PB Dye - The Tortured Tinkerer Strikes Again!
As most of you know, I am an incurable perfectionist. Even though I've learned that golf is not a game of perfect, I just can't help myself. But, then again I'm not so different from any other golfer. Every golfer or athlete in general who wants to get better at his or her craft will tinker with his or her mechanics endlessly until they reach raise their performance. Just remember Padraig Harringon. In 2007-2008 he won three majors (2007 & 2008 Open Championship and 2008 PGA Championship), then late in 2008 he decided to change his swing. Why? He wanted to get better!!! The same with Martin Kaymer. He won the 2010 PGA Championship (more truthfully Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson lost it) and soared to #1 in the world, then decided to change his swing so he could win at Augusta. Didn't work, but he did add the Players Championship and now a US Open to his trophy case...
"Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one's level of aspiration and expectation." - Jack Nicklaus.
Now it's just a matter of managing those expectations as I raise them. I've been experimenting with a stronger grip and flattening my swing path to give myself more consistent contact and the ability to add more lag (hence more power) to my swing. I picked this day to take the new swing changes to the course. I've incorporated these changes on the range, but for me to really trust the swing, I need to test it in battle, on the course, where the shots mean something. And I picked one hell of a course to test it on.
Date: Sunday 6/8/2014
Location: P.B. Dye, Ijamsville, MD
Score: 92
Excuses: Swing Change! Poor Course Management.
Course Conditions: Great! Fairways, greens, and tee boxes were great. The rough was not as penal as it usually was, the tall grass was still tall, and the bunkers were in fair condition. Can't blame the course for my play. Excellent conditions.
The Good: Good weather, great company
The Bad: 37 putts
The Ugly: After starting the back nine with three straight pars, finishing the last 6 holes 12 over par... To add insult to injury, the last 4 holes I finished at 10 over!
Yeah, PB Dye. In 2010 Golf Digest ranked America's 50 toughest golf courses. PB Dye was ranked #26. No flat spots on fairways, downhill lies to uphill approaches, pot bunkers, railroad ties, and undulating greens that are sneaky fast and don't break where you think they should. All in all, not the kind of course that would inspire confidence with a solid swing. But, I'm a glutton for punishment and got a good deal on GolfNow so I'm here! Besides, any sailor can steer a ship in calm seas...
Another round with Joe Flatstick, and we were joined by the Star Ringer and her boyfriend. Overall a very nice round with great weather and even better company. I was a little frustrated by my play but it was tempered by the fact that I was battle testing my swing for the first time. Maybe a little early but I needed to see where I was and if it could hold up in such a hostile environment. After all, just like they say in New York, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.
Things I learned:
Regarding the Swing Change:
1) Swing changes affect your distance: I retooled my swing to accommodate the extra lag in order to achieve greater distances. I had distance control issues when making approaches and managed to crush the ball longer than I anticipated when I made solid contact. Also my misses were different. Not that I didn't see this on the range when I was practicing, but you get the idea...
2) When strengthening your grip, you tend to go left more. Sounds mindbashingly simple but we tend to forget the simple things when faced with distractions... I hit a monster drive on the par 5 12th hole. So well struck was this drive, I only had an 8 iron into the front of the green (pin location). I was in the rough but I could still get a decent club on it. Unfortunately I tried to power the club through the rough instead of taking an extra club and swinging it smoothly and I yanked the ball around 30 yards left of the pin. I managed to make a decent pitch to around 10 feet but couldn't make the birdie putt.
3) If you don't actively close the face, the ball will go right, WAY RIGHT! Again, sounds simple, but I didn't have this issue with the old swing, but when swinging faster, dispersion tends to increase. Also when you swing from inside out from a more shallow angle, the clubface tends to point to the right unless you act on it. Just have to work on acting on it sooner!!
About My Game in General
1) I still have to learn when to give up on birdie!!! On the par 5 17th hole, I'm sitting 180 yards away from the green on my second shot. The only problem, I'm in the left fairway bunker with the lip of the bunker between me and the green. Considering I'm just 180 away, I could actually still make birdie by taking a 9 iron and blasting it out of the trap and laying up to a good pitch distance. Instead I try to open the face of my 5 hybrid in order to shape it around the lip of the bunker and onto the green. Instead of shaping, it went straight, into the tall grass, never to be seen again... Net result. Double Bogey.
“Ask yourself how many shots you would have saved if you never lost your temper, never got down on yourself, always developed a strategy before you hit, and always played within your own capabilities.”
-Jack Nicklaus
2) I had 37 putts during the round. Most of those I crushed the putt way past the hole. A few minutes on the practice green might have done me some good.
3) I was a dismal 1 for 7 in par saves. Can't neglect the short game, regardless of swing changes... That's something I'm going to need to lean on more until I can fully trust my swing.
On the whole, I've had better rounds here, I've had much worse rounds, but I gained a better level of understanding of where my swing was and where I would like it to be. And even though I was pretty frustrated over the course of the last four holes, I took it in stride and had fun.
On to the next round! Until then: Back to the RANGE, PRACTICE GREEN, and GYM!
Next Stop: Redgate Golf Course
"Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one's level of aspiration and expectation." - Jack Nicklaus.
Now it's just a matter of managing those expectations as I raise them. I've been experimenting with a stronger grip and flattening my swing path to give myself more consistent contact and the ability to add more lag (hence more power) to my swing. I picked this day to take the new swing changes to the course. I've incorporated these changes on the range, but for me to really trust the swing, I need to test it in battle, on the course, where the shots mean something. And I picked one hell of a course to test it on.
Date: Sunday 6/8/2014
Location: P.B. Dye, Ijamsville, MD
Score: 92
Excuses: Swing Change! Poor Course Management.
Course Conditions: Great! Fairways, greens, and tee boxes were great. The rough was not as penal as it usually was, the tall grass was still tall, and the bunkers were in fair condition. Can't blame the course for my play. Excellent conditions.
The Good: Good weather, great company
The Bad: 37 putts
The Ugly: After starting the back nine with three straight pars, finishing the last 6 holes 12 over par... To add insult to injury, the last 4 holes I finished at 10 over!
Yeah, PB Dye. In 2010 Golf Digest ranked America's 50 toughest golf courses. PB Dye was ranked #26. No flat spots on fairways, downhill lies to uphill approaches, pot bunkers, railroad ties, and undulating greens that are sneaky fast and don't break where you think they should. All in all, not the kind of course that would inspire confidence with a solid swing. But, I'm a glutton for punishment and got a good deal on GolfNow so I'm here! Besides, any sailor can steer a ship in calm seas...
Another round with Joe Flatstick, and we were joined by the Star Ringer and her boyfriend. Overall a very nice round with great weather and even better company. I was a little frustrated by my play but it was tempered by the fact that I was battle testing my swing for the first time. Maybe a little early but I needed to see where I was and if it could hold up in such a hostile environment. After all, just like they say in New York, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.
Things I learned:
Regarding the Swing Change:
1) Swing changes affect your distance: I retooled my swing to accommodate the extra lag in order to achieve greater distances. I had distance control issues when making approaches and managed to crush the ball longer than I anticipated when I made solid contact. Also my misses were different. Not that I didn't see this on the range when I was practicing, but you get the idea...
2) When strengthening your grip, you tend to go left more. Sounds mindbashingly simple but we tend to forget the simple things when faced with distractions... I hit a monster drive on the par 5 12th hole. So well struck was this drive, I only had an 8 iron into the front of the green (pin location). I was in the rough but I could still get a decent club on it. Unfortunately I tried to power the club through the rough instead of taking an extra club and swinging it smoothly and I yanked the ball around 30 yards left of the pin. I managed to make a decent pitch to around 10 feet but couldn't make the birdie putt.
3) If you don't actively close the face, the ball will go right, WAY RIGHT! Again, sounds simple, but I didn't have this issue with the old swing, but when swinging faster, dispersion tends to increase. Also when you swing from inside out from a more shallow angle, the clubface tends to point to the right unless you act on it. Just have to work on acting on it sooner!!
About My Game in General
1) I still have to learn when to give up on birdie!!! On the par 5 17th hole, I'm sitting 180 yards away from the green on my second shot. The only problem, I'm in the left fairway bunker with the lip of the bunker between me and the green. Considering I'm just 180 away, I could actually still make birdie by taking a 9 iron and blasting it out of the trap and laying up to a good pitch distance. Instead I try to open the face of my 5 hybrid in order to shape it around the lip of the bunker and onto the green. Instead of shaping, it went straight, into the tall grass, never to be seen again... Net result. Double Bogey.
“Ask yourself how many shots you would have saved if you never lost your temper, never got down on yourself, always developed a strategy before you hit, and always played within your own capabilities.”
-Jack Nicklaus
2) I had 37 putts during the round. Most of those I crushed the putt way past the hole. A few minutes on the practice green might have done me some good.
3) I was a dismal 1 for 7 in par saves. Can't neglect the short game, regardless of swing changes... That's something I'm going to need to lean on more until I can fully trust my swing.
On the whole, I've had better rounds here, I've had much worse rounds, but I gained a better level of understanding of where my swing was and where I would like it to be. And even though I was pretty frustrated over the course of the last four holes, I took it in stride and had fun.
On to the next round! Until then: Back to the RANGE, PRACTICE GREEN, and GYM!
Next Stop: Redgate Golf Course
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