Jun 26, 2007 @ 01:40 pm by chris
I dragged my sorry ass out to Willow Valley in Hamilton on Saturday morning. I had heard good things about the course and was happy to finally get out and play it. I really enjoyed the course, awesome condition and great layout…and it had some of the fastest greens I had ever played on.
I have shot some decent rounds this year so far, especially considering where my game was last year so I thought this would be a sign of how my game was. I was well rested and focused. If I shot well then perhaps most of what Jon had taught me last year was sinking in, if not, it may be time to let the poor guy off the hook.
As you can tell by the title of this post, I shot well. I put up a solid 90, where as last year on a course like this I would have been around 105. I played very well, had a bunch of pars and very make able birdie putts. I also missed 3 putts from less than 3 feet (once again, very fast greens), and on the 10th hole I hit a great tee shot down a tight fairway and was sitting 90 yards out. My next shot went 15 feet into water…chalk up a triple bogey!! Subtract the water shot and 1 or 2 putts and I am sitting sub-90! I’ll take it!
I am off to Ottawa this weekend for Canada Day where I hope to squeeze in 3 rounds…but there will be a lot of friends there and even more beer. Could make for some interesting golf!
Jun 21, 2007 @ 01:41 pm by chris
Since starting the whole ‘Going Pro’ experiment, I have realized the importance of practice in becoming a better player. Not just getting to the range and whacking balls but actually having a goal and working on it.
My biggest issue right now is finding time to get to the range! I live in downtown Toronto so there are no ranges anywhere close. To get to them after work would take a lifetime due to the traffic. Weekends don’t work because I play and when I play we like to tee it up nice and early. This is becoming a real problem for me. That being said, I am scoring much better than I did last year. I know this won’t continue…but I need to find a solution.
I’ll keep you posted…
Jun 11, 2007 @ 10:05 pm by chris
My good friends over at Element 21 have been building one hell of a business and really believe their clubs are the best on the market. They believe their clubs will benefit everyone from professionals (who are already using the product) to the weekend hacker (yours truly) who is struggling to improve their game. They stepped up and put their Scandium where their mouths are and have offered to let me use the clubs and see if they help.
4 weeks in and guess what?? THEY HELP! My shots are flying straighter and longer. This is a combination of me naturally improving over time but the extra distance is something I didn’t expect right away. My irons are going 10-15 yards further than last season. In fact, after only a few rounds this season, one of my bigger issues is guess the yardage on my approaches.
Damn this game is getting fun!
Jun 11, 2007 @ 09:52 pm by chris
I had a rough year in 2006. I started the ‘Going Pro’ experiment and had very high hopes. I thought after a year of lessons and training my butt off, I would go from a regular 105-110 hitter to cracking 90 on a regular basis. In hindsight…wow I was an idiot.
I am a typical ex-jock, well past my prime but supremely confident in my athletic ability. Like most people who watch the game, I thought it was very simple…I now know different. Playing this game is tough and requires tremendous mental and physical discipline. So this off season I didn’t pick up a club at all. I read back through all my past lessons with Jon. I went over my notes not just on the swing and everything he taught me, I also went over my notes on how I felt, what was good and what I struggled with. Guess what? It might have worked!
This spring I hit the range and couldn’t believe the results. I was hitting long and straight, my chipping was better and so was my overall understanding of my swing. I will get into the rounds in more detail but my first round I shot 100, followed by a 95 which was quickly followed by my best round of all-time…and 86!
Perhaps sometimes we just need to walk away and reflect. Let’s hope I can keep up the improvements.