It's been a while since my last post, so I wanted to give everyone a little update on what's been going on. My first priority since I've been home has been to find a way to improve my putting. So, from day one I've focused the majority of my time working on that part of my game and I was able to come up with a couple solutions. They were (1) a small adjustment in my setup and (2) establish a routine. Even though there are certain things I do before I hit every putt in competition, I never had an exact routine that I went through perfectly every time. So far, that change has made the biggest improvement. In fact, the first round I played after working on my routine I had 26 putts, 8 birdies and shot 67. So I think that will be something I'm going to stick with and really focus on going forward.
This past Friday, my former boss JT was kind enough to take a look at my putting and add a few pointers of his own. I liked the suggestions he made and I think they will be good additions to my game. We're planning on getting together again next week for a check-up so I'll be looking forward to that.
Aside from putting, I've just been trying to play a lot of golf. My swing feels good so I'm just trying to play as much as possible and get used to shooting some lower scores. I was able to meet up with Brian Manzella for a quick lesson the other day and that went really well. For the most part, we were just trying to undo some of the manipulations I had made in my swing these last few weeks due to my foot. Now that I'm able to make a full swing, it's just a matter of getting back to the things I was doing before the injury. I wouldn't say my foot is completely healed, but it's good enough to swing the way that I want to. At worst, it gets a little tender every now and then.
My next event is an Adam's Tour tournament being held in Baton Rouge, LA beginning June 9th. I'm heading up that way tomorrow actually to help my brother-in-law move into his dorm at LSU where he will be starting college next week. On Tuesday, I plan on playing the course where the tournament is going to be held as an early practice round. That's it for now. Hope everyone is doing well. More to come later....
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Doctor's Report
Diagnosis: Strained Ligament
Rx: Physical Therapy & Rest
Yesterday, I drove down to Houma to have the doctor take a look at my foot. For the most part, the news he gave me was as good as I could of hoped for. The diagnosis was that I had strained one of the three ligaments that connects the ankle to the foot. When I described how it happened, he said the injury was very common and explained that it was similar to rolling your ankle. The swing drill that I was doing at the time I heard the pop in my foot was the ligament moving outside the tunnels in which they run through. From there, that part of my foot was vulnerable to the strain which occurred the next morning.
The doctor's recommendations were to have about three sessions of physical therapy and try not to aggravate the foot too much. He mentioned that it could take 4-6 weeks until its back to full strength. Because I feel like my foot is gradually feeling better, I don't think I'll be doing any physical therapy. At this time, I think if I just continue to wrap it up and not push things too hard during practice, everything should take care of itself in time. That's pretty much it for now. I'll be home the rest of this week and next just playing and practicing as much as I can. My next tournament is an Adam's Tour event being held in Baton Rouge, LA beginning on June 9.
Rx: Physical Therapy & Rest
Yesterday, I drove down to Houma to have the doctor take a look at my foot. For the most part, the news he gave me was as good as I could of hoped for. The diagnosis was that I had strained one of the three ligaments that connects the ankle to the foot. When I described how it happened, he said the injury was very common and explained that it was similar to rolling your ankle. The swing drill that I was doing at the time I heard the pop in my foot was the ligament moving outside the tunnels in which they run through. From there, that part of my foot was vulnerable to the strain which occurred the next morning.
The doctor's recommendations were to have about three sessions of physical therapy and try not to aggravate the foot too much. He mentioned that it could take 4-6 weeks until its back to full strength. Because I feel like my foot is gradually feeling better, I don't think I'll be doing any physical therapy. At this time, I think if I just continue to wrap it up and not push things too hard during practice, everything should take care of itself in time. That's pretty much it for now. I'll be home the rest of this week and next just playing and practicing as much as I can. My next tournament is an Adam's Tour event being held in Baton Rouge, LA beginning on June 9.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Nationwide Tour Qualifier - Rex Hospital Open Results
Score: 75
I did not qualify for the Nationwide Tour event, but I did finally realize something that will definitely be a major part in the deciding factor as to whether or not I am successful as a professional golfer. That realization is I have got to become a better putter period.....and its got to start today. There's really nothing else to it. My swing has always been good enough to produce results at least some of the time in my playing career. And now that I've been working with Brian, those results have since improved and I believe will continue to improve as we move forward. However, it doesn't matter how good I can hit the ball if I can't make the putt once it's on the green.
Yesterday, I played pretty well. It rained from the time I got to the course all the way through the first nine holes. It wasn't easy dealing with the umbrella and trying to keep everything dry. Under the circumstances, I feel like I played a solid round. But yet again, I had 34 putts and didn't make a birdie until the very last hole.
I had some time in the airport last night to look at my putting stats since March and the results are what I expected. During the three months when I was in Florida competing on the Hooters Tour Winter Series, I averaged 31.05 putts per round. Since the first Adam's Tour event in March and including the additional qualifiers I've done in between, my average putts per round has gone up to 32.55. Consequently, my scoring average has gone up from 73.85 over the winter months to 74.33 since March. But it even goes further than that. Consistently missing putts has a greater affect on your confidence and how you approach a round. My lack in putting adds a lot of unnecessary pressure to the rest of my game. Instead of aiming at flags trying to make birdies, I'm aiming at flags to avoid 3-putting. And when I am hitting the ball well, there's no reward because I'm not converting the putts. This was the main reason I mentioned in a previous blog that I get nothing out of my rounds. I'm not looking to putt great all the time, but there has to be periods throughout the year where I putt well some of the time.
So, admitting that I have a problem with my putting is the first step. Fixing it is the next. I'll be looking for any advice that I can find. Tips, drills, changes you name it. I'll try anything because whatever I'm doing and have tried to do are not working. Friday I'm getting together with JT, my boss from New Orleans Country Club, and see if we can't figure something out. I've got two weeks until my next tournament so most of my practice time will be dedicated to working on that part of my game.
Side Note: Tomorrow, I have an appointment in Houma with the foot doctor. Hopefully he'll tell me that it's nothing and just needs a little rest. Hope everyone is doing well!
I did not qualify for the Nationwide Tour event, but I did finally realize something that will definitely be a major part in the deciding factor as to whether or not I am successful as a professional golfer. That realization is I have got to become a better putter period.....and its got to start today. There's really nothing else to it. My swing has always been good enough to produce results at least some of the time in my playing career. And now that I've been working with Brian, those results have since improved and I believe will continue to improve as we move forward. However, it doesn't matter how good I can hit the ball if I can't make the putt once it's on the green.
Yesterday, I played pretty well. It rained from the time I got to the course all the way through the first nine holes. It wasn't easy dealing with the umbrella and trying to keep everything dry. Under the circumstances, I feel like I played a solid round. But yet again, I had 34 putts and didn't make a birdie until the very last hole.
I had some time in the airport last night to look at my putting stats since March and the results are what I expected. During the three months when I was in Florida competing on the Hooters Tour Winter Series, I averaged 31.05 putts per round. Since the first Adam's Tour event in March and including the additional qualifiers I've done in between, my average putts per round has gone up to 32.55. Consequently, my scoring average has gone up from 73.85 over the winter months to 74.33 since March. But it even goes further than that. Consistently missing putts has a greater affect on your confidence and how you approach a round. My lack in putting adds a lot of unnecessary pressure to the rest of my game. Instead of aiming at flags trying to make birdies, I'm aiming at flags to avoid 3-putting. And when I am hitting the ball well, there's no reward because I'm not converting the putts. This was the main reason I mentioned in a previous blog that I get nothing out of my rounds. I'm not looking to putt great all the time, but there has to be periods throughout the year where I putt well some of the time.
So, admitting that I have a problem with my putting is the first step. Fixing it is the next. I'll be looking for any advice that I can find. Tips, drills, changes you name it. I'll try anything because whatever I'm doing and have tried to do are not working. Friday I'm getting together with JT, my boss from New Orleans Country Club, and see if we can't figure something out. I've got two weeks until my next tournament so most of my practice time will be dedicated to working on that part of my game.
Side Note: Tomorrow, I have an appointment in Houma with the foot doctor. Hopefully he'll tell me that it's nothing and just needs a little rest. Hope everyone is doing well!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Nationwide Tour Qualifier - Raleigh, NC (Preview)
Today, I played my practice round for Nationwide Tour qualifier taking place tomorrow. The tournament is called the Rex Hospital Open and is being played here in Raleigh, NC. I believe there about 60 guys here trying to qualify tomorrow for 7 spots. The forecast is for a 70% chance of thunderstorms all day so it's going to be interesting to see if we get everything in. I'm not sure on the tours policy if there's a weather delay, and hopefully I won't have to find out.
One of the best parts about playing professional golf is getting to travel to different parts of the country and playing all types of different courses. The course I played today was a pleasant reminder of how lucky I am to be doing what I do. North Carolina is such a scenic place and the golf course was no exception. It had a lot of rolling hills, elevated tee boxes and tricky greens. It's not the best course I've ever played, but definitely a nice change from the majority I've been on lately.
My first impression is that adjusting to the speed of the greens is going to play a big part in scoring well tomorrow. Bent grass is a lot different than bermuda, and when kept in good condition, can make for some really challenging putts. However, they are very smooth and fast so a good putt will tend to go in more times than not. The other thing I've got to pay attention to tomorrow is the elevation changes. Judging distance is an issue and will require more focus in those situations.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the way everything has worked out so far. Hopefully, the weather will hold out for us and everyone can finish their rounds. My tee time tomorrow is 7:40 off #10. We'll see what happens..........
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Adam's Tour (Mt. Auburn Classic) - Second Round
Today's Score: 72
Birdie....Birdie....Birdie!!! That's how the round started. Needless to say, I was feeling good about where things were going. I knew I needed to get off to a good start because the cut was certainly not going to be +6 over. And because the back nine (where I started) is the easier of the two sides, that's where felt like I could find a few birdies. On #14, a short par-3, I hit my tee shot about 2 feet from the hole, but somehow managed to miss the birdie putt. That would of put me -4 under thru 5 holes and in a really good position. But, I was still in good shape and continued to play aggressively smart trying to find birdies when I could. Unfortunately, I slight miss right on #16 lead to a bogey followed by a poor drive on #17 and I quickly had given two shots back to par. I missed a good chance for birdie on the 18th from about 6 feet, and made the turn at -1 under.
On #10, I was less than an inch away from holing out from the fairway for an eagle. A good birdie though and I was back to -2 under. On #3, I hit a tee shot that was a lot better than where it ended up. There was no shot from the spot where it finished and lead to a very unnecessary bogey. I failed to get up-and-down on the 5th hole and I was back to even par. Four holes left and there was no question I needed to birdie all of them. A good look on #6 from 10ft just missed. I hit the par-5 7th in two and made a nice two putt for birdie. Another missed opportunity from about 5 ft on the par-5 8th and my hopes of making a late charge where all but gone. A 3-putt on #18 pretty much summed it all up.
I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to produce a good score after getting off to such a fast start. Somehow, I continue to find ways to throw away shots and get nothing out of my rounds. I feel like I played solidly all day and have nothing to show for it. Looking at the event as a whole, the biggest issue was starting the tournament +7 over thru 7 holes. I was behind the eight ball from the very beginning and it was an uphill climb the rest of the way. I've got to do a better job at shooting lower scores in the first round of tournaments and not give away so many shots.
I'll be in Dallas the next couple of days and then I'm flying to Raleigh, NC on Saturday night. There's a Nationwide event there next week and I'll be trying to qualify for that on Monday. More on that to follow........
Birdie....Birdie....Birdie!!! That's how the round started. Needless to say, I was feeling good about where things were going. I knew I needed to get off to a good start because the cut was certainly not going to be +6 over. And because the back nine (where I started) is the easier of the two sides, that's where felt like I could find a few birdies. On #14, a short par-3, I hit my tee shot about 2 feet from the hole, but somehow managed to miss the birdie putt. That would of put me -4 under thru 5 holes and in a really good position. But, I was still in good shape and continued to play aggressively smart trying to find birdies when I could. Unfortunately, I slight miss right on #16 lead to a bogey followed by a poor drive on #17 and I quickly had given two shots back to par. I missed a good chance for birdie on the 18th from about 6 feet, and made the turn at -1 under.
On #10, I was less than an inch away from holing out from the fairway for an eagle. A good birdie though and I was back to -2 under. On #3, I hit a tee shot that was a lot better than where it ended up. There was no shot from the spot where it finished and lead to a very unnecessary bogey. I failed to get up-and-down on the 5th hole and I was back to even par. Four holes left and there was no question I needed to birdie all of them. A good look on #6 from 10ft just missed. I hit the par-5 7th in two and made a nice two putt for birdie. Another missed opportunity from about 5 ft on the par-5 8th and my hopes of making a late charge where all but gone. A 3-putt on #18 pretty much summed it all up.
I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to produce a good score after getting off to such a fast start. Somehow, I continue to find ways to throw away shots and get nothing out of my rounds. I feel like I played solidly all day and have nothing to show for it. Looking at the event as a whole, the biggest issue was starting the tournament +7 over thru 7 holes. I was behind the eight ball from the very beginning and it was an uphill climb the rest of the way. I've got to do a better job at shooting lower scores in the first round of tournaments and not give away so many shots.
I'll be in Dallas the next couple of days and then I'm flying to Raleigh, NC on Saturday night. There's a Nationwide event there next week and I'll be trying to qualify for that on Monday. More on that to follow........
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Adam's Tour (Mt. Auburn Classic) - First Round
Today's Score: 78
Obviously, not the start I was hoping for. From the very beginning of the round, I was fighting to make pars. I played the first hole tee to green like I wanted, but 3-putted for a bogey (5). My shot on #2 was well struck but about 4 yards too far and ended up 30 yards over the green. What followed might have been one of the best up and downs I've made in a long time to save par. On #3, I missed the green right from 120 yards and my ball ended up well away from the hole. I wasn't able to get that one up and down. The 4th hole is probably the toughest on the whole course, and after hitting my drive right in the hazard, I scrambled for a good bogey. I proceeded to bogey the 5th, double the 6th and 3-putt for bogey on #7. Add all that up, and you get a +7 over thru 7 holes. It all happened so fast, and I just couldn't seem to right the ship. However, I was able to birdie the par-5 8th and turn at +6 over par (42).
The back nine is definitely the easier of the two sides and that's where I started to make up some ground. I birdied the 11th and 13th to get to +4 over for the round. Unfortunately, I gave 2 strokes back coming in as I missed the green with a wedge from 120 yards on #14 and 3-putted yet again on #15. So, after a horrendous start through the first 7 holes, I did manage to get things somewhat under control and finish -1 under through the last 11 holes. But still, I've got a lot of work to do to make the cut tomorrow. The winds were strong all morning and I imagine they will continue throughout the day. Tomorrow, the forecast is for rain in the afternoon which is when I'll be playing. I've seemed to play better in poor weather in the past so maybe that will hold true tomorrow.
Obviously, not the start I was hoping for. From the very beginning of the round, I was fighting to make pars. I played the first hole tee to green like I wanted, but 3-putted for a bogey (5). My shot on #2 was well struck but about 4 yards too far and ended up 30 yards over the green. What followed might have been one of the best up and downs I've made in a long time to save par. On #3, I missed the green right from 120 yards and my ball ended up well away from the hole. I wasn't able to get that one up and down. The 4th hole is probably the toughest on the whole course, and after hitting my drive right in the hazard, I scrambled for a good bogey. I proceeded to bogey the 5th, double the 6th and 3-putt for bogey on #7. Add all that up, and you get a +7 over thru 7 holes. It all happened so fast, and I just couldn't seem to right the ship. However, I was able to birdie the par-5 8th and turn at +6 over par (42).
The back nine is definitely the easier of the two sides and that's where I started to make up some ground. I birdied the 11th and 13th to get to +4 over for the round. Unfortunately, I gave 2 strokes back coming in as I missed the green with a wedge from 120 yards on #14 and 3-putted yet again on #15. So, after a horrendous start through the first 7 holes, I did manage to get things somewhat under control and finish -1 under through the last 11 holes. But still, I've got a lot of work to do to make the cut tomorrow. The winds were strong all morning and I imagine they will continue throughout the day. Tomorrow, the forecast is for rain in the afternoon which is when I'll be playing. I've seemed to play better in poor weather in the past so maybe that will hold true tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
U.S. Open Local Qualifier / Adam's Tour Mt. Auburn Classic - Practice Round
Score: 73
Yesterday was really not that bad of a round. My score was not good enough to get one of the four spots available, but all things considered, I played pretty well and only missed by 3 strokes. I was pleased that my foot held up and I was able to walk all 18 holes and put together a pretty solid round. Having the weekend to come up with a swing that I could use was certainly helpful. Not to mention, having my brother-in-law caddie for me saved me a lot of energy and strain on my foot. Unfortunately, the condition of the greens allowed for luck to play a larger part in scoring well. I know everyone had their struggles and I think the fact that only 6 out of 70 players broke par is a testament to how difficult it was to make anything.
Looking back on my round, I realized that 3 out of the 4 bogies I made were definitely avoidable. Two came from good shots ending up in poor positions and the other came from a 3-putt. Only one bogey was caused from a bad swing. I did leave quite a few birdies out there, but again that was just a result of the greens. I'm sure everybody else did as well. In the end, I would say the day was a success and could just of easily been a few shots better and good enough to qualify.
Moving on. I'm now in Dallas, TX getting ready for this weeks Adam's Tour event. The tournament is being held at Firewheel Golf Course in nearby Garland. I played my practice round this morning and I feel that this course is probably as good as I could of hoped for in terms of fitting my game right now. Today it played relatively short (which I know was mostly due to the wind) and allowed me to hit a lot of short irons. That's good for me because hitting short irons requires less of a swing which works for what I capable of doing at the moment. The greens are in as good of shape as I've seen all year so hopefully that will lead to a few more putts made. It's going to be interesting to see if my foot holds up since I'll be carrying my own bag this week. I'm here now so all I can do is try my hardest and hope for the best. My tee time tomorrow is 8:10 off #1.
Yesterday was really not that bad of a round. My score was not good enough to get one of the four spots available, but all things considered, I played pretty well and only missed by 3 strokes. I was pleased that my foot held up and I was able to walk all 18 holes and put together a pretty solid round. Having the weekend to come up with a swing that I could use was certainly helpful. Not to mention, having my brother-in-law caddie for me saved me a lot of energy and strain on my foot. Unfortunately, the condition of the greens allowed for luck to play a larger part in scoring well. I know everyone had their struggles and I think the fact that only 6 out of 70 players broke par is a testament to how difficult it was to make anything.
Looking back on my round, I realized that 3 out of the 4 bogies I made were definitely avoidable. Two came from good shots ending up in poor positions and the other came from a 3-putt. Only one bogey was caused from a bad swing. I did leave quite a few birdies out there, but again that was just a result of the greens. I'm sure everybody else did as well. In the end, I would say the day was a success and could just of easily been a few shots better and good enough to qualify.
Moving on. I'm now in Dallas, TX getting ready for this weeks Adam's Tour event. The tournament is being held at Firewheel Golf Course in nearby Garland. I played my practice round this morning and I feel that this course is probably as good as I could of hoped for in terms of fitting my game right now. Today it played relatively short (which I know was mostly due to the wind) and allowed me to hit a lot of short irons. That's good for me because hitting short irons requires less of a swing which works for what I capable of doing at the moment. The greens are in as good of shape as I've seen all year so hopefully that will lead to a few more putts made. It's going to be interesting to see if my foot holds up since I'll be carrying my own bag this week. I'm here now so all I can do is try my hardest and hope for the best. My tee time tomorrow is 8:10 off #1.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Injury Report
Well, we're one day away from competition and I have to say I was hoping my foot would be feeling better than it does at this time. Fortunately, it's held up enough to where I've been able to test it out the last couple of days and come up with a swing that I can use. As of right now, I know that I can make about a 3/4 swing at roughly 80% power. Obviously not what I was hoping for, but good enough to make it worth giving a shot tomorrow. Even though we have to walk during tomorrow's round, so far that hasn't been a problem. I also plan on having my brother-in-law caddie for me so that should be a big help.
Luckily for me, the qualifier is being held out here at English Turn so I know the course very well. Maybe having this injury will be a blessing in disguise because it will force me to play smart/safe on a lot of holes and not be overly aggressive. I'd say that inside of 120 yards I feel pretty good since I normally use a smaller swing for those distances anyways. My short game is still solid so if I can get a few putts to fall I think there's still a reasonable chance for me to qualify. Everyone is going to have to deal with the conditions of the greens as they are nearly as bad as the greens I played on last week in Waco, TX.
As they say, the show must go on. I'll take my Aleve, wrap up my foot and find a way to get it done. My tee time tomorrow is 8:20 off #1.
Luckily for me, the qualifier is being held out here at English Turn so I know the course very well. Maybe having this injury will be a blessing in disguise because it will force me to play smart/safe on a lot of holes and not be overly aggressive. I'd say that inside of 120 yards I feel pretty good since I normally use a smaller swing for those distances anyways. My short game is still solid so if I can get a few putts to fall I think there's still a reasonable chance for me to qualify. Everyone is going to have to deal with the conditions of the greens as they are nearly as bad as the greens I played on last week in Waco, TX.
As they say, the show must go on. I'll take my Aleve, wrap up my foot and find a way to get it done. My tee time tomorrow is 8:20 off #1.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Going into the weekend......
Today, I encountered my first taste of injury in my professional career. I am, however, hesitant to even mention it because I feel it will end up to be just a minor tweak and just need a day or so to rest. The incident initiated yesterday when I was hitting balls on the driving range. I heard and felt a pop in my left foot that was loud enough to go "huh", but somehow didn't manage to cause any further trouble. I continued to practice and then even went and played 9 holes. This morning, I woke up and everything was fine....had forgotten about the foot completely. I had a lesson with Brian at 9:00, and up until the very end everything was going along fine. But during one swing, I felt a strain in the same exact area as the pop occurred the day before and was unable to finish the last remaining minutes of the lesson.
I was home shortly after we wrapped up the lesson and there wasn't much else to do but put ice on the foot and go from there. It still felt as though it was nothing that 3 Aleve and some tape couldn't fix. So that's what I did. I went back out to the range after lunch and tested out my makeshift bandage. For the most part, my brain wouldn't let me make anything more than a 3/4 motion at minimal speed so I'm still not certain as to if I can make a full swing quite yet. The good news is I managed to hit shots on the range that were good enough to take to the course. And the things we worked helped get me back on track to the way I was swinging it a couple weeks ago. Even if I'm not 100% come Monday, I at least know what to expect in terms of how I can hit it.
My plan for tomorrow is to see what my foot feels like and plan the day around that. I'll be able to practice my short game at the very least, but I'm hopeful that tomorrow I'll forget about it altogether. Hope all is well with everyone. I'll have more as soon as anything changes.
I was home shortly after we wrapped up the lesson and there wasn't much else to do but put ice on the foot and go from there. It still felt as though it was nothing that 3 Aleve and some tape couldn't fix. So that's what I did. I went back out to the range after lunch and tested out my makeshift bandage. For the most part, my brain wouldn't let me make anything more than a 3/4 motion at minimal speed so I'm still not certain as to if I can make a full swing quite yet. The good news is I managed to hit shots on the range that were good enough to take to the course. And the things we worked helped get me back on track to the way I was swinging it a couple weeks ago. Even if I'm not 100% come Monday, I at least know what to expect in terms of how I can hit it.
My plan for tomorrow is to see what my foot feels like and plan the day around that. I'll be able to practice my short game at the very least, but I'm hopeful that tomorrow I'll forget about it altogether. Hope all is well with everyone. I'll have more as soon as anything changes.
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