Joey's Golf Bag

This afternoon after work, I practiced at the Golden Bear Golf Center. The day was warm and windy, with a brisk breeze from the southwest.

I warmed up by hitting pitching wedges towards the red flagged green. While the fat shot wasn’t as bad as the last practice, still hit a couple of fatties. Next, got out the 7-iron and was striking the ball pretty well but most shots were hooks or pulls, and my tempo wasn’t particularly great. So, got out the driver.

First drive was a slight fade, then a draw, then a perfect straight one. Next, I got out the 5-wood and hybrid and hit some shots off the deck, particularly well with the hybrid, a bit low but straight with the 5-wood. Also hit some shots off tees with both clubs, and hit some really nice shots. I then got out the 4-iron and started hitting some balls with it since my tempo was back under control.

As I was hitting the 4-iron, Alan walked up and I told him about my difficulties with the wedges. He checked my stance and had me bend my knees a bit more and put my feet closer together and I started hitting the wedges better. As he was leaving, I hit a spectacular hybrid shot and he said, “Last year, you couldn’t hit that shot”. That’s the truth!

Finished up by going through the bag and hitting all the clubs. I hit at least a decent shot with every club, even the 4-iron. My tempo died off at the end, but I was still happy to have gotten my wedges working again and my irons beginning to behave.

I then went to the putting green and practiced putts longer than 18 ft. I paid particular attention to my routine and taking practice putts to get the feel back in my putting. I’ve been neglecting my routine and I think that’s what’s made my putting suck the last two weeks even though I’ve practiced well.

I was pretty pleased with the practice today; just wish I’d had time to get to the short game area.

This afternoon, after work, I practiced at the Golden Bear Golf Center. The weather was warm and sunny, with only a trace of a breeze.

I warmed up hitting pitching wedges toward the red flagged green. I hit the ball pretty well, with a fat shot or two thrown in, and most of the shots were pulled just left of the flag. Next, I got out the 7-iron and lined up to hit shots at the blue flagged green. I was striking the ball fairly well, but my shots were mostly pulls or hooks. The more I hit, the more the ball started to hook. I got out the 9-iron and went to work trying to get the path straightened out. Hoping to get the hook out, I put the ball a little farther forward in my stance and worked on getting a clean strike on the ball. For the most part I was successful, but still had that nagging hook or fat shot lurking to torment me. I then rotated in the 5-iron into the mix, but couldn’t seem to get a good strike on the ball.

I traded the irons for the long clubs. First up, I hit the 5-wood, and boomed a nice one at the yellow flagged green. I followed that up by hitting the hybrid and driver. All of these clubs I hit pretty well, the only miss was hooks with the driver. I even hit nice shots off the deck, which was little more than a 1/4″ long grass over very hard dirt. I was pretty pleased with the long clubs, I continue to improve with those clubs, as long as I resist the urge to kill the ball (that causes the dreaded hook monster to torment me).

I then went back to the wedges, hoping to get the fat out of my game. No such luck today, I seem to be digressing with the wedges. I think I’m going to need to get some instruction, and soon.

Finally, I got out the longer irons and worked on striking the ball with the ball more forward in my stance than I’ve been using, hoping to get the hook monster to stay away. I seem to have made a bit of progress, as I even hit a decent 4-iron at the end.

I’d planned to hit the putting green to practice, but found the green overrun by junior golfers, so I reluctantly skipped putting practice and hit the road.

Yesterday, I played 18 on course 1 at Sherrill Park in Richardson. It might have been my all-time worst golfing performance. I’m blaming the cold, though sunny, weather with a brisk 20-30 mph wind. We went off at 1:12PM and finished about 4 hours later, which is pretty fast for golf in Dallas on a Sunday afternoon.

In reality, I can’t blame the wind for all my troubles, as I had every swing fault known to man. I hit fat wedges, I hit thin wedges, I hit hooks, I hit pushes, I hit slices, I hit chunks. A veritable cornucopia of swing faults. Things were so bad at one point, that on one particular par-5, I hit 4 trees (not counting ricochets after the first tree was impacted). I’ll not even get into my putting, where I set a new personal record for futility.

I hit only one club well all day, that being my Tom Wishon Golf 915HL 5-wood, which I hit only three times, two of which were the best shots I’ve ever hit with the club. The best of the bunch was the tee shot on the short par-4 10th hole, where I launched the perfect shot right over the large oak tree which guards the fairway into the center of the fairway, leaving me exactly 100 yds to the center of the green (I know this because my ball was about a foot from the red platter in the fairway).

My signature hole, the 18th: I hit a perfect 3-hybrid shot down the right side of the fairway just in front of the creek, leaving an 8-iron to the hole. I then proceeded to hit the ball thin right at the pin, which I nailed solidly. The ball bounced onto the back fringe, where I promptly mangled the hole by 3-putting for bogey. 😥

I’ll not post the score, as it was well north of 100.

Crappy golf, but for some unfathomable reason, I still want to play more golf.

A sign of madness, that’s for sure.

This afternoon after work, I practiced at the Golden Bear Golf Center on a cool, but sunny, afternoon. Only a slight breeze from the west was blowing.

I started off hitting gap wedges to the red flagged green. The first shot was slightly fat, but the next few shots were well-struck. I then got out the 7-iron and proceeded to hit high hooks well left of the blue-flagged green. A bit discouraged, I got out the driver and hit a high fade, followed by a high hook, and then a perfect drive right at the green flag. Now encouraged again, I got out the 5-wood and hit some shots. After two high fades, I started striking the ball perfectly straight and long. I then got out the hybrid, but never really hit it particularly well.

Next, I got out the 9-iron to work out my hooks. After a push, I hooked a couple of shots and then hit one very nicely. I then got out the 5-iron and again hit high hooks. I then alternated the driver, 5-wood and 5-iron, trying to get the hook out of my swing. I finally succeeded by letting my grip weaken a bit and swinging with a bit less tension. I then hit some very nice iron shots with the 9-, 7- and 5-irons. With the last few balls, I hit some more iron and hybrid shots, the irons well-struck but the hybrid shots were weak fades.

Next up, I went to the putting green to practice putting. I’ve been trying to swing more freely with minimal grip pressure. I ran the speed drill, putting the ball very cleanly, but a little longer past the hole than I prefer. I ended putting practice with some very nice putts from 30 ft, none of them more than 20″ from the hole.

A good practice on a beautiful afternoon; I was very pleased.

Yesterday after work, I practiced putting at the Golden Bear Golf Center. As I had only 45 spare minutes, I spent the entire available time practicing putting. I spent the first 30 minutes running speed drills, and the remainder of the time working on long distance putts at 30 and 45 ft. Aside from one or two putts either inexplicably short or long, my putting practice was quite good.

Now, if I could just take that putting onto the course…

This afternoon, on a fine, sunny day, I finally managed to get out on the course and play golf. We went off at about 3PM, and managed to get in 14 complete holes before darkness fell at the Indian Creek Golf Club on the easier Lakes course. We played 3-way match play today, so total score wasn’t important. I won 8 of the 14 holes we finished. All this despite a lack of practice and particularly poor putting.

The good:

• Short irons, except for one hole, were pretty good. I hit a 9-iron to 20 ft on the par-3 fourth hole and hit another 9-iron to 15 ft on the 13th hole.
• Sand shots. I was in the bunker only once today, and I got out cleanly, leaving about 15 ft.

The mixed:

• Drove the ball long today, though not particularly straight. I’m probably 30 yds longer this year than last. My problem shot today was hooking the ball.
• Wedges. Aside from one wedge shot hit badly fat and other hit badly thin, I hit the wedges pretty well today.

The ugly:

• Mid-irons. I hit only one good mid-iron today, a recovery shot from underneath a tree. The rest were either hit thin or pushed wide right.
• Fairway / hybrids. I only hit these clubs once each, and both were hit thin, but straight.
• Putting. Pathetic. I had 5 three-putts in 14 holes. What’s worse is that two the 3-putts were on greens I hit in regulation. I hit only one putt outside of 5 ft, and that was a 15 footer for birdie on the 13th hole.
• Penalties. I hit two balls in the water, one a hooked driver off the tee, the other a hooked mid-iron. I also lost a ball off the tee when I hooked it deep into the woods on the par-5 11th hole.

Pretty poor day playing, but I really had fun and never got frustrated despite my poor play.

Yesterday, Sal Johnson, who smartly reset his picks after the third round, squeaked by Ron Sirak and Alan Shipnuck on picking the winners of the third round of the Accenture Match Play. Let’s take a look at their quarterfinal round results. Note: Of the three, only Sal Johnson didn’t pick the later rounds in advance, so he’s got a clear advantage because his picks get reset every day. Whatever.

None of Ron’s or Alan’s picks made the quarterfinals, so there is no sense in continuing to check. Sal managed to get only 1 of 4 right in the quarters.

My pick for the victory is Geoff Ogilvy to repeat as winner.

This morning, on a very, very windy day, I hit a few balls at the Golden Bear Golf Center. The day started out heavily clouded, but the wind soon blew the clouds away and left the day sunny, but with a very strong wind from the west.

I started off warming up with the pitching wedge, and the wind was hard right-to-left with a bit into me. My old nemesis, the fat shot, was evident from the first. So, I did what I’ve done when I can’t hit the wedge, I get out the driver. Got out the big stick and proceeded to pound balls at the green with the yellow flag. The wind wasn’t affecting the flight of the ball too much at this time, so my gentle fades were drawn back to the flag by the wind. I then took out the 3- and 5-woods and hit some balls, pretty well. I hit a few 5-woods off the deck, surprisingly straight though not long due to the wind.

Now, the wind was really starting to howl, so I thought it would be fun to see how far right I could hit the ball and have it draw back in the wind. I got out the 7-iron and tried to hit a fade at the right edge of the green with the blue flag. Hooked it instead and sent the ball high, the wind grabbed it and took it a good 40 yds left of the green. Wow!

Set up again for a fade, but aimed at the yellow flag. Hit the ball very high with only a trace of a fade, then the wind grabbed it and the ball landed just on the left edge of the green. That’s some wind!

Now the wind was howling so hard that I decided to hit the ball really high with the sand wedge. I swung very hard aimed at the right edge of the green with the red flag, the wind grabbed it and the ball landed right on the left fringe. Heh!

The wind was howling so hard it was pointless to continue, so I gathered my gear and headed home. Too bad the wind wasn’t behind me, it would have been fun to tee it up high and hit 300 yd drives. 😉

Yesterday, Sal Johnson, who smartly reset his picks after the second round, wiped out Ron Sirak and Alan Shipnuck on picking the winners of the second round of the Accenture Match Play. Let’s take a look at their third round results. Note: Of the three, only Sal Johnson didn’t pick the later rounds in advance, so he’s got a clear advantage because his picks get reset every day. Whatever.

I’m shocked that Tiger Woods lost to Nick O’Hern, but that’s match play.

Aussie ends Woods’ winning streak

Tiger Woods’ winning streak is over no matter what tour he is playing.

In a shocking end to a PGA TOUR streak that began in July, Woods failed to notice a ball mark in the line of his 4-foot birdie putt that would have won his third-round match against Nick O’Hern. He missed the putt, then lost in 20 holes when the Australian saved par with a 12-foot putt Friday at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.