First Published September 1st 2013

So I had my last golf lesson in a 6 lesson series on Friday and it was back to the video analysis …

First up, my grip was still poor, with my right hand slipping clockwise

And my backswing looked er, random

And the follow through was awkward at best, with me leaning backwards

And that’s what video analysis is for

My take is that I’m still trying to propel the ball into the air by leaning back and hitting under it

But what I should be doing is holding a straight postion, rotating around my breastbone and hitting down on the ball

Easy in theory

Finally it looks like I’ve already outgrown my clubs …

Turns out that they’d been shortened at some point, then lengthened again, but the plugs were working loose.

Now I could probably work with that, and I’ve got used to the Mizuno’s, but once it’s in your head, it’s in your head

Details of my new clubs can be found here

And so to Grange over Sands Golf Course again, on Sunday

It was quiet, which suited me, and breezy, to add another variable

I stuck with the “leave the woods at home” technique and we warmed up before teeing off

Where I promptly duffed my tee shot into the drainiage ditch about 30 yards ahead.

The amused veteran commented as he passed by “that’s wet” and I thanked him for his analysis.

Despite this ungainly start, and losing another ball off the second, I managed to go out in 56 with a par 3 at the 8th

Which was pleasing

But the back 9 saw me hacking my way to the green, in the rough to the side of the fairway for a couple of holes, and taking 3 to get out of a bunker

Note to self:

If the ball is sat up in 2 inch long grass – even if you middle it, it will move only 10 yards forward, into some more 2 inch long grass

So I came home in 67 for a total of 123

I was both happy and disappointed at the same time

Because that’s 20 shots better than a week ago

But still 53 over par

And that means to me, I’m still a hacker

One Par Doesn’t Make a Round