Widow's Walk Progress

My new home course, Widow's Walk, hasn't been so welcoming.

My first round there netted me a 98! Okay, it's a tough track, winds were blowing 35 mph,...I had my excuses.

Round two there netted me a 101! There was no wind, no slow play, and quite frankly no excuses for that abomination. (I parred 3 of the first 4 holes to boot!)

Round three at Widow's Walk was one of my most depressing rounds ever. I also shot around 101 - probably a little worse. I was hitting the ball short and crooked all day. Now the course was in my head and affecting my swing. It's a humbling game alright. Twenty years of golf and somehow I couldn't muster bogeys. What, am I completely retarded?

Round four was this past Saturday morning. Here's what happened.

I had the first tee time (on the 10th hole) at 6:57 am. Of course they paired me up with strangers. One guy was sitting way back at the blue tees ready to swing. I introduced myself whereupon he said, "Hit back here with me...those other guys are playing way up front."

CaptiousNut - I can't. I have been stinking it up lately. What's your handicap? Have you played here before? It's pretty hard.

BoldYouth - Never played here. My handicap is five. It's only 6,400 yards from the back.

Now I am getting depressed. My terrible rounds hadn't even been from the back tees. I was skunking up a 6,062 yard layout. I thought about jumping back with him because that's where, outside this course, I always play from - but I just couldn't. I went to the white tees feeling pretty low about my game.

Anyway, this kid cracked the ball right down the middle and still had a 3-iron approach to the elevated, bunkered 10th green.

After that first hole I decided to go back and play the men's tees with the BoldYouth.

This kid was a legit five handicap. He hit the ball very high and very straight. He was definitely a better player than me. It might have gotten lost in the fog of my Hacking but I still believe I am a 7-handicap. So what did my talented playing partner shoot?

HE SHOT A 95 !!!

Meanwhile, I seemed to have found my game a bit playing an early round the week before at South Shore Country Club. My fourth round at Widow's Walk was a sizzling 88! I had to play darn well just to pull it off. Who would have thought the solution to my hacking woes was to go play the back tees?

Of course, there's also that inescapable aspect of playing better merely because I was playing with a decent golfer.

My New Favorite Player - Aaron Baddeley

I am no bandwagoneer. I have been watching Aaron's smooth swing for the past couple of years. I typically DVR the golf and fast forward to only watch a select few players swing and putt: Tiger, Mickelson, Vijay, and Baddeley. I have been cooling it a little with Vijay as he has gotten older and more slap-happy.

Of course Baddeley burst on the scene with Adam Scott a few years ago. They were supposed to challenge Tiger. It took a few bumps but both of them have started to live up to the earlier hype.

Watch the video.



Now on to Aaron's swing. I was shocked to hear (in the above video) that Aaron doesn't "transfer his weight". I have to think about that some more.

Coincidentally, I have been trying to shorten my swing and wrist cock so Aaron's "bunts" prove that one can successfully play taking half swings.

Tiger actually has a very short swing as well - I mean very short wrist cock. It's just that he turns his back so much that the club ends up pointing down the line at the top of his swing anyway.

Sometimes analyzing these guys' swings doesn't help. If they all had the same exact swing it would simplify things. Pretty much, whatever your bad habit or quirk, there is some pro getting away with it and making money.

Watch the video below to see the different angle of Rory Sabbatini's left arm at the top of his backswing. Instead of pointing "flatly" like Aaron's, his arm is pointing almost straight up into the sky.



There's no way Rory's loopy swing will hold up over time.

Oh wait, I forget about Jim Furyk and his long, fruitful career.