Re: Progress Reports

Hey Robin...

As Nickers always says, its good to post a good score knowing you've "left a few out there"......

Good to see you're still on the improve and confident of further improvement.

If you haven't already, I suggest (as others here also have) that you get your hands on a copy of the Dr Bob Rotella books. I have "Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect" now and can not speak highly enough of the mental side thoughts mentioned. They have certainly helped me...

In terms of my own progress, given my h/cap has come in from 18 to 15 over the last 12 months, I suppose I am both happy and not. Happy that seiing as I do not play or practice regularly and still managed to come in, and not happy in that I would have liked to have come in further......

We are able to play year round down here and as we again come in to our Summer, I am looking forward to coming in further as we start to get more run in the drier conditions. And as my mental processes stabilise and I am more able to deal with the frustrations that the almost inevitable bad shot may bring, I am confident of improvement.

My last round out was another 2 man ambrose and my ball striking was pretty good by my standards. 3 solo birdies and 8 GIR's tell a late for me. It is almost needless for me to say that I am very much looking forward to getting out on course this week. It is our monthly Medal Day and I have a good feeling about the possible outcome.

Watch this space......

Cheers

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I loved this blog and comment Robin. Will reply when I get back but just going to play 9 holes with my mum & dad. Nice job!

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great blog robin

i suppose i have to be happy with 'my' year.
a year in which my slice turned into a draw and i managed to groove a 200yd fairway shot. breaking 90 on a regular basis home and away with a few 'horror' shows thrown in for good measure!
thanks to 3skills i am becoming more of a 'feel' player and so my short game is getting a lot better.

in summary i need to dial in my wedge distances and become a more consistant performer when in the sand.

roll on next season

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Brian has worked hard again this year and we have seen a little improvement. Whether he has reached his full potential only time will tell (And he seems to be running short of that).

Long game: c+

Approach game: A

Short game: A-

Course management: B+

Driver collection: A**

Ability to get a round of drinks in: C

Pringle Rating: D+

Haircut: Takes less time these days

Target for next year: To survive it

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Well, the season's over, here's the self report:

Handicap - F: I wanted to get sub 20, but could never seem to get the game together at the same time to drop it into the 'teens. While I did shoot an 87 in a tournament (nice 90 bust!) it took me to 20. I couldn't follow up with anything substantial.

Driving - C: Nothing spectacular here. I end up left now instead of right (lots of pulls), but serious left to right movement has disappeared. Tee club selection is much improved.

Irons - B: Please keep in mind I'm a 23 capper. I've hit my irons much, much better than I ever have. But I still have a long way to go.

Chipping/Pitching - D-: I've got no short game. At all. I think I've narrowed it down to not finishing the swing (every chip/pitch is a stab/decel), but we'll see.

Putting - F: Feel? What's that? My putting has gotten worse this year instead of better.

All around improvement - C-: I'm coming to the conclusion that I now need tons of work on my fundamentals, and my mental game. The highlight was winning my flight at Club Champ again this year (where I shot a 96 on the first day and then backed it up with an 87].

I've got a long way to go - I'm working on a full turn under my chin and finishing my swing with passive arms as I've seen some great strikes with that swing. Although I'm also on a quest to lose weight (and gut), so I'm sure that will mess with my swing, too. The less gut I have to manouver around, the more orthodox my swing will become, I figure.

The other related categories:

Visualision - A: Having tried it out this year, it's worked very well.

Drink consumption - C: Taking a more serious approach to golf has reduced the amount of swing lube required.

Driver rotation - B: It was pretty regular until the appearance of the Wishon 919/BGD Solution combo. It stayed in the bag for a solid 8 weeks. It now shares time with the SMT Spectrum/AccuFLEX Evolution.

Extra chores to play extra golf - A: I've successfully managed to play more golf without doing more work around the house to make up for it.

Club Champ result - A: ran away with the 4th flight this year. Back to back 4th flight champ. I've now got a bigscreen in the basement. Next up, shag rug!

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"Ian has worked hard this year, perhaps harder than everyone else in his class, here in Bath. Accordingly, I'm pleased he can now see tangible results for his efforts. His handicap has dropped by 7.6 shots this year, and he assures me he is convinced he can drop it further.

I am, however, concerned by Ian's attitude in this matter. Ian is a heart player, not a head player. I am concerned he doesn't seem to put the time into learning fundamentals and theory, preferring instead to 'play golf' - even more than the most cursory pratice session. He needs to understand that players far more able than him have developed routines and approaches to improving in golf, and he appears to not wish to subscribe. So far, his approach to this has produced rewards. Whether this will continue in furture will remain to be seen.

Ian's short game around the green continues to be first class; indeed, this should come as no surprise, given his propensity for 'feel golf'. There is room for improvement in his bunker play, and his play from wet sand can best be described as 'abject'. Putting is usually great or awful, but rarely in between. More consistently in this regard will see great rewards in scoring.

Ian's iron play has seen vast improvement in both quality and consistency, and yet he needs to remember he cannot hit a 7 iron more than 130 yards, and there is no earthly reason why he should try. God blessed him with a pensioner's swing, and he must not try to fight this.

His driving is looking considerably better; I do, however, remain convinced that there is a snesible halfway middle ground between his 'take driver on everything' early days, and his latter 'leave the driver at home' current approach. He CAN hit the driver, but needs the mental discipline to know WHEN to.

He has shown particular aptitude this year in both Stableford competitions, and Matchplay.

In Stablefords, he started as he meant to go on, winning Captain's Day, coming 2nd in the Dimex, 2nd in the Ferebee Shield, and winning the Autumn Stableford, meaning he has never finished worse than 2nd in a club Stableford.

In Matchplay, he reached the quarter finals of the handicapped knockout, before losing to a better player, but also winning his first ever doubles match for the club in the league, and winning the Club Doubles tournament. He has developed a reputation for not only being a tough, gritty s****per who, in lieu of a 'pretty' game (even his mother doesn't describe him as pretty) hunts success by virtue of largely willpower, but also for his sportsmanship and approach.

Ian needs to remember he is a 19.6 HC; whilst his attitude in setting himself the target of +14 is commendable on his home course, he needs to remember that playing to handicap on unfamiliar courses is a huge success in itself, and this is why he must remember that his success in the Ferebee Shield should be savoured every bit as much as his 1st ever tourney win on Captain's Day.

Recent issues in Ian's personal life have taken their toll on Ian's time on the course, and this, coupled with the inevitable complexities of winter play, provide Ian with demons he must fight. With continued hard work in all areas of the game (both on and off the course), and a more disciplined approach to practice (both on and off the course), I am confident he can rise to the challenge.

Ian, however, expects to lose more next year from his HC than this year. many - including myself - have told him this will probably not happen. Ian appears to have his own agenda and beliefs. I wish him well, as long as he has adequately prepared himself for the potential for failure in his demanding targets, as well as success..."

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brilliant post dog
a bloody good read

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We need an emotican thingy for "sitting, clapping hands..."

Sensational Dog....

Cheers

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Good progress this year Ian. Was it earlier this year you obtained your first handicap of 28?

I hope your personal issues are getting back on track and your future golfing career moves onward and upward. I think you will go far.

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27, but yes, it was

I maintain, with absolute 100% certainty, that my progress this year has been to the support and friendship from this forum. Thanks to all for such an enjoyable 2007 and here's to 2008

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I've missed my targets by far.

My 2007 season started out fairly decent, and I cut a few shots off my handicap during the first month.

Then I decided to get some lessons to help me iron out my slice-tendency.

Of course, this was no easy fix, so I ended up having my entire swing rebuild pretty much from scratch: New grip, new setup, new takeaway - you name it, I changed it.

And just to top it all off, I chose to retire my trusty Wilson Deep Red irons for a set of Mizuno MP-60s. Not exactly "game improvement" clubs, and definately clubs targetting players at a higher level than me, but the "philosophy" being that if I wanted my golf to improve, I needed the feedback better irons will give.

I went from shooting 95 to shooting 115, and then slowly started clawing myself back.

I did get back to the mid 90s by the end of the season, and did improve my handicap slightly, so that I'm now playing off 22 - down from 24,8.
But from a score-improvement point of view, it was a very disappointing season.

Hopefully, from a GAME-improvement point of view, it will turn out to be a good investment.

For now, I'm hitting it longer and straighter off the tee. 270-280yd drives. 240-250yd 3woods.
I'm still hitting too few fairways - appx. half - but it's improving.
On long par fives, my 5wood off the fairway is a deadly accurate 210 yarder.

I'm also fairly often hitting close to the greens in regulation, so that if I don't get my GIR, I will certainly hit GIR+1.

Sadly - that is where the improvement stops. I still can't chip or pitch even REMOTELY close to the pin, so the GIR+1 mentioned above is rarely resulting in 1-putts for par.

And to make matters worse, I can't putt. I usually hit somewhere between 38 and 42 putts per round.

Considering, that a 2-putt in my case most often means a bogey, that puts me far too often in double-bogey territory, and I HATE that!

So there it is - my game in a nutshell. I BLAST it down the middle, knock it just off the green and take 4 from there for a 6 and a temper tantrum!

The good news will have to be, that chipping, pitching and putting can be practiced within a few meters of each other at my club.

My target for 2008 will be to maintain or improve my rate of fairways and greens hit, and cut 10 shots off my short game!
If HALF my 3-putts become 2-putts and half of the chips that result in 2-putts result in 1-putts, then I'm fairly close to that target!

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Oh Mox, LOL, between us we'd make a half decent golfer.

I wonder if we can find or invent a pairs format whereby you get us to the green or nearby in two and I take it from there

The "92" that started this thread didn't have a tee shot further than 180/190 yards and my fairway golf was no more than "OK" but I was disappointed with my 31 putts which include 3 threes and a duffed chip (due to a fit of temper) on another green.

Combine your "good day" ball striking and my "good day" chipping / putting and we'd have it made .

As it is I've got to get back to the range, the trouble is if I spend too much time thrashing away with the driver I lose my touch around / on the green.

Frustrating game eh?

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VERY frustrating!

But then ... If golf was easy - how long would we actually bother to play?

As it is, the frustration is the very reason we come back for more!

The only way I'll ever have 31 putts on a round of golf, is if I abort the round after 11 holes.

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Outstanding post!