This week was all about getting back on track, with two focused practice sessions, a quality singles round, and another Texas Scramble under the belt.

Practice sessions

My short game session consisted of another 2 rounds of ‘Bank’ form last year. Scoring was very similar, with the first round including 1 ‘disaster’ strike, in this case a slightly bladed wedge, meaning I ended up in minus numbers. The second round was more ‘consistent’ in terms of strike I finished the 9 holes with 6 feet left from a 40 feet starting point. I included 2 bunker shots in both rounds. I get out of bunkers 99% of the time but often struggle to accurately judge the distance. I feel I may need more experience hitting different distances so will spend a dedicated block of time this coming week working through some thoughts and techniques to build up some feels.

My second session was on the full swing and included 2 skill drills, designed to balance out my tendencies. I can lack depth and turn at times, and also can cast the club to counteract an open face at the top. As a result, I work on getting a consistent grip (checking and being intentional about how I get my left hand on the club) and my practice swings aim to give me the feel of a slightly cupped wrist and full turn.

The first drill (pictured above) was given to me by Ryan Mouque as helps me come a little more from the inside of the ball. If I didn’t, I would make contact with the alignment stick hovering above the ball.

The second drill pictured below helps me in two ways. Firstly, it helps me start the ball on a line I have selected. Secondly, it helps me match up my path to a desired shot shape, in this case; starting it to the left of the stick and fading it back or starting it right of the stick and drawing it back. It is a drill I go back to so often as I can see my ball flight sometimes getting a little ‘fadey’ and I can feel my path becoming too far left and across. In this session I hit 4 balls, 2 left and 2 right then removed the stick and hit a full shot at a target. I had 5 rounds of this, totalling 25 balls.

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A solid singles round

I played a practice round with friends at my home course at Durham City. I should have committed to logging it on the MYEG app, as it turned to out be a quality performance.

I started with a solid birdie on the par 5, after a good drive down the left, hybrid just short and a good chip and putt. 7 pars followed with only 1 up and down required after several fairways and greens in regulation. I missed the green left and caught the bunker up the 9th, leading to a bogie and a level par front 9.

The back 9 started with another birdie after my drive left me that pitch shot (pictured above to a front flag). A tap in par followed on the par 5 11th after missing a 15 footer for back to back birdies. Stroke index 18, a short par 4 and I got out of position off the tea, with a wafty iron shot which led to knock out from under the trees and missing my par putt after an average chip left me 12 feet. On to and a great drive left me 131y in to a middle pin and I hit my worst shot of the day, a heely, high, wafty cut in the bunker right of the green. My bunker shot got out cleanly but caught the rough and snagged up, then another average chip left me 10 feet, which I missed to card a double bogey 6. A bogey followed after a poor chip from just off the green in 2, led to a fast downhill 3 putt to take me to +3 for the day.

2 solid tap in pars followed after missing 2 20-25 footers and onto the 17th. I nice iron shot over the stick to the bottom of the bank left 105y to the middle of the green. I struck my gap wedge well but pulled it slightly and the ball ran through, leaving a quick downhill chip. I misjudged the landing spot and raced it 20 feet past the hole, missing the come back for another bogey. The final hole was a par but missing a 12 footer for birdie on the low side left me feeling a little disappointed with the par.

All in all, I was am so pleased with my long game, with only one error leading to a knock out on 12, kept me in the hunt on every hole. My irons were solid throughout, almost always hitting the distance in mind. The overall feeling, in reflection, is one of excitement mixed with the need to get to work on my chipping and putting.

I am away for a weekend of golf at Alnmouth Golf Club this Saturday and Sunday so i’m hoping for more of the same.

Texas Scramble at Alnmouth GC

I had the pleasure of playing in another Scramble with 3 friends on Sunday. The conditions weren’t too kind but the course was immaculate and we had a blast. We finished 4 under par after 6 birdies and 2 bogeys. We’re back there for the weekend coming up and it was great to get some insight into the holes and in particular the tee shots required to score well. I can’t wait!

Scramble at Dunstanburgh

I didn't play a singles round this week, but I had an absolute blast at a 4-Man Texas Scramble at Dunstanburgh Castle. We took full advantage of the perfect conditions, bagging nine birdies and nine pars. Our team net score was 55.6, just 0.7 shots off the lead, which was good enough for a brilliant 4th place finish.

We played great as a team and personally, I felt like I hit it great. Very happy with my current driving and pitching game.

In reflection, one thing that stood out to me was how much better I can putt after observing a team mates putt first. This may seem like common knowledge and a bit of a ‘duhhh’ moment but it highlighted my current ‘green reading’ practices, when playing on my own. I have a tendency to get a little lazy with my green reading, not giving every putt the attention it deserves. During this round, I spent more time assessing and feeling confident in my start line and chosen ‘speed’.

I am going to focus some time on my green reading practices and routine in the coming weeks.

Short Game Practice

Dan Grevie’s Bank

This week's practice session was all about bringing the pressure of the course onto the range. I played a great short-game drill called "Bank" from Dan Grieve. You start with a balance of 40 feet and, for every shot (9 holes, from various lies and difficulty), you deduct the distance in feet from the hole. The goal is to finish in ‘credit’.

This drill is brilliant because it's not just about hitting shots; it’s about replicating the pressure of the real thing. It gets me used to hitting different types of shots—high, low, and with the hybrid—while adding a dose of emotional pressure that you just can't get from mindlessly chipping balls.

I ran the drill through twice and finishing -4 feet in the first round and +3 feet in the second round, which i was very pleased with. I generally found that playing the ‘lower’ shot more effective but I did have to hit 3 higher, softer landing shots as part of the more difficult lies and shots I chose.

Bank Youtube Video

Drill for Better Start Lines

I spent an hour hitting chips and pitches on the side of a football field on Monday evening (Pictured (right) above). 10, 15, 20 and 25 and 30 yard shots, all along the lines of the field. The main benefits are the immediate feedback it provides on my start lines (heavily influenced by my club face) and the nice visual it provides, that I can recreate when visualising shots on the course.

The drill confirmed my tendency to hit some small pulls, but overall, my start lines were really solid.

More practice on the short game and putting to come over the weekend and in to next week.

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Question

What are your favourite short game and putting drills and games?

Hope everyone is well!

I am going to be writing about the next phase of my journey to 0.0 :-)

Some things have changed since I last wrote a blog.

I am ‘trying’ less. I am more comfortable with my reality. I am ready to go again!

Expectations

You can expect a weekly blog, describing any practice and play, in my usual honest and relaxed style.

Updates

My current handicap is 7.3

You will notice this is down 4.6 shots from my previous starting point.

I had an on-course lesson with the club pro, which helped get me set up for my desired shot shape. This helped immensely. No technique changes. No overhauls. No confusion.

I have CLARITY!

Doing the thing!

In my previous round of blogging, in reflection, I got bogged down in the grime of golf improvement.

This time, I’m going to make sure my time is spent making sure my choices and actions will “make the boat go faster”.

The "make the boat go faster" analogy, popularised by Ben Hunt-Davis and his Olympic gold-winning rowing team, emphasises prioritising actions that directly contribute to achieving a specific goal.

My question when preparing a practice round, session or drill is;

“Will it make the boat go faster?”

Things that aren't doing the thing:

Scheduling time to do the thing isn't doing the thing.

Telling people you're going to do the thing isn't doing the thing.

Writing a banger blog about how you're going to do the thing isn't doing the thing.

Watching videos about doing the thing isn’t doing the thing.

Hating on other people who have done the thing isn't doing the thing.

Hating on the obstacles in the way of doing the thing isn't doing the thing.

Reading about how to do the thing isn't doing the thing.

Reading about how other people did the thing isn't doing the thing.

The only thing that is doing the thing is doing the thing.

Here’s to ‘doing the thing’ and getting back to swinging it well!

Kevin

Bag Revamp

The bag revamp is finally complete! A mix of shiny new clubs and fine-tuned older ones gives me loads of confidence in my equipment for the upcoming season. Check out the new additions:

• TSR2 Driver: 9-degree loft, Hazardous Smoke Stiff Shaft.

• TSi2 3 Wood: 15-degree loft, Hazardous Blue Stiff Shaft.

• 3 new Titleist Vokey Wedges: 50-degree (F grind), 54-degree (D grind), 58-degree (D grind)

• Scotty Cameron Phantom Putter: (A sweet birthday present!)

These replace my TS2 10.5-degree driver, TS2 19-degree hybrid, Cleveland CBX2 50 and 56-degree wedges, and Cleveland Smart Sole Chipper.

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Grips

I also re-gripped the entire bag with Golf Pride New Decade Multi Compound MCC Teams Grips (Black, Dark Red, and White). I ordered from Adore Golf Grips – fantastic service, 10/10. The grips feel fantastic, and I'm hoping the consistent feel will improve my technique and touch on the course.

Loft and Lie Check

While getting the grips done, I had my iron lofts and lies checked. I bought them secondhand over two years ago and hadn't done this before. Surprisingly, my static lofts had weakened slightly throughout the set:

• 5 iron: 2 degrees

• 7 iron: 3 degrees

• 8 iron: 2 degrees

• 9 iron: 2 degrees

It's not a huge difference, but as I focus on reducing dynamic loft and increasing swing speed, this adjustment should lead to more consistent distance gapping – especially between my 6 and 7 irons where the gap was 6 degrees. My lies were mostly fine, only needing tweaks of 1 degree here and there to return to my fitted 1-degree upright (Ping Blue Dot).

Wedge Matrix

I've been practicing with my new wedges to create a full yardage matrix. Ryan previously provided me with a Wedge Matrix document, and I used my PRGR launch monitor to gather initial data. (I'll switch to a more precise monitor for more accurate numbers later). All distances are carry.

I still need "half" shot numbers to complete the matrix. Overall, my gapping looks reasonable. More frequent use of a rangefinder during practice and rounds will help solidify the distances and hopefully gain me some strokes.

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Next Up…

The Winter Matchplay quarter-finals are Sunday (weather permitting)! We're up against two higher-handicap players (giving away about 5 shots total). I'm excited to get out there and compete.

Feels

The weather has not been kind! I feel a little under-practiced and overall, like I am not quite doing enough. I recall having a similar feeling last year, around this time. ‘It is, what it is’ though and making small gains and being consistent is where it’s at!

I have made the time to practice this week as well as adapted my morning routine to enable me to fit in some strength and mobility work. My pulled quad is close to 100% so Stack sessions will return around my strength training. In the past I have made the mistake of returning too quickly to high intensity work and set myself back. In an attempt to learn from those mistakes, I have given myself an extra 2 weeks and some training time before working up to building swing speed capacity using the Stack.

Practice

A lovely practice session this week. I had some new toys to play with and wanted to hit clubs throughout the bag after limited opportunities to practice and play of late.

The new toys are beautiful and they feel amazing. I spent some time warming up with some pitch shots to different distances (40, 50, 60, 70 and 80y), using different clubs. More on these later!

Once warm, I ‘played my home course’, hitting the shots I would need to score on each hole, e.g Par 5 first hole is Driver, Hybrid then a short wedge shot (usually around 120-100). I continued until I got through my large basket.

I aim to spend the majority of my practice time this season working on shots that I need based on my Arccos stats. I will use a variety of consequences and rewards to keep me on my toes and to replicate the on course feel, where possible.

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Play

We played in the last 16 of the Winter Matchplay Pairs this weekend. We were drawn against a 7hc and 9hc giving my playing partner and I, 4 shots.

It was a fantastic match! We spent the majority of it 1-down or level and didn't take the lead until the 17th. We had ‘hung around’ on the front 9 with a few half’s and took the 6th with a long birdie from myself, to get back to all square.

We started the back 9, 1-down and got back level with another long putt birdie on the long Par 5. The wind was hard against so I decided to hit my hybrid from 170 into the green and it worked out great! Pin high, middle of the green with a 30 footer, left to right. I judged the pace well and it dropped.

We then sloppily lose the short Par 3 to a Par. I caught the bunker and didn't manage to get ‘up and down’.

We get to the 16th 1-down but with a shot each in hand. A steady 3 wood and nicely struck 8 iron left me 16ft up hill. I secured the Par and got us back square.

The first real mistake of the day from the 7hc came off the tee on 17, hitting a slightly heavy iron, leaving a tricky decision. He went for it, got himself in some deep in trouble and ended up conceding the hole. For the first time, we went 1 up.

Up 18, we both hit solid tee shots and approaches and I managed a Par on the last to half the hole but won the match.

Into the quarter finals we go!

Overall, I was very happy with how I played and how we played as a team! We can become over reliant on each other and often struggle under pressure but we showed a lot of grit and coped well in the circumstances, to get over the line!

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Bag Update

The Titleist TSi 3 wood goes into the bag in place of my 19 degree hybrid. I hit two shots with it on Sunday, one good tee shot and a ‘balloony’ one into the wind. Lots of potential for tee shots moving forward as well as second shots on Par 5s.

Into the bag goes 3 new wedges. All Titleist Vokey’s in 50/54/58 set up. My PW is 45. I'm psyched about practicing and refining distances over the next couple of months prior to the season. Thanks to those who voted last week!

My first post of 2024.

Welcome back to the blog and I hope you have had an amazing festive period, with friends and family. I had a great Christmas and also turned 40 shortly after, receiving an amazing golf gift… more on that later!

I haven’t played much golf due to the hideous weather in the North East of England but I have been exploring my bag set up for the coming season to see where, and if, I can make improvements. I only carry 13 clubs currently at present, so I have the option of adding a club where needed.

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I started with my Arccos data, identifying any clear gaps across the bag. This is the ‘Smart Range’ feature on Arccos and it uses an algorithm to identify a reliable range where shots finish up, removing outliers. Other than a strange gap around in between my 9 and 8 iron, gapping overall isn’t too bad.

As you can see though, there are two gaps around my 5 iron and hybrids set up. As a result, I have decided to change the top end of the bag and have added a 3-wood in. This will take me to 14 clubs. Before I swap out my 4 hybrid for a 5, I may play around with the loft, adding a degree, and see if I notice any changes. The other option is to swap out the 4 hybrid (21 degree) for a 5 at or around 23-24 degrees.

The 3 Wood

I have gone for a Titleist TSi2 3-wood in 15 degree, specced similarly to my fitting for TSi2 hybrid, purchased earlier in the year - 1 extra layer of tape on the grip, standard length and a stiff shaft. Excited to get it in the bag and explore out on the course, where it can be hit off the tee (i’m thinking 3 or 4 holes) and where I can put it to use off the ground.

Wedges

My current wedge set up still includes a Chipper. My short game has improved lots since I added it into the bag but I find myself relying much less on it for the ‘bump and run’ style shots, often opting for a PW or 9i in its place. I carry a 50 degree GW and a 56 degree SW in Cleveland CBX2. I am quite happy with them although they are looking a tad worn after 2.5 years and a fair bit of practice.

I am considering the Ping Glides in the 50 and 54 degree option, with the potential for a 58 too. The added 58 would replace the Chipper, which I would retire.

Refer a friend

The Birthday Surprise…

I was spoilt on my 40th, receiving a raft of amazing gifts and experiences, that I wont forget anytime soon. Just when i thought I’d reached a peak, a rather generous Uncle landed with a golf club box. He hadn’t discussed any clubs purchases with me and he knows I would have got fit for a new club, so I was a little surprised to say the least. I got to opening it, literally like a kid on Xmas, and saw the Scotty Cameron pitch repairer and nearly died. I have never received a gift as generous in my entire life.

Inside the box was a Scotty Cameron Phantom X 7.5 in the same length as my old Ping Anser putter. I’m still in shock now!!!

I have played 18 holes and a 9 hole match so far and i’m loving it. Will be monitoring my putting data over the coming months to see if anything changes. What I have noticed is that in this honeymoon period, I feel more inclined to hit a few putts and fell as though I ‘want to do well with it’, which is odd I know, but it’s just the feeling I have.

Finally….. A Driver

I’ve been scouting around for a Driver to replace my Titleist TS2. I got it second hand and have played it for the coming up 3 years. It's in reasonable shape but I would love to try the new TSR2 and put it up against my TS2.

My dilemma is whether to approach the wedge end of head towards a driver! My mind isn’t made up and after trialling the 3 wood, I may have answers!

Any ideas and considerations are welcome, as ever!

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Feels

Reflecting on a year of sharing my golf journey and learning out loud, it's clear: I've had an incredible time. I have developed some great relationships on the way. We’re close to 1000 regular readers now and the blogs have been read almost 25,000 times. I’ve had support from all angles and an incredible amount of messages and positivity from those engaging with the blog!

This leads me to express my deep gratitude to everyone who reads, shares, comments on, and supports my blog—thank you!

Learning out loud presents a unique and challenging set of experiences. It feels like I have been writing a weekly story about how hard I have been failing. Its a little embarrassing at times! I have learnt to enjoy the odd successful ‘week’ knowing it is part of a bigger picture.

It is also immensely enriching at times and has helped me to cut through my own bullshit and weed out some thoughts and actions that are holding me back. A year of weekly writing has made me keenly aware of the narratives I've crafted for myself... most of which are convenient fiction. On reflection, many of these stories are to protect my ego, some to remain humble and others to keep me moving forward.

In the upcoming year, I'm committed to sharpening my focus on what truly 'makes the boat go faster' and what doesn't.

By the way, I've added a "Buy Me a Coffee" link if you feel generous and want to support my writing and endeavours. I love sipping coffee while penning down my thoughts, whether at cosy coffee shops or just pondering over a cup at home.

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The Journey

I started back in late September 2022 with an outrageous plan, that included:

• Physical/Nutrition

• Psychological/Mental

• Technical

• Strategy

I optimistically believed I could plan and develop all aspects of my game with just 2-3 hours weekly! I WAS WRONG! I thought I could have some lessons, learn DECADE, learn how to train for Golf, learn strokes gained, then apply it all on the course to shoot low scores.

I overegged it but writing about my journey has enabled me to cut through the ideas that I initially believed. I am sure it has helped a few of you to do the same.

My initial target was to get to a 5hc. Once I started lessons and understood how long learning new motor patterns could take and how complex it was to transfer to the course, this target swiftly became 7hc.

I started as a 10.9, swiftly went up to 11.9 and now sit at a 10.2 (via 9.6). On the surface, this may not seem like progress. However, when I think of the experience I have had, learning from coaching and all of the ‘practice’, I still feel as though I am moving in the right direction. Couple that with my 3 lowest ever rounds (non-counters) and it could have been much better. (My latest low round in a Stableford competition was a 74 and would have been a 2.2 differential.)

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All that ‘work’ - minimal transfer

As I alluded to above, the feeling of progress is ‘limited’. Racking up hours at the driving range, reading and watching content to learn about my swing, studying stats and planning practice etc, has cost me a LOT of time and a fair bit of money.

The critical question now is: how will this translate to actual play on the course?

If I focus my attention on transferring my practice and physical work to the course, the results will follow. Some examples of ‘wasted time’:

a) reading ‘Learning to Optimise Movement’ by Rob Gray. (Just one of the books I have read on the ‘technical’ and nothing personal) A fantastic book, filled with theoretical and practical examples.. Building knowledge and understanding is great but how does that transfer to the course? Is this what is going to make me better right now?

It feels like convenient fiction to believe that it will move the needle for me!

b) block practice at the driving range. Dedicating a significant portion of my practice to repeatedly hitting the same shot over and over again with the same club, looking for that all important ‘consistency’. Is this what is going to make me better right now?

It feels like convenient fiction to believe that that will move the needle when i get on the course.

c) 2 billion reps of my takeaway. I understand that changing motor patterns takes time and reps. Lots of them! Getting the feel for a new move also would increase. However, how this transfers to the course, scoring and shot making, isn’t as clear to me in this part of my journey. Is this what is going to make me better right now?

It feels like convenient fiction to believe that that making sure my takeaway is in an ideal slot, is going to transfer to better scoring when it matters.

What will transfer and move the needle?

• Club face awareness and understanding the application of ball flight laws.

• Striking the middle of the face more often.

• Increasing distance potential.

• Playing more practice rounds with intent.

• Increasing variance and intent in practice.

• Submitting more scores and casual rounds.

Other things could move the needle for me including online lessons but this season, most, if not all, of my lessons will be on the course. I want to optimise my practice for transfer to the course and have lessons where I play.

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Minimising inputs and JOMO

This has been the biggest thing for me this year! I started out as an enthusiastic and committed golfer, consuming so much content and trying to catch all. When things were challenging to understand I would often move on to something else and fill in the blanks with a story or procrastinate. This often didn’t give me time to benefit from the learning on offer! Moving froward, I am going to choose better things to procrastinate on rather than lots of things! Embracing the ‘Joy of Missing Out’ will be the bedrock to my decision making on new inputs this coming year.

So, the lingering question remains: What will truly improve my golf game?

Gallery

Feels

Another mixed bag of play for me to reflect on!

Lots of positives of course including a low round and some fine short game shots. There are few better feeling of being in control. They don’t come around for me too often so I am enjoying it while I can!

At the time of writing this, the full competition results hasn’t been posted, so i’m not sure if I have placed!

Play and Reflections

Our Winter League round 2 match was called off as the course was closed so we met our 3rd round opponents, a 16 and a 6 handicap. It had a different feel to it compared to the previous match as we were now giving a fair few shots away. The first 5 holes were all halved with pars and it was pretty even. Then the putters went cold! We lost 3 of the next 5 then we clinging on heading into the back 9. We finished 5/4 and it felt like a real hammering!

What really struck me was the huge impact of the short game and putting. They had some fantastic up and downs and also holed 2 or 3 long putts. There was very little in it but it came down to the moments on and around the green. Lots of work and improvement to be done in those areas.

We have our round 4 match next Sunday against 2 higher handicappers.

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Remembrance Sunday Stableford

Finally, a good round in competition!

I managed a solid 74 (+3 and 43 Stableford Points), hitting 10 greens and having 6/8 up and downs. I wouldn’t say I hit the ball extra well but low point and hitting distances was good throughout! I am still having a couple of issues with the driver but a push for distance and monitoring and moving strike are on my list of winter practices.

I was 3 over on the front and level on the back. Something really clicked from the 5th and I went on a bogey-free run, spoilt by a silly three-putt on the 14th. The first of my two birdies came from a nicely struck 9 iron, which looked like it was going in after it pitched. The second one was a chip-in on the 17th after just missing the green to the left. Picked my landing spot on it trickled down the hill and dropped. My double was poor and it irked me a little but I managed to keep it together. I hit the fairway but will a heely drive and hit my hybrid up to the green, missing it pin-high right. I then proceeded to thin my 30y pitch shot over the flag and off the green behind. I hadn’t let the emotion drain and duffed my chip shot to the fringe and 2 putted. My 2 worst shots of the day, back to back. Frustrating!

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My stats tell the story of how the round played out. Solid across the bag with some excellent chips and short game, helping me to 12 pars. It wasn’t a great driving day, ball wasn’t travelling far in the cold and was plugging on landing but I am pleased to see a positive number in the SG Driver column.

Practice will be around short game and putting this week. Practice Thinks game of the week is a challenging putting game. The game is designed to encourage positive putting and good speed control on ‘gettable’ putts. A link to the game is on the button below:

Putting Par 30+

Thanks for reading!

Feels

I have had a very positive week despite playing in and losing the first round of the Winter League 3/2.

Drawn against a scratch player and his 6 handicap partner was a great experience and provided me with a lens in which I can reflect!

Play And Reflections

Playing with a scratch golfer for the first time in a long time was interesting. I know it is only one round and a small sample size but I was interested to see how ‘proximity’ was into the flags/greens, pre shot routines, putting and short game style and qualities, length off the tee etc! I wasn’t disappointed!

Length was a little further than mine but not by too much, however, the consistency and average length was much further. I had 2 poor drives, both a tad heely and fading to the right at 229y and 231y. My best drive was 259y which was all carry, given the nature of the surface following the storm. He drove it in between an estimated 250y and 270y and also had a very reliable 2nd tee club that was around 230y and accurate. My average driving over the round was 241y. This is an area I can focus on over the winter months. A return to max swings and tracking my speed on a PRGR.

Refer a friend

He finished with 5 birdies and 4 of those came after shots into the green that left around 8-15ft. One of them was a longer putt of around 20ft. I was impressed with full iron shots but 2 of the birdies came from short wedge shots on par 5’s. They were straight down the flag and great for length both times. He hit one ‘poor’ shot all round that clipped a tree and dropped down, misjudged it as a guess and cost him a bogey.

His style of play and qualities were in hitting shots that covered the yardage, even when the line wasn’t ideal, the ball often finished pin high or beyond. I’d describe it as solid rather than spectacular (a couple were very impressive!). Every shot was a fade!

2 things occurred to me following the round. The first being that playing with good players could be a big part of my development and doing it more can only be helpful! Secondly, every part of my game can obviously be improved and tightened up but my short game really needs some practice time and attention. I not the type of golfer that is wild off the tee or losing several shots per round in penalty strokes so spending time on some solid short game shots including a specific ‘go to’ shot then maybe work on a higher one and bump and run can definitely shave some strokes off for me.

As for my game, I finished with 8 pars and 5 bogies then I didn’t compete 3 holes where my partner had pars or I could only equal. Generally, solid but missing my birdie putt opportunities and bogies coming from 0 up and downs when greens were missed, left me a tad disappointed overall!

What’s next?

I have another match against 2 more excellent golfers, another scratch and a 1hc, on Sunday! I’m going to practice my short game and do a Stack putting practice on Thursday and Friday, details in next week’s blog!

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Reflective questions

Has playing with better players impacted your own game?

Do you compare yourself to others or to your best?

How do you practice your short game?

Do you rely on a go-to short in your short game?

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I’ve been threatening this for a while but wanted to spend some time to make sure what I was experiencing was not awash with emotion and had time to settle with me.

Falling into traps

Experiment - how little do you need to improve at golf (or at anything)?

List all of the products you have purchased or subscribed to, to improve your golf.

Give each one a rating of 1-10 on how well that product has ‘improved’ your golf.

Give each one another rating of 1-10 for how consistently you have applied that product to improve your golf.

Notice anything?

Foe me, it has very little to do with the quality of the product - I have purchased some incredible products that do some of the thinking for you but if you’re not consistently applying them, they are just another product on the shelf.

Just to confirm… I have engaged with several amazing products in the last year, that are solid value for money and applied consistently and correctly may move needles in the right direction. This reflection is very much questioning my approach and planning for the future.

I’m a hacker - my needle is shifting left and right, sometimes its stationary, sometime i think it may even be a knitting needle :-)

Almost everything is trial and error. Experienced coaches have vast knowledge of the golf swing and solutions to make some momentary changes but even those individuals are trialling ‘a’ solution, testing it and reviewing to see if it is moving the needle. Solutions aren’t fixed for everyone.

Golf improvement is thriving on products and continuous failed attempts, not on improvement.

Questions I have been asking myself when planning my approach for the next 6 months;

• Is learning the biomechanics and anatomical aspects of ground reaction forces going to move my needle? (Extraneous detail)

• Do I need a strokes gained app to get better at golf?

• Do I need a 10 week golf improvement course for £/$300 to get better at golf?

• What are my ‘big’ pillars?

• Where does ‘enjoyment’ intersect with ‘improvement’ for me?

Almost 1 year ago I embarked on a golf improvement journey. On the way, I have picked up some knowledge; some of which i have been able to apply, some of which I haven’t.

I have spent lots of my precious time and money on many things.

My consistency of approach, I would score as a 7/10.

My application of approach, I would score as a 6/10 (lots of learning and focus required here to improve).

I have my own improvements to make in terms of how I apply and learn!

What i would do differently if i was starting all over again?

What would be my ‘BIG’ pillars of improvement?

How stripped back would it look?

Tentative ‘Stripped Back’ Plan

Exercise - daily steps and resistance/strength training (cost associated)

Learning - ball flight laws (knowledge) practice hitting them (application)

Practice

• monitor strike on the face (knowledge) practice moving strike (application)

• hit off grass as much as possible including different lies

• focus on my behaviours such as time between shots, pre and post evaluation, emotions and pressure

• have fun playing games and scoring against objectives

Volume - increase total volume of balls across the week (time associated)

Last year I planned to attack all aspects of what I imagined better performance would look like. (revisit The Plan, my first ever post if you don’t believe me!)

I planned too much.

I gave myself too much to do.

Big question…

If I stripped away strokes gained, specific training programs, apps, books read, golf improvement tools such as tour balls, subscriptions and even lessons to a certain extent, could I have arrived at the end of the year in a similar position as I am now?

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Question for you

Is there anything you can strip back to provide specific focus on your ‘big pillars’?

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Feels

After a long break, the blog is back!

I have played 2 rounds and returned to practice and boy, I’ve missed it!

I feel energised and ready to plan and attack the off-season.

The plan is in the works and I will post it, once finalised!

Part one of the plan has started and that involves The Stack Putting app and Ross McLoed’s putting group. The Stack is only a trial period for now but I really like it so far (more on that later).

My other consideration are face to face lessons, on course lessons and a practice consultation with Peter Arnott over at Practice Thinkers. He offers a free consultation with a view to working with him in the future. I’ll link the page below incase anyone is serious about improving their practice habits and play.

Practice Thinkers Practice Consultation

Ive spent some time reflecting on many decisions made, the direction of my season and my overall application. I have collated my thoughts ready for a week 52, 1 year anniversary edition. Keep an eye out for it.

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Practice

Ive had 3 practice in the last 5 weeks. Practice had gotten a little stale prior to my break but I enjoyed each of the sessions. One of my reflections of the last 50 weeks had been that many of my sessions were too comfortable. Too easy. Too little experimentation and not enough challenge.

Session One

I continued work on my trail foot with a drill from Ryan. I place a bottle on the outside of my heel and try not to knock it down in transition and the follow through. Lots of instructors say it regularly but over exaggerating the move is the only way to move the needle. I have been too safe and too worried about hitting a functional shot in too many sessions. During this drill, I spent time exaggerating without a the ball(still with the bottle in place) and then hitting a ball 1 out of every 5 swings or so. I saw a big change with ball flight. Much lower and a few hooks and pull hooks. It said a lot about the path of the club. I finished with no bottle but with the same swing thought for some shorter clubs to random targets.

Session Two

I blended the ‘Bottle’ element of the first session with an Andrew Rice drill. After observing the ball flight from the previous session, I matched it with my knowledge of face to path and thought spending some time checking my path would be time well spent.

The drill set up is basically an alignment stick hovering 12 inches above the ball. if my path is a little over the top, I would hit the stick on the way down. It is a physical constraint, designed to encourage a more neutral or in to out path. I enjoyed the challenge of this one and could immediately feel that my body was moving a little different. I didn’t take any video of the swing but my feeling was that I was ‘backing away’ or ‘making more space’ for the club to come through in order to miss the stick.

The only issue I had was that when I removed the stick set up , that ‘feeling’; wasnt as evident. This is always the way with physical constraints but as it was the first time I had tried it, I was pleased with the general success.

Session Three

The final session in this 5 week block is one I have regularly revisited. Many instructors use something similar but Adam Young posted this (below) and it captures the overall session. I was pretty short on time so I spent 20 balls keeping track of successful heel’s and toe’s. Then 24 more balls trying to hit the toe. My success rate was 8 successful heels and 3 successful toes. A side benefit was that most of the unsuccessful toe shots were flushed :-)

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Play

I have played 2 rounds, one at my home club and one at Sharpley GC, in Houghton-Le-Spring.

Durham City

My round at Durham was another solid one with a couple of costly errors. I posted an 80 with 10 GIR. Another double bogey on the long Par 4 4th hole, with an awful heely driver ending up in the river. Pretty sure my club of choice on their is moving to my 3 hybrid. Generally pretty solid approach play but another 5 shots short of the green.

What will help me in the coming weeks is the Arccos app. I am moving away from my shot scope GPS watch to using the Arccos app on an Apple Watch. I can activate the ‘caddie’ feature and this will give me an indication of the club choice based on my specific average. I will have to gauge the wind and lie as usual but it’ll be in interesting to see if it has an impact.

Sharpley GC

My playing partner and I were booked in for an open competition at Seahouses GC but it was rained off. This meant at 6:20 we were on the A1 heading North with no golf planned. We stopped for some impromptu breakfast and booked in to play one of the few courses open. (We are keen.)

Sharpley was an OK experience overall but isn’t in the same league as my home course in Durham but it’s better to play than not at all!

I shot a very shabby 86 with lots of high right, wafty iron shots and drives. (Hence the practice sessions that followed).

Next up is the start of the Winter League at Durham. Its a pairs competition but I’ll be posting weekly updates of the game and any highlights. In our first match we are playing a scratch handicapper and his 6hc playing partner. I will be hyper observant at his behaviours and will probably badger his ear with some questions, if I feel the situation allows me to!

Refer a friend

Reflective Questions

Do you play it safe during practice?

Do you ever play with better players and observe behaviours?

What are your plans for the off season?

Feels

A week of feeling contemplative!

In the moment it is often difficult to separate your initial reflections from your emotions and frustrations.

Writing and actively reflecting helps me do this but I can still allow things to slip through the net.

When I have a good round and bemoan the fact its ‘another 82’, that is my emotion and ‘wanting’ shining through.

Only after playing more golf and spending more time reflecting, does some of my ‘wanting’ show as entitled and misaligned with reality.

I am committing to doing a better job of noticing this behaviour in the future as it neither helpful or supportive of my development.

By the way, I've added a "Buy Me a Coffee" link if you feel generous and want to support my writing endeavours. I love sipping coffee while penning down my thoughts, whether at cosy coffee shops or just pondering over a cup at home.

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Practice

I have returned to daily exaggerations and reps for my club face and footwork. I am aware I have spent less time putting in quality reps and have fallen back into practicing full shots and working on skill, without any of the small technical cues from Ryan.

One practice session this week mainly focusing on the short game. The game is taken form the Practice Thinkers Games Depot, which I would suggest to anyone on the lookout for challenging practice sessions with purpose and pressure included.

Short Game Wizard

Goal = Get to -3 for 5 holes, then the last hole YOU MUST get up and down to complete the task (-5 in total minimum).

If you fail to get to -4 after 5 holes start again.

Set Up = Par is 3.

Choose six stations from differing positions before you start the game.

6 shots from 20-30 yards (one of the six in a bunker shot if possible). At least two also from the rough (drop ball). Putt out.

Task is complete, when you qualify for the last hole (-3 or better after 5) and you get up and down on the last station.

Start again if you fail to get up and down on the last ball.

I loved this game!!! I didn’t complete it mind you :-)

I got to -3 once after 6 full run throughs but didn’t get up and down in the last ball. The realistic nature of having one ball to achieve a goal was what I enjoyed.

thus type of game highlighted the limited nature of some of my practice sessions too. They generally involve simple repetition with little riding on it!

Play

I played a practice round off the yellow tees and had a raft of thoughts swirling around my head. I shot an 81 and felt like I played ‘OK’ with several excellent short game shots.

I asked a question last week about being conservative into greens versus taking on more flags, when the conditions suited.

After several interesting answers and conversations, I set out to notice how I was feeling during the round and when I considered the conditions to suit a more aggressive approach.

What I noticed was I am often overly cautious when playing approach shots, with a key aim being the ‘fat part’ of the green and aiming well away from flags, as a general rule.

These sentences lack a measurable element and I am aware statements such as ‘well away’ and ‘overly cautious’ lack content.

The future will consist of observing and noticing how I feel around picking targets and checking on my statistics in terms of SG on approach play.

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Reflective Questions

Does your practice include ‘pressure’ and behavioural elements?

How do you balance your emotion and ‘wanting’ within your golf development?

Leave a comment

I am having a short break from the blog for the next 2 weeks but will be back with a bumper issue in early September!

Until then enjoy your golf!

Feels

I have had a curious and meandering week in terms of how I feel about my recent rounds. I have asked and answered some difficult questions about my performance and framing of my development. All of which have provided me with clarity!

I am entitled to nothing.

My return on investment (time wise) is standard for this pursuit.

I am making progress even it feels like I am not!

I am either winning or learning!

By the way, I've added a "Buy Me a Coffee" link if you feel generous and want to support my writing endeavours. I love sipping coffee while penning down my thoughts, whether at cosy coffee shops or just pondering over a cup at home.

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Practice

One practice session this week mainly focusing on strike with the driver.

After a good physical warm up and a few balls, I spent some time exploring my strike tendencies with the driver!

The evidence suggested a resounding heely strike!

I then had 20 balls playing around with my ball position. Starting from inside my lead heel and working back half a ball until I was 2 balls inside my lead heel!

For me, my start line and strike was better when the ball was further back. The ball started further right with less fade spin. This will be a starting point for me to take to the course and monitor its performance there!

I used the remaining 22 balls moving strike around the face, alternating between heel and toe.

More work required on the toe side of things but this is something I will repeat regularly.

Finally, I hit the short game area and worked through my wedge on a variety of tight lies, ball above/below my feet and some short sided work. 2 balls and I putted the worst of the 2 for score.

Sidenote: I love putting and short game work more than full swing. :-)

Play

Part of my clarity this week came 1 day after playing my round. I had struck the ball OK overall, driver aside, but still managed 4 3-putts. This got me thinking about my proximity to the hole on my approach play. Not only did I struggle with the speed of my putts but statistically, I was very likely to 3-putt given the distance of the first putt. Some of this is clearly down to quality of strike, but not always.

However, I feel I could be overly cautious at times and aiming away from the flag, regularly. Having followed Lou Stagner and Jon Sherman for so long, I often hear the ‘aim away from the flag’ or ‘middle of the green’ reverberate around my mind when selecting my targets and clubs. This certainly is not a bad thing as I fully accept that the data clearly shows the benefits to this, on average. My concern is that I am not always finding the right balance in this area and may have taken it too far.

My suggestion is to think of my approach play target as a sliding scale from 1 (conservative) to 5 (aggressive). I can reflect upon the data and my choices after the round, in an attempt to find a more optimal target given the variety of distances. 100y and middle flag could be a 5, 170y and left, tight flag could be a 1.

Overall, reflections on the round remain on the negative side, particularly after a 38 front 9. We move on and go again! Current handicap 9.8.

Statistics

This chart shows my combined SG stats across my last 10 rounds. I am so pleased with my approach play improvement despite knowing there is still lots more to come. You may recall my approach play was a major weakness in my game, at the start of this journey.

Practice at the range over the next 6 weeks is going to have a focus on driving, including set up consistencies and strike. Off the course, I can commit more time to working on my speed again, with a focus on power exercises and max swings at home.

(Q - Is it time for the Stack?)

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Reflective Questions

What is the limiting factor in your golf development?

What is your current return in investment - in the green or in the red?

Do you have a ‘green light/red light’ system for approach shots?

Leave a comment

Feels

I have settled into a nice rhythm lately, enjoying my rounds and enjoying my practice.

Good things are just around the corner!

I feel privileged to share my progress and learning with you all!

I feel grateful for the support of every one of you!

I am committed to growing and continuing to be curious about where the journey takes me!

By the way, I've added a "Buy Me a Coffee" link if you feel generous and want to support my writing endeavours. I love sipping coffee while penning down my thoughts, whether at cosy coffee shops or just pondering over a cup at home.

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Practice

I am enjoying my practice! I have shifted my overall focus to more skill-based work with an initial focus on a technical aspect, given to me by Ryan during my 4-month batch of lessons. This week I continued to focus on the trail foot banking inward during the warm-up and strike in the main part of the session. It looked like this:

• Warm-up balls (trail foot banking focus) x 15

• 30, 50, 70, and 90% iron shots with face spray feedback moving through the bag. If I hit 2 middle in a row, move up a club. I spent 34 balls on this game and got up to my 4H from my SW. It helped me focus on the task at hand.

• Call Shot - Wedge start, hit the shot and call the part of the face hit without looking at the feedback from the face spray. If I get 2 correct in a row, move up through the bag.

• Finished my last 12 balls trying to hit heel then toe, heel then toe. The image below was the only one I managed to get in a good spot. I have lots of work to do on strike but this type of session not only keeps me focused on the skill it also helps keep me concentrating on the range.

  Refer a friend

Play

One round this week in the midweek Stableford. Another round where a couple of 3 putts and a shocker rescue off the 15th tee have left me feeling a little disappointed but also confident ‘it’ is coming. Approach play work is paying off with 10 more GIR and general ball striking heading in the right direction.

I tweeted about the round on Wednesday, suggesting I was close to another round in the 70s. Ryan (my Golf Coach for new readers) questioned my framing and suggested it appeared that I expected to be shooting in the 70s and was maybe getting ahead of myself. His question couldn’t have come at a better time.

Even though it was a little sobering for me, it reminded me of the long-term focus I need and the process I am in, on my way to better golf. Thanks Ryan!

Statistics

I spent some time pondering over my ‘short’ miss. The next breakthrough for me will come as GIR improves and my driving returns to anything like it was before my approach play improved. I thought I would visit my distance in Arccos and see where some decision-making could be improved. The chart above shows my ‘smart distance’ which uses an algorithm to calculate my distances, seemingly, removing the outliers from all of the shots I have hit to provide this number.

My approach to working with these numbers for the next 2 or 3 weeks is to subtract 5 yards and work from that yardage downward toward the next lowest (also -5). This will be a good starting point for adding a couple more GIR. Time will tell!

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Reflective Questions

What ‘sobering’ questions can you ask yourself on your game?

Do you set yourself experiments to reflect upon?

Is your practice more skill-focused or technique based? Why?

Leave a comment

Feels

I have had a great week despite not managing to get a full round in due to the weather!

I am feeling particularly secure, sitting in the muddy water with myself. I feel as patient as ever while remaining optimistic about positive change. Improvement is slow but heading in the right direction and exploring new resources around practice (Practice Thinkers Podcast and Free Games Depot) has reignited the practice flame within me.

I have around 10 weeks to get in as many rounds as I can and then I can reflect and take stock of my position. It is crazy to think that will be 52 weeks of writing up my journey and sharing it with you all! What a pleasure it has been so far, thank you for all of the support!

By the way, I've added a "Buy Me a Coffee" link if you feel generous and want to support my writing endeavours. I love sipping coffee while penning down my thoughts, whether at cosy coffee shops or just pondering over a cup at home.

Buy Me A Coffee

Practice

A nice practice session this week working on a couple of things. Initially, I spent some time monitoring strike at various speeds. For example;

I hit 3 shots at (what I felt was) 30%, 3 shots at 50%, 70%, 90% and full.

Strike remains mostly centred with a slight heely bias, particularly at higher speeds.

I then hit 15 balls working on my weight shift and trail leg, focussing on ‘banking the foot’. This is the most challenging thing that I have worked on so far, following the sessions with Ryan. I have managed to work on and integrate the flatter lead wrist and a stronger club face in the takeaway and at the top.

The struggle continues but spending time working on the trail foot and movement at home, with no ball will benefit me in the long run.

Finally, I moved on to my wedge game and spent some time working on my routine for a ‘draw’ shot that launched quite low (video above). I identified 3 targets at 50y, 75y and 100y and alternated through different clubs, trying to hit a push draw to target, going through my full routine each time.

I used the strategies given to me by Ryan, during my previous lesson block. My feeling when I managed to hit the shot successfully was;

• Weight around 70% on the lead side

• Turn in to trail heel

• Wrist flat

• Right shoulder ‘down’

I really struggled with this during lessons but sticking with it has gotten me to a point where I am comfortable using that shot on course. (I basically hit a pull-draw during lessons.)

This shot was 75y and started slightly right of the target (the blue and white stick) and drew back nicely.

Play

No round this week after some torrential rain.

Statistics

I checked out some statistics looking at recent trends from the last 10 rounds. I am really pleased with it overall and must plan in some driver swings, working on strike in the hope of rediscovering the driving groove.

The approach play chart is now looking a little more healthy, with obvious improvements to make on the short miss. I am still coming up short 28% of the time, with very few misses as ‘long’. My GIR has improved by around 15% from my starting point and I still feel like there is low-hanging fruit with club selection and strike when hitting approach shots.

And finally, the chart below shows my recent issues with the driver. Many around the 40y dispersion but as you can see, far too many outside of that, hence the decline in over SG performance off the tee.

Reflective Questions

What are your current optimism levels?

What has been the most difficult swing change you have made?

Do you have specific ‘feels’ for certain shots?

Feels

I tweeted about my ‘Inner Conversation’ this week, following a solid but mediocre round. It was filled with negativity despite feeling content about my scoring directly after the round.

What I have found myself doing lately is engaging with these thoughts and trying to rationalise them. The reality is, I just wasn’t feeling it, across the round. There is no reason. I don’t need to consult the statistics or reach out for support from a coach. It is just part of the game. It is completely normal given the number of balls I am hitting per week and the time I have for practice.

The pleasing thing for me is that I managed to keep hold of my ball for the majority of the round and score around my handicap again, despite this!

By the way, I've added a "Buy Me a Coffee" link if you're feeling generous and want to support my writing endeavours. I love sipping coffee while penning down my thoughts, whether it's at cosy coffee shops or just pondering over a cup at home.

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Practice

After listening to the pod below, my mind was racing with ideas and intentions for practice. Or listen here!

Some of the ideas and games discussed will need to be simplified for my level of golf, but the principles of practice design remain.

I did 1 practice session, based on a game from the Practice Thinkers Depot (FREE). After 4 weeks of poor driver statistics, I decided to stump for a Driver-based game. The game I went for is called ‘Thread the dog’.

Thread the dog – Driving

Level 1 – Complete all Armoury individually (armoury being the shots in my ‘locker’)

Start with a target of 4 fingers and move down a fingers width each time with the final shot being 2 fingers wide. New target every time. If you miss a drive it's back to the start. (I amended the 4 fingers to 5 and the 2 fingers to 3)

Do it individually for each of your armoury off the tee, I did it for;

● High Bomb Draw (max drive with little danger)

● High fade (stock drive)

● Mid Flight Fade (second serve style to make sure its ‘in play’)

Level 2 – Hit 8 shots in a row with Driver or 3wood Armory

Hit 8 drives in a row between a 3 finger gap. If you are successful with the shot within a 1 finger gap, then you gain an extra life (i.e., if you nail within 1 finger and miss the next shot you are still in the game…. I didn’t manage this!)

If you miss a drive it's back to the start (if you have no lives left).

I enjoyed the session and had very little focus on ‘technical’ aspects other than set-up. All focus was on my target and the shot I had chosen. There is a level 3 that decreased the size of the target area and increased the amount of shots to complete. I will add this next time I revisit this session.

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Play

2 rounds this week, both on my home course. The first was in the midweek Stableford, off the back tees. I hit the ball well and finished the round with an 81 (net 70). It took 0.2 off my handicap (9.3 differential), leaving me at 10.0 from an 11.9 start of the season. Another super pleasing round in terms of approach play, with 9 greens hit over the round, with a couple very close. Oddly, my impressive short game from the previous week didn’t hang around, with my only up and down coming on the final hole, from the fringe.

The second round, a practice round but one that I submitted, was one of the weirdest I have played in a while. The scorecard is above in the tweet regarding my ‘inner conversation’. I shot 82 from the yellow tees and didn’t feel like I could concentrate or get anything to click. I drove it a little better overall but had 2 shockers, losing a ball on the 2 toughest driving holes at Durham City, 4 and 6. This negatively impacted the stats for driving but apart from those 2, distance and accuracy were much better.

My putting has remained the only real constant across the previous 6 rounds, which is very pleasing as I have worked hard on my speed control and routine. My approach play is also beginning to turn into a more solid weapon as opposed to the area of my game that always let me down. Very pleasing to be able to change the narrative there!

My SG stats (vs a 7hc) for both rounds are below;

Reflective Questions

Have you had a round where you didn’t feel like you could concentrate but scored OK?

Do you monitor and interrogate your ‘inner conversation’?

Could you ‘gamify’ your practice more to explore skill development rather than focusing on technical aspects?

Leave a comment

Feels

My previous couple of weeks of freedom have enabled me to further explore my thinking and principles. I have spent some time flipping my thinking around practice and play. My focus has been on what I DO NOT want from the session and what I DO NOT want from playing. Examples include:

• I don't want to repeat the same conditions on each shot (club, lie, distance etc)

• I don't want to focus on my score from the previous hole

• I don't want to focus on having technical thoughts when playing

This has helped clear some things up for me and solidify some direction. Even spending the time thinking about what I don't want from a round beforehand, helped calm me and focus my attention on things in my control…. My attitude and responses!

I've added a "Buy Me a Coffee" link if you'd care to support my writing endeavours (which I usually do in coffee shops or while contemplating a cup of coffee).

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Practice

A speed-focused putting session this week!

I paced out 8 steps (around 20ft) in 4 directions (uphill, downhill, L-R and R-L) and marked it with a tee.

I placed an alignment stick to the side of the hole so that the middle of the stick was aligned to the hole (leaving around 2ft before the hole and 2ft after).

I think hit 3 putts from each of the tees, alternating after each putt X3 - 36 putts total.

I completed the session with 28 in the 4ft zone and with more short of the hole (particularly on the uphill putts).

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Play

I played at Dinsdale Spa GC on Saturday this week. One of my playing partners won a 4 ball last year in an Open competition, so we returned for a free round.

I would describe ball striking as average overall but my scrambling was excellent. Conditions were a little soft after some rainfall and I managed to take advantage of that.

I only hit 7 greens but managed 9/11 in scrambling. A complete outlier in terms of my standard ‘up and down’ percentage. My low point and strike on the 30y and in shots were excellent, leaving me with several tap-ins.

A mental error made during the round was discussing/sharing my score on the 15th tee box (Level Par). We laughed after a partner suggested that I make sure I don't get a double on the next 4 holes and I'll be fine!

I bogeyed the 15th and doubled the 16th but managed to get it together for the final 2 holes and finished +3 for the round, carding a 75.

Overall, I am very pleased with the round, only my Driving in the negative against a 7hc. My next round is tomorrow in the midweek Stableford. I aim to take confidence from my scrambling performance to reduce the pressure on hitting greens.

The positive round is broken down below and shows how good my short game and putting were across the 18 holes. A little concerned about driving but it only highlights that I haven’t put any work into it specifically, given my time constraints. Knowing and understanding this means that I won’t get myself ‘down’ about it or worry, it is simply a result of how much time I have worked on that area of my game.

Reflective Questions

Have you had a late-round collapse from a strong position?

How do you ‘stay out of your way’ when playing well?

How could you reframe your thinking in troublesome areas of your game?

Leave a comment

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Feels

I have been feeling relaxed and ‘free’ this week! Having spent some time reflecting on my approach, I have settled on my longer-term focus. I have found it hard at times to remain on track with that sentiment, mainly because I am sharing the journey with you! It has added a layer of complexity to processing and progressing at a rate I am comfortable with. However, I have eventually found ways to become at ease with this and moving forward, feel positive about my capacity to do so.

By the way, I've added a "Buy Me a Coffee" link if you'd like to support my writing endeavours (which I usually do in coffee shops or while contemplating a cup of coffee).

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Practice

One short game practice session this week. I played a game designed by Peter Arnott (Practice Thinker on Twitter). The game is called Short Game Wizard. The rules of the game are below. It was a very challenging game for my skill level but it enabled me to practice in a way that added pressure and repetition. It took me 11 rounds to finally get to -4 including up and down for the last shot, meaning I hit 66 shots. It also included 1 bunker shot each round of 6.

Rules

Goal = Get to -3 for 5 holes, then the last hole YOU MUST get up and down to complete the task.

If you fail to get to -4 after 5 holes start again.

Set Up = Par is 3.

Choose six stations from differing positions before you start the game.

6 shots from 20-30 yards (one of the six in a bunker shot if possible). At least two also from the rough (drop ball). Putt out.

The task is complete when you qualify for the last hole (-3 or better after 5) and you get up and down on the last station.

Start again if you fail to get up and down on the last ball.

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Play

I played in the Captains Charity event on Sunday, in aid of the Motor Neuron Disease Association (Link to DONATE here.) The round was a Stableford, off-the-back tees and we had a great day for it!

The round was another step in the right direction with my approach play. This is where most of my practice has been over the last 3 months and where most of my lessons were focused. I had no double bogeys over the round, which was very pleasing but 4 3-putts prevented a nice score in the 70s. I finished with 81 and 37 points which resulted in a handicap reduction to 10.2. I hit 11 greens but had only 1 up and down out of 5 (with one very poor duffed chip off an average lie; it may be my most hated shot in golf, including a shank :-)). It felt like another good round overall, with fine-tuning required to keep me moving in the right direction.

My stats for the round are below.

Below is a graphic from Arccos showing my trends over the last 3 rounds, showing further signs of positivity. Since starting to play I have never had my approach play in the green. Certainly heading in the right direction.

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Reflective Questions

Do you require significant changes in certain areas of your game or fine-tuning?

Which direction is each area of your game trending?

What can you review in your thinking to help free you up?

My 4-Month Journey of Unlimited Online Lessons with Ryan Mouque on the Skillest App. Check him out on the link below!

Ryan on Skillest

Please note that while my experience with Ryan on the Skillest App was unique, not all online lessons are conducted through Skillest, and your own experience may vary.

Some context

I was new to lessons (1 face to face prior).

I have never had an online lesson before.

I am very confident with technology: recording and clipping short videos.

I want to learn and court new learning experiences that challenge me!

I was open to exploring MY golf swing.

I know I have so much to learn and tried to 'wipe the slate' clean, when I started.

I understood that learning takes time.

I am committed to practising a minimum of once per week with balls and every day on drills and feels.

I am committed to playing a minimum of once per week.

If you are not nodding along to each of the statements above, some, most or all of my experience may differ from yours!

Getting Started

Before subscribing to the lessons, I decided to send a video of my swing for a free analysis. I had no expectations and was simply curious to see what feedback I would receive. Surprisingly, within 24 hours, I received a detailed analysis of my video. The feedback was straightforward and easy to follow, giving me confidence that online lessons would be a good fit for me.

Throughout the process, communication with Ryan was excellent. He promptly answered my questions, and I felt assured about moving forward.

Choosing the Subscription

After reviewing the membership options, I determined that an unlimited lesson plan would best suit my current goals and starting point. Here's what was included in the plan:

• An unlimited number of lessons throughout the month.

• A 30-minute Zoom call to conduct live lessons and discuss practice strategies, course management, and game improvement.

• 24/7 support through the chat feature between lessons.

• Detailed analysis of my swing with clear instructions on areas for improvement.

• Customized drills tailored to my specific needs, accompanied by explanations on how to perform them.

• A training/practice plan to guide me during my practice sessions.

To start our journey together, Ryan and I had an introductory Zoom call. During this call, we discussed my goals, time availability for practice, and how our lessons would be structured.

Recording and Sending Videos

The next step involved recording another swing and sending it to Ryan. It was crucial to position the camera correctly to get an accurate assessment of my swing, including the setup and takeaway. To achieve this, I set up a small tripod with my phone at the range. Using the Ultra Wide mode, I aligned the camera with my hands, double-checking its position. This step was vital for reliable analysis. Once ready, I hit around 5 or 6 shots while recording. Afterwards, I used the photos app on my phone to trim the video.

However, it's important to note one downside of online videos: the coach can only see what you choose to show them. In my case, for the first video, I sent the swing that I thought was my best out of the bunch. In a face-to-face lesson, the coach can observe both the good and the bad aspects of your swing. Cherry picking at its finest!

Share

Using the Skillest App

The Skillest app made the entire process effortless. It operates similarly to messaging apps like iMessage or WhatsApp. To share my videos with Ryan, I simply clicked on "Add video" and selected the video from my phone. I tried to provide as much information as possible about the ball flight and any issues I was experiencing, such as shots starting left and fading right, occasional heavy shots, or pulls.

Within 12 hours, I received my first video analysis and a drill to work on. The turnaround time was impressive and further strengthened my confidence in the online learning experience. The analysis video was clear, with helpful graphics and explanations that I could easily understand. I had a few questions regarding the analysis and my starting point, and Ryan answered them promptly and in a way that made sense to me.

One significant difference between face-to-face lessons and online lessons was the feedback I received on my execution of the drills. I shared two clips with Ryan, one showing the drill setup and the other of me practising it. It turned out that I could have improved both the setup and execution. This feedback was a game-changer for me because, based on my own perception, I believed I was doing an excellent job replicating the drill. Receiving guidance on how to practice the drills effectively was a significant advantage.

Beyond Swing Improvement

In addition to working on my swing, I received valuable insights into practice techniques and structuring practice sessions. I was introduced to different types of practice, such as technical work, variable/skill work, and random/game-based work. Although I had previously studied sports coaching and was familiar with these terms, I had not fully considered how to design practice sessions or a series of sessions utilizing these various practice types.

The feedback on my drills and the guidance on designing practice sessions made me realize the long-term impact of my work. The swing is just one piece of the puzzle in golf, and improving practice habits, routines, strategies, and preparation are all essential for overall improvement. Initially, I expected to receive some swing "tips" and not much more. However, the value of online lessons lies in their continuous and fluid nature. I encountered many questions and challenges during the first two months, but having open lines of communication with Ryan provided the support I needed to overcome those obstacles.

The Perks of Online Lessons

One significant benefit of online lessons is the permanent record of information. After completing my first three-month block of lessons, I have nine full-swing lesson videos, five drill videos tailored to my needs, and a chat log containing all my answered questions. Before designing my next practice session, I refer to the lessons, review the drills, and incorporate them into the technical part of my practice. Having this information readily available is incredibly useful. In contrast, after a face-to-face lesson, I often found myself overwhelmed with information, making it challenging to process everything. There's a good chance that I would have missed or misunderstood some of the points made during the lesson.

In conclusion, my experience of four months of unlimited online lessons with Ryan Mouque on the Skillest App has been enriching. While your experience may differ, I encourage you to explore the world of online lessons and find the approach that works best for you. Whether it's through Skillest or another platform, online lessons offer flexibility, continuous support, and a wealth of recorded information that can assist you on your golfing journey.

For all of my lesson and drill videos click the link below.

Lesson Videos

Good luck and thanks for reading!

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