Nice putt!!

Lately, my putting has been quite exceptional. I have been making less than 2 putt on average for last few games. However, my drives are going berserk. Haven't made many fairways in past few games. In fact, I made only a couple in last game.

I have been using a different way of scoring to figure out what's really wrong in my game. Now, I count the number of shots it takes for me reach the green and compare it to 2 shots less than par. i.e. on a par 4, I would expect to be on the green in 2 shots. I also count the number of putts and work my handicap based on the assumption that it should take only 2 putts on the green. In addition, I count the number of shots it takes to putt the hole after the ball is within 20 yards of the green. This scoring tells me if my short game or the long game is bad. e.g. If I reach within 20 yards of the green in 2 shots less than par, I know that I need one shot to get to the green and then 2 putts. This means I am already aiming for a bogey. If my long game was better, I shouldn't need this extra shot to get to the green so I count this against my long game. If it takes 2 shots to get to the hole, my short game is good , in fact better than par game. Of course, I also count the number of chips, pitchs and sand shots to see how I play those.

Overall, I realized from this analysis that I need to work on getting my driver to the fairway and work on accuracy of the second/third shot so I can get to the green. If I can get to the fairway and get green in regulation even half the times, I should easily break 80 and I am counting on it.

Birdie!!

Finally I got a birdie I deserved. I was playing with my brother in law last Friday at Sunnyvale Municipal. Front nines were pretty bad. No pars, bogeys, bogeys and bogeys and I was +16. Then came the 10th hole. A week before, I was close to doing an eagle here and ended up with a par. Wind was favorable, right behind us. As I hit the driver, I knew it was good hit, better than the last week. As I reached the ball, I realized this was almost 300 yards. Favorable wind had really paid off. Only 230 yards were remaining. I knew I could reach the green (based on last week's experience). But, the front group was still at the green. Waiting was getting to be impatient. I don't know if it was their presence that prompted it, but my hit went right off the green, although it went the distance. Otherwise, I could have been looking at an eagle opportunity. In any case, I still managed a good chip and got a great 6 foot putt to seal a birdie.

Good thing is that I followed it up with 3 pars and ended up with a +9 with back nines. Under 100, but still it was exhilirating.