Lessons from Nationals

Placed T-3 in my flight at the GCAT Nationals. My goal was top 10, so I achieved that goal, although I truly believe I could have won it if I had been able to get comfortable with my swing. It wasn't until the last day that I started to feel comfortable and could hit the ball where I wanted. My putting wasn't too great the last two days either, so I definitely left some strokes there too.

Anyway I wanted to document what I learned from playing in the four day event, especially while it's fresh in my head.

1. Clear the mind. I think part of my problem the first 3 days was that I was having trouble clearing my mind of distractions and focusing on the moment. I'd be standing over the ball for many shots or putts and have what I consider a scrambled mind - I wouldn't be thinking about any one thing in particular, but I was thinking about 10 things at once. The last day when I scored very well I was able to focus on what I was doing at that moment and only that one thing.
2. Think through the situation of every shot. Know the lie, know the risk/reward, know the shot shape you need to hit, know what the green is really doing, know the weather. For the most part I executed very well through the week - I got in trouble typically because I didn't consider one aspect of the situation I was in. The best example is an 84 yard pitch shot I had with a downhill lie on the 15th hole of the last day. I focused on the swing I needed to make and forgot about the downhill lie I needed to compensate for - the result was a chunk on a relatively easy pitch. That led to an awkward 40 yd pitch to a small green, a bunker shot, and 2 putts for double bogey. That double bogey was the difference between sole 2nd and T-3.
3. Light putter grip. I caught myself with a tight putter grip numerous times throughout the week. That may be one of the reasons I struggled with my putting so much, including missing many short birdie putts.
4. Short game (chipping and pitching) can make or break your round. Everyone "knows" this, but I lived it. At TPC Sawgrass Stadium I spent most of my 2nd shots on par 4's and 5's punching out of trees (or worse) and back into the fairway, meaning I had to try to get close to the pin on the green and make my putt to save par. Most of the time I was able to save par, and that saved my round. Also if I didn't get on the green in regulation, most of the time I was able to get up and down.
5. Golf is not a game of perfect. That's actually a book title, but it's so true. As mentioned in #4, "most of the time" I was able to be successful in recovering from bad situations. You have to accept that bad situations are going to happen, and then you have to accept that you aren't always (100% of the time) going to execute the way you intend. But the idea has to be to put yourself into a position where you have a chance. In fact, all week that's how I would make decisions - "what is going to get me into a position to have a better chance for the next shot or to score?"
6. High probability choices. Since golf is not a game of perfect, you have to play a game of probability. You may have also heard this as "play your game" or "stay within yourself". Really what that means is you have to make decisions and pick shots that give you the best chance at being successful for the next shot (or score). And this may vary from day to day depending on how well you're swinging or putting. I know I had a slightly different swing each of the four days of the tournament, with some clubs working better for me than others, and I made decisions according to the state of my game at that moment. Targeting pins is not always the smart thing to do. Play your tendencies - if you're having a tendency to pull or hook the ball left that day, then don't aim right at a pin tucked on the left side of the green - go middle and if it hooks you're in better shape, while if it doesn't you're safe. If hitting a Driver meant that water or bunkers (or both) come into play while hitting a 5 wood meant I got another 30 yards of fairway to play with even though it put me back 40 yards, I went 5 wood. That extra 40 yards might be the difference between a GW approach and a 7-iron approach, but it also meant I took away the opportunity for the Big Number, which leads me to...
7. Stay away from the Big Number. I know a number of guys who took a big number on just one hole the entire tournament, but that one hole kept them out of contention. By Big Number I mean worse than double bogey - not that double bogey is all that great either, but in this particular tournament's situation with the windy conditions and course setups it wasn't a number that was going to destroy your chances at contending. However, taking a 10 on a par 4 or a par 3 certainly digs a deeper hole to climb out of.  Now generally speaking I try to limit my mistakes to no worse than bogey. I've reached a point where I hate bogeys, but I know they're going to happen. I really hate double bogeys, but for this particular tournament I knew that they would likely happen too just with the environment we were playing in. The trick was to keep things from getting out of control and to minimize the number of double bogeys that would happen. As I get better I'm sure that mentality will shift into minimizing bogeys, regardless of the environment conditions I'm playing in (it IS my mentality for weekend rounds).
8. Shot shaping is crucial (and fun). Fades, draws, high shots, lows, punches, traps, etc. All important to know how to do. The wind this week was brutal. 20-25 mph sustained winds, and a lot of people suffered because they didn't adjust. Hitting a cut into a right-left wind can help keep the ball straighter, just like hitting a draw into a left-right wind. Keeping it under the tree line is useful to minimize the affect of wind. Trapping the ball when you want to spin it back off a slope and have it suck down to the pin is a helpful skill to have (did this to 2 feet on Stadium #18). Plus, it's fun to execute these shots, and when you know you can't perfectly control the ball when you're trying to put some kind of spin or height to the shot it takes some of the pressure of executing a perfectly straight shot out of the equation. "I tried to cut the ball to that right pin location and it didn't cut? So I'm in the center of the green, no problem" or "I tried to cut the ball to that right pin location and it landed 2 feet from the flag. That was fun to watch." When I practice I mess around with shot shaping all the time - it's fun, and as I've found in tournaments, very useful. I did realize I need to learn how to hit a low Driver/3w. That's one area that did hurt me a bit.

Oops

I didn't mean to not update the journal for such a long time. I need to get back to regular updates. The events of the last few months are exactly the sort of thing I want to capture here.

I haven't played in any tournaments in that time and instead have been working on getting more consistent swing mechanics. It seems like I'm having success there because my ball striking has been stellar lately. I'm hitting the majority of greens in regulation, and if I miss a fairway I'm only off by a yard or two. I haven't hit it in a hazard in over a month.

The end result is that my scores are dropping quick, including a personal best 4-under (68) not too long ago. I feel like I didn't play well if I shoot a 74 or higher, which is amazing because just a few months ago I'd take a 74 any day. My handicap has dropped to a 0.1 from a 4.0 in the last 3-4 months. Crazy.

Previously in the journal I talked about how I was starting to use visualization as part of my preshot routine. It's become a habit now, and at times it's astonishing how I can visualize a shot or putt and then execute exactly what I saw without thinking about it. The mind is a powerful thing.

Visualization is definitely helping. It's one of those things I want to tell everyone I meet, and at times I try, but for most it's a topic or a concept that doesn't seem to get much traction. Most everyone is more interested in how they can swing better or simply hit the ball straight (and far).

I haven't figured out what's bringing the better golf game, but it's likely a combination of things that are finally coming together for me after a year of work. Visualization, concentration, improved course management, ball striking, chipping.. the whole deal.

Anyway, I need to stay updated with this. Lots of good things happening right now in my game, and I have a few big events coming up in the next few months. I'll be practicing nearly every day for the next 8-10 weeks in preparation for these events - lots of work to do.

Staying Connected

Friday evening I grabbed my video camera and setup shop in the living room to figure out why I've been feeling somewhat disconnected in my swing. It's hard to describe the feeling, but every once in a while I start feeling weak with my swing, particularly with the driver. I feel off-balance and like my arms are sort of flying all over the place.

This would be in contrast to a very powerful rotation and in balance follow through when I feel connected.

I'm able to take full swings in the living room when I do this, but I also do a lot of slow motion "live" with the camera hooked up to the TV so I can see the motion as I feel it. It's a setup that's worked out pretty well for diagnosing swing issues.

Anyway, I focused again on the takeaway as I was a few weeks ago. I have always had a habit of pulling the clubhead inside my hands during the takeaway, and it's what I caught myself doing on video. The result of doing this is a sort of loop around between my backswing and downswing, where I bring the clubhead too far inside during the backswing, get really steep with my arms near the top, and loop it back down to bring it on plane on the downswing. I've realized this causes all sorts of fun issues with my balance, maintaining angles, and ultimately consistency.

So the key now is to maintain arm, wrist, and hand angles until about the 8 o'clock position. I also let my hands get closer to my right thigh as they move in an arc from the shoulder turn while maintaining the clubhead outside of the arc my hands create. From this point it gets a little more complicated for me. Provided I've done that well, my right elbow should be in a position close to my side and ready to fold up. If I let my right elbow fly out a behind me at this stage I can almost guarantee a hook or big draw.

But if my right elbow is in a good position then I'll feel the connection and know that I'm in a good position and can "turn and burn" for a great shot.

One key though that I need to remember is to make sure I'm balanced in my setup. I'm finding myself too much on my toes at address, and when I'm like that I tend to fall closer to the ball during the downswing. I need to remember to get in a solid, neutral balance position prior to initiating the takeaway, and I need to remember to do that moreso with the driver where the longer club can more easily pull my entire upper body out of alignment.

Basically I spent all weekend working on these things. I worked on it at the range and on the practice course and mixed in different types of drills, shot shapes, and targets throughout the repetitions. It'll take some time to fully absorb the motion I want to have, but the mental-physical connections are starting to solidify already. With more quality practice over the next few weeks I shouldn't have to think about the takeaway too much.

I also spent a lot of time working on chipping this weekend. I specifically focused on hitting my targets around the green in terms of identifying and hitting landing spots for the chip. For lies, I focused on lies in thick rough and mostly short-sided to the pin since I've been having trouble with that lately and my aggressive play to pins has led to many instances of being short-sided.

At this time of year I'm trying to get in as much work as I can throughout the week. Originally the plan was to take it easy and start getting ready for Nationals in August, but after thinking about it I decided I ought to take advantage of the weather and the longer daylight hours of the summer. So, that's what I'm doing. It'll probably be like this for me until October.

TS Debbie

The Tropical Storm is sort of messing up any practice time right now. It's a good break though. Sometimes you need a break to rejuvenate. Looking forward to getting out on the course, possibly tomorrow. If anything the weather looks very good for Thursday and the rest of the weekend.

I kind of decided that unless there's a compelling reason to play, I won't play in any more tournaments until August. I'm kind of happy to spend time working on things, plus I get the nice Tahoe vacation in a few weeks. After that I can start getting back in tournament shape. Meanwhile I'll continue to focus on more mechanical improvements.

Mentally Tired

I suppose this weekend is a good example of how I play when I'm mentally worn out. I didn't play terrible this weekend, but it wasn't as good as I should be playing and mentally I could never get any kind of concentration going. Some stuff happened at work this past week that was a culmination of a years' worth of frustrations, and by the end of the week I was mentally worn out. It's carried over into my golf game.

Having said that, out of the 3 rounds I played I did have a great round on the aerated Champions course, shooting a 1-over 73 playing from the black tees. The other two rounds were on the Legends course at 77 and 79. My balance felt off most of the time, but I think it was more mental than anything. I say that because I was perfectly fine on the range.

Short game hurt a bit too. Recently I modified my grip when chipping to be more neutral instead of strong, and I'm having trouble trusting my chips out of the rough.

I spent some time practicing as well, working on full swing and short game. I've been waiting on the greens to recover from the recent aerification so I can practice putting. With all the rain we're getting this week I should be able to start doing that soon. My putting stroke did feel a bit off, but again I didn't have the mental energy to do the visualization I've been working on when putting either.

Overall I'd rate my practice and play this weekend average. The more neutral grip is starting to feel comfortable, and I'm learning how to shape the ball on the course. I won't worry too much about the negatives this weekend until I get through this mental spell. This week looks to be a wet week with the tropical storm, so I'll have to take advantage of any opportunities to practice.

Wednesday Round

Played 9 holes with the group last night. Had a bit of a rough start going +6 in the first 3 holes. I wasn't in a good mental state with some frustrations outside of golf, so it took me a bit to get into a better frame of mind.

I did that by the 4th hole though, a long par 5 that I birdied. I went even-par for the rest of the holes to finish the 9 at +5. That's below average for me, but given the start of the round I still took away some positives.

For one, I was able to take the ball flight control to the course. I made mistakes, but nothing unrecoverable. Also, despite the negative mental state I was in at the start, I was able to refocus and turn it around in time to salvage the round. That's not an easy thing to do. Third, the wind made club selection and targeting difficult - it was a 3-club wind so most of the time I was focused on playing the safe shots and staying out of trouble, especially since most of the time the wind played as a crosswind with a slight helping or hurting.

The weekend weather forecast looks grim. Lots of rain. And next week isn't looking much better. I'll have to take advantage of any good weather as it happens, even if that means going to practice early in the morning.

Unlocking a New Level

Today I felt like I unlocked a new level in my golf game. It's difficult to describe, but the work from the last few days is really starting to show.

Again I worked on mixing shot trajectories between fade, straight, and draw throughout my clubs. At some point while taking swings I realized that I could pull out a perfectly straight shot on demand. Or if desired I could hit a weak fade. Or perhaps I wanted to just slice the hell out of the ball - to maybe work around trees. Or maybe I wanted to hook it with my driver - not that I've ever seen a hole where I'd need to hook it with my driver - but I could do it.

I think it was around the time I hooked my driver - on purpose - for the third time that I realized I could turn around and fire away a perfectly straight bomb on the next shot with my driver. Then I could hook it again, followed up with another straight shot. And if I wanted to hit a low, piercing-through-the-wind drive, I could pull that out of my back pocket on demand.

In the past if I hooked it I would get a little worried. A second hook would make me nervous. A third hook would freak me out, and I'd spend the rest of the time trying to figure out why I was hooking. Today a hook didn't happen unless I wanted it to. That's different. It's liberating.

Granted, hitting targets exactly as planned is a whole different beast. I also have to better understand how distance is affected. How much distance from my normal straight shot do I lose with a fade? It seems to be about half a club to a club with an average fade (5-10 yards), but if I need to bend it around trees I might be losing 2 or more clubs of distance (20 or so yards).

This is exciting for me. It's always exciting when hard work starts paying off. I've taken a lot of swings in the last 4 days, and my body is feeling it. My upper back is on fire right now in the area of the Latissimus Dorsi. I've probably made 1,500 swings in 4 days, maybe more. My hands are swollen too. As much as I hate doing it when I'm feeling good about things (I like to take advantage of "good" feel in golf) I'll probably take tomorrow off to give my body some recovery time.

Between the recent putting improvements (that are holding) and the work I put in the last few days I'm hoping this is the beginning of the next phase of my game. If so, then perhaps the new goals I'm thinking about for the rest of the year aren't so outrageous after all (top 10 GCAT nationals, qualify for FSGA Mid-Am). We'll see. This is a fun journey.