Golflogic.ca

He’s got all the attributes of a modern professional golfer, long hitting, great short game, good putter, and he has work extremely hard on his mental approach.  So can young Englishman Nick Dougherty follow up his extraordinary first round at Oakmont and run away with the US Open?  This very biased Engliishman hopes he can.

The current leaderboard has a real international flavour to it, with half of the top 20 hailing from outside the US.  I must mention the Canadians, Ames and Weir, who despite fairly average seasons by their standards are in good position after the first round.

The English hope doesn’t totally rest on Dougherty’s shoulders though, with Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald all within striking distance, this has the potential to be a great week for English golf.

And what of the course?  Oakmont showed some of the teeth that we were lead to expect, but it was more of a slight grimace rather that a full blown roar on day one, expect the USGA to hit back tomorrow!  I know a lot is made of the Church Pews, and they are impressive, but what first strikes me about this course are the square greens, I love the idea behind them, and something so simple can make a hugely dramatic impact on how the holes look.

The US Open has always had an elevated position within the Majors hierarchy, but with the USGA returning to ‘classic’ American courses (Oakmont, Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines etc) this great tournament will continue to hold all the prestige it deserves.

Here’s hoping to a weekend full of European (and Canadian I suppose) names packing the leaderboard, and a new name on that famous trophy.

Congratulations must go to Suzann Petterson for winning her first event on the LPGA tour this weekend at the Michelob Ultra Open.

It took three playoff holes against Korean Jee Young Lee for Petterson to triumph, and a long overdue win for the Norwegian was rewarded.  She becomes the first Norwegian to win an LPGA event and the second European to win in 2007.  She also recieved the tidy sum of $330 000 for her efforts. 

The victory was especially sweet as it laid to rest the ghost of the Safeway Classic & the next week at the Kraft Nabisco, where she blew healthy sized leads to finish second.

With the profile of ladies golf on the rise, new tours starts emerging and gaining breakthrough wins, the future looks bright for womens golf.  Long may it continue.

MORNING,

Isn’t it wonderful to see the world coming back to life?  The seasons are changing and spring will soon be here, so now is the time to drag the clubs out of hibernation, clean them up and get ready.

First I would like to mention the world No. 1 in our beloved sport.  Can he be beaten at Augusta?  Is it too early to think Grand Slam?

Reading around the press since the weekend, a lot of very reputable analysers have said that the lack of threat from any rivals left Tiger with no adrenaline to press his advantage home.  For a man who has made it his life-mission to break records, I find it hard to believe that an absence of adrenaline or motivation would hinder him in any way.  Having said that, I fully expect he will win by 5 shots at the Masters and average about 25 putts per round.  Tiger has a way of making it work, that’s why he’s the best (right now). 

Tiger has in his golf game one massive strength, it is probably the main reason (besides his mental aptitude) he has won so many tournaments, his short game.  You can hit the ball as far as you like, it will still have to end up in the hole to count as a birdie. 

The variety of shots and distance control Tiger exhibits is staggering, much of this comes from practice and experience.  There are many drills that one can do to improve the quality of play from within 100 yards, I’d like to briefly explain two such drills, and hope that the new season motivation will inspire some wedge practice.

The equipment required for these drills are:

• 100 Yards of Practice Ground, ideally with grass to hit off, matting is a poor substitute but acceptable if no ground is available.
• A Target to aim at, again a green would be preferable, but an upturned umbrella or golf bag will be fine.
• Wedges, bring all wedges, and maybe nine iron too
• Golf Balls, 40 is the optimum number for these two drills
• 1 ‘Technique’ Drill

While watching professional golf, you often hear commentators say things like, “Joe Bloggs left himself with a good number there.”  This means that the player had a yardage to the flag that they were comfortable with, a distance they know and trust.  This distance knowledge comes through practice, and this drill will give you some personal distances that you can feel comfortable with.

Take your most lofted club (sand or lob wedge) and divide you ball quota into three piles (ideally ten per pile)

• Find a piece of flat practice ground, there is no need for a target for this drill, just somewhere for the balls to land!
• Hit ten balls with a ¼ backswing and follow-through, arms going back to waist high, then through to waist high finish.
• Hit ten balls with a ½ backswing and follow-through, arms to chest high
• Hit ten balls with full swing.

Once the three types of shot have been hit, pace out to the middle of each circle of balls, to give three different distances for that club.  Repeat this process with your other wedges and maybe nine-iron to give 9-12 different ‘numbers,’ which can be implemented on the course, so you too can be a master of distance control.

2 ‘Feel’ Drill

Some players like to visualise the distance to a particular green, and use their natural ‘feel’ to gauge how far to hit the ball.  This approach is perfectly acceptable, and this practice idea will help to improve your natural feel for distance control.

First identify a target, whether it is a flag on a green, an umbrella or golf bag.

• Measure 25,50,75 and 100 yards from the target
• Deposit 10 balls at each interval and take all wedges to first station
• Hit shots with a variety of clubs from each position; try hitting both low and high shots.
• Forget all technical mechanics, and just concentrate on getting the ball as close to the right distance each time

The outcome of this drill will to show that the same distance can be achieved with differing shots.  When hazards need to be avoided, use a high ball, and when there is nothing between the ball and the flag, maybe a running shot would be more appropriate.

The most important thing to take from these exercises is that some shots will be more comfortable than others.  It is these comfort shots that we use most often, because it should eliminate major mistakes.  If you can remove these errors and maybe even improve the good shots, your scores will tumble and golf will become more fun. 

That’s what it is all about.

(Try to play a famous course this year, in what other sport can you freely play on the same arena as the best in the world?) 

MORNING 
 

First of all may I wish all the readers a Very Happy New Year, may 2007 bring all your wishes both on and off the links.  It is on this subject that I am writing today.  I feel it is important to set yourself golfing goals every year, and strive to improve and achieve these goals so that each year you can look back and say; 

“I am a better golfer now than I was this time last year.”

The wonderful thing about golf is that you may not necessarily see your handicap drop dramatically, but if you set specific enough goals, the improvement can be more intrinsic and therefore more effective.  When I advise people at my club on their golfing objectives, I recommend them not to set the task of winning an event, or beating their regular playing partners.  This can lead to over-emphasis on external factors, e.g. you could catch your playing partners on a bad day, or have a lucky day to win a tournament, without really improving your game.

Some of the authors on this and other sites have recommended software such as shot-by-shot, GolfScoreTracker.co.uk and OnPar Golf.  These companies deal in helping you analyse the areas of your game that are good, and where improvement can be made.  I personally think the tools they provide are very valuable, they will identify whether it is missed fairways, missed greens or an inconsistent short game that is letting your game down.  The only let down with software like this is if you are a sporadic golfer.  If you only play golf once every couple of months, your strength one day could be your biggest weakness the next.  I only recommend this type of programme if you play or practice golf at least once a week, to gain the full benefit.

Over the next few weeks I will try to give some small advice on key areas of the game where improvement will prove extremely fruitful.  I will try to include some literature and websites that I feel will give some information and ideas.  This week I shall focus on Putting.

Putting, as many tutors more proficient than I have stated, is the most important element of the game of golf. 

Dave Pelz, one of the worlds leading instructors believes that ten minutes a day working on the correct things will improve your putting no end.  Now I don’t necessarily agree with Mr Pelz on all of his scientific approach to putting (theoretically it is sound, but maybe not super practical for everyone when on the course) but his book, ‘The Putting Bible’ is full of useful drills and tips to help groove a consistent stroke.  I also recommend Dr Bob Rotella’s ‘Putt To Win’ DVD.  Again there are lots of interesting games and drills and is a complete mirror of the Pelz approach, focusing on enjoyment and relaxation rather than more technical points.

If there is only one thing you do this winter on your putting, make sure it is to develop a pre-stroke routine, one that lasts no more than 15 seconds, and also that there is less than 8 seconds between finishing the practice stroke, and commencing the real stroke, apparently that is when short term memory loss kicks in.  Ingrain this routine and commit to using it whenever putting (both practice and play) and see if your consistency improves.

All the best for the winter

SI

Next week:

Controlling Your Distances 100 Yards And In

Morning, 

This is what happens when you become complacent.
 

It is the time of year when our leased golf buggies are due to be returned for the winter, so when the leaser said we could have them for an extra two weeks because the weather was so mild, we thought great, a little bit more revenue than anticipated.  Wrong!  Two days after the original return date I am playing the 2^nd hole after my shift when from the 17^th two young lads come over to say that one of their buggies has gone into a river.  Immediately I knew what had happened and our group head over to the 17^th to find that the boys had tried to take the cart over a footbridge, taking out the trolley-guard rail and some paving slabs in the process.  Now the policy we have at the club is to see a provisional driving licence (given to 17yr olds) at least before renting any buggy out.  The lads all had these and were driving on British roads, no doubt terrorising local motorists!
 

Now spacial awareness is definitely a skill, but looking at this next photo is there any chance a buggy would fit across this bridge?  Thank goodness the buggies are returned to their owners this weekend; we couldn’t afford too many mare repairs.
 

The Buggy in question was recovered by a member with a truck, and there was no significant damage, just a bit of a dent in the side.

Buggy Problems 2006

• Crashes into water or upturned – 3
• Tyre punctures – 9
• Broken Windscreens – 7
• Damaged bodywork – 10
• Flat Batteries – 25+
• Lost Keys – 3

And we will still have them back next year, foolish hey!

Morning Everyone,
 

As I am writing from a different time zone to the majority of readers (I presume, is there anyone out there from the UK?) I have decided to go with MORNING, as an appropriate start to my entries.
 

As you may have gathered from my bio, (if you haven’t checked it out you should, it’s a classic piece of literature) I am an Englishman who hails from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.  For those of you that don’t already know, Suffolk is situated in the east of the country.  I currently work in the Pro Shop at The Suffolk Golf & Country Club, which affords me two advantages when it comes to posting on the Blog:
 

1. Hopefully I will bring a unique insight into the workings of a typically British resort golf complex, and the people who ‘darken our doors’.
2. With winter fast approaching, I will have plenty of time to spend on posting.  This of course is in between selling tee pegs and freezing my bits off practicing.

I have been a golfer all my life.  I am fortunate that my grandparents & parents both play golf, so there were always old clubs lying around to be cut down & used.  In fact my first ever scorecard was from a 9 hole pitch-and-putt course, aged 3, I knocked it round in 96, come on!!  My first handicap at 8 years old was 72, which was used to play against my parents for fun.  Since then it has fallen dramatically, and soon will disappear completely as I enter the professional ranks.  2007 will be a big year for me, as I will be joining the PGA and embarking on their three year degree course, which will allow me to become a teaching professional.
 

So, what should people expect from ‘Across the Pond?’  Lots of warbling and general rant from a golfer who has grown up alongside the emergence of European professional golf.  I have also grown up with golf and its portrayal in the media, something which can affect golfers at club level.  I will also share my personal golfing experiences, both past & present, with the odd tale of sorrow & woe mixed in with some that are a little more humorous.
 

Most importantly from a personal point of view will be my detailing of competitions, study and exams.  This will ensure the proper motivation on my part (I won’t want to post a poor tournament card or coursework report) and the opportunity for me to gain valuable feedback from you guys, constructive comment or otherwise, it is all useful to me.
 

I think that is enough blurb about me, I just want to finish my first entry with this link.  For those who haven’t seen this before, I think this is just about the pinnacle of our sport right now, and a beautiful portrayal of the beast that is Woods.

As you have all noticed, we have managed to create a nice collection of golf bloggers spanning many different areas of the great game.  We now have our first international blogger and teaching professional.  Please help me welcome Simon Byford to the Illogical Golf Blog Team! 
Simon is a teaching professional in England.  In North America, I believe we are often shielded from what goes on outside of our continent so I am very excited to hear the views and opinions from someone across the Ocean.  Welcome Simon!