After two practice rounds, all the assessments from yesterday stand true after today. I hit a few different clubs off some of the tees to get a different feel for some of the holes. I also played from some other tee boxes because I would expect the South Texas PGA to mix it up a little bit in terms of how they set the course up. Other than that, it was really just a matter of gaining more confidence on the greens. The majority of my practice time today was spent trying to get more of a feel for the speed of the greens. If I can continue to hit the driver well and play out of the fairways I'll be able to position the ball well enough on the greens to have birdie opportunities instead of having to lag putt all day long. Today was another solid day hitting the ball. My swing feels good and I have more confidence in my game than I have in a long time.
I was still fighting this head cold today so again I was limited in the amount of practice I was able to put in this afternoon. Fortunately I feel good enough about where my game is at right now which has allowed me to get some extra rest. My tee time tomorrow is 11:35. Perfect tee time to get a good night sleep tonight and hopefully be back to full strength tomorrow. I can't tell you how ready I am to get back out there competing again.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
First Impressions
Tell me this doesn't look like New Orleans....lol. Who knew San Antonio had this much elevation. I guess if you'd been here before you'd know, but this is my first time. I took the picture with my phone and it didn't really do it justice, but from numerous locations throughout the course it seemed like you could see for miles. There's two courses here at the TPC of San Antonio, one of which is called Canyons which is the one we're playing. As soon as you step on the first tee you can see how it got it's name. I wasn't sure what to think before playing, but after today's practice round I'm very impressed.
Off the tee, the course sets up very fair. Pretty wide fairways which is nice to see after struggling with the driver for so long. A few holes are shaped a little tighter, but nothing too severe. There's only water on one hole, but every hole is lined with shrubs, cactus and rocks just off the fairways. Areas where a ball if findable but certainly not where you want to be. If I was a snake I know where I'd be...any one of these holes out at the TPC would be just fine. Fortunately, after hours of practice and a few really productive lessons this past month I'm confident in saying that things seem to be heading back in the right direction. I know it was just a practice round, but today was probably the best round I've played in almost 3 months. Primarily, I hit a lot of great drives. I still had two that were a little sloppy, but the rest were really good. It's been a long time since I've played out of that many fairways in one round. On top of that, my irons were just as solid.
The key this week is going to be controlling the ball around the greens. They're big, undulating and fast so it's going to be important to position the ball on the correct side of the hole. The good news is they're in excellent condition so if I can read the putts right I should be able to make a few. Unfortunately, I've been battling a little head cold the last couple of days and wasn't feeling up to a second practice session this afternoon. It would of been nice to spend a little more time on the greens, but I'm hoping the extra bit of rest will help get rid of whatever I've got.
Tomorrow, I'm planning on playing another practice round in the morning and then work on the short game in the afternoon. I've got my dad here with me this week caddying so that's going to be a big help. We've made a good team in the past so I'm hoping that continues again this week. I'll have a follow-up tomorrow night after my second practice round.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Down To The Wire
After suffering a minor heart-attack in Atlanta this past weekend watching the LSU football game, I'm back home and about fully recovered. We had a great trip which included a lesson with Tom Ness & Brian Manzella on Friday afternoon, a round at East Lake Golf Club Saturday morning and then the game Saturday night. We accomplished a lot in just 48 hours.
The lesson I had on Friday afternoon was probably the most productive one I've had so far. Brian Manzella, the teacher I've been working with here in New Orleans, drove to Atlanta for the football game and was nice enough to help out with my lesson that afternoon. So I had both Tom and Brian there going back and forth trying to put the last few pieces of the puzzle (my swing) together. I was very fortunate to have the two of them there and when I left I felt as though I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. The advice they gave me is going to be a big help while a big challenge at the same time. They're corrections that must be made and going to require a lot of hard work. But I guess that comes with anything you want in life.
On Saturday morning, Erika's dad, brother and I all teed off at East Lake Golf Club. For those that have been around golf, know that this course is one of the greats in the country and a true piece of history. It's also home of the Tour Championship which is going to be played there next weekend. Everything was absolutely perfect and a real treat to have the opportunity to play.
I'm not going to comment on the game except for the fact that I was unable to watch the last 2 minutes. I'm glad we won but they've got a lot of work to do....kinda of like myself.
I'll be heading to San Antonio, TX this Saturday to get ready for the first round of PGA Tour Q-School. Since I was late signing up and due to the amount of entries, I was placed at the overflow site which is being held at the TPC of San Antonio. It's a brand new course that just opened up in January so I've never played it before. I'm hoping that's the case for most of the people that will be there. I should arrive in time to practice Saturday afternoon and then get in two full practice rounds on Sunday and Monday. The first round begins Tuesday and goes until Friday. I'll have an analysis of the golf course once I get there this weekend. Hope all is well.
The lesson I had on Friday afternoon was probably the most productive one I've had so far. Brian Manzella, the teacher I've been working with here in New Orleans, drove to Atlanta for the football game and was nice enough to help out with my lesson that afternoon. So I had both Tom and Brian there going back and forth trying to put the last few pieces of the puzzle (my swing) together. I was very fortunate to have the two of them there and when I left I felt as though I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. The advice they gave me is going to be a big help while a big challenge at the same time. They're corrections that must be made and going to require a lot of hard work. But I guess that comes with anything you want in life.
On Saturday morning, Erika's dad, brother and I all teed off at East Lake Golf Club. For those that have been around golf, know that this course is one of the greats in the country and a true piece of history. It's also home of the Tour Championship which is going to be played there next weekend. Everything was absolutely perfect and a real treat to have the opportunity to play.
I'm not going to comment on the game except for the fact that I was unable to watch the last 2 minutes. I'm glad we won but they've got a lot of work to do....kinda of like myself.
I'll be heading to San Antonio, TX this Saturday to get ready for the first round of PGA Tour Q-School. Since I was late signing up and due to the amount of entries, I was placed at the overflow site which is being held at the TPC of San Antonio. It's a brand new course that just opened up in January so I've never played it before. I'm hoping that's the case for most of the people that will be there. I should arrive in time to practice Saturday afternoon and then get in two full practice rounds on Sunday and Monday. The first round begins Tuesday and goes until Friday. I'll have an analysis of the golf course once I get there this weekend. Hope all is well.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
A Week Later....
Well, it's been just over a week since our Atlanta trip and here's the report so far. The minor change in my grip has been the easiest of all the corrections up to this point. In just a couple days, the new grip began to feel natural to me and is no longer a conscious thought. The second easiest transition so far has been the slight adjustment in my setup. Again, within a few days I was feeling comfortable with the changes. The two biggest changes (1) my takeaway and (2) the transition from the top of the backswing to impact have been the primary focus of every practice session since I've been home. Thanks in part to the drills I was given and the thousands of golf balls I've hit in the last week, I'm happy to report there's progress being made. I wouldn't say it's second nature just yet, but everyday seems to be better than one before.
I have managed to fit in a couple rounds in between the endless hours on the driving range. One being at the newly renovated University Club in Baton Rouge (a 7,700 yard par-72 course) and the other at Audubon Golf Course in New Orleans (a 4,200 yard par-62 course). The round I played at the UC was tough to say the least. It's easily the longest course I've ever played so even on my best day it would of been difficult. I think it was a little too early amidst the swing changes to expect any ground-breaking scores. Fortunately, the round at Audubon took place the very next day and yielded much better results. While Audubon is a full 3,500 yards shorter than the UC, it still felt good to make 6 birdies on the round and hit a lot of quality shots.
Tournament Update:
After multiple conservations with the family, I went ahead and registered for the 2010 PGA Tour Q-School. For a while there it seemed in question, but I think the swing advice I've received lately has been a big help and I'm confident that in a months time I'll be ready. I've elected to go back to Dallas for q-school, which is where I went last year, so hopefully I'll get my first choice. I should know within the next few days. If that site is already full, my next choice is Port St. Lucie, Florida so there's a chance I could end up there.
In the meantime, everyday will continue to be filled with more practice and playing trying to groove the swing changes. I'm getting together with Brian here at English Turn tomorrow to review everything I've been working on. He and Tom have been in contact lately so now everyone's on the same page with what I need to be working on in my swing. When we go to Atlanta Labor Day weekend for the LSU game, I plan on working with Tom that Friday afternoon to get another quick look. That's it for now. More to come next week.
I have managed to fit in a couple rounds in between the endless hours on the driving range. One being at the newly renovated University Club in Baton Rouge (a 7,700 yard par-72 course) and the other at Audubon Golf Course in New Orleans (a 4,200 yard par-62 course). The round I played at the UC was tough to say the least. It's easily the longest course I've ever played so even on my best day it would of been difficult. I think it was a little too early amidst the swing changes to expect any ground-breaking scores. Fortunately, the round at Audubon took place the very next day and yielded much better results. While Audubon is a full 3,500 yards shorter than the UC, it still felt good to make 6 birdies on the round and hit a lot of quality shots.
Tournament Update:
After multiple conservations with the family, I went ahead and registered for the 2010 PGA Tour Q-School. For a while there it seemed in question, but I think the swing advice I've received lately has been a big help and I'm confident that in a months time I'll be ready. I've elected to go back to Dallas for q-school, which is where I went last year, so hopefully I'll get my first choice. I should know within the next few days. If that site is already full, my next choice is Port St. Lucie, Florida so there's a chance I could end up there.
In the meantime, everyday will continue to be filled with more practice and playing trying to groove the swing changes. I'm getting together with Brian here at English Turn tomorrow to review everything I've been working on. He and Tom have been in contact lately so now everyone's on the same page with what I need to be working on in my swing. When we go to Atlanta Labor Day weekend for the LSU game, I plan on working with Tom that Friday afternoon to get another quick look. That's it for now. More to come next week.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Back from Atlanta
We're back home now from Atlanta so I wanted to post a recap on how the trip went. We got into Atlanta around 1:00 and by the time we got our bags, rented a car and drove nearly an hour north from the airport I arrived at Alpharetta Athletic Club at 3:00 in time to start my lesson. We began by going over a brief history of my golfing career and what ultimately lead me to being there in the first place. I explained the struggles I'd been having lately and he was quickly interested in seeing me hit some balls. For a good two and a half hours we worked together trying identify the main areas of my swing that needed work. It was nice having the ability to look at my swing from multiple angles in slow motion because it caused the flaws in my swing to really stand out. I'd say that there were 4 issues that we both felt needed improvement. For those that understand the golf swing here they are:
(1) Grip: My grip was too weak which was causing a lot of the shots I was missing to
to the right. Tom suggested that I turn my left hand over more to the right (stronger) just slightly which put my grip in a more neutral position.
(2) Setup: I need to center my weight more in my address position and put my head back a little and not cocked forward like it was.
(3) Backswing: For those that have played golf with me know that my backswing is short...no big secret there. Because its short, I tend to not make a big enough shoulder turn which affects my rhythm and tempo and can get really jerky under pressure. Tom gave me a good drill to work on that really helps with this problem.
(4) Impact: We noticed that when I would hit my driver, my left heel was jumping
about 2" inches off the ground right before impact. I didn't do this with any other club, but definitely another cause of hitting shots to the right...especially with my driver. Tom explained a better way to use my pivot on the downswing to help alleviate this problem and it seemed to work pretty well.
On Saturday, we got together again around 10:00 for a follow-up lesson. This time, we basically worked on the same things we had talked about the day before. We took some more video and introduced a couple new drills to work on going forward. We called it a day around lunch time, and from there I went next door to meet with the person in charge of club fitting. The facility we worked out of was a brand new building built just off to the side of the driving range. It had two hitting bays that could be opened up to the range; one for Tom to teach out of and the other to do club fittings. I was interested in demoing a few drivers and the guy there was more than willing to help. He did have a lot going on so what we did was pretty informal and more or less just me seeing what clubs felt the best. I tried one type of driver in about 10 different shafts and came up with a combination that might be a possibility in the future. It was a good experience and if I get back to Atlanta soon, I hope to set up an appointment with him again to do a more in depth fitting.
Once I was done with both the lesson and fitting, I drove about another 20 minutes north to a course called Hawk's Ridge. Tom had set me up out there and said that if I decided to go I wouldn't be let down. He was right. This place was one of the nicest golf courses I have ever played. It looked a lot like Augusta (even though nothing compares to Augusta) with all the tall pine trees lining the fairways, elevation changes on every hole, large bunkers and perfectly sculpted greens. It was an absolute treat to play and even Erika, who rode around in the cart with me, was impressed. I played 18 holes in just over 2 hours and only had to pass up one group for the entire round. It's like we had the place to ourselves.
Overall, it was a very informative trip and I'm glad I went. Any time you can get a second opinion from someone knowledgeable about the game it can't hurt. Everything we talked about I've seen, done or heard before so it wasn't like he was throwing a bunch of new ideas at me. But over time, you forget things and a trip like this becomes valuable to help put the pieces back together. When we left Atlanta, Tom said he would be more than willing to help again in the future and I hope the opportunity to go back comes sooner rather than later. Right now, my plans are to practice every day, all day and really try to groove these changes. I feel good about what's to come and I'm excited to get back to where I need to be. I'm gonna do everything I can to come out of this better than before. Hope everyone is doing well!
(1) Grip: My grip was too weak which was causing a lot of the shots I was missing to
to the right. Tom suggested that I turn my left hand over more to the right (stronger) just slightly which put my grip in a more neutral position.
(2) Setup: I need to center my weight more in my address position and put my head back a little and not cocked forward like it was.
(3) Backswing: For those that have played golf with me know that my backswing is short...no big secret there. Because its short, I tend to not make a big enough shoulder turn which affects my rhythm and tempo and can get really jerky under pressure. Tom gave me a good drill to work on that really helps with this problem.
(4) Impact: We noticed that when I would hit my driver, my left heel was jumping
about 2" inches off the ground right before impact. I didn't do this with any other club, but definitely another cause of hitting shots to the right...especially with my driver. Tom explained a better way to use my pivot on the downswing to help alleviate this problem and it seemed to work pretty well.
On Saturday, we got together again around 10:00 for a follow-up lesson. This time, we basically worked on the same things we had talked about the day before. We took some more video and introduced a couple new drills to work on going forward. We called it a day around lunch time, and from there I went next door to meet with the person in charge of club fitting. The facility we worked out of was a brand new building built just off to the side of the driving range. It had two hitting bays that could be opened up to the range; one for Tom to teach out of and the other to do club fittings. I was interested in demoing a few drivers and the guy there was more than willing to help. He did have a lot going on so what we did was pretty informal and more or less just me seeing what clubs felt the best. I tried one type of driver in about 10 different shafts and came up with a combination that might be a possibility in the future. It was a good experience and if I get back to Atlanta soon, I hope to set up an appointment with him again to do a more in depth fitting.
Once I was done with both the lesson and fitting, I drove about another 20 minutes north to a course called Hawk's Ridge. Tom had set me up out there and said that if I decided to go I wouldn't be let down. He was right. This place was one of the nicest golf courses I have ever played. It looked a lot like Augusta (even though nothing compares to Augusta) with all the tall pine trees lining the fairways, elevation changes on every hole, large bunkers and perfectly sculpted greens. It was an absolute treat to play and even Erika, who rode around in the cart with me, was impressed. I played 18 holes in just over 2 hours and only had to pass up one group for the entire round. It's like we had the place to ourselves.
Overall, it was a very informative trip and I'm glad I went. Any time you can get a second opinion from someone knowledgeable about the game it can't hurt. Everything we talked about I've seen, done or heard before so it wasn't like he was throwing a bunch of new ideas at me. But over time, you forget things and a trip like this becomes valuable to help put the pieces back together. When we left Atlanta, Tom said he would be more than willing to help again in the future and I hope the opportunity to go back comes sooner rather than later. Right now, my plans are to practice every day, all day and really try to groove these changes. I feel good about what's to come and I'm excited to get back to where I need to be. I'm gonna do everything I can to come out of this better than before. Hope everyone is doing well!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
What's New
There's been quite a lot going on since returning home from being on the road. When I wasn't practicing, I've been spending the majority of my time trying to figure out where to go for help with my game. I feel like I know every teacher within a 500 mile radius of New Orleans and what they're all about. Something that I never thought I'd need to know, but now I'm glad that I've added this information to the memory bank in case I'm ever in this situation again in the future. After 10 days of doing research, sending out emails and talking with family & friends I've decided to seek the help of Tom Ness. Here's a quick description of his background:
Tom Ness is ranked as one of the Top 50 Greatest Golf Teachers in the United States by Golf Digest, and One of the top 100 Golf Teachers by GOLFMagazine. He has authored numerous articles for Golf Digest including cover stories How to Upgrade Your Impact and Slam the Door on Your Slice. He is also featured in selected titles of the Golf Digest Learning Library video series, such as Putting for Profit, How to Hit It Longer, and Straighter and Getting Started Right. An exceptional golf teacher, Tom began his golf career under the tutelage of Davis Love, Jr., and Bob Toski. He has taught numerous players from each of golf’s major tours and has participated in golf schools all over the world.
One of the biggest factors in making this decision was the fact that he came highly recommended by Brian Manzella (my current teacher). When I approached Brian about this situation, he was very understanding and was all for the thought of seeking a second opinion about my swing. He was confident that Tom would be a good fit. The idea was trying to find someone different enough to hopefully be able to pick up on things in my swing that may have been overlooked in the past, but yet not someone who would potentially try and drastically change my swing. As we approach September, the beginning of PGA Tour Q-School, I think it's best to try and find a solution to my swinging woes by changing as little as possible. I'm hopeful that Tom will provide that solution.
The other deciding factors were proximity and availability. Atlanta is relatively easy to get to considering there are approximately 8-10 direct flights from N.O. to ATL everyday, and Tom was available right away. So, tomorrow Erika and I are flying to Atlanta in the morning because my first lesson is tentatively scheduled for 2:00 Friday afternoon. From there, we're going to discuss a time for a follow-up lesson on Saturday and then Erika and I will be flying back Sunday morning.
There is also a high-tech fitting center at the same location that Tom teaches at, so I'm going to try and fit that in as well. My driver has been absolutely killing me lately so it might be time to try something new. That's it for now. I'll have another update when I get back from Atlanta. Hopefully nothing but good news.
Tom Ness is ranked as one of the Top 50 Greatest Golf Teachers in the United States by Golf Digest, and One of the top 100 Golf Teachers by GOLFMagazine. He has authored numerous articles for Golf Digest including cover stories How to Upgrade Your Impact and Slam the Door on Your Slice. He is also featured in selected titles of the Golf Digest Learning Library video series, such as Putting for Profit, How to Hit It Longer, and Straighter and Getting Started Right. An exceptional golf teacher, Tom began his golf career under the tutelage of Davis Love, Jr., and Bob Toski. He has taught numerous players from each of golf’s major tours and has participated in golf schools all over the world.
One of the biggest factors in making this decision was the fact that he came highly recommended by Brian Manzella (my current teacher). When I approached Brian about this situation, he was very understanding and was all for the thought of seeking a second opinion about my swing. He was confident that Tom would be a good fit. The idea was trying to find someone different enough to hopefully be able to pick up on things in my swing that may have been overlooked in the past, but yet not someone who would potentially try and drastically change my swing. As we approach September, the beginning of PGA Tour Q-School, I think it's best to try and find a solution to my swinging woes by changing as little as possible. I'm hopeful that Tom will provide that solution.
The other deciding factors were proximity and availability. Atlanta is relatively easy to get to considering there are approximately 8-10 direct flights from N.O. to ATL everyday, and Tom was available right away. So, tomorrow Erika and I are flying to Atlanta in the morning because my first lesson is tentatively scheduled for 2:00 Friday afternoon. From there, we're going to discuss a time for a follow-up lesson on Saturday and then Erika and I will be flying back Sunday morning.
There is also a high-tech fitting center at the same location that Tom teaches at, so I'm going to try and fit that in as well. My driver has been absolutely killing me lately so it might be time to try something new. That's it for now. I'll have another update when I get back from Atlanta. Hopefully nothing but good news.
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