Just to follow up, what did I learn today?

1 the PST is working, my contact and ball control is improving and distance control on irons is getting better.

2 there is more to this game than a good swing, got to balance all aspects in my practice, have let my putting go to hell whilst working on other aspects (which are improving), time to work on putting too.

3 despite an atrocious score I kept my focus and cool and kept playing the game in 3 hole lots which helped.

It wont happen over night, but it will happen.

Bummer when you are hitting it well and some bad bounces and some bad putts send the score south.

Time for some putting practice indeed.

“PW little shy
SW chip to 4 feet.
Here goes, 1 putt, 2 putt, 3 putt, 4-WIPE!!! Ouch.”

Unbelievable, the windmill must of been on fast spin :|

Q: Do you feel a bit overawed playing someone better than you?

I often do, mainly because I want to give them a decent challenge, but it usualy messes me up – try too hard.

Not really, I feel better playing with ‘better’ players, it tends to pick my game up. The funny thing is I felt calm and not too rushed, I wasn’t used to the greens and didn’t read them well at all and was over hitting most of my putts. I putted badly because I’m not really a good putter, which will change.
At the moment because I’m working so hard on my long game, scores aren’t as important, maybe that means I don’t place enough emphasis on getting it in the hole? I’m sure this will change.
3 months ago if I hit an 8i to 84cm I would have felt it was mostly luck. Now I feel responsible in that I know what I did and meant to do it, for me that is a huge leap forward indeed.
I felt I hit the ball overall better than my partner (off 13) but he’s been playing for many years and can play the ‘game’ better and he knows the greens. The more I think about it the more patient I feel too, after some of my shots yesterday, that I was in control of, I know that it’s possible to get to single figures or close at least.
The journey continues.

Well 2 man ambrose was fun today. Wind was right up, some rain, partner a little rough around the gills still from last night on front 9, all made for an interesting morning!
I’ve changed my mind about putting, I think I’m ok. The advantage today of seeing my partner go first today proved to me that I can putt but I need to learn to read the greens better, which is part of it of course. I made some very good putts once I was confident of where to put/putt it.
Thing that really worked today was the driver, some really long drives today with good shape. Irons were well struck but was having trouble judging the wind and it’s effect. Many pin high shots that I allowed too much or not enough for, wind is bloody hard, but at least I had the right club in my hands.
I think the generous nature of spring/summer weather might have me playing some good golf.
Ended up even, wont be enough to win but in today’s conditions felt good.

Windy this weekend here too – messed my game up, but not as much as playing Ambrose does :)

My swing speed was up to 120mph but at impact about 94mph, so reaching top speed before impact.

stinkler,

How do you determine the club head speed at different points in your numbers?

I had a screening where these things were measured and these were the results. I was over accelerating too early and losing lag, releasing the club early then re firing my hips and shoulders in an attempt to create more/keep up speed, very messy indeed. It’s all slowly improving and my ball striking is coming along like I wouldn’t believe!

BTW, due to those issues my back was suffering (have bad lower spinal column issue), since I’ve been working on PST and improving my movement I’ve not had 1 day of 18 holes where I have pain. I used to take anti inflams before every game, not now : )

9 holes this morning, thought I’d really focus on 2 things; every hole is a par 5 and play them in 3 hole lots.

1st 285mtr par4
6i off tee, not great contact but ok, first hit not really concerned.
155 out slight head wind thought 7i to fringe (every hole par 5)
hit it very sweet to 4mtrs, 2 putts,,,, Par; birdie in my language: )

2 416mtr par4
took Driver and thought I just need 220, didn’t want to over swing.
short gentle swing to about 165 out, nice.
took 6i to lay up, bunkers pin high either side,,,,
hit thin, too fast swing, but short of right bunker, phew!
Hard lob, not much green, had to clear bunker and pull up, got nice height but little too much run, had 6mtr putt, 2 putts for bogey; my par!

3rd par3 playing 150mtr into wind
took 6i, too much draw 20mtrs left, but well struck.
good lob on to elevated green : ) 2 putt

3 holes; 2 over, 1 under for me : ) (it’s nice thinking like that!)

4th par4 dogleg right playing 320mtr
6i to dogleg 145 out, nice
Had tree overhang half way couldn’t clear, 8i would hit, so decided punch 7i to fringe, hit well and it ran up onto green to 5mtrs. 2 putt par (my birdie)

5th 289mtr par 4, green up hill at end.
3i off tee well hit but slight push, in trees.
punched forward just getting out, had no shot,
PW to fringe, up steep hill.
SW chip to 2 feet, easy putt for bogey (my par)

6th 125mtr par3 down hill into wind.
Not sure here, got confused, took 8i, still not sure,,,shank! Wind got me rattled.
7i punch out of serious shit to 3mtr off
SW to 3 feet!!!
Putt for bogey (my par) great save after hell shank.

3 holes, 2 over, 1 under for me!

7th, hard dogleg left par 4 375 mtr
3i, pushed again but well hit. had 185 to green into wind uphill over creek.
3i, pushed but cleared creek and ok.
PW sweet but ran off back just,,,
SW to 4 feet, hard downhill right to left putt,,,, in!
Bogey, my par.

8th Par5 466mtr up over hill
nice drive but on right of fairway.
about 220 out trees on right, need fade took Hybrid 19 and opened face, beaut 3/4 hit around trees to 70mtr.
PW little too much, hit green and to back.
down hill putt little too hard, putt back lipped out, 3 putt for bogey; my par.

9th 300mtr par 4
Driver little high to left fairway, 135 out uphill,
grabbed 8i but remembered shank, lost confidence and swung too hard, fat up 50 mtrs :(
SW up and on but not close enough, 2 putt bogey, my par.

3 holes 3 over, my par

So shot 42, 7 over, 2 under HC. I like the “every hole par 5” and 3 hole lot vibe, keeps me relaxed indeed. I think it allowed me to play where my game is actually at. Happy with most aspects just that shank and a couple of pushes let me down. I’m sure I know exactly the issues (swinging too hard and head up too early). One thing today, no doubles! That’s a good thing for me.

stinkler,

Could you post a video clip of your good self hitting a golf ball.

stinkler,

Could you post a video clip of your good self hitting a golf ball?

Mm, been meaning to do a video, but wanted to wait till it wasn’t too embarrassing! The one Bio took for my measurement was just hideous, I wont show you that. I’m at the point now that it may be less of a trauma for me. I will try to get one in the next week or so. If I do it I want it to be an actual hit not a back yard beauty without a ball : )

Confused about your round there Stinkler, I make it 464455565=44.

Prob just annotation errors?

Yep the par 5 thing keeps you thinking like a pro, they spend their whole life at -1, why shouldn’t we?

:)

stinkler
have a suggestin for the 6th you may like to try.
on the 6th way to many people play lofted irons (pw,9i or 8i) but the wind really moves the ball around when it is above the canopy of the tree’s.
I have got into the habit of hitting a half 5i punch.
the wind has little or no effect on the ball as travels fairly low.
give it a crack and see how you go.
kiwi

Choppy, nup, 454, 445, 565= 42 Isn’t it? I think so? You got me confused now! It’s a par 35, 2x par3, 1xpar 5, 6x par4. Got 2 pars rest single bogey.

Kiwi, thanks for the tip mate, I will be trying that next windy day. Got any tips for the 7th? That tee shot is hard to set up for a go at the green in a head wind.

Kiwi, thanks for the tip mate, I will be trying that next windy day. Got any tips for the 7th? That tee shot is hard to set up for a go at the green in a head wind.

stinkler
there is 2 ways to play this hole.

(1) 5i down the midddle, leaves about 170-180m to pin.
So a 3 wood or hybrid or 3/4 iron into a green that is elevated
and into the wind.
The lie here is usually quite poor (no good grass) too

(2) Hit down the OOB tree line (or draw) with a 3/5 wood,
depending where the T markers are.
the lie (grass) here is far better.
usually leaves you about 150ish to pin.

i hit a 3 wood up & over the tree line. then a 4i into the wind from 150m.
you need to remember that the green is uphill and into wind.
so you need more club. Short of the green is the bale out area for me. uphill chip is good.
have parred this hole a lot with this plan.
cheers
kiwi

cheers Kiwi, sounds like 2 good options. That 2nd shot over the creek, uphill and usually into the wind has to be the hardest shot on this course, many balls get taken in the creek I would say? Many of mine have!
I’ve only birdied it once and that was with 2 3i’s then a very long lucky putt (with a ground staff gallery too)
For some reason I always feel the need to clear the trees and get inside 150, very rarely works, silly game plan.

Hit a few shots on a 150mtr par 3 yesterday wind right to left over trees. 2 7i’s went (way) left then I punched a 4i onto the green, felt almost like cheating, will be using that one more though, felt so easy.

Big game Friday at Yarra Bend. I have a bad history there of great front 9 then back blowout : ( I will be using new strategies here this week including ;every hole par 5; 3 hole lots; using 3i off tee mostly as it’s my straightest long stick.

For some reason I always feel the need to clear the trees and get inside 150, very rarely works, silly game plan.

stinkler
it’s a good plan if you don’t try and take to much of a short cut.
just down the tree line not over it.
a 3 wood works for me as it goes about 180m and lands soft so wont run off in to the far rough.
put an easy swing on it and let the club do the work.
the plan turns to shit when you try to hard.
good luck at the bend.
kiwi

Good luck Friday

Mm, been meaning to do a video, but wanted to wait till it wasn’t too embarrassing! The one Bio took for my measurement was just hideous, I wont show you that. I’m at the point now that it may be less of a trauma for me. I will try to get one in the next week or so. If I do it I want it to be an actual hit not a back yard beauty without a ball : )

stinkler,

Looking forward to it.

Suggestion: I can provide the drum roll.

And a trumpet solo soundtrack would be nice…

Well when I post my swing on youtube you can check out the trumpet solos too!

Today, Yarra Bend. Nice weather to start quickly deteriorating into rain and much wind!

Wont bore you with shot by shot but I did ok today. Ended up with 86 (42,44) which is 1 under my handicap of 17. This is psychologically a hard course for me so I’m happy especially given the weather.

I wasn’t great off the tee today at all, even on par 3’s, drives not great so used 3i heaps and had a few edge of fairways with trees to go around. The thing that I was very pleased with was that I took my medicine well and played smart golf to get close and save bogey. Thinking 5 shots on each hole relaxed me so that I didn’t go for silly hero shots.

My chipping was great but the very soft fringes cost me shots. It was hard to judge how far, if at all, the ball would run as the ground was so soft. Funny thing was though the greens weren’t slow at all, tested me a lot.

All in all very happy with my game. Feeling positive for the Sat morning comp!

Bring on Saturday!

Long story short, not a great golfing morning. To be honest I think I’m golfed out this week, lots of practice, 9 holes on Tues and Wed, 18 Friday and today. Might sound a bit wimpish but after the 18 yesterday in the cold wind I’m just low on grunt, soft, yes.
Actually played ok today apart from 3 holes which I was 11 over for, 2 quads and a triple, ouch! My good holes were easy, either on and 2 putt or close, chip, 2 putt. 23 over total for nett 76, 34 putts.

Some errors were thus,
2nd Par 4
Bad drive left ; should have hit 3i this early,,,
good 5i chip back into play but in longish grass.
Now for some reason I thought long grass opens the club, der, it tends to make the club close right? So PW pin high to left bunker, 2 shots out of wet thick sand, etc etc. Quad,
Must remember what happens out of thick grass!!!!!!

7th par 4 dogleg left
5W swing too hard, this hole gets me, I TRY too hard to affect the shot, so silly, just need a straight easy 3i, WHY DO I DO IT????
PW over dogleg clip tree fall to 150 marker.
5i into wind, again too hard, silly, I have the extra club but into the wind I freak and swing hard, silly silly silly.
Chip on 3 putt, rattled hole, loosing focus, thinking blah,

16th, good drive,
Hybrid hell, one gone bye bye, next very bad, why didn’t I play my 3i which I can hit? Hero dick head going for shot I can’t play,,,,, chip, chip frustrated, putt,,,,,,, quad again,

At least I came back for 17th/18th good solid pars.

Main fault today was “taking a peak” as someone called it, lifting my head to see where it goes, such an easy thing to avoid, but couldn’t get it today.

Writing about it is like therapy, I realise how tiredness effects the mind as much as the body and I just couldn’t save myself on bad holes today. The plus was seeing that far better players have bad days too, another in our group off 5 was just keeping up with me, not that I’m happy about that, it’s just that it’s a bloody hard game and some days it just doesn’t really work. Must say despite a bad round tempers and dummies were kept and the spirit of golf survived.

It’ll come.

Stink, hit the ball gently like your practice swing, don’t turn red and blow hard, the note will be awful.