It's been a while...

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.

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.

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...

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...