Posted a new video

I have a new video here on the page and on the YouTube/paperhogan page. Jeff and I were working on 3/4 shots focused on swing path at the ball to fight the pull. Wow is that on plane! Very happy with how that's turned out.

Another overdue update

Been a long time again, main reason I haven't posted is I've been fighting it really bad. I haven't played very well for a while, really poor contact, and I've been struggling mightily to score well. I've also been fighting an over the top pull move, been really hard to shake it. I've been having weekly lessons with Jeff and I am finally starting to see some improvement. Here's an update from just today. Here we go!

Played Las Colinas again, ended up playing the front twice so we could get it all in. Started on #1, 555 from the way back tee, but they were up about 20 yards today. Great tee shot down the middle, left me with 205 in, pin was way up front and I hit a dead straight 4 iron, no cut, just short of pin high left, pitch shot died in the fringe and I missed the 8 footer but made an easy par. Bombed it on #2, 373 yard par 4, probably playing 350 or so today. Had about 30 yards in (tee shot landed on a downslope, so not all me unfortunately). Pin is in between 2 swales, ended up about 8 feet behind the hole, chickened out and left it short, easy 4. 403 yard par 4 third, hit a bit of a hook and got a good hard bounce, in the left rough but only about 80 yards to the back left pin, I actually hit a 6 yard cut with a 3/4 SW (that's pretty tough to do, and no, it wasn't intentional), hit and spun right, about 15 feet away. Missed that putt for another easy 4. 444 yard par four 4th (that's a lot of fours). Blocked the tee shot a bit, had 155 left to the front right pin, into a breeze so I hit 6 iron, pulled it and hit the backside of a hump on the left side of the green, bounced over the path, ended up about 15 yards left and long. Hit a GREAT pitch to about 4 feet and missed it. I guess there really were too many fours on that hole.

Number 5 is a 532 yard par 5, hit what felt like a whimpy tee shot, but ended up 212 yards to the center. Hit my new 19 degree hybrid a bit heavy, landed middle left of the green and bounced into the fringe. Chipped that to about 2 feet and made birdie to get back to even. Sixth is a 186 yard par 3, playing only 167 to the hole, hit a hard 7 and pulled it, pin high left in the fringe. Hit the first putt up the hill and left it about five feet short, and missed the par putt. Gave it right back. Number 7 is a 339 yard driveable par 4 that I have never driven. Why I hit driver here I'll never understand, but I hit driver, about 15 yards short of the green, pin is right in front, slopes severely away from you, of course I end up 20 feet past. Missed the putt low but made par. Eighth is playing 181 yards, hit a pulled 5 iron pin high left, great pitch shot to 3 feet and made it for par. Number 9 is a 380 yard par 4, huge fairway, just licking my chops, and hit it dead in the heel. Stopped just short of the left fairway bunker, 120 yards left to the back left pin, took about 14 pounds of dirt with the fattest wedge ever, somehow made it into the middle of the green, two putt par.

We teed off on 10 back into the first fairway, had about exactly the same yardage in as before, so I hit 4 iron again. Not real solid, ended up just short in the fringe. Very bold with the chip shot and ran it past the hole into the fringe about 6 feet away, but made the putt for birdie to get back to even. Back on #2 again, wanted to hit this one extra hard, pull hooked it, got a really good bounce and ended up 80 yards away. If I'd have been 3" left of where I ended up I wouldn't have had a backswing due to the tree there, but as luck would have it, I was fine. I hit it 81 yards in the air, and got zero spin, ball kept running to the back part of the green. Hit the first putt and it immediately started hopping, you could hear it hitting the rocks and dirt on the green that I didn't see previously, about 5 feet short. To say my par putt was a pathetic attempt would be too kind, 3 putt bogey, gave it right back again.

Hit the middle of the fairway on #3 this time, and ended up in a 2" deep divot (you know, they give you sand to fill in your divots right?). 121 yards to the back left pin, pulled a 9 iron knowing I'd have to just punch it, but got a little too steep with it and ended up short. Hit a great pitch to about 2 feet and made it for par. Here's #4 again 444 yards, I decide I'm going to cut the corner, and I did, left myself 105 yards to the middle. Now, when I say "cut the corner" I didn't picture hitting a smothered hook that somehow missed all the trees and left me in the middle of the fairway, but I'll take it. A bit uphill and a little breeze, so I chose GW, and hit it like shit. But all is not lost folks, somehow that horrible feeling GW ended up 6 feet left of the hole, will wonders never cease. Downhill left to right, hit it just outside the left edge and it never moved. Amazing. No matter, par 5 coming up...

Hit another of basically the same tee shots on the par 5 fifth again, didn't feel all that good, but my ball ended up within 2 feet of where it was the first time around. This time I hit my hybrid perfectly on line, even though there was a good chance it would go over. As it turns out, the ball landed 8" right of the cup, on a downslope, and I end up in this barren, dirt patch over the green. Somehow I got that heavy and left it about 12 feet short. I really wanted this putt and had a muscle spasm (not good timing) and blew it 8 feet by the hole. I was too busy laughing at that poor attempt and never even really tried to make this ridiculous downhill right to left par putt. I of course immediately started to care after I made bogey to go 2 over now. Yay me. Ass. Hit 7 iron again on six, big sweeping hook this time instead of a pull, ended up in nearly the identical spot. Only came up 3 feet short this time (ass), but made the putt for par. Ok, back to #7, remember when I said I can't remember why I hit driver here? Well fool me once...you know the drill. I'm no dummy. So I hit driver again...no, I can't explain why, and put it about 10 yards short this time. Guess where my pitch shot ended up? Yep, 20 feet past the hole, missed it low, tap in par. This is getting repetitive.

I should have mentioned that by now the two of us had caught up to a single (yep, that's right) on #7. He took his sweet time filling in his divot, putting, putting the flagstick away. Ok, he's not used to seeing other people out here this late, he'll get it in gear. So we get to the 8th tee (17 for the day) and Mr. PGA (who had just gone off the tips mind you) was about 60 yards short of the green (par 3, 181 yards). He's plumb bobbing from 60 yards short, behind a tree. Surely this can't be real. After what seems like an eternity, he puts it 20 yards right of the green. From 60 yards. After plumb bobbing it. Ahem. Ok, well we're waiting now, so he'll kick it in gear. Yeah, not so much. Same drill, plumb bob, practice swing, step back to make sure he's lined up, plumb bob it again, then he goes back to the cart to get a different club. There is a twosome behind you, and you are switching clubs after a 90 second pre-shot routine and you are lying 3 on a par 3. Move it dude. So, new club, pre-shot routine again, he misses the green. From 20 yards. After missing it from 60. So he pulls the cart to his ball (about 15 yards from where he was) and goes through the whole damn routine again. Chip shot from 5 yards off the back of the green, survey says...short. So let's see, missed the green from 181, 60, 20 and 5. You have a twosome waiting for no bullshit, 5 minutes for you to play this hole, and it's getting dark. Time to pick up? No. Ben Crenshaw himself has never gathered as much information on a putt that this man is gathering. I'll spare you the details of this pre-shot routine, and the two additional ones that accompanied his 3 putt, and just tell you that he made, let me count...7 on the par 3, with no water, no bunkers, no penalty shots, just raw talent, from the tips, with a group waiting behind him the entire time. Bitter, party of 1, your table is ready...

Ok, so after waiting for at least 8 minutes on a single, I hit a fat 5 iron (yay me again!) that somehow, inexplicably ends up 8 feet left of the hole. Mmmmkay. Left it dead in the heart short, totally my fault. You see, just before I was going to pull the putter back, I thought I should step back and plumb bob it just to piss off my friend, but I kept it inside and laughed and smiled and forgot to hit it. 8 footer for birdie short? Yeah, a little pathetic. Get to #9, last hole, I'm going to bomb it. Nope, hit it in the heel again, this time into the right rough. 125 yards to the back right hole, over a bunker, no problem, I'll hit it fatter than I did from the left side and leave it just short of the bunker. Words cannot describe...so the pin is back right, I've got 8 feet of green to work with and a bunker between me and the hole. As I walk up I notice a small hump to the right of the hole, and figure that's a good spot to land it into to stop it. Hit a nifty little pitch right into that hump, one hop and stop, then just trickles out to the hole, ends up 8" away for a tidy closing par.

2 over 74 on the day, nothing exciting but no big numbers either. Finally hitting the ball out of my own shadow, which felt really good. I've got some impact position and swing path issues to work on in order to get the ball started on line properly and finally get rid of this pull. I'm going to practice for 4 hours or so tomorrow, no playing tomorrow at all. I'll see if I can get out Sunday. Not pleased with the score overall as I just give every damn birdie right back, but it's a hell of a lot better than I've been playing. One other note, the last couple of days I've actually gotten the slightest bit of soreness in my right shoulder, which for anyone who missed it, I just had surgery on back in September. We'll see how that goes, especially after a good practice session tomorrow. I have an appointment with my surgeon in April for a follow up, so I'll be able to get an x-ray and some face time with him to discuss. Until next time!