Sunday, May 13, 2007

Warning: golf post

After shooting a 106 at the Sand Barrens course at the shore last weekend, today I shot 105 at Iroquois, a few miles south of downtown Louisville. (My personal best is 95, accomplished twice. The first time, in high school, I opened with a 40, for crying out loud, and I was so overwhelmed that I happily shanked all over the back nine, lacking the discipline to take the course by the throat.)

These past two rounds are my first played with my "new old" clubs, inherited from my father, who just upgraded. My new clubs are superior to my old ones in several ways: 1) They are closer to 10 years old than 50; 2) They're the correct length for my height, whereas the old ones were a couple of inches too short; and 3) The grips are much grippier -- not surprising, given the difference in ages.

All my possible golfing partners in Louisville were either studying or out of town today, so I went as a single, played through a group or two until I latched on with a family of three. My pacing was a little hurried all day -- I was either playing through people or playing with people riding in carts, whereas I was walking. It was good exercise, but the poor pacing cost me a few well-struck shots, I think.

As for each specific phase of the game:
-Driving. Except for one gorgeous moon shot -- a slight draw that went 275 yards -- I was horrible with the big stick today, topping more than a few balls and hitting one or two wicked hooks. I was inconsistent in my address, feeling each time as if I was a little closer or further from the ball, and had placed it a little left or right, from what I'd done on the previous tee. It's a new driver with a head nearly twice the size of its predecessor's, so I'm still getting used to teeing the ball higher. It may simply have been a case of subconscious hurrying, the problem behind the majority of my golf screwups. Hopefully, a couple of range buckets should help me find a routine I can stick to.
-Irons. So-so. Again, inconsistent address, which led to comically bad aim on a few shots where I thought I'd taken dead aim. But more so than in the past with my old clubs, I felt lots of clean contact from my irons, even on less than desirable lies.
-Chipping. Surprisingly good. I took a tip from Dad and made it a point to emphasize relaxing my forearms, and except for a frozen-arm stab job on the final hole, my wedge play was my best I can remember.
-Putting. Slightly above average. I holed a 20-footer for par and I read the breaks well. In the last five or six holes, I was getting tired and (I think) becoming lazier with my aim and reading. I took 37 putts on the day, just above an average of two per hole, so that wasn't my undoing.

I really could have benefited from a range session before my round, and since I had no tee time and no real time constraints, I don't know why I didn't do that. As it was, I opened 8-8 on two par 4's, then closed 6-7-6 on a 4, 4 and 3. In between, I was pretty good, though I still killed myself with the driver.

I plan to squeeze in a few more rounds between now and the Alaska trip. Dad shoots consistently in the mid-80s to low-90s, and I'd like to compete with him on a regular basis.

3 comments:

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  2. I was wondering about that driver. I guess it's tempting to think that such a big head would solve all the driving ills in the world. I haven't pick up a club, but what's amazing is that, as of Sunday, neither had YOAT! She's been sick and extremely busy, but it's almost impossible to believe.

    Glad you now have clubs more suited to you. You'll get used to them.

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