The Journey To Scratch: What A Year It Has Been…

Wow, I can’t believe that Christmas has come (and now gone) in 2016. It seems like yesterday that I dusted off the clubs in the garage and started playing again with Dad “once a month” to start spending some time with him again. Fast forward a year, and it’s been a crazy ride. In fact, my game has come a long way from the 85 that I shot a year ago on a semi-flooded Riverbend Golf Course, and so has my bag.



As the year began, or ended as the case may be, I was playing my almost vintage Ping S59 tour blades that were in dire need of a new set of grips. OF course, at that time, I had only wanted to sneak out a few times during the summer, so why sink a bunch of money into grips and gear, right? I was playing 10 year old balls (Nike One Gold) and a bag with a stand held on by zip ties. It was time to take a long look at what I was going to do when all of the sudden, it hit me – refinish the Staffs. So after 2 rounds with the Pings, they were retired to the garage to make way for my long time gamers, my 1989 Wilson Staff Fluid Feel Irons.

 

With some paint filling being done and some new grips being thrown on, my Staffs performed like new and took over in my bag in April. I pounded out a four rounds in the next month with them before realizing that age was catching up with them. The pitching wedge was rusted out at the grip end and the 6 iron was cut a 1/4” short. They would make it once in a while for play, but if I was going to play as much as I did in the spring, they were going to need some serious repair done to them. At $30 a shaft for the True Temper Dynamic Gold and another chunk of change is supplies to do it, I started shopping used sets that were in playable condition. What I ended up finding is still amazing to me.

In June, a glistening set of Wilson Staff FG-49 Tour Blades straight from the UK became my weapon of choice and my handicap destroyer. The true “zero offset” ultra-thin tour blades played like nothing I’d ever experienced. They made my Fluid Feels feel like cavity backs, but with the ability to work the ball in every direction, hit it at any height and spin even cheap balls off the green, the 49’s fit my game like a glove. They were also a pretty special set of clubs, I’d say, one of a kind, but that might be a slight exaggeration. Of course, my love for the FG-49’s quickly waivered when I began to think about competitions for next season, and the 2014 ruling of club faces, grooves and goodies that the USGA & R&A had implemented. I guess I picked the wrong time to walk away from the game and come back.



The rule spelled things out as clear as a bell for me and I was going to need to get one more upgrade in my bag (or ship off my gamers to have them approved for play) in order to make my move to play in the USGA Mid-Amateur qualifier in 2017. At the end of August, just in time for the fall weather to destroy my shortened come back season, a beautiful box of Wilson Staff FG Tour 100 blades arrived and immediately went into my bag. In the months that followed, my handicap fell from the high single digits to the low of 2.9 that is it right now. One or two more solid rounds to open the season, and I should have it easily under the 1.9 rating needed for a run at the US Open Qualifier. Right now, it’s still sitting very strong for the 3.9 or less needed for the USGA Mid-Amateur. The rest of my bag is rounded out by Wilson PMP wedges in 51, 56 and 60 degree lofts, a Wilson Infinite Grant Park Putter and a Wilson FG Tour F5 driver with a Fujikura Speeder 757 Tour Spec X Stiff Shaft. I tweak the loft on the driver based on the playing conditions, but currently for the wetter months, I have it dialed in at 9.5 degrees.

The 2017 season will be here before we know it, I mean The Masters is only 100 days away! Let’s see how the early season shapes up and see if I can continue my downward move to becoming a scratch golfer when the posting season opens for the WSGA.

Blog Babble: A Good Lotion Can Make A Big Difference

When the weather turns cold but you still venture out to the course for that Saturday morning round, the dry winter air will make your face freeze and your skin dry out in just a few holes. While you can always go warm up later and inhale a few gallons of water to help remedy the situation, preventing it is an even better way to enjoy your round of winter golf. Just like sunscreen in the summer months, a good moisturizer is a must to carry in the bag for those frosty days in the fall and winter. There are plenty of options out there, but staying with a natural solution like this one, from Plant Therapy, is perfect for most bags.

A perfect blend of tea tree and evening primrose oils protects your skin from outside irritants and locks moisture into the skin. This keeps your skin softer and reduces dryness in even the toughest conditions. To maximize your protection, you can apply the lotion to any area where your skin will exposed to the elements during your round. From there, apply to your face again before teeing off. Make sure to bring a spare towel to dry your hands on as the lotion will take some time to absorb, and swinging a club with slick hands will never result in a good shot. From there, Reapply the lotion as needed throughout the round to keep your skin in top shape. Don’t forget to rub the excess into your hands, which are also exposed throughout the round as well.

Taking care of your skin during the winter is just as important as taking care of it during the summer months. Using a quality lotion will only cost you a few dollars a month, but the damage that your skin can endure during a round of golf can last much, much longer. Be safe and use a good lotion during the winter and a great sunscreen during the summer.

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The Journey To Scratch: My Practice Time Has Been Derailed By Snowmaggeddon

So, I’ve been a bit quite on the blog front this week, but for a good reason. Snowmaggedon 2016 has hit the Seattle area. What started out as some possible snow showers early in the week has turned into a three day ground freeze that was just too much fun not to go out and play in. From the snowball fights to the 18th miniature snowman being built, it’s been a fun few days.



Yes, the golf game is on the back burner for a few more days, I’m sure, but it’s all worth it when you get to a smile on a face like this. Not only was she excited about the snow, but I think the first two days of it has had me having as much fun as she did. Anyways, given that this is Seattle, I think it will probably be all gone by the end of the weekend, which means right back to things shortly after that. Now, I need to get that chipping mat ordered so I can still practice in this stuff if it happens to come back again this year.

Stroke Saver: Simple Ways To Improve Your Game Without Swinging

Probably the most common question I have been asked over the last few weeks is how can someone improve their game over the winter when there’s no access for either playing or swinging. My response is usually the same, if there’s no where to swing, work on the parts of your game that you have room for. Starting with addressing the ball, work on your routine. Place a ball or a coin down on the floor. You only need enough room to address the ball for this, so even the smallest spaces should be able to accommodate for this. Practice aligning yourself to the “target” along with the clubface. Getting into a repetitive cycle will make it all that much easier to do when the weather breaks and you back in action. To make this drill even more effective, use some dowels, clubs or alignment sticks to really work on setting up straight.

Putting is also a huge one to work on during the winter. Even if you don’t have ‘room’ to putt, work on aligning yourself and the putter face to the target line. You’d be amazed how just working on the aim of your putter will improve your scores come springtime. If you have room, complete the stroke and work on a consistent arc – unless you are one of those people that swings the club dead straight, in which case, you’re working on making a straight path. Either way, getting in 25-50 strokes a day will be more beneficial than you think.

Finally, there’s the fitness piece. Most golfers spend all spring working out the kinks they have gotten while sitting around during the winter months. As strange as it sounds, some simple stretches, body rotations and ‘fake swings’ without holding a club will do wonders to keep your muscles engaged over the winter. Practice your swing without a club to find out what muscles you need to keep in shape, then select a few exercises that will work those groups. It will just take a few minutes a day, but you’ll reap the long term benefits by not needing the first month of the season to get back into playing form.