Yesterday I had a golf lesson with Andy Piper at Lavender Golf Centre. It was the first of a series of six I've got booked and was basically nothing more than a swing MOT to make sure the basics are in place and to just make a few tweaks here and there. It's now live in full on my Youtube Channel, also called Three Off the Tee (to make life easy) (Three Off The Tee Youtube link). Apologies for the darkness on the film and the residual noise but we were on an open bay at a busy range, and the lighting wasn't fantastic. That said, the quality is good enough to see the swing clearly and the issues as they arise throughout. Again the sound quality is patchy but you can still understand the points Andy is trying to get over.
A very interesting half an hour and to be honest not much changed to get things working better. The biggest issue was a separation at the takeaway causing the club to be too high, with subsequent adjustments required to get the club back to square. Timed well and it worked, but if the timing was out, it caused a number of different misses.
We were working with a seven iron and it only took a couple of swings for Andy to pick up on the separation fault, along with a slide of the hips without turning which was causing the flippy hands and the misses, mainly left but with the odd right hand one thrown in as well.
As you will see if you get over to the Youtube channel and see the video (and when you do, please subscribe), Andy placed a toy frog (no idea where that came from other than the depths of his bag) to stop me going to wide on the way back although a head cover would work equally as well and not perhaps looked as conspicuous. Either way it did the trick and I could really feel when I made contact on the way back and over the course of a few swings got the feeling of taking it back better. It's still going to need work as I've managed to ingrain this fault nice and deeply.
I need to be careful, as pointed out on the film, that I don't then become to quick with the hands and get too snatched and quick. You'll see a couple fly high and right when I do which is a familiar site to me when this happens. In essence I'm looking for a slow, consistent takeaway, good wrist hinge and swing to the top. From there I need to make a good rotation, without any hint of hip slide and through to impact, release and on and up to the follow through.
I've been struggling with big misses right, including a slice with the driver, and so we spent the last fifteen minutes of the lesson looking at that. We've tweaked set up to stand taller and therefore swing on a flatter plane. I need to keep focused on making a better takeaway, without getting too flippy with the hands while ensuring the club comes back more inside and not wide and separated. From there, with the driver I need to stay behind the ball and not slide the hips and look to make a more rotational turn.
Again, from the footage, you'll see that I have a habit of getting two out of three elements of what we were working on, and would usually go back better, and then either not stay behind, and lose it right as a result, or do that but then fail to rotate and so get active with the hands and flip it left again. That said, there are some clips where it all comes together. This is what I need to do regularly to improve on the 47% fairways in regulation I managed last year. Get the ball in play more often, should make it easier to hit greens, and from there make scoring easier. That's the plan
As it was only an MOT, we didn't go into great depth. I haven't played or practiced too much, primarily been fog bound or frozen in the midst of a chilly December and January. I'll start getting into the golf again as the weather improves, seeing no point standing on a freezing range, just because I can. Once that happens, each lesson will take one area of my game and work on it in more depth.
I hope you enjoy this insight into my swing and get a feel for the issues and that you go over to Youtube and have a look at it (despite the quality). Please feel free to like it and more importantly, please subscribe
Sunday, 22 January 2017
Saturday, 21 January 2017
It's Live
My Youtube channel now has it's first content. Please log onto Three Off The Tee Youtube Channel
to see the first video, an introduction to myself, why the "Quest For Single Figures" is so important to me and what you can expect going forward in terms of content.
In case you are struggling to log in for any reason, you should be able to find the video here (Three Off The Tee - All About Me)
I hope you like what you see here and going forward and don't forget to click the subscribe button and follow me on social media (Facebook - Martin Bedborough and Twitter - @hackergolfer)
to see the first video, an introduction to myself, why the "Quest For Single Figures" is so important to me and what you can expect going forward in terms of content.
In case you are struggling to log in for any reason, you should be able to find the video here (Three Off The Tee - All About Me)
I hope you like what you see here and going forward and don't forget to click the subscribe button and follow me on social media (Facebook - Martin Bedborough and Twitter - @hackergolfer)
Getting Into The Digital Age
Finally, and as a long term technophobe, I've taken the plunge and come lurching towards the digital age. If you read my last post you'll know I've set up a Youtube channel (Three Off The Tee Youtube Channel). This is something completely new and exciting and as time goes on, you'll enjoy the video content I upload. The channel is designed to run alongside this blog which will continue in it's current format and I've started off with an introductory video about me and the 2017 Quest For Single Figures.
So here it is then, my first video so please be gentle with me. Talk about nerve racking. Give me the first tee shot of the day in the monthly medal or a three footer on the last to win a club competition any time. It's a little basic as a starter and I was very self conscious but we've all got to begin somewhere and I hope this gives you all a better idea who I am, what I'm about as a golfer and why this obsession with single figures is so important to me.
I will be breaking the channel content into three distinct section.
Practice
Now I know that watching a middle aged, mid-handicap golfer hitting balls inconsistently is never going to be prime time viewing or that engaging, it will serve an important purpose for me and my attempts to improve and reach my objectives. I can visually see what my swing looks like over all facets of the game and as we all know feel versus real are rarely one and the same thing. As an example I did some quick filming at the range while I was working on my pitching. The quality of the video was very poor (too poor to post) given the lack of lighting on the range and the fact it was a a typical cold wet English Winter's day but what it did show is that when I pitch, particularly on anything from 30-50 yards that begin to require longer swings, there is a huge lack of connection between my body and my arms. That would explain the inconsistent nature of my practice off grass and on the course. So simple and so easy to see.
I will be filming all parts of my practice and where necessary showing this to Andy Piper at Lavender Park Golf Centre who teaches me. I have a series of six lessons booked for 2017, the first of which is imminent, but other than these one to ones the only time he may see my swing is if I am working on my game at the range and he's passing on the way to or from a lesson in another bay. He knows all about the Quest For Single Figures, and is a strong supporter of it and feels that with the work we put in this time last year, had I not been ill (and struggled for most of 2016 as a result) then the handicap had every chance of coming down, if not touching single figures. By showing the footage (and it being in a convenient place to view, rather than sending numerous emails and attachments) he's going to look at it and review it with me as part of the lesson plan.
I happen to think however, that by publishing my own foibles in practice on here for you all to see, and given that we (or most of us) all share a common denominator of being handicap golfers, albeit of different standards, it's not only cathartic, but we can share our knowledge and experiences. Some of you may have, or still have similar swing faults and have some excellent drills or tips for improving and changing these. It may be you see my swing (it will be ugly so keep away from young children!!!) and it'll ring some bells with you. I'm going to be filming some parts of my lessons primarily as an aide memoir to see before/after and make sure I don't lapse into old habits.
As I said, watching me hit balls poorly miss putts and chip and pitch in mediocrity isn't going to be riveting viewing and fear not these will be short clips both for your sanity and that of my teaching pro.
On The Course
I am very luck to be playing a number of wonderful courses in 2017 all of which feature in any top 100 UK course listing. These include a day at Sunningdale (Sunningdale Golf Club website) playing both the Old and New courses. I am also playing thirty six holes at the New Zealand Golf Club. This is a very prestigious club in Surrey, that prides itself on keeping itself to itself and doesn't try to compete with any of it's equally famous neighbours including the W's (Woking, West Hill and Worplesdon) and does things it's own way and in it's own time. It promises to be a unique experience. Finally I'll be playing in this years Golf Monthly Forum Help For Heroes charity day which this year is being held at Hankley Common Golf Club (Hankley Common Golf Club website).
I plan to follow in well trodden footsteps and film some footage of these majestic courses, which should be in their prime when I play them in the height of Summer, and also film myself trying to take them on as well as filming some of my playing partners and the exploits at these days that go to make these days such huge fun to play it.
I'm also going to do some filming at my own club, Royal Ascot. I hope to capture some of the fun and games of our weekend roll ups, where the craic is mighty and no quarter ever asked or given. I hope to show me playing a few of my favourite holes (and one or two that often give me grief).
Finally as a member of a golf society, they'll be some days out with these guys as well. The standard of the golf may be patchy at times but again the company is great. Whilst these may not be on any world class courses, each will have their own unique flavour to capture.
Reviews
As you'll know if you've read this blog on a regular basis, I've given my views on a number of different clubs and golf related products, especially training aids. We're all aware that social media is regularly awash with product reviews of the latest shiny bit of kit, and that there are a plethora of people, usually golf professionals with a massive online presence (Rick Shiels, Mark Crossfield and Peter Finch as prime examples of UK based pro's) that review in massive depth every single piece of kit coming onto the market. Now while I'll never match any of that in my wildest dreams (although what a dream job) and while these reviews are brilliant in their own right, how realistic are they when they post their own swing data up there to look at? I can't match their swing speeds, spin rates or distances. What I want to do, and is to hit some clubs and film it and give my own impartial opinions, as a handicap golfer, with all the foibles that go along with that fact, based on how I hit them. It's as simple as that. I'll also be keeping an eye out for some training aids and other accessories perhaps not in the mainstream, a bit like the cut price laser rangefinder I did recently (Suaoki Rangefinder Review).
All in all then. a lot to be getting on with and I'm really looking forward to the Youtube channel being something that is fun to do, and hopefully can provide a morsel of enjoyment and fun for the viewer as well. If everything goes as I plan, the Quest For Single Figures will really take shape in 2017. I need a fast start and then a period of conciliation before going down further.
I hope you'll support the channel and subscribe. I'm acutely aware that Youtube is swamped by this sort of content, most of which is started in such good faith and with great intentions and which slowly fizzles and dries up. As you'll see, this blog has already had longevity, a few changes of direction and is still going and that's what I hope from the video content. Only time will tell, but your comments will be a massive help, good, bad or indifferent (aside from the guaranteed idiot posts) and as I said at the very beginning will be crucial to this technological dinosaur doing it, and hopefully doing it well.
Enjoy.
So here it is then, my first video so please be gentle with me. Talk about nerve racking. Give me the first tee shot of the day in the monthly medal or a three footer on the last to win a club competition any time. It's a little basic as a starter and I was very self conscious but we've all got to begin somewhere and I hope this gives you all a better idea who I am, what I'm about as a golfer and why this obsession with single figures is so important to me.
I will be breaking the channel content into three distinct section.
Practice
Now I know that watching a middle aged, mid-handicap golfer hitting balls inconsistently is never going to be prime time viewing or that engaging, it will serve an important purpose for me and my attempts to improve and reach my objectives. I can visually see what my swing looks like over all facets of the game and as we all know feel versus real are rarely one and the same thing. As an example I did some quick filming at the range while I was working on my pitching. The quality of the video was very poor (too poor to post) given the lack of lighting on the range and the fact it was a a typical cold wet English Winter's day but what it did show is that when I pitch, particularly on anything from 30-50 yards that begin to require longer swings, there is a huge lack of connection between my body and my arms. That would explain the inconsistent nature of my practice off grass and on the course. So simple and so easy to see.
I will be filming all parts of my practice and where necessary showing this to Andy Piper at Lavender Park Golf Centre who teaches me. I have a series of six lessons booked for 2017, the first of which is imminent, but other than these one to ones the only time he may see my swing is if I am working on my game at the range and he's passing on the way to or from a lesson in another bay. He knows all about the Quest For Single Figures, and is a strong supporter of it and feels that with the work we put in this time last year, had I not been ill (and struggled for most of 2016 as a result) then the handicap had every chance of coming down, if not touching single figures. By showing the footage (and it being in a convenient place to view, rather than sending numerous emails and attachments) he's going to look at it and review it with me as part of the lesson plan.
I happen to think however, that by publishing my own foibles in practice on here for you all to see, and given that we (or most of us) all share a common denominator of being handicap golfers, albeit of different standards, it's not only cathartic, but we can share our knowledge and experiences. Some of you may have, or still have similar swing faults and have some excellent drills or tips for improving and changing these. It may be you see my swing (it will be ugly so keep away from young children!!!) and it'll ring some bells with you. I'm going to be filming some parts of my lessons primarily as an aide memoir to see before/after and make sure I don't lapse into old habits.
As I said, watching me hit balls poorly miss putts and chip and pitch in mediocrity isn't going to be riveting viewing and fear not these will be short clips both for your sanity and that of my teaching pro.
On The Course
I am very luck to be playing a number of wonderful courses in 2017 all of which feature in any top 100 UK course listing. These include a day at Sunningdale (Sunningdale Golf Club website) playing both the Old and New courses. I am also playing thirty six holes at the New Zealand Golf Club. This is a very prestigious club in Surrey, that prides itself on keeping itself to itself and doesn't try to compete with any of it's equally famous neighbours including the W's (Woking, West Hill and Worplesdon) and does things it's own way and in it's own time. It promises to be a unique experience. Finally I'll be playing in this years Golf Monthly Forum Help For Heroes charity day which this year is being held at Hankley Common Golf Club (Hankley Common Golf Club website).
I plan to follow in well trodden footsteps and film some footage of these majestic courses, which should be in their prime when I play them in the height of Summer, and also film myself trying to take them on as well as filming some of my playing partners and the exploits at these days that go to make these days such huge fun to play it.
I'm also going to do some filming at my own club, Royal Ascot. I hope to capture some of the fun and games of our weekend roll ups, where the craic is mighty and no quarter ever asked or given. I hope to show me playing a few of my favourite holes (and one or two that often give me grief).
Finally as a member of a golf society, they'll be some days out with these guys as well. The standard of the golf may be patchy at times but again the company is great. Whilst these may not be on any world class courses, each will have their own unique flavour to capture.
Reviews
As you'll know if you've read this blog on a regular basis, I've given my views on a number of different clubs and golf related products, especially training aids. We're all aware that social media is regularly awash with product reviews of the latest shiny bit of kit, and that there are a plethora of people, usually golf professionals with a massive online presence (Rick Shiels, Mark Crossfield and Peter Finch as prime examples of UK based pro's) that review in massive depth every single piece of kit coming onto the market. Now while I'll never match any of that in my wildest dreams (although what a dream job) and while these reviews are brilliant in their own right, how realistic are they when they post their own swing data up there to look at? I can't match their swing speeds, spin rates or distances. What I want to do, and is to hit some clubs and film it and give my own impartial opinions, as a handicap golfer, with all the foibles that go along with that fact, based on how I hit them. It's as simple as that. I'll also be keeping an eye out for some training aids and other accessories perhaps not in the mainstream, a bit like the cut price laser rangefinder I did recently (Suaoki Rangefinder Review).
All in all then. a lot to be getting on with and I'm really looking forward to the Youtube channel being something that is fun to do, and hopefully can provide a morsel of enjoyment and fun for the viewer as well. If everything goes as I plan, the Quest For Single Figures will really take shape in 2017. I need a fast start and then a period of conciliation before going down further.
I hope you'll support the channel and subscribe. I'm acutely aware that Youtube is swamped by this sort of content, most of which is started in such good faith and with great intentions and which slowly fizzles and dries up. As you'll see, this blog has already had longevity, a few changes of direction and is still going and that's what I hope from the video content. Only time will tell, but your comments will be a massive help, good, bad or indifferent (aside from the guaranteed idiot posts) and as I said at the very beginning will be crucial to this technological dinosaur doing it, and hopefully doing it well.
Enjoy.
Monday, 16 January 2017
2017 - The Year Everything Changes
Happy New Year and welcome to the first post of 2017. I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and New Year with friends and family and received lots of great golfing goodies. I'm starting the year on as positive a note as I can and hopefully it's a vibe I'll maintain for the next twelve months.
There are still some residual health issues that are impacting my golf and so I'm not playing or working on my game as much as I'd like at the moment, but it's still the winter and so I'm not losing too much sleep over it. To be honest the idea of standing on a freezing cold range or playing on a frozen course with temporary greens doesn't fill me with enthusiasm and a warm glow, and my time will be better spent waiting for conditions to be conducive to constructive range sessions and getting out on a playable course.
As you will tell from the title, I'm hoping this year is the one where everything changes. I'm still working on the Quest For Single Figures, and this is still a two pronged attack, with the aim to drop my handicap from 14 back to 12 which is where I sat last year before I started to become ill. From there, it'll be a full on attack towards my aim of single figures. By making it two steps, it allows me to set some realistic and achievable goals and break my practice down into some purposeful segments.
I'm also going to be doing something new (for me) and I've set up a Youtube channel (Three Off The Tee Youtube Channel) to stand alongside this blog where I can post some video footage. There is some logic to this (in my mind at least) where I can review my own swing, and send it to Andy Piper, the golf professional I use for lessons locally, which I hope will give him some feedback on what I'm doing right and wrong. Of course watching a mid handicap golfer hitting balls inconsistently is hardly gripping stuff, so I'll also be doing some on course stuff as well. I've got games booked at some fantastic courses, including Sunningdale Old and New, New Zealand Golf Club and Hankley Common and so it'll be fun to get some footage of these wonderful courses and my attempts to play them. Finally, it'll give me a chance to review some of the gear I'll be trying over 2017 and give some totally impartial advice. As a handicap golfer, I hope the information will be a lot more relevant than watching some of these product reviews from professional golfers, where distances and strike will be far different to what I (and probably many of you) can achieve.
It's something I'm really excited about and I hope you enjoy the content. I'll be posting the first one up there for your amusement in the next few days. It's a basic introduction to who I am, what I'm trying to achieve this year and how I plan to get to where I want to go. It's a little basic but we've all got to start somewhere. There will be a lot going on so please subscribe to the Youtube channel (and let me know if there is anything you want to see) and follow me via my Twitter account which is @hackergolfer
Another huge change coming in for 2017 is my approach to my golf, especially out on the course. There has been a regular conflict when I play between keeping the mind (the monkey brain) quiet and just picking a target and swinging. Too often rounds have been blighted by swing thoughts or when things start to unravel, too many negative thoughts. I know where I want my handicap to go and what I need to do to achieve this. If I play with an emptier mind, I'll free myself up to be the best golfer I can and once I start scoring well the handicap cuts take care of itself.
This is a big leap of faith for me as I've always been someone that is driven by numbers and an organised approach (not just in golf) and so simply going out and playing is something that won't come easily to me. It is however something I need to do. Many many people, on here, on forums and at my club all say "you think too much" and there comes a time when so many people saying the same thing so often, may have a resonance of truth about it.
That's not to say I don't need help in the mental side. As I've mentioned before many times on here, my mental attitude on the course leaves a lot to be desired at times, especially in terms of focus, picking targets and pre-shot routines. I've dipped my toe into NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) to let the sub-conscious take over, and to start relaxing and just trusting myself. Less is definitely more in terms of my thinking. If I do the right thing in practice I can trust the work I do, pick my targets more specifically on the course, go through a meaningful pre-shot routine and fire. Hit fairways, hit greens and make the putts. It's an easy game I'm guilty of over-complicating on many levels.
I played my first competitive round of 2017, well actually my first round of any description on Sunday 8th January. Let's just say 2017 can only get better and I eased myself to a 0.1 handicap rise. That makes me officially 14.0 (and which satisfies the OCD within to see it as a whole number) and has definitely rekindled my fire to make 2017 a great golfing one for me.
In my defence, there were mitigating circumstances. The health scare I had over the Christmas period, over and above what else happened in 2016 on that front, has had some residual effects on my game. It's hopefully starting to get sorted but it's a slow old process. That however wasn't the biggest barrier to playing well on the day. That falls squarely on the shoulders of those producing the weather forecasts, either electronically or on the TV forecasts both nationally and locally. Everywhere, including the Met Office and BBC weather apps, the BBC South news bulletin and the BBC national forecast all said conditions on Sunday would be cloudy, mild with no rain forecast.
Yes, in hindsight it was probably a schoolboy error given we're still playing winter golf, but I failed to pack a rain hood for my bag, any waterproof trousers, towels or any spare gloves over and above the two I had in the bag. Conditions in warm up were misty and damp but with no rain. As soon as I stood on the first tee, it started to drizzle and by the end of the hole was coming down as steady, light rain. Suffice to say, grips got wet, I got wet and by the time I had put my tee shot on the third hole into the out of bounds environmental area (a carry of 180 yards I normally make with ease) I was cold, damp, miserable and thoroughly cheesed off with golf and any thoughts of the Quest For Single Figures -2017 were banished as a bad idea.
Let's gloss over the front nine entirely. I was awful and even stopped taking down my statistics, something I've not done before. I should have kept these going if only to show me at a later date where it all went wrong, but I didn't and I wasn't a happy golfer by the time I failed to trouble the scorer at the ninth hole. Fortunately I was able to get a spare towel and gloves from my locker on the way to the tenth tee and could finally dry the grips on each shot sufficiently to feel in control on each shot. There was still a lot of rubbish on the back nine, and my lack of playing on the course was highlighted. There was some better stuff and ball striking (and direction) was better but I'm still a long way short of what I can do and what I need to.
I managed a measly 24 points, not quite my worse stableford score ever, but not good, but still managed twelfth place in division two. In fact 29 points was good enough for third place in the division and so perhaps given all the problems I had in my round it wasn't as bad as it seemed. At least the rest of my golfing 2017 can only get better!!
So there you have it. There is an awful lot going to be happening in the coming few months and I'm really excited by it all. Spring is coming, and I can get out and play some great golf and get that handicap down. I hope to be trying a lot of gear out as well as a few other pieces of golfing paraphernalia perhaps not quite so mainstream. There will be a lot more video content and this blog will continue on a regular basis. I have a very good feeling that 2017 is definitely going to be the year when everything changes.
There are still some residual health issues that are impacting my golf and so I'm not playing or working on my game as much as I'd like at the moment, but it's still the winter and so I'm not losing too much sleep over it. To be honest the idea of standing on a freezing cold range or playing on a frozen course with temporary greens doesn't fill me with enthusiasm and a warm glow, and my time will be better spent waiting for conditions to be conducive to constructive range sessions and getting out on a playable course.
As you will tell from the title, I'm hoping this year is the one where everything changes. I'm still working on the Quest For Single Figures, and this is still a two pronged attack, with the aim to drop my handicap from 14 back to 12 which is where I sat last year before I started to become ill. From there, it'll be a full on attack towards my aim of single figures. By making it two steps, it allows me to set some realistic and achievable goals and break my practice down into some purposeful segments.
I'm also going to be doing something new (for me) and I've set up a Youtube channel (Three Off The Tee Youtube Channel) to stand alongside this blog where I can post some video footage. There is some logic to this (in my mind at least) where I can review my own swing, and send it to Andy Piper, the golf professional I use for lessons locally, which I hope will give him some feedback on what I'm doing right and wrong. Of course watching a mid handicap golfer hitting balls inconsistently is hardly gripping stuff, so I'll also be doing some on course stuff as well. I've got games booked at some fantastic courses, including Sunningdale Old and New, New Zealand Golf Club and Hankley Common and so it'll be fun to get some footage of these wonderful courses and my attempts to play them. Finally, it'll give me a chance to review some of the gear I'll be trying over 2017 and give some totally impartial advice. As a handicap golfer, I hope the information will be a lot more relevant than watching some of these product reviews from professional golfers, where distances and strike will be far different to what I (and probably many of you) can achieve.
It's something I'm really excited about and I hope you enjoy the content. I'll be posting the first one up there for your amusement in the next few days. It's a basic introduction to who I am, what I'm trying to achieve this year and how I plan to get to where I want to go. It's a little basic but we've all got to start somewhere. There will be a lot going on so please subscribe to the Youtube channel (and let me know if there is anything you want to see) and follow me via my Twitter account which is @hackergolfer
Another huge change coming in for 2017 is my approach to my golf, especially out on the course. There has been a regular conflict when I play between keeping the mind (the monkey brain) quiet and just picking a target and swinging. Too often rounds have been blighted by swing thoughts or when things start to unravel, too many negative thoughts. I know where I want my handicap to go and what I need to do to achieve this. If I play with an emptier mind, I'll free myself up to be the best golfer I can and once I start scoring well the handicap cuts take care of itself.
This is a big leap of faith for me as I've always been someone that is driven by numbers and an organised approach (not just in golf) and so simply going out and playing is something that won't come easily to me. It is however something I need to do. Many many people, on here, on forums and at my club all say "you think too much" and there comes a time when so many people saying the same thing so often, may have a resonance of truth about it.
That's not to say I don't need help in the mental side. As I've mentioned before many times on here, my mental attitude on the course leaves a lot to be desired at times, especially in terms of focus, picking targets and pre-shot routines. I've dipped my toe into NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) to let the sub-conscious take over, and to start relaxing and just trusting myself. Less is definitely more in terms of my thinking. If I do the right thing in practice I can trust the work I do, pick my targets more specifically on the course, go through a meaningful pre-shot routine and fire. Hit fairways, hit greens and make the putts. It's an easy game I'm guilty of over-complicating on many levels.
I played my first competitive round of 2017, well actually my first round of any description on Sunday 8th January. Let's just say 2017 can only get better and I eased myself to a 0.1 handicap rise. That makes me officially 14.0 (and which satisfies the OCD within to see it as a whole number) and has definitely rekindled my fire to make 2017 a great golfing one for me.
In my defence, there were mitigating circumstances. The health scare I had over the Christmas period, over and above what else happened in 2016 on that front, has had some residual effects on my game. It's hopefully starting to get sorted but it's a slow old process. That however wasn't the biggest barrier to playing well on the day. That falls squarely on the shoulders of those producing the weather forecasts, either electronically or on the TV forecasts both nationally and locally. Everywhere, including the Met Office and BBC weather apps, the BBC South news bulletin and the BBC national forecast all said conditions on Sunday would be cloudy, mild with no rain forecast.
Yes, in hindsight it was probably a schoolboy error given we're still playing winter golf, but I failed to pack a rain hood for my bag, any waterproof trousers, towels or any spare gloves over and above the two I had in the bag. Conditions in warm up were misty and damp but with no rain. As soon as I stood on the first tee, it started to drizzle and by the end of the hole was coming down as steady, light rain. Suffice to say, grips got wet, I got wet and by the time I had put my tee shot on the third hole into the out of bounds environmental area (a carry of 180 yards I normally make with ease) I was cold, damp, miserable and thoroughly cheesed off with golf and any thoughts of the Quest For Single Figures -2017 were banished as a bad idea.
Let's gloss over the front nine entirely. I was awful and even stopped taking down my statistics, something I've not done before. I should have kept these going if only to show me at a later date where it all went wrong, but I didn't and I wasn't a happy golfer by the time I failed to trouble the scorer at the ninth hole. Fortunately I was able to get a spare towel and gloves from my locker on the way to the tenth tee and could finally dry the grips on each shot sufficiently to feel in control on each shot. There was still a lot of rubbish on the back nine, and my lack of playing on the course was highlighted. There was some better stuff and ball striking (and direction) was better but I'm still a long way short of what I can do and what I need to.
I managed a measly 24 points, not quite my worse stableford score ever, but not good, but still managed twelfth place in division two. In fact 29 points was good enough for third place in the division and so perhaps given all the problems I had in my round it wasn't as bad as it seemed. At least the rest of my golfing 2017 can only get better!!
So there you have it. There is an awful lot going to be happening in the coming few months and I'm really excited by it all. Spring is coming, and I can get out and play some great golf and get that handicap down. I hope to be trying a lot of gear out as well as a few other pieces of golfing paraphernalia perhaps not quite so mainstream. There will be a lot more video content and this blog will continue on a regular basis. I have a very good feeling that 2017 is definitely going to be the year when everything changes.
Monday, 2 January 2017
Milford Golf Club
I am fortunate enough to occasionally play in a good friend's golf society and usually get invited to their Christmas outing. However, we seem to be climatically challenged every time we play at this time of year. Last year we played at Cuddington Golf Club, near Banstead in Surrey, in gale force winds gusting around 50-60mph at times. It was certainly challenging on an already tricky course.
This year we were playing at Milford Golf Club. This is owned by Crown Golf (Crown Golf's Website) and sited in a small town called Godalming in Surrey, some seven miles or so from cathedral town of Guildford. The club was opened in 1993 and the course was designed by Peter Alliss and Clive Clark on former orchard land (Milford Golf Club website). It isn't a long course, playing only 5,890 yards off the whites and just 5,521 yards of the yellow tee of the day.
This year, our climatic challenge was fog. Thick, old fashioned pea souper fog. Visibility was only one hundred yards, less in places, and to be brutally honest was probably too dangerous to be open. It was however and we were out there. In our defence, there was no-one behind, and the group in front aided by shouting back when they were clear from the fairway and after putting out on the greens.
I've played several Crown Golf courses, including the now defunct Blue Mountain Golf Club, near my old home in Bracknell and it does seem to be company policy to keep their courses open at all costs. As a result, I thought the conditioning of Milford was patchy in places, especially on the tee boxes and the fairways were muddy, and bereft of grass. That said, given that the greens had been frozen in the previous few days, they were receptive and putted very well, if a little on the slow side and were in better condition than some courses I've played in winter.
I haven't played much golf in recent weeks as you'll know if you're a regular reader of this blog and I wasn't overly blessed with any sort of form. I had been to the range using a newly acquired practice aid, the Swingyde (Swingyde Training Aid Review) which had been going well but had no thoughts aside from playing with two of my best friends and having some fun.
I've known my two partners for many years and while neither have any aspirations to be anything other than social golfers, they always try hard, can produce some golf holes of absolute brilliance along with some golf shots that defy description or belief. The banter however is consistently fierce and no quarter ever asked or given. Under a barrage of quips, I stood on the first tee, peered vainly down the fairway and got ready to play. My driver met the ball and it flew high and straight for the seventy or so yards we could see it and I assumed it had found the fairway.
There must be something about playing blind. I was swinging within myself, especially off the tee and finding fairways with alarming regularity. I wasn't always hitting greens, but given the fact at times we couldn't even see the green let alone where the flag was placed I was prepared to cut myself some slack. My shots were always there or thereabouts and left simple chips or bunker shots to set up simple par or net pars and keep the score ticking over.
Despite being short in length, Milford Golf Club has water that comes into play on several holes including the sixth hole, a par three of 192 yards and a cute penultimate hole, only 93 yards on the card but which plays entirely over water to a small green, protected by two bunkers.
There is also a railway line that runs alongside several holes. It evokes images of places like Royal Troon and other famous courses with train tracks alongside. At Milford, there are certainly a couple of holes where a wild drive will require a reload as it finds the railway.
It's perhaps unfair to do a review of the course at it was hard to see any hole in detail and certainly hard to pick any defining characteristics. That said, I played what was presented to me very well and managed to acquire 38 points to win the guest prize (and was the best score overall). I also won the longest drive, which was a strange notion as someone who is not known as a long hitter by any stretch of the imagination. I also managed to stick my approach to the short seventeenth to fifteen feet to win nearest the pin (less said about the subsequent three putts the better). I cleaned up and not entirely sure I'll be invited back this time next year, at least without a significant handicap reduction.
Milford Golf Club Statistics
It's a very friendly club, with a small range, and a pleasant clubhouse. I liked the first hole, which played 390 yards off the yellow tees and stretches out to the 400 yard mark off the competition tees.
It's a left to right dog leg (not that we could tell in the fog) but with trees down the right, it was important to get a drive away that was straight or favoured the left side although there are mounds situated down the left that could impede a view of the green if a player was too far to that side. It's a hole that definitely asks some questions straight away and reminds you that despite the total yardage on the scorecard, this isn't going to be a push over.
There are five par three's at Milford Golf Club, and they all have something to offer. I've already mentioned the 6th hole that plays over a lake in front of the tee, and the clubs signature hole, the seventeenth, but for me the 15th is perhaps best of the lot. At 214 off the whites, playing up to a raised green it has three deep bunkers right and another to the left of the green. Even off the yellow tees it's a lusty blow to get all 187 yards as it definitely plays longer and the bunkers are definitely to be avoided.
It's a course that definitely requires another visit in more accommodating circumstances. It's a course that requires a little bit of care and thought and is definitely one where trying to blast driver and take advantage of the lack of yardage can be a dangerous thing. The greens putted well enough, if a little woolly. They aren't the biggest in the world and so accuracy with the approach shots is a necessity. There are definitely some well placed fairway bunkers and the rough looked as though it could be penal come the warmer weather and so finding the fairway would be paramount when played again.
All in all it was a very enjoyable day (it always is when you do so well) and despite the limitations of the weather, I think all of us had fun. It might be short in stature and still relatively young in years, but Milford Golf Club is a members club that gives a visitor a warm welcome.
This year we were playing at Milford Golf Club. This is owned by Crown Golf (Crown Golf's Website) and sited in a small town called Godalming in Surrey, some seven miles or so from cathedral town of Guildford. The club was opened in 1993 and the course was designed by Peter Alliss and Clive Clark on former orchard land (Milford Golf Club website). It isn't a long course, playing only 5,890 yards off the whites and just 5,521 yards of the yellow tee of the day.
This year, our climatic challenge was fog. Thick, old fashioned pea souper fog. Visibility was only one hundred yards, less in places, and to be brutally honest was probably too dangerous to be open. It was however and we were out there. In our defence, there was no-one behind, and the group in front aided by shouting back when they were clear from the fairway and after putting out on the greens.
 |
| The view from the 1st at Milford Golf Club. In fact there was a gap in the fog and this was as clear as it got all day |
I haven't played much golf in recent weeks as you'll know if you're a regular reader of this blog and I wasn't overly blessed with any sort of form. I had been to the range using a newly acquired practice aid, the Swingyde (Swingyde Training Aid Review) which had been going well but had no thoughts aside from playing with two of my best friends and having some fun.
I've known my two partners for many years and while neither have any aspirations to be anything other than social golfers, they always try hard, can produce some golf holes of absolute brilliance along with some golf shots that defy description or belief. The banter however is consistently fierce and no quarter ever asked or given. Under a barrage of quips, I stood on the first tee, peered vainly down the fairway and got ready to play. My driver met the ball and it flew high and straight for the seventy or so yards we could see it and I assumed it had found the fairway.
 |
| Myself (right) and playing partners about to do battle |
Despite being short in length, Milford Golf Club has water that comes into play on several holes including the sixth hole, a par three of 192 yards and a cute penultimate hole, only 93 yards on the card but which plays entirely over water to a small green, protected by two bunkers.
 |
| Milford Golf Club's 17th hole - their signature hole (not taken in the fog we played in!) |
It's perhaps unfair to do a review of the course at it was hard to see any hole in detail and certainly hard to pick any defining characteristics. That said, I played what was presented to me very well and managed to acquire 38 points to win the guest prize (and was the best score overall). I also won the longest drive, which was a strange notion as someone who is not known as a long hitter by any stretch of the imagination. I also managed to stick my approach to the short seventeenth to fifteen feet to win nearest the pin (less said about the subsequent three putts the better). I cleaned up and not entirely sure I'll be invited back this time next year, at least without a significant handicap reduction.
Milford Golf Club Statistics
It's a very friendly club, with a small range, and a pleasant clubhouse. I liked the first hole, which played 390 yards off the yellow tees and stretches out to the 400 yard mark off the competition tees.
 |
| The 1st at Milford Golf Club - a hole that will pose questions from the start of the round |
There are five par three's at Milford Golf Club, and they all have something to offer. I've already mentioned the 6th hole that plays over a lake in front of the tee, and the clubs signature hole, the seventeenth, but for me the 15th is perhaps best of the lot. At 214 off the whites, playing up to a raised green it has three deep bunkers right and another to the left of the green. Even off the yellow tees it's a lusty blow to get all 187 yards as it definitely plays longer and the bunkers are definitely to be avoided.
 |
| The view of Milford's well appointed clubhouse, putting green with the 18th green behind |
It's a course that definitely requires another visit in more accommodating circumstances. It's a course that requires a little bit of care and thought and is definitely one where trying to blast driver and take advantage of the lack of yardage can be a dangerous thing. The greens putted well enough, if a little woolly. They aren't the biggest in the world and so accuracy with the approach shots is a necessity. There are definitely some well placed fairway bunkers and the rough looked as though it could be penal come the warmer weather and so finding the fairway would be paramount when played again.
All in all it was a very enjoyable day (it always is when you do so well) and despite the limitations of the weather, I think all of us had fun. It might be short in stature and still relatively young in years, but Milford Golf Club is a members club that gives a visitor a warm welcome.
Saturday, 31 December 2016
Swingyde Training Aid
I've always been a sucker for a training aid. Many have been flash in the pan that have promised much and delivered little and have been consigned to a dark corner in my golf room (yes I know I have too much golf stuff, and yes the wife does keep nagging for me to a) tidy and b) de-clutter).
I have come across the Swingyde (The Swingyde Website) which is a simple plastic device that sits on the club and is designed to get the club in the right position and hinged properly to create better accuracy and power.
I wasn't actually looking at trying any training aids. However I came across a video from Dan Whittaker on Youtube (Dan Whittaker - Swingyde Review) which was a glowing testament about it. He's usually very reluctant to be too overflowing with praise for products and it has to be really work, especially in a lesson environment for him to rate it. This one is a definite hit.
It's not cheap for what it is at around £25 and there are many, many cheaper versions out there although I'd be wary of these as they have reputations for being very flimsy especially when being used on full swings, and can snap getting it on and off the club. I'd definitely suggest buying from a recognised retailer.
So what's it all about and does it work? As I've hinted, it's all about ensuring a proper take away and hinge. Too quick and too inside and the cradle will miss the left arm (for a right handed golfer) to the inner part of the arm and too far outside the line and it'll miss the outside of the arm. The Swingyde does come with an band, which I'm not keen on and will look a bit naff come the warm, shirt sleeve weather, placed on the wrist. Fortunately, it's winter and the cradle rests on my top layer without irritation.
I tend to take the club away very quickly and have had tendencies in the past to fan the club open. Tempo has always been an issue but on the two range sessions I've used it on, I worked hard on half swings, without hitting balls, to ensure I took it away nicely and the cradle sat properly. From there, I needed to take it up to the top and then turn back into impact properly. To start with, when hitting balls (with an 8 iron) I was still very fast and the cradle missed, usually on the inside and it forced me to slow down, and ensure I took it back far straighter and smoother. It's a device that takes a little time to get use to and working properly.
I have a habit of swinging too far and my club extends beyond parallel, usually as the club gets longer, especially with driver, but one thing I felt, and I've not filmed any swings, so feel vs real may be two different things, is that the swing is more compact. It has felt there are a lot fewer moving parts, especially going back. I seem to have more time to into impact. I feel the contact has improved. My distance, while hard to gauge on a range, on a cold dark evening, with cold range balls, felt better. However, the dispersion left and right definitely improved.
The second session was a lot better. I'd been struggling with my driver. I was reticent to use it on the big dog, but decided that nothing ventured, nothing gained. It was very interesting. I still had a left to right shape, something that had been haunted me on the course, but instead of being a destructive slice had turned into a smooth controlled fade, something I could play with on a course. The good ones, the ones out of the middle, were arrow straight and a much higher, penetrating flight. This was pleasing.
I played on Christmas Eve and as part of my pre-shot routine I was focused on feeling that I was getting a good hinge position halfway back and then trust it. I hadn't played in three weeks and my form before then was patchy at best. I only had thirty points, but that in a large putt was due to a stone cold putter. There were several really wild shots, large push slices and I felt these were caused by coming too far inside and fanning the club. It was very apparent however that by using the Swingyde every day for five-ten minutes it is easy to feel the correct position and that over time, it'll be possible to "feel" that more and more on the course. I also think part of my problems when I played stemmed from trying to feel the correct hinge on the actual shot and therefore thinking about it too much as I hit the ball. Feel it in the practice swing and then trust it.
So how do I rate it?
Size - it is relative compact and would sit easily in the clothing/side pocket of either a carry or cart bag to take to the range for a practice session. 7/10
Durability - it's made of plastic and so I guess there will always be a degree of vulnerability but I'm told it's far more durable than the cheaper copies on the market especially around the area where the bolt and wing nut fix the Swingyde to the club. With normal care and attention I can't see why it can't last and last. 6/10
Functionality - if you've watched the Dan Whittaker video at the top of this review, you'll see that he, as a reputable teaching professional, rates it highly and states he uses it on a regular basis and that in his opinion does the job it's designed to. From my own far perspective, as a mid-handicapper, it's really easy to use (once correctly placed on the club). It really does do what it's intended to and it works. It simply does and if you take the time to work at it in slow motion and feel the right way to take the club back and set it properly you can really feel the proper position to get into. Over the ball you'll feel the swing is more compact and the sequence from the top, into the transition and then impact works far better. 9/10
Instructions - The packaging was pretty poor and the instructions inside were pretty sparse and fairly confusing. There is a DVD, but it's poor quality and outdated and serves no real function. The website isn't that much better. However, the Swingyde is simple to use in it's basic form. The one thing that does need to be done with care, is fixing it onto the club. It has to be correctly aligned or it will give a false tale. It has to be lined perfectly straight and again Dan Whittaker shows perfectly how it should be done. The instructions doesn't explain this satisfactorily. 2/10
Overall - As a training aid, this one is right up there. It works. It's as simple as that. Not only that, but it's a device with longevity. As I mentioned at the very start, I've had my fair share of devices, many of which boasted more than they delivered. This one, simple as it is, has one aim, to get a golfer into the correct position in the back swing. It does this and does this well. It's already made a difference. I need to keep working with it, although this only needs 5-10 minutes repetition per day. I can see this making a difference to my swing, and alongside my lessons with Andrew Piper, will hopefully set me in good stead for the 2017 season. I would heartily recommend the Swingyde. 9/10
I have come across the Swingyde (The Swingyde Website) which is a simple plastic device that sits on the club and is designed to get the club in the right position and hinged properly to create better accuracy and power.
 |
| The Swingyde |
It's not cheap for what it is at around £25 and there are many, many cheaper versions out there although I'd be wary of these as they have reputations for being very flimsy especially when being used on full swings, and can snap getting it on and off the club. I'd definitely suggest buying from a recognised retailer.
So what's it all about and does it work? As I've hinted, it's all about ensuring a proper take away and hinge. Too quick and too inside and the cradle will miss the left arm (for a right handed golfer) to the inner part of the arm and too far outside the line and it'll miss the outside of the arm. The Swingyde does come with an band, which I'm not keen on and will look a bit naff come the warm, shirt sleeve weather, placed on the wrist. Fortunately, it's winter and the cradle rests on my top layer without irritation.
 |
| The Swingyde in the ideal set position |
I have a habit of swinging too far and my club extends beyond parallel, usually as the club gets longer, especially with driver, but one thing I felt, and I've not filmed any swings, so feel vs real may be two different things, is that the swing is more compact. It has felt there are a lot fewer moving parts, especially going back. I seem to have more time to into impact. I feel the contact has improved. My distance, while hard to gauge on a range, on a cold dark evening, with cold range balls, felt better. However, the dispersion left and right definitely improved.
The second session was a lot better. I'd been struggling with my driver. I was reticent to use it on the big dog, but decided that nothing ventured, nothing gained. It was very interesting. I still had a left to right shape, something that had been haunted me on the course, but instead of being a destructive slice had turned into a smooth controlled fade, something I could play with on a course. The good ones, the ones out of the middle, were arrow straight and a much higher, penetrating flight. This was pleasing.
I played on Christmas Eve and as part of my pre-shot routine I was focused on feeling that I was getting a good hinge position halfway back and then trust it. I hadn't played in three weeks and my form before then was patchy at best. I only had thirty points, but that in a large putt was due to a stone cold putter. There were several really wild shots, large push slices and I felt these were caused by coming too far inside and fanning the club. It was very apparent however that by using the Swingyde every day for five-ten minutes it is easy to feel the correct position and that over time, it'll be possible to "feel" that more and more on the course. I also think part of my problems when I played stemmed from trying to feel the correct hinge on the actual shot and therefore thinking about it too much as I hit the ball. Feel it in the practice swing and then trust it.
So how do I rate it?
Size - it is relative compact and would sit easily in the clothing/side pocket of either a carry or cart bag to take to the range for a practice session. 7/10
Durability - it's made of plastic and so I guess there will always be a degree of vulnerability but I'm told it's far more durable than the cheaper copies on the market especially around the area where the bolt and wing nut fix the Swingyde to the club. With normal care and attention I can't see why it can't last and last. 6/10
Functionality - if you've watched the Dan Whittaker video at the top of this review, you'll see that he, as a reputable teaching professional, rates it highly and states he uses it on a regular basis and that in his opinion does the job it's designed to. From my own far perspective, as a mid-handicapper, it's really easy to use (once correctly placed on the club). It really does do what it's intended to and it works. It simply does and if you take the time to work at it in slow motion and feel the right way to take the club back and set it properly you can really feel the proper position to get into. Over the ball you'll feel the swing is more compact and the sequence from the top, into the transition and then impact works far better. 9/10
Instructions - The packaging was pretty poor and the instructions inside were pretty sparse and fairly confusing. There is a DVD, but it's poor quality and outdated and serves no real function. The website isn't that much better. However, the Swingyde is simple to use in it's basic form. The one thing that does need to be done with care, is fixing it onto the club. It has to be correctly aligned or it will give a false tale. It has to be lined perfectly straight and again Dan Whittaker shows perfectly how it should be done. The instructions doesn't explain this satisfactorily. 2/10
Overall - As a training aid, this one is right up there. It works. It's as simple as that. Not only that, but it's a device with longevity. As I mentioned at the very start, I've had my fair share of devices, many of which boasted more than they delivered. This one, simple as it is, has one aim, to get a golfer into the correct position in the back swing. It does this and does this well. It's already made a difference. I need to keep working with it, although this only needs 5-10 minutes repetition per day. I can see this making a difference to my swing, and alongside my lessons with Andrew Piper, will hopefully set me in good stead for the 2017 season. I would heartily recommend the Swingyde. 9/10
Tuesday, 27 December 2016
2016 (Where Did That Year Go?)
We're about to rush headlong towards 2017 and so it seems an apt time to take a look back at my golfing year and remember some highs and revisit a few of the lower points and chuck a cursory glance towards my goals for next year.
The Lows
My Health - It has been a recurring theme ever since I was taken into A&E in February and has been a contributory factor to some, but not all, of my golfing woes. It took me off the course and the range for several months and there have been some lingering problems, particularly with some eyesight and balance issues. The good news is the ongoing prognosis is this will improve in time. It hasn't been a good year from a health perspective but I'm still here and hopefully next year will be far better without any issues affecting my game.
* As an unwanted side note, I did have to call a paramedic out at 2.00am on Christmas morning with severe chest pains. Fortunately the ECG and tests were clear so no heart attack but something not quite right that'll need to be looked into. I wasn't going into hospital and missing Christmas unless it was an absolute necessity. I managed my lunch (no booze) and did the presents, so the wife and family are happy. Hopefully whatever is happening won't have a long term impact on my golf again in 2017.
My Handicap - This has been a really disappointing year. I started at 12.7 and was looking to kick on towards 11, and then make a concerted effort towards my golfing nirvana of single figures. There have been a number of issues, and while my health was one, significant as it was, it wasn't the only problem. I was stuck between conflicting short game techniques. I started the year with a conventional lesson (Conventional Pitching) but then invested a lot of time in a more radical technique which I found sat better in my mind and which initially provided some great results in all areas of the short game. The linear method used the bounce more and had the weight completely over the left side and I was lucky enough to have a lesson with one of the top UK coaches and "inventor" of the method, Gary Smith (Linear Method). Since then I've flipped between this and gone back to a more conventional pitching, chipping and bunker technique. Now there will be a long queue forming to say that this flip flopping backwards and forwards is not going to be consistent. I KNOW!!! I'm just trying to find what works for me, and what sits best in my head and inspires technique and confidence. I'm working hard on this over the winter and want 2017 to be one method and one method only
A Festival of 0.1 Handicap Increases - As my handicap increased I was stuck in a festival of 0.1 returns. I've rarely threatened the buffer zone, and a cut seems a distant memory. It wasn't always a case of playing badly from start to finish. There were rounds like that but an awful lot had real potential. Some even had a chance of top three finishes and a cut, They were undone by car crash holes, some real big numbers posted from nowhere when things had seemed to be going along well. These were never the same hole although the 6th at my home course (6th Hole - Royal Ascot Golf Club) has been a real nemesis. I'm working hard on improving my mental game and how I improve my strategy and on course thinking. Hopefully this hole, and more importantly these disastrous holes will disappear. If I can eradicate these, which is what the better players at my club do, then I can still give myself a chance to make buffer zones and maybe a cut or two, This year however has been poor year on the course and 0.1's an inevitable outcome
2016 Statistics - As a result of my poor play, one of my goals for the year, of improving my scrambling and in particular greens in regulation statistics hasn't come to fruition. There were a few bright spots, in particular my sand saves. My driving also improved. However everything else was over handicap, and greens in regulation went down from 19% to 18% this year. My putting is two strokes worse off despite some hard work in this area (2016 Statistics). However it is par scrambles, down from 22% in 2015 to a pitiful 13% that tells the biggest story. I've worked hard, and thought I was making progress, especially with the linear method, (Linear Method - An Update). However despite thinking it was going well, even before flipping back to a conventional method, the results were never there on the course. I couldn't replicate practice into scores. That has to change in 2017. I can't make scores without a short game. It really is that simple.
Losing Friends - This year has been a real annus horribilis and a lot of worldwide icons have departed including Arnold Palmer from the world of golf. On a personal lesson, I lost a golfing friend from the Golf Monthly Forum. Rick Garg was a generous man with one of the greatest sense of humour I've ever come across. He was also the driving force behind the Golf Monthly Help For Heroes Charity Day, and this years event, so soon after his untimely death was an emotional one but one which carried on his legacy to raise over £15,000 for this great charity (Golf Monthly Help For Heroes Charity Day)
Of course for every ying there has to be a yang and my 2016 golfing year hasn't been all woe is me and there have been some very enjoyable times.
The Highs
Help For Heroes - This year the event was held at Camberley Heath Golf Club, a Harry Colt heath land course that regularly features in the top 100 UK courses. I have played well here before and this year I'd paid to play with Rick Shiels and Peter Finch, two of the Golf Monthly top 25 coaches, who have a huge internet and you tube presence. They were wonderful hosts, very generous with their help and advice and it was great to see how two professionals tackled a course they had never seen.
I played reasonably well but made too many simple errors and got off to a slow start. In my defence it was all being captured on film for Peter's youtube channel and I was very nervous on the first few holes. I settled down and played some good stuff. It was a good day and raised a lot of money.
Aimpoint Express - If you have regularly followed my golfing exploits over the last few years, you will be aware that I use the Aimpoint green reading system. Initially this was a chart based method, but earlier in the year I undertook the Aimpoint Express course. This does away with the chart and is what you see the likes of Adam Scott and Lydia Ko use on the TV lifting their fingers to read the putts. It's not as complicated as it sounds, and is doesn't hold up play as it can be done properly in 15-30 seconds (Aimpoint Express). It has cemented what I took from the original course, simplified it and made my green reads much better. Of course you still need to put a good stroke on the putt and I'm working hard on improving that side of things but as a work in progress I am moving forward.
Linear Method - I have struggled over the last few years with all things short game and turned to the linear method as advocated by Gary Smith. It's a radical way of doing things with set up having all the weight on the left hand side and the hands level or even behind the ball, designed to utilise the bounce. My wife had bought me a lesson with Gary Smith. I was self taught from his DVD and so it was interesting to see what the man himself would make of my efforts (Gary Smith Lesson). I've got to hold my hands up and say that in recent months I've been tampering with a more conventional method of pitching. The linear method does resonate better with me especially in pitching and I was making good progress over the summer (Linear Method - An Update).
As you know I've been embarking on my "Quest For Single Figures" and initially need to get back down somewhere around 11 or 12 before kicking on again. I've been doing some work on my pitching and kept some statistics (Quest For Single Figure Practice Statistics) and plan to now repeat the process with the linear method and compare techniques. It should be very interesting.
Enjoying My Golf
Do you know what? Despite everything, and 2016 being a long way from what I hoped for, I've still really enjoyed myself. I love working on my game and then seeing it work (or not) on the course. I've enjoyed a few different courses and met some new faces and renewed some old friendships. I have tried so hard despite all the knock backs, the rounds that promised much and gave nothing, and the ones where it looked like I've never played before. to be a glass half full guy this year. I am still certain, nay dogmatic in my belief that I have what it takes to get to single figures. Along the way it's about taking the knocks and coming back harder and stronger and enjoying proving the doubters wrong and going out again and playing well and playing well more often.
The Aims for 2017
With my health issues beginning to finally go away fully, I hope to repeat the hard work of last winter. I've a series of lessons booked with Andy Piper at Lavender Park Golf Centre that I will be starting in the new year. I hope we can get my game in a good place and be ready for the start of the golfing season come the end of February and start of March. This year I intend to give A&E and weeks on the side lines a wide berth and get some good scores under my belt early and get the handicap tumbling downwards
I aim to carry on with my more structured approach to practice and recording my progress as I go. I'll carry on recording my statistics when I play as I can often seen patterns emerging and it's helpful to give Andy some tangible feedback on how I've been playing, whether that's in the period between lessons, as a season as whole or month by month.
Perhaps my biggest aim though is to nail the short game technique once and for all. It's so frustrating. I can have a conventional pitching, bunker or chipping lesson and the process will feel natural and work and then piece by piece unravel so I'll resort to the linear method. I have more faith in that method and more trust and it sits well in my head. On the flip side I want fewer moving parts which is what a traditional technique gives. It's a battle I've struggled with an one that has clearly held me back.
I want to play more courses. I'm off to Sunningdale to play both the New and Old courses and the day before will be playing New Zealand Golf Course. This is a true hidden gem, and it's not always the most accessible to visitors, so that will be exciting. I hope to be off to Hankley Common (a Golf Monthly top 100 course) for the Help For Heroes day in September. That promises to be another fantastic day. In between I hope to sample other courses for some social games and maybe the odd club match or two. Variety after all is the spice of life and to be honest I've normally fared well away from Royal Ascot where I truly believe familiarity can be a dangerous thing.
Short game, short game and short game. Fixing the battle of techniques in my head will open a pathway to a better and sharper short game. Finally I can make some respectable scores without having to have the long game on point all day. I've recognised over the last year or so that the low handicappers at my club, and I suspect at most clubs, don't necessarily stripe the ball every time. Some have more agricultural swings than my own impression of a giraffe on ice having a fit, but they find a way to make scores, especially when their own ball striking is off. I've known for many years it's not about looking pretty or textbook, and to be honest it's way too late for me on that score, but it's about making the best of what I have on any given day.
That is where I still fall down. This is where my NLP work this winter I'm hoping will help start to pay off and I can simply learn to trust what I have and what I have worked on. I want a clear mind, less thought over the ball and clearer targets to focus on.
It sounds when you write it down and read back, an awful lot of stuff for someone wanting a simplistic approach. Maybe so but in my own mind at least I've some clear goals, some clear focus points and some clear ideas where I want my game to go. I am in a good place, still with my glass half full at the end of 2016 and heading into the new year.
Let me finish by once again thanking everyone that has taken the time to read my offerings, either as an individual piece or part of my exploits towards my golfing nirvana. I have enjoyed reading and hearing all the feedback, both good and positive, with the occasional obscenity thrown in by the narrow minded. I hope you continue to enjoy what I put before you in 2017 and until then let me wish you, your family and loved ones a happy new year and hope it brings you everything you wish for.
The Lows
My Health - It has been a recurring theme ever since I was taken into A&E in February and has been a contributory factor to some, but not all, of my golfing woes. It took me off the course and the range for several months and there have been some lingering problems, particularly with some eyesight and balance issues. The good news is the ongoing prognosis is this will improve in time. It hasn't been a good year from a health perspective but I'm still here and hopefully next year will be far better without any issues affecting my game.
* As an unwanted side note, I did have to call a paramedic out at 2.00am on Christmas morning with severe chest pains. Fortunately the ECG and tests were clear so no heart attack but something not quite right that'll need to be looked into. I wasn't going into hospital and missing Christmas unless it was an absolute necessity. I managed my lunch (no booze) and did the presents, so the wife and family are happy. Hopefully whatever is happening won't have a long term impact on my golf again in 2017.
My Handicap - This has been a really disappointing year. I started at 12.7 and was looking to kick on towards 11, and then make a concerted effort towards my golfing nirvana of single figures. There have been a number of issues, and while my health was one, significant as it was, it wasn't the only problem. I was stuck between conflicting short game techniques. I started the year with a conventional lesson (Conventional Pitching) but then invested a lot of time in a more radical technique which I found sat better in my mind and which initially provided some great results in all areas of the short game. The linear method used the bounce more and had the weight completely over the left side and I was lucky enough to have a lesson with one of the top UK coaches and "inventor" of the method, Gary Smith (Linear Method). Since then I've flipped between this and gone back to a more conventional pitching, chipping and bunker technique. Now there will be a long queue forming to say that this flip flopping backwards and forwards is not going to be consistent. I KNOW!!! I'm just trying to find what works for me, and what sits best in my head and inspires technique and confidence. I'm working hard on this over the winter and want 2017 to be one method and one method only
A Festival of 0.1 Handicap Increases - As my handicap increased I was stuck in a festival of 0.1 returns. I've rarely threatened the buffer zone, and a cut seems a distant memory. It wasn't always a case of playing badly from start to finish. There were rounds like that but an awful lot had real potential. Some even had a chance of top three finishes and a cut, They were undone by car crash holes, some real big numbers posted from nowhere when things had seemed to be going along well. These were never the same hole although the 6th at my home course (6th Hole - Royal Ascot Golf Club) has been a real nemesis. I'm working hard on improving my mental game and how I improve my strategy and on course thinking. Hopefully this hole, and more importantly these disastrous holes will disappear. If I can eradicate these, which is what the better players at my club do, then I can still give myself a chance to make buffer zones and maybe a cut or two, This year however has been poor year on the course and 0.1's an inevitable outcome
2016 Statistics - As a result of my poor play, one of my goals for the year, of improving my scrambling and in particular greens in regulation statistics hasn't come to fruition. There were a few bright spots, in particular my sand saves. My driving also improved. However everything else was over handicap, and greens in regulation went down from 19% to 18% this year. My putting is two strokes worse off despite some hard work in this area (2016 Statistics). However it is par scrambles, down from 22% in 2015 to a pitiful 13% that tells the biggest story. I've worked hard, and thought I was making progress, especially with the linear method, (Linear Method - An Update). However despite thinking it was going well, even before flipping back to a conventional method, the results were never there on the course. I couldn't replicate practice into scores. That has to change in 2017. I can't make scores without a short game. It really is that simple.
Losing Friends - This year has been a real annus horribilis and a lot of worldwide icons have departed including Arnold Palmer from the world of golf. On a personal lesson, I lost a golfing friend from the Golf Monthly Forum. Rick Garg was a generous man with one of the greatest sense of humour I've ever come across. He was also the driving force behind the Golf Monthly Help For Heroes Charity Day, and this years event, so soon after his untimely death was an emotional one but one which carried on his legacy to raise over £15,000 for this great charity (Golf Monthly Help For Heroes Charity Day)
Of course for every ying there has to be a yang and my 2016 golfing year hasn't been all woe is me and there have been some very enjoyable times.
The Highs
Help For Heroes - This year the event was held at Camberley Heath Golf Club, a Harry Colt heath land course that regularly features in the top 100 UK courses. I have played well here before and this year I'd paid to play with Rick Shiels and Peter Finch, two of the Golf Monthly top 25 coaches, who have a huge internet and you tube presence. They were wonderful hosts, very generous with their help and advice and it was great to see how two professionals tackled a course they had never seen.
 |
| Peter Finch and myself beside the lake on the 16th at Camberley Heath |
 |
| Rick Shield and me after the final hole at Camberley Heath |
Linear Method - I have struggled over the last few years with all things short game and turned to the linear method as advocated by Gary Smith. It's a radical way of doing things with set up having all the weight on the left hand side and the hands level or even behind the ball, designed to utilise the bounce. My wife had bought me a lesson with Gary Smith. I was self taught from his DVD and so it was interesting to see what the man himself would make of my efforts (Gary Smith Lesson). I've got to hold my hands up and say that in recent months I've been tampering with a more conventional method of pitching. The linear method does resonate better with me especially in pitching and I was making good progress over the summer (Linear Method - An Update).
As you know I've been embarking on my "Quest For Single Figures" and initially need to get back down somewhere around 11 or 12 before kicking on again. I've been doing some work on my pitching and kept some statistics (Quest For Single Figure Practice Statistics) and plan to now repeat the process with the linear method and compare techniques. It should be very interesting.
Enjoying My Golf
Do you know what? Despite everything, and 2016 being a long way from what I hoped for, I've still really enjoyed myself. I love working on my game and then seeing it work (or not) on the course. I've enjoyed a few different courses and met some new faces and renewed some old friendships. I have tried so hard despite all the knock backs, the rounds that promised much and gave nothing, and the ones where it looked like I've never played before. to be a glass half full guy this year. I am still certain, nay dogmatic in my belief that I have what it takes to get to single figures. Along the way it's about taking the knocks and coming back harder and stronger and enjoying proving the doubters wrong and going out again and playing well and playing well more often.
The Aims for 2017
With my health issues beginning to finally go away fully, I hope to repeat the hard work of last winter. I've a series of lessons booked with Andy Piper at Lavender Park Golf Centre that I will be starting in the new year. I hope we can get my game in a good place and be ready for the start of the golfing season come the end of February and start of March. This year I intend to give A&E and weeks on the side lines a wide berth and get some good scores under my belt early and get the handicap tumbling downwards
I aim to carry on with my more structured approach to practice and recording my progress as I go. I'll carry on recording my statistics when I play as I can often seen patterns emerging and it's helpful to give Andy some tangible feedback on how I've been playing, whether that's in the period between lessons, as a season as whole or month by month.
Perhaps my biggest aim though is to nail the short game technique once and for all. It's so frustrating. I can have a conventional pitching, bunker or chipping lesson and the process will feel natural and work and then piece by piece unravel so I'll resort to the linear method. I have more faith in that method and more trust and it sits well in my head. On the flip side I want fewer moving parts which is what a traditional technique gives. It's a battle I've struggled with an one that has clearly held me back.
I want to play more courses. I'm off to Sunningdale to play both the New and Old courses and the day before will be playing New Zealand Golf Course. This is a true hidden gem, and it's not always the most accessible to visitors, so that will be exciting. I hope to be off to Hankley Common (a Golf Monthly top 100 course) for the Help For Heroes day in September. That promises to be another fantastic day. In between I hope to sample other courses for some social games and maybe the odd club match or two. Variety after all is the spice of life and to be honest I've normally fared well away from Royal Ascot where I truly believe familiarity can be a dangerous thing.
Short game, short game and short game. Fixing the battle of techniques in my head will open a pathway to a better and sharper short game. Finally I can make some respectable scores without having to have the long game on point all day. I've recognised over the last year or so that the low handicappers at my club, and I suspect at most clubs, don't necessarily stripe the ball every time. Some have more agricultural swings than my own impression of a giraffe on ice having a fit, but they find a way to make scores, especially when their own ball striking is off. I've known for many years it's not about looking pretty or textbook, and to be honest it's way too late for me on that score, but it's about making the best of what I have on any given day.
That is where I still fall down. This is where my NLP work this winter I'm hoping will help start to pay off and I can simply learn to trust what I have and what I have worked on. I want a clear mind, less thought over the ball and clearer targets to focus on.
It sounds when you write it down and read back, an awful lot of stuff for someone wanting a simplistic approach. Maybe so but in my own mind at least I've some clear goals, some clear focus points and some clear ideas where I want my game to go. I am in a good place, still with my glass half full at the end of 2016 and heading into the new year.
Let me finish by once again thanking everyone that has taken the time to read my offerings, either as an individual piece or part of my exploits towards my golfing nirvana. I have enjoyed reading and hearing all the feedback, both good and positive, with the occasional obscenity thrown in by the narrow minded. I hope you continue to enjoy what I put before you in 2017 and until then let me wish you, your family and loved ones a happy new year and hope it brings you everything you wish for.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Small Is Beautiful (And Rather Hard)
Greetings one and all and welcome to another humble blog offering. I want to start by asking a question. If I said par 3 course, what is you...
-
The culmination of my golfing activity this weekend was the Golf Monthly Forum Meeting at Blackmoor Golf Club in Hampshire on Monday (27th).... -
Welcome to another product review and this one looks at the Ping Sigma Wolverine putter. This is one of the new Sigma range of sixteen putte... -
Odyssey have been producing tour quality putters for many years and there latest release, the O-Works continues that legacy but also in thei...