Copied from my GTO journal...

I just completed the first 9 holes of the season. The course opened today, so naturally I had to play.

I shot horribly. 67 with 7 penalty strokes and 20 putts (no 4 jacks, though, and the greens were quite shaggy).

However, the lessons learned today were profound.

Lesson 1: I tried to employ the idea of a 'think box' and a 'play box'. Standing behind the ball is the think box - where all the considering and thinking happens. Practice swings and feels happen here. Standing beside the ball (address) is the play box - no thinking allowed!

Lesson 2: Visualizing the shot is important. Very important. When I didn't have a clear idea in my mind what my shot should look like, I didn't hit the ball very well.

Lesson 3: A specific target is important, too. The same result from not visualising came from not having a specific target to aim at. The ball just went willy-nilly, and I had nowhere to aim.

Lesson 4: YOU CANNOT HIT A BALL WHILE THINKING MECHANICS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Every time I tried to hit a ball while trying to conciously widen my backswing or not roll my wrists or try to set my hands properly resulted in horrible contact. This goes hand in hand with...

Lesson 5: Being in balance produces better swings. On every poor result, I did not feel balanced at some point in the swing. When I did feel balanced, my shots were in play.

Final lesson: A good preshot routine goes a long way to solidifying the above.

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Just finished 18.

49 on the front (with a 7 and 9) 54 on the back with nothing better than an ugly par save with another 9 and a pair of 7s.

Granted, this is my first full round of the season, but I played the front with bogies where the 7 and 9 weren't, and a even started with a par.

Key thoughts:

Chipping was the saviour. I got up and down 6 times on the front; compared to only twice on the back (but a couple were 6" tap in second putts). None the less, a stroke is a stroke.

The back 9 started going to hell in a handbasket when I started to swing outside of my ability. Gorilla golf is a surefire way for me to slice the ball. The laser came back on once I started making a nice slow backswing including a full turn with a smooth down and throughswing - a synchronized swing if you will. I ended up going par par triple (due to ugly chipping and a 3 putt); but the lesson was learned. Swing easy, let the club do the work. Swinging out of your shoes is a recipie for ugliness.

Also - deep arms and a full turn is only good for 3 or so holes. I get too tired after that. Keep seperating the arms and feeling 2 plane-ish for best results.

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True Length Technology Fitter - www.truelengthtechnology.com
It's live! - www.ShipShapeClubs.com
PCS Class 'A' Clubfitter

A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.