18 Friday

Throw a bag of balls

2008-05-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

Throw a bag of balls (video) toward the target.

Divot Past the Ball

2008-04-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

Bobby Clampet's general observation that the further past the ball one's divot, the lower his handicap seems to hold true. An interesting little graphic illustrates the idea.

Three Points

2008-03-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure of the merit of this idea, but I'm applying it to my practice lately. I hope to test it out in the real world soon. Here's the idea:

1. Keep my feet planted. Left foot/right foot.
2. Keep my head still: Little lateral or vertical movement.

Three points: left foot, right foot, and head.

The idea is that it will help stabalize my whole swing. Less movement should equal better spine angle and crisper contact.

Thats the idea anyway.

Another 9

2008-03-09T20:23:00.001-07:00

My buddy Ryan showed up today with his family. We went and played the Willow's Run par-3. I'm certain I was coming over the top.

Keep your right elbow in.

Swing the club around your body.

WITB (Today)

2008-03-03T15:30:00.000-08:00

Driver: Titleist 905R 9.5°
3W: Titleist 904F 15°
Hybrids: Adams a3 3-5
Irons: Adams a3 6-PW
Wedges: Titleist 54° and 58° Oil Can
Putter: Yes! Olivia

13 Clubs

2008-03-02T23:51:00.001-08:00

Incidentally, I realized that my bag consists of 13 clubs now. I pulled the Adams a3 "Boxers" out of retirement and they performed well. I wish I could have swung the hybrids but I didn't have enough yardage for that.

I'm missing a gap wedge. The PW is 45° and my SW is 54°. I'm just choking down on the PW at the moment but it can be a bit awkward. The 54° is a 95-yard club and the 45° is a 130-yard club off the tee. That's quite a difference. I wish modern club-makers would get a grip on that problem. I suppose the answer is a $125 gap wedge.

/whine.

The Swing

2008-03-02T23:45:00.001-08:00

I had a great time today. I was only out for a couple of hours but enjoyed being outside and using the clubs again.

I think I've moved toward a one-plane movement in recent months. The most important thing I can do is simplify my action. I get twisted into a pretzel trying to replicate good feelings. I've discovered simplicity is the best.

I've watched myself in a mirror and feel that "one-plane" is a good way to describe my swing. It's close to that anyway. Here are a few thoughts:

I believe I am bent a bit more at the waist at address.

My hands are lower at the apex of my back-swing. I am striving for this.

I am keeping my right elbow down in the back-swing and making an effort at keeping it close to me throughout the back- and down-swing.

My swing has flattened some. Its easier for me to pick the ball and I am not quite as prone to dig.

I'm making an effort to retain spine angle (good for any plane).

I'm overlapping my grip instead of interlocking. That feels much more secure.

I don't think of all those things but I do refer to them when I feel I'm missing something. When I do swing the club all I think is "go." It is much easier to pull the club away and let it go through the follow-through with my new swing.

Part of it might be that I'm not hung up after too much swinging but I do believe I've made a significant change based on today's performance. I hacked it up a bit but that's all part of the fun. Good shots seemed easier to come by given the fact that I haven't properly hit a ball in six+ months.

Lots of fun. :-)

Par-3

2008-03-02T19:48:00.001-08:00

Got out and played a par-3 course this afternoon. It was the first golf since August 2007. Birdied the first, had a handful of pars, a couple bogies, and one or two worse. I felt like it was a great return after so long away.

I've been working on positions a bit flatter swing in the living room (the ceiling doesn't allow a Furyk-like swing. When I stayed with the swing and maintained spin angle I got very good results. I backed a few up… a choked-down PW sucked back ten feet.

I wasn't digging as much… flatter swing means more picking. I think it was a needed change for me.

All-in-all it was fun to get out again. I'm going to try to do that more often from now on. It's too difficult not having any golf fun.

Swing Thoughts (for two years from now)

2007-09-17T23:25:00.000-07:00

I'm putting my swing in a time capsule because I'm going to graduate school.

Keep your stinking feet on the ground.

Restrict your hip movement on the backswing.

The Latest Swing Though

2007-08-21T22:35:00.001-07:00

Oh! And hi again.

Backswing: Restrict hips.

Follow-through: Release hips.

Another Home

2006-01-25T13:36:00.000-08:00

18 Friday is officially (or unofficially) moving to a new location. I'm going to keep this blogger page up but will be using the other address for a while (perhaps indefinitely, who knows).

Thanks for hanging with me... see you at the new home for 18 Friday.

Important Equipment Addition

2006-01-14T01:08:00.000-08:00

Gopher driver headcover.

Plane

2006-01-09T15:10:00.000-08:00

I've been experimenting with an ever so subtle change that feels big. I tend to get the club stuck behind me on the back-swing. I think very often my swing was doomed before I ever started the down-swing because I was routing the club behind me too far.

Quite simply, I'm keeping the club more on plane, in keeping with Hogan's (plane of glass) philosophy. It feels weird because its new, but I feel unrestricted and can get back to the ball so easily. I love it when I find stuff like that... or finally realize it for my own game.

Now if it would only stop raining for a week. We've had something like 23 days in a row of rain. Not golf friendly.

Upgraded Sticks

2005-12-24T21:59:00.000-08:00

Irons: 690.CB 3-9 Stiff
PW: Titleist Vokey Black Nickel 248.06

Greater accuracy and a lower ball flight result with the stiffer shafts. Thats good on both accounts.

Quiet

2005-12-17T23:47:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone that has frequented 18 Friday lately. My short off season is in full bloom... I've got a new bag shaping up, but no golf for a bit as its pretty cold (for Washington).

As for the clubs... when the season starts up again (hopefull next week) I'll be playing Titleist 690.CB's in 3 through 9-iron, a Black Nickel 248.06 PW and the rest of the bag the same so far. I really need to get my woods shafts changed out as I am way overloading these regular shafts. It makes life very difficult and the fairway hard to find. I realized how much of a difference it was making when I started playing the new irons in stiff shafts.

So anyway, thats about it. Things will probably be quiet around here until the season starts up again.

Putting Advice

2005-12-09T15:53:00.000-08:00

I did a piece over at The Sand Trap .com about Nick Price. He's a fascinating guy with an impressive record. His putting turned around when he took Leadbetter's advice to slow just his putting tempo down a bit. He tried to remember "Slower, longer, lower" and it worked wonders. It really helped me putting on the carpet just now too. :-)

Go get em!

A Fade?!

2005-12-01T13:39:00.000-08:00

Yep, I actually am fading the ball. Well, not consistently but I feel its a weapon that I might be able to pull out from time to time now. Like my benevelont friend Guy used to say, my idea of a fade is a six foot draw. Strangely enough I was doing nothing but sending it right in October. But, whatever.

Lets raise our glasses to major improvement in 2006. Cheers!

18 Saturday

2005-11-26T19:05:00.000-08:00

Well I got out for the second day in a row. I played 9 Friday before darkness set in. Had a good chat with the dude working the counter at Tahoma Valley. The round I played today was with a couple buddies at Fort Lewis. It really is a good course, long, curves and bends and elevation changes abound. The course is a bit easier in the winter as they shut the "Green" course down. Its pretty dark over there, so the greens don't hold up in the winter. It was pretty soggy today.

A Few Highlights
My driver was my friend for most of the day. I hit one 300+ which was cool. My buddy Ryan said, "Smith, you hit that 320!" and I told him nah, not that far, but I think he was right. We measured it off according to the markers and it looked to be at least 310. Thats not bad for the kind of day we had. Fairways were wet and slow. I hit a few drives in the 240-260 range, maybe a little longer.

This is going to sound a bit like an info-mercial, but I got some advice from a local guy about pre-setting your impact position in set-up and I feel like a new golfer. I think I've turned a corner that is going to put me in the 80's soon. Granted, I shot a paltry 99, but it was due to lack of concentration more than anything. I left a ton of shots on the fairway because I got away from what he'd told me for a while. I am very excited to see my scores come down and I think they will.

Approach shots were much improved. I hit a couple GIR's which never happens for me. This is the first time that I feel my irons could be an asset, not a liability. Chipping and pitching is getting better too, all in a matter of a week.

I narrowly missed a birdie on a long par-5 on the back side. I hit a big draw off the tee, killed a 3-wood off the deck and put my pitch shot to within 15 feet and missed the putt, but made par. I had a couple pars out there that felt easy. I just need to replicate that a bit more and I'm on my way toward making a difference at the Newport Cup next year.

This pre-set stuff that Craig was showing me really enabled me to hit some intended shots. I wanted to draw the ball and did without hooking like a madman. I hit a couple of nice fades as well. The last two days are the first time I've been able to do that... all with subtle adjustments of my hands and set-up. What fun.

The main thing going for me is that I feel hope on the course for the first time. I actually feel confident, like I know what I have to do to strike the ball well. I don't have to over-swing, just swing consistently with that repeatable motion and great things happen more often.

Another fun little shot I hit was a low hook around a tree up to the green. And to think I did it on purpose! Wow. I can't wait to see how I improve in the next few weeks and months. Hopefully the rain holds off from time to time and I can work on this new and solid tecnique. I'm sold instantly. It hadn't been 20 minutes swinging in our living room (don't worry, we have huge vaulted ceilings) when I realized that this was going to change my golfing life. Its strange to feel confident out there... feels good. Yes, even the 99. I left a ton of shots on the course that I know I can make up with a little focus and practice.

New Stuff

2005-10-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

I had a great time with the Sand Trap staff last weekend... it was over way too soon. I spent a little time with Erik Barzeski and Dave Koster at the driving range and they had some tips for me that have helped tremendously. Here's what I gathered from the weekend swing-wise:

New pre-shot:

Stand behind ball and pick line

Aim clubhead first by reaching out to ball

Settle into stance along intended line

Wagle the tension out of arms and body

Let it go

Swing Thoughts:

Spine tilted away from targe

Rotate around spine

Drive the ball down the intended target line

Pick the ball, no chili-dipping

Let the club do the work

Let hands pull you through

Driving Range

2005-09-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

Headed over to the driving range tonight after work and before another meeting. I struck the ball as well as I ever have I'd say. I didn't spend much time at all with the driver... I hit maybe five drives, just enough to hit a couple strait and move on.

My practice swing thoughts really helped tonight:

Athletic Stance - both knees bent. Keep right knee bent through swing

Balance - both left to right and front to back... all the way through the swing.

Watch grip - Most clubheads have been turned a little left at set-up so I'm checking that in my pre-shot routine

Pick the Ball

Thats about it... it went great. I was having a good time.

One Ball

2005-09-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Played the whole round with one ball yesterday. I love it! It was pretty beat up by the time I was finished, but I didn't lose the little blighter! I had purchased 3-4 dozen Nike TA2 Spins last fall in a Target sale... it was one of those.

The new Vokey Oil Can wedges I'm using put a suprising amount of spin on the ball and shred the ball in the process. I love the spin and the look of these wedges.

Shot a paltry 93... too many three putts and a few shanks are holding me back. They had just punched the grees and reading speed was crazy, but no real excuse.

Vital Shank Killing Tips

2005-09-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

Remember this Smith:
Head behind the ball.
Right hand is along for the ride... let the left hand lead the dance.
Swing at 60% and as relaxed as a bend in the Mississippi river

Goals

2005-08-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Here are a few worthy goals:

Consistent ball striking

Fairways and Greens - accuracy over distance

Improved iron play

Cool mental approach

Tournament

2005-08-25T17:49:00.000-07:00

I'll be playing in my first official tournament tomorrow. I'm not sure if it really qualifies as anything per-se. Its put together by some of the folks who work for the Washington State Accounting Office. I've been invited by a friend as he works there. At any rate, it should be fun.

We''re playing Capitol City Golf Course down on Yelm Highway which I've never played. Should be fun. i think we'll be playing a best-ball tournament which will make team play the main feature. I much prefer strait stroke play even though I'm not that great... it just seems more interesting to me to count up my own score and play the ball as it lies. Picking up my ball mid-round seems wrong for some reason. Oh well, at least its golf on what should be a nice day at a new course. Bye.

Driver Length

2005-08-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

So it turns out that my driver came in at ~~45.75"~~ 44.75" from the factory. I had it cut down .5" to ~~45.25"~~ 44.25". It plays a lot better... I'm still not quite there, but I can tell a difference in control.

My News

2005-08-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

I've been golfing once a week for the most part and enjoying it (again... for the most part). I'm heading over to a clubfitter to get my driver cut down an inch. It'll play at 44" instead of the off-the-rack 45". I've opted for control over distance. I've been interested to read that you don't really gain much with that extra inch anyway. If I can hit the sweet spot on a regular basis then I'm golden. It'll go further anyway.

I hope to get in at least 9 holes this weekend... things are busy. I do get to golf three days with Guy Mickel (buddy of mine) in about a week. We're hitting Gold Mountain over in Bremerton, a very nice municipal course. After that, we'll do The Highlander in Wenatchee and anther course... not sure which.

Peace.

Friday

2005-07-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

I had intended to get in at least 9 holes today, but I took a nap and my partner left without me. I ended up going to the driving range and hitting off the grass. Smacked a large bucket.

Spent most of my time with SW-8 iron. I did pretty good out there... not the greatest ball striking day, but not the worst either.

My lessons are helping. I worked a lot on chipping and pitching. Had the feel of it after a bit. I just need to keep at the short game. My driver was so so... I hit maybe 10 balls with it.

I spent a while with my 19° FW wood. Man was I hitting that well. I was trying to tag the ball sweeper at about 200+ yards. Nearly hit him quite a few times ;-). That was fun. I just felt like direction and distance was great with that club. I putted for 8 minutes and then headed home.

I'm off to the course in the morning... a bunch of hackers from church and some of the regulars will be there for a scramble or a best ball thing. Should be fun.

43 and 45

2005-04-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

I don't often get 18 in on Friday as this blog presumes... I usually get 9 in on Friday and then maybe 9 more Saturday or Sunday. At the very least, if the weather is right I'll get 9. Well, two weeks ago I shot a 43 on my home course on the back nine, came back the next week and shot a 45 on the front 9 so I guess that means I broke 90 by two strokes. Not sure if you can do it that way, but I say its ok. I must admit there were a couple of muligans in there.

96

2005-03-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

Played Gresham Golf Course in Oregon, a fairly easy course, and scored a 96. Not great in comparison to some, but I feel pretty good about it. I'm putting some of the pieces together and feeling what I have to do to produce good shots. Not bad for a guy who couldn't get close to 100 a few months ago.

Progress

2005-01-31T11:09:00.000-08:00

Having taken the pros advice and extended my arms a little, things are going great. I've seen some real benefits:

1. I'm hitting the ball straiter (is that a word) than before.
2. I've gained 1-2 clubs distance wise. My pitching wedge used to be 90-100 yards, it is now about 110+ yards.
3. I feel freedom in my swing.
4. I am drawing and fading the ball (I'm not always sure why, but I'm getting there).
5. More confidence at address.
6. When I hit a bad shot I have a pretty good idea why.

Not bad results for such a small tip. I'm going to have to adjust to the changes out on the course. I imagine that I'll fly a few greens trying to figure things out. I'm excited about the driving range results.

And Now There Are Four

2005-01-27T16:37:00.000-08:00

The four of us. The new little guy, Owen, is putting a halt to golfing for a while. At least I'm not living in Boston where they are buried under snow so deep they set a new record. That is not right.

2005-01-26T14:18:00.000-08:00

Here's the Scotty Cameron Newport 2. You can see a slight ding on the top... doesn't affect putting in the least. I love how it sets up and it feels puuuuure.

Still Head - Space Between Body and Hands

2005-01-22T10:28:00.000-08:00

So I spent some time at the range yesterday and had what I feel is my best shotmaking day ever. A couple of things come to mind here:

1. I am leaving myself lots of room between my hands and body. This is allowing my lots of freedom to bring the club through and release my hands properly. I was all bunched up inside for the longest time and it made for some really bad results. I made the biggest progress of my short (6 month) golfing carreer with this simple change. All the difference in the world.

The result is that my shots are flying futher and their dispursion, while still unacceptable to me, is much tighter. Not a bad change, I'd say

2. Iacas alluded to this in one of his posts at The Sand Trap. You must allow your shoulder to bring your head up as you follow through on your swing. Keeping your head and spine reletively still (not stiff) is very important to good ball striking.

Even with a good day at the range, at times I felt myself dipping for the ball. Or collapsing my body. My shots when wide right when I did this. Staying upright is crucial.

All in all it was a victory for me. I proved that I can do it and that is important for my confidence. I teed up for the driver a couple of times and had a long string of acceptable drives under my belt before I was done. Now that is a victory. I'd like to make a goal of shooting in the low 90's by this coming summer. Is it possible? Yes. Will I do it? Have to.

Shoulder

2005-01-17T11:44:00.000-08:00

I injured my left shoulder lifting weights some time ago and that pain has never fully left me. I think it might be a rotator cuff, I'm actually trying not to think about it. I'm heading in to the doc sometime in the next couple of weeks to have that looked at. I may get sidelined from playing golf in the process. I just want to get back to 100%. I'm sure that the shoulder injury has affected my ability to make a proper swing. I love the game so much I have just played through it. It doesn't really hurt on the course (most of the time) but it keeps me from playing properly, I'm sure.

I'll keep you informed how this turns out. Sure is a good excuse when I'm playing poorly ;-)

The Sand Trap

2005-01-15T21:03:00.000-08:00

Well, its official, I've signed on to do my part over at The Sand Trap blog and forum. I've been swollowed up in a merger. I'm looking foreword to being part of something that is going to grow over the coming months and years. So I'm reserving my 18 Friday blog for my golf journal. Any news, highlights, information about the greater golf world will go to The Sand Trap from now on. Can't have split motives now, can we?

See you at The Sand Trap.

A little lesson

2005-01-14T23:01:00.000-08:00

Talked to Art, a teaching professional, today. He looked at my stance and determined that my hands were too close to my body. Hey, something to work on! It goes to show that having someone look at what you are doing is way better than "feeling" it sometimes.

Tom Kite back on PGA Tour

2005-01-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

Tom Kite will be back on the PGA Tour at least until June. He will be using his top 50 all time money list exemption to get him back on the tour this year. He wants to see how he will fair. In what other sport do you have a 55 year old who found success in earlier days coming back to compete against guys in their early 20's? As I write this blurb he is tied with Adam Scott and Ernie Els. Not only is he competing against most of the greatest male golfers of the day, he's out in the field against Michelle Wie, the 15 year old female up and coming.

What a game! For more on Kite's return see Ed Sherman's article "Kite feeling like a kid again" at golf.com.

Golf Gods

2005-01-14T09:42:00.000-08:00

You gotta read this. Posted by The Golf Blog.

Let's try this again Jeff

2005-01-13T21:50:00.000-08:00

Stay back... don't sway when you swing.

Keep your head reletively still during the swing... until your right shoulder pulls your head up.

Lessons

2005-01-13T17:40:00.000-08:00

That's it! I'm taking some lessons. You get the idea how my practice round went today.

Sony Preview

2005-01-12T11:16:00.000-08:00

The Sony Open in Hawaii starts tommorrow and there are plenty of reasons to follow the action. Vijay, Ernie, Tiger, Michelle and a host of others tee it up soon. Sal Johnson's article is a good read in preparation for understanding the players involved and perhaps guiding your fantasy picks.

Golf Snobbery

2005-01-11T14:09:00.000-08:00

Let me say, before I get to the article listed at sortagolf.com, that golf snobs should be slapped. Golf is a great game, a game for a working man, millionaires, men, women or a twelve year old kid. What it isn't for is golf snobs. So you play golf... so you might hit the ball well... great... in the words of sortagolf "Get over yourself."

I recently spent a little time in a golf shop north of Seattle (I won't mention their name) and got the distinct impression that the man working the counter felt he was part of the upper echelon of society because he had his prissy little golf outfit on. I'd like to say to this guy, along with all the other golf snobs out there: you put your pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us.

I should say that I was dressed well at this shop and didn't give the appearance of being the trailer trash my friends accuse me being (perhaps I should look for new friends but that's another subject). This guy just smelled of snobbery. The kind of attitude that says, "I can hit the ball 50 yards passed you, therefore, you are a twit."

I won't be buying anything from that shop.

The guys over at sortagolf got me riled up and I had to vent before I included their article on Golf Connoisseur.

Sand Trap

2005-01-11T08:50:00.000-08:00

There is another fantasy league shaping up at the pgatour.com fantasy page. The fellas at The Sand Trap (which, by the way, is a great blog and forum) are putting together the league on their Forum. I encourage you to stop by pgatour.com/fantasy to sign up for the fantasy league and then listen for news here at the forum.

2005 on the PGA Tour

2005-01-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

Gary Van Sickle had some good things to say about the 2005 PGA Tour. I agree that this is going to be a great year. He points out in his article "here to stay" that Tiger seems to have come to grips with his swing and is poised for a great year. Vijay proved he isn't going to quite, Ernie proved he is a hunter, and Tiger was there minus great putting. These are a couple lessons we learned from the Mercedes Championships. I'm curious about how Phil Mickelson will do in 2005. He proved to everyone that he can handle his new sticks when he fired a 59 in the PGA Grand Slam. I'm hoping that his new on course strategy is going to add up to osmoe success for Phil. Bring it on!

Scotty Cameron Newport 2

2005-01-09T20:32:00.000-08:00

I've got a Newport 2 on the way! I hope I have chosen wisely. After doing my best to get comfortable with the Mezza Monza, I believe I've given up on it in favor of a blade. As I have said, more than once I'm sure, over at The Sand Trap Forum I can "feel" distance so much easier with a blade. The more time I spend with a mallet head, the more comfortable I get but there seems to be a more precise or intuitive feel for distance with a blade. I'll be able to compare an excellent blade ot the Mezza soon.

Tiger a little tense day three of the Mercedes Championship

2005-01-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed reading about Tiger coming completely unstuck after the cumulative effect of his bad putting. Here is some pretty funny stuff:

Woods, meanwhile, had a meltdown after more putting problems. He missed from 10 feet on No. 3 and cursed, from 8 feet on No. 4 and pursed his lips, then compounded matters with a three-putt par from 35 feet on the fifth. When his 10-foot birdie on the next hole turned away, Woods came undone.

Holding his putter by its head, he took a full swing into the side of his bag -- forward, then backward. He ripped off the cover of his driver and threw that to the ground. And after a big tee shot, he smacked his driver into the cart path.

I think he was a little tense. You can read the whole story here.

Block Bad, Harness Good

2005-01-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

Had a great 9 holes today. I hooked up with a buddy of mine and we play a similar game to one another. We pushed each other the whole way. We were tied until the last hole and then I choked it for a 47. For me it was a very good round. I kept my composure most the way (minus the last hole), drove well all day and just had a good time. I felt like I was starting to do just about what I needed to to prevent messing the whole thing up. I'm very pleased! I generally don't play well around others and I proved I could get it done if I "block the bad and harness the good. Block bad, harness good."

More proof that the short game is where its at... I chipped very well today and had quite a few one and two puts. I choked the last hole but that wasn't the whole round.

What Should Be In My Bag

2005-01-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

Driver: Ping G2
FW: Taylor Made V-steel
Irons: Mizuno MX-23 3-PW
Wedges: Mizuno MP 52, 56, 60
Putter: SC Newport 2.5

Balance and Timing

2005-01-07T21:56:00.000-08:00

I think several things are coming together for me at once right now. Those of you who have walked the road ahead of me might just not your head in agreement when I say I'm slowly starting to feel all the pieces work as one. You start to play this game seriously at 32 and you frankly need more time to fit the puzzle together. Several things are on the forefront of my mind now. Pick the ball off the carpet, stay back throughout swing, and tempo. As I said previously a slow, deliberate takeaway has helped my game immensly. All of those little details are adding up to more balance and better timing for me. I'm still not there, but feel that we're gonna get there.

Now, if I could just afford my dream equipment!

Balance - hold yourself back

2005-01-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

The Sand Trap referred to balance as a key to shot consistent making. I believe I was able to achieve that today on the driving range by telling myself "hold yourself back" particularly on the downswing. At address I am putting more weight on my back foot, looking at the ball with my left eye (a Nicklaus trick) and then attempting to hold that weight back so that my hips don't sway. When I don't I have a terrible habit of sending the ball far right.

None of these things are to be exagerated mind you, they are guides and preshot thoughts. If I overdo it I send the ball left. It has been a good corrective move for me and I feel with enough practice I will be sending the ball down the middle of the fairway on a more regular basis.

Gadget alert

2005-01-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

I might grab on of the "line 'em ups" from fine tune golf. Anything to get the putting on track. Anybody put a line on their ball?

Ha!

2005-01-06T10:52:00.000-08:00

Check out some funny crap at the divot.

Video Instruction at PGA.com

2005-01-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

I think you'll really enjoy some of what they are including in the way of instruction at pga.com's instruction page.

Putting and Feel

2005-01-06T09:38:00.000-08:00

I'm coming to believe that putting is feel. It is understanding the connection between you and the ball. If I may be so bold: "Be the ball." Working so hard with the Taylor Made Mezza I have come to appreciate feel quite a bit more since Taylor Made's "chunk of metal on a stick with a soft plastic insert that gives you no feel" hasn't quite won me over. I will say I'm starting to see the putting line better with this putter but I'm still not there. It's all about the intangibles when putting and feel is a key ingredient to the intangibles.

One more time (repost)

2005-01-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

1. No reverse pivot... keep hips still or even slide them slightly (1-2 inches) back on the backswing. Stay back on the downswing and let arms pull you foreword.

2. Position chest above right foot.

3. Close club-face slightly at address.

4. Swing from the inside.

Mallet or Blade?

2005-01-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

Well, I keep trying this crazy center shafted mallet putter I got for Christmas and I seem to be getting better with it. The thing I should remember about my blade putter is that I spent a lot of time with it getting into a groove and understanding alignment and the feel of my swing. Having moved to the center shafted mallet during my living room practice at least has involved quite a few changes. The mallet is heavier, alignment is different because the shaft is at the center of the putter, the grip is much smaller than the Winn grip I had put on the blade a couple of months ago, and the look is entirely different.

One of the keys really is believing in your equipment. The more time I spend with the Mezza the more confidence I have in it, although it still doesn't feel like my go-to putter yet.

The biggest problem I have is with distance. It has been very difficult for me to get a feel for distance. This probably has to do with the heavier head and the soft insert that they put on the face of the putter. I suppose it takes time. I've been so up and down, back and forth with this putter. I feel like I'm starting to understand what needs to happen to make an effective and consistent stroke with it so I'll give it a little more time and then we'll see.

Tad Moore Putters

2005-01-03T22:14:00.000-08:00

I am on the hunt for a putter. I'm fairly certain that center shafted putters aren't for me. After spending some more quality time with the TM Mezza tonight I think I almost give up. I prefer the look of a blade really. I discovered Tad Moore putters and thought the TMX3 looked nice. Admittedly, it's not a forged blade, but budget is the bottom line right now. Sure hope I can find one to try around here.

Attitude

2005-01-02T21:48:00.000-08:00

A good attitude... positive and loose goes a long way at this miserable game we play. A positive outlook coupled with a killer instinct make for good golf.

Third 9 holes of the weekend

2005-01-02T16:35:00.000-08:00

I was back to Nisqually Valley Golf Course and yes, it was dry compared to the soup I was tramping around in at Avalon GC in Burlington, Washington. Good to be on the home course. I'm managing the course a bit better these days, but my ball striking was less than desireable at times today. I think I was too tight. It threw me way off the game. Stay loose, stay relaxed.

Groove?

2005-01-01T21:23:00.000-08:00

Could it be that I'm getting closer to having a grooved swing?

Hope says, "Every confident swing breeds your next confident swing. The more you play, the better your chances of lowering your score."

Reality says, "Are you kidding me bucko?! Even the best players in the world are searching for more consistency. Consistent is for God and machines. You are neither."

I'd like to believe that I'm getting closer to a swing I can trust from the putter through the driver. I'm gonig to believe hope.

Avalon Golf Club, Burlington, WA

2005-01-01T20:11:00.000-08:00

Well, turns out I was only able to play the "North 9" at Avalon, but really enjoyed the experience. There were two par threes in the mix and some fairly long shots too. Almost 600 yards from the blue tees on #3. I, of course, was playing from the white tees once I figured out that the concrete blocks were the white tees and the pieces of wood were the ladies tees. Oops on hole #1. I discovered this when I flew the green on #2 and felt like where I was standing couldn't be 140 yards. After moving back to the proper tee, I stuck the green with a dart :-) .

The conditions were extremely wet. Not as bad as Overlook Golf Course (no website to my knowledge) I had played the day before. Overlook was on the verge of being a mud pit most the way. I suppose that's just the way golf on New Year's Day in Washington is going to be. At any rate, Avalon was beautiful to walk and offered plenty of challenge while affording good rewards to well struck shots.

Water came into play on a couple of holes and there were an adequate number of bunkers to deal with. I ended up in the bunker on a dogleg left and hit a well struck 7 iron out of it. The sand was too hard to expect to approach the sand shot in a conventional way (digging in ahead of the ball). It called for a proper chip - just grazing the sand while striking the ball directly. I found this out on the first bunker I ended up in. I was only in two bunkers by the way.

I expect that Avalon will make a fine destination when summer greets us. I look foreword to getting there early and playing all 27 holes. Well worth your time.

The "North 9" gets 4 stars.

This weekend

2005-01-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

Well, I had a good weekend on a couple of differnet courses. I'll comment on the courses themselves later but let me say I was pretty pleased with my play this weekend. My scores weren't much better than usual but I'm beginning to "see" what I need to do in the way of swinging and managing the course. I was driving well today which I'm really happy about. I'm starting to feel proper balance and timing with the big club. Yes!

My chipping wasn't super confident for some reason today. I chalked it up to the super soggy course conditions we were playing. The greens putted like a wood floor which is remarkable given the sogginess of the fairways and tee boxes. I'm used to slower greens and that hurt me on the dance floor. That's it for now.

Avalon GC

2004-12-30T21:20:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna head up to Avalon Golf Club for 18 Friday (tomorrow). The course is just a few miles from the inlaws place. Hopefully the weather is cooperative... I'll probably be there anyway! Hopefully I can keep it between the trees.

I'll post a report in a couple of days.

Reverse Pivot Discussion

2004-12-30T13:50:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you (and myself) something: A reverse pivot is going to kill your fun at the golf course. I am speaking from experience here. A reverse pivot drains the punch out of your swing and makes it very difficult to be accurate in your shotmaking. In an effort to improve I am referring to a couple of resources.

You'll this discussion by PGA Pro's offering a fix to those practicing the dreaded reverse pivot helpful.

Jim Mclean simplifies what to do right to fix the reverse pivot here.

Coil above your right side (for right handed golfers) and don't slide foreword on the downswing. Stay back.

Pick the ball off the carpet

2004-12-30T11:50:00.000-08:00

It helps me to think "just pick the ball off the carpet" when using long irons and fairway woods. It keeps me from hitting it fat and promotes a sweeping swing required with longer fairway sticks.

Aim Small, Miss Small.

2004-12-30T11:44:00.000-08:00

Mel Gibson's character in The Patriot says to his sons about shooting a musket, "Aim small. Miss small." Well, that seems good advice when putting. Pick the smallest target you can such as a blade of grass at the cup or some imperfection on the green, dial in the sight line from the target to your ball and pull the trigger. Keep the mental variables to a minimum and trust your instincts and your smooth stroke.

Slow Takeaway

2004-12-30T10:21:00.000-08:00

I'm blown a way how much of a difference a slow deliberate takeaway changes the trajectory and direction of the golf ball. My results are changing dramatically since I've slowed my backswing down to a crawl. It is easier for me to feel the swing come together and do the right things throughout the swing. This is probably my best swing change so far.

Club Head Position...

2004-12-29T23:14:00.000-08:00

I am notorious for leaving the clubface open at set-up. To me the clubface looks square at set up but I need to turn it to what appears to me to be a closed position to hit it the right direction. You'd think I'd figure that out sooner. That is the quickest way to fix my "leave it right" problem.

Putter

2004-12-29T17:27:00.000-08:00

Well I got my "precious" Mezza Monza Center Shaft putter for Christmas and after a little work on the carpet started hitting a quarter on the carpet at about 8 feet fairly regularly. Well, now I notice a tendancy for me to open the clubface on the backswing and the grip is too small... smaller than I'm used to. Anyway, I think my hopes were a little too high for this putter. Part of me is reluctant to take it out to the course and scuff it up.

I had gotten fairly accurate with an old Titleist sp-203 my father-in-law passed on to me. Anyway... I'll quit complaining now.

Looks like I'll be selling the Mezza and looking for something else.

In search of a driver swing

2004-12-29T17:25:00.000-08:00

Hit my longest drive ever off the tee at #1 at Nisqually Valley, the goat track called a golf course down the road from our house. I've been working so hard a straitening out the stroke. I typically send the ball far right off the tee. The ball ended up approximately 260 yards down the fairway from the white tees. It went so far because it went mostly strait which is nothing short of miraculous.

Here's the thoughts and technique that I've been trying to employ:

1. No reverse pivot... keep hips still or even slide them slightly (1-2 inches) back on the backswing. Stay back on the downswing and let arms pull you foreword.

2. Position chest above right foot.

3. Close club-face slightly at address.

4. Swing from the inside.

Many times I'll fall back into old habits and have to correct myself but I'm heading in the general direction of improvement. I'm really pleased with that one drive because it shows me that I was heading in the right direction. I feel that with persistence and discipline I'll achieve the consistent swing I'm looking for.

None of this comes naturally of course, it must be a deliberate and methodical approach to improvement with my eyes on long term results.

18 Friday

2004-12-29T17:09:00.000-08:00

Friday is the first day of my weekend and naturally my first golf day so I dub this golf blog "18 Friday" for the first day I get to play after a week at the office.

Here we go...