When I started this blog over a year ago, I had every intention of being that everyman 15 handicapper who reached single digit status over the next couple of years, and detailed that journey for all to see. I figured that, between the new techniques and equipment reviews, that the groundwork was layed to help myself, and many other golfers get better. Unfortunately, the heart attack last July put a major hitch in the quest for more distance off the tee box via a more powerful swing. Still, there was hope, as the acquisition of several amazing woods from the now defunct Advanced Golf Technology Company, as well as a set of rather long and extremely forgiving Wilson Staff Di9's in the irons department gave me back a lot of that distance, and maintaining the newly acquired finesse was still a strong possibility. Between these two factors, I had hopes of at least sawing off 5 of those 15 strokes.
Sadly- I suffered a severe reaction to Crestor, and the resultant muscle melt-down sent my spine cratering. This last little factor took away any hopes I had as to maintaining the finesse part of my game, as the ability just to stand upright, much less swing a golf club, had become a real struggle. Even a 60% swing was beyond my capabilities for a while. That was kind of the capper that made this last golf season a maintenance job rather than a summer offensive. Unfortunately, it was spent as much in physical therapy as it was on the course. Basically--maintaining a 15 handicap was the best I could muster. Still--in the now historically famous slogan of the long gone Brooklyn Dodgers---"There's always next year." Here's a good game plan that helped me maintain my handicap against all odds, and lay the groundwork for next season.
Fit That Flat Stick
It's cheap to do. Most flat-stick fittings are well under $20, and it's putting that kept my score down despite the loss of distance. I may talk about the woods and irons, but it's the putter that has saved my game. Though far from perfect--I average 28-32 putts per round, and for a 15 capper--that's considered to be very good. In the meantime, the quest to maintain, and even improve my distance did indeed gain me some yardage off the tee box, but doing so w/out professional help after stepping out of physical therapy and directly onto the tee box, caused more problems than good. Sure I picked up a few yards, but I also picked up a few swing flaws that have cost me dearly, and could have easily been diagnosed by a professional. Thank goodness for a fitted flat-stick. Seriously, it helped stop a serious slide in my game that could have easily become a full-fledged collapse.
Mongo Like Swing Coach
My swing off the tee box had truly lost any semblance of finesse. In fact, many had said I should try out for a Geico commercial, as it looked like a caveman taking a swing at his dinner with his war club before it got the chance to run away. It quickly became obvious that I should have followed Jack Nicklaus' advice. He may be old school, but he still owns more major titles than you know who, and even to the very end, his swing always looked like--"His Swing." The Golden Bear always said that at the beginning of any re-tooling--be it after a long Winter's layoff, or whatever--"Go see your instructor, and start from scratch. What you already know will be quickly discovered and set aside, while any bad habits will stick out like sore thumbs. Best to take care of them before the new season begins."
Stupid me. I thought I was too good for that very advice even though I had read and re-read it several times, and even dispensed it to numerous golfers who have turned to me for advice. I finally bowed to that lesson as the results at the end of this season have come crashing down around my ears. The answers, thanks to professional intervention, are coming very easily too. I had developed a bad habit of aiming left in order to fight a weakened right hamstring in my right leg. As a converted lefty, it made pulling the ball left as if it were a draw very easy. The sad part is that it was technically incorrect, and like all compensations, the timing needed for repetition was vague. Pretty soon the compensation turned into an over-compensation, and you may as well have nick named me "Captain Hook."---Ahhhr Matey--I'm makin' them thar golf balls walk the plank stage left." It was getting ugly. Pretty soon, even my wedge shots are going wide left, and because I wasn't looking at myself on film, or in a mirror, I had no idea why I was so far left of target.
Next thing you know, I'm weakening my grip and opening up my club-face in an effort to get the ball to stop hooking. Sadly' it was actually going pretty much where I aimed it, and now even with a closed stance--I was serving up more slices than Tony's Pizza Parlour. How screwed up can you get? Well--I'll spare you the details. I hooked up with a swing coach who has helped the best, and he's basically doing it as a favor to me, and others who specifically requested his assistance for me.
At the first lesson he fixed my alignment, gave me an easy exercise to remember how to do this on my own, and reassured me that my grip is A-O-K. Next thing you know--I was soon hitting all my irons and wedges straight as a string with just a touch of draw spin. Still--my woods seemed to be dropping the ball with more than just a touch of cut-spin to them---until lesson 2.
Lesson 2 he showed me that the length of the woods is still having me come slightly outside the plane, as my turn still isn't optimal yet. He gives me one more little exercise to help me optimize my turn, and next thing you know--there she goes! The woods are straight as a string with just a touch of baby draw. This is really starting to scare me, as it's proving just a little too easy to fix my swing. Then again, it was awfully easy to screw it up too. I will keep a really good eye on this over the next year, and as things begin to work, I promise to keep you all posted.I will do my best to make sure that these shots become second nature before posting instructions-etc. Rest assured, that if you come back to this site, and it posts instructions--they will be darned good ones that have been proven to work----empirically> Thanks for dropping by.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The Number One Killer In Summer Golf
Well if there are any regular readers left, I want to thank you for your patience. This has not been my year to say the least. I've been out with a horrendous set of bulging discs--despite a disc friendly swing, and with summer here--it's high time I warn everybody against the number one danger of summer golf--DEHYDRATION! It's part and parcel of what put me where I am in this season's golf game--directly behind the eight ball. Here's what you need to know in order to beat this often deadly bit of nastiness that plagues all summer sports here in beautiful 100+ Degree North Central Texas.
Many of my readers know that last summer I suffered a heart attack after walking 27 holes in 103* heat. That's not usually a problem for me, golfing in the heat that is, as I know how to stay hydrated. The heart attack was actually more a case of my Chicken-Fried Everything Diet catching up with me. A clogged artery finally screamed--"Enough already you old fart!---We're going to the hospital, and you're going to learn to eat right. " Alas--I miss Popeye's Fried Chicken, and over indulging in Blue Bell Ice Cream, but hey, I've eaten enough of that stuff for 5 people. While I was in the hospital, I did learn one thing about staying hydrated, and that is-----make sure to bring along some electrolytes for your drinking water. Once those electrolytes are gone from your body, water alone can't save you. Here's some tricks besides that that you need to remember.
KEEP A BOTTLE OF WATER WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES
Preferably water with which you have added the aforementioned electrolytes. It is very important that you have that bottle with you for several reasons. First of all, you need to sip between almost every shot--if at all possible. Do Not Gulp the Water!!!!---It will weigh you down, and your shots will not come off as planned. It is harder on your muscles to wait for liquids they sorely need, and just as hard on your stomach, if not harder, when you gulp large quantities of liquids after long dry spells. Your body and your game will appreciate how much better off you feel and play if you keep your hydration levels constant.
HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH
If it's 90+ Degrees outside, and you haven't urinated within the past 30 minutes---you are not drinking enough water. That may sound extreme, but it's true. In hot muggy weather your body is pouring out every ounce of liquid it can muster in order to cool off. You need to track that amount without becoming pre-occupied with it. It's hard enough to keep score of your game, much less your bladder. Let's just say that if you aren't knocking off that pint bottle of water every 3 holes---you're still not drinking enough. Most courses have water and or a bathroom every few holes. Take advantage of both. If you don't, you may notice that your ability to hit good recovery shots is starting to fade like your favourite old pair of jeans, and that is not a good thing.
REMEMBER THE FOREIGN LEGION
Take along a face towel for a hydration rag. Wet this towel with cold water, and re-wet it at every watering can or fountain along the course. Stick the towel on top of your head before putting your hat on. Rotate the towel so that you can see out of the front, but allow it to drape over your neck ala Ye Olde Foreign Legion Cap Style. (Remember--"Beau Knows Heat!") This acts as insulation, and the moisture that gets drawn out of the rag and through your hat will act as the old-fashioned cooling towers of the 30's and 40's did. You will also notice that your neck no longer gets sun burned. It is advisable to remove the rag and wipe your hands with a golf towel before taking a shot. You'll feel cooler, and more refreshed this way, and you won't have to suck down as much liquid just to keep cool.
NOT JUST STANDING ON A SOAPBOX
After my heart attack the folks at the hospital must've pumped me full of more saline than an entire day's production at The Tyson's Chicken Plant. This just goes to show how much the heat can suck out of you-- even when you try to stay hydrated. Unfortunately, despite my good hydrating habits at the golf course, I had not been practicing such good habits out in the garden for several days beforehand, so that left me vulnerable. Basically, stay hydrated all summer long is the lesson I learned here. The heart attack cost me half of last season, and my late start to this season can be indirectly attributed to it as well. After the heart attack, Crestor was just another of the many new meds introduced to my diet. Unfortunately, I turned out to be that lucky guy that forced Astra Zeneca's Lawyer's to add the addendum, "on rare occasions Crestor can cause muscle deterioration." After the muscle deterioration, there was no longer enough critical mass in the Lats and Abdominal region to support my spine, so we've been working on rebuilding all of that. So theoretically, if you'd like to get technical--Dehydration can destroy your golf season, and that's only if it doesn't kill you first. I consider this a public service to all who read my blog, and I will be back to regular columns soon. I'd love to get back to writingonly about all things strictly golf---but remember--without your health--there is no golf season.
All The Best
Bernie
Many of my readers know that last summer I suffered a heart attack after walking 27 holes in 103* heat. That's not usually a problem for me, golfing in the heat that is, as I know how to stay hydrated. The heart attack was actually more a case of my Chicken-Fried Everything Diet catching up with me. A clogged artery finally screamed--"Enough already you old fart!---We're going to the hospital, and you're going to learn to eat right. " Alas--I miss Popeye's Fried Chicken, and over indulging in Blue Bell Ice Cream, but hey, I've eaten enough of that stuff for 5 people. While I was in the hospital, I did learn one thing about staying hydrated, and that is-----make sure to bring along some electrolytes for your drinking water. Once those electrolytes are gone from your body, water alone can't save you. Here's some tricks besides that that you need to remember.
KEEP A BOTTLE OF WATER WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES
Preferably water with which you have added the aforementioned electrolytes. It is very important that you have that bottle with you for several reasons. First of all, you need to sip between almost every shot--if at all possible. Do Not Gulp the Water!!!!---It will weigh you down, and your shots will not come off as planned. It is harder on your muscles to wait for liquids they sorely need, and just as hard on your stomach, if not harder, when you gulp large quantities of liquids after long dry spells. Your body and your game will appreciate how much better off you feel and play if you keep your hydration levels constant.
HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH
If it's 90+ Degrees outside, and you haven't urinated within the past 30 minutes---you are not drinking enough water. That may sound extreme, but it's true. In hot muggy weather your body is pouring out every ounce of liquid it can muster in order to cool off. You need to track that amount without becoming pre-occupied with it. It's hard enough to keep score of your game, much less your bladder. Let's just say that if you aren't knocking off that pint bottle of water every 3 holes---you're still not drinking enough. Most courses have water and or a bathroom every few holes. Take advantage of both. If you don't, you may notice that your ability to hit good recovery shots is starting to fade like your favourite old pair of jeans, and that is not a good thing.
REMEMBER THE FOREIGN LEGION
Take along a face towel for a hydration rag. Wet this towel with cold water, and re-wet it at every watering can or fountain along the course. Stick the towel on top of your head before putting your hat on. Rotate the towel so that you can see out of the front, but allow it to drape over your neck ala Ye Olde Foreign Legion Cap Style. (Remember--"Beau Knows Heat!") This acts as insulation, and the moisture that gets drawn out of the rag and through your hat will act as the old-fashioned cooling towers of the 30's and 40's did. You will also notice that your neck no longer gets sun burned. It is advisable to remove the rag and wipe your hands with a golf towel before taking a shot. You'll feel cooler, and more refreshed this way, and you won't have to suck down as much liquid just to keep cool.
NOT JUST STANDING ON A SOAPBOX
After my heart attack the folks at the hospital must've pumped me full of more saline than an entire day's production at The Tyson's Chicken Plant. This just goes to show how much the heat can suck out of you-- even when you try to stay hydrated. Unfortunately, despite my good hydrating habits at the golf course, I had not been practicing such good habits out in the garden for several days beforehand, so that left me vulnerable. Basically, stay hydrated all summer long is the lesson I learned here. The heart attack cost me half of last season, and my late start to this season can be indirectly attributed to it as well. After the heart attack, Crestor was just another of the many new meds introduced to my diet. Unfortunately, I turned out to be that lucky guy that forced Astra Zeneca's Lawyer's to add the addendum, "on rare occasions Crestor can cause muscle deterioration." After the muscle deterioration, there was no longer enough critical mass in the Lats and Abdominal region to support my spine, so we've been working on rebuilding all of that. So theoretically, if you'd like to get technical--Dehydration can destroy your golf season, and that's only if it doesn't kill you first. I consider this a public service to all who read my blog, and I will be back to regular columns soon. I'd love to get back to writingonly about all things strictly golf---but remember--without your health--there is no golf season.
All The Best
Bernie
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