Happy New Year all

2013 …

My golf goals for 2013 start off with some obvious stuff. Primarily is to get to single figures in my unofficial handicap. I did some calculations on what my handicap would be if I only counted competition games – SEQGG and the ISG Nationals. And it would be 14 based on scores vs par and 15 on scores vs ACR. So my next goal is to get my competition handicap vs ACR to single figures as well. A bigger improvement!

My 2013 goal as a whole is to spend the majority of it in single figures.

My full swing goal is yo just keep refining and grooving it. I am very happy that the swing I am developing is basically a natural swing with a couple of key elements for me to monitor and work on

I’d also like to learn to play a draw or fade when I want to. My current ball flight is pretty straight, and I have no intention of moving away from that. But know I can bend it a little when I want – especially with driver as that is the club where the shape is most often something I want to play with for dogleg tee shots – would be nice. I have some thoughts about how to do it but I’m not going to mess with the basics at the moment. Prefer to work on grooving the basic action.

Inside 100m I will keep working on my pitching, but more as part of my basic swing work. It’s my chipping that I most want to improve this year off the green. I am satisfied with my technique so I want to work on my touch, spin control, a d on my open face high cut shot.

And then there’s putting. More than anything I will work on that in 2013. Lagging from outside 3m, challenging the hole on the 1-3m putts, and having the confidence to stroke those inside 3 feet putts in firmly. I average almost 36 putts a round, so it is obvious that if I get this more in line with a single figure handicapper’s level – I’m thinking around 30 – I will be playing on single figures.

Can’t wait.

God bless, and good golfing for 2013

2013 …

My golf goals for 2013 start off with some obvious stuff. Primarily is to get to single figures in my unofficial handicap. I did some calculations on what my handicap would be if I only counted competition games – SEQGG and the ISG Nationals. And it would be 14 based on scores vs par and 15 on scores vs ACR. So my next goal is to get my competition handicap vs ACR to single figures as well. A bigger improvement!

My 2013 goal as a whole is to spend the majority of it in single figures.

My full swing goal is yo just keep refining and grooving it. I am very happy that the swing I am developing is basically a natural swing with a couple of key elements for me to monitor and work on

I’d also like to learn to play a draw or fade when I want to. My current ball flight is pretty straight, and I have no intention of moving away from that. But know I can bend it a little when I want – especially with driver as that is the club where the shape is most often something I want to play with for dogleg tee shots – would be nice. I have some thoughts about how to do it but I’m not going to mess with the basics at the moment. Prefer to work on grooving the basic action.

Inside 100m I will keep working on my pitching, but more as part of my basic swing work. It’s my chipping that I most want to improve this year off the green. I am satisfied with my technique so I want to work on my touch, spin control, a d on my open face high cut shot.

And then there’s putting. More than anything I will work on that in 2013. Lagging from outside 3m, challenging the hole on the 1-3m putts, and having the confidence to stroke those inside 3 feet putts in firmly. I average almost 36 putts a round, so it is obvious that if I get this more in line with a single figure handicapper’s level – I’m thinking around 30 – I will be playing on single figures.

Can’t wait.

God bless, and good golfing for 2013

Started 2012 on unofficial 17, achieved 12 – 2013 target single figures
Inaugural Official Handicapper and Treasurer of the SEQ Golf Guys

Weety – some great thoughts there. I always say that your goals should be measurable. So define exactly what you want to achieve with numbers for example, how many fways you want to hit, GIRs, putts etc etc.

If they arent defined how do you really know if you are making progress in each area or not?

Others will have a different opinion but while its nice to be able to move the ball one way or another when you need to, I think for most amateurs it isnt really necessary. Hitting the ball fairly straight 95% of the time is more than satisfactory to get to a low single figure handicap.

Good luck with it all…

Thanks Bernie

I don’t have a fairways target so much as a I am aiming to get my driver distance up around 220-230m consistently, and keep my chip outs under 2 a game (preferably 0 or worse case 1!)

My GIR target is minimum 6 aiming for 10-12.

My up and downs target is 50% for a start.

My putting target is 30.

So what would it mean if I put that together. Let’s say 1 lost shot for driving it into trouble. 1 over. 6 GIR. 1 over. 6/12 up and down. 7 over. If I can convert a birdie or 2 from the GIR or a chip in. 5-6 over.

But in the end my target is single figures so I don’t really mind if I get there with good shot making sometimes and good scrambling other times!

I’m very keen to see how the first 6 months pans out. If it goes well I may reset my goals to go a little harder! :-)

Totally with you on the straight shot too. I’m definitely most focussed on gaining a consistent trajectory that is fairly straight. That is the core of my improvement plans.

The full swing is the bit I enjoy working on the most.

I like the plan Weety. Got me thinking…..like always :) All the best for 2013.
How far is Maryborough from you?

283kms! A fair drive.

Thanks AB. As you know I have been working on my swing for a couple of years pretty hard, all in the name of trying to reduce variation. Developing a swing that creates a ball flight that has a gentle shape – never really cared if it was fade or draw. I am at the point where the swing is playable and improvement is going to come from the short game.

What are you thinking?

It’s only 1103km from me ;)
After constantly reading about Nodes course and journey on it, and with you and him being the original postees to great me. I wanted to play a game with peoe I’ve shared the journey with the most. Would be awesome if we could all meet up when I’m down there. Or even if I can get a round of all of us halfway? Is there a course between you and Maryborough that’s halfway and worthwhile? Maybe I can get him into a road trip?
All in discussion mode at the moment.

Would be nice if we could organise it for sure. Would be great to meet you two gents.

Had a productive practice session today, before my round at Gailes tomorrow.

Full swing work is the usual. Every time I learn a bit more about what makes it tick for me. And I also go through a bit of what doesn’t work! Mostly it’s about going too far – overdoing a concept and then putting it back in its place!

Working on balancing through my left foot. Overdoing it involved neglecting the swing! But it’s a solid swing approach for me as long as it doesn’t overtake the actual swinging of the club.

Made a real breakthrough in the sand today. I’ve had a problem with contacting the ball directly and realised today that I was actually shanking it! Been aiming at a point behind the ball but on my swing line. Today I aimed at a point on the target line – in other words a bit closer to me – and that changed it all. Very happy to have sorted that out.

Hopefully that will all translate to a solid score tomorrow.

Been doing a bit of putting work too. Geoff Mangum has hit the nail on the head noting that I am too analytical and need to be more athletic when I putt. Or as he likes to say I need to dance on the greens.

This is really a challenge for me. And the biggest challenge is not to try and consciously control the speed. I keep getting in the way of my body.

Like always tomorrow is another opportunity to stop practicing and start playing. The greens at Gailes are particularly challenging ones so it is even more important to perform. Focussing on a spot on the back of the ball helps. We’ll see if I can apply some mental discipline and stop trying to make conscious action! :-)

Hit Gailes today with a sandman and a pigskin! Great company. And the course is in fantastic condition. Weather was overcast, a little blowy at times, but dry and very pleasant. All in all a great day for golf!

And I enjoyed playing the golf with a front nine 3 over 40 and a slightly disappointing but still very solid 7 over 43 back nine. Which makes. 10 over 83 off the stick. As we played off the whites the ACR is 71 so 12 over for handicapping. 1 birdie 7 pars 9 bogies and 1 double.

Nice round Weety. Good way to start the year.

Hit 6/15 fairways and 3 others were close. Overall my driving was good because I was finding the length I’ve been hoping for, but I did hit a few poor drives that cost me. There were also a couple of poorly struck irons that cost me. But overall my long game was solid. 7 GIR – 5 front and 2 back.

My short game was OK but not great. My only up and downs came from Texas wedges but I did hit some pitch and chip shots from tough positions that at least hit the green and limited the damage. So OK. 2/11 up and downs.

Putting was pretty good, much better than it has been lately. Especially much better because I was in the right mindset over the putts, focussed on the target and not the technique. 32 putts + 4 Texas wedges.

Run down of the round:

1 par 5 – 248m drive on fairway 4w topped but in fairway 55m pitch and 2 putts for par
2 par 5 – 212m drive on fairway (guess which hole is uphill and into the wind?) 4 wood push lob wedge full swing ran over and 2 putts for par
3 par 3 – 6i pushed right into the sand thinned sand shot over the green chipped into bank and up and 2 putts for double
4 par 4 – big pushed drive into a tree and dropped out just short of the fairway bunker lob punch from 50m to just left and off 2 putts from off for par
5 par 4 – 225m just pushed right of fairway perfect 8i and 2 putts for par
6 par 3 – 4i draw very nice but took a hop right and then a 3 putt bogie
7 par 4 – 212m drive that landed in one fairway bunker bounced on then ran into next fairway bunker 8i from the sand ran through the green 3 putts from off for bogie
8 par 4 – 202m drive on fairway topped a 7i but rolled on 2 putts par
9 par 5 – 226m drive on fairway 4 wood pushed a bit but fine SW nice and close and then 1 putt for birdie

Nice round Weety. Good way to start the year.

www.challenge.org.au
’Get a Luke the Duck Merchandise to remind
yourself that you are golfing while Jarrod Lyle can’t’
VTTP #534
The “unofficial” millionth POST poster

Twitter @allegingbow

Thanks AB, it sure was. Imagine if I could go through 2013 with no 9# scores! That would be something! Unlikely, but I can dream! :-)

Nice round Weety. Good way to start the year.

www.challenge.org.au
’Get a Luke the Duck Merchandise to remind
yourself that you are golfing while Jarrod Lyle can’t’
VTTP #534
The “unofficial” millionth POST poster

Twitter @allegingbow

Thanks AB, it sure was. Imagine if I could go through 2013 with no 9# scores! That would be something! Unlikely, but I can dream! :-)

Started 2012 on unofficial 17, achieved 12 – 2013 target single figures
Inaugural Official Handicapper and Treasurer of the SEQ Golf Guys

If you play like today mate you should pi$$ it in…

Back 9:

10 par 4 – a really nice drive 234m 8i really solid 2 putt par
11 par 4 – even better drive right in the middle 245m then I started to lose it a bit gap wedge thin and way over the green had to punch a 7i chip and run into the bank to bounce up (was very happy with the shot because I was in a very ugly spot) 2 putts bogie
12 par 3 – thin pushed 9 iron into bunker good sand shot but missed a gettable putt for a 2 putt bogie
13 par 4 – smashed a driver through the fairway through the trees and onto the next fairway with no way over and few ways through chip and run was a bit soft but through the trees and clear 50m lob wedge on but short and 2 putts for bogie
14 par 4 – pushed drive into fairway bunker hit pitching wedge fat the pitch short and 2 putts from off for bogie again
15 par 4 – 227m drive very good but just off the fairway left 4 hybrid pulled into bunker sand bit and stopped short and 2 putts for bogie
16 par 4 – hooked my drive into the trees and was left with a 7i chip and run of 100m under branches which came up just short then flipped my chip and thinned it past the flag and 2 putts for bogie
17 par 4 – terrible 4 wood off toe and pushed and hit trees and dropped out then hit 5i fat that ran into a bunker short but somehow plugged very nastily under the lip smashed the ball out a few feet then chip and 1 putt bogie
18 par 5 – very badly pushed tee shot through trees right onto 9th fairway then hit a cut 8i through the tree canopy through the space I was aiming for and over by maybe 2 feet (danced a jig over that shot as it was exactly what I was trying to do and I struck it beautifully) 7i playing for fade but got a push so same result and very put table but just slid by for a 2 putt par.

It would be a real achievement sandy. I think I’ll make it one of those things that I will seek to achieve in 2013. I don’t think it makes sense as a goal as such but certainly something to chase.

Just updated my unofficial handicap and it is 11.5 for ACR. It brings my comp handicap to 14.0. I have 6 more rounds before an ACR top 8 drops off (but it’s a good one being my 80 at Windaroo) but I do have a couple of comp rounds that are top 8 that will drop off in 2 and 4 rounds so I need some more good rounds.

I really want to break 80 again to be honest. A lot!

Post 4000. Not even close to flying in the company of the big boys! But since I tend to be a bit more wordy than them I might be up with them in total words! :-)

Hopefully by post 5000 I’ll be playing off single figures, will be breaking into the 7#’s regularly, and will have cracked an even par round.

That’d be nice!

Short game, short game, short game, Brendan. Haunt a chipping green somewhere and the scores will come.

I know I know I know Dave! :-). And you’re spot on. Although I am actually focussing a little more on putting at the moment. But chipping is high on the list. Getting my up and down stats over the 50% level is where I’m aiming at!

Good to hear from you.

However despite Dave’s good advice tonight I only had a pitch and full swing session at the range. Didn’t have time for the short game. But I will do more putting practice during the night.

Working on swinging the club with the upper arms as usual. Very good night at the range. Mentally it seems that what works best for me is to swing EVERYTHING back and through together. Treating the club and the hands and even the arms like one piece that I swing back and then swing through with the top half of my arms.

Hit a lot of very good shots and not very many bad shots. Good feeling.

But next time I will definitely make time for the chipping and the sand practice.

Good stuff Weetie, glad everything is moving in the right direction for ya!