Oh boy… my handicap index is headed in the WRONG direction. Yes, I actually like when it goes down, despite the title of this post. See, I want to actually be a better golfer, not win by pretending to be worse than I am.
This hasn’t been a good year for either. Improvement? Ha. Winning? Double ha. We have our annual club awards banquet on Saturday after the Turkey Shoot and not a scrap will be added to my trophy wall. And my handicap went from 15.8 in January to a low of 14.5 in July and now it’s up to a 16.7. Blech.
When I first started playing – lo those long three years ago – everything was daffodils and Ding-Dongs. Starting from nothing, I had nowhere to go but up. Aside from feel, I used my handicap index to gauge my progress and it simply couldn’t keep up with my rate of improvement. I played several times a week and posted every score but by the time the next month rolled around and the index officially changed, I was already better.
So what happened this year? Nothing I shouldn’t have expected. I played far fewer rounds than previous years and practice was nearly non-existent. So much for intentions. Plus, I haven’t even touched my driver in months because I slice it so terribly (though it stays in my bag as a clubhead cover holder – love that Goose). That was all fine and good when I was consistently hitting my 3-wood 230 up the middle. Now I’ve lost confidence in that club as well. Fade, duck-hook, sky-ball. Argh. As Kevin Costner says (as Billy Chapel, not Roy “Tin Cup” McAvoy – sorry)…
Clear the mechanism
Even though we don’t really have an “off season” here in Southern California, I still play less in the – ahem – winter months. Come spring, I plan to be playing like crazy again. It will be interesting to see if this setback is a plateau and this is just the golfer I’m meant to be or if I can start improving once more. I think I’m better than this because I know I’ve got plenty of shots and putts I’ve left in the bag. And no, it’s not a sandbag. That’s the thing about those dirty rotten sandbaggers – they win.
December 4, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Have you tried taking a lesson or two? I’ve found that when I’m in a slump, or when a trusty club is behaving badly, if go I take a lesson or two that it really helps bring my game back around.
Jen
Pink Golf Tees
December 4, 2007 at 11:00 pm
Oh I don’t know… I’m in a stubborn phase… like I can do it myself.
We’ll see – I might cave. I did go to a “swing doctor” once before for this same slicing driver problem and thought I had it licked.
December 5, 2007 at 4:53 am
Golf Chick…I have the perfect solution for you. You move up to Vancouver, Canada (where we just had a snow storm and our high this weekend is 33 degrees) and take my place writing my blog and playing my game up here. 😉 I’d be more than happy to take over your blog and your handicap.
Of course, you’ll have to do my marketing consulting as well, in between winter golf.
Now…don’t you feel better?
Golfgal
December 5, 2007 at 4:39 pm
I know… I hate lessons, but I finally found a guy that is really good and doesn’t treat me like I’m an idiot. I try to take a set from him every year and it really helps (until a new problem develops!). Did you like the “swing doctor” session? I got a gift certificate for a couple of those sessions, but haven’t used it yet.
Jen
Pink Golf Tees
December 5, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Golfgal,
I don’t know what your handicap is but I could handle the marketing consulting and we wouldn’t have to switch blogs (you know they can be written from anywhere :P). But yeah, I feel better. I wouldn’t move anywhere with actual winter weather.
I have a better idea… you just move down here! Be my personal motivator by making me practice with you (we could also play some great courses… all year long).
Jen: that swing doctor thing was just what I called it. Basically, I went into a local pro shop and screamed “can anyone here fix my slice” and one of the teaching pros took me out for a quick session. Here is the post about it.
Kristen
December 5, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Although everyone has their favorite cure, this really did work for me and came from Ben Hogan.
He said, “Ladies, squeeze your breasts together to remove a slice.”
When my slice comes back, that’s what I remember and it always seems to do the trick.
Golfgal
December 5, 2007 at 7:26 pm
Breasts? I got here just at the right time…
My cap started and ended at the same damn place this year. The beautifully infuriating thing about golf is how exponentially difficult it is to improve.
December 5, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Ha ha…Thanks Golf Chick! Your suggestion to move south is very tempting, believe me. Not sure my golfgal would like that much, however. He’d be jealous – not of me being in the land of beachboys, but being able to golf more than he can up here
Someday soon, I’ll get down there and I’ll take you up on that golf game!
Cheers
Golfgal
http://www.golfgal.com
December 6, 2007 at 6:21 pm
It’s exciting to me that you have improved so quickly in such a short time. I’m guessing that patience is not exactly one of your favorite words. I’ve been playing golf 45 years and I agree about winning tournaments based upon your ability and not on how high you can get your handicap. I guess that’s reverse sandbagging. Remember that the better you get, the more work it takes to get better.
If you find someone from whom you like to take lessons and he/she helps you progress, stick with them. I’ve only taken lessons from one person…my dad. He taught me WHY I was making certain moves and adjustments in your golf swing. So now I can go through my mental list of lessons and “help myself” with a little practice.
December 7, 2007 at 12:32 am
Well if I started sooner in life I might be more patient but I have a lot of catching up to do!
Thanks for the tip. Wish I had a coach like that!
December 18, 2007 at 2:10 am
You can have a coach like that. Go see my Dad, or come see me. Spend a week. We’ll shave some strokes off that handicap.
Cj