emueller's Blog
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emueller posted November 20 (10:36PM)
Double Eagles Lately, I’ve felt like a hole-in-one is virtually unattainable… like all the stars have to be aligned correctly in order for this to happen. But I did have a great experience this past week with eagles.
At Ponta Creek Golf Course here in Meridian, MS, the 11th hole is a 477 yard, slight dogleg-right par 5 with a severely elevated green.
On Sunday, I hit a nice drive with a slight fade and ended up in the center of the fairway right at the 200 yard mark. Normally, I’d hit a 4-iron, but the elevation of the green made me hit my hybrid—thinking it would work best to get the ball to hit the slope and run up.
My playing partners thought I was nuts, but I hit the shot, saw it fly dead at the pin, hit the slope, and slowly roll up onto the green right at the hole. One of the guys in our foursome said, “That’s GOT to be in the hole!”, but from 200 yards, it seemed rather slim that could happen.
As we got closer to the hole, it seemed not quite so far-fetched. The ball was sitting right on the lip of the cup… so close that a stiff breeze might have it fall in. A great Eagle that was almost a double!
On Tuesday – the same hole – I hit a stronger drive to the 150 mark, and followed that with a 7-iron due to the elevated green.
Again, the ball tracked right at the pin, hit the hard green, bounced once, and hit the stick… Another almost double-eagle, but leaving about 2 feet for my second eagle in 3 days (Fortunately, I made the putt!)
So, they weren’t hole-in-ones, but pretty exciting nonetheless! The kind of experiences that keep me coming back!0 commentsLog in to post a comment! -
emueller posted September 10 (04:32PM)
Stack and Tilt If there’s ever been a problem with my golf swing, it’s been inconsistent iron shots. Yes, I can play fairly solidly, but those annoying fat or thin shots sneak in there occasionally… and usually at those times where I really wish they wouldn’t – like when I really need to carry something.
The good news about this is that I absolutely KNOW what causes my fat shots: A poor weight shift. When I hit a poor shot, my weight stays back, and I end up scooping.
So, while I was initially reluctant to try out Stack and Tilt after reading the Golf Digest articles, I got interested in it again after seeing the DVDs advertised, and decided that it certainly couldn’t hurt.
What did I find? I found that Stack and Tilt was absolutely perfect for me. It gives my swing a consistently inside-out swing with a decending arc that keeps me from hitting a fat shot… my impact is always ball first with a divot taken afterward. My ball flight is now beautiful, with WAY more spin on my shots… and even a slight draw. And one more plus – the solid contact has added about 15 yards to all my irons.
Is Stack and Tilt for everyone? I wouldn’t go that far. But I do feel it’s something to look into for golfers who have an issue with inconsistent irons. The loading of weight forward and continuing to shift weight forward throughout the swing (along with the body being centered over the ball) makes it almost impossible to hit a fat shot.
I know I’m now a believer!0 comments -
emueller posted August 23 (10:01PM)
Branson, MO Who knew Branson was such a golf-friendly area?
We had the chance to visit Branson this past week when my Mother-in-law went through the area with relatives and friends, and were treated to a town that is not all old country singers’ theaters. Yes, the country theaters are there, but there’s plenty of family-friendly things to do there.
And there’s lots of golf.
I had the chance to play Thousand Hills Golf Resort while there, and it’s a beautiful course – and an absolute steal at the $35 you’ll pay after 4pm! Lots of rolling terrain, and some very tight fairways (with heavy rough) that you can get yourself into plenty of trouble with an errant tee shot!
My new style of play has me using the Stack and Tilt method for my swing, and I’m very impressed with the consistency of my contact now. I shot a +2 66 on a course I’d never played before! More on Stack and Tilt in other blogs…
I also had the chance to visit Branson Creek (one of Golf Digest’s Top 100 courses) and John Daly’s Murder Rock and try out their facilities for some practice – not enough time to actually play rounds there, although there are deals available for twilight golf, or if you look for coupons. Both are immaculate courses (although Branson Creek has the nicer course, but no clubhouse, yet) and are signes of the new trend in Branson to build even more courses. The development company has one more course under construction and two more in planning. Five golf courses in this community.
I didn’t get a chance to look at it, but there’s also the Payne Stewart Golf Course being built nearby to add to already around 8 courses in the area.
I’ll be back soon…0 comments -
emueller posted August 01 (10:38AM)
My updated swing (courtesy of Swingdicator) on the course Hitting on the range is one thing, but obviously if it doesn’t work on the course, it really doesn’t matter. I had good results with tweaking my swing plane on the range… hitting crisper shots (although I didn’t try my Driver, as it was a weekday).
I had the opportunity to try out my “new” swing on a course yesterday, though. I was down in Gulfport, MS, accompanying my wife on a trip to a seminar she was attending, and (as I wasn’t there for the seminar) figured I’d try to play a new golf course while there. Not knowing for certain how long the seminar would go – it was probably going to finish early – I looked for the closest (and cheapest) course I could find.
I’d already played Pine Bayou on the Seabee base, so I found an older course called Tramark (or Bayou Breeze) near the airport. This course had certainly seen better days, as I discovered that it used to be larger, with a bigger and better clubhouse, but that the Air National Guard had taken a good portion of its land after 9/11, leaving it short and rather narrow, with a few fairways crossing each other or sharing tee boxes. But, it was only $20 (military) with a cart for 18 holes, so I was okay with that!
Bottom line: I was hitting beautiful shots with my new swing plane. This course was incredibly flat, so most holes were straight plays to the green at around 300-330 yards – and I was playing most of the way with driver and a chip.
Unfortunately, the greens were REALLY bad. Every shot to a green threw up a pillar of sand as the ball touched down, and it was practically impossible to stop a shot. Add to that the fact that these greens were pockmarked with bare ground, and putting was next to impossible, although I managed to either 2-putt most holes or at least get up-and-down, finishing with 3 birdies and one bogey for a -2 69.
So… I’m a huge fan of the Swingdicator!0 comments -
emueller posted July 29 (03:48PM)
Swingdicator Simple and VERY effective!
By Ed from Meridian, MS on 7/29/2008out of 5Pros: Easy To Use, Helpful
Cons: More DVD info
Best Uses: On The Course, At Home, Practice
Describe Yourself: Golf Enthusiast
Handicap: 6
It’s an incredibly simple product… so simple that it seems that it couldn’t possibly help - but it does!! Combined with some tips on the DVD, it provides EXCELLENT visual feedback to enable changes to the swing and develop a solid swing path.
Personally, after watching the DVD and developing my plan for working with the Swingdicator, I began hitting more solid shots my first time on the range, which led to an additional 20 yards on all my clubs. I now use it in my warmups just to be sure my plane is correct—although I have pulled it out on the course when taking practice swings when the swing’s just not feeling right.
I would have liked a little more instruction on the DVD, possibly some troubleshooting sections… but since it shows what should be done to make the swing right, that’s probably not really necessary…
Another plus… a portion of the proceeds go to support the Diabetes Research Foundation.(legalese)
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emueller posted July 08 (07:48PM)
Dancing Rabbit Golf Course, Choctaw, MS COURSE: Dancing Rabbit Golf Club What’s one of the best kept secrets in Mississippi? Dancing Rabbit Golf Club in Philadelphia, MS. There are two courses (Azalea and Oaks), and both are at Pearl River Resort – the Choctaw Indian casino resort. Both are also ranked by Golf Magazine in the “Top 100 Courses You Can Play” – and if you’re military, you get a HUGE deal… the $135 cost to play is only $20!! What a deal for a Tom Fazio/Jerry Pate course!
My neighbor, Mike, was the one who told me this closely guarded secret, and then arranged for us to play on the 4th of July. And what a great trip! Cheri also went with us, as she loves to see golf courses – and this one was a real treat!(Mike’s wife, Amber, was watching their little son – we don’t miss planning events around a little one’s schedule anymore!)
Lots of great things about this course: Beautiful clubhouse, nice manicured fairways and greens, greens that roll like putting on a pool table, free range balls, golf carts with range-finder GPS… there’s just too much too list. And it’s beautifully set up!!
Another good thing… I was back to playing clean golf after a couple of rounds where I couldn’t seem to get into a steady groove of hitting shots. Even with it being a course I’d never played before, I shot a 4-over par 76… best of all, I was hitting nice short shots and stopping them solid on the greens, leaving me fair chances at birdie. After all my playing of municipals, this level of course was leaving me mis-reading breaks and having the putts go virtually straight when I thought they’d break.
My analogy of the Dancing Rabbit greens: They’re like my NTTC Meridian students… they tell me they’re going to do one thing, then turn around and do something else.
Another great quote. When I tried to play a slight draw on one of the holes (and had the ball fly virtually straight), Cheri asked what causes a draw. Mike’s reply: “Magic”. Sometimes, I think he’s right.
This made for a really great day, and we’re looking forward to our next excursion to a reasonably-priced golf destination out of the area. Our next run to Dancing Rabbit will be in some type of casino/golf package—Cheri and I want to see what the Azaleas course is like!0 comments -
emueller posted April 26 (10:07PM)
9 holes at a time My new goal is to simply play more golf! It’s occasionally a little difficult to get out and play 18 holes, but playing 9 isn’t much of an issue after work (what’s an hour-and-a-half?).
So I’m getting out there and playing 9 holes at least twice a week… and it doesn’t throw off the family life or school!
(But I’m still looking to try to get in 18 at least every other week)
For the time spent, I think this is having a better effect on my game now than just going out and hitting range balls.0 comments -
emueller posted March 30 (04:16PM)
Personal best, and a great 17th! Today, I shot my best round EVER… a 71 with two birdies and a bogey. I had solid contact with all my irons, and my putts all had chances to go in as my distance was about a foot past on all misses.
But the best thing about this round? The 17th.
This weekend has been the “Wings Over Meridian” Air Show at NAS Meridian, and incoming traffic has been diverted to an alternate gate, with the road to it running right alongside the fence that parallels the 17th. The 17th at Ponta Creek is a 515 yard Par 5 with a big tree in the middle of the fairway that is right at the 300 yard mark.
As I finished the 16th and was walking to the 17th, I saw the line of cars waiting to go to the airshow, and my first thought was “I’ve been playing solid all day, and I’ll mess this drive up with people watching.” So I made a point to take a couple practice swings to get loose and carefully checked my line and alignment. Then just let the drive go…
I was amazed! When it “mattered”, I hit a clean 300 yard drive just to the right of the tree. One person in a car waiting on the road clapped.
As I got to the ball, another person in a minivan yelled “Nice Drive!” to me. So now, I’m feeling like I have to follow this up with another good shot. With 220 yards to go and a strong head wind (and a nice bunker covering the right front of the green), I’m thinking I need to play to a safe yardage and trust my wedge to get me close… so rather than try to be a hero, I hit an easy, low 7-iron to get me just at 80 yards. Something I would NEVER usually do, but it seemed the right thing to do with the conditions… and people watching.
So, I play an easy knockdown sand wedge from this point and get it to about 12 feet (wind knocked down my knockdown). The guy in the minivan says, “Nice shot… was that a 9 iron?”. “A sand wedge”, I reply, feeling pretty good that someone thought I was hitting more club… kind of that feeling I get when I hear the pros using a 6-iron to go 200+ yards.
So, my conservative play has got me set up pretty well for a birdie. I line it up, get set, and roll it for the hole. It’s looking good all the way, until it moves just a little right and lips the right edge. A sympathetic “Awwww” comes from the man in the minivan, followed by “Nice par! You need to enter a tournament!”.
I pull my ball from the hole, give my best tour-like pro wave to my “gallery”, call to them to have a good afternoon at the air show, and move on the the 18th… feeling pretty good about my experience.
(Oh, and I lipped a downhill 30-foot putt for birdie on the 18th, tapping in for par)0 comments -
emueller posted March 27 (11:34PM)
Playing more I saw a blog post a few days ago stating “The more I play, the better I get!”. I know it doesn’t seem like it sometimes, but I’m starting to feel that way now.
I think it has to do with my practice!
I’ve made a real effort to work on my short game in two areas—chipping and putting… and I’m starting to feel fairly confident that I can chip most of the time within 10 feet, and make most of the putts within 6 feet.
I spent a practice session just working at putting speed. No care at all whether I’d hole the putt, just whether I got it about 18” past the target from a variety of distances from 15 to 30 feet.
I hit the course for an evening 9 holes feeling like I was going to have success on the greens, and took only 12 putts. A HUGE deal for me!!
My practice might not have been glamorous, but it worked!0 comments -
emueller posted March 05 (07:16PM)
Almost Golf I had been looking for a good practice golf ball that I could hit around in the small lot next to my house, and gave the AlmostGolf practice ball a try.
What a fun little ball!
I was playing with my sand wedge, and hitting shots about a third of the distance that I would normally see, and a very natural ball flight. Feels a little “light”, but way better than those little plastic or foam balls.
My neighbor saw me out there, so we started trading shots across the street, trying to hit close to each other. A great way to get the swing working nice, as the feel of the shot is right… it just flies less.
We may well come up with our own little AlmostGolf tournament around the neighborhood.
#1, Par 3: Over the hedges and car by the corner, to the mailbox to the left…
#2: Par 3: Short blind tee shot over the house into the backyard…0 comments -
emueller posted February 09 (09:17PM)
First round with the new driver COURSE: Shadow Ridge Golf Club I finally broke down and bought a square-head driver, but didn’t go all-out with a Sumo2. I went with a clone (and a 9-degree loft), but upgraded it with Winn grip and a UST Proforce 65 shaft at 45.5”.
The results? I had no issues at all hitting clean straight shots, and can even work the shots (something I couldn’t do with the Sumo). Overall, I was averaging 270+ yards (about 30 more than my average), and hit 12/14 fairways! The two I missed were by hitting a bit too long and rolling into the first cut – nothing major.
... and that aluminum bat KLANK of the Sumo2 wasn’t there, either! This one sounds pretty much like a regular 460cc titanium driver… but about $280 cheaper!
Now I’ve REALLY got to spend more time on my short irons so I can get a bit closer to the hole to get a better chance at birdie! What a great dilemma to have!
I’m looking forward to the Mississipi spring to come so I can hit off some green grass!0 comments -
emueller posted January 25 (09:54PM)
Some time off... It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged, as it’s been awhile since I’ve been playing! Our weather’s gone cold, and all the grass is brown and dormant out here. After six years in Washington, this is a big change!
Not all bad, though. I’ve been able to spend more time chipping and pitching, and getting the putting stroke cleaner with little 4-5 foot putts in the living room.
Not necessarily the most glamorous of practice, but I bet it’ll pay off when the Captain’s Cup leagues start in the Spring!0 comments -
emueller posted December 13 (08:12PM)
Chip, chip, chip... Ah, the advantages of a long lunch break… like skipping lunch and heading to the range!
I did hit a bucket of balls, and was very happy with the results, so spent most of my time at the practice green chipping and putting, with my game today being to both chip and putt.
Four balls, chipped to four different holes, then trying to one-putt. I was hoping to get a round with a score of eight, but my best was a 10. Just couldn’t quite get all my chips close enough…
I’m hoping if I continue this game, I’ll get better at hitting the shot when I need it, rather than hitting four shots from one location (that always get better).
But I’ve got quite a way to go… and I think this is going to be a fun ride!0 comments -
emueller posted December 07 (04:04PM)
Today's Tempo I know I should be swinging with a smooth tempo… but I just seem to lose track of it somehow, and start hitting at the ball rather than swinging through it.
I think I made huge steps to fixing that today!
Today’s range work was nothing but hitting short irons, but making sure to swing smoothly… about on a three count of two on the backswing and then through.
With the smooth swing pace (which actually felt slow), and concentrating on squaring my left hand just before impact, I was hitting really smooth, and ended up hitting for slightly more distance with less perceived effort.
More importantly, it helped me get my swing plane so that I could hit down consistently on the irons and feel the ball “squeezing” between the clubface and ground for a much nicer ball flight, and really good backspin on my wedges!
Hopefully, I can do the same at the course!0 comments -
emueller posted December 04 (01:16PM)
Golf by the numbers After a good number of years off, I’m back to playing fairly seriously again… my wife might call that “obsessed”. Well, I’m REALLY enjoying myself, and I see all sorts of little things that need improvement, which means there’s possibly light at the end of the tunnel.
My Dad was a 6 handicap at his best, so I’m hoping to get down to there, too!
So, I think I’ve solved the erratic drive thing with a combination of getting my swing mechanics together, and spending a little money on a new driver. Now, where does that leave me?
Well, if I’m hitting 75-80% of my fairways, I’m pretty certain that I can get my second shot in good shape, but my GIR is down at around 45%.
Mid and Short irons need work. More appropriately, take one more club and hit easier.
I’m hardly ever three-putting, but I’m not getting too many 10-20 footers in on the first putt. With taking an average of 31 putts, I’m hitting a few one-putts, but there’s some room for improvement… under 30 putts a round would make a big difference.
Putting speed is good, but trust the line that I initially read. Where I’ve pointed that logo line is where I’m putting… and it’s cliche, but I need to err on the high side.
So, with some short iron work to get the first putt inside 20 feet (and hopefully closer), the putting should follow. Hitting higher Greens-in-Regulation doesn’t guarantee birdies and pars, but it should help, as I can two-putt for par instead of bogey.
More to follow…0 comments -
emueller posted December 02 (11:59AM)
A second round with a square driver COURSE: Ponta Creek Golf Club Played a second round at Ponta Creek, but this time the front nine with my normal driver and the back nine with a square head. About as scientific as I’m going to get.
On the front nine, I was hitting fairly well, with an average distance of about 240 yards. I hit the back nine better, with the holes teeing off with a driver averaging 260+, and with missed fairways being only slightly off.
I’m certain it’s not just the club, as I did hit a draw once, but I think that my confidence level is better with the square head, and without the anxiety, I hit better.
Once I actually break down and get one of these drivers, it’s on steadily to working on the short game… a few more shorter first putts and I should be saving some more strokes! Yes… I know I should already have been doing that, but I’m not 3-putting!0 comments -
emueller posted November 27 (07:48PM)
An interesting golf week My short game is coming along, and I’ve been hitting putts pretty well, but I either get distance or accuracy off the tee—usually not both. Davis and I went out to Ponta Creek to play a quick nine on Sunday, but the civilians were keeping things slow, so we went out to the range.
I’ve been hitting my irons better lately—thanks to some work on releasing the clubface and hitting down—so Davis and I decided to have a little fun and try out something new.
What better than to hit a Nike Sumo2 square driver!
This thing’s supposed to have a huge MOI, and be forgiving off the tee, and I’m pretty cynical about these things, but I gave it a go. Tee’d it up a KLANK!!... the thing sounds like crushing a beer can with an aluminum baseball bat.
But did the shot FLY!! Out almost to the 250 yard net in the air. Higher flight than I like, but dead on straight. Thought it might be beginner’s luck, so I hit more—and hit them straight, high, and long every time. Tried whaling on a shot, and still hit it strong and caught the net in the air.
A week later (two days ago), I tried it for a round of 18, and hit almost all the fairways, and all about 20 yards longer than usual, with some 30+.
Davis is trying to convince Cheri that I need one for Christmas—what a great son!! :)
