Knappbuilders

How did I play today? Shot my handicap. How did my brother play today? First ever hole-in-one!! Being a witness to it was nearly as exciting. It was an uphill 140 yard par 3. We walked up (me towards the bunkers) and he said as he approached that he did not see his ball on the green after a perfect 8 iron shot. I ran up, walked to the cup and there it was in all its glory! One down side with an uphill shot is not getting to watch the ball trickle in. Great Day.

Question for the pros: Lately my biggest issue seems to be with gripping too tight. This usually rears its ugly head on the first tee and sometimes stays atound for 3 or 4 holes When I grip to tight the club face comes through open and I can't close the face in time. This really determines whether I have a good round or not. It can even change from hole to hole. Any drills or tips or unique ways to make sure I'm gripping the club lightly. I need a drill that can become second nature, something I don't have to think about.

Today's round nearly mirrored last weeks. Snowman on hole one 545 yard par 5. Double bogeys hole two. Terrible start. Missed the GIR on 3, but chipped in the hole from off the green for birdie. The rest of the round was nondescript. Bogeys and pars. Finished with a 43 which is right where I normally play. I'm actually proud of myself for not letting the round blow up after the triple double.

Question for the pros: As a 17 handicap my game is up and down as expected. I have streaks of good rounds and bad rounds. I practice 2 days per week. The problem i am having lately is with my mid irons. Either from the tee box on par 3's or from the fairway, I have been grounding alot of shots out to the right. The ball doesn't come up more that 5 feet off of the ground. After impact the ball just squirts out low and right, rolls maybe 30 yards. Its a round killer of a miss. I think is a weight shift problem or a tight grip problem, but I am having trouble identifying the issue. Any thoughts?

Today was a quick 9 hole round before heading into work. Good thing only 9 holes too, because at 8:15 this morning it was near 90 degrees and near 90% humidity. It was my usual friday morning round at Capital Hills Golf Course in Albany, NY. A municipal course that is well taken care of and one of the most difficult layouts I have played. After warming up (literally into a sweat) on the range and putting green we headed to the first tee. Good news is that i hit one of my longer and straighter drivers with roll out about 260 yards...bad news is my score on the hole was a snowman. A top shot and 2 sand shots being the culprits. I had 4 GIR but only one par from them as i 3-putted 3 times. I managed to hit 6 fairways. I had a sand save par on a short par 5 number 8 that should have been a short birdie putt. All in all finished up right on my handicap with a 45. (par for the front 9 is 35) If you live near the capital district in NY give capital hills a try. Very challenging with tons of bunkers and uneven lies. Fairways are at a premium.

When I started golfing 4 years ago it was another excuse to drink outdoors with my buddies. Fast forward 4 years and I take golf too seriously to drink when I play now. The irony of life.