Less is more - How I dropped 13 shots in 1 week

I was getting frustrated as my scores started creeping up again.

A week ago I shot 109 & yesterday shot 96.  I know you are wondering how I reduced my score by 13 shots...

I did 2 things:

1. I only had a 1/2 back swing (where my left arm was parallel with the ground - I'm right handed).

2 I slowed down my back swing.  

I dropped a number of shots by allowing for my slice and the ball ended up going straight!

Next time I will aim down the middle!

Frustration

It's hard to maintain consistency and I'm starting to feel more than a little frustrated.

I should get out to the driving range and get my new swing programmed into my muscle memory rather than tweaking my swing on the course.

When I slow my swing down, I tend to hit straighter, it's just not as much fun as trying to belt the cover off the ball!

On Sunday I shot 11 bogeys & 1 par - unfortunately the round was still 98!

Full of anticipation

I was looking forward to showing my regular golfing partner my new golf swing & watch how impressed he would be at how straight I was hitting the ball.

Unfortunately my mojo wasn't working as well as I hoped.

There were times however when I felt I was hitting it better - generally when I rotated my right grip further around the club.

I need to get out to the driving range before my next round!

Finally a free golf tip to help me hit straighter

I wasn't sure what to make of Peter as he ambled over to me at a golf tournament in the weekend. He was a tidy golfer and I thought he was worth listening to. I found out later he had been a scratch golfer back in his day. Now he was enjoying his retirement.

He gave me a small tip that made a huge difference to my shots. They went straight!

Just as Peter shared the tip freely to me, I am happy to share it as I know how frustrating a slice can be.

The tip was to move my right hand (I am right handed) further round on my grip. It felt really uncomfortable & weird, but after a few hits is starting to feel natural.

I have a slow swing (rather than trying to smash the ball). I count "1, 1 thousand, 2, 1 thousand, through...). Swing back on 1, down on 2 & then through the ball.

Good luck!

Clearwater Golf Resort

Not far from Christchurch airport is one of New Zealand's finest courses. It has a great balance of difficulty in a beautiful setting.

Clearwater is more enjoyable in light (or no) wind. It's a course that is achievable for the average golfer playing on the white tees (I shot 47 on the front 9 & 52 on the back after losing 5 balls in the water).

Play sensible shots that avoid trouble and you will be rewarded. The par 5's are achievable if played with 3 up the middle. The par 3's all play across water, so take an extra club to ensure you carry the water.

Enjoy the great facilities at the club house afterwards. The pro shop is well stocked and the Course Marshall will sell you drinks & nibbles on the course.

Check out their website & pay attention to the strict dress code at www.clearwaternz.com

How to drop 16 strokes

On Friday I played a round of golf and scored 110 gross. On Sunday I shot 94 gross.

What do I credit the difference with? My top 2 inches.

I played smarter shots. I was confident with my pitches. I took care over the putts. I thought about my tee shots. I often took 2 irons to get to the green rather than pushing the limits with my woods.

Hopefully I can continue to play smarter!

The best golf course in the world

England's Daily Telegraph has rated Cape Kidnapper's the best golf course in the world.

Having played this course I can understand why. It is set in an amazing cliff-top location with dramatic views of the east coast.

From the moment I arrived at the gate and drove up the sweeping driveway, I knew this was going to be a special day.

The club house was opulent & the pro shop had everything required. The practice range had courtesy balls piled in pyramids for players to warm up. The practice green gave me a taste of the incredible greens.

We were given some tips for putting:

• Light green is fast.
• Dark green is slow.
• The ball tends to roll towards Napier's port.

We were advised to play from the green tees if we wanted to enjoy our round & this turned out to be good advice for all but the top golfers.

The course itself was challenging and rewarding. If you ever get a chance, make sure you play this amazing course.

My favourite ball

I have recently invested in some new balls - Maxfli Revolution Distance.

I've been impressed that they do actually go straighter & less likely to spin sideways on landing.

My handicap has dropped to 21.7 and I credit this to a few changes including my new Maxfli balls, so i went out & bought 3 dozen which will hopefully last a few rounds if I don't lose them!

Manor Park

I love the challenge of my home course and was looking forward to this round.

It started well off the first tee & I even birdied the second par 3 hole which doesn't happen very often!

I ended with 48 on both the front & back nine, but lost 3 balls. While looking down a bank by the river, I thought I might find one of Dan Perry's balls but didn't - but I did think about his idea and thought a return addresses on the ball could be worthwhile!

Royal Wellington - Heretaunga

Wellington's premier golf course is a fantastic course and more than a little challenging for the average golfer. The club itself is extremely well appointed and I felt like a VIP the moment I arrived.

The first hole is an achievable par 4, dogleg left. The tee is elevated with a small pond punishing the really bad shots (yes, I've been in the water once). Also avoid slicing or hitting too long as this will make the approach on to the green challenging.

The next hole is a par 5, over water from the tee. The average golfer can get to the green with 3 average shots. This hole is followed by a par 3 which is made easier if you can land it on the green.

Be careful with the next two par 4's. The are tricky and any wayward shot is punished.

The 6th is a beautifully sculptured par 3 and you'll be fine once you land on the green.

Take it easy on the par 5. Being stroke hole 1 you are better to play safe and make the most of the extra shots your handicap allows.

The eighth & ninth par 4's require smart play. Use a higher iron to get on the elevated 8th green.

The 10th is harder than it looks, again an extra club probably won't be punished because you don't want to be short on this par 3 with an elevated green.

The next par 4 is easy as long as you take it easy. The following par 4's are fairly long but not overly challenging (unless you are playing from the blue tees).

I love the par 5 14th. There's a creek that can easily punish a good 2nd shot, so think about laying up & it's an easy iron to the green.

I won a bottle of wine for being closest to the pin on the par 3 15th! I've seen some big scores on this hole though! A tricky green & bunkers.

2 more par 4's before the stunning par 5 18th that takes you back to the club house.

Enjoy the walk, make the most of the club facilities and you will experience the best the Wellington region has to offer at the Royal Wellington Golf Club.

Check out the club dress code before you go, otherwise the pro shop can sell you all the right gear!

Today's occassion was the Centurions Rugby Football Club charity golf tournament. I recommend this event to all players because it's based on best 2 ball stableford and a lot of fun. All 4 team members play each hole & the top 2 stableford scores are added together. Today the top score was 95.

Wainuiomata, New Zealand

This course is a real gem and I rate it better than many other Hutt Valley courses and membership is very reasonable.

Today my usual playing partner was unavailable but I showed up at the course and found someone looking for a round.

I bought myself some new golf balls - Maxfli Revolution Distance and I was very pleased with their performance. I plan to get some more. I had some nice straight drives, good fairway woods and irons and my chipping & putting were usually solid. I let myself down by not having enough pars and having too many double bogeys. I shot 48 out & 50 back.

The 4th & 17th par 4 greens are driveable from the tee. The 4th is 194 metres from the white tees, over a bushy gully on to a tricky green with bunkers and trees. The 17th is 245 metres and favours straight shots or those who can play a draw. I have played with a guy that eagled the 4th after driving the green and hitting a ball already on the green, right next to the hole.

The 14th par 5 is called The Wrecker, because it can wreck a card. It is a massive 491 metres long from the white tees! My 4th shot landed on the green, level with the flag, but I 2-putted for bogey. I was fairly pleased with this playing into the wind.

If you want to play an interesting course that is well suited for any level of golf, I definitely recommend playing Wainuiomata.

I can recommend playing Wairakei

No matter what level of golf you play, I thoroughly recommend playing Wairakei in Taupo, New Zealand. This is one of the very best courses I have ever played.

Although a cart is not mandatory, it will make the course more enjoyable, especially the back 9 which has some hills to climb.

Take time to appreciate the course, the birds and the layout. It has been well designed and is well maintained. The tee blocks all have our native tui which is also the course logo. In the January 2005 US Golf Digest, Wairakei was named in the top 100 courses in the world.

As an average golfer, the white tees were the logical choice. The total length was 5.8 kilometres (in a straight line). I travelled considerably further. The longest par 4 is the 9th hole which is 376 metres. The shortest par 4 is hole 12 at 284 metres. The 4 par 3's range from 131 metres to 156 metres. The 4 par 5's range from 462 to 493.

There are 108 bunkers, so remember to pack your sand wedge!

I am keen to play the course again. It cost me NZ$95 + NZ$40 cart hire and was worth every dollar.

I was pleased with some of my shots, especially the pars. Even though I tried to play smart golf and lay up rather than trying to smash the ball off the tee, I was sometimes penalised by my natural slice. However everything about my round was enjoyable.

If you come to Taupo, play Wairakei

Playing off a 23 handicap

My last scores have been: 103, 104, 95, 94, 97. Twice I have had a round of less than 90.

I have made a few changes that have helped my golf game:
1. Slowed down my swing. It now takes 3 seconds to go from starting my back swing to hitting the ball.
2. I have changed the ball position so it's not so far forward in my stance.
3. I limit my back swing to my left arm is parallel to the ground.
4. During the back swing, my left shoulder touches my chin. Through the swing my right shoulder hits my chin before I look up.

1 good shot

I'm a passionate golfer and all I need is 1 good shot to keep me coming back to the course.

I'm always hopeful that the next book, club, ball or quick fix system will get me on a single handicap, but I'm also realistic and am happy to get the occasional par and rare birdie.

I have played some wonderful courses.  If you find yourself in New Zealand check out:

Wairakei

Cape Kidnappers

Paraparaumu Beach

Rangatira

Royal Wellington (Heretaunga)