Thursday, January 25, 2007

Artful Play Takes Artful Practice

This winter, I've spent most of my available free time playing golf instead of practicing golf. With flexible hours working from home, I can usually sneak out for one or two rounds of golf during the week and once over the weekend. But I haven't been making time for practice, assuming I can maintain my current level of play just being on the course. Instead, my index has drifted from my recent low of 4 back up to 5.

Last fall, I spent many of my lunch breaks at Cypress Ridge Golf Course working on my chipping and putting and hitting balls on the range. I was using my practice sessions to not only improve my ball striking, accuracy, putting, and touch around the greens, but also my concentration and visualization skills.


Cypress Ridge Golf Course 18th

My game began to improve quickly. I started hitting more fairways and greens in regulation. I succeeded in getting chips close to the pin and making putts for birdies and pars far more often.

During the last three months of last year, I not only scored my first round of 75, but recorded a total of nine rounds of 75 or lower and shot my first hole-in-one! My index quickly dropped from 7 to 4. In the nine months prior, I'd only seen a gradual decrease in my index from around 10 to 7.

Although my game has become pretty consistent now without practice, with nearly 80 percent of my rounds under 80, I haven't recorded a single round below 77. Those low scores just don't happen unless you're hitting greens in regulation and making a lot of putts for birdie and par. As should be expected, that part of my game has slipped a little without practice.

Looks like I'll be spending a little more time back on the range and practice green.

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Golf as Art

When you disappear, Golf as Art shows up. The resulting void is where all the important discoveries, personal development, satisfaction, joy and fulfillment take place.
–Fred Shoemaker, Extraordinary Golf

Swing motion at its highest level is the uninterrupted flow of natural rhythm from within.
–Tom Woods, True Golf

A great golf shot is a thing of beauty. Repeating it is an art.
–Mark Guadagnoli, Practice to Win

Artful Milestones

  • Mar 05 - Started playing (1 rd/week)
  • Jun 05 - Broke 80 (21st round)
  • Nov 05 - Increased play (2 rds/week)
  • Jan 06 - Under 10 Index (54th round)
  • Jan 06 - 10 GIR (62nd round)
  • Mar 06 - Less than 30 Putts (75th round)
  • Aug 06 - First Eagle (124th round)
  • Aug 06 - 5 Birdies (138th round)
  • Sep 06 - Broke 76 (146th round)
  • Oct 06 - First ACE (161st round)
  • Oct 06 - Under 5 Index (166th round)
  • Oct 06 - 13 Fairways (169th round)
  • Dec 06 - Broke 72 (184th round)
  • Dec 06 - 70's Streak (9/10 rounds)
  • Feb 07 - Under 4 Index (219th round)
  • Feb 07 - 15 GIR (219th round)
  • Oct 07 - 24 Putts (298th round)
  • Jan 08 - 70's Streak (12 rounds)
  • Jan 08 - Second ACE (332nd round)
  • Apr 08 - Par from Tips (370th round)
  • May 08 - Under 3 Index (382nd round)
  • Aug 08 - 50th Course (420th round)
  • Nov 08 - Broke 70 (460th round)
  • Dec 08 - 16 GIR (472nd round)
  • May 09 - 60th Course (510th round)
  • May 09 - 7 Birdies (511th round)
  • May 09 - Broke 70 (511th round)
  • May 09 - Under Par Streak (2 rounds)
  • May 09 - Under 80 Streak (13 rounds)
  • May 09 - Broke 70 (520th round)
  • May 09 - Under 2 Index (520th round)
  • Jun 09 - 70th Course (538th round)
  • Aug 09 - Third ACE (556th round)
  • Aug 09 - Broke 70 (559th round)