Peering into the Darkness

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

Last night I made my third pilgrimage to the practice range this season. It was a wonderful, warm evening and I was expecting to find a fair amount of fellow golfers hammering balls off the tees. Imagine my surprise when I arrived shortly before 7 p.m. and found the range completely empty.
Deciding it was time to step-up my practice, I went for a medium bucket of balls. My plan was to use this practice session to hit my middle irons--7-iron, 6-iron, 5-iron, 4-iron--and hybrid, as well as a few fairway woods if I had any golf balls remaining. I took my time, rehearsing my pre-shot routine before hitting a golf ball, and my practice session took about an hour.

I warmed up with some stretching and then hit 10 sand wedges, starting with easy chips and working up to a full swing. My practice session then went as follows:

• 7-iron -- 15 balls
• 6-iron -- 15 balls
• 5-iron -- 15 balls
• 4-iron -- 10 balls
• Hybrid -- 10 balls
• 7-wood -- 4 balls
• 3-wood -- 2 balls

I tried not to focus on the results of each shot, but concentrated on my tempo--using a 1-2 takeaway and swing, my alignment using my alignment sticks and making solid contact on each shot. I did well with the 7-irons, but hit a lot of fat shots with the 6-iron. The 5-iron saw my tempo improve and my contact was crisper, but I had mixed results with the 4-iron. I'm not certain I will carry the 4-iron this season, but I wanted to work with it as I make my decision. I hit the hybrid really well, with only a few pulled shots. The 7-wood was not pretty. I used my last two balls to hit my 3-wood off the tee, imagining in each instance that I was standing on the tee at the 18th Hole and needed to hit the fairway. Mission accomplished on both swings.
I feel my swing is in much better shape at this point in the season than it was a year ago. My next practice session focus on the short game, which means heading to Juniata Golf Club's practice green for some putting and chipping. Then it may be onto the course after that.

Back to the Mat

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466
Last night I made my second trip to the practice range as I continue to try and shake the winter's rust off my swing and my get my game ready to take to the course. I again selected a small bucket of balls and took up my customary spot on the lower level.

This time I brought my Momentus Power Hitter Driver with me. I wasn't able to use the Power Hitter much last season because of the forearm/elbows strain that hindered me through most of the season. I warmed up with some stretching, then swinging the weighted Driver. I then hit 10 lob wedges. Feeling sufficiently warmed up, I teed it up with the Power Hitter for 10 balls, before hitting 10 balls with my regular Driver, a TaylorMade Tour Burner. I then 10 3-Woods and concluded by hitting my last five balls off the mat with my 5-Wood.

Overall, I felt good about the way I hit the ball, making solid contact about 80 percent of the time. I also worked on my pre-shot routine, swing thoughts and tempo. I tried to focus more on these aspects than on the results of my shots, but overall, I think I hit the ball really well for the second practice session.

I think I might go to Juniata Golf Course and work on putting and chipping for my next practice session. I'm shooting for early April to play my first official practice round on the golf course.

Getting Back into the Swing

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

The arrival of daylight savings time last weekend has brought lasting twilight and warmer temperatures. It has also heralded the arrival of the first venture to the practice range. Tonight a grabbed my clubs when I got home from work and headed to Fishers Glen, where I took my usual spot on the lower level. Equipped with a small bucket of balls--I didn't want to overdue on my first practice time of the year--I set my task at stretching, working on a pre-shot routine, ingraining the swing thoughts I outlined in my previous post and generally, just hitting some golf balls to begin knocking the winter's rust off my game.

Golfs balls litter the range at Fishers Glen

Initially, I stretched using my Speed Stik, then hit 10 balls with my 59-degree wedge, increasing my swing with each shot. I then stretched and swung the Speed Stik again before hitting 10 balls with my Gap Wedge. Another bit of stretching and then 10 balls with my 9-Iron, before stretching and swinging the Speed Stik some more. Then it was 10 balls with my 7-Iron, followed by another brief stretch and I finished off hitting 10 fairway wood shots.

I had laid out my alignment sticks to help with my aim and I went through a pre-shot routine between each shot. this consisted and standing 3-5 yards behind the ball and taking one or two practice swings, then moving into the ball, setting the club to my target, taking my stance, waggling the club once or twice then swinging. I wasn't concerned as much about results as I was about making good contact, which I did about 75 percent of the time. Not bad for the first time hitting balls since last October.

Darkness covers the practice range

Except for the lights above the hitting area, the range was completely dark as I hit my last shots, but I left the range feeling good about my first practice and I can't wait until I get back to the practice range for another session.

Return to the Range

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

Since I have been on-and-off with my Driver this year, I cut cut its length down to 44.5-inches in an effort to get more control and accuracy off the tee. Unfortunately, I was only able to hit Driver three times last Saturday at Walnut Lane, so tonight I headed over to Fishers Glen Driving Range to hit a small bucket of balls. I wasn't really looking for an organized practice session, just a chance to hit balls with the Driver. I took up my customary position on the lower level of the range and alternated between two Drivers tonight: my TaylorMade Tour Burner and an old Tommy Armour 845 Stripe, which has a smaller 350cc head and a Bi-Matrix shaft. I did try to work a little on rhythm and ball position. I found that when I played the ball more my front foot instead of just inside my left heel, I hit it much better. I might try keeping the Tommy Armour Driver in my bag for my next round, which will hopefully be this weekend. I finished up my brief practice by hitting 10 balls with my TaylorMade 300 Series 7-Wood, which I shortened by 3/4-inches. I hit five off the tee and five off the turf.

Photo by The Muni Golfer

Practicing with the New 'Big Dog'

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

I have been wanting to up-grade my Driver, so last night I purchased a new TaylorMade Tour Burner Driver from Dicks Sporting Goods at the Franklin Mills Mall. The Driver was on sale and I had several gift cards from my recent birthday, plus a $20 off coupon, so I picked it up at a steep discount. It has 10.5-degrees loft and a Fujikura Re*Ax 60-gram shaft in regular flex. I already have the TaylorMade Burner 3-wood, so I thought this Driver would complement my bag set-up nicely.
On Friday, I scheduled to play a round with a friend at Mainland Golf Course, just northwest of Lansdale, Pa. From the reviews I've read about the course, a Driver is not necessary on most holes, but I still wanted to get to the Driving Range tonight to get a feel for my new Tour Burner so I can use when needed Friday. I also wanted to hit some 3-woods and utility clubs, since they will probably be the club of choice off the tee at Mainland.
It was unseasonably cool and a bit rainy, but I still headed over to Fishers Glen to hit a small bucket of balls. After warming up with 8 wedge shots, I hit 15 3-woods. They were some of the best tee shots I've hit this year. I then moved to the Driver and worked on figuring out how high I need to tee ball, ball position in my stance and swing tempo. I hit 16 balls with the "big dog," some good, some fair, a few I'd rather forget. But overall, it looks like I'll be able to have it in my bag on Friday.

Range Ready

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

Tonight I had my longest, and best, practice session at the driving range so far this season. I was anxious to work on my swing with the stronger grip, as I discovered on the golf course last Sunday. In tonight's practice, I wanted to continue hitting my draw, but I also wanted it to be meaning instead of just pounding ball after ball.
I bought a medium bucket of approximately 70 balls and set up at my usual spot on the end of of the lower level at Fishers Glen. To my surprise, there was actually one guy balls on the lower level this evening. As I was preparing to begin, he quit and approached to offer me the remainder of his bucket, which was about 30 golf balls. I accepted his generous offer.
After stretching and taking several swings with my Speed Stik to warm up, I began by hitting 10 balls with my 56-degree sand wedge. Also used my alignment sticks, which I bought last weekend at Lowe's, to help me set up with a closed stance to better hit a draw. I proceeded to work my way up through my bag, hitting 10 balls every other club through the 5-iron. I then hit my 4-iron, hybrid and the two drivers I brought with me (I skipped my 4-wood tonight).

I hit the following clubs:
10 - 56-degree sand wedges
10 - attack wedges
10 - 9-irons
10 - 7-irons
10 - 5-irons
10 - 4-irons
10 - 4-irons off a tee
10 - hybrids
10 - TaylorMade 360XD Drivers
10 - TaylorMade Burner 07 Drivers
_______________
100 Total balls hit

I made sure that I had a strong right hand grip each time I stepped up to hit a shot. This helped me produce a straight shot or draw on about 95 percent of the shots I hit tonight. I also took my time, stepping off the map, stretching or checking my takeaway between each shot. In total, I hit 100 balls in approximately an hour-and-a-half. My swing felt the best it has so far and the shape of my shots was one of which I am more familiar and more confident.
As you can see, I tested two TaylorMade Drivers tonight: a 44-inch R360XD and a 45-inch Burner 07. I didn't hit the R360XD that bad, but I hit the Burner longer and straighter. I think the Burner will remain in my bag for right now.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Is the Practice Paying Off?

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

Without the washout of my practice round in Bethlehem on Sunday, tonight's session at Fishers Glen took on added significance. My one and only swing thought tonight was my takeaway--to make sure that I started by moving the club with my arms instead of with my hands. This seemed to slow my swing down and caused me to pause slightly at the top of my swing. It also seemed to allow me to hit the ball the best I've hit it so far this year. I was striking the ball crisply and getting good distance. It is the best I've felt confidence wise so far.

Working on my swing at Fishers Glen

My bag was reloaded with a lot of my old TaylorMade clubs, which I think may have provided me a comfort factor going into my practice session. I bought a medium bucket tonight, which is around 70 balls, for $7. After some stretching, I started out warming with my 53-degree gap wedge, then proceeded to work my way up through the bag as follows:

10 - 53-degree wedges
10 - Pitching wedges
10 - 8-irons
10 - 6-irons
10 - 4-irons
6 - Hybrids
6 - 4-woods
12 - Drivers
__________________
74 - Total balls hit

While this was the best ball-striking I've had this year, the only thing that still has me a bit puzzled is that I'm hitting the ball with a slight fade. This is really confusing to me since I have traditionally hit with a draw. I think what I need to do is start playing for the fade and see if my draw returns. If it does, I'll just adjust my game accordingly.

Following through on another swing

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Looking for the Secret on the Mat

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

Ben Hogan said that the secret was in dirt. What he meant was the secret to the golf swing was working on it at the practice range. Well, Fishers Glen doesn't have a grass hitting area, it has mats, so I found myself with a medium size bucket of balls this evening looking for my swing. I put my old TaylorMade 200 irons, 300 Series 7-wood and Burner Driver back in the bag to see that might help. I did hit the ball a little bit better, but I am still hitting more of a slight fade as opposed to my normal draw. But I do feel I am getting closer to finding the secret. Tonight I started with hitting eight balls with my Gap Wedge, then 10 each with my 9-, 7-, 5- and 4-irons. I then hit eight balls with my 4-wood, before finishing with the Driver. I hit nine with my TaylorMade Burner and eight with my Wilson Staff Spine. It was not my best practice session, but it was certainly encouraging. I am hoping to play one more practice round--perhaps this Sunday at the Bethlehem Golf Club's Executive Course.

One the Range: A Flash of Inspiration...and Lightning Too

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

After hitting the ball so poorly on Sunday, I was determined to visit the practice range this week. Although the skies were cloudy and it had rained off-and-on, I believed there would be a brief window this evening that would allow me to hit a small bucket of balls. So I made my way to Fishers Glen for the first time this season.
As I expected, the placed was deserted. Undeterred, I picked my usual spot on the lower level--undercover in case it started to rain again--and began my practice. I took my Momentus Power Hitter with me for the first time this season and used to warm up, then attempted to hit some balls with it. And just like Sunday, I hit balls off the heel, and when I didn't do that, worm burners. After about a dozen balls I pulled out my Wilson Staff Spine Driver and hit it just as poorly. It was raining steady at this point and rumbles could be heard. I picked up my pace, hoping in the words of Carl Spackler, "I don't think the heavy stuff's gonna come down for quite a while."
I switched to my new Wilson Staff Fybrid to get a feel for it when I made a startling discovery. I was swinging around my body. My swing has always been more effective when I swing more straight up-and-down. I started hitting the ball more solidly and straighter. Flashes of lightning were now illuminating the sky, so I quickly switched back to my Driver and hit about 8 balls with a more up-and-down swing. Suddenly, I was hitting it solidly , but with a slight fade. As the thunder boomed overhead and rain pelting down now, I decided discretion was the better part of valor and abandoned my spot on the range, leaving a half bucket of balls. As I quickly ran to my car with my bag slung over my shoulder, hail began to come down as well. Maybe I didn't get in as much practice as I wanted, but hopefully I uncovered a key flaw in my early season swing which I can now go about correcting.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

Back to the Practice Tee

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

Ben Hogan once said the secret to his game was in the dirt. After playing what I thought was a terrible game off the tee last Sunday at Bensalem Township Country Club, I headed back to the practice range at Fishers Glen hoping to find the secret on the astro-turf mats. I used my homemade 'T' square to help with alignment as I hit a small bucket of about 45 balls, hoping to re-groove my swing off the tee. I warmed up with a few sand wedges, then alternated five balls a piece between my Momentus Power Hitter and TaylorMade Burner Driver. I also hit seven 3-Woods off the matt, as well as five a piece between my 2- and 4-Hybrids. I think using the Power Hitter helped settle my tempo, which had definitely gotten too fast on Sunday. Overall, I struck the ball pretty well tonight and regained some of my confidence.

Mid-Year Review of My Golf Resolutions/Goals

Since the calendar now says July, it's a good time to review the golf resolutions, or goals, I set for myself back in January. I ambitiously made 10 resolutions. Here's an update on where I stand in keeping or meeting those resolutions/goals:

1) Get myself physically ready to play golf before the season starts -- I got a late start to the season and while I did try to do some things, I was not really in the best physical shape when I did finally get on the course. My wife and I have been occasionally walking at night, so this has helped me a bit, but we need to do it on a more regular basis.

2) Play a minimum of 30 regulation and practice rounds combined -- I've played less than 10 regulation and practice rounds so far, so unless I play deep into the fall, this resolution/goal may be tough to achieve.

3) Play those rounds on at least 10 golf courses, with at least three being courses I've never played before -- Although I have played less than 10 regulation and practice rounds, I have managed to play them on six different courses, two on which -- Rock Manor and Center Square -- I played for the first time, so this one is well within reach.

Rock Manor Golf Club

4) Play more rounds with family and friends -- While I've made attempts to play more with friends, it hasn't happened as much as I would like.

5) Lower handicap to under 25 -- My handicap is down almost two strokes since the season started and now stands at 26.5, so this one is achievable if I continue my good play.

6) Emphasis on course management -- I'm not taking as many low percentage shots as in the past and the fact that my handicap has dropped is evidence that I am managing my game much better on the course.

7) Practice my short game, including putting, chipping and pitching -- Except for some putting on the carpet, and some warm-up wedges at the driving range, I have not practiced my my short game at all. My putting has been pretty bad this year, particularly from five feet and in.

8) Visit the driving range more regularly -- Early in the spring, when I wasn't getting out on the golf course, I was visiting the driving range weekly. In April and May, I went to the driving range -- Fishers Glen and Burholme Golf Center -- five times, about four times more than I normally do in a season.

Fisher Glen Driving Range

9) Break 90 on a course of Par 70 or higher -- If not for a missed seven foot putt on the 18th Hole at Center Square, I would have already achieved this one. But it did give me confidence that I CAN do it!

18th Hole at Center Square

10) Have FUN playing -- My handicap is going down which means my scores are going down, so how can I NOT be having fun on the golf course?

So, as you can see, I have some things to be optimistic about, and some things still to work on in the second have of the year.

Becoming a Range Rover

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

Tonight I made what is becoming my weekly pilgrimage to the driving range, where I hit my usual small bucket of balls. My usual stall on the far right side of the lower level was available, so I staked out my spot and went to work.
Tonight I used a piece of pvc pipe to aid with my alignment (see picture below). I worked mostly on developing some rhythm and tempo in my swing. Hitting 10 balls a piece with my short irons and wedges, I worked from my 53-degree Solus wedge, to my gap wedge, to my pitching wedge to my 9-iron. My sole swing thought was swinging to a tempo of 1...2...3...4, 1...2...3...4, 1...2...3...4. I finished off by hitting eight shots with an Adams Redline RPM 4-wood that I put in the bag; four balls off the tee and four balls off the mat. I was striping the balls with the 4-wood, so I think I might have to keep it in the bag for a bit.
As I described in my earlier posts, Fishers Glen won't remind you of a posh country club any time soon. In fact, the only thing missing was Roy "Tin Cup" McAvoy and his trusty caddie, Romeo. But it is a great place to quietly work on your swing. A small bucket (approximately 50 balls) is $5, a medium bucket (approximately 70 balls) is $7, and a large bucket (approximately 110 balls) is $10. Fishers Glen is a true Muni Golfers paradise.

Photos by The Muni Golfer

The Range of My Golf So Far

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

I feel like one of those rookies on the PGA Tour who survive through Q School to get their cards, but then have a hard time actually getting into the field at early season tournaments. So far, I've been limited to a mere 27 holes of golf this season because of the weekend commitments and unusually poor weather.

So once again this week I ventured over to Fishers Glen to hit a small bucket of golf balls. Having recently picked up two Nickent 3DX DC Utility hybrids in 15- and 17-degrees of loft, I worked with exclusively with my lower lofted hybrids. I already have a 19-degree 3DX DC Utility hybrid in my bag, and all three have the Aldila NV-75 in them. Hitting off the mat rather than the tee, I made solid contact on most of my shots; I can feel confidence beginning to build. I am almost contemplating replacing my 3 wood with the 15-degree hybrid. What I give up in distance I am hoping to make up for in accuracy by hitting more fairways.

This was my fourth time to the practice range this season, a new record for me. But it has been more necessary this season as I have been finding it more difficult to take my game to the actual golf course.

Home, Home Again on the Range

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

Hoping to get a nine-hole practice round in on Sunday morning, I ventured over to Juniata Golf Club, only to find the course booked with an outing. So tonight, I headed back to Fishers Glen Driving Range and hit another small bucket of golf balls. Armed with my golf bag full of clubs this trip, I took up my isolated spot on the lower level of the range. After stretching out and loosening up with my Speed Stik, I started out by hitting 10 balls with my lob wedge. From there, I worked my way up the bag, hitting 5 balls each with my pitching wedge, 8 iron, 6 iron, 4 hybrid, 3 wood and Momentus Power Hitter. I capped off my range session by hitting four balls with my TaylorMade Burner Driver. In between the 6 and 8 irons, and the 3 wood and Power Hitter, I took 10 swings with the Speed Stik. My last ball, hit with my driver, was crushed; I couldn't see it land at the far left end of the range. As I worked my way up the bag, I felt I was beginning to make more consistent contact and hitting the ball better. This weekend, I plan to play my first full 18 holes of the season.

Home, Home at the Range

Fishers Glen Driving Range
4717 Fishers Lane
Philadelphia, Pa
215/533-9466

Needing to shake some of the rust off my game, I headed over to Fisher Glen Driving Range in the Juniata section of Philadelphia. The range is at the end of Fishers Lane, a road that was closed off to through traffic when the driving range was constructed sometime in the late-1980s, early-1990s. Fishers Glen will not remind you of the pristine practice range at your local country club. It looks and feels more like the West Texas driving range operated by Roy McAvoy in the movie "Tin Cup." It cost $5 for a small bucket of 50 golf balls which where anything but range balls. The Muni Golfer found a wide assortment of used golf balls at his hitting disposal, including Titleists, Maxflis, Callaways, Nikes, Top-Flites and Wilson Ultras. The side nets that kept severely sliced or hooked balls from leaving the range were a bit tattered, but in the end, none of that mattered as Fishers Glen had golf balls, mats, plastic tees and a wide-open space where you could hit those golf balls.

I warmed up by stretching with my Speed Stik, then used it to take some looooong, sloooow swings. I then hit a 10 easy chips and pitches with my Momentus Short Game Wizard lob wedge. Feeling loosened up, I moved to my new Momentus Power Hitter and hit five tee shots. Because of the weight of this club, you are forced to take slower swings, which helps to build an even tempo. I was very impressed. The club didn't feel overly heavy and the ball went pretty straight. I then switched to my regular driver--a TaylorMade Burner--and trying to keep that same swing and tempo, hit five more tee shots. I was surprised how solidly I hit the ball. My tee shots were medium to high and either straight or with a slight fade. I kept switching from the Power Hitter to my TaylorMade driver after every five tee shots. By the third set of five with the Power Hitter, I was feeling just a bit in my lower back, a sure sign I haven't yet built up my golfing muscles in that area. And a couple of the tee shots had a slight fade on them. I finished with ten tee shots with my regular driver and hit five more wedge shots to cool down.

My initial impressions of the Power Hitter were positive. It definitely slows your swing down to a nice even tempo. I look forward to working with it on a more regular basis. And I also look forward to returning to Fishers Glen. It may not scream country club and luxury, but it definitely has that blue collar, muni golf atmosphere.