Best Golf Shot in 2019

/ The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

I was fortunate enough to play golf in 2019. After fighting cancer, again, in 2018, I was thrilled just to hit the links. I was able to play plenty and worked diligently getting my game back into shape. Missing almost a complete year really sets the dials back on many aspects of my game, and the short game was the worst. Having said that, I did have some great rounds and a few spectacular shots. One in particular stands out and I thought I would share.

My best shot of 2019 was not a hole out or a hole in one. It was a 245 yard 3 wood into the par 5 10th green at Osprey links. After shooting a lazy 4 over on the front nine, I was not expecting too much on the back. It seemed to be one of those days where my game was okay, but seemed to sub-par. That is until I prepared to hit my second shot on the 10th hole.

Osprey Links 10th hole.

This downhill shot was a laser shot that never left the pin; that is until my ball landed in the grass bunker right in front of the green. (the dark grass color above) Then it popped up to the right and came to rest about 20 feet from the pin. This particular spot is challenging because I had to putt across a large slope. But hey, I was putting for eagle. So no complaints.

This particular 3 wood was pure. I hit the center of the club face and only skimmed the grass. The ball launched perfectly off my club face and felt like nothing. These are the best hits with my 3 wood and seem to only happen periodically. I reveled at the shot and knew it was something special.

I lipped out the eagle and walked off with a tap in birdie. Besides the beauty of the shot, it set up my back nine 4 under 31. It was my best back 9 of the season.

I did a quick poll and this is what respondents said about your best shot (I recommend you read the thread, the shots everyone made were amazing):

I am looking forward to 2020 and next year’s golf season. I hope to make many other shots to top last year’s best swing. Or with any luck match those of The Grateful Golfers who added to my question.

What was your best shot of 2019?

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

Do You Have a Favourite Golf Instructor?

/ The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

I thought about this question for some time before putting my thoughts on paper. Like many of my readers, I glean much of my instructional information from a variety to teachers (notice I did not say coach – two totally different beasts). I read, watch, experiment and then discard many tips and hints over the course of a year. For a tip to take hold in my game, I use three basic factors that will stand the test of time. These ‘golden rules’ help me sift through the plethora of white noise out in cyberspace.

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Forward Press While Chipping

/ The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

I have talked about chipping and how to improve our short game over the past while. I have adopted the technique of not forward pressing my hands past the front of the ball because it significantly changes the loft of my wedge. Not forward pressing is something I feel confident about while chipping until I saw this……

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Adjusting Your Golf Grip

/ The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

In many instances, adjusting can replaced with words like: modify, alter, fine-tune, or rejig. The challenge of adjusting your grip ripples throughout your entire swing and as such, should be saved for the range. However, this is a discussion for another day. Today, I want to talk about why adjusting your golf grip can be a good thing. I have substantially changed my grip three times over my career and each time it brought my game to a new level.

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Driver vs 3 Wood Off the Tee

/ The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

For any golfer, the question of using a driver or 3 wood off the tee is finally answered. As I skimmed my usual social media feeds, I came across something from Golf Monthly Magazine. They offered up a stat from ShotScope that was quite enlightening. I tried to find the original source, but could not hammer it down. Regardless, I thought it was worth discussing anyway.

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