My first official golf practice is in the books. A couple of days ago I went to my local golf course, Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort, to avail myself of their practice green. The course is not open until this weekend, but the practice area was open for members. It was my first time this year to practice off of grass and I decide to add a little twist that I will talk about later. Overall, I practiced for at least 35 minutes and my short game improved as I worked deeper into the time I was at the practice green. I found out a few things that I already knew, but over the 6 month layoff, I seemed to have forgotten the finer points.
Considering the time of year, the practice area was okay. I never worry about the condition of the course until mid-June regardless of where I play. I was grateful there as a hole cut into the practice area that allowed me to work on my chipping and putting with more focus.
As you can see, I used my hickory sticks for my practice session. I have a tournament coming up in Ottawa (Ottawa Hickory Challenge) and I need all the practice I can get with my short game. I intend to use my other clubs when the course opens, but for now working on my short game works.
I tried to take a picture of my 3-6-9 drill that I used (as I mentioned many times) and unfortunately I failed miserably. I did, however, benefit greatly from understanding the release rate of my Jigger and Pitching Niblick. A jigger would be a replacement of my 7-iron and a Pitching Niblick would replace my wedge. I hit about 50 shots with each club. I was within the 9 foot area of my drill pattern for all but 3 shots once I found the sweet spot (see below). My chipping distance varied from 15 to 30 yards. Overall, I was very happy with the results.
During my chipping practice I started by adjusting my stance, grip and ball location. It was an never ending effort to adjust each shot until I felt comfortable. Once I figured out the all of the above I saw some positive results with each shot.
Next, I grabbed my putter. I started my just hitting the ball from tee to tee at various distances. Once I figured out my ball position, I started to my routine of putting from each tee. At the three foot distance, I made 22 out of 24. At six feet, I made 18 of 24 putts. At 9 feet, I made 10 of 24 putts. Interestingly, if I made the first putt, I had greater success with the follow on putts. I guess that makes sense for the 6 and 9 foot putts. Regardless, I still have lots to work on as the season unfolds.
My first practice time was a success. I was able to use my hickory sticks and put in some focused practice. I am looking forward for the course to open this weekend so I can continue practicing and working on my golf game. Are you playing right now? if not, when do you plan to start?
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!