Round Reflections: Four Club Follow-up

So yesterday I explained how I chose my four clubs for today's challenge.  I chose my 6-iron, 8-iron, 60-degree wedge, and putter.

This tournament challenge was a tough one. I'm happy with the clubs I chose, but honestly I did miss having more wedges and a few more irons in the bag. Interestingly, it wasn't the longer holes I had issue with (I played those very well), it was the shorter ones. With longer holes I swung easy because I was mentally prepared for the fact that I would most likely be short. Short holes, however, really get under my skin. It's tough to make a full swing with a high loft wedge, but I find it equally hard to grip down or make a half swing with an 8-iron to try to keep it short. So with only an 8-iron and 60-degree wedge, I was between clubs often today. This is a problem I seem to have every week, however. Especially the first tee, playing only 105 yards to the middle. I have yet to hit that green. And the 8th is a short hole with water to the right playing only 95 yards to the middle. Today I hit the 60-degree, my shortest club in the bag, and I was still behind the green, as I have been every time!

This isn't to say that I am a big muscle or anything. It's true I am in better shape than I have been in a long while (considering my pregnancy and long recovery), but I think today the weather may have helped things along. It was warm and not at all humid or breezy, which made the ball fly a little farther. The two greens I hit, one with a 6-iron and one with an 8, I did not expect to as in past rounds I've had to club up to get there. It actually was a delightful morning and I loved being outside; I may have even started my lovely sock tan again.

I also felt rushed, but an excited to play kind of rush. It took me a few holes to settle myself in and stay focused on the present. With the four club challenge I fortunately found myself distracted from doing any math today (even when I hit two back-to-back pars and thought I would be turning things around from the back to back triple bogeys I started with). Once I was not so rushed I really felt like I stayed in the moment well today. And so it was a fun surprise after to see that my score was only one shot worse than when I played two weeks ago. Considering the constraints on this week's play I felt pretty good about that.

I can still putt better and chip better next round. In particular, I want to figure out how to practice chipping indoors more effectively, maybe even with real balls. I find that because I get so used to chipping with the whiffle balls, when I actually play with the real golf ball it comes off the face very hot. I've also been lazy about practicing full swings lately (well, in my defense it's been raining a lot so putting is easier to do during nap time) and I want to get back to doing more of that so that I can hit more greens! Putting is hugely important but GIR is key to low scores, and I want the lowest I can get.

Off again next week for a fun me-and-hubby only trip, so I have some time to work!