Game Time

The 5 weeks of preparation are now over. Now it's time to compete.

The Last 2 Weeks:

We had a family trip 2 weeks ago to visit friends and in Breckenridge, Colorado. It was a great time and a huge relief to get out of the heat. I was able to play once while we were out there, and playing in a new environment was a good test. However, I wasn't able to practice over the 5 days we were gone. Knowing practicing wasn't going to be an option and wanting to make the most out of the time with family and friends, I used my down time to work on my mental game, continue my mobility work and prep for the course we will be playing.

To prepare for the event I used a program called DECADE golf. Decade is a great tool to work on course management and decision making. It also has an incredible feature for driving targets and yardage books.

I know the tees we will be playing for the event, so while I was away, I scouted the course to come up with a rough game plan. On the pictures above you see 3 targets. Each target correlates to a distance. I use 240, 270 and 300 yards as those are the distances I hit my driving iron, 3 wood and driver. The line across shows the dispersion pattern. When overlayed on the golf course I can get an idea of how much room I have off of each tee and what club will make the most sense. It also helps in target selection. By preparing beforehand, when I go for my practice round on Sunday, I will already have a rough idea of what club I will be hitting off of each tee and the line. From there it is just confirming it.

The time away was really helpful. It allowed me to relax and enjoy some incredible time with family in an amazing place. It also forced me to focus on the preparation and mental side of the game which helped when we got back to structure my practice.

The Last Week:

The final week of prep has been focused on drill work and playing. My swing was a bit sloppy in Colorado, so I knew I needed to make a priority out of my drill work. I also needed to get on the course and focus on playing golf. I had a local pro/pro event on Monday which was a great way to test myself in competition. I was very happy with the results as our team finished 3rd and I made 5 birdies on the round.

Tuesday-Thursday I made time to do my drill work, and then test dispersion patterns on Trackman. Overall, I was very pleased with how the drill work transitioned into results in practice testing.

Friday I was able to play in the members game at Longboat Key as a final round where I really focused on my mental strategies from Bhrett McCabe's program and my decision making. I wanted to really make this round feel like an event to put pressure on myself. I started off rather sloppy and was 3 over thru 8 holes. Then everything I was working on clicked in and I played my next 10 holes in 8-under-par to shoot 66. It was a really nice way to finish up my prep work and feel like I can come back even if I get off to a poor start.

Time to compete:

So, I've done everything I can now. No matter what happens at the event, I'm very proud of the work I've put in and how I've stuck to my plan and goals. I feel better than I have in a long time. I feel pretty good about my game overall. It is a long way from where I want it to get to, but I do know that it's good enough to compete if I can do things, I know I need to do.

I've found a great warm up routine with the Fit for Golf app and have tested it. I have a game plan for the course which I will confirm in the practice round on Sunday. Then, finally, I get to tee it up Monday morning at 8:45. I hope you have enjoyed this journey with me. It has been a pleasure to write, and I've really enjoyed all the feedback. I will follow up with how the event goes and what I learn in the competition. If you would like to follow along, I've attached the tournament link below.

And just to end with a smile, here are a few pictures of some great family time in Colorado. .