attitude within

Greetings once again everyone! We are three weeks away from my first Major of the year in Palm Springs and I must say I had a quick down turn a few weeks ago in my game and mental approach. Due to some unforseen circumstances I had to make some changes to my schedule and time management. I have been unable to practice or really even play consisent golf due to time and weather. As the weather begins to turn and daylight is able to be seen after work I will be spending more time getting back to the short game sessions.

On the fitness front, things have been moving along much better. Plenty of time has been spent to develop a stong routine and adjust as needed. I'm finding now I have much more core strength and stability and Im looking forward to making more adaptations and pushing it farther. Flexibility is still a very weak point and I will look to address that in the coming months. I'm still in the process of putting on some weight and so as to avoid over complicating things, I'm taking the necessary steps to patiently get through this first phase which should be ending by May 1st. At which time I will be moving to a spit routine. I am going to start working with a trainer to employ some HIT and Cross training in my routine as well as some Pilates to enhance my mobility and allow me to get a cleaner turn through the golf swing while maintaining good posture. I will not run out or energy this year should I be in the final group!!

Well, that is all for this installment, until next time................
Fairways and Greens

New year, a new path

As 2012 starts here in frosty Reno I am filled with a great deal of optimisim. The season for me was kicked off with a round of golf that could only be described as HUH!!?? For most of the round it was a struggle. The swing was loose and there was quite a lack of feel around the greens with the wedges. Any iron shot I hit that day was weak and had not sense of trajectory. I was quite pleased overall with my putting however and that was not a shock to me as that is where the majority of my focus has been since relocating. A finish of 82 going +6 on the last two holes had me quite perplexed! As I reflected on the round during my 3hr drive home I was taken back that I had played that poorly overall and still had a great chance to break 80 had I not played the last hole like I had never swung a golf club. All of this provided me with a very positive outlook for 2012 and the state of my golf game. The items I need to work on going forward this season are more tweaks than changes so for the first time I feel like I have a beginners grasp on this wonderful game! This week starts a new practice routine, one that maximizes my limited time while providing productive swings and thoughts each session. I have on order a putting mirrior from Eyeline to help me with my alignment and setup as well as a 6 ft putting rug for indoor practice. The range time will be spent focusing on proper turn away from the ball and keeping the arms connected during the swing. Starting the hips first is going to be key this season to be able to better control ball flight and trajectory as well as incrase distance. If I can build a repeatable swing this winter/early spring I should be in top form come nationals in September. I owe sawgrass a little something so its a payback year for this gentlemen! First major of the season is April 28-29 in Palm Springs.

Fairways and Greens!

In the face of bitter chill!

Greetings everyone and welcome to the holiday edition of Journey to the center of the fairway. First tournament on the Sacramento tour has been booked, January 29th at the Reserve at Spanos Park GC.
IT'S TIME!!

Quite a bit has transpired over the past month or so and most has been positive and progressive. I have started to adapt to my new frozen landscape and feel a sense of home now though I do still have those warm Christmas memories from last year in Palm Springs dancing in my head. The practice time lately although limited has been very productive. The short game is progressing about as I expected seeing as I'm a bit short on daylight due to work hours and only about 8hrs of daylight. I'm developing more shots from 30yds and in, bump and run, soft chip, bump and check, baby flops(thanks Kev for the tip)etc...But the biggest change is the putting alignment. I've been able to adapt rather quickly to a more upright posture with my putting stance which allows me to feel the shoulders go back and through with more sense of the pace and allow me to focus more on the target line rather than distance. I feel a greater sense of control when hitting these short shots and putts than I did a few months ago so that tells me things are going in the right direction.

As for the full swing, that may be my proudest moment currently. I've played two rounds since I've moved here to Sparks and both have really been positive. The course conditions are not quite up to standards for score keeping seeing as the ponds are frozen and the greens are filled with holes so I simply go out and work on hitting shots which is quite beneficial. As I've been working on a few swing fundamentals, trying to get my hip turn more consistent(thanks Chris) it has started to get stored into muscle memory now and I'm onto working on shaping shots and changing trajectories from the tee and from the fairways. While the fade is still somewhat elusive, I've been able to really control my draw and keep my ball flight low when I need to.

Onto the fitness side of things now! Since I've moved, I've rededicated myself to my physical fitness and so far it has gone very well. I've gained 12lbs(8lbs of muscle). I'm still about 10lbs from my goal weight and once I reach that, I'm going to implement a much more flexibility focused routine to maximize my movement in the golf swing.

Things are looking up for 2012 and we just were informed that the national finals in September are at TPC Sawgrass again. I owe that course a little something so with that in mind, I'm now heading out to the putting green for some more practice in the cold!

To all my friends who have or are starting new families and\or new adventures, Congratulations on your new arrivals and congratulations on your new chosen paths. May the be filled with amazing experiences and full of positive events!!

IT'S TIME!

Fairways and Greens!!

Beginning 2012 anew

Greetings all. It feels like ages since my last blog and quite a bit has changed. I have given up the sun and fun of Southern California and taken this journey to the north country, Sparks, NV. A new job and a new environment, both will hopefully provide me with a bit slower pace and more time to take care of the tasks required to achieve the goals laid out at the start of the journey. Short game practice should be the easiest mostly for accessibility seeing as I have a chipping green and pitching area right in the backyard, there will be no excuse for not improving my 30yd and in game. I picked up a few swing tips from my friend Chris just prior to my departure and so far the progress has been very positive. I changed the position of my back foot to more closed. This allowed my body turn to have a stop point to help avoid sway and going past parallel. The ball flight achieved from adding in these minor swing changes once added to muscle memory will allow me to get better control of my overall game and all for more shot options. In addition, I've made a small adjustment to my putting stroke as well. I adjusted the putting grip to get the putter head square at address so I will avoid cutting across the ball with an open face. I also changed my stance to more upright thus allowing me to get a more straight back, straight thru putting stroke. The theme for 2012 will remain the same as 2011, to achieve scratch golf so stay tuned as this may be a year to remember so to start the new seasons work off right, I will using a new phrase to motivate me this year:

"It's Time!"

Fairways and Greens

So close yet so far........

Well folks, this season has finally reached its end. Nationals was a fantastic experience this year finishing T2 but not without much disappointment. After a slow start I was able to put together a run of golf I have not had all season in tournament play. Leading the flight of 154 players after 3 days I failed to capitalize on my momentum and seal the deal going double bogey, double bogey to lose by one stroke. I look back on my round and feel that the most costly mistakes I made were mental. Choosing driver on the tee when I had been pounding my hybrid all day long dead center fairway on a relatively short course leading to a quadruple bogey ultimately costing me the tournament. But there is light at the end of this tunnel as the journey is far from over. This off season I am committing to getting in much better shape and being more mentally sound. It's time to stop accepting better than average and get that killer instinct back. No more excuses about not enough time or straying from my commitments. As I've said all year there is no reason to do something if you are not going to strive to be your best at it in my mind as that creates waste and a lifestyle of content. If your not moving forward, your moving back, there is no standing still.

A huge thank you goes out to my family for there support and for them coming all the way to Palm Springs to walk with me on part of my journey! And to Kevin for keeping me in the moment and never letting me get caught up in my own mind.

More blogs during the off season documenting my practice and fitness progress so stay tuned, this journey is far from over.

Until next time....

Fairways and Greens!!

Rising to the occasion

As we approach the National tournament this Saturday I continue to work on mental preparation each day. Making sure my focus is where it needs to be and not allowing my mind to drift away to dreams of victory and glory. Those are things that require hard work and commitment and not simply dreams and wishes. This week is dedicated to cleaning up the little things I have the most control over, namely short game and focus. I need to continue to work on staying in the moment while preparing for each shot and not getting ahead. If I can do that, things will be alright!

fairways and greens!

Moments in time

Back from hiding! It seems like its been a lifetime since my last post and in tech terms it has. Although I've been away for a while not too much has transpired. I'm still working crazy hours, lots of road time which has significantly minimized my practice time so I have been relegated to arriving at my weekend round games a little early to work on some things, mainly my short game. In recent weeks I have found I have developed a more consistent swing and I have been able to effectively chose my shots due to a consistent ball flight and trajectory. In the time since my last blog i've probably shot over 5 rounds in the 70's including another 73 and most recently a 76 on a very tough course(-2 on the front 9). One thing that stands out in my game at the moment and is something that needs time to resolve is my consistency. I've been able to put together 9-11 holes that are very good, even to -3. Then I seem to revert to thinking to much about what the round could become instead of staying in the moment. Unfortunately I know all to well that there is no quick fix for that and simply time and practice will resolve those issues so I have to stay focused on maximizing my good streaks and avoiding complete melt down and simply accept bogey-double when I get in trouble.

Nationals is in two weeks and I really feel that if I can get off to a good start I can really make a solid run at this tournament. Two main fundamentals need to be kept in balance and that is finishing the shot and rolling over my wrists to keep the high draw going. This week I'll be equipment shopping which to a golfer is like a woman shoe shopping! New grips, Gloves, Balls and cleats are on the shopping list.

Nationals 2011, here I come!!!

Fairways and Greens!!