Lesson 6 & 7

(July - September 2009)

This time the lesson was all about my grip and my set up.

Over time I had developed a anti slice grip that was way too strong, I also had a wierd hands forward (to the left) set up again as an anti slice strategy.

The lesson dealt with these issues and while the changes took a long time to gel they had the desired effect and I started to hit straight as often as I hit left which was an improvement.

By this time we were into summer and I found that I could not take my range game to the golf course. So instead of playing as much and in comps I just worked on my swing and in fact I played little golf which was probably a mistake.

I was obsessed with getting a nice swing rather than learning how to score at golf!

Another lesson and we concentrated on not getting too far inside the line on the take away, more changes to bed in. but by this time I was breaking 100 most times out 90 was set as my PB score in the summer.

Still no short game work! What an idiot I was!!!

One more lesson and onto one of the most important things in golf, hitting down on the ball. This lesson I really struggled to get it and my game went to pieces for a while. Shortly after this I played my one and only comp of the year my first medal and scored a woeful 103 with 8 penalties off the tee!

It was disappointing because I was better than that, but the card told another story 28.0 would remain as my handicap.

I went to work on hitting down on the ball again until in September at a range in Leeds I hit down on a mat too hard and popped a tendon in the back of my right hand.

I was buggered, I could not even hold a club let alone hit a ball, the worst thing was that I got to miss out on playing St Andrews old course and Carnoustie in November because of this injury combined with a bad back.

My year was over and I sulked back into my computer games for the winter.