End of 2020 Update-Not a Bad Year Actually

Written on 12-29-2020.

        It’s a Tuesday, and I am working on my To Do List for the end of December.  I’ve accomplished a lot.  I completed this year’s Prezi, made two doctors’ appointments, and now I am writing in here.  That’s also on my list.  I was writing about what I had learned from Luke last time.  Yesterday, I paid for the Escape’s registration and painted our shower rod.  It was pretty rusty, and it looked so much better when it was all done.  

Dinner is almost ready, however, so I don’t have much time to write.  Jess is coming over in a few minutes, so I hope to come back later.    

I am watching Todd again with his winter golf series, and I am on Part 3 today.  He did a promotion for the...

Biomech Putter at the start, so I checked on the price.  It’s close to $300.00.  Maybe later, and I am satisfied with my S7K right now.

I learned from Luke how to chip better and reduce the variables in that area, which I wrote about last time, but I also learned how to adjust the speeds with my driver, too.  Last season, I was aiming left and hitting it hard.  When he had me swing at lower speeds, I could see the advantage.  Basically, if I am swinging slices, slow it down, and if I am hooking shots, speed it up.

I am back now, and we had a wonderful dinner, WWBB (White Woman’s Baked Burritos).  Yum!  After Jess left, the kids played Sequence against B and me, and darned if those two kids didn’t skunk us 2-0.  I thought we would beat them, since they were drinking, but they seemed to play even better.  Tomorrow, our daughter heads back to Prescott, so our time together is nearly done.  It’s been a fantastic gift to have them both here alone, truly the best gift we received it this Christmas.

I will end my thoughts about Luke’s lessons now.  I would like to add that having Luke teach me some new things was another of the benefits during this pandemic.  I can say that I got some lessons in, and those lessons helped me with my transition to a better golf game.  I have the notes from those lessons ready for use if I need to review them.  Actually, I will just cut and paste them in here…

Luke Tanner’s First Lesson on June 25, 2020

Right arm relaxed and underneath

60/40 weight 60 on my left

Left shoulder returning down and not up

Neutral position, don’t forward press

Maintain spine angle tilt

Luke Tanner’s Second Lesson on July 8th, 2020

On Chipping

9-iron, 30% flight and 70% roll, go off of that

10% up or down for each loft on other clubs

For e.g., PW 40% flight and 60% roll and 8-iron 20% flight and 80% roll

Crowd the ball, and more like a putting motion

More weight on my left side and lower body quiet

5-iron toe down and vertical shot, and toe down a little bit, lesser conventional and more traditional shot

Luke Tanner’s Third Lesson on July 21st, 2020

Exaggerate that lean, set up on the left side for a while

“Stack” the left side with wedges, shoulders more parallel to the ground higher right shoulder is better 

Braced left knee through impact

Same for right knee in backswing 

Good driver specific tip…

Slow down 50% to 60% and keep building up to 80%

My idea to graduate from the range...

Start out with a super drive to my intended target (like rolling a double before I can move out)

Start with the Gap Wedge and get 3 out of 5 flush, no tee

1 good drive after each club, or I have to start over with the Approach club

Approach through 7 to start

Luke Tanner’s Fourth Lesson: Putting on August 11, 2020

The string drill

Putt with the handle!

Never deloft

Bottom leading edge of the putter should strike below the equator of the golf ball just below

Even tempo on longer putts

See where the golf ball will enter the hole and see that line and then put it on that line

High and low point of a golf course to help read putts

Take my clubs outside on the backswing for a little bit until I straighten it out

My tendency is to push a putt a little

What I’m working on now: September 19, 2020

Keeping that right foot down

Keeping that head still

Right shoulder staying down throughout impact

Just two more things to update before I end this diary for this year.  First, I put the White Knight (my Wishon driver) back in the bag.  When I had that great driving day at Hillcrest, that was the club I was using.  I was having more confidence, and that resulted in longer and more accurate drives with that club, so I put it back in the bag.  The Warrior driver is in the garage, ready to come off the bench if I need it.  I kept the Warrior 3-wood in my bag, however.

The second thing was an update on Guy’s neck.  It is now past four weeks since the surgery, and he says he feels completely healed.  His doctor said he can resume normal activities, so that is a great thing.  I know Guy likes to exercise regularly, so it will feel good to get back into that routine.

Well, I am getting tired; it’s 10:49 now, and I need to go to bed.  I did a spontaneous thing and ordered a Millennium Falcon model kit for Guy to replace the one that was stolen from my storage room at McCoy.  When that happened, I brought it to school to show it to my class, and then someone took it.  What a bummer!  Guy had done an expert job building and painting that one, and I never found out who stole it.  I have had guilt about that since the day it happened, so I just bought him a new one from Amazon.  

Until next year…