It looks like spring has finally arrived. We’ve had great temperatures lately, though a fair amount of rain also. Still, it has allowed me to start to get into more of a mid-season practice and play routine. I’m off to a decent start already, mostly because I was able to play somewhat regularly throughout the winter. Not as much as I would have preferred, but I wasn’t forced to put away my clubs for months. That has given me a head start this year. Looking at my statistics for this year so far (I’ll put them up on the stats page near the end of the month), I’m already better than I was at this time last year, but definitely not where I want to be. I’m hitting a lot more fairways, more greens, and taking fewer putts. These are due to changes I’ve made with my swing and putting stroke, as well as the fact that I’m more sharp, with having been able to play sporadically throughout the winter. If I had to point

My work with the one-plane swing continues and I’m very pleased with the results. My ball-striking has been steadily improving, especially with my long irons. There are several parts of my swing that I need to “evolve” to get there fully. I find that it’s been the least painful to concentrate on one certain aspect of the one-plane swing at a time (while keeping the others in the back of my mind) so that I can properly ingrain each part. Right now, I’m working on keeping my left wrist flat from the start of the swing through impact. That single change has led to the most improvement in my ball striking. If I get to the top of the swing and feel that my wrist has cupped some, I know I’m destined for an inconsistent shot. I got out for a 9-hole round yesterday and hit 6 out of 7 fairways. Part of that is due to the Callaway FT-i Tour driver that I got. That thing is amazing. Two of those drives were with

March is less than a week away now, and I think the knowledge of that has triggered a wake-up from my golf semi-hibernation. We can still get snow here clear into April (not often), but March is the month when I know that spring is close. Right now, I’m happy with my workouts. I’ve increased the intensity of my cardio some and am feeling pretty decent, overall. Mentally, I’m in a place where I’m looking forward to working out, instead of feeling like it’s a burden. My work with the one-plane swing continues. I’ve gotten in a couple of range sessions and a few 9-hole rounds. The transition is going to take a while. Remembering all the keys to the swing and practicing them until they become ingrained isn’t something I can really do effectively with sporadic winter activity. I get out when I can, and try and practice segments of the swing indoors, but there’s no substitute to hitting balls. One thing I have noticed during my two range sessions is that every so

It’s a little unbelievable how mild this winter has been. Sure, we’ve had some cold spells, and it’s not exactly warm out. However, I was quite surprised that I’d see weather that was perfect to get in 9 holes yesterday. I mentioned previously that I’m quite interested in Jim Hardy’s one-plane swing concept. I read his Plane Truth and Plane Truth Master Class books, concentrating mostly on the one-plane parts, so as to not get confused at the range trying to separate the one-plane and two-plane fundamentals in my mind. Last weekend, I got out to the driving range for the first time to try out the one-plane swing. As with any swing change, it felt really strange. The back swing felt very, very, very flat to me. Weird feelings aside, I have to say, that I was rather happy with the consistency I was feeling in my ball striking. Keep in mind that it’s winter here and I can’t practice and play very often and don’t expect a range session at the beginning of

The winter gives me a lot of time to spend time catching up on golf (and other) books. On one hand, it’s nice to be able to find the time, but it’s a double-edged sword. Being an experimenter by nature, as I’m reading, I’m just dying to be able to get out to the range to try it all out. As I mentioned yesterday, I’m currently captivated by Jim Hardy’s teachings on the one- and two-plane swings. All I’ve been able to do since my last report is continue to read, do some indoor drills (grip, posture, etc.), and to continue my work with the Pelz Putting Track. I really like the Putting Track. On the workout front, I’m continuing to work on my flexibility and endurance, but not at the level I’d like. Winter is tough, because my mind really wants me to go into hibernation mode. It’s a battle. I need to move to a place where the winters are mild. I got a chance yesterday to try out the treadmill plan that