Golf Journal

Golfing in Lanai, Hawaii

2012-01-04T15:47:00.001-08:00

Golfing in Lanai, Hawaii

2012-01-04T15:38:00.001-08:00

Pictures will be here soon

Golf Lesson #8 with Jeff Ritter

2011-09-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

Golf Lesson #7 with Jeff Ritter

2011-07-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

Golf Lesson #6 with Jeff Ritter

2011-06-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

Golf Lesson #5 with Jeff Ritter

2011-06-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

Golf Lesson #4 with Jeff Ritter

2011-06-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

Lesson #3 with Jeff Ritter

2011-05-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

Lesson #2 with Jeff Ritter

2011-04-29T02:13:00.000-07:00

Golf Lesson with Jeff Ritter (1 of 10) at ASU Karsten

2011-04-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

I signed up for a group of 10 lessons with Jeff Ritter as a birthday present from my wife, Alicia. Thanks Alicia!!! I am excited to work with Jeff to improve my golf game. Of course my improvement depends a lot on how much time I put into practice. I am committed to practice every day, even if it's in my garage with my mirror.

Enjoy the video below of my lesson!

Jeff teaches at ASU Karsten in Tempe, Arizona and was recently featured in Golf Digest as one of the "Top Young Teachers in America!"

Amazing lesson with Jeff Ritter

2011-03-12T12:52:00.000-08:00

I have never been more excited to practice my golf swing than I am now after taking a lesson from Jeff Ritter who is located at the ASU Karsten golf course. Check out the video!

Let me break it down:

My take away is too shallow, and too much to the inside.

This is caused by a few things, one being my head leaning to the right.
To fix, I need to square up my shoulders and "get my head on straight" as Jeff says in the video.

I also can do the "trace the bag" drill where I trace the bag at the beginning of my back swing.

Also I like to think of having the club "in the bicep" on the way back.
I like the feeling of having my elbow behind me on the way back.

From a shallow takeaway I come over the top and become steeper on my downswing.

It should actually be the opposite: steep and then shallow.
Because I'm coming down steep my body does everything it can to compensate.

standing up taller for example.

I want to have a "looping" feel (at least for now) where I come back through my bicep and down through the forearm.

I have already been practicing this in my mirror at home.
Steep to shallow
When I go from steep to shallow, I shouldn't "tuck the elbow". This is the most difficult to me right now but I'm getting better. If I can feel like my elbow is still behind me then I'll be ok I think.

During my waggle, do a mini-looping swing.

This helps to get the feel of steep to shallow.
I also noticed it helps to loosen my grip.

Everything that Jeff told me made sense and I can actually see not only how taking it back correctly improves the swing, but also WHY I'm taking it back too shallow. I need to square up to the target line...no more of trying to keep my right shoulder back, head behind the ball, etc. This just sets me up for my bad takeaway.

I probably forgot something but I wanted to get something down before I forgot. I'll try to keep a record of my progress.

The Best Drill Ever to Cure Your Slice!!!

2011-02-18T08:40:00.000-08:00

I just came across the best drill ever for curing my slice and I wanted to share! On the driving range I was behind my ball taking practice swings, trying to keep my right shoulder back (I'm right-handed) and it just happened that my golf bag was just to the right of my practice swing line. When I swung from the inside, the dirt and grass would hit my golf bag. That was the visual that I needed!!!!

So, the drill is:

Set your golf bag down your target line, but to the right about 2 or 3 feet...basically in right field.
Don't hit balls, but make practice swings taking small divots.
The dirt should hit your golf bag.
When hitting a ball, visualize the dirt hitting your golf bag down the line and to the right a little.

Enjoy!!!

I played Silver Creek Golf Course in Show Low, AZ

2010-08-26T09:12:00.001-07:00

I played last weekend at Silver Creek Golf Course up in Show Low, AZ with my father-in-law Jimmy. WE had a great time and the weather was absolutely perfect. The course is in excellent shape but watch out for the quick greens, they will add some strokes to your score. I shot a 91 which is mediocre but I still had a great time...I highly recommend this course if you're up in the area.

Played Logan River in Asics Running Shoes

2010-08-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

Has anyone ever played golf in running shoes? I thought it wouldn't be a problem...I've practiced in tennis shoes before and have hit balls in hitting bays wearing them. Well, last week I played with my brother at Logan River Golf Course in Logan, Utah in my Asics running shoes and it was more of a problem than I thought. First of all the course was somewhat wet, especially the tee boxes, so my feet slipped while I was swinging. After I realized that I needed to take one extra club and swing a little 'easier' I did a lot better, but I definitely will do all I can to avoid playing in tennies in the future! :)

Final result:

Score - 89
Lost balls - too many to count! :)

Swingyde is a Great Training Aid!

2010-07-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

Inside Approach Swingyde

I saw a guy at the PGA Superstore in Chandler, AZ using one of these in the hitting bay and he had a really nice swing. I asked him how he liked it and he said he was just trying it out but that when using it, he hit the ball 10 yds further in the simulator.

I decided to try it on the simulator and I found that this little gadget helped me get into a better position on the back swing, making sure I had enough wrist cock (I tend to not have enough), but what was even better for me was to try to maintain the hinge in my wrist on the way down and then follow through in my release.

The very next round I played at Whirlwind Devil's Claw in Chandler, Arizona and I shot my best score of a 77. I don't know if it was coincidence or the Swingyde but I ordered one right away and I love it! You see, if you are using the Swingyde and you don't follow through properly, the guide will let you know that. It's feedback that you can feel and see and use on the driving range.

The Golf Fix - Turn the weight, don't shift the weight

2010-06-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

I love watching The Golf Fix on the Golf Channel. I have a season pass on my Tivo and watch it whenever my wife isn't in the room because she hates it. :)

Last night I watched the episode where Michael Breed talked about the turn in the back swing and how all of us amateurs shift our weight in the back swing which leads to a hip sway and our weight going to the outside of our right heel (for right-handers). I have struggled with this problem a lot in my golf swing and have done countless drills to correct it. I tried to avoid an excessive hip turn because I've seen so many videos of the X-factor and how you shouldn't turn the hip too much. However, Michael Breed doesn't seem to care too much about hip turn as long as you get a full turn in the back swing. The main message from the program was to complete a full turn and think about turning the weight...not shifting the weight in the back swing.

It was interesting to watch Justin Rose and how he keeps his weight so balanced in his swing. Michael did a good job of explaining how when you turn, your shoulders are more on your right side as well as your chest, so the weight does transfer, but as a result of turning, NOT SHIFTING!!!!

Thanks Michael Breed!!! Let's do this!!!

Does the Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Towel really work?

2010-05-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

I was at the PGA Superstore the other day buying unnecessary golf items like we all love to do and at the counter the cashier showed me the Chilly Pad by Frogg Toggs.
They had the towel already moistened with water and she let me feel how cool it was. However, this was in an air-conditioned store...how would the product work in the 110+ Arizona desert heat?

Trump National Golf Course

2010-05-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was in LA last week and decided to splurge and play an afternoon round of golf for $160 at Trump National Golf Course. It was amazing! I wish I could have played better though...I shot a 92. The weather was perfect and the course and scenery were amazing. It was a different golf experience because the area was heavy with locals walking their dogs down to the beach and tourists taking pictures.Search Amazon.com for trump national golf course

I love my SkyCaddie SG2.5

2010-04-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

The SkyCaddie SG2.5 is light, easy to see, and simple to use. No more searching for sprinkler heads. No more wondering if I have the right club. Most importantly, every course I have ever golfed is available for download onto my SkyCaddie.

2nd Place, Closest to the Pin, and 1 Skin...Not Too Shabby

2010-03-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

I've been playing in a local men's league that plays several muni courses in the valley and have been enjoying it. Last weekend we played at Apache Wells in Northeast Mesa. I shot a 38-38 for a total of 76, which is my lowest score to date however the course is a par-71 and is rated 67.5 with a slope of 110...so not a very difficult course.

I ended up winning 2nd place in my flight ($20 gift certificate) and got closest to the pin on one of the holes (Apache Wells baseball cap) and won a skin on the same hole ($20 cash). I ended up with $56 in prizes, so it was a good day. The funny thing is that I feel that I didn't play that well, thought I putted better this week even though I missed some easy putts.

The main thing I would like to do better with is my wedge game and my chipping. I was missing the greens with my wedges and then even though I was chipping somewhat better than past rounds, it could improve a lot.

Mizuno Mx300 Irons Already Damaged Goods

2010-03-05T10:58:00.000-08:00

This image is taken from my cell phone which doesn't have the best camera, but my PW from my new Mizuno MX300 iron set is already damaged! This is after only the 3rd or 4th time using the clubs. The damage occurred at teh driving range at Whirlwind, so it's not like I was hitting from the rocky desert or anything. Because these clubs are chrome plated, the notch actually penetrated the chrome plating and will rust if I don't get this taken care of.

My Ping clubs got some dings and notches over time, but the club head was one solid material so it never rusted, it was more of a blemish but didn't affect the performance or the integrity of the club.

'Tis the time for practice

2010-02-22T14:05:00.001-08:00

Since golf rates are so outrageous here in Arizona at this time, I have been doing more practicing lately. One of the things I have been working on is trapping the ball or compressing the ball. It is amazing how much difference this makes in the ball contact and the distance the ball travels after impact.

I have been doing my own drill where I place my hands ahead of the ball at impact, then I take back the club only about to where the shaft is parallel to the ground, so only a 1/4 swing. Then I swing through with a full follow-through and make sure to mimic the feeling I had before the swing. I set down 5 balls and do the 1/4 swing drill on 4 of them and then a full swing on the 5th.

At a 1/4 swing I could get about 3/4 the distance of my full swing using this drill. I think that is amazing!

One thing I noticed with myself is that sometimes when I "try" to get my hands ahead of the ball, I end up shanking the shot and/or fading the ball a lot. I'm not sure why this is....with my hands ahead of the ball I really have to make sure the club face is closed.

New Mizuno MX300 irons

2010-01-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

The fitting at Cool Clubs went very well. I was fitted by Josiah at the TPC Scottsdale driving range. They had a setup where they could screw on and off the different club heads to give unlimited combinations of club head and shaft.

We tried the TaylorMade Burner, Mizuno MX200, and Titlest AP1/AP2 along with different shafts such as Nippon. In fact it was the Mizuno MX200 and Nippon shaft that created the best combination statistically for me for distance, accuracy, ball spin, etc. Josiah also recommended a slightly longer shaft than my +1/2" which I think became +5/8". Wooooo, another 1/8" will make ALL the difference (enter sarcasm here).

So, I ended up getting the Mizuno MX300 because they are almost identical to the MX200's but with a better looking topline (smaller). It's just that Josiah didn't have the correct MX300 clubhead for me to try, so we used the MX200 in the fitting.

Overall I was very happy with the fitting. Josiah was very thorough in the fitting and I felt I got my money's worth. They also offered to match my wedges to the loft and lie of my irons for free.

There were only two things I wasn't happy about and they were minor. I wasn't notified when my new clubs came in. I waited and waited and finally called and they told me the clubs were in. I wondered when they would have called me if I had waited longer. Then when I went in to get the clubs, there just wasn't the customer service I expected. I had to stand around for a while and wait for someone to come help me.

Then I left my wedges to be altered and ate lunch, and when I came back the clubs were not done and no one was working on them. The guy at the front desk hurried back and I waited for him to finish. He didn't tell me anything, just went back to the shop and started putting the grips on them.

Getting custom fit for clubs at Cool Clubs in Scottsdale

2010-01-08T08:25:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I am getting a custom fit for golf clubs (irons only) at a place in Scottsdale called "Cool Clubs" at 1pm. It was recommended to me by Paul Trittler at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

2009-12-16T15:44:00.000-08:00

Best round ever (77) at Poston Butte in Florence, AZ

2009-10-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

Jimmy and I played Poston Butte way out in Florence, AZ the other day. I had my best round ever! Golf is a funny sport...as excited as I am about scoring the 77, I can't help but think of the triple bogey that I got and how if I had only got a bogey I would have scored a 75!!! :) Can't I just be happy?

But then, I think of several good putts I made or chips where I got a par instead of a bogey...a bogey instead of a double. Those are better thoughts.

3 rounds in a row under 80

2009-08-10T08:28:00.001-07:00

For the first time in my life I have not only shot 2 rounds under 80, but now 3 rounds! My 3rd round being a 77 at Falcon Ridge in Mesquite, NV on 31 July 2009.

On August 1, I played Wolf Creek in Mesquite, NV which has amazing views! I will post a slide show of this beautiful course!

Back to Back 78's

2009-07-28T20:22:00.001-07:00

I shot a 78 at Logan River while playing with my brother Anthony and then last weekend I followed it up with a 78 at Whirlwind Cattail. That's going to help the handicap!

88, 88, 87 and 79 at Branson

2009-05-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

Last week I was in Branson, MO with my in-laws and my wife. We had a great time! I played 4 rounds of golf.

2 rounds at Branson Creek at a score of 88 a piece.

1 round at Payne Stewart with an 87.

and my best round of 79 at Ledgestone.

We had a great time...when I get a chance I will post some photos!

36 holes on Saturday

2009-05-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

Saturday, I played 36 holes at the Troon golf course, Whirlwind. They have a special with a Troon Card you can play a second round for only $10 and I finally took advantage of it.

The first round was at the Cattail course at 8:24 am and the second was at Devil's Claw. I shot an 84 on the first round and an 83 on the second....not too shabby for me! I have been trying to apply the new swing thoughts that Mark showed me in my previous lesson. I felt like I did just ok and could have done much better if I hadn't gotten myself into trouble off the tee and if I could have hit some more greens. I would have to say that my most common miss was a pull. I think I still tend to be quick instead of being fluid throughout the swing.

One highlight was when I made about a 70 yard shot for a birdie. It was a par 4 and I had hit into the desert on the first shot and just punched it out into the fairway with my rock wedge to about 70 yards. I took out my 60 deg wedge and hit a nice shot right at the pin. The ball hit the flag and rode it all the way down into the hole! That's one way to get a birdie! :)

Golf Lesson with Mark

2009-04-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

Mark is a teaching pro at Whirlwind Golf Course in Chandler, Arizona. I frequently practice at the driving range at Whirlwind, and he was also the head instructor at the clinic from my last post. Since it was my first lesson with Mark, I was unsure what to expect, but what I learned was invaluable to my golf swing.

Using some video equipment, Mark was able to capture great, clear video of my swing from "down the line" and saw that as I hit the ball, I was coming out of my posture. He gave me some great drills and swing thoughts and by the end of the lesson my swing looked ten times better on the monitor.

One of the best swing thoughts was to picture that my hips are in a doorway. On the back swing, the right side of my rear end extends into the doorway and then on the downswing the left side extends into the doorway. For a drill at home, I could stand with my back toward the wall placing my rear end on the wall. Throughout the swing, I should be in contact with the wall at all times...especially, in my case, on the downswing and at impact.

What I've noticed with this change is that my ball flight is more consistent and therefore my misses are less dramatic. I've also noticed that I pick the ball more often, which lately I have been taking huge divots so this is a welcomed change. Tomorrow I will be taking this to the course, so we will see if it improves my score. I definitely have seen an improvement on the range!

Whirlwind Clinic

2009-03-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I attended a golf clinic at Whirlwind. It was two hours and cost a mere $25 so it was a no-brainer. There were 3 stations: full swing, chipping, and sand trap.

Here's what I learned from each station:

1) full swing

Drill - place a ball a little to the right of my target line and a few feet in front of me and swing out towards this ball. This stops me from pulling my irons.
Stand Taller - I tend to hunch over the ball
Wider Stance - With a narrow stance, my weight gets over the right side of my right foot a little too much.
The Barkley Drill - Charles Barkley does a drill with Hank Haney on the Golf Channel show "The Haney Project" that the instructor said would work for me as well.

2) Chipping

Put feet close together
Left foot a few inches back
Open left foot a little
Ball position on back foot
Putting stroke
Drill - This drill helps your feel. Chip the first ball a short distance on the green. Chip the second a little further than the first...the third a little further and so on. Try to keep chipping a little further each time and see how many you can do before going off the back of the green.

3) Sand

Place ball in middle of stance.
Open to the target
Club face at the target
Swing along body
Drill - Make a footprint in the sand. Swing in the sand and take out only the footprint. Not more...not less.
For a short, high shot (ball in front of bunker near the green) place the ball back in stance to force a steeper swing.

FBR Open in Scottsdale, AZ no longer?

2009-03-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

I just saw this article on the Golf Digest website...will someone step up to sponsor what was previously known as the "Phoenix Open"? Will this be the end of the famous 16th hole...the loudest hole in golf? I hope not!

-----------------

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem addressed sponsorship issues at a news conference at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

The good news: Accenture has agreed to an extension to sponsor the Match Play through 2014. Travelers also also agreed to sponsor the Travelers Championship through 2014. Two-thirds of the title sponsors are signed through 2012.

The bad news: FBR will discontinue its sponsorship of the FBR Open in Scottsdale, Ariz., after 2010, and as had been previously announced U.S. Bank will discontinue its sponsorship of the U.S. Bank Championship after 2009. Then there was Ginn Resorts, which pulled its sponsorship of a Champions Tour event, prompting the PGA Tour to file a suit.

The potentially ugly: Finchem said the Stanford St. Jude Classic will go forward, though he would not comment on Stanford Financial's troubles with the SEC. He also had this to say about Northern Trust, which suddenly has Congress angry at it (see the previous post): "We're pleased with the direction of the Northern Trust Open. Northern Trust has turned out to be a fantastic partner, as we thought they would be, but also there's a lot going on to help build the quality of our tournament in Los Angeles."

In summary, Finchem said, "We're going to keep blocking and tackling and work our way through this."

-- John Strege

Blair Douglass lesson

2009-03-06T09:47:00.000-08:00

I had a lesson with Mr. Douglass again last week and he really liked my swing. I've come a long way I think under his tutelage. He liked my take away, but I still have a tendency sometimes to take to the inside. I think this tendency will take me a long time to fully remove from my swing, but it's getting better.

A couple things he told me to work on:

1) Look at the ball a little longer. See my club hit the ball. I tend to look up just a little to early and Blair thinks that is causing other problems, like coming out of the shot too early.

2) Don't over rotate the right heel in my follow through. Keep that right heel pointing upwards.

3) Maybe feel a little more weight in my heels. I tend to lose my balance going forward on my toes.

Golf is the crack of sports

2009-01-26T13:42:00.000-08:00

I love this quote from Alice Cooper, which I got from the Golf Channel, because it's so true!

"Being a former addict I understand addiction. It's the crack of sports." – Alice Cooper, talking about how golf helped save him from his personal demons.

From Snowman to 81 at Ocotillo

2008-12-02T12:20:00.001-08:00

I started out the round on Sunday at Ocotillo with a snowman! It was 8:30 AM on a Sunday and I was starting to think that maybe I shouldn't have gotten up that morning. However, I ended up with a 43 on the front nine (the blue course) and then a startling 38 on the back nine (white course).

One thing I noticed that I improved on this time was putting. I didn't have any 3 putts the entire round. Sometimes that statistic is misleading, because on the front nine I had several chips and two putts. In my opinion, a chip and a two-putt is the same as a three-putt....THREE STROKES!!!

We all want to hit it long!

2008-11-12T07:43:00.000-08:00

Here's some tips from Jason Zubak, the man with the longest drive. I'm sure it will screw up my swing, but I'll give his tips a shot! :)

Still taking away my irons to the inside

2008-11-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

I had a lesson with Blair Douglass yesterday. It has been a few months since my last lesson, but I have been working on several things...mainly taking my club back online rather than to the inside. Blair said it's looking better, but when I saw a video of my take away, it looked horrible to me! I've got to get my back swing looking good because it sets me up for a good downswing. I know the impact area is where things really matter, but it's like other things in life where good preparation pays off.

The good news is that my footwork is fine, no complaints from Blair, although he isn't extremely picky with mechanics. He also said my driver back swing was perfect, so I guess when I have troubles with my driver, it probably isn't my back swing...it's either a face angle issue, or something else.

Two Birdies at Talking Stick

2008-11-04T15:50:00.000-08:00

Some friends of mine and I played Talking Stick last Saturday and they wanted to play for money, so I figured, what the heck. They wanted to play best front nine, back nine, overall, birdies, and greenies. I'm not sure how much each of them pays out, but I know that no one ever loses more than about $20, so I was in.

I started out the first hole with a great drive and a good approach shot, that landed on the green about 15 feet from the hole, which I preceded to drain! One of the other guys got a bogie and he started his frustrations. I was with a single since there were only three of us. That was nice because he was very laid back like myself...doesn't get too upset or excited. We would chuckle at the anger and frustration exhibited by the guys in the other cart (i.e. my friends).

So, the front nine, I got a 41 and then the back nine I had two triple bogies, and ended up with a 44 which gave me an 85 overall. Not bad, but I wish I could end the penalties and the three putts. If I could have no penalties and no three putts, I think I could consistently score in the low 80's and maybe pull off some high 70's.

Tiger Woods back at Torrey Pines as caddie

2008-10-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=ap-tigerthecaddie&prov=ap&type=lgns

Can you imagine having Tiger Woods as your caddie? That would be amazing! Actually, I would rather just play with Tiger and caddie myself, but either way...it would be a dream come true.

Choosing a Golf Bag

2008-10-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

I finally selected a golf bag! I have been looking and looking and finally decided on the Sun MountainC-130.

Let me tell you the process I went through in making this decision:

First, I had to decide between a "Cart Bag" or a "Carry Bag". A Carry Bag is also sometimes referred to as a "Stand Bag" because it has two legs that allow it to stand on it's own.

I decided on a Cart Bag because even when I walk, I have a pull cart which I can put the cart bag on more easily than a carry bag. Also, almost all of the courses I play include a cart in the fee and are designed more for riding a cart than for walking. Finally, the cart bag has more pockets and room for useless things that I like to take onto the golf course. :)

The decision finally came down to one of the Callaway Cart Bags and the Sun Mountain bag. Honestly, the only reason I was deciding between the two was because an employee at the PGA Superstore recommended the Sun Mountain bag. He said that there really isn't much difference between the brands of bags, but he likes the Sun Mountain because they are built to last. He personally has seen less returns and less problems with the Sun Mountain bags.

I also wanted a bag with individual pockets for each club. The Sun Mountain has dividers for 14 clubs, and an additional putter well. So, in reality this gives me an extra divider for my "desert club". Here in Arizona, you need to have a "desert club" for when you need to hit your ball from the desert. Usually the desert consists of rocky terrain that will damage your new irons, so you want to have an old beat up club from Play It Again Sports or something. My desert club of choice is a 52 degree wedge, whereas my father-in-law's desert club is a 7-iron. One downfall of the individual dividers is that now I cannot shove some of my practice aids into my golf bag.

I've only used my golf bag once so far, and so far I love having an individual slot for each club. Now my clubs slide in and out of the bag very easily. I also love the plethera of pockets available so I can separate my golf balls from my tees, etc. One thing that will take a little getting used to is the main carry handle is on the back side of the bag to allow more pockets in the front of the bag. I am used to having this handle on the front, so this will take some time to get used to. Other than that, I think I made a great choice.

TPC Scottsdale $99 Summer Deal 36 Holes

2008-08-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to TPC Scottsdale and took advantage of their special summer deal. $99 for two rounds, one at the Champions Course and the other at the Stadium Course (where the FBR Open is played), lunch included.

We started around 7:30 AM and then ate lunch, showered, changed into fresh clothes, and headed back out to the Stadium Course. It wasn't until the last four holes that I really felt the heat...I was drained!

I shot a 79 at the Champions course! It was the first time I broke 80 for at least a year. We played for money on the overall 36 hole score and I won the pot. We also played greenies, skins, and birdies and I won a few of those as well! I had two birdies on the Champions course and one birdie on the beautiful par 5, hole 15, with the green surrounded by water!

Highlights at Whirlwind

2008-08-20T15:38:00.001-07:00

At Whirlwind, I didn't get a full round in before it got dark, but here is a highlight of the round.

On the first hole, I hit a great drive down the center of the fairway. On my next shot, I shanked the ball, which I haven't done in a long time. I was disgusted. Since I was the only player out there, and probably the last of the day, I pulled out a practice ball and landed it on the front of the green.

As I approached my ball, I realized I was about 78 yards from an elevated green (from where I was standing) with a small tree in front of me. I pulled out my 60 degree wedge and knew I could fly the tree. As I hit my ball, I saw it launch right at the flag. Since the green was elevated, I couldn't see if I was short or long, or what happened to the ball after it hit the green.

I climbed the small hill to the green in anticipation. There a ball lay on the front of the green, quite a distance from the pin. "Oh well" I thought and I went and pulled the pin out from the hole only to hear a ball settle in the bottom of the cup where the pin had been. "Who left their ball in the hole?" I wondered.

All in one moment I saw that the ball was mine, and realized that the ball in the front of the green was the practice approach shot that I had hit previously. I looked around to see if anyone had witnessed my ball go in the hole, as I definitely had not. No one was around, but I gleefully marked a 3 and circled it on my scorecard!

Practice Weekend

2008-08-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I didn't play golf, I practiced. I actually enjoy practicing golf, which I hope will translate to me becoming a better golfer.

This time I practiced my short game heavily. I started off on my chipping in different positions around the green. Uphill chipping, Downhill chipping, to a short pin and long pin. I then moved out to 40, 55, and 70 yards approximately. As I am writing this, I realize that I don't remember the exact yardages now! I need to go re-verify on the practice range. I found out that if I go "L to L" my distance is about 45-50 yards, and if I go from what I call "L to T" which simply means I have a full follow-through, my ball reaches the 70 yard mark. For the shorter, 40 yard shot I can simply do the same "L to L" routine but have my feet very close together so as to limit my lower body in the shot, which reduces the distance to around 40 yards. "L" simply means a half back-swing where the arms are parallel to the ground and the club with the arms forms an "L" shape. The "T" is where on a full, follow-through, the club actually is more parallel to the ground and the club with the arms forms a "T" shape.

For my putting, I practiced some longer-range "lag" putts. Trying to improve my feel. One thing I have heard that you can do is simply "lag" the ball to the fringe on the edge of the green. I didn't do this, however, because I wanted to get close to a pin (which simulates what happens in a real game situation). Then, I pulled out a home-made string with stakes, so I could practice my alignment as well as putting down the line, rather than pulling or pushing my putts. This practice was ideal because I realized that "where my eyes go, the ball goes". In other words, if my eyes follow the line I want the putt to go, the ball will follow.

We-ko-pa Weekend

2008-07-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

Jimmy and I played We-ko-pa, the Saguaro course, on Saturday morning. (From website) We-ko-pa is located just east of Scottsdale and Fountain Hills. The course is located on land that will never be used for residential or commercial development, yielding dramatic views of the Sonoran desert and the surrounding mountains.

All of the courses here in Arizona are either being aerated or are just done being aerated, and We-ko-pa was no different. The fairways were patchy and the greens were bumpy...you just can't get around it. It was better than Devil's Claw (Whirlwind) that I played last week.

I shot a respectable 43 on the front 9 but then a 47 on the back 9. The back nine started out great until I got a 7 on a par 3...not good. I hit the ball into the desert off the tee and then chipped out nicely, but then my next shot hit the front of the false front of the green and rolled back down just off the green. The flag placement was just above the false front. My next chip didn't make it up to the upper tier and rolled back down again. Of course the next shot went past the hole and luckily I made my putt for a wonderful 7!!! :(

On a better note, I played Whirlwind Devil's claw last week and shot a 39 on the front 9! The highlights of the front nine were a birdie on #5 followed by an eagle on #6. The birdie was from about 200 yards away with my 4-iron! Then on #5 I had about a 50-60 yard pitch shot with little green to work with, so I just wanted to land it softly next to the pin. The next thing I knew I heard a 'clink' and the ball was in the hole! I was playing alone so I looked around to see if anyone saw the amazing shot........dead silence followed. :)

The Golf Digest Challenge

2008-06-30T14:33:00.001-07:00

I decided to try the Golf Digest challenge. We'll see how long that lasts. They have you enter the Fairways hit, the GIRs (Greens in Regulation), the number of putts, chips, and sand saves.

They use this information to calculate not only your handicap, but they divide it into 2 categories: your short game handicap and long game handicap. The theory is that then you can know what to focus on during your practice hours to lower your overall handicap.

I have only entered 2 rounds right now, but I can see already that I really need to focus on my short game handicap. The biggest area of focus should be my chipping because I have on average only 20% saves on my chips.

Dr. Joel - The swing Doctor

2008-06-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

I had another great lesson with Dr. Joel yesterday. Because of the smoke created by a local fire in Avondale, we had the lesson inside the Kent Chase Golf Academy building. They have a nice setup in there with a mat, net, large mirrors, and a video camera.

Joel immediately showed me some basic flaws that I had in my setup, back swing, down swing, and finish. He told me that there are 3 basic steps to the golf swing (and the swing in any other sport like tennis, and baseball). 1) Load 2) Shift and 3) Release....or something to that effect.

The flaws I had were:

Setup - I need to relax the shoulders, and my arms should hang directly below my shoulder sockets. I had my hands a little close to my body. My posture could be improved as well with a little more of a "sitting down" feeling.
Back Swing - This part of my swing needs a little more work, but the good news is that with a good back swing, I am perfectly set up for a great down swing. I'm going to break the back swing up into the 1st half and 2nd half.

First half - Keep the club out in front of my hands. I tend to let the club head get behind my hands early. However, in keeping the club in front of my hands, I shouldn't tense up my shoulders and elbows. The right elbow should start to bend earlier than it does now. One thought that helped me in the first half was to start loading and turn the hips, keep the left wrist in the same position and just begin lifting the club.
Second half - Stay on the same plane angle as address. My plane at this point tends to be steeper. Hands should still be in the "triangle" created by the shoulders and the arms...they shouldn't be in front or behind this triangle. My left shoulder tends to be too high, in other words I don't keep my posture.

Down swing - Again two halfs

First half - Keep the posture, keep the club lag and just shift the weight to the left side. Don't engage the right side to early.
Second half - Now engage the right side and hit the ball!

Finish

First half - Extend the arms
Second half - Fold the arms in what Joel calls the "Pro finish". My finish tends to be too high. Watch the right heel...it should be directly above the right toe.

Drills that will help:

Get set up properly to the top of the backswing and then practice the first half of the downswing. Make sure I'm in the correct position and then do a slight "pump" and swing through to the balanced finish.
Without a club, cross arms, put hands on shoulder and practice the 1) Load to right side 2) Shift to left side 3) Finish with heel over toe. I can work on leg work and hip work with this drill.
With only the right hand on the club, place the left hand on the right arm, just above the elbow. Practice a perfect backswing and downswing. This will help me keep my right elbow loose and bending correctly. I tend to keep this too tight. Joel kept saying that my elbows are shock absorbers, which I don't completely understand right now but will eventually.

Request to Remove PGA Superstore Pic

2008-06-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

Judy from About.com posted a comment about my last post on the PGA Superstore in Chandler, Arizona. I used the picture from the About.com website and I guess it was copyrighted. Who knew? :)

Below is the comment she posted, and I was just thrilled that someone noticed this little ol' blog of mine about my love for golf!

---------
Hello,
I just came across your blog and I found my copyrighted image there. Please immediately remove that image of the PGA Superstore.

About.com is a part of the New York Times Company, and I am supposed to report copyright violations to the legal department there, but I would prefer to give you the opportunity to correct this mistake.

Judy Hedding
About.com Guide to Phoenix, AZ
http://phoenix.about.com

PGA Superstore in Chandler, AZ

2008-06-26T11:39:00.001-07:00

(Copyrighted Image of PGA Superstore removed upon request....see comment)

Ok, this PGA Superstore is HUGE and I absolutely love it! I can spend hours there without even noticing the time fly by. I had been to one of their stores in Dallas, TX so I knew what to expect.

The pros:
-Several hitting areas: a net area, lesson area, and a short game area
-Large selection of merchandise: golf bags for any college you can think of, I even saw a Boise State hat, apparel, clubs, training aids, accessories...you name it, it was there.

The cons:
-The staff was not very helpful. I don't know if this was because it is new and they are understaffed, but I didn't have one person ask if they could help me. I was lost in the golf bag section (there are so many bags!) and I could not for the life of me find the Ogio bag I was looking for. I finally found it, but help would have been nice.
-Did I mention the staff not being helpful. There were signs all over the place advertising the $199 VIP and to ask for a free demo.

So, I asked one of the gentlemen about it and he said, "um, it's where you can have access to the netted hitting bays for an hour at a time whenever you want."

Logically, I asked, "Well, can't I use them any time I want to when I am trying out clubs?"

He said, "Well...yeah."

Later on, I went over to the netted hitting bays right after a guy finished hitting and noticed that in the bay there was a computer with a camera. The person who had just left had apparently been videoing his swing and analyzing it on the computer. He must have had the VIP membership with a login to be able to do this.

Now, why didn't the PGA Superstore staff member tell me this? Here's a perfectly good reason to be a VIP. Without a VIP membership, in order to video my swing myself, I have to drag out my camera, find my tripod, drag it all out to the golf course, set it all up (while I am feeling like a dork in front of everyone), video tape myself, come home, upload the video to my computer, load the video into some analysis software, and by that time it has been months and I have a totally different swing.

With the VIP membership, I can immediately video tape myself and get instant feedback. The camera, tripod, computer, and software is already setup for me. This is the true value of the VIP membership. They should have me selling this!!!

How NOT to Win Friends and Influence People on the Golf Course

2008-06-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday I golfed Whirlwind Cattail course after work. I was in a hurry because it was late and I wanted to get 18 holes in. I saw a few guys paying for golf behind me and I didn't want to get stuck with them because I saw nothing but wide open fairways. Well, I was in such a hurry that on hole #1 I hit my drive into the fairway bunker, then my approach shot was wide right, my 1st chip was over the green, my 2nd chip was short, I putted my 3rd chip, then putted in for a (count-em) 7 (triple bogie) on the 1st hole. Oh well, it was a nice, peaceful, sunny afternoon with wide open fairways. Now that I was through the 1st hole I could focus on the rest of the holes.

Well, as I was putting a gentleman drives his cart past me on to hole #2. I was like, "no you didn't". I thought to myself...if this guy is going ahead of me, he better get out of the way or I will hit into him. You can't just drive ahead of someone like that. If you do, you had better play faster than me.

When I drove up to the 2nd tee, there he was waiting for me. He asked if I was playing or practicing. I said, "well, I guess both." I usually enjoy playing with someone rather than alone, but I guess since I played hole #1 alone, I was already in the mood to play alone and I don't like surprises or changes in the middle of a round. So, that was odd, but I thought...oh well, it will be nice to play with someone else, and on the 2nd hole it was ok. He had a nice swing, was a good player, but was a little cocky.

But on the 3rd hole (a par 3), the guy hits a nice shot to the back of the green where the pin was and I told him it was a nice shot. I chose an 8 iron, and since the left and back of the green was guarded by water, I decided to play a fade (I'm right handed). Well, the ball started out right of where I wanted and faded off the right edge of the green.

So, Guy (I'm going to call him Guy) immediately asks, "what did you hit?"

I answered, "an 8 iron"

Guy asks, "what do you think the distance was?" Can you believe this jerk?

I said, "it's about 160 to the middle, the flag's in the back, so about 170-175."

Guy says condescendingly, "do you normally hit your 8 iron that far?"

By this time I was thinking...who does this guy think he is? I wanted to tell him off, but instead I gave him a full explanation of why I chose my 8 iron for that hole, "I was aiming for the middle of the green. I'm a mid-handicapper, and the water wraps around behind the green."

As we approached my ball was off the right of the green in a hollow and I said, "Yep, just the right distance for the middle of the green."

The whole time I wanted to tell this guy to either go ahead of me or behind me because I didn't come out here to be critiqued by Guy wannabe. However, to quiet him up I set up for my chip and CHIPPED IN FOR A BIRDIE!!!! TAKE THAT GUY!!!! And Guy missed his putt and made par. Yessssssssssssss! hahaha! That was awesome!

Hot afternoon of Golf

2008-06-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, but I have been golfing lately with my golf buddy, Jeff, in the afternoons with the temperature rising above 110 degrees. If you would have asked me to do this last year I would have thought you were joking. However, it's actually not too bad because:

a) You're in a cart, so you're not expelling a lot of energy.
b) There's usually a breeze in the afternoons that help.
c) It's cheap
d) No one else is as crazy as you are, so you have the course to yourself!

D is the best part, I think. You can play more relaxed, so you don't get as hot. Still don't buy it? Good, more golf for me! :)

Fathers Day Golf

2008-06-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

Alicia and I decided to go up to Pinetop to visit her dad Jimmy for the weekend. Jimmy and I played 27 holes at Silver Creek golf course, just outside of Show Low, and I beat him with a score of 88 so he now owes me lunch. We're now 2-2 since we've been keeping track and betting lunch on the match. It's a fun bet.

Jimmy got a great gift from his wife...a SkyCaddie GPS unit. I bought it and she paid me back so that it would be a surprise and not show up on their credit card. It's a pretty neat little unit. He got the SG5 which has the color screen and the IntelliGreen® technology, enabling golfers to measure the full depth and shape of the green from any angle of approach and shows distances for all targets and hazards on any of SkyGolf’s many thousands of professionally mapped courses. Can you tell I copied and pasted that last sentence from their website?

It was so nice to have the GPS unit on this course with very little yardage markers, but soon everyone was asking Jimmy to give them the yardage for each shot. He was running around giving everyone their precies yardage to the pin. It would have annoyed me, but I think Jimmy kind of liked being needed. :)

Scramble at Foothills

2008-06-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

I played in a scramble at the Foothills golf course with Jeff, who I met a Whirlwind and a couple of his friends....Taras and Chris. The scramble was, in my opinion, expensive at $90 a person and the benefits went to the Awatukee City of Lights (Christmas lights they put up on trees along the street). However, I think scrambles can be fun and Jeff needed a fourth person, so I went ahead and played. We had a great time, so I'm glad I went.

The Foothills course was in terrible shape! The fairways were spotty and the greens had new sod laid around them which instead of allowing you to run the ball up to the pin, would stop the ball, or send it off course.

We did ok at 8 under, but we shot a bogey on a par 3 which should never happen in a scramble. :)

The great thing was that we all contributed fairly evenly. I can't point out one person who contributed more or less than anyone else. It made me feel good that they all wanted me to lead off at driving because believe it or not, I have improved my driving distance and accuracy lately. Early on in the round I was not contributing to the approach shots to the green and we all were doing horrible with our 100 yd and in wedges. However, there were two holes in a row on the back nine where we used my approach shots so I felt a little better about that in the end. My putting was not on and that's where it is fun to contribute because that's the difference between a birdie and a par...or an eagle and a birdie!

89 at Talking Stick

2008-06-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

Talking Stick is a Troon course in Scottsdale off the 101 and Indian Bend. It is a desert course which is nice...I like playing on courses that don't have houses lining them. I played with my Jimmy and a couple of his friends that were in town for a wedding. They were nice folks...they must have a lot of cash because they bought our Gatorades and our lunch! I want to play with these guys more often! :)

Jimmy and I have a lunch bet going on every game we play now. Jimmy got an 87 so he beat me by two strokes and I owe him lunch. It will be like pulling teeth to get him to accept the lunch because he is used to paying for everything...but I will pay up! Jimmy was sinking putts and chipping up close to the hole. I parred the first 3 holes, so I got off to a great start, but that quickly faded. My driving was pretty solid...I hit 10 out of 14 fairways...but my approach shots weren't hitting the greens and my chipping and putting suffered as well.

This weekend I'm playing in a scramble with Jeff...a guy I met at Whirlwind who is more addicted to golf than I am. The other weekend he practiced for at least six hours straight for both days. His hands were so blistered when I saw him that he could barely hold the club. However, he just got a 79 at Whirlwind and says his scores have improved so I guess it was worth the pain.

Last week I had a lesson from Blair. He mainly told me to focus on taking the club back more on line instead of to the inside. When I hit balls last weekend, I noticed that if I feel like my right arm is on top of my left arm on the way back on my back swing, then I am not taking it inside.

Blair also showed me a drill to do with my driver where I take the club back to where the shaft is parallel to the ground...just 1/4 of the way (not at the top) and make sure the shaft is pointing down my toe line. In my normal back swing, the club head is way to the inside at this point. He advised me not to look at the club head because I don't want to get in the habit of looking at the club and not the ball.

What Golf GPS device to buy

2008-05-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

It seems the answer to the question of what device to use for correct yardage is endless and the opinions differ so radically.

My father-in-law got a laser device and he hates it. I have used it and don't like it either. The reason being, it takes time to 1) Get the device out and up to your eye 2) Decide what object you are going to bounce the laser off of (the flag is so small) and 3) Make sure you are holding the device steady or you might get a reading from the tree behind the flag. I usually have the best luck using the lip of a sand bunker and then judge the distance from there, but it is difficult to say the least. Some people are good at it and love it, but I am not a fan.

So, now I am trying to decide which GPS device to buy. I had narrowed it down to a model of the SkyCaddie from SkyGolf because everyone on the course I have seen with one loves it. I have noticed that the SG3 uses AA batteries, which I think would be nice...that's just what I need is another gadget to plug into the wall. However, the SG5 is color screen and I think has a slightly larger screen...so I'm also considering this device.

In reading reviews of the SkyCaddie at the SandTrap.com forum and other review sites, it makes me rethink my decision. However, I wonder if people who have bad experiences with a product, no matter what the product, are more likely to post because they are disappointed, maybe even angry, and want to get it out of their systems and warn the rest of us (which I thank them for). On the other hand, those who are happy or satisfied with the product don't feel as strong of a need to post and therefore we get a somewhat biased view of a product.

Now I'm more confused on what to buy than ever! :)

89 at Cattail

2008-05-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

Saturday I played Cattail at Whirlwind, one of the two courses (the other is Devil's Claw) with Jimmy. We started betting lunch on our round and last time he beat me by 1 stroke on the same course. This time I shot an 89 to his 93 to win the round. That sandwich at Paradise Cafe never tasted so good! :)

I didn't play particularly well, but I was happy with my driving. I was keeping track of the number of fairways I hit, but I left the score card on the golf cart so I don't have the exact number, however I remember seeing a lot of "Y's" on there. I played well on the front nine, shooting a 40 but on the back I ended up getting a 49. There were a lot of 3 putts that should have been 2 putts and a lot of chips where I didn't help myself out, leaving a long 10+ feet to the hole.

I'm Loving Whirlwind

2008-02-19T09:04:00.000-08:00

Lately, almost every weekend I go out to Whirlwind Golf Course, which is associated with Wild Horse Pass in the Gila River Indian community. There, I pay a $20 fee to have unlimited access to the practice facility which has two of everything: driving range, short game area, and putting green. There are usually not too many people out there so it is peaceful and relaxing...a welcome change from the zoo at the Dobson Ranch driving range.

I bounce back and forth from the driving range and the short game area, practicing different clubs. Lately, I have been swinging my driver a lot because it gets me into the most trouble recently. I can spend hours upon hours and even before leaving, I always hit just one last ball. Of course, I pay the putting green respect for a few minutes before leaving. :) I'm just as bad as the rest of the amateur race.

I have been considering getting an Annual Membership at Whirlwind, but the cost is quite prohibitive...$5600 for the year. Like my friend Chad says, "Even if you played once a week, you would be paying $100 each round." However, I dream of being a member at such a place. Imagine being able to play at any time...even if you could only get in a couple of holes. People don't realize how great that would be. You aren't forced to play an entire round each time and if it is too slow one day you can just pick up and leave. The ability to come, play, and go as you please is the X-factor that people don't take into account when assessing the cost of a golf membership.

I'm still dreaming of the day.....

Nightmare at Bandon Dunes

2008-02-11T07:58:00.000-08:00

Back in October, Jimmy's friend Vance had a great idea of going to Bandon Dunes, OR for a golf trip in January. Vance had done some research and read that even though January is the area's worst month for rain, the temperatures were relatively mild (around 50 degrees) and the rain was just a "mist" but rarely a full rain.

Well, Jimmy and I bought the story and agreed to go on this trip. I was hesitant, but they needed a fourth guy to fill the foursome. I felt a little pressure from my wife to accompany her dad on this golf trip (Jimmy is my father-in-law). If I could go back in time, to that day in October when I reluctantly agreed to this trip, I would have had no shame in turning down their offer.

Bandon Dunes has three beautiful courses and I think they are building a fourth. Bandon Dunes, Bandon Trails, and Pacific Dunes are always in the top 100 golf courses in the Golf Digest ratings and in any other golf course ratings you might see. They are of a true Links design and look just like the courses in the UK.

So, here's the details of the trip....

Wednesday we flew in at 6pm, picked up our rental car, and drove for 4 long, tedious hours in the rain and wind down I-5 to Eugene, OR and then West on hwy-58 through Coos Bay to Bandon, Oregon. We had stopped to get some food, so by the time we got to Bandon it was close to midnight. We checked in at The Lodge at Bandon Dunes and passed out for the night.

Bright and early, at about 6:30 am on Thursday, Jimmy lightly tapped on my door to see if I wanted to join him for breakfast. I politely declined and jumped into the shower. I had stayed up a little later the night before to get all of my gear ready for the first day. My clothing layers consisted of: thermal underwear, khaki pants, long-sleeve turtle neck shirt, a full rain suit, fleece head band, water-proof bucket hat, rain gloves, wool socks, and leather shoes that I had previously water-proofed.

Donned in my armor, I met Jimmy downstairs, picked up a muffin from the snack shop and headed to the course which was just outside The Lodge. As I stepped up to the first tee, I felt a little uncomfortable with the cold, strong wind and the layers upon layers of clothing, so needless to say I didn't score very well. I gave up keeping score after the first few holes.

On the fourth or fifth hole, there was this nice old bearded man, who looked like a fisherman who showed us the way and gave us tips on where to aim our drives. Since this was our first time here, his advice helped a lot. Although I didn't always hit it where I was aiming, it was good to know where I should have hit it had I been able to hit it straight. :)

As we walked from the eighth green to the ninth tee box, there was a huge flash that almost blinded me. I was holding my breath and cowering my head because I knew what was coming next....KA-BOOOOOM!!! Lightning struck. We hit our drives on the ninth hole and I actually had one of my best drives of the round, but soon after, there were sirens blowing telling us that we should come into the club house. We had to pick up and walk in. Luckily we were on the ninth hole and close to the club house because it started hailing. We were getting pelted and I was actually soaked in a few minutes.

At the clubhouse we were able to warm up, get some hot chocolate and wait. I was surprised at how many other fools like us were out there golfing! The remainder of the round was even more windy, cold and miserable.

Remarkably enough, Vance and his brother Val wanted to play a re-round of the Pacific Dunes course. Jimmy and I were ready to eat lunch and warm up. Man, the best part of the day was taking a hot shower and a long nap after getting hammered by rain and wind for four hours.

I will post more details, but to summarize, Friday was better...we played Bandon Trails and then a re-round of Bandon Dunes. We didn't get rained on as much and I actually took off my rain suit (picture of me above was on Friday).

Saturday was the worst and the most expensive. Pacific Dunes is the highest rated, most expensive course. I was looking forward to playing it, but Mother Nature had other plans. It rained so hard on us that Jimmy and I were soaked on the first hole. The wind was blowing so the rain was pelting me in the face. My floppy hat was slapping me in face, as if to say, "You idiot!"

Sunday, we left at 8am and it was sunny as ever....imagine that! :) The drive back to Portland was beautiful, and even though I wished the sunny day would have been a golf day, it was very nice to drive in the sun versus the rain and wind. Oregon is a beautiful place.

I shot an 81 at The Legacy Golf Resort !!!

2007-12-14T08:47:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I got a great deal on GolfNow.com to play 18 holes at The Legacy, which is a nice course right by South Mountain in Phoenix, AZ. It was supposed to rain, so maybe that's why they had the discount. It did sprinkle a little, but was otherwise a nice day.

My lessons with Blair have paid off tremendously because I shot an 81! My front nine score was a 43 and the back nine I shot a 38!!! I think the big difference on the back nine was that I was sinking more putts. The sad thing is that when I get a low score, I always think about the putts I should have made that would have lowered my score even more! :)

My drives are still having a low hook tendancy, but I hit more in the fairway and DID NOT LOSE A SINGLE GOLF BALL!!! That in itself is amazing! I can probably count on one hand the rounds I have played without losing a golf ball.

Back Swing Path Improvement

2007-12-05T12:04:00.000-08:00

In my last entry, I mentioned how Blair told me to "over-close" my club face on my back swing. One aspect of this that I don't think I mentioned is that when you open your club face in the first part of the back swing, you tend to take the club back on a flatter plane, or too far to the inside. When I "over-close" my club face on the first part of the back swing, the tendency is to have a steeper plane. Since I usually have a shallow, flat, too-far-to-the-inside back swing...by over-closing my club face, I'm creating a steeper swing plane without thinking about the plane. I'm thinking only about feel, the feel of over-closing my club face.

Since using this over-closed club face drill, I have seen improvement. My ball flight is more consistent...I still have the pull hooks and the push fades, but more often the flight is straight. Tomorrow I have my 3rd lesson in the series of 10 lessons with Blair.

Keep Club Face "Looking" at the Ball

2007-11-28T19:04:00.000-08:00

I had the 2nd lesson in a series of 10 lessons with Blair Douglass from Dobson Ranch Golf Course. His observation of my swing is that during my practice swings my club face looks good and is basically square the whole time. However, when I am swinging with a golf ball, I open my club face early in the back swing, take the club way too far to the inside, and have to work really hard getting the club face back to square and usually pull hook the ball.

So, for now, I am over closing the club face in the first part of the back swing. When I am over the ball, I take two or three mini back swings...over-closing the face. Then I take my real swing, trying to really close the club face.

Blair says when I am feeling that I am over-closing the club face, it is actually square. So over-closed to me is actually square in reality. Sounds strange to me, but since I can't actually see my back swing, I have to trust Blair. Actually, he has a video camera in my lessons and shows me, so it is true.

It is frustrating to me that I still have the same issue after all this time. This has been one of the main problems of mine from day 1 with the golf club. The good news is that my swing path looks good. I am coming from the inside. That is definitely an improvement!

Don't Re-Grip the Club

2007-11-20T14:34:00.000-08:00

Blair Douglass, a golf instructor from Dobson Ranch Golf Course, found a slight hitch in my swing. At the very top of my back swing, I am re-gripping the club. This causes the club face to either open or close...every once in a while it might stay the same, but likely the club will shift in my hands at the time of re-gripping.

Now, I am consciously thinking about keeping the same pressure on the grip during the entire swing...especially at the top. I can practice this at home with a club in the back yard without actually hitting a ball.

Another thing Blair noticed is that I take the club too far back to the inside. I have always struggled with this. I think it is a product of me trying to get a full shoulder turn...I feel like if I really wind up, I'll be able to create more club speed. So, I am working on this as well by feeling like my club is more vertical on the way back.

Golf Slump

2007-11-12T08:51:00.000-08:00

I am still in my Golf Slump... it is getting very frustrating. If I can not break free from this, I might quit the game.

I found the following article from www.golfwinningtouch.com

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How to Come Out of a Golf Slump

There are times when one's whole game seems to have gone to pot, and there are times when it really has. What steps should be taken then to come out of a slump? Here are the most important:

Determine whether or not you are really in one. It could be only a statistical variation. If the slump is no greater than those you have hit in previous golfing years, it is best simply to
ride it out. Experimentation under such circumstances can well lead to a prolongation of the trouble. False slumps may be due to lack of practice, changes in the weather, changes in the
accuracy of the greens, or the fact that your competitors may be riding a wave of good golf.
Revert to a previous form. A genuine slump often comes from experimentation with a swing that happens to work well temporarily. The experimental form then becomes a habit.
Later, the person forgets how he got into the habit in the first place. Nothing will produce a slump faster than a new technique which was temporarily successful and which becomes a
"fixed idea." This situation leads us into golfing blind alleys. To get out of them, we must trace the cause of the slump. This will eliminate frustration, and then we can seek out remedies
with a clearer mind. An excellent and quick remedy is to go back to the last technique used prior to the experimentation. Return to your standard form and build from there.
Make a shot by shot analysis to see where the strokes are being lost. Often a slump causes confusion, making a slump within a slump. The golfer says, "My game has gone to pieces."
He is so demoralized that he has no interest in practicing. He can't think clearly as to what remedial measures are indicated. The situation is so painful that he may decide to lay off for
awhile. This is not a bad procedure, but it can be improved upon.

Generally, the initial loss is on the greens. Poor putting will put a great strain on chipping and both may collapse. It may be that you have had a weakness in your iron play for some time, but that it was camouflaged by good putting and chipping. Your tee shot may be at fault. A gradual loss of distance has so lengthened the game that you are actually playing a longer course. This frequently occurs if a person has a tendency to fade long shots. Follow up the analysis with corrective practice. The errors cannot cure themselves. At first, single scores will not be better, but the average will gradually rise. Then the occasional good games will inevitably crop up.
Keep and review your notes. Forgetting can produce slumps. It is wise to take notes of all techniques that have been successful. Unfortunately, because of the human urge for experimentation, we often subconsciously make a habit of what was at first an experimental swing. The previous better swing is forgotten. Notes will help you get back in the lost groove.
Let forgetting help you. Forgetting can get you into a slump and forgetting can get you out of one. If all remedies fail, it is a good idea to take a rest from the game. You may forget
bad habits. Experiments have shown that learning can occur through forgetting between practice sessions. The mechanism is not completely understood but it has been noted in maze
learning by rats and humans, in tossing rings at a stake, in learning a new series of numbers, and in chess. Some psychologists believe that such improvement through forgetting is due to the gradual extinction of numerous psychological and physical difficulties.
Practice intensively. You may not be playing or practicing as much as usual. In this case, the solution is obvious, so don't experiment with form.
Clear up outside emotional problems. The slump can be due to emotional factors that are producing inattention. Such factors can be feelings of insecurity, other types of fear, and problems about which you cannot make up your mind.

It is best for the golfer to believe that all emotional problems can be solved—and they generally can be. Even when they cannot, it is possible to refuse to permit the emotional problem to complicate your life. One great golfer went into a permanent decline because of a marital problem that could have been solved. Instead he brooded about it and never took the steps that were indicated. Another golfer went into a slump that lasted for many months. He thought he had a fatal disease, though he really was all right. On the other hand, the great Babe Didrickson refused to permit her quite serious condition "to get her down," and won great victories when others would have been in justifiable despair. One of the inspiring sights at the Masters is to see Sarazen competing as if he were nineteen, demanding no quarter, and extracting a comparable enjoyment from the game as if to say, "No hungry generations tread me down," if we may be permitted to paraphrase a line from Keats.

Jim McClean Golf Tips

2007-11-06T07:43:00.000-08:00

I've always liked Jim McLean because he tries to simplify the golf swing for us amateurs. He is the father of the 8-step swing, where he breaks down the swing into 8 simple steps, and the idea of the X-factor, which is where the shoulders out-turn the hips by a small amount creating an "X" from a top down view.

This tip is regarding the top of the back swing, where the X-factor comes into play.

-----The text below is directly from the Jim McLean website----

I'm partly responsible for the common swing flaw you see me demonstrating below, which stems from an incorrect application of the X-Factor swing theory. As I first documented 10 years ago, the X-Factor -- the difference in how much the shoulders turn versus the hips -- can be a tremendous source of power. The problem is, in an effort to increase the X-Factor differential, many golfers restrict the hip turn too much. The result is less power and consistency, not more.

Swing Fixes

You want to create resistance in your lower body as your upper body turns behind the ball, but not at the expense of a proper hip turn and weight shift. Your hips should turn rotationally and shift laterally slightly as you swing back. Achieve this by moving the left knee back behind the ball, rolling off the left instep or picking up the left heel. You can also flare out your right toe at address to increase your hip turn.

Baseball Drill

Set up normally to a teed-up ball, using a mid-iron.
Slide your left foot back toward the right, so that they practically touch each other, and the clubhead is about a foot behind the ball.
Start the backswing. When the club reaches waist level, step forward with your left foot, returning it to its original position, like a batter stepping into a pitch.
The clubhead will still be moving back as the lower body moves forward, which automatically increases wrist work and prevents the right shoulder from leading the downswing.

Drill 2

Assume your normal position. Then widen your stance by placing your right foot well outside your right shoulder. Fan the right foot outward, so it points away from you at a 45-degree angle.
Hitting practice shots from this position helps you eliminate any upper body slide. It maintains a wide gap between your knees by dramatically slowing the right leg action. It also keeps you from spinning the lower body too fast.

Golfing with Jimmy at Sun Ridge Canyon

2007-11-05T07:29:00.000-08:00

Jimmy and I played a Suncor course in Fountain Hills called Sun Ridge Canyon. It is a beautiful course and because we have the Suncor Players Card, we get it for half price, which at this time of year is still a whopping $70!

We should have invested our money in a mutual fund because we played terrible. At the end of the round we were both left with about 1 ball each! To top it all off we were playing with a couple of cocky, rude, Canadians.

We were always having to wait for the group ahead of us, so Jimmy and I would actually spend a little time looking for our wayward balls (which the Canadians did too). However, we would help them look for their balls, but when we were looking for ours, they would walk right past us, play their ball and one time they left the green while we were coming up on the green.

That made Jimmy and I angry...so Jimmy went right up to them and said "I don't know how you all play golf up in Canada, but down here in the U.S. we have a little more respect than that!" The old fart said he was sorry, but he tried to cover up his actions by saying that the round was taking too long. I wanted to tell him to go on ahead if he thought he could play any faster (we were backed up...he couldn't play any faster).

Lose the One Piece Takeaway

2007-11-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

Golf Digest had an article to lose the mindset of the one piece takeaway. It said that when an amateur tries this, he/she takes the golf club too far to the inside and plus starts the turn too soon so that the lower body has to wait for the hands and club head to catch up.

What tends to happen is that during the time the lower body is waiting, it continues to try to turn but ends up being more like a reverse pivot. The weight is not fully loaded over the right side. Also since the club is taken too far to the inside the tendency is to correct on the down swing and come over the top.

The correct way is to start taking the club back with the forearms, and start cocking the wrist. The Golf Digest author said to feel like you are pushing down on the end of the grip with the heel pad of your left hand, so that the butt of the club points to the ground. He also said it will feel "handsy" but it will actually allow your hands to be a lot less involved during the impact area of the downswing.

Another great tip from the article to avoid coming too far to the inside on the back swing is to use your toe line as a guide. Don't let the club head get behind your toe line.

The funny thing about the article is that it is totally against what some golf instructors say. Basically this article tells you to cock your wrists early and take the club away with your hands. It makes sense though because it helps you:

Take the club away with the club head in front of you instead of behind
Keep everything, all your body parts in sync during the swing.

The "No Backswing" Golf Swing in Golf Digest

2007-10-31T10:43:00.000-07:00

I read an interesting article in Golf Digest about the "No Backswing" swing. It said that for higher handicaps, using a "No Backswing" approach would lower your score.

The premise was that since the backswing really doesn't add any value to the swing, but only gets you set up for a good downswing, then why not eliminate the back swing? They say to:

set up to the ball like you normally would, with the proper distance from the ball, correct grip, etc....then...
get at the position where your right elbow is bent, and the shaft of the club is at about 90 degrees to your straight left arm.
Pump the left arm...basically raise the left arm a few inches and then..
Hit the ball

Since a lot of beginners tend to sway away from the ball in the back swing, or do the dreaded reverse pivot, if they eliminate that back swing, they will eliminate those problems. In theory it sounds good.

I tried this at the range last weekend, and I actually did better at the "No Backswing" swing then I thought I would. However, I think this approach loses the rhythm and the back and forward swing creates.

After experimenting with this concept, I really think this "No Backswing" should be used as a drill rather than a swing that is used on the course.

5 Steps to Fairway Bunkers

2007-10-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

I saw a tip on the Golf Channel last night about fairway bunkers.

1) Ball a little back in your stance.
2) Little if no lower body movement...to help quiet lower body, point your toes inward
3) Take a smooth 3/4 swing
4) 1 extra club
5) Hit the ball first

If you follow these 5 steps...you'll hit the green every time from a fairway bunker!

Driver Issues

2007-10-29T15:41:00.000-07:00

I am having serious issues with my driver. I went to Whirlwind last weekend and hit a ton of balls with my driver. Of course I still practiced my short game, but my driver has added a lot of strokes to my game lately because of penalty strokes.

Frustration began setting in after I wasn't able to cure my low-flying duck hook. The frustrating thing is that I KNOW what I'm doing wrong, I just can't consistently fix it. Sometimes when I try to fix it, I hit a high slice...but most of the time I continue to have the low hook.

There was a local golf teaching professional giving another guy a lesson about 50 yards away and I looked at him like a lost puppy but he didn't notice me. I wanted to run up to him, interrupt the lesson going on, and ask for a mercy lesson!

Golf Lesson with Dr. Joel

2007-10-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

I had another great lesson with Joel from Kent Chase Golf Academy. It started out kind of rough...we found out the driving range closed right when I got there. So, luckily they have a short game area and we were able to hit chip shots and 100 yd approach shots.

Chipping:
This was a little confusing because Joel promotes bending the elbows on the back swing and forward swing, but I had been taught the chip was more like a putting stroke, where I usually keep my elbows at a fixed position.

Also, Joel wanted me to sweep the ball instead of having a steep angle of attack. I have always been taught to come in steeply at the ball in a chip shot. In fact, I have seen drills where you place a ball behind the one you're trying to hit to promote a steep descent.

He also told me to center the ball in my stance...again, I have been taught to have the ball a little back in my stance.

100 yd approach:
This part was great because I love approach shots. I love hitting the green more than anything else. A great drive is also nice, but something about hitting the green excites me even more.

Joel showed me this simple drill that really helps my approach shots. Take a practice swing and only remember 3 positions.
1) Take away - make sure the club head is in front of you (the hands). Butt of club should be pointing at your belt buckle.
2) Top of back swing - have some width, left arm fairly straight, right arm bent, shaft on plane (that's hard to see, but maybe if I make sure the butt of the club is pointing at the target line.)
3) Swing through to finish - finish can be many different levels, knockdown finish, controlled finish, or full finish (I'm sure there's more). Practice this finish on the practice swing and copy it on the full swing.

Performing these three positions during my practice swing helped a lot. Also, Joel pointed out that my right ankle rolls on my back swing, so to fix that, I placed a club parallel to the target line with the club head by my right foot. I place my foot on it and it keeps my weight on the inside of my right foot instead of the outside.

By the end of the practice I was hitting a lot of 100 yd, 80 yd, and 60 yd shots into the green. Now if I can just nail my driver to put me at those distances...and in the fairway!

Getting back into it

2007-10-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

The weather here is cooling down, although last week it has still been in the 90's. Believe me, 90's feel A LOT cooler than 110!!! Plus it is cooling down at night.

So, I have been getting back into golf....the heat was killing my motivation. I have gone the past 2-3 weekends to a course that is a little off the beaten path called Whirlwind. It is a Troon managed course and has a great practice facility. It costs $20 to practice, but you get unlimited balls and they have a great short game area.

Summer's Here

2007-05-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it's getting hot here in Phoenix again. Temperatures are around 100 degrees and getting hotter. The good news is that now golf is more affordable, but the bad news is that you have to wake up at 5AM to try to beat the heat! This is really bad news for me because I'm not a morning person.

It has been a while since I have written in this blog, so here are a few things that have happened:

I went to a 4 hr short game clinic at Harvey Pennick Golf Academy in Austin, TX while I was there for business.
I've been in a slump lately, but am starting to come out of it slowly. The golf clinic about helped a little, but I also haven't practiced as much lately because I've been busy selling the house, moving, etc.
I'm in the top 10 ranking in my Club West Men's club. I guess they give you points based on how many events you've played in and how well you did. I will probably fall down in the ranking because I can't golf in this weekend's tournament.
The back of my right thigh (buttock area) gets sore a lot so I have been going to a chiropractor, thinking it might be sciatica, or a low back problem. That's another reason I have been laying off of golf lately. It really starts to bother me when I play golf.

Stand Tall

2007-03-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

I had another lesson with Dr. Joel. I don't have a lot of time right now so I'm going to summarize and hopefully come back later and fill in the gaps.

1) Stand taller
2) square the club face at impact
3) bend the right elbow in back swing and left elbow on follow through
4) Don't get a"head" of the ball
5) Don't look up too early...keep eye on the ball longer
6) Keep right shoulder back at impact
7) No cupping of wrist

Slump

2007-03-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been in a slump. I don't know what the reason is...maybe the new mid-size grips I got are taking a little getting used to? I don't know.

Last week when I was in Dallas I played a couple of times and my first round I got a whopping 96 on a course that wasn't very difficult. The next time I played the course I did better, but since the computerized scoring system lost my score, I don't know exactly what I got. Then, on Sunday I played in my Men's club at Club West and scored 102, which is the worst score I have had in a very long time.

Golf Lesson from Dr. Joel

2007-02-27T15:46:00.000-08:00

Where to begin....sometimes I feel like I forget everything that I have ever learned about the golf swing; this is how I felt today at my golf lesson. What I learned from Joel today:

Do list:

Aim properly - when I was setting my feet, I was looking at the ball instead of my target. When I look at my target while setting my feet, my aim is 100% better.
Posture - my posture needs to be more upright. I was bent over too far with my hands too low. A good checkpoint is the butt of the club should point at the belt buckle.

Swing thoughts/feeling:

Wrist set- I need to set the club earlier. A good checkpoint is halfway back my wrists should be set.
Width - keep the width in the back swing. Keep the width between my hands and my head. Wrist should not be cupped or broken down at the top.
Shorten - In my swing, with my level of flexibility, I should shorten my back swing. When I try to lengthen it, I break down my wrists and elbows, and I might even reverse pivot, roll onto my right side of my right foot. Basically, there is no good things that come from trying to extend my back swing further than about a 3/4 swing.
Inside - Attack the ball from the inside. Start the weight shift with the left knee and then come from the inside.
Stay in posture throughout the swing. I tend to come out of posture at top of backswing (another reason to shorten) and on my follow through, I come out of it and stand up.
Keep right shoulder back - think about keeping the right shoulder back and down at impact. This is hard to describe in words, but when I start my downswing my right shoulder jumps out in front of the left one. Keep the right shoulder back.

1st Place in Men's Club Event

2007-02-15T10:07:00.000-08:00

My golf partner, Dan, and I won the net overall in our 2-man tournament in the Club West Men's Club last weekend! I shot an incredible (for me) 81 gross score. Dan shot a 85 I think, and our best ball, net score was a 59! We each won a $100 gift certificate to the club house golf shop. That will come in handy!

I didn't really feel like I was playing that well, but I did chip and putt pretty well, which I think helped greatly in my score. The week prior to the tournament, I did work more on my putting and chipping than normal, so that's a great testament to me of the value of short game practice.

I got only one birdie on a par 4 which was a net 2 for me, so I thought I would at least get a net skins on that hole, but unfortunately I didn't. Winning skins gets you cash, so I like winning that one! The next tournament is in two weeks, so I will be looking forward to that.

My first money made playing golf

2006-12-14T13:32:00.000-08:00

At the men's club tournament this past weekend I won $40 in cash and a $50 gift certificate at the pro shop. That's not too shabby since I paid $65 for the round of golf, cart, and food/beverage as well as $15 cash for skins. I made a whopping $10!!! Should I still be considered an amateur? Should I hire myself an agent? Ha!!! :)

Now I may be admitting my ignorance when I say this, but I didn't really understand what "skins" meant when I entered the contest. For those of you who are at my level of understanding when it comes to betting and/or different formats of scoring the game of golf, let me tell you what "skins" means.

Basically, all the money from everyone who contributed to the skins goes into a pot. At the end of the tournament, the person lowest score from each hole is eligible to win "skins" on that hole. However, to win "skins" on the hole, you have to be the only one with that low score on that particular hole. For example, I won skins on hole #6 at Club West with a birdie (2 on a par 3). No one else got a birdie, so I won skins. Now, the money from the skins pot is divided amongst all those who won skins. I don't know what happens if nobody wins skins on any holes...maybe the money is returned to everyone? There is potential to win a lot of money in skins (I won $40)...if you were the only one to win skins, you would get the whole pot!!!

The $50 gift certificate was because my partner and I tied for the best "net" team score. Net means they took our handicaps into consideration (I'll try to explain that in another entry when I fully understand)...in other words, it wasn't our raw score. Also, since we were playing 2-man best ball, we took the best net score for each hole. So, for example if I got a net 3 on a hole and my partner took a net 4 on the hole, my net 3 would go on our team scorecard. I thought this was a lot of fun because we got to play our own ball, but some of the pressure was off because usually if I blew up on a hole, my partner did well on that hole and visa versa.

78 at Pinetop Country Club!!!

2006-11-27T14:19:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving day was good to me and one thing I have to be thankful for is Golf! On Thanksgiving day my father-in-law played the Pinetop Country Club. They are re-doing the sprinkler system on the front nine, so we played the back nine twice.

It was a day of firsts for me. Hole #12 is a par 5 and I got my first eagle. I had a decent drive, but I wasn't on the fairway, so I pulled out my 5-wood and thought I would get it close. When I arrived to the green (we were walking) my ball was on the green about 20-30 feet from the hole. Interesting enough, my father-in-law asked me if I had ever eagled a hole, which I hadn't. As I was lining up my putt, I noticed a slight right-to-left break of about a foot and I didn't even think about sinking it...I was just trying to get it close and what do you know...it went in!!!

The next first came on the exact same hole....hole #12. I hit a tremendous drive (for me) of about 310 yards with about 225 left to the middle of the green. I pulled out my rescue club (#3 iron replacement) and hit a beautiful shot onto the green, but it rolled uphill about 54 feet past the hole about six inches onto the fringe. I was putting downhill and said to my father-in-law that it looked as if I wasn't going to eagle the same hole twice. As I sent my ball down the hill, I noticed it was rolling well and my father-in-law said, "it looks like it's on track" and when it fell into the cup, both of our jaws dropped and we couldn't believe that: 1) I sank a 54 foot putt and 2) I eagled the same hole twice in in the same round. It was amazing!

The last first followed at the end of the round. We added up my score and I broke 80!!!! The lowest score up to this point was an 80 at Longbow. I think everyone has a "whatif" moment after scoring a low score. My "whatif" was..."what if I hadn't scored an 8 on hole #17?" "what if I had scored a bogie 5 instead?" That would mean I would have received a 75 for the round!!!! What is it about golf where no score is ever good enough???? You gotta love this game!!!

(I won't mention in this blog that the following day I got a 90 on the same course and a 96 on a course in Snowflake, AZ :-)

Club West Mens Club

2006-11-13T21:39:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I played a round at Club West Golf Course and decided to become a member of their men's club. I have never been a member of a men's club so it should be interesting, and hopefully a lot of fun!

The people at the golf club sure didn't seem to have much information about the club. I asked the starter when I bought the membership for some info about upcoming events and he didn't have any idea, so when I finished my round I asked a different employee the same question and he gave me a sheet with a list of events. When I got to my car and looked at the list it was for next year, so from now until January 1, 2007 I don't know what events are coming up. I have no idea about the handicap system they use, or if I need a certain number to log my scores or anything. I hope the quality of service and information about the club doesn't reflect on the quality of the men's club itself.....but it probably does. :)

85 then 83 at The Raven at South Mountain

2006-09-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I played at The Raven at South Mountain twice. This course has nice views of South Mountain, which is just south of downtown Phoenix. I also really like The Raven because it has nice practice facilities, and unlimited practice balls are included in the green fee, where most courses charge $5 for just a few balls.

I was very pleased with my driver and my irons. My short game wasn't bad either, especially my lag putting, which I have practiced more recently. I used to leave a lag put either way short or way past the hole. Now I usually leave myself a 3 foot putt which I can usually make. My chipping was ok, but I remember a couple of times where I chunked my chip and had to either re-chip or putt from the fringe. That shouldn't happen!

Open Club Face is Back!!!

2006-07-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

The dreaded Open Club Face has made a reappearance in my golf swing! It is so frustrating, but true. The good thing is that I knew it and could feel it, and Blair confirmed it. So, now I am really over closing the club face again to hopefully, quickly fix it.

Saturday I went golfing with my father-in-law, Jimmy at Superstition Springs Golf Club in Mesa, AZ. We had a good time. He brought along a friend from work who was actually a pretty good golfer, and I brought my buddy from work, Med.

I actually did very well on the front nine (40) but fell apart on the back nine (50), so I ended up with an even 90. It was so, so hot, so that is my excuse as to why I fell apart. Can you believe that it was 96 degrees at 5:45 AM on our drive to the course? Who knows how hot it got while we were there!!!

Short Game Lesson

2006-06-28T22:44:00.000-07:00

Today I had a lesson with Blair on the short game only. He looked at my chipping and was very pleased with how well I am doing with that considering that we haven't spent much time on it. The only thing he noticed is that I open my stance a little too much....I can close it a little more. He also noticed that sometimes I take my club back a little too short and then try to accellerate it through. I need to take the club back a little further so that it is a more smooth followthrough.

Next, Blair looked at my short pitch shots. Here again, I need to take the club back further so that I can have a smooth followthrough. Sometimes I take it back short and try to force it through impact.

Finally, we looked at my putting stroke. Overall I think Blair was impressed with my putting. I was alligning well and going straight back and through. One tip he gave me that worked well is that I need to picture a box that my putter head is going to go to. When I make my practice stroke, I picture this box and my putter face following through to the box and no further. Then I copy the swing on the real stroke. This takes my mind off a ball outcome and focuses more on the putter head, which keeps me from pulling my head and automatically watching the ball. Just in my lesson, I noticed a great improvement on my putting.

I asked Blair afterward if he could pick one thing to work on for my short game and he said "rhythm". This is true. If I work on my rhythm for the chipping and the pitching and putting, I will have a much better short game. Really, that's all we worked on for each technique.

Smooth follow through and Balanced Finish

2006-06-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

I had yet another lesson with Blair and again, he was happy with my progress. In fact, he was very happy! He told me to work on:

1) Relaxing my arms after the impact and during the follow through. Currently my arms are very stiff and it needs to be more smooth. He also said to let my body swing the club through impact. I tend to force it through the impact area somewhat.

2) A balanced finish. On my finish, I usually over rotate and my right heel is to the right of the toe. I need to think of under rotating.

Now, these are small things, but Blair said this is the fun part of golf lessons....working on the small things. It has been hard work to fight through the big things, such as swinging over the top of the plane on the downswing and keeping the club face square or slightly closed on the backswing. I am also working on better contact with the ball, but this seems to be getting better on its own from fixing the other problems.

This morning there was no one behind us on hole #18 at Dobson Ranch, so I decided to hit some from 150 yards to see what club was the one. I first hit my 8 iron, which recently has been the club from this distance (it used to be my 7 iron!). Well, my 8 iron went 10 yds past, so I tried my 9 iron. I thought for sure it would be short. I hit two balls and they were both pin high and the pin was in the middle of the green! I can't believe that I'm hitting the ball so well that I am hitting my 9 iron 150 yds! Now, for most players, this is commonplace, but for me it is quite an accomplishment.

My next lesson with Blair is in two weeks and will be on the short game, or the "scoring" game. Even though my irons have been working well for me lately, it isn't reflected in my scores. Last weekend at Ocotillo I got a 93 one day and an 87 the next. I still usually score in the 90's. That is why Blair suggested we work on my short game. I don't know what we'll be able to accomplish in 30 minutes. We'll see!

Update on my golf swing

2006-06-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

I have been working hard on my golf swing with Blair, having lessons every 3-4 weeks and this last lesson with Blair was very encouraging. He said that my swing was coming along great and that it is the best it has ever looked. Now, that can mean a lot of things :) but it was good to hear him say that.

Last weekend I golfed with my father-in-law up at Pinetop/Lakeside....although it was very windy and my scores didn't really reflect it, I think my game was better. I was hitting my irons very well and cleanly. A few times I was having trouble because I was hitting my irons "too good", in other words they were going further than I was counting on.

The only things that Blair told me to concentrate on were:
1) Setup - narrower stance (mine was too wide) and tilt my left hip.
2) Tempo
3) Full turn with my driver.

Things that I have noticed are:
1) With my driver, and my irons I need to keep my head more still. Because I have a tendancy to sway, my head sometimes sways too. I have found I am more consistent if my head position is relatively still throughout the swing.
2) I need to turn my right hand over at, or soon after impact. If you look at the pros, you can see all of their knuckles on their right hand after impact with arms fully extended. That is the look I want.
3) Loose grip will help with #2....with a grip too strong it is harder to turn over.

Lesson with Blair Douglass

2006-02-07T10:23:00.000-08:00

To quickly summarize, I found that I need to:

1) Still feel the clubface a little closed at the top...it's looking better, but still tends to open a little on the backswing.

2) Keep the butt of the club pointed somewhere between my feet and ball on backswing

3) Club at top of backswing should point at the target, or maybe a little right of the target in my case.

4) Don't look up so quickly....see the divot before looking up.

5) Keep using the swing track for my clubpath, which is looking better.

80 at Longbow!!!!

2006-01-15T16:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I shot my best score ever at a relatively tough course! Longbow is located at Higley, just off the 202 in Mesa. My father-in-law, Jimmy, and I went at around 12 noon. I shot a 43 on the front nine and an amazing (for me) 37 on the back nine!

The 2 keys to my success were:
1) I never took my driver out of the bag! I only used my 3 wood.
2) My putting was uncharacteristically great! I hit all the putts I should have made and some that I usually don't make.

The funny thing is that exactly one week previous, I shot a 99 on the same course! :)

89 at Club West

2005-12-12T13:58:00.000-08:00

I shot an 89 at Club West last weekend. My chipping and putting went well, which is good because I have been practicing my chipping at least. My irons weren't as good as I would like...in fact I had to take one extra club on my iron shots. My driving wasn't the best either, but it has been worse. I scheduled a lesson (my last of this group of lessons) with Blair on Friday. I hope to get more consistent and confident in my driving and irons.

Video

2005-11-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

I video taped myself today. It was kind of embarassing, but provided some needed feedback that I can't get in any other way.

My putting looked good. I might be able to get more over the ball, but then that is very straining on the back.

My full swing looked pretty good, but I noticed three things:
1) My take away isn't a "one piece" take away. In other words there is too much wrist action on the take away.
2) I still have some "casting" of the club on the downswing.
3) I am not fully transferred onto my left foot at impact. My right heel should be an inch or two off the ground. I am about even weighted between both feet at impact. That is probably why I hit behind the ball alot, or "chunk" it.

Ocotillo

2005-11-23T20:21:00.000-08:00

My father-in-law got a free foursome to Ocotillo as a consolation for paying out the nose for the wedding. We went with my co-worker and friend, Med, and a new friend we met golfing at Longbow named Everardo.

It was a beautiful day...a little overcast, so I didn't need shades and the temperature was perfect...low 70's. I wish my score reflected the temperature, but again I got a 90. Jimmy was right on my tail with a 91. I got one birdie and a couple of pars. I only had one real "blow-up" hole, which was a 7 on a par 3!

My irons and my chipping were pretty good, but it was my driving and putting that I felt were a bit off. Jimmy's drives were great! He was in the fairway on almost every drive.

The only negative thing I can say about the experience is that the ranger rushed us a bit and we were playing at a good pace I felt. We were keeping up with a twosome in front of us. The twosome behind us was waiting for us quite a bit, but come on! They're a twosome! We were a foursome!

It was a great time! Great course! Beautiful weather!

Longbow

2005-11-21T09:05:00.000-08:00

My father-in-law, Jimmy, purchased a Longbow Flight Card that allows him and 3 other guests to pay only $40 for 18 holes of golf (cart included). So, we went on Saturday to try it out. Jimmy had played the course five times before, but for me it was my first time. The course was challenging and it was in good shape. I liked the views of the Superstition Mtns. from the course. The morning was quite cool and windy, but it turned out to be a nice day. Jimmy and I scored a pair of 45's on the front nine and then again on the back nine, so we had exactly the same score...90. I know I could have done better, but for this course and my first time, I was satisfied.

Tuesday we are going to Ocotillo golf course in the afternoon. It should be a good time, although I hear it is pretty tough. I need to bring my A game and hit straight. I still have a tendency to pull the ball, sometimes, and then slice it other times, and then hit it perfectly other times. I just need a heck of a lot more practice I guess to be more consistent.

Golf Lessons with Blair Douglass

2005-11-17T13:08:00.000-08:00

This morning I had another lesson with Blair. This lesson I learned the following from Blair:
1) I need to stand a little taller instead of being hunched over the ball.
2) Take a longer back-swing with the driver to give me more time to close the clubface at impact.
3) Put the ball further up in my stance on the drive to give more time to close the clubface at impact.
4) If I start slicing the ball, try hooking the ball several times until I am confident that I can hook it....then SWING AWAY! This morning this worked great! When I swung away the ball went high and far with about a five yard draw.

Things I learned myself:
1) Have a looser grip. I found that I couldn't hook the ball because my grip was too tight. It's harder I think to roll my forearms over if my grip is tight during the downswing.

Blair was pleased with my swing at this point. He even said I didn't need to come to him any more unless I have problems. I just need to practice and use Blair's strategy of fixing problems by over-doing the opposite for a while. For example, he had me really close my clubface on the backswing when I was leaving it open. That way what felt "normal" was actually square, where as before "normal" was actually open....if that makes sense.

I am going to go back to Blair next week and take a short game lesson. I really need to work on this part of my game!

This weekend I am going golfing with my father-in-law to Longbow and then on Tuesday I am taking the afternoon off and going with him to Ocotillo, the place where I got married. Since we had the wedding there, we get a free foursome! Should be fun!

Club West

2005-11-07T14:33:00.000-08:00

Med and I went to Club West on Saturday and had a great time. Club West is one of my favorite courses in the valley. We both got SunCor Players Cards which allows us to play for 50% off the current rates. Included with the deal was a free round of golf and a Southwest PGA Pass.

I shot a disappointing 92 and Med scored a 92 as well. I got one birdie and a couple of pars, but blew up on a couple of holes with triple bogies.

1C

2005-09-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

In my lesson with Blair today he talked to me about what my friend Med and I call "1C" which stands for "1 o'clock, Close". This means that if the target were at 12 noon then the inside-out swing path will go toward 1 o'clock with a closed clubface. This will start the ball out a little right of the target and then draw right at the flag, bounce a couple of times and stick in the hole!!! :)

Back to the Drawing Board

2005-09-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

I have been playing terribly lately! I slice a lot and sometimes I "pull slice" where the ball starts left and then fades right. It's ugly and I don't get much accuracy or distance. So............I am taking more lessons from Blair.

This morning was my first lesson of my 2nd round with Blair Douglass at Dobson Ranch. He saw right away what my problem was. A huge swing flaw that I had when I started golf back in Boise four or five years ago had creeped back into full force! My club face is completely open!!!

When I started golf, I had this open clubface problem. I worked and worked at it to keep it closed. Then, I took two years off from golf while getting a masters degree at ASU. Upon starting back up, I feared that I would have this problem again, but in my 1st round of lessons with Blair, he said my club face was perfect throughout the swing. So, somehow in the last couple of months the open clubface syndrome has come back to haunt me!

Blair gave me a drill that I am going to work on all week. It is simple....just take the club face back to halfway and keep it very, extremely closed the whole way. I am not going to look at the clubface on the way back because I don't want to get in the habit of watching the club, but I am going to freeze at halfway back and then look at the club. At the halfway point, my club should be very closed, not straight up, but closed. By doing this, I can feel what it feels like to have a closed clubface. Then, on the swing through the ball, I am going to take an inside-out approach and the ball will probably start at the target and have a slight hook. What I don't want is to start left of the target...this means I am still pulling or coming over the top.

I am not going to take a full swing all week. I am going to drill this to death! Well, ok, this Saturday morning when I golf with my friend Med, I will at least have to take a 3/4 swing....but even this Saturday, I am going to have a closed clubface. I will recover from this illness quickly!!!

Courses I have played in AZ

2005-08-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

Dobson Ranch
Club West
Foothills
Riverview
Painted Mountain
The Legacy
Vistal
Lakeside Country Club

Set up, Rhythm, and Pre-Shot Routine

2005-08-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

I watched a golf channel academy where these three elements were explained to create more consistency in one's golf game.

The Set up should be the same every time. Make sure the hands fall down freely, approximately over the toes. When you realize you are too far in one direction, instead of just moving your feet, move your whole body as if you were rotating around an imaginary circle, where the ball was in the center. Make sure when you set up and bring your right hand onto the club that your shoulders are still parallel to the target. The tendency is for the right shoulder to then be in front of the left.

Rhythm should be consistent. The club should hit the ball when the weight is shifted onto the left foot. Try hitting the ball at 50% until you get the right timing. Then move up to 70% while keeping the same relative rhythm. If that doesn't work, move back to 50%.

A drill you can do for this is line up four balls on the tee. Hit the first with good rhythm...the ball should fly straight. Hit the next one where your hips and weight rotate first and the hands are late. The ball should go right. Next, hit one ball where the hands come through first...the ball will go left. Lastly, hit a ball with perfect rhythm and timing and watch it fly straight as an arrow.

The pre-shot should be basically, assess the surroundings, envision the shot your are going to take, select your club, practice the swing feel, and then execute the swing feel. During the swing, just try to recreate the same swing feel you had during your practice swing.

9 holes for $6.50!!!

2005-08-04T17:29:00.000-07:00

I just played 9 holes last night after work for only $6.50! Dobson Ranch has a twilight special that runs through the summer months. Since it was below 100 degrees yesterday on my way home from work, I decided that it was a good idea to play some holes.

I shot a 43, which isn't too bad. I can do better if I just don't lose any balls. I lost three balls in nine holes. Each one comes with a penalty stroke of course.

I'm going to have to do this again next week! You can't beat the price!!!

Logan River can kiss my arse!

2005-07-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went up to Utah to visit my brother, Anthony. We golfed Logan River and it is a tough course! The fairways were narrow and lined with reeds, water, and basically if you didn't get it on the fairway you could not find your ball. I lost many a ball at Logan River and will not even publish the score I got. It was horrendous!

I got an 83 at Dobson Ranch!

2005-07-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

The Saturday before last (July 16) I scored an 83 at Dobson Ranch. It has been my goal to break 90 this summer and not only did I break 90, but I got close to 80! I was so stoked!

I went as a single so I didn't know the two other people I was playing with. I played with this cool guy who was Phillipino that worked at Intel. He was in the cart with me and was an excellent partner because he played well, but didn't rush....very layed back just like me. The other guy with us pulled a cart...no thank you! Not in the 100+ degree heat!!! He was wearing headphones and didn't talk much. He played really well.

Another statistic that my Phillipino golf partner so generously noticed and shared with me is that I was even par on all my par 3 holes. That's awesome! That means that my approach iron shots were right on target and my putting was on too.

Most Beautiful Golfing Weekend Ever!

2005-07-12T13:54:00.000-07:00

I just got back from one of the best golfing weekends ever! My girlfriend and I went to Lakeside again to vist her parents. Her dad and I golfed our hearts out! The weather was beautiful and the country club course is gorgeous. We golfed 18 holes and I was doing great with my driver, which is a change for me. All that I changed was my setup routine. My setup routine goes like this:

1) From directly behind the ball, survey the fairway and determine exactly where I want to hit the ball.
2) Take a few easy practice swings while surveying.
3) Approach the ball and rest the handle of the driver on the inside of my left thigh, holding onto it with my left hand only. The head of the driver will be inside the ball so that when I extend the arms, it will be directly behind the ball and I will be the proper distance from the ball.
4) Apply the right hand to the grip and extend the arms.
5) With the clubhead above the ball, simulate the position at impact with my hips rotated.
6) Finish the swing.....repeat the impact position and swing a couple of times.
7) Swing Away!!!

This was very effective and I think Alicia's dad only out drove me like two times. He usually outdrives me more than that.

My score ended up as a 91 for the first round. We then had lunch at the clubhouse on the patio, overlooking the course. It was absolutely beautiful.

After lunch we went out again for a second round. I started out strong, hitting my driver and my irons rather solidly. In both rounds I was struggling with my short game, especially chipping and pitching with my wedges. I really need to work on this part of my game. I ended up with a 94 in my second round. I should be breaking 90 by now, but I still had a great time.

My girlfriend's dad shot in the 80's both times. Both of us were extremely tired with about 3 holes left in the second round. We were dragging afterwards, but had to hurry back to the house, shower, get ready, and go back to the clubhouse for an amazing dinner out on the patio.