The Looooooong DRIVE!

I had the afternoon off today, so I decided to practice for a couple of hours before I had to pick Carter up at school. I hit the ball great, but was a little distracted. I don't normally make it a habit to look around at others on the range when I'm practicing but today there was a fellow out there hitting the ball hard....I mean REALLY HARD! I watched him hit a few drivers between my shots. I went back to my work and before I knew it he was standing...watching me! I, being the chatty person I am said "hello!" Turns out this fellow is a competitive long driver. (just missing a trip to Mesquite, NV by about 2 inches....oh, for those who don't know, Mesquite Nevada is where the World Long Drive Championships are held every year.)  He hits the ball 300+ yards consistently. It's funny, you always hear people say: "I hit that one over 300 yards!" but very few people ever actually do. Most amateur/weekend golfers are lucky if they hit it 230 - 250 yards...never mind keeping it straight down the middle! I hit the ball extremely well, and I can only move it out there 280 - 290 (down the middle of course!). You just know when someone hits it 300+, it's a very different sound!   

We had quite the chat, I tried some of his equipment (5.5 degree Kranked Golf driver with a 47" XX flex shaft) I could barely hit it! He was something to watch...by his own admission, he's not a very good golfer score wise, but can he could sure rip the cover off a ball with a driver! At the end of our session, we agreed we'd hook up to play sometime. It was a very interesting experience.

On another note the facility where I practice asked if I'd like to teach their Junior and Ladies programs. (I know the course owners very well) I am looking forward to it, aside from playing competitively I really do miss the teaching. There is a special excitement when someone hits a ball where they intended to hit it for the first time...the looks on their face when it all comes together is magical. Especially juniors! 

Lastly.....WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH OUR WEEKEND FORECAST?!?!?!?!?!

	Friday Apr. 29	Saturday Apr. 30	Sunday May. 1	Monday May. 2	Tuesday May. 3	Wednesday May. 4
Conditions 6am - 6pm
	Cloudy with showers	Light rain	Scattered flurries	Cloudy periods	Variable cloudiness	Isolated showers
P.O.P.	40%	80%	40%	20%	40%	40%
High	20°C	6°C	3°C	13°C	15°C	12°C
Feels Like	-	-	-5	-	-	-
Low	9°C	0°C	-3°C	-2°C	5°C	5°C
Wind	S 15 km/h	N 25 km/h	N 25 km/h	S 10 km/h	S 25 km/h	N 20 km/h
24-Hr Rain	5-10 mm	5-10 mm	-	close to 1 mm	1-3 mm	less than 1 mm
24-Hr Snow	-	close to 1 cm	less than 1 cm

Just as I suspected!

Round one of the year is in the bank. The score was dismal...80! I was expecting to have an awful short game and that was precisely what I had!! I had one 3 putt, one 1 putt, and sixteen 2 putts! When I missed a green I had trouble finding my chipping weight...hence all the 2 putts. Other stats:


Fairways: 10/14 hit - very solid anytime of year.
Greens in Regulation: 9/18 - AWFUL!!!
Putts: 36 - not very good....definitely need to be under 30 or under per round.


Overall: I am not to displeased. I had a whack of pars, an eagle opportunity, many realistic birdie chances. I had about 5 holes where normally I would easily get up and down but my chipping was not sharp at all....leaving me a longer than ideal putts for par. Sadly, I also made 2 double bogeys. All said and done I am very pleased with my ball striking especially off the tee. Today Jackie, Carter and I are going to practice....I think it will be full swing practice for the most part, the greens at my practice course are not very consistent yet. I plan on throwing in a lot of pitching 100 yard and in. I had a few shots of that length....and I had no feel (YET!).

Today is the day!

Today is my first round of golf of the season!! We are off to the Meadows Golf Course, probably the best public track in Winnipeg, I'm pumped!! I plan on being very meticulous with my stat tracking this year. It's been 4+ years since I've taken golf seriously and I'm curious to see where the game has deteriorated over the years. There is no question in my mind I'll have to dust the old game off, chip away some rust and deal with some swing issues. I have hit balls a few times the past few weeks at the driving range and what I've seen is very encouraging.

Check back often for practice and play updates!

Can't Speak....

Well the forecast was right, we had a nice little dump of snow last night. What can you do! I went over to Golf Central this morning and hit 100 balls. Once the swing was warmed up I was hitting it great. I keep having some minor difficulty with finding the perfect left hand position (as mentioned in a previous blog post - "Stoke the Fire"). When I do find it...the ball flight is awesome, high and straight. I have also decided to return to wearing a golf glove. My last few years as a golf pro saw me move away from wearing a glove. This was due to my zero practice habit! Since I need to dig my game out of the dirt again it's a good idea to wear one!

I have also been waffling on whether or not to get some new irons. I don't really need them, but it is my 40th birthday coming up and I think new irons would kind of symbolize a new era for me. You know...out with the old, in with the new! I have been very interested in getting set up with a custom set of KZG Tour Evolutions. My current irons are old Callaway X-14 pro series, (4-PW)...nothing wrong with them (although I have changed the shafts out 2 times!). I just think it would be nice to start this new journey off with some fresh gear.

Some of the gear that I can't see changing are my forged Callaway wedge set (50, 54, 58 degree) I have perfect distance control and spin with these, plus I love the swing weight (D4). I also have a Titleist 905 driver and a relatively old Taylor Made 300 pro 3 wood which will never (???) leave my bag! Two Srixon hybrids (18 & 21 degree) make appearances in the bag from time to time depending upon course set ups, wind and par 3 lengths. My flat stick is a Scotty Cameron Pro Platinum Mid-Sur belly putter cut down to 33"...I have never putt bad with this putter - SERIOUSLY! I have used a long putter also known as a "broom stick" putter in the past (2000 - 2002)...quite successfully I might add! I think if I made any change other than the irons, it would be back to a long putter. Not that my Scotty is a bad putter or my stroke with the Scotty is bad but long putters are just plain old deadly from 5 feet and in. We'll sit on that one for now!

The waiting game....literally!

 

OK...what did we do to deserve this weather forecast? I don't think we'll be playing on the golf course too soon. It's back to just hitting balls at the range and putting & chipping in the basement, I guess. Damn you Mother Nature!

Weather forecast for Winnipeg this weekend...can you speak!

	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Conditions
Friday Apr. 15	2	-3		Wet snow
Saturday Apr. 16	5	-3		Variable cloudiness
Sunday Apr. 17	5	-3		Few flurries
Monday Apr. 18	4	-3		Light snow

MASTERS WEEK!

This week is by far my favorite week of the golf season. The Masters tournament has an aura of tradition and history, unlike any other event. It's one of the best venues in golf...and one of the most exclusive. The azaleas are in full bloom and the color green seems a little greener at Augusta National! This is the one week of the year that I will be glued to the Golf Channel and the network coverage. Normally Masters week starts my engines for golf, this year my engine has been rev'd up since Christmas.

I hit balls at an outdoor facility on the weekend...I am hitting it the best that I've ever hit it. I am very excited for my future and I'm very excited to have rekindled the fire for golf again. I was a little worried that I would never fall in love with golf again. Running and triathlon were certainly fun, but it's time to get back to doing something that I am very skilled at...and passionate about!! I can't wait to start playing in opens again and working my way back to mini-tour golf...then who knows!