Second Update, from April to June.

It was, the second part of the season, mostly cold and wet and I played 648 holes in 3001 shots, an average for 18 holes of 83.4. That’s it for the “data”. During this time I was trying, and succeeding in moving away from a fade to a draw and trying a claw grip on my putting. The draw was working until mid May when “the shanks” fell upon me and for weeks after, several anyways, each and every shot was preceded with those thoughts and fought off. None the less, the energy left on that subject and my natural tendency to go back to my more normal shot crept me back, once again, leaving me again “a fader of the golf ball” with an occasional draw on a short iron and a pull on the longer irons and “woods”. I haven’t given up on the preferred shot for me, a draw, but I just need to practice more with my grip and a slow, steady, smooth swing to make that shot and with the “shanks”, the winds which have been significant during this spring, and my tendency to revert once I fall into the shit, well it’ll be a longer, shall we say, transition of my swing than originally anticipated. I can only imaging how David Duvall must feel.

In both chipping and putting I feel I’ve made progress but again have fallen back to poorer performance. During April and May I chipped very well and got up and down more often than not. My putting improved as well with the “claw” grip and I rolled the ball very well and though I didn’t make a lot of putts I did make some and I lagged them up for tap ins more often than not. In June, as the course dried out (finally about the middle of June), I became more tentative on chips and putts, leaving myself continuously short and not converting, making more bogeys than pars, the opposite of my objective(s).

So, I’m filled as usual with hope. I’m hoping I’ll hit my shots, the chips will be close and the putts will go in and I am looking forward to July, August and even September to get back to basics, making more pars than bogeys, and minimize (no eliminate) doubles or worse.

Carl, my playing partner, had to have an operation and was out at the end of June. I hope he’ll heal soon and will be back as it’s really not the same playing without him. He’s had a tough season which I’m sure will improve now that he’s had his hernias repaired. It seemed all season he had trouble getting through his swing and it’s no surprise to me that he’d been playing in pain rather than miss golf for an operation he really needed. In the meantime, I’ve joined in with the “club” regulars but, like I said, it ain’t the same.

So, come on July and the rest, let’s see what happens.

Oh, by the way, here’s a painting of the first tee in June.