My 54th Birthday! Just Happy to Have Made It This Far

Written on 1-19-21.

        I played 18 holes yesterday, and it was encouraging.  I even filmed my swing on the last two holes, the first time I’ve ever done that before.

This round gave me a chance to learn how to use my new Garmin, too, and it was fortunate to have such a pleasant weather day.  The high was just over 50º, and I took off my sweatshirt for the middle of the round.  I earned three pars, and I should have earned four, but I triple-putted #17.  I also earned six bogeys.  Not bad considering I haven’t played, and I am still learning the new swing. 

I am still working on the proper head movement.  Todd says the head should move, and it should do so while staying in the “general area” I put it in at address.  For example, when I use my driver, I set the golf ball position even with my front heel, and that puts my body position in the correct place, and that also puts my head...

in the right place, or the “general area,” as he calls it.  I start my club with a smoother takeaway to the inside, and because I do it smoothly, I am able to brace around my left knee.  My head may come up a little bit when I do that, but Todd says that’s okay.  

When I bump my lead hip forward, however, I see my head moving forward too much compared to “the model.”  When they (Todd, Reed, Chandler, and Moe) transition to the forward swing, their heads stay mostly in that position until impact.  I see Chandler and Moe’s heads actually making a move straight down to be able to reach the ball.  It’s like a different kind of vertical drop.  My head slides forward with that hip bump, and it only stops just before impact and directly above the ball.  Hmmmm.  How do I bump my left hip forward, and brace myself with a stable left knee, while keeping my head back?  That’s what they do, and that is the latest puzzle I am working on.  The rest of my swing looks pretty good compared to the model.

I earned those pars on holes #2, #12, and #16.  I was so happy to get a par on #12.  That’s a booger of a hole, and it requires an excellent tee shot with a long iron.  My ball ended up hole high, and I just had to chip on and make a 10 foot putt to earn my par there.  

I earned one of my bogeys on #18, and I learned something on my third swing.  I used my right hand like it was skipping a rock, and boy, did it work.  I landed that shot from the rough and just outside of 150 yards, directly on the green.  That was the shot of the day for me, and that is why I feel encouraged.  I could feel real success and consistency on many swings.  

The Garmin worked the way it was supposed to, and I got consistent yardages.  It works better than my the golf app I've used on my Fitbit.  I figured out how to keep score with the Garmin watch, too, and I know it will become more automatic the more I use it.

On #3, I had a blow-up hole, but I chipped in from the front of the green to a back pin with my 6-iron.  I also made a long putt on #14. Those were fun!

I don’t know when I will play again, so I plan on doing drills to keep engraining the swing.  

Oh, one more thing.  I learned my membership has now been extended to November 15th!  They added two months.  That was great to hear.

Written on 1-29-21. 

This is so much fun!  I should do this more often.  It’s my 54th birthday, and I am having a truly wonderful day so far.  Mom and Dad have sung to me, so it could have ended after that, but it is continuing on with even more fun.  

I got my free coffee at Durango Joe’s this morning, and I added a yummy breakfast burrito.  I sent off my invoice for January to the CORE before that, so it was comforting to know money will be on the way next month.  I even took the time to say thank you to all the well-wishers on Facebook who sent birthday messages to me so far.  

Now, B and I are in our Baker Street at the end of January, and it’s because we got our first tour of the Edgerton’s new RV, and it’s called a Compass, not a Jeep Compass, rather a Thor Compass built over a Ford Transit van.  It is beautiful and modern, and it has AWD capability.  It made me want to be in ours, so here I am.  It’s not too cold either, because it got up to 48º today.  Very comfortable in here.

(Wrote some personal stuff here about Danielle here, so I cut it out for this blog.)  

I am going to end it there and not even write about golf.  It’s cooling off in here rapidly, and I want to go get my workout done.  We have ordered Red Lobster for dinner, and we are picking it up at 5:00, so I want to be done and showered well before then.  

Until next time…

Written on 2-18-21.

Wow!  The last time I wrote was my birthday, and in a way it was because of my birthday gift partly that I haven’t written.  I got some money from Mom and Dad, and I used it to buy a month’s worth of a membership to the Single Plane Gold Academy, and I have been very busy with that.  In the next few paragraphs, I will write about what I have been learning and doing with that new membership.  

I am taking some time to write today, since I don’t have any work until 1:30.  I should pray the rosary first, though.  That is what I plan on doing for Lent, which just started yesterday with Ash Wednesday.  I will continue here in a little bit.  I got my new rosary from Danielle, and it is the most beautiful gift.  She made it herself, and it has stones that were collected over this past fire season.  Wow!  She spent the week at James’s new place building it for a week.  I love it, and like I just wrote it is because of that I am now praying the rosary for Lent.

Okay, done.  I have now prayed the rosary for today.  

On to golf…

I am working my way through the lessons in the 14 Perfect Practice Plan.  I have made it through the first five pretty well, and they have had me doing reps with drills that pile up after every lesson.  This is from my notes showing how they multiply each day…

2-10, Lesson 1-50 reps of replace the shoulder with right shoulder

2-11, Lesson 2-20 reps of feeling the side tilt with the single plane trainer (my 3-wood invention)

2-12, Lesson 3-20 reps of getting into ideal address position with a focus on the two lines being created

2-13, Lesson 4-20 reps of using the 3-wood invention to point at the golf ball 5’ back and 1’ back

2-14, Lesson 5-20 reps of 3 positions (0 to 1 to 2 with 2 being at the top of the backswing with 3-wood invention pointing at the golf ball 5’ back and 1’ back two times                  

See how they add on more reps each day.  I am up to 130 reps/day after five lessons.  Sadly, I haven’t been able to keep that pace.  I had to take a break and rest my back from the 50 reps they recommended on the first day.  I will attempt all of them today, and I will have that replace my treadmill workout.

I also have sent some videos to their coaches for feedback.  It’s been very useful feedback.