Written on 12-17-23.
I am watching the highlights of the Woods playing at the PNC Championship. Before that, I finished a YouTube video of Zach Allen. It was called Ben Hogan’s Trail Arm Secret (Part 2). It talks about holding the club cack—handed or backwards. I first heard about this from a Pete Cowen video. This weird way of holding the club actually puts you in the perfect position with your arms and body in the backswing.
I tried a few mini-swings with it indoors and then I went outside, too. What I like about it is the way it feels so connected and consistent. I might even try some swings “cack-handed” at the range at home tomorrow or at Pinon Hills on Tuesday. Eric and I have a tee time at noon on that day.
Written on 12-24-23.
Closer and closer, we are coming to Christmas and the end of another year. I recently gave a thumbs-up to John Lennon’s Christmas song on Pandora, Happy Xmas (War Is Over). It’s because these words resonate with me: So, this is Christmas. And what have you done? Another year over. And a new one just begun. And so this is Christmas. I hope you had fun.
It’s nostalgic, and I am also reminded of part of the purpose for this journal. At the very beginning of this diary (way back in September of ’99), I was getting more...
serious about having fun with golf. Mostly, I have done that. Golf is still fun. It’s many other things, but I still enjoy teeing it up (yes, even if Eric beats me).We had our Swope Christmas already. We held it yesterday morning, the 23rd, because James and Casey left right after attending Becca and Matt’s baby shower. This Christmas feels and is different, because James is part of a new family now. We knew this would happen, and we are happy for it, but it’s just different.
The baby shower was really well done, as it should have been. This is the first Swoperton baby for our kids’ generation. We pulled out all the stops. This baby is going to be spoiled. It was a good thing B and I gave them a wagon to help them cart off all of their gifts.
We also celebrated the twins’ birthday on the evening of the 22nd. A and B are now 56. That was the first gathering for all the Swopertons since the Michigan trip, and there was so much conversation and laughter.
Kyle bought a McDonald’s gift certificate for Belinda this year, and he was laughing so hard that he ended up wiping away his tears. I think it was because he saw how thoughtful James’s gift had been, and the gift certificate he gave her hit him as being completely “un-thoughtful.” We were all laughing, but mostly it was because Kyle was laughing so hard. It felt refreshing and wonderful to laugh with family.
On to golf…
The brand new Arccos boxes are waiting for me on my desk as I write this. They are next to my right elbow, and the plastic is still on them. I hesitate to open them, because I don’t want my trial to start until I plan on playing more often. They come with a year’s subscription. Belinda did well. She got the wearable shot tracking system, too, so I don’t have to have my phone with or on me all the time during my rounds. Okay, I just removed the plastic. I am more excited about these than most other golf gifts I have received. I look forward to breaking down all the data I will receive.
If I were to guess, I would say putting is one of my strengths. Short game and sand saves are average. Driving is just so-so, and that is why I am doing my RypStick speed training. Iron play and approaches are the worst part of my game. I wonder if all of that will end up being an accurate description of my game after using the Arccos.
I am going to take Kody for a walk, because I am getting restless. Be right back.
That feels better. It was brisk out there. It is going to be a cold week with temps in the 30's. Something else that makes me feel better happened last week. I beat Eric in our last round for the season. Phew! Here’s how it went down.
We played on Tuesday, because it was the best weather day. B had her cabin/teacher friends over, too, so it was good to get out of the house and give them privacy.
We chose to ride in a cart again (because it feels like we are on vacation), and I expected a full 18 holes out of him, but he said that he might leave after nine as I steered the cart to the fairway on #1. He was “watching" his mom, but if she called and was doing fine, he might continue at the turn. I thought I had better get going right away this time. No waiting to warm up and start playing well later in the round.
I did what he did last time. I got a small bucket and warmed up. I arrived an hour before our tee time. I don’t know if he ate some overnight oats for lasting energy before our last round, but I did that, also. No excuses if he wins this time, I thought.
He did what I did last time, too. He showed up late (I did have to stop at the dentist, in my defense). He didn’t buy a small bucket. He did a bit of putting and stretching just before we started.
Hmmm, I see a pattern emerging. No warm-up, no win.
Despite that, it didn’t start well for me. I pulled my tee shot left and started with a seven. He hit the fairway and won the hole for the first four points. We tied on the next hole, but he hit the fairway again and got the green in regulation for three more points. I was down 7-0 right away!
Although he got more points on #2, I made a long putt for my bogey to match his bogey. I even “called my putt.” The hole was on the back right side, and I left my first putt from the front of the green well short. My bogey putt was from over 25 feet, and I said it would go over Eric’s marker and then curve into the hole. Corey Brown and his little brother Jimmy played with us, and they were impressed with that. Actually, so was I.
Then things changed. He only got two more points for the fairways on #3 and #5, but my game came on in a strong way.
I won hole #3 with a bogey for three points, and he went on a misadventure in the cliffs to the right of the fairway. We tied with bogeys on #4, and neither one of us hit the green. I made an exceptional par on #5 to boost my confidence even more. I topped my approach, but then I got up and down after that with my pitching wedge from a tough lie in a grass bunker. That third shot went over the expanse, landed on the green, and rolled towards the hole on the closer, bottom tier. I sunk that putt for my par and three more points.
It was the last three holes where I really pulled away. Poor Eric struggled. I know how he felt, because it had happened to me the last two times we had played.
I won hole #6 with a bogey. Then I won the next hole with a par. I won both of the long drives on the par fives, and I won those holes, too, for an absolute rout. I basically forced Eric to decide to leave after nine holes, because I ended up winning with a score of 26-9. Now, that is more like it!
It was a relief to beat Eric again, score better, and play the way I know I can. Mostly, it was great to play more like the way I had played during the spring and summer. I scored a 44 to Eric’s 52.
Like I wrote above, we played with Corey and Jimmy Brown. Corey and I had exchanged numbers before, and he had asked me twice to see if I could go play, but I was up in Lakewood the first try, and I had just come back from there the second time. I was so happy that it worked out this time, and they were super playing partners. They cussed a bit too much for me, and Corey was smoking on most of the holes, but they were pleasant and super cordial overall.
On the back, I relaxed way too much after Eric left. I felt I had nothing to prove after I had beaten him. I started with a snowman on #10, but I recovered for most of the middle of the round. I know I played better than my younger partners. Jimmy has only been playing for a year.
I hit four fairways and four greens in the middle section on the back. With that snowman on #10, I was still able to score a decent 46 for a year-ending 90. Corey had a string of pars and bogeys in the middle of the back nine, too. I am not sure what his scores were on #10 (I think he got a snowman, too) or #18. Jimmy played decently up until hole #14 where he ended up just picking up his ball after multiple mistakes. I know he earned the only birdie of the day with a long putt on the front nine (not sure which hole), but he also blew up on hole #18.
It’s 6:29 PM now, and I have started to listen to the Broncos game against the Patriots. The Broncos need to win to have a chance at the playoffs. I am going to add all of my birdies to the birdie and eagle count. All in all, it was a good year for golf, and I am optimistic for 2024!
Until next year…
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