Hi everyone,
Well I've just returned from my winter training camp in Vilamoura (well if it's good enough for footballers....) and apparently it rained more there than here! The course seems to be drying a little so with some luck and an absence of more wet stuff we may see the return of trolleys soon. It seems a little ridiculous that we are half way through February already but if we can get through the rest of it without any drastic rain it feels like we should be away into the season.
Of course that does mean we have new gear arriving almost daily in the shop. Our full fitting kit from PING is about to arrive, which will mean we can demo any of their current equipment and fit the correct shaft for you! Click here if you wish to register your interest for a fitting.
We are currently working on organising a Nike Club Fitting Day so you can also try the new Vapor range that is already in stock.
This year we will be offering you a special deal on Srixon Z-Star golf balls. You will often see these being used on tour by the likes of Graeme McDowell and Miguel Angel Jiminez. This year they will be on offer to you at £9.00 for 3 as against Pro V1s that are £12.00 for 3. This represents amazing value, but on top of this, for a limited number of dozen packs, we will be doing a price of £29.95!! I already use the yellow Z- Star in the winter so I can very happily recommend them to any of you that regularly use the Pro V1 or another top ball.
Having said that, the new 2015 Pro V1 and Pro V1x has arrived and it now goes even further! We can certainly look after you on the ball front this year!
Next week I will be having a look in another member's bag - I believe Paul Waters has had lots of positive feedback from all of you!! But this week I will continue with my course tips and we now move onto the 11th:
Hole 11 - 476/470 yards (Par 5)
This is clearly a great opportunity for almost all of us. Nowadays, a hole of this length on tour would be considered a long 'ish' par 4! Now of course that's ok for those players who regularly hit 300 yard drives and I suppose you think it is of no relevance to us? Well I don't think that's true. It is merely a longer hole for us but there's a clue in the previous par 4 statement. Remember what we said about the 8th? If it was a par 4 we'd view it very differently. Well what if the 11th was a par 4? What is the one thing we'd now be thinking as we stood on the tee?
Firstly, we'd want to hit a long drive but mostly we must give ourselves a chance to hit the green. We won't do that from behind a tree! I actually think the 11th is a really good hole that offers an opportunity to low handicappers but that very fact puts them under pressure - we MUST make a 4 at worst and that often creates pressure and problems. Think about it - in the right conditions we don't always need to hit driver here, sometimes 3-wood is better because it eliminates the chance of running into the trees. But let's be honest - most of us will think 'hit driver and if we hit a good one great, if not then it's a par 5'.
Nothing wrong with that most of the time but sometimes we can give ourselves a better chance. For shorter hitters the hole plays itself - miss the bunkers firstly then lay-up. The important shot is the third and if you can you want to leave yourself on the left side of the fairway for this shot - most of you will find it easier if you don't have to come in over the right hand bunker.
Hole 12 - 164/142 yards (Par 3)
A really good par 3. Any hole with a green that slopes off on all sides is a good hole that will cause difficulties. Most notably there is very little that I can tell you by way of a tip on the 12th - you simply need to hit a good shot. There is no real bail out area as short, long, left and right are all bad! How this is stroke index 18.......(how many times have I had that conversation??).
I suppose there is one tip but it is a general one: You are more likely to hit a good shot if you feel comfortable over the club. Make sure you have enough club in your hand. Don't be trying to hit something too hard here as it will lead to an increased chance of a big wide - which is a disaster. Keep it smooth with a bigger club and you'll hit more greens in general and that will really help here. A par here is always good and for higher handicappers a four. Ignore the index, treat the 12th with respect.
It's been great to hear all the good feedback from everyone - I know you're enjoying the course tips so we'll continue that and other ideas will be coming soon.