The Golfchick

That chick blabbing about anything golf related.

Page 5 of 48

Breakthrough at the Range. We All Have ’em. Swing Progress.

I often have “breakthroughs” on the range. Don’t we all? Today was one of those days. This one had me feeling kinda brilliant. No, I mean more than when we just find a new trigger that works or “discover” a better tempo or tiny move that makes all the difference. This was more “scientific” in nature.

This type of situation can probably only happen with a physical problem like I was having. Recently, I experienced a strange problem a few times which was particularly frustrating and baffling.  I even asked my favorite golf pro about it and got no resolution (apparently it’s useful to actually SEE the swing). What was happening was, I’d be going along fine (thankfully it had only happened during practice) and all of a sudden, my irons started freaking out, spitting balls out to the right in that S-word fashion or worm burning or I was topping it. The only consistent thing about the results was the ugliness. Every swing. No matter how I slowed it down or shortened my swing to get it back. So maddening!

Each time, I felt my club turn in my hands and saw it finish completely rotated forward in my grip. I’ve had grip and hand problems before, but these times were not pain related, nor was I having those pesky hand spasms (thankfully that has not happened lately – knock on wood). So I’d give it a good death grip and STILL the club would turn, twisting my glove all up and looking disgusting at the finish! I couldn’t stand it!

Always Gets Worse Before it Gets Better

I got good and mad and, knowing from experience this was a problem exclusive to my irons, I “hammer timed” a bunch of 3 woods and drivers for some good old fashioned anger management. I’m a huge fan of range therapy. It’s so soothing to watch that ball fly long and far after POUNDING it. Unnngh! (Also works for my alter ego, The Gun Chick, on a different range). Aaannnyway…

It occurred to me that since I’ve been working on a flatter swing with my long sticks but not my irons, maybe that had something to do with the problem only happening there. Then I thought of a bunch of other tips I’d heard on certain problems (including but not limited to mine) and my problem just kept getting worse.

I got so frustrated, I resorted to erasing all ideas, tips, etc., and trying to come up with my own idea, somehow.

The Breakthrough Aha Moment

I looked at my hands on the club in the finishing position and thought “how did that happen?” So I decided to reverse engineer the problem. I slowly moved the club back and forth, trying to figure what could possibly cause it to end up in that position in my hands, what kind of impact, and what position. I experimented. Not this, not that… until I had the impact. And what could cause that kind of fucked up impact? Backing up from there in the same kind of experiment, I realized that could only happen if I brought the club over the top (no, I wasn’t trying to emulate Tiger’s latest practice swing, so poop if you were thinking that). Once I had that, I was able to make the necessary adjustments and get my swing back to working condition. Instantly. What a relief!

I’ve been working very hard – pretty much on my own – on the rest of my swing changes and it’s finally starting to feel pretty comfortable despite some snags like this. I could trace the roots of the mental process that caused this particular problem but that might cause me to put those bad ideas back in my head. Sorry I am unwilling to do that for your benefit at this point. That’s also the reason I haven’t shared as much about my swing and game progress with you as I probably should have. It has been much more of a painful struggle than I ever thought it would be, and sharing that only leads to multiple external opinions/distractions that only make it harder. I even had to stop reading tips and magazines and listening to “experts” no matter their esteem or size of audience. I occasionally seek out specific ideas and try to implement where I can, but for the most part, they only serve to derail me.

It definitely got waaaayyyy worse before it got better. Actually, it hasn’t gotten better from before I began the process of changing just yet, but it’s finally starting to get better from the total breakdown that occurred when I really embraced the process and stopped reverting to my old swing. I am hopeful. And I think I might be close to officially Christening my new swing with a name of its own.

What’s your latest breakthrough? Where did it come from? Does help help?

Next post.

Happy Valentine’s Day to My True Love

Filed under in case you never saw it, I thought today was a good day to republish this piece I wrote that originally published in Jackson Hole Golfer Magazine: “An Open Love Letter to Golf.”

Jackson Hole Golfer letterMy dearest Golf,

These last four years we have spent together have been amazing. I know we’ve had our ups and downs, but even when we struggle, I remain confident that we’re made for each other. I know you have had people leave you, but no matter how you frustrate me, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to walk away. I watch as your other lovers come and go (and return again) and I want you to know that I fully support and even encourage you to flirt with, seduce, and stimulate as many people as possible. It’s only right that I share what you have to offer with the world, so I will now express the reasons I endeavor to be with you as much as possible

Things I love about you

I love our open relationship. When I’m feeling intimate, I can have you all to myself. I can bring along a trio of friends and you’re always willing. You even introduce me to new and passionate partners I wouldn’t have otherwise met.

I love how you keep challenging me. Every time I’m with you, I learn something new about you. You’re always making me try out new positions and putting me in situations that make me use my equipment in interesting ways. From sandy lies to punch shots to controlled strokes or a full swing, you keep my interest fresh and keen from the first hole to the last every time.

I love the places we go. You have taken me all across the country and beyond, showing me gorgeous locations along the way. I have savored serene landscapes and seascapes I would never have known but for you. Along with our numerous public exhibitions, we have shared moments in romantic settings and private getaways from the mountains to the beaches and everywhere in between. The familiarity and comfort of home will always be there but I know as long as I live you will never run out of new destinations for us to share.

I love the way you keep me coming back for more. With you, I know things will never get stale. We never play a round quite the same way twice. When I have an off day or I’m feeling down about my performance, you always find just the right way to encourage me, from your bad boy act of kicking me while I’m down and making me want to prove something to reminding me just how great a pure shot feels. Each time we’re together, there’s always the opportunity to score better than the last, or even reach a new personal best. No matter how long we’re together or how good I get, that will always be the case. You also know just how to tease me. You penalize me for going out of bounds but I know you secretly enjoy it. The way you taunt me with possibilities is an exhilarating turn-on. After 15 holes of bliss and I feel I’m on the brink of something extraordinary, you throw me off course and make me endure a few extra strokes before I finish, knowing I’ll try that much harder next time. You even indulged my fantasy of holing out with a single stroke. I remember it well. Back when I’d only known you for 6 months, you gave me that thrill not once, but twice in the same week. Some people spend their whole relationship with you without ever having that pleasure. How do you choose who to favor with that luck, you devilish lothario? I feel special to be in such an elite group and no matter what happens we’ll always have that between us.

Dear Golf, thank you for understanding and even promoting obsession rather than seeking a restraining order. You have many more qualities that fuel my passion, but I’ll just leave you with one final thought: I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t love your gear.

Forever yours,

Kristen

Next post.

Looking for a Unique Holiday Golf Gift? Photo Ball Markers!

Stumped as to what to get for the golfer in your life? Whether it’s a stocking stuffer or major gift budget for you, $25 can get you an awesome and unique gift for that golfer who has everything (even if that golfer is you).

If you can capture it in a photo, you can put it on a ball marker. Well, Photo Ball Marker can for you! Simply upload your photos and you can have an amazing set of ball markers and you can customize the gift to include a magnetic hat clip, necklace, brooch, divot tool or keychain! So they go well beyond the golf course, you see!

Holidays are coming up so get creative! Kids, pets, other family members, places, logos, keepsakes and memories… you’re not limited by much if you can use your imagination!

Photo ball markers

Photo ball marker backAbove are some of the fabulous ball markers I’ve gotten from PBM. The necklace pictured is my own magnetic necklace, not sold by PBM but they do sell some beautiful styles of their own. One thing I really like is that the back of the ball markers have that handy arrow for when you have to move your marker out of someone else’s putting line. You simply flip over your marker and point the arrow in the direction you need to move it back to your spot so you don’t forget. Always a nice feature of a ball marker, in my opinion!

If you haven’t already clicked off this page to go shopping at PBM, happy holidays and happy shopping!

There’s Nothing Average About Par

I have been thinking about how hard golf is and how most people never break 80, let alone shoot par, and remembered this article I wrote that originally published over at World Golf. It has been so long now since I wrote it I thought I’d share it with you here now. Would love to hear your thoughts on the subject of par!

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What is par? The American Heritage Dictionary defines par as “an amount or level considered to be average” or in sports usage “the number of golf strokes considered necessary to complete a hole or course in expert play.”

How — or more to the point, why — did a word meaning average get morphed into expert when it pertains to golf? Experts in golf are a tiny fraction of the golfing population. The rest of us are left struggling to achieve such a high standard which is, perhaps, one of golf’s addictive properties. But does it even have any relevance?

Why do golf holes and golf courses have numbers set for par? Whether par on a hole is 3, 4 or 5, if you shoot 5, your score is still 5. And if your total score for 18 holes is 85, does it really matter if par is 70 or 72? You know if 85 is a good score for you or not. Aren’t personal goals more relevant than par? I guess par can be a good reference point when setting your own goals. For example, if you’re playing a long or tricky “par 4” hole, you might be happy to make a 5 or 6 there. I know some people set their own personal pars that might be equal to an “official” bogey or double bogey on any given hole. So what difference does par make to the average (not par) golfer?

According to the USGA, any hole measuring 400 yards or longer is a par 5 for women, regardless of what the scorecard states. If the scorecard lists a hole at 425 yards as a par 4 and a male and a female both shoot a 4, she gets to feel better about it and consider it a birdie? Yawn. At the end of a round, my score is still what it is so who cares? Handicap calculations are based on the USGA course and slope ratings for both genders from a given set of tees and the formula doesn’t consider par. In fact, the USGA offers a formula for determining the Bogey Rating of a course and recommends that “every golfer worse than a scratch” use it as a “truer yardstick of the challenge.”

I recently played a course with my boyfriend and we both played from the same set of tees at 6575 yards. Here is an example of the Bogey Rating in action:
Him: Slope Rating (121) divided by 5.381 (set value for men), plus the Course Rating (69.0) = Target score of 91.48. Actual score: 88
Me: Slope Rating (138) divided by 4.24 (set value for women), plus the Course Rating (75.2) = Target score of 107.74. Actual score: 100

*Interesting side note: if I use the men’s ratings with the women’s set value or the women’s ratings with the men’s set value, the result is much closer to my actual score.

I have my own, more precise calculator that uses my actual handicap index rather than just a standard bogey golfer index and it gave me a target score of 94, so the 100 I shot was 6 over. Greg’s target would have been 83 so his 88 was 5 over.

On the scorecard, par is 72, but there are 4 “par 4” holes from these tees longer than 400 yards which adds four more strokes to par for women for a 76. If we compared our scores to par instead of our targets, I would have been 24 over and Greg would have been 16 over. Like many golfers of our skill levels (our indices only differ by 2.3), he actually does compare his score to par. I just don’t see the point.

Considering that most golfers aren’t experts, if we’re going to put par on a card, shouldn’t we also list some kind of a bogey golfer par? Since par is synonymous with average, Par could be the higher number for the average player target score and the lower number that is currently called par could be called Expert Target Score (ETS).

In golf, there is nothing average about par.

Next post.

Breaking 80 Golf Game Progress Report – Getting Closer!

After I posted that last video of my swing when I thought I had a real breakthrough, my swing coach, Jay Lim, left me some notes in the comments for things to work on. At first glance it seemed like a whole lot to think about and change and I felt a little overwhelmed. But when I started to implement it I realized it was pretty much all the same thing – setup. Nothing to feel deflated about. In fact, as soon as I took those ideas to the range and called Jay to clarify his meaning about tilt, it started working right away. In fact, it made the other things I was doing even easier to repeat. Brilliant. I continued practicing it throughout the week and, once again, was eager to go try it on a golf course.

On Friday afternoon I rushed to a local course and since I wanted a good chance of finishing my round before dark, I skipped my warm up. As a result, my first few holes were disastrous and it took a few more to really get the feel of my new swing anywhere near comfortable. (I also had some trouble holding onto the club – details at end of post if you’re interested – but as this is something I’m just going to have to deal with, it is not something that I will allow to account for a poor swing or score.) I played alone for the first 5 holes until another single jumped a foursome and joined me. My swing improved a bit but never really got in the groove. My new walking buddy was impressed but I felt down and frustrated as I posted my 102! (White tees, 6000 yards, ratings 75.6/132.) It’s the identical score to the last two times I played there earlier in the month. Where’s the improvement? Can’t even break 100? How long until 80 now???

Then I soothed my mind and body with a nice relaxing bubble bath and a couple giant martinis. I got my head right, found my smile and shook off any discouragement. I would play the next day and try again, but this time with the right kind of warm up for my swing and mental game. I decided to try the little executive course where I played my first 18 hole round when I took up golf. I figured it was a great place for me when I was just starting out and since I’m essentially doing that again, maybe I can recapture some of that mojo. I hadn’t been there in years. I was excited!

golf chick warhol

Getting Closer!

I stretched, hit a small bucket of balls and my swing was feeling good. Did a little chipping and some ninja putting drills and hit the course. I played the back tees, which are only 4961 yards (par 67, 68.4 CR/112 slope). I went to the first tee alone and could see the foursome approaching the green up ahead on this 293 yard par 4. My tee shot went straight up the middle and I waited in the fairway 70 yards from the flag while the 4 guys finished. I stuck the green and two putted from about 8 feet for a ho-hum par. That was the only green I hit on the front nine, but with 15 putts I salvaged a 41*, making me 6 over at the turn. A twosome joined me on the second hole and we ended up playing through those guys in front of us and joining another single on the back nine. On the back I had two doubles, 3 bogeys and finished with 4 pars, which felt great and totaled 40. I posted an 81. *After I got home I realized I had forgotten to give myself a penalty stroke for moving my ball off a tree root in an effort to save my wrist. I should have posted an 82.

If I had broken 80 that day, I would not have counted it as achieving my goal (though I would have awarded a prize to Billy D, who chose that date in my Break 80 pool). I want to achieve it from the white tees at a regular “grown up” course. However, my personal best score is an 82, the same I shot on Saturday, and it occurred to me  to look up the length and ratings on that course, since we played the red tees. Turns out it was only 4799 yards, par 71, 66.5/111 rating. I count that as my previous personal best! Should I? Should I reconsider allowing myself to feel like I accomplished this goal if I break 80 from the red tees? Does it matter? In golf, everything matters mentally, and you know I believe I can do whatever I think I can. The really good news is, I felt like I easily should have broken 80 on this course and shot my 82 with relative ease. Friday’s disaster and realization was merely the stumbling block I needed to make mental adjustments and try a different route. I am beyond encouraged. Nice try, Friday! (c:

Video Update

The video here includes a couple of my honey badger practice swings on the range on Thursday as well as my tee shots on the last two holes of this round (two of my pars – the par 3 17th (pitching wedge) and the par 4 18th). Sorry – it had a cool tune with it but was disabled for copyright snags. Maybe I can get Big Head Todd to approve it. Meanwhile, hope you enjoy the silent movie.

The details I promised about my grip

I think I have mentioned the aggravating pain in my hands and wrists that hasn’t really bothered me since I was a kid but has returned. It’s actually not always painful per se. Sometimes it’s just more of a discomfort with irritating spasms, locking up certain fingers and joints in odd positions and making it difficult to hold onto things. After the week of practice, my right hand was really getting frisky on Friday (in previous weeks it was more my left). My buddy Jay over at Jaysgolf.com has a better understanding of such challenges than I do and we joked together about the “death grip” we subsequently put on our golf clubs, tearing through gloves and creating callouses faster than rolling O’s.

I understand the more I keep exercising the joints in the manner that aggravates them, the less they will hurt over time. Kind of hard to believe the morning after I’ve played golf and I can’t even grip my toothbrush but golf is certainly better than no golf so you know I will find out if it’s true! Meanwhile, I’m primarily treating the pain by deciding not to feel it or care, along with over the counter and over the bar medicine, and trying to control the spasms with my ninja mind. I don’t have insurance.

Next post.

Don’t Be That Golf Pro

Warning: This post contains “un-ladylike” language. Unless that lady is me.

A couple weeks ago I was at a local golf course getting ready to play in my monthly club tournament. Still getting to know my new swing and not having had a breakthrough yet, I gave myself some extra time at the range to try to get the feel for it before teeing off. I had just barely finished stretching and had only hit a few balls. I think it was pretty obvious I was concentrating on what I was doing, struggling, and adjusting.

Cue the douchetard.

ugly pigI’m pretty good at ignoring what goes on around me at the range. But one person’s hovering seemed to be getting closer and when I saw someone approach my golf bag in my peripheral vision I decided to pay attention. A guy actually grabbed a club out of my bag. Before I could even say anything, he stepped toward me and took the club from my hand! I was stunned and probably had my mouth open as I stood there in disbelief. He handed me the other club, squatted down and touched my leg! He was giving me some kind of instruction about my stance or what he wanted me to do but I couldn’t hear a word he was saying. What kind of idiot hands a woman a weapon and does that? He was not just some random guy offering tips or perving around. He was a teaching pro at the course. Think he’d attempt the same thing with a man? Even an unsolicited tip or offer of assistance? I doubt it!

I smile. A lot. I’ve been told it’s a rather cheery sight. I have also been told that when I don’t smile I look like I’m frowning. I have also been told that when I intentionally frown – especially out of anger – that I can look downright evil and have a pretty fine “death to you” glare. Short story shorter – The fuckwad made it off the range alive. But in a hurry.

So, if you’re a golf pro and you see someone like me as described above, what do you do? Don’t be that pro.

*Image from Metromix Chicago.

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Tested My New Honey Badger Swing at Charity Golf Tourney

As I mentioned in my last post, I had a little breakthrough with my golf swing progress last week. After some exciting practice sessions, I was eager to try it out on a golf course, and I had a great opportunity to do just that on Friday.

golf chick honey badger smile

I played with two friends (the 4th canceled last minute) in a fun charity tournament to benefit The American Cancer Society. Since it was a scramble format, there was no real pressure on my swing to tempt me back to comfort since I had two others to back me up if all went wrong. However, with their 35 and 40 indexes, I did have some work to do. They were actually quick to point out that when I went last and we really needed to hit a green, that’s when I performed the best. Not really a surprise to me; I dig the pressure.

Photo right- honey badger that ate the canary

Photo below – gallery on 18 at tourney

Gallery on 18

golfchick wins kp

My swing felt great. Sure, I had a few that missed the mark but overall I am striking the ball much better. I should have counted the greens I hit but we were having too much fun. We shot even par so you know I had to have hit a bunch of them. I was sticking them pretty tight, too. I also had a nice chip-in for birdie. Made a few fantastic putts as well. I love this game!

There was only one hole in the closest to the pin contest and it was for all golfers, not split by gender (although we did have about a 15 yard advantage – 135 vs 150). Honey badger nailed it! 7 iron, no roll – sat right next to its ball mark about a flag length below the hole. Photo left – with tournament organizer & not unhappy about winning.

I got some more practice in yesterday – below is the 7 iron swing that won me 110 clams. You can see it’s still a little loose on top so I have even more room for improvement.  As I remember shouting a couple times on Friday – THIS IS FUN! Some more practice this week and maybe I’ll go test it out in my own scoring round. Breaking 80 is still the goal!

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When Will The Golf Chick Break 80? Pool Announcement and Progress Report

As my golf swing continues to progress, I started the pool about when I will break 80 over on my Golf Chick Facebook page last week and people are getting their votes in. There is an over/under for the less adventuresome but some people are also naming specific dates. I’ll tell you something – there will likely be a prize or two and it will be a lot harder to choose a winner from people who only picked over or under. Just saying. Wagering amongst one another is up to you and the laws that govern you (does that cover my ass?).

People who read this blog regularly will have an advantage because you’ll know the progress I’m making. Scores I’m shooting, how practice is going, how dedicated I am (or not) day to day, week to week, how I’m feeling about it all, etc. Some people are choosing the “over” in the pool, which I perceive as an underestimation of me – one I look forward to proving wrong. Perhaps they’re doing it on purpose to motivate me, but if you haven’t voted and are considering the same – here’s another clue: I’m plenty motivated now. That grenade has been jumped on. Pick a more winning date.

Golf Chick Break 80 pool

A couple people have chosen their own birthdays as my break 80 date, which I think is fantastic. I wish I could give that birthday gift – the first one is next week though! Zoinks! Plus, I should tell you potential pool participants that while I do manage to play during the week at times, I’m much more likely to play on weekends. By the way, if you don’t use Facebook, feel free to make your pick here in the comments of this post. If you are dropping by my FB page to make your pick, I’d love it if you would click its “like” button if you haven’t yet!

Quick answers and summary of progress: People have asked me on Facebook and Twitter about my progress. All my golf and swing progress is documented here on my blog. Quick review to date – best score before swing change: 82. Best score since swing change: 86, however that was too soon and I don’t feel it was my authentic new swing. I played 5 rounds with a flawed new swing and am now back to only practicing to get it more ingrained and it’s feeling better already (details below). I’m playing a scramble charity event this Friday (July 22) and plan to continue to grind away at the range after that. I will throw in a round from time to time to keep practice interesting. As I mentioned earlier, weekends are far more likely for such rounds to occur but some weekdays are possible.

Golf Swing Progress Update:

I had three amazing practice sessions the last three nights. I focused only on my irons and really had them working well. Getting back to the fundamentals after so many days on the course really made a difference and I was able to focus on how what I should be doing and feeling rather than the outcome of each shot on a course. I was striking the ball very well and more consistently than ever. Not just since I got my new swing but EVER. Which, according to Jay Lim, my swing coach, (and perhaps every other instructor) is precisely the objective. Consistent repeat-ability. I’m getting there and it feels amazing.

Golf Tip – From the Horse’s Mouth – Am to Am Translation

I’m sure it has been spoken and written countless times but something occurred to me on the range the past couple days that really made a difference for me and felt like a breakthrough. One of my weaknesses Jay has been coaching me on is how I lead with the hands or arms instead of the shoulders on the backswing. He keeps telling me the shoulders need to start the swing. If he explained why I don’t recall but the reason I just figured out on my own is that it makes it 10 times easier to keep my left arm straight(er) and control the steepness of my swing plane. Jay usually speaks my language very well, which is important in a student/swing coach relationship, but whatever he said or I read about consistency and leading with the shoulders did not really click for me until I came to this revelation two days ago and reinforced last night and tonight. I share it with you now in the hopes it might do the same for someone else. To put it the way it made sense in MY head: lead, almost push back, with the front shoulder to keep the arm “connected” in the swing. If I lead with my hands or club, the shoulders have a hard time keeping up and it’s almost impossible not to bend my left elbow. If I turn my shoulders first, it practically keeps itself straight! Then if I keep my plane (which I’m doing better by keeping my right knee bent), it’s much easier to contact the ball consistently because my arm doesn’t have to “figure out” where to go. It has already been there.

Romance in the Air

I am falling in love with my new golf swing so I need to name it now more than ever. You know, before I start calling it some cutesy name like “Cupcake” instead of a fierce name like a honey badger deserves. I’m considering Chuck, or Norris (not both – I can’t see myself loving Chuck Norris but he could be my swing’s namesake). I am so excited. I seriously cannot stop thinking about my swing and when I’ll be able to spend more time with it. It feels like new love. For a golf nerd. If you read this far, I bet you know just how I feel. Admit it.

UPDATE: I DID IT! July 11, 2015.

Took me long enough, but I finally broke 80! I shot 78 at Falcon Ridge golf course from the maroon tees (4440 yards). I normally play the gold tees there but we played with another couple and I decided to step up and play the forward tees since the woman was playing there and the guys were split, so rather than stop at four sets of tees… you know how that goes. Anyway, even though it’s exceptionally short, it’s still a challenging course and you have to make the shots. So it counts! 😛

78 scorecard

 

Then, less than a week later we went back and I played the gold tees (5279 – still short, but with a 124 slope that’s my spot). After breaking 80 from the forward tees, breaking 80 from here was my next goal. Guess what? NAILED IT! Shot a smooth 77 for a new personal best!

77 scorecard

Haven’t seen the 70’s again since, but my new goal is to break 80 at any other golf course. Then just try to keep it in the 70’s.

I’ve always been pretty chill on the golf course because, well, I’m “not good enough to get mad.” But now that I’ve seen and felt the 70’s, I find myself feeling more frustrated out there when I don’t play well. Maybe I need to look into meditation.

~May they all roll true.

Honey Badger Don’t Care – But My Golf Swing Needs More Progress!

Rather than practice like a good girl this weekend, I went out and played golf. Why? Because I’m a honey badger and I don’t care! I may be a ninja on the greens (stealthy, smooth and fierce) but when my swing is ready, it’s going to be badass honey badger all the way. If you’re a honey badger you won’t care but the hilarious video below contains language that may be inappropriate for sensitive ears & environments.

I can pull off honey badger attitude today, however, the swing portion still needs some training. After some seriously mediocre play on Friday and Saturday, the only golf I did on Sunday was to watch Darren Clarke win the British Open and spend some time smacking balls at the range with my irons. My execution was less than stellar and I found myself having to access databanks in my brain to basically re-learn some of the aspects of my new swing. Which means, I was not doing it right on the course. Not at all.

So my practice session was actually quite valuable. I was reminded of The Almighty Process and that I need to get back to it. The swing just is not ingrained in me yet and without the time and thought process that goes along with practicing, it seems I’m mostly reverting to my old swing with maybe a couple new aspects thrown in. Not effective. I am determined to do this right. I have a charity tourney on Friday but other than that it’s going to be mostly practice for me for awhile. Sure, I’ll have to thrown in a round here and there but strictly as practice – where I don’t care about the outcome of the swing (no competition) and just try to put the correct new swing to use on course. Have to keep practice fun or it becomes a chore, right?

Saturday was a club tournament and I played with my friend Cristen. She’s awesome and you will be seeing/hearing more about her in the future here on TGC. She suggested the name “Minx” for my swing. It may become bold and impudent but does my swing seem flirtatious or of low morals to you? Haha I kind of like the name though. Think it may have to be more along the honey badger lines though. Any more ideas?

Speaking of honey badger (again), I want to give a shout out to my friend Brad Schott, whom I know through twitter, for turning me onto this honey badger thing. I am now an official member of the Honey Badger Golf Club, which is something Brad is developing for a potential launch this fall. I can’t really share any details with you for now but I think it’s going to be a lot of fun! If you’re interested, you can follow him on Twitter for now until he gets a website up for it. He’s @GolfSchott and @HoneyBadgerGolf. Are you a honey badger?

Cute statue at home on Sterling Hills Golf Club, where we played Saturday.

Next post.

Breaking 80 Progress: Golf’s Little Victories

Not every day can be a huge leap forward in progress when you’re working on overhauling your golf swing and improving your game. In fact, many say “it will get worse before it gets better.” I haven’t had many days like that, but I have had my frustrations. This past weekend I planned on practicing, not playing, since I played three days the weekend before and struggled to find time to practice much in the week since. On Friday, I had a last minute request for a meeting the next day for a nine-hole par-3 round. I could not turn it down.

Saturday Shenanigans

Since I’m still not even comfortable with my new swing, my routine when I play lately is to be sure to stretch well and warm up sufficiently so that I have last minute reminders of how it’s supposed to feel. That didn’t happen Saturday as I met with this client in advance and arrived at the course at the same time – so I followed his lead: Car, shoes, check in, first tee. Okay then. That used to be my way as well.

It took me several swings to find the proper impact position, and since every hole was a par 3 (and there were only nine of them), you can imagine how that effected my score. Luckily, it did not effect the business relationship. He understands about swing changes and trying to improve. Probably even appreciated it more than he let on. My chipping was decent and my putting was fair (though business talk and unnecessary amounts of chatter in general hindered that as well). Overall, I never really got warmed up and feeling the golf and I shot 38 on the par 27 course. I thought we were finished with the business and planned to stick around and smack about 100 balls on the range. I got tempted away with more business talk and, more importantly, the promise of a cold adult beverage. Over the course of the rest of the meeting, I agreed to the extra 20 hours/week I mentioned in my last post. It’s an excellent move for my income and spark but it’s adding to the challenge of improving my golf game due to the time constraints. I’m still convinced I can do it all. Like this hawk, who evidently tee’d off just before we arrived, then grabbed dinner and flew away.

Sunday, Not So Funday

After the afternoon cold one and the summer heat, I found myself having an uncharacteristically Kristen Saturday night. I guess I figured that night and the next day might be my last chance to really relax for awhile. I caught up with some friends, phone calls, emails, texts and Facebook, and think I went into overload. I shut down. I even shut down my twitter. Yup, someone get a thermometer. I decided to make Sunday a day of what I consider luxury. No work, no practice. Just decadence and things I enjoy:

1. Sleep late as possible. 2. Play with and take care of Vito’s needs. 3. Brunch (must include bacon, potatoes & bloody mary). 4. Golf (round, not practice) 4. More quality Vito time. 5. Bubble bath (must include adult beverages, candlelight and wonderful music) 6. More sleep.

Well, put up the mission accomplished banner because I did all those things. Yet somehow I was not fulfilled. I even threw in a bonus – in light of the previous day’s meeting and seeing some irresistible shoes in the pro shop, I purchased them on the spot and wore them on the course. That, alone, would usually give me permagrin for the day. The last time I was at this course, a guy I played with said I “brought the giddy.” Saturday? I couldn’t find a single authentic smile to pose for my trademark Golfchick self portrait for you. It was sad.

My mind was in so many places and so distracted, I was anything but a ninja on the greens. I had five 3-putts. Yes, FIVE. 38 total putts. I played the white tees and shot a 102. It felt awful, scoring wise. Probably because of the putting. But I also had some terrible iron shots despite a successful stretch and warm up before the round. I wasn’t too bad off the tee until a few holes on the back nine after I started feeling demoralized. It was a strangely sad day despite all my best efforts to make it delightful.

Of course I had to share the harsh truth with you.

HOWEVER… If you know anything about my mental game on and off the course, you must have figured I’d come up with a silver lining to use moving forward. (Not to mention the title of this blog post might have given you a clue.) And, naturally, the one I found relates to my swing. Well, aside from having some kickass new shoes. (See The Golf Chick shoe album on Facebook for that update if you missed it.) That silver lining is my chipping. It was spot on. I was almost Seve-like. Had a couple decidedly Phil shots as well. Chipped one in like a ninja. The guys I played with repeatedly commented positively on my short game skills and they sure as hell weren’t talking about my putting.

So that felt really good. And I’m sure my score would have been a lot higher without it. Especially with five three putts and no iron game to speak of. In fact, a couple months ago, I might have killed for a 102 from the whites. It did post with a differential below my index! I am far from discouraged. Now I’m just busy as hell and even more hell bent on finding time to practice, play, improve and break 80!

Still looking for a way to set up an online pool so people can choose a date for me to break 80. Any ideas? I have been looking at baby pool templates since they use dates but nothing seems to work just right. My friend Meg has me down in her calendar for Oct 29 and suggests an over under. Anyone else have any ideas?

Best golf and human interaction to you all. May they all roll true!

xoxo – Kristen

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