2010 and goals!

Into 2010, I tried to hit balls in Feb this year but my hand was too painful and it was too damn cold. Instead I started for the first time to work on chipping and my fitness. Going to the gym and running again I lost a stone fairly fast and by April found some long lost fitness.

In march my hand got a little better and I was able to hit the first full shots of the year. I brought new irons on the recommendation of a pro and on the results of a launch monitor. Nice second hand Mizuno MX 25's stiff shaft and after a couple of sessions fell in love with them. Yardage has increased again with these clubs over my old ones.

I decided that I needed to have some goals for the year to come.

Looking at my game my irons are going the best they ever have. They should be it's all I have worked on for two years!

So this year it's driving and short game but not in that order!!

My putting is woeful, my chipping has no feel, my short pitching is hit and miss. In effect I don't have a short game.

I want to be off a less than 28 handicap and fast, I really want to be off 18 by the end of the year, I think it's time I play comps and not wimp out of them.

So goals for the year, get to 18, get a short game, and then if I have time stop going left off the tee!

In April after they removed the winter tees and temp greens I scored a PB 85 on a wet course and the season began.

Instead of going to the range I brought a £30 season ticket to the local pitch and putt course. I think this may prove to be my best decision for a while. The place has 14 holes from 65 to 115 yards long. It's quiet of an evening you can mix the tee's making shots of up to 145 yards. The greens are tiny and hard, stopping a ball is a challenge. In short it's an ace cheap short game facility and I use it often for pitching and chipping.

Also in April I went for a lesson back to the golf academy. Having forgot my last lesson it was once again put to me that I need to hit down on it rather than hang back because hanging back causes fats and lefts. This has been what I have been working on right up to two weeks ago when something stopped me cold from hitting down on it. I'll detail that in another post.

So coming into the first Medal of the year on the 25th April it could be said that I was confident. Maybe even a bandit in waiting.

How wrong I was to be!