Grip and Rip

Yesterday was sunny, 60's and of course, windy as hell. So I took my hodge-podge of clubs out for a Spring test-run in the name of my P90-Trex work-outs. (I realize some of you don't consider golf as exercise but when you swing 'em like me, there's plenty of working out. I also supplemented it with a little kettle belling.) I picked up a new Titleist driver and a couple new Cobra hybrids this spring. Along with my vintage Ping irons, I hit the course with Gary Fritz, one of the outfitters up here who has recently become obsessed with the game. As for product review; the Cobra's are lights out once I got the right shaft for my swing. The driver--not so much. I still need some work.

A few years ago I went to a pro-shop with a driver I had broken the shaft on and told the pro I needed to buy something I could hit. He looked at the club, which was in two pieces and suggested we go to the range to see what my swing looked like. He was an older guy with one blind eye so he couldn't see more than 50 yards out. I took a swing with a driver he had and he said, "You pushed it left. Hit another one." I swung away and he said, "You did it again."

"How do you know?" I asked.

He responded, "Because of your swing. You don't need a driver son, you need a lesson."

He could have made hundreds off me but instead, straightened out my swing and re-shafted my driver for 20 bucks and I actually started hitting the ball much better. Every once in a while I have to revert back to that lesson. Yesterday should have been one of those days.

In the end, I had a couple tough holes but hit the ball well and wound up shooting 85; about my handicap. For my best 9 holes I was 1 under, which should tell you how bad some of the others were. I didn't chuck any clubs and didn't break anything though. There were no 'f' bombs that were legible anyway and when I woke up this morning, I was a little sore and felt good about that.

As for the P90-Trex thing, I've been doing pretty well staying on course. I'm about 2 lbs away from my goal with three weeks left. It's snowing today and a little cold so I'll be taking the weekly trek to the hill for some skiing.

Keep 'em where they live...