Driving Range Practice Practice Practice

DRIVING RANGE ANTICS

Well today was a further day of trying to put into action the wise words of coach. The weather was not great, cold, damp and intermittent showers. This meant I would postpone my outing on the 18 hole course and focus my efforts at the driving range. The initial plan was to do the 18 hole alone, that determined to improve and play even when others can not make it! Bring on the better weather, sunshine and longer hours of day light.

In a nutshell, I didn't start well. 'On' and 'Off', some good, some bad shots. Slowly I tweaked my stance, 'left arm straight', correct grip', 'feet shoulder width apart', 'peak of the cap' to the right of the ball, 'drop the shoulders to the right', 'knees slightly flexed', 'bum out slightly'. Then as I drew the club back, I staggered the swing as recommended by coach, imagining the pane of glass.Turned the hips, moving the upper torso 90 degrees to follow the club. Keeping the head still but only twisting the upper torso I brought the club back through and struck the ball, following through.

It was great to see a sweet shot. However I was conscious that I was slipping back into the old routine. If the left hip wasn't turned sufficiently, the shot would go awol, or not anywhere at all. Eventually more consistency crept in, the stance feeling more natural. The bad side though, on a number of a occasions perhaps 8….I sliced the ball to the left and lifted the driving range nets, landing the balls on the main course, tally hoe old chap. It was then I switched to the PW and attempted to use the same pane of glass analogy.

On closer inspection, I noticed my five iron lynx starting to show ware and tear. Any one recommend a new set of clubs and the source!? Drop me a comment here if you do.

Next Blog Entry
Next weeks blog will look at an outing at a National Golf Course in the UK...as promised in last weeks blog. Did the above teachings work? We will see.....

If you have not already done so, check out the www.captaingolf.blogspot.com video in the blog entry 'Say Cheese'. Thumbs up and there may be more on the way.

Regards

Say Cheese

Lights Camera Action

Ok ladies and gents. I managed to create the first captaingolf video for www.captaingolf.blogspot.com Yes folk were requesting a video or two. See what you think and let me know if it gets the thumbs up or thumbs down?



You can still see an awkward movement/stance in the swing, yet this coach assures me will disappear once I crack the swing and keep the head still. Potential to add few more videos if this one proves successful. The stance was a lot worse prior to this. Hopefully it has improved since.

The Poll
Meanwhile, following on from the blog about golf brands, make sure you register your vote on the matter. Locate the poll on the right hand side.


The Next Blog Entry:
The next blog entry will look at lessons learn't from lesson 3 as promised in the previous blog.

Captain Golf Equation: Maths can be Fun: (a*b/c)+(d+e)=f

Age and Golf: Is there an Optimum Age to Play Golf?

Does age matter when it comes to golf?

For many sports age plays a crucial role. For example, in football (soccer) outfield players generally reach their sell by date by the time they reach their 30s. Yet look at the world of Darts, the players are stereotypically not as lean and perhaps slightly older. Different sports have a different age ranges where the 'athlete' can stay competitive and compete at the highest level. The interesting scenario is with Watson (59), he still plays a great game. I guess the key question is

'what is the shelf life of a golfer?'

Injuries are sure to play apart and likely to be linked to age, but if one can stay injury free they can play competitively for a far longer period of time. Does a beer belly make you a better player, or does general fitness result in better play?

what are the variables involved?

If one could program a robot (that could play like a human), and give it all the best attributes what would the attributes be?

What is the definitive equation?

Could it be created? One could identify a glass ceiling of what and what can not be achieved.

The Captain Golf Equation:

Here I have listed some key attributes:

a=No. of Training Hours.
b=Player Age (too young; difficult to gage-inexperienced, too old:experienced but greater risk of injury).
c=Average Injury (total no.injuries/number of years playing golf).
d=Natural Talent.
(difficult to measure, perhaps a PGA coach could create a 1 to 10 spectrum on this).
e=Hand/Eye Co-ordination.
f=Golfing Potential.

Captain Golf Equation:

(a*b/c)+(d+e)=f

Could such attributes be scored and the maximum potential established for any player? One could identify a glass ceiling of what and what could not be reached? Food for thought. I hope to develop this equation further in future captaingolf.blogspot.com issues. Any thoughts/suggestions put them this way. Don't forget about the poll. Keep voting.

Next Week's Key Blog:

The next captaingolf.blogspot.com entry will take a look at golf brands and their impact.

If you have enjoyed reading my blog, please spread the word and forward the link.

Best regards