Breakthrough Round!

After not going to the range for a couple of weeks, I played the back 9 holes at Woodley Lakes golf course this weekend. I walked away, having shot +8 over those 9 holes. I would have been better but I triple bogeyed the last hole after losing the ball on my second shot. This beats my previous best on the back 9, which was a +12. Obviously I was really excited and then played the front 9 the next day, wondering if it was just a fluke. This time, I shot a +6, which I ended with a double bogey. Obviously it isn’t one single round of 18, but if you do add it up, that’s an 86, which beats my previous personal best by 10 strokes!

A few takeaways:

1. I really, really need to work on my putting. If I can get down to 1.5 putts per hole, I can cut my score 12 strokes. My biggest issue by far is distance control. I need to figure out the feel of different length putts.
2. The number one deciding factor in lowering my score here was using my driver and dedicating time at the range to practice my driver. I’ve been resorting to using the 3 wood off the tee for the past few years, but after looking at my stats, I realized I was actually hitting the fairway the same percentage of the time I was with the driver. The mis-hits with my driver were usually not as bad as the mis-hits with my fairway wood, and I wasn’t giving myself an opportunity to make greens in regulation, either because my approach shots were a lot longer, or when I missed the fairway, it would take a miracle shot to hit the green from there. Fairway woods are not really easy to hit either, so I’m only hitting it when I have to. Everyone says short game and putting are more important, which I agree, but hitting a bad tee shot leaves a cascading effect and often penalty shots that gives you absolutely no chance for a low score. A really bad putter like myself can average a little more than 2 putts a round, but a bad tee shot can add a lot more than 1 or 2 shots to a hole. I think good putting can help lower core score, but bad putting isn’t going to add as many strokes as a bad drive.
3. The second deciding factor in lowering my score was alignment. You really can’t trust your eyes when you’re getting ready to hit a shot. I’ve unknowingly been aiming left on every shot, and consequently I have a tendency to miss left. I’ve started to develop a pre-shot routine, where I would pick a spot in the grass between the ball and the target, and use that as my alignment line. The results have been really amazing the past 2 rounds and I’m hoping it continues.
4. It takes an extraordinary amount of concentration and energy for me to stay in the right moment. I know that the smallest thing can take me out of the game mentally, and even though I only played 9 holes at a time, I was exhausted afterwards. I will need to continue to learn how to stay in the right mindset.

It’s amazing what confidence can do for your game. On the 8th hole, it’s a par 5 with a slight dogleg left. You actually have to hit the right side of the fairway to get a clear look at the hole. I hit a drive 285 yards exactly where I wanted it to be, which left me a 215 yard approach shot. In the past, I would have laid up to hit the green in 3, but this time I hit my 3 hybrid, just 20 feet left of the hole to give me a chance for an eagle putt. The ball ended up 6 inches to the right (I under-read the break), and I tapped it in for the most satisfying birdie I’ve ever hit.

Next Sunday is Father’s Day, which means I’ll probably be able to play a full 18. I’m really hoping I can keep it up!