Struggles of a New Golfer

Twin Rivers with a New Pair of Pants

2011-08-13T18:08:00.001-07:00

Oh Twin Rivers...it had been two years since my last visit and it wasn't fun then, but thankfully, it was better this time. We only played the whites at 6100 yards because - as we were told by our friendly starter - those are the tees we will be playing from for the Autism Speaks tournament later this month.

Overall an 86 (+14): +6 on front and +8 on back; typical Tony really. Lots of 1-putts thanks to some good chips, the issue really was is approach shots. I hit a lot of shots to back of green or slightly over - had a few chips do the same and realized this: when I look at the pin and take my practice swings, that's where I tend to hit/land the ball. So mid-round I started focusing on where I wanted the ball to land and not even looking at the flag ...made a huge difference!

I was a little soft with my putts today, but I never three-putted which is always good. I found myself playing a lot of draw today...even with the driver! I found myself swinging slower and making better contact, which I'm not really familiar with ...haha...?

So in summary, a lot of good things but a lack of real consistency from hole to hole. The good news is I had a lot of good-feeling shots and its something I can move forward with.

On a side note...check out these sweet pants! Craig Norman brand, nice and light, and only 10 bucks!

This Month in Review: Part 2

2011-08-08T12:09:00.001-07:00

The last post was a summary of the self-critique I did with the loads of free time I had (and still have). Now I get to summarize how I have played since addressing my swing issues.

I played Red Tail with Eric, Palisades with Cullen, and took a trip to St. Pete to play with Danny, and after looking at my swing on video it was no wonder I hit the ball inconsistently there. Mid-80's for all of those, but the scores on the individual holes were so up and down it was crazy. I would play one great hole and par, then double-bogey, then par, and so on because of inconsistent shots. It was after these three rounds I started to break down what shots were causing me problems and I decided the only way to really know was to write down every shot I took during the round. So the next time I went out (at the Pines with Greg), I played the round, went to Chili's, then came home and wrote down each shot, hole by hole, to see if any glaring issues arose. SIDE NOTE, I drove the second green with is 300 yards and putted for eagle, but missed). For that particular round I saw that I kept every tee shot in play (even though I pulled 3), but I had a lot of trouble coming up short (haha) with my irons, both off the tee and on approach shots. After looking at my notes I realized I chunked a lot of chip/pitch shots too, so I knew I had to work on ball striking.

I next played at Rolling Hills and again, after looking at my shot-by-shot notes, realized I was chunking a lot of my approach shots and chips as well as had a hard time keeping some drives in play. My next two (and most recent rounds) have been huge for me, not because of scoring, but because of course management and not getting pissed off. I played Ventura on a hot day and started off with a bogey or worse on the first 6 holes. I looked at my scorecard and realized that scoring well was just not going to be an option today, so I took Eric's advice and just focused on hitting the ball solid and having good shots, not focusing on the score. Oddly enough, the hole I started with that thought was the 210 yard par 3 that I have NEVER reached in regulation. I took a deep breath and took an easy swing and put it to 10 feet from the pin. From that point on my game turned around. I bogeyed the next, then birdied the 9th to finish 10 over on the front. I flipped the card over and proceded to go +4 on the back with 3 birdie attempts and one actual birdie. I had never felt so good about not scoring so well, because I could have (and probably should have) completely fell apart after the first 6 holes.

So yesterday I went back to Ventura, looking to redeem myself on the front 9 that caused me so much pain a few weeks earlier...redemption is sweet. I lost one ball all day off of the tee (driver), and had some really good approach shots because of my ball-striking practice: +5 on the front and +5 on the back. I will say this: the greens were aerated and upon agreement with the others in the group, everyone had some putts that clearly were going into the hole that either hit an aeration hole and jumped or hit a hole and stopped. So the decision was if everyone thought the putt was going in without the crappy greens, we got to have the putt. We all had a few of them, but score or not it was a great day because I used what I learned from taping my swing and kept it simple all day. I also had fun and enjoyed the scenary because it wasn't 105 degrees outside.

Okay, I've typed enough...someone find me a job for the love of God...

This Month in Review: Part 1

2011-08-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

So unemployment has allowed me to have lots of time to watch The Golf Fix and make some upgrades to my swing. I started by recording my swing from down the line and face-on with my PW, 8i, and Driver to see what things I needed to work on. Here is one swing that really shows everything I have been doing wrong.

Set-up position - okay, but standing way to straight up and maybe even slouching too much, which creates a steeper angle of attack = catching ball fat/thin.

Backswing - holy bad. Your left arm is supposed to stay straight the entire time, and if you pause at the top of my swing you can see that it clearly does not. Also, my right foot comes off of the ground, which causes my head to slide back/up, and also would contribute to catching the ball fat/thin.

Impact - Probably could use a little more body movement to drag my hands through from in to out a little bit more.

Follow through - not bad considering all that has happened in the swing up until that point :)

So after all of that, here is what I researched and found I should do to address these issues:

Practice making swings with just left hand and really focus on keeping arm straight/using body to drag the club. Also helps to use both hands take half-swings to feel what it's like to keep arm straight.

Place a ball under your right pinky toe to keep your right foot on the ground as long as possible and maintain balance (Don't do this with lots of people around, because if you fall, you look stupid).

Hit a ball and look at where your divot is: is it in front? Behind? Is there one at all? The divot should be slightly in front of your ball (left foot for right-handed player). Now put two tees to mark where you want to hit the ground and take practice swings with a divot.

If anyone else has any ideas or sees something I need to fix (other than being unemployed), let me know!

Back at Magnolia

2011-06-10T20:20:00.001-07:00

This is a bit late, but I had to fill you all in on my recent round back at Magnolia Plantation, a course that caused me to only play 9 holes in the fall (baaaad day) . This past Saturday I dragged Andrew and Chris out there to help me prepare for a tournament this Saturday. We played from the blues (about 6600 yards) and overall, it went well.

Started well with a par and followed it up with a +3 on the second...quite the drastic change. Hooked a 3wood, then hit one in the water and one in a bush that I had to drop. The only positive was a 50 footer I made to end the hole. It stung, but I moved on. I finished the front +8, not bad with a triple and a double. The back 9 things came together and I parred the last 7 holes to finish with an 85 on the day.

On to the specifics. Off the tee I faired well, great drives and good 5w shots. My irons were the issue all day. I found myself having to club up and still wasn't hitting the ball solid, kinda scooping. Frustrating, but I played smart and just clubbed up to adjust and it worked okay. I putted great, with quite a few 1 putts to save par after a lame chip.

So overall a solid effort. 85 is good considering I had 7 penalty strokes. I also took some good notes on the holes and how to play them, since I'm the only one of the 4some who has played the course for Saturday. I played with Eric today at Red Tall, but I will type that in a new post :)

Bardmoor Revisited May 29

2011-05-29T18:45:00.001-07:00

95°, no clouds in sight, and a light breeze all day made for an exciting day of golf. Got paired with an older guy who could only hit it straight and a younger guy that had a rough day.

Danny and I had an interesting day. Danny started off with 2 pars and looked like he was going to be on, and he was good for the front 9, but disaster struck on the back and he finished with a 96.

Me on the other hand had an up and down day. I started with a triple bogey after a drive I hit through the fairway. I then parred the next 6 in a row. I tripled the 8th and finished with a 43 on the front. I hit my driver great, solid irons, but my chipping was off and cost me some shots.

The back 9 fairest interesting. Played longer than expected with some long par 4s and tough par 5s. Double bogeyed a couple of holes, but overall managed an 87: not bad for not playing for 2 weeks.

Swing-wise I had no real issues, again only chipping, and I felt I was scooping the ball instead of hitting down on the ball. When I did that, the shots were better ...duh.

So in summary, good progress after a decent break. My only concern is that I'm not getting any better and sort of plateau-ing, but I'm not sure how to take that big leap from shooting consistently 85 to shooting below 80. Only five strokes a round, but they add up...quickly.

Well that's all for now. I'm still sweating from the round today...but its better than snow.

Guess who's back

2011-05-27T21:09:00.001-07:00

Hello followers. I realized today that it has been over a year since I have posted and a lot has changed. Here is a recap...

I bought new Callaway irons and Cleveland driver. I can consistently break 90 and have added about 20 yards to my clubs by simplifying my swing and slowing down. I visit Tampa tomorrow and plan on playing at Bardmor with Danny and anyone else who wants to play.

I have learned a lot about the swing: slow and steady means solid contact, which means more distance and control. I changed to a Phil Mic style putter thanks to Katey and Daniel's donation and it has changed my world: I can control the ball much better and have great feel for distance too. I also hold the club like a lefty, which helps to keep the clubface straight through impact.

That is the short of it all. Its good to be back. I plan on adding a video of my swing on here if it allows me, so be on the lookout for that. Follow me on twitter : @thebigcapo13 and on oobgolf @tonycap13. Rock on.

It's been a while...

2009-05-18T05:35:00.000-07:00

So it has been a few days since my last update, here's what you've missed:

For those who didn't follow my round at Hunter's Creek, good, because it was kind of a disaster. Primarily because I decided to play from the blue tees, which totaled about 6900 yards (most blue tees come out to around 6400 on the places I've played). I was challenged by this distance, and that resulted in a lot of shanked shots and coming up just short (which is called a Danny DeVito, awesome...) of the green on a lot of holes. In any event, it was just an okay day...

I waited a few days before hitting the links again with Chris at the Country Club (where we will hopefully be playing in our first tournament this weekend if they havent filled up already). We walked 18 holes in the 95 degree heat, and we actually played okay. I finished with a 78 and Chris finished somewhere close to that I believe. We actually scrambled the back 9 and finished 1 under, which was sweet.

That following Tuesday I went with Julia and Cullen after work to the Pines, and it was just one of those days that didn't feel right. I somehow finished with an 83, but it was more because I was sinking putts to save bogey a lot: I could not hit my driver straight, every iron shot came up short, and there was a woman who was playing behind us that would stand on the tee box while we were hitting (ballsy I must say, she sucked every shot I saw, like hitting from the wrong fairways-sucked). I had decided after this day that I could not play for a few days, otherwise I might break a club (most likely my driver).

So, Thursday night after work, Chris and I dropped 7 bucks on range balls to figure out my swing, and after 2 hours of range balls, chipping, and putting, I really learned nothing at all. However, it rained lightly once I got home, so I popped in Tiger '09 and played 18 holes, which drove me to step outside into the drizzle to hit wiffle balls until I figured out how to hit the ball straight again. It was wet, and hot, after an hour or so, I accidentally hit a shot a little more back in my stance than usual. The result was a shot dead-straight and over the tree (where I was aiming). I noticed this "screw up" and tried it again: straight. I tried it with my PW: straight; my 7 iron: straight; my hybrid: straight; and then the dreaded driver: slight fade. I don't know how it happened, but moving the ball back in my stance seemed to level my swing out and catch the ball at just the right moment. I had figured it out, and now all I had to do was test it with a real golf ball...and the perfect chance was Friday with my baseball buds at The Pines.

To make a long story short, I finished Friday with a 72 (par 68). I had decide early in the round that I would not use my driver until the 6th hole (long water), and that seemed to make all the difference in the world. I have always hit my 3 wood straighter anyway, but with the swing adjustment, I hit it much farther and I didn't lose anything distance-wise that hurt my score. On the 6th hole, when I did pull out my driver, I crushed it (almost 280, which is a BOMB for me) and hit it straight. I finished the front 9 +2 (3 bogeys and a birdie), with no double bogeys and no 3-putts. The back 9 was just as good, although no birdies (looooong par 3's are tough) and 3 bogeys. It helped that the guys I was playing with were simply there to drink and try not to lose golf balls, which I think relaxed me but focused me at the same time.

Now to have a good day is one thing, but being able to repeat that good day (or close to it) is very important with a tournament coming up, so Chris wanted to play the Pines again. I rose to the occasion and followed up with another 72, with 3 birdies on the front and only one double bogey (hole 15, long par 3 of course). My method of moving the ball back worked because it allowed me to think less, swing hard, and not have to worry about small adjustments to my swing during the round. It was a good weekend, and now I just have to keep building on it.

2009-05-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

May 6th: Mayfair Country Club; It was hot when we started and it got hotter as the day went on, but it turned out to be quite the day. I shot a 6 on the first 2 holes and was expecting it to only go downhill from there, but rather than flip out, I forgot about those two holes and focused in on the next shot I was taking. Somehow it worked, and I ended up with a 42 on the front 9 (good considering I was 3 over after 2 holes). I had 2 putts for birdie that I missed by mere inches, and I felt pretty good. The back 9, well, it went pretty dam good. I missed the green on the first hole (par 3) and nearly chipped in for birdie. I would par the following two holes, and details spared, I finished +2 on the back 9. I had some great sand shots, I hit every fairway, and my birdie putts missed but were close enough to save par afterward. I was relieved to finish the 18th because I could finally look at my score of 80 and feel good.

The adjustments I made before the round (without a bag of range balls) consisted of leveling out my swing and really focusing on hitting the ball in-to-out (the correct way). My day was saved by great pitching from the fringe and just beyond, because I put myself in good position to make par from where I was. Good day, one big blur on the back 9, but a good day.

So then I get a call this morning from Katey to play Hunter's Creek with her Tour Level D buddy TJ. Stupid me, I accept, so this afternoon I will be playing again. For those of you on oobgolf, my name is TonyCap13 and feel free to watch my round :) Should be interesting to say the least, if I shoot anywhere near as good as yesterday, I'll be thrilled.

2009-05-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

May 4th: Winter Pines Golf Club; spur of the moment golfing after work is never a bad idea, so Troy, Julia and I gave it a shot. We literally walked out to the tee and hit our first shot with no warmup, and honestly, it seemed to work out better for me. I didn't have time to think about where my hands were, if my left foot was open, blah blah blah: I just went out and hit the ball. I had a few shots that went left or right here and there, but it felt good pretty much all day. Julia broke 100, Troy stayed under 90, and I broke into the 70's for the first time with a 78. I had multiple attempts at birdie, a chip-in, and some really good approach shots. I let the club do the work and it seemed easier, and then on some shots I tried to do too much and thats when they went outta reach. Lessons learned: minimal warmup shots help, let the club do the work, and don't let the previous hole affect your next hole.

And so it begins...

2009-05-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my girlfriend's Valentines Day gift, I now own a new set of Affinity golf clubs. And so, I was forced into this painful yet ironically-rewarding game known as golf a few months ago. Here, I plan to share my struggles, triumphs, club throws, and epiphanies as I continue to play.

To catch you up, here is a summary of how things have gone down since I started again...

2009:
End of February: Links at 434 (par 3 course) with partner-in-crime Chris; hit okay for the first time out, manage to hit a ball off a tee block and behind me. Great start.

March 7th: Winter Pines Golf Club; not too shabby for the first REAL time back out, wind up with an 85. Didn't lose any golf balls or clubs, and because I didn't shoot too badly, it means I have to keep golfing...Chris shot a 79 and just hit the ball real well all day.

March 20th: Disney's Palm Golf Course; thanks to my friend Gentry who works at Disney, we get to play The Palm (from the Funai Classic). Very difficult course. I wind up with a 91, and would have shot in the 80's minus a 7 on the last hole. Figured out how to hit my driver straight (enough), and hit my irons really well. Chris kinda lost it today after the first few holes. Gentry kept it in the 90s with some great iron shots as well.

April 11th: Winter Park Country Club; short little 9-hole course that is quite tough. I finish up with a 44, which isn't too bad, even though I parred the first 3 holes. Par 3's seem to give me trouble, since I have hard time getting on the green for some reason in 1 shot. No clubs thrown today though!

April 12th: Casselberry Golf Club; Danny and Leigh come to visit and we go golfing of course. Although the front 9 faired okay (+8, 45), the back 9 treated me much better, with a 36 (+3). Irons and putting kept me in the game all day. Chris shot the ball pretty well too. Danny and Leigh...well they had fun out there...Chris and I both seem to be getting better, which means we have to keep playing...

April 16th: Winter Park Country Club; 9-hole course again with much better result: 40. Nailed two long-distance putts for par and birdie, plus a couple of real nice iron shots from a good length out. Again, no clubs thrown and no windows broken. Julia decides to try playing golf, and, to Chris and I's surprise, isn't half bad for just jumping out there. I have officially sucked someone else into the give-and-take world of golf...

April 19th: Winter Pines; back to the Pines with an 80. Great front 9 (41) with a birdie and great par putts; okay back 9 (lots of par 3's again). Learned a new way to chip (the correct way) when close to the green, which really seems to help when I just miss the green and need to get it close to save par. Katey and Daniel joined Chris and I this day, and it was probably the most fun I have ever had golfing, from swear words to thrown clubs (only one by me), it was quite the adventure.

April 25th: Twin Rivers; disaster strikes finally. After a great drive on the first hole, I put it into one of many bunkers on the day and double bogey the first hole. The rest of the day would go just like that, hitting multiple bunkers in the fairway, around the green, and sometimes in between holes. Stopped keeping score after the 9th hole. Could not hit anything straight or put a putt in the hole when I needed to. I was pulling my head off the ball all day (that's what she said) and was either slicing or bouncing every shot. Chris, Daniel, and Katey all played well considering the difficulty of the course (It's where UCF plays their matches).

April 27th: Southridge Golf Course; relatively difficult course with lots of hills and very bad fairways. Disaster continues with a lot of the same problems: uncontrollable slice with driver, iron shots just seem to die in mid-air, and putting was just okay. Managed a 92, which isn't bad considering the course conditions and all, but my groove is officially gone. Julia plays pretty good for her second time out (first time with new clubs) with a 110 or so. At the rate I'm going, she can beat me within a few weeks, and although I wouldn't mind it...wait a sec, yes I would...

My 5-iron, pitching wedge, and driver were all thrown across the course frequently that day, and after much aggrivation, I bring my clubs to my parents house with no desire to pick them up again. However, I sat down later that night and watched an episode of The Haney Project and realized my swing was not as bad as Charles Barkley's, and if he can still get out and play golf, then so can I. The next day I am at the range for 2 hours making adjustments: swing plane, left-foot positioning, and working on keeping my left arm straight. On a good portion of the shots (in the second bag, mind you) I am able to finally put a draw on the ball (the way your supposed to) with all of my clubs. Am I officially back? Not by any means, but it's certainly a start. Stupid golf...

May 1st: Winter Park Country Club; from the range to the tee, I am off to test my new swing adjustments. My first shot is straight to the left of the green, but in play. As aggrivating as it is to not see the ball go striaght, at least it doesn't right! I pitch my next shot past the hole onto the fringe and follow up with a chip right next to the hole: par! The rest of the day would get better and, even with a few errant shots (to the left!), I end up with a 42. Julia comes out again and shoots a 50, slowly making progress. Chris also shoots a 42 and as Best Ball, we shoot +2.

May 2nd: Casselberry Golf Club; second test for the new swing and first outing with Troy for the summer. The front 9 doesn't go too well, even though I learn to finally hit my Hybrid straight both off the tee and from the fairway, but my putting is terrible: three 3-putts. I flip out after blowing a birdie and par putt on hole 9, to which Chris responds by leaving me to walk to hole 10 (per my request). The walk helps me realize that I still have 9 holes to make the day worth while, and that is exactly what I do. Chris makes a suggestion about moving the ball back in my stance while I put, and I respond by parring the last 5 holes and birdie-ing one, finishing the day with an 81. The back 9 was a complete change from the front 9: I hit my driver straight, my irons stuck the green, and I finally got my putter to cooperate. The swing still needs work, but today was a huge step in the right direction.

Troy and Chris both shot well, with an 85 and 87, respectively. No one harmed or injured during this round of golf (despite some deadly putter throws by me).

So now that we're all caught up, I will continue with posts that cover any new tips, tricks, failures, successes from myself or any of my fellow golfers. One, two, three, fooooore...