New Titleist Golf Clubs – 1Week Old

July 11, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 12 Comments

From earlier posts, most of you know that I purchased new golf clubs. Well, I finally picked them up Sunday. I was fitted about 3 weeks ago and I am completely happy with my new purchase. Since picking them up, I have played three rounds of golf and hit the range twice. Everyday is a better day and contact is improving each time I swing my new AP2 irons.

My results have been very good and the are easily meeting all my expectations. My first round with the new sticks was at Wildfire Golf Course. It was fantastic! The course was in awesome shape and I plan to write a review in the coming days. It was the first time I hit my new irons and the third time I hit my new 915 D2 driver, 3-wood, and 3-hybrid. Some shots were a bit of an adventure, but when I hit the sweet spot the results were amazing. I ended up with an 82 (with 4 doubles) with 28 putts!

Brandon showing us how it is done on the range!

Next, I hit the range to work on contact and alignment. I brought out the alignment sticks and they really helped. I was able to determine the positioning of the ball in relation to my clubs and more importantly, what it looks like when my setup was correct. I took my time to examine my feet, hand position and my head position when swinging the clubs.

I also hit the range today, (after playing 18 holes this morning) and continued to work on the same things I worked on last time. I am feeling more confident every day! The best part about the range today, besides my wife being there, was a close friend of the family joined us. Brandon, who I know since he was 6 months old, came to the range to show how to hit the ball a long way. He was using my old clubs and showed me the way to really hit them.

My second round was a 9-hole loop with my wife last Thursday. It was fantastic to play on a local course, Quinte Hills, and support a course that is just starting out. Quinte Hills is 5 minutes from our house and its relative obscurity affords us the opportunity to play 9 holes without anyone pushing us. It was very relaxing and my wife enjoyed playing without feeling rushed or that we were holding anyone up. This course is rough around the edges and the hilly terrain is a bit challenging. But overall, it is a great course for my wife and I play and enjoy the time together on the links. I shot an even par 36, but sank 3, 20+ foot putt along the way. My contact with the clubs was better and my putting saved the day. Hence the great score.

Today, I played 18 holes with my normal group. We enjoyed the warm sun and a cool breeze. Starting off 2 over after three holes, I settled down to par the last 6 holes of the front nine. Feeling confident, I walk to the 200 yard par 3, 10th hole and quickly doubled it. I was a bit frustrated, but still felt very good about my round. The next 8 holes I ended up 2 under and left 3 shots on the course. My ball striking was very good and my putting deadly. With a final score of 74, it is my best round this year and with new clubs in my hand, I feel that I am peaking at the right time.

My new Titleist clubs are well worth the whole ordeal of being fitted and purchasing clubs made for my swing. With the Regional military competition just over 10 days away, things are looking very good.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

A Point to Ponder in Golf

July 9, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

I came across this quote from a fellow blogger sometime back. With my Regional golf tournament coming up in about 10 days, it struck home with me and I thought I would share. Thanks David at One Bearded Golfer for reminding me to stay focused and to use my head when competing.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Golf’s Jedi Mind Trick

July 8, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

The famous Jedi Mind Trick is the most valuable resource in golf. By using the force, golfers are able to clear their mind of all potential hazards and hit successful shots time after time. This skill is not a difficult as one may think, it really comes down to believing in your swing and course of action chosen for that moment.

I am sure many of you are questioning my sanity right now, but if you really think about it, golfers can eliminate potential hazards all the time. Whether it is a shot over water, sand, a tree or right down the middle of the fairway; we are able to blank out many unwanted distractions in a blink of an eye.

Personally, I use the power of positive thought. I never (or at least hardly ever) think about the negative aspect of any shot. I visualize the end result, pick my target line, look at the desired ball flight, select the proper club to achieve your intended ball flight, set up according to your target line, and then step up to the ball – swing as if I was nothing bad could happen. When I use positive visualization, good things happen a majority of the time.

This is not a difficult skill to learn. I suggest trying it anywhere on the course next time. Stand behind your ball; take a deep breath; let it out slowly and visualize the result you want. Sometimes it takes two breaths. When you are sure of the result, go through the above steps, then step up to your ball and execute! You will be surprised at the results!

Let me know how you make out!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Rory McIlroy – What Have You Done!

July 6, 2015July 6, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 13 Comments

The announcement that Rory McIlroy tore the ligaments in his left ankle has caught the attention of all golfing fans! I am sure many of you have already heard that last year’s Open champion may not be raising the Claret Jug above his head in 2015. To many, this is devastating news; to some it is troubling; and to others, the news is met with apathy. I am not sure where you stand on the issue, but here is my take!

I will be disappointed that McIlroy may miss The Open because he makes the field stronger and the event more exciting. He adds a certain “je ne sais quoi” to any Major, and as defending champion, he would have been a strong favorite.

But, The Open is much bigger than one player. The field will be filled with the top players in the world and only 70 of those will be playing on the weekend. With so many first time winners on tour this year, it is impossible to eliminate any player before the first ball is struck. There are some favorites, but, the fact the McIlroy may miss the third Major of 2015 will not be the end of golf.

I am disappointed for Rory McIlroy. I hope he has a speedy recovery and is back hitting 300+ drives very soon. His accident is a life thing and could have happened to anyone.

What is your opinion Rory McIlroy’s situation?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Match Play In Golf

July 5, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

Each year, my home course sponsors a Match Play event that lasts all season. This year, 32 men signed up to play head to head to determine who is the best. Because of work and, well life, each match is played over a week or two period until someone wins. Our event should be finished in about 10 weeks.

Today, was my first match and it did not go so well. It was a match against last years winner Apollo. He is a 15 handicap and I am 6. So I gave him a stroke on the nine toughest holes. This was a tall order, but I felt confident I could come through in the end.

Well after 9 holes, I was down 5! Apollo shot a 40 front nine and I shot a 42. He was playing below his handicap and I was playing above mine. So, it is not surprising that he had such a commanding lead. After pushing holes 10 and 11, I knew things were not looking good for The Grateful Golfer! Apollo closed my out on the 13th hole.

However, today was not lost. I ended up shooting a 39 on the back nine. I played better starting on the 8th hole, but I could not build up enough momentum to close Apollo’s 5-up lead Apollo.

It is not unusual for me to have different nines. And today was another day of some inconsistencies. I seem to be a slow starter lately, but I am playing pretty well. A couple of things that changed to make me play better today included:

a better putting stroke. It appeared smoother and softer;
closer chip shots from 40 yards out; and
most importantly, I was in play off the tee!

The difference between the first 7 holes and last 11 was amazing. I guess I could come up with many excuses, but that would just cheapen Apollo’s win and make me look like a sore loser. So congratulations to Apollo for coming through in the clutch.

The highlight of my game was my playing partners. Ted and Serge, the other two players in our foursome, were fun to be around. Our loop around the links was light, full of laughter, and focused on fun. I really enjoyed it and hope we get a chance to play together in the future.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!