked it left into the rough. Paul hit a better shot but found a fairway bunker and the writing was on the wall. We lost the hole and the match two down and Royal Ascot were on the end of a 4 1/2 - 1 1/2 thumping.
I didn't play well enough or support my partner enough. I was very tired and although both Saturday and Sunday were warm, I was taking on both fluid and nutrition on a regular basis. I am not in shape to threaten Team GB in Rio but I'm not in bad condition for my age. It isn't the first time this has happened and it is becoming an issue. When I get tired physically the swing gets quick and the driver in particular struggles. I get tired mentally and make some poor decisions and get tired in shot selection, alignment and this feeds back to physical execution.
I've no plans to hit a gym any time soon but it is becoming a cause for concern. I use an electric trolley so I'm not expending energy by carrying. As a diabetic I need to keep the blood sugars level and so I make sure I eat properly and try not to have sport drinks and avoid the sugar spike they can provide. I eat fruit, nuts and weetabix cake (a diabetic recipe involving weetabix bars, milk, raisins - it tastes better than it sounds). It doesn't happen every time I play and not always in warm weather so I can't lay it at the door of the conditions.
At the end of the day, the handicap didn't take a hit, I smuggled a few quid out of my golfing buddies on Saturday and did play some good stuff in places in the match. The game isn't where I'd like it but with a lesson on Friday with Rhys ap Iolo and then a lesson on green reading with Aimpoint (http://aimpointgolf.co.uk/) there is plenty to work on. I'm targeting the Longhurst Cup at Royal Ascot over the Bank Holiday as my next goal. It is a stroke play event over two rounds but players can choose which two days of the three they wish to play on. I'm a former winner in 2000 and would love to win it again. Anything decent scoring wise will get the job done in terms of getting to single figures so there is plenty to shoot for.
I need some fuel in the tank but aside from that I am still in a very much glass half full mood and looking forward to kicking on to the end of the season. I'll keep an eye on the tiredness and fatigue and see what happens but I'll put it down to "one of those things" for the time being. It can't last though and I can't run on empty again.
Practice has been sparse so Saturday was really a chance to test my current form and iron out any faults. The tee shot at the opener was a little thin but the first drive of the day with the big dog was solid. The pitch into the green was also thin and a pattern was emerging but despite this I was scoring well and was only one over after six. I dropped my usual shot at the 7th and then missed the green at the short and easy 8th. Still three over gross was better than handicap. Sadly I still had to play the 9th and a shocker off the tee paved the way for an ugly double.
The back nine was a carbon copy. It was another solid start but by the time I dropped a shot at the 14th, I felt tired mentally and physically and dropped shots all the way home. In the end 31 points was a disappointing return but in a small field it was enough to grab the paltry pot.
The round had been a rehearsal for the club match against Caversham Heath. I played the home leg earlier in the season and always enjoy playing at Caversham. It's a long course but it's fair and the greens are always in good nick. I was partnered with Paul Hadden, off 12 as I had been in the first game and so I was with a solid partner.
We started off in explosive fashion. I made a par to win the first, Paul did the same at the second, and I chipped and putted to halve the 3rd. The 4th is a long par five and I made an error off the tee and found a bunker. I didn't get it out very well and with Paul in trouble we were in danger of losing the hole. I went for it and pulled the five wood to cover the 228 yards left. I flushed it and it made the green and I secured a half. We lost the next to a net par but I regained the two hole advantage with a great birdie at the 542 yard par five 6th hole. Good drive. solid second and a wedge to five feet.
However we started to leak shots and both Paul and I started to struggle and we lost three holes on the trot to turn at one down. This would become two and by the time we were on the 14th time was running out. I was in trouble off the tee again but Paul was on the fairway. He hit hit 4 wood into the green at the long 428 yard par four. It was good as soon as it came off the club and heading for the heart of the green. It pitched, ran on and closed in on the flag. It looked close and indeed it was. It rolled up and in for a superb eagle two (net albatross) and was good enough to win the hole.
When the Caversham pair failed to match my par at the 16th we were back to all square. However as I had done on Saturday I was feeling tired and running on empty.
 |
| I've run out of gas in my last two rounds - tired physically and mentally |
The last hole is a downhill 415 yard par 4 through a valley with slopes lining both sides. Both Caversham players hit good drives and we needed a win to force a half. I hit another bad drive and hooked it left into the rough. Paul hit a better shot but found a fairway bunker and the writing was on the wall. We lost the hole and the match two down and Royal Ascot were on the end of a 4 1/2 - 1 1/2 thumping.
I didn't play well enough or support my partner enough. I was very tired and although both Saturday and Sunday were warm, I was taking on both fluid and nutrition on a regular basis. I am not in shape to threaten Team GB in Rio but I'm not in bad condition for my age. It isn't the first time this has happened and it is becoming an issue. When I get tired physically the swing gets quick and the driver in particular struggles. I get tired mentally and make some poor decisions and get tired in shot selection, alignment and this feeds back to physical execution.
I've no plans to hit a gym any time soon but it is becoming a cause for concern. I use an electric trolley so I'm not expending energy by carrying. As a diabetic I need to keep the blood sugars level and so I make sure I eat properly and try not to have sport drinks and avoid the sugar spike they can provide. I eat fruit, nuts and weetabix cake (a diabetic recipe involving weetabix bars, milk, raisins - it tastes better than it sounds). It doesn't happen every time I play and not always in warm weather so I can't lay it at the door of the conditions.
At the end of the day, the handicap didn't take a hit, I smuggled a few quid out of my golfing buddies on Saturday and did play some good stuff in places in the match. The game isn't where I'd like it but with a lesson on Friday with Rhys ap Iolo and then a lesson on green reading with Aimpoint (http://aimpointgolf.co.uk/) there is plenty to work on. I'm targeting the Longhurst Cup at Royal Ascot over the Bank Holiday as my next goal. It is a stroke play event over two rounds but players can choose which two days of the three they wish to play on. I'm a former winner in 2000 and would love to win it again. Anything decent scoring wise will get the job done in terms of getting to single figures so there is plenty to shoot for.
I need some fuel in the tank but aside from that I am still in a very much glass half full mood and looking forward to kicking on to the end of the season. I'll keep an eye on the tiredness and fatigue and see what happens but I'll put it down to "one of those things" for the time being. It can't last though and I can't run on empty again.
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