I shot a net 66

I was full of anticipation and could hardly sleep, thinking about the round I was about to play.  I stood on the first tee after some putts & warm up, ready for an amazing round.

The first hole was a forgettable double bogey.  The second was better - scoring 3 on a par 3 with a long putt that dropped after I chipped on my second shot.  After 9 holes I felt optimistic with 45.  The back 9 wasn't as good after losing a ball off the tee on along par 4, scoring 47 on the back 9.

I believe the difference in my game was my pre shot routine.

Club - make sure the club is aligned properly

Feet - set up correct

Grip - strong right grip

.. then the practice swing

Half - keep the left arm straight, swinging back so its parallel with the ground

Hold - pause at the top of the swing

Through - smooth swing through the ball towards the target

Although it seems like a lot to think about - its only 1 thing at a time & it seems to be starting to work!

Frustrated low handicapper

I recently played with a golfer who is on a single figure handicap - and he got frustrated with his game.  It struck me that no matter what your handicap is, the enjoyment of a round comes from within, rather than counting the number of times I hit the ball!

Eketahuna Golf Club

On State Highway 2 in New Zealand about 30 minutes north of Masterton (which is 1 hour north of Wellington) is a scenic country course in Eketahuna which is excellent value at only NZ$20 per round.

The course is a par 71, with a total distance of 5,283 metres.

The 14th fairway is stunning and with 225 metres from tee to green, the straight shooter can drive the green.  I don't recommend this for the average golfer - I shot 11 & lost 3 balls.  A 5 iron off the tee would've been smarter!

I did manage a net 71 round though, shooting 47 on the front 9 & 46 on the back 9.

There are flocks of sheep on the course who manage the rough & fertilise the fairways!

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!