Progress Update

It seems to be a while since I just wrote about what progress I have been making so I feel now is the time to bring everyone up to speed.

For most of this year I have been struggling to play in handicap qualifying competitions as it is has been winter and most of the time I have played the whole field has been struggling against the conditions. As a result of this my handicap has stayed fairly constant and perhaps increased a touch to 3.2. However the weather is now improving and the competitive season is approaching so I am hopeful I can make some progress towards scratch in the near future.

In terms of my game I am really happy with how I have been striking the ball. I know my swing is in a good place because with my irons I am not hitting the ball with much shape. I have never been too keen on having either a draw or a fade because I know if everything is working correctly in my swing I have a very neutral ball flight. I am not quite hitting the driver the way I would like but I feel it is more an issue that will be solved as I hit more shots rather than something requiring a swing change. The only adjustment I would like to make to my long game is I would prefer to hit the ball slightly lower. However if I lose accuracy by making this change then I will simply leave the height of my shots alone.

Around the green I am also fairly pleased with my game. It is always difficult to judge how well someone is putting during the winter months but I am making enough putts that I am not worried. More importantly I am pleased with my thought process and commitment when I am putting which for me has always been the biggest challenge when putting. I know from using the Skypro swing analyser that my stroke is reasonably consistent so my green reading and mental attitude has the biggest impact on how many putts I make.

With the wedges I have mainly been working on expanding the range of shots I can hit. When we play on one course most of the time we tend to get into a habit of playing certain types of shots around the greens. I know I want to have a game I can take to any course so I am spending time hitting shots I may never need at my home course because I know they will be useful at some point in the future.

I have been forced to take most of the last two weeks off due to illness but judging from how I played in my first round back I do not think I was set back anything like as much as I was expecting. I am slightly down on power from the time off but I know that will come back and my mind still felt sharp. Overall I am looking forward to putting my game to test more over the coming months!