First Competition of the Season

On Monday this week I played in my first open competition of the year at The Buckinghamshire Golf Club. The event was a 36 hole scratch stroke play competition with a handicap limit of 3 to enter.

Going into the event I was interested in a number of things. Firstly how my game would stand up on a course I did not know. Every course I play seems to highlight a different element of the game I can work on so from a learning point of view this event was a great opportunity. I was also interested to see how I would cope with any nervousness the competition provoked and how well I was able to deal with it. Finally I was looking forward to seeing how my game compared to a strong field of golfers. This has to come last because in general I am only interested in comparing myself to myself, that is I just want to be better than I was last time. For me placing well in competitions is a side effect of having improved my game, not the main goal.

So what was the element of my game that an unfamiliar course highlighted? In this case it was my putting and in particular my long putting. On the card the course length is 6880 yards but for this competition many of the pins had been placed at the back of very long greens taking the length to closer to 7000 yards which combined with April temperatures in the UK makes this a fairly long course. Why mention this in relation to my putting? Because most of my golf has been played on shorter courses meaning I am hitting shorter clubs in the greens meaning I leave shorter putts. As a result of this I am simply out of practice for long putts and it took playing a long course to highlight this.

I am really pleased with how I drove the ball around a course that has fairway bunkers in play on the majority of holes. I hit 64% of fairways but what that does not show is that only 2 of my misses were in trouble; 1 in a fairway bunker and 1 blocked out by trees. I am also pleased with distance of my drives because I know 1 year ago I would have really struggled to hit it far enough for this course. I am probably not gaining an advantage on the field in terms of distance but last year there were times when I was losing out on distance and that is no longer the case.

I am also happy with how I dealt with my nerves. I know for me the best way of controlling myself is by focusing on my breathing which I did well for the whole day. On my 2nd and 3rd holes of the day I did over-hit putts because of a bit of excitement but on the next hole I focused on keeping my body connected which took my hands out of the stroke and removed the hit impulse I was feeling. In the future I will most likely use this feeling from the 1st hole to avoid the mistakes at the start.

I am actually fairly pleased with my score and how I placed. In the morning I started slowly to be 5 over after 5. It was a strange start because in general I played fine but putts lipped out and I just needed to remind myself I was doing fine just without of the score reflecting that. I was able to pull it together to finish 6 over par for the opening round which after the start I was pleased with. In the afternoon the theme was putts not dropping and I was only able to shoot 10 over par to finish in 38th place out of 60 players. In the UK handicaps are calculated based on the CSS, essentially the score a scratch golfer would be expected to shoot in that round, which for the 2nd round was 3 over par. This shows that while 10 over par may sound like a disaster it was in reality only 4 over my handicap. The CSS also shows how well the winner played to finish 2 under par for the 2 rounds

I am reasonably happy with my position in an event with a stronger field than any I have played before. I believe there were 19 players off scratch or better and I know if I had been in the same event last year I would have come pretty much last. While my finishing position was not as high as I would have liked looking back I would not have done anything differently to prepare for the event. It took playing in the event to highlight the weaknesses in my game in order to improve which is what I am most interested in. I look forward to my next competition and seeing what I can learn there.

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!

At the Range - Amateur Custom Fitting

I have long been convinced that adjustable drivers are not benefiting most golfers. The way I see it is that instead of getting someone who is qualified to fit you for a driver, people with little knowledge of golf and physics think they can do the job themselves. I had a wonderful time at the range the other day listening to two young men fitting themselves for drivers. They were both quite powerful and clearly had some golfing ability, however, they both hit the ball incredibly high. I overheard something along the lines of the following conversation:

"I hit it so far with this driver I just hit it too high."
"Why don't you try this one?"
"I will but I need an extra-stiff shaft."
"This is just stiff but I need extra-stiff too."

After a few shots...

"No still too high. Want to try my driver?"
"Yeah sure."

Five shots later...

"How do you hit this it just goes right?"
"It's because I swing it faster. Let me try your shaft in my driver."

After a few minutes of searching for the correct wrench, followed by some clicking noises...

"That's definitely better."
"Are you sure it still looks high."
"It's still high but it's lower."
"I'm going to try changing the loft on my driver."

Following the sound of the wrench being used again...

"Slightly better but it needs to be lower. What setting is yours on?"
"Mine is already on the lowest setting because if you swing fast you don't need much loft."
"Why do they make it so I can only change it 2 degrees?"
"The tour versions of drivers have less loft I should get one of those."
"I think I need to get a tour driver with a stiffer shaft."
"Maybe if we move the weights..."

After getting the wrench out again...

"Yes! I cleared the trees at the back of the range then!"
"Wow that's like 320."
"If I put the weight into fade setting it goes lower and further. Try it."

More wrench action is heard...

"No that didn't work it makes it go left."
"Really? Try it with this shaft then."

Even more clicking...

"Oh yeah you're right it goes straight now."
"See it's all about what shaft you have."
"Yeah maybe they've got an X flex in the shop."
"I doubt it they don't normally stock them because so few people swing fast enough."
"That's a shame. I'm going to try my 3 wood next."
"Me too. I've got a new adjustable one."

To be continued...

As much as this is a slight (only slight) exaggeration there are certain lessons that can be learned from people like this:

1. Get fitted for your driver and leave it in that setting.

2. Leave your torque wrench at home.

3. Your swing affects shot shape more than any shaft can.

4. Leave the wrench at home.

5. Range finders can be up to 70 yards out. Mine said the back of the range was only 250.

6. Stop adjusting your poor driver! Leave the wrench at home!

7. You cannot judge distance with your eyes. I thought their shots were 20 yards short of the back of the range.

8. Please leave the wrench at home.


I would like to finish with a plea. To Titliest, Callaway, Taylormade, Ping, and all equipment manufactures; I am begging you to make a silent wrench!

The Bottom Half of the Internet Speaks - Bubba Watson

Prior to the 2016 Waste Management Phoenix Open Bubba Watson made comments that he would rather not be playing in the event at TPC Scottsdale.

When asked why he liked the course he said, "I don't like it. I'm not going to PC it. I don't like it at all. I just mentioned why I'm here. I've got three beautiful sponsors that love it here."

Unsurprisingly these words did not make Bubba particularly popular with the fans at the event, including the vast number of fans (around 15,000) around the par three 16th. When Bubba reached this hole he was booed and suddenly remembered to clarify it was just the courses he hated and definitely not the fans. The whole incident created a huge amount of action in the comments sections of the internet. Some people were angry with Bubba, some with the fans, and some with each other. I have taken this anger and turned it into something much greater; the following found poem.

I like people who speak their minds,
And Bubba does that!
He is a credit to every player,
He made golf fun and exciting.

How can you not love Bubba?
Concisely,
Because he's the biggest whiner in golf,
Bigger even than Colin Montgomerie

He doesn't want to kill the goose that lays gold,
It's too bad sponsors don't cut off these idiots,
They're just SPOILED BRATS,
This is the last PING product I buy.

My grandma told me if I didn't have something nice to say don't say it,
And he sounds ungrateful, arrogant, and petulant.
Apparently you didn't say anything nice either.
Sorry Granny.

It's a drunkfest,
Nothing more,
But plenty less,
It is an embarrassment to the tour and the players.

If he didn't like it then shut up,
Maybe he ought to try a real job,
I'd take his job.
If he actually had to work for a living he would starve.

Bubba's problem is,
In my honest opinion,
In his heart of hearts,
He is a snob

This tournament's fans are the most ignorant on the PGA Tour,
And usually the most inebriated.
Phoenix isn't the only place with drunk fans,
It just has more of them.

Guess what,
If you don't like the tournament,
Don't watch it.
It raises a lot of money for charity.

Booing?
At a golf tournament?
Because of giving his opinion?
These "fans" need to go back to their martinis and shut up.

What the X Games Can Teach a Golfer

Last week saw one of my favourite sporting events of the year take place, the Winter X Games. While watching the athletes performing seemingly impossible stunts is what originally drew me to the competition it is not the reason I am still watching four years after I first saw the event. What keeps me watching is the passion of the athletes and the commentators. I have yet to see an athlete in any other sport who is excited about what they do as the athletes at the X Games. I would put this down to the element of risk in action sports meaning that only those with the most passion are willing to take enough risk to reach the top level.

It is from the passion and excitement of the competitors at the X Games that I believe golfers can learn. None of the athletes are out there for money, the risk is too great to do it for money, they are all out there because they love what they do. They want to showcase their abilities and push the boundaries of what is possible. Not only do they want to do their best, they everyone else to do their best. In 1999 all of the skateboarders were so eager to see Tony Hawk land "The 900" that they passed their attempts to give Hawk more attempts to land it. The other athletes were more passionate about progression in their sport than they were about their individual chances of winning a gold medal. This something I think about in when playing match play golf. I am not going to give the other person the match but I want to see them play well. The most fun match I have ever played was one where the golf was of high quality; our better-ball score was ten under par and we were willing each other to make every putt. When I play for the joy of the game rather than to win I have more fun and I play better.

I am sure you have been told to trust your shot at some point while playing golf and this is something else on display at the X Games. In golf despite the advantages of trusting the shot you are going to hit it is very easy not to. In action sports if they do not trust what they are doing completely they will not do it. The reason it is easy for a golfer to hit a shot they do not trust is because of the lack of serious consequences. Even if the outcome of the shot is disastrous the player is still fine whereas in action sports serious injury could be the outcome. At the X Games we see what is possible if a person trusts their abilities and I believe golfers can learn from this.

Trust in your abilities is only half of the trust however, trust in an athlete's equipment is a just as important in golf as in any other sport and at the X Games it is again more apparent because of the risk factor. I am not a big believer in it being necessary for most golfer's to have top of the range equipment but I do believe everyone, regardless of ability, needs to have faith in their equipment. In action sports there is more of an incentive to make sure your equipment is just right in order to avoid excessive risk. When you see what the skiers are doing of course they are going to check their bindings one extra time to give them peace of mind. In golf this could mean cleaning your clubs more often or checking the lie angles of your wedges just so you know your equipment is giving you as high of a chance as possible to perform your best.

As golfers I think we can learn from the passion and trust of competitors at the X Games but I think the biggest lesson we can learn is from the determination certain competitors show. There are some fantastic stories of determination and perseverance and among my favourites is that of the Moore brothers. In the 2013 snowmobile freestyle event the younger brother Colten watched his older brother Caleb crash on a backflip trick and be helped into an ambulance. Colten then went for his run and crashed on the same jump suffering a separated pelvis. By the time Colten reached the hospital he found his older brother unconscious. A week after the accident Caleb died.

Despite having his own serious injuries to recover from Colten was back riding shows just months after the accidents. One year later Colten Moore returned to the X Games and won the gold medal in snowmobile freestyle in memory of his brother. I tell this story because it shows the commitment Colten had to following his heart. He could have walked away from the sport after his brother's death and no one would have questioned his decision. In life there will always be challenges and in some situations what we want to do is not going to be a decision some people understand. Without seeing how riding freestyle makes Colten Moore feel his decision to return seems senseless. But if you see the smile on his face you would have no doubt it was the right decision. The final point I would like to make on this story is on the importance of supportive friends and family. Despite his brother's death Colten still has the full support of his family when he rides and that is invaluable in any situation. Having a supportive group around you can go along way towards helping you reach your goal, whether that be in snowmobiling, golf, or life in general.

The Bottom Half of the Internet Speaks - Slow Play

During the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship Jordan Spieth was among several players given the European Tour's new monitoring penalty for slow play. The penalty essentially means if a player consistently takes too long for shots they can be given a monetary fine. Slow play is one of golf's eternal problems and always brings out some interesting points of views among the golfers on the internet. Some people were criticizing Spieth, some chief rules official John Paramor, and some were creating conspiracy theories. Most of these comments were having little attention paid to them so I have rearranged a selection of them into a found poem in an attempt to showcase some of the more unusual viewpoints.


In my opinion Jordan is one of the faster players on Tour.
Are you getting confused with Michael Jordan?
He should limit his practice swings to 2 or 3,
He is the Christie Kerr of the PGA Tour

Why do people care how long it takes the pros to play a round?
F the slow guy.
Slow players are not willing to admit it
Spieth needs to be banned for a year

It is insane how long they take to hit a shot.
Tour players like slow play.
I think a ball should have a timer,
If the clock expires before you hit it then the ball explodes

Money is no object to these guys,
It's like giving rich people parking tickets
3 hours 45 minutes equals regular green fees,
Every minute over that is an extra $2.50

Walk off the green with Jason Day and you need a new calendar.
The problem is the charts of the greens,
They can't even read putts themselves.
The only solution is the liberal use of tasers.

Rory had a military helicopter flying directly over his tee shot,
Should that have resulted in a penalty?
Yes.
 Unless it was firing artillery

Bloody ridiculous!
This is not rocket science!
Since only the last 9 holes on Sunday matter,
Time those.

I guess the Euros need to find a way to get Rory back to number one.
I'm sure they feel Rory is the true number one.
Take away OWGR points.
It's amazing some people don't realize McIlroy is the best player in the world

John Paramor likes to insert himself into a tournament
Paramor picked on the wrong player
This big fat oaf should retire and do what he does best,
Wear women's clothes

Best Round Of The New Year

During the winter months it is always difficult to play as much golf as in the summer. Shorter days and worse weather make it harder and often less appealing to play which often leads to higher scores when we do play. This year I have taken a very different view of the off-season to that which I have taken in the past. I am viewing it as the off-season for competing but the on-season for practicing. I have probably practiced as much or possibly even more during this winter than I did last summer. I am delighted to say that I am seeing results from this before I expected to.

This weekend saw the best weather, at least for golf, we have seen for a while. There was no rain and fairly light winds combined with warmer temperatures making a round of golf an even more enjoyable way to spend a few hours. I am delighted to say I was able to take advantage of the better conditions and shoot 1 under par. However what I am more excited about than the score is that I had 7 birdies which is as many as I have ever had in a round before. As you can tell by the score I made plenty of mistakes in the round but I did not let any of them distract me. Being able to play this well in January is very encouraging for me because I did not expect to see any real improvement in score until the competitive season starts in April.

What is almost as exciting for me is that for the first time ever I had eagle putts on all three of the par-5s. This does not excite me because it is something I can boast about in the clubhouse, but because it shows the time I have been spending in the gym is helping my golf. I know I have been getting stronger but this is the first time I have seen serious evidence for it on the golf course. I am also pleased that I have been able to increase my power without losing accuracy or consistency of strike. I am not interested in just hitting the ball further because that is not going to improve my scoring. I want to improve my accuracy at the same time so I am very encouraged that I was able to hit 12 out of 14 fairways. For the record I had tap-in birdies on all of the par-5s which helped my score immensely.

What I am really excited about is that this round came in January and I still have a few months before the season starts. I have never really had any periods of regression during my time playing golf so I am looking forward to seeing where I can get my game to before the competitive season starts.