2005 final posting ....

Playing golf and blogging about it has been equally satisfying in 2005. I have managed to improve my swing and reduced my handicapp to NHS (Malaysian Golf Association : National Handicapp System ) index 9.1 . Driving distance have greatly improved from 180m average to 210m. Accuracy of driving , since I have acquired the Maruman Exim Nano II has improved tremendously. Hitting on average 12 out of 14 fairways in 18 holes round. With the new grip by Golf Pride (pictures and comment in this LINK ) my iron shots are begining to make my approach accurate and enjoyable.
Sticking to the old putter Ping Pal 4 and shaping up my putting routinehas helped me on the green. Instead of buying a new putter , with my new putting routine , I have been able to reduce my putting average to no more that 2 putts per green. And the picture is the living prove how I have improve my putting skills. Yes , my dear Hanie is my new mentor in putting. It sort of gives me a new perspective on how to make a good putt. But with my dearest Hanie helping me out on the practise green , I have been able to spend quality hours with dearest Hanie.
Blogging about golf per say has its ups and downs. I have make comments and photo blogs. Some folks out there make positive remarks and some well , you can't win them all , right. From the early days , I have encounter new blogging skills , making new graphics , adding some cool features and not to forget some useless features as well. Make new frens within the country and some from the other part of the world. One gentlemen by the name of Onn is one nice chap. A true gentlemen and a true golfer. You can never make war with this old chap. At retirement age , he is still an active golfer with a nice swing. At times he grumbles alot about his swing and when he makes that shot , we never fails to congratulate him.
At time I look up to this chap for advice on golf and on life. I wish him all the best in 2006 and am sure he will post some good scores next year. On the blog met some golfers whom I have yet to meet up and play golf together. Zed , one chap who never fails to entertain fellow bloggers. Although until todate , I have to visualise how tall is he or how well is he with his golf swings. 2006 will be a bit challenging. Hoping to get involve with new assignment . Of which , still in between two minds and have not decided which way to go. Hoping I could make that extra bucks so that I can give my dearest another long due holiday. But the pictures of bridges in Amsterdam reminded me of those lovely time I had with my dearest Zalita. Which reminded me of how lucky I am to have her in my life. She has been a true companion and a wife who understands her husband passion on golf. I don't have to make excuses to play golf and I ended up making sure enough quality time are shared between golf and family. For those who are still struglling with your partner at home , better take your time and explain it to her.

So 2005 in summary , best score is only 84. Best 9 hole scores is still 39. Longest drive this year would be hitting a good drive on hole 15th KGM and left with only 90m to the green. Its a par 4 , 399m length. Well you may guess , how far the balls goes on that drive.Anyway we were playing the white tee which was only 376m. Still , a long drive by any standard , right ? Has not played much outside Miri. KLGCC , Nilai Spring , Kinrara , Perangsang Templer , Pantai Mentiri, Labuan and Eastwood.

2006 , will be challenging and I do hope will bring much more golf to me . And last but not least , surely hoping it will a wonderful year for all fellow golfers and bloggers , wherever you may be.

Some pictures tells us us about the future...

2005 wishes : reviewed

I have some wish list back in June 2005 and below are some updates:

1. I want new grips for my irons and driver before November. - did change those old grip with new grips by Golf Pride ( the combo red and black colour and it has helps a lot in improving my grip and also my iron games )
2. I want those nippon steel shaft as well. - errrr still can't afford to change it , maybe next year ?
3. Maybe changing 984 driver with the latest driver 950 series - I have dump my titliest 983 e for Maruman Exim Nano II driver with 10 degrees loft. Consistent driving accurancy and distance as well. Top strike remains at 255 m mark.
4. Whole year supply of Titliest Pro v or Callaway ...or even Maxfli A10 series - still under negotiations with some ball manufacturers.
5. Augusta , 18 holes with Tiger - Unfortunately I have to wait for another year. Tiger schedule for 2005 has been fully booked. Last I checked , in 2006 he wants more time to be with his wife , errrr who's preference is that ?
6. Saujana , another 36 holes with Yusof Daud. And this time win the title MPGC 2005 - No I did not get the chance to do that . F*&5%$#$%^&.....err
7. Qualify for KGM open this year. HEEYYYY I DID QUALIFY FOR KGM AMATEUR OPEN FOR 2005....
8. Handicapp less than 10 before end of 2005. - Technically National Handicapp system at 9.8
9. Wins a monthly medal event. "A" medal would be just fine. - I did not.
10. 2007 Playing tour wild card awarded.- still working on it ....
11. Make a living out of this. - still on the right track..hopefully someone do take a note...
12. Owns a golf repair shop .- have yet to decide whether I should quit accounting profession
13. Buy a trailer for a equipment repair shop and follows MPGA tournaments venue. - unfortunately they cant afford to pay me , so wait for another year ...
14. Save my tag Huer - NO I did not manage to save my dear TAG.
15. A new house... - well , still working on it though...
16. RX90 for me and CRV for wife - we are saving our earnings...he he he

Jack GA

86 today at Eastwood ...

7 am , driving into the Golf club......

Chalet on the left.

Then , on the right is the practise range........

Thinking about it at the first par 5...second shot

At this point my second shot has reach the 30 m mark to the green , on the par 5 , 6th.

And end up playing 86 gross for the day. Feels good about it . Except for two double bogey on the first 9 , not a bad outing after a week away from the practise range. The Maruman Exim Nano II driver is simply the solution of the year. Hit 13 fairways out of 14th tee shot today. Next stage is to work out consistent iron shots to the green , esp for 150 to 100 m marks.

Quite tight up

Been busy lately. Plus the part time work is beginning to demand extra time nowadays. No more weekdays golf , coz most the time , using it as quality time with sha sha and hanie. We went to the beach yesterday and the two of them went beserk.
On two jobs at the moment , so wont be making much posting for the next two or three weeks...

Of everything and sorts of ....

Bravo to Nicol. Here is the living prove why malaysians can excel in sports. And in due time we will be hearing more about Malaysian young sportsman and sportswomen in the world events.

Liverpool has proven its spending over the summer and a few more will fit in comes January. I am not suprised with MU failing to make it to the last 16. Selangor miss the chance to prove their worth after making the headlines last season. Perak is definitely relishing the guidance of SD.

Sea Games is over and done with but I did not hear anything about malaysian golf team. I guess they did not do well or do anyone knows what do they won in the Sea Games ?

Maruman Exim Nano II is definitely the best driver I have come across for the last 10 years playing the game. If you have any doubts go and try it , but try it on the range not in those small space inside those golf pro shops.

Some personality making headlines by making public announcements about their marriage status . Well , do they have to do that ??? I guess thats the price for being famous...errrr...

Golf has been quite interesting this year. Tiger takes the PGA Player of the year again. I guess he will continue making headlines in 2006 until 2008 unless some new swing styles comes in again.

2006 will be quite interesting. To frens over the atlantic ... have a merry xmas. To frens in the region , enjoy the long holidays.

Maruman Nano II Exim.

Yes I have tested it and loving it. It gives me more accuracy much better than my old Titliest 983e. Playing an extra 0.5 degrees loft gives me a better distance and rolls. Plus I can shape every single shot easier and with much ease.

GA weekend 25th Nov 2005

Ten reasons why GA is smilling over the weekend:

1. Alia is safe and sound .
2. Also wifey dearest recovered well from the op.
3. Liverpool won ! Again !!!
4. EPL start to show actual results ie Wigan and Wigan will do that again.
5. Hani and Shasha accepting their new lil sis very well.
6. I am back in my cooking mood again ...
7. House get cleaned up plus we have someone clening outside the house as well.
8. Loose piping in the bathroom get sorted out.No more loose joints and leaks.
9. Alia sleeping well in the house , first 10 hours.
10.My midnite craze of Alia , Shasha and Hani screaming isw officially started last nite.

JAck GA

Golf Addix announcement

Today is officially my last golfing day in 2005. Dearest will be undergoing another c section tomorrow morning. Dr Aida and Dr Philip (another golfer) will be in action tomorrow morning.

Boy or gal ? any bets ?

Amateurs ...

The main reason why sports in Malaysia is not consistently comparable to other countries in this region is simply due to the ethnic background and perception. The biggest culprit is negative perception. Imagine why we have not been doing well in games like snooker , golf or any sports which are not football , hockey or other mainstream sports in this country.
Parents are namely the only hope sports can grow in this country. Evidently squash , bowling and golf have more youths playing the game compared to 10 or 15 years ago. Parents are now spending time with their kids at bowling alley , golf courses and squash courts to give invaluable support for their children mental development in the sports they played. But do we go and watch our sons playing football or hockey ? Most of us don't and we took things for granted. Think about it !!!

Who gives you the right ...

If you can't draw , is that means painting pictures are waste of time ? If you can't read law , is that means lawyers are boring people ? If you dont have the cute face like Dewa , does that means you are not man enough to live in this world. If you can't get to become the prime minister in this beautiful country is that mean managing the country is a boring task. Then , if you can't play golf , is that means golf is boring game and total waste of time.

The point I am trying to make is , all human being in this world ar born with one gift unique to others. You may have the strength to read and talk back and argues infront of the court of law. You may have the face of the most macho man on earth and have all the women on the street admiring you from far. You may have all the skills to operate a human body to save his or her life. You may have all the skills god given to you to make everyone close to you laughing for the next 24hrs. You may have all the skills to make other people look bad with your bloody stinking comments, You may have all the ideas in this world to make this place a better place. Why on earth when some golfers like me who are good in this sports are being penalised with negative and bloody sarcastic comments ? Is golf a god made curse sports event in this so called DEVELOPED country ? Is golf really for "golongan org lupa family" , or is golf really that difficult to play ?

Lucky enuf , I have the company of a women who understand my passion for golf and lucky enuf to have her to share 2 beautiful gals with me.

Am I that rude enuf ? oh boy , i may have cross the line here...so what ?

KK monday

flown to kk on sunday evening. bagai nak rak sebab flight delayed. nasib baik tak duduk promenade kalau dak sure no room for you sir! stayed at le meridien , KK, new hotel in town right infront of the filipino market. for me , I would rate it as the the best option in town even after sutra harbour and tanjung aru, simply because the katil is so comfy.
but the trip balik to miri was a bit tiring again. flight delay lo. 9.30 pm baru depart from kk and to make things worse those people on board can't wait to get off the plane after the plane stop at its slot. Rasa macam nak lepuk but then again , I would end up at the wrong place , so biak pi lah nooo. Anway , wanna let of some steam in due course.
Those non golf enthusiast ada yg have negative perception about us golfers. But then again can't blame them if they have boyfren or hubby yg main golf but can't manage their golfing hours. Or even those yang dah patah hati dgn men yang main golf. Komen ni pun sebab ada lah org komen pasal golf.
But let me set the record straight here. There are golfers who manages their golfing hours appropriately. There are golfers who dont monkey around after their 18 holes gruelling walk through the golf course. And just because we have unique interest , it does not makes us another alien on earth. And the game is not only for rich people OK. Plus I dont spend that lavish amount of money to play golf.
so basically , points to highlight today :
1. u wanna go to kk , best hotel - le meridien
2. think nice about us golfers.
3. mas management of domestic flights serving intercities or town in borneo , please buy a new foker lah brader ... swith that new airbus and buy more fokker , so that people can travel more in this region.

eish banyak hal lah minggu ni. lain kali cerita. wa calo. roger and out. tak suka wa tak gerenti wa layan lu.

GA on golf season 2005

Golf players for the season ?

I would pick Jack Nicklaus , Tiger , Anika and Wie. Jack for his grand exit at The Open at St Andrews , Tiger for taking another two Grand Slam title this year , Anika for her consistency and more trophies this year and Wie for his magical blunder on her first pro outing. In Asia , I would have to pick our very own Danny Chia who has put up some good show this year. By making the cut to The Open is already a history created for Malaysian Golf . For non golf enthusiast , this might not be of any important but believe me , it is something that Danny will never take off from his memory bank.

Tournament of the year ?

I have to pick The Open for its variety in outcomes and headlines.

Which clubs would you pick as the best equipment ?

Driver , it has be the ever best in the market Titliest 983 series. The rest are drivers which are forgiving and more bought on the market simply because they can’t give Titliest enough time to prove its worth. But recently I have switch to Nano 2 Maruman Exim 10 degrees driver for personal reasons . Irons , like it or not Mizuno has produced irons of the decade. Its MP32 and MP33 series has done enough to impress me .
Wedges , is there any other than Titliest Vokey designs ???
Putter , if you have money , you wont need to look on further. For me PIng Pal 4 has been the best putter I have used so far. The two ball butter did not stay long with me.

Things that gives you troubles on the course ?

Slow golfers. Not because he took so many shots , but taking longer time to make a single shot. Pathetic golfers. Those who can’t make the shot but mumbles around and makes noises but do not put effort to practice at the practice range or even consult a teaching pro to make golf more enjoyable. Golfers with non comforming wives or girlfriends. In other words the other half usually nags to them golfers whenever they depart for a golf game or when them golfers are in a game of golf.

2006 Season , predictions ?

Wie is going to have some minor adjustment on her touring exposures. Then she will get positive remarks on her winning some titles. Anika will remain as LPGA most decorated golfer and winning the Grand Slam. Tiger will have to sort out some of his 2nd place finishing blues. Phil will remain quiet. Some young golfers will make new headlines. Drivers with non confirming rules will have some remarks to be published. New golf courses with lengthy designs. Grand Slam in the PGA …. maybe ?

GA outstation trip

It was a tiring adventure. ERL not in service due to flood. Can't meet with Zed , coz suddenly the boss need some extra time discussing about work. Panic at KL Sentral with no taxi turning up for a simple trip to KLIA. Traffic woes at KL on a friday evening , ha ha ha, the usual stuff. Some fan club quoting something in the press , somehow I felt it was a quick way to get some attention . Of which in the first place I was amazed at some how malaysians treat someone supposedly very talented.
Talk about talent. I have some reservations about quality of malaysian artist (not all) of which the main reasons why I did not buy local artist CD. Until one day I was walking at the concourse level at KLCC, a song sang by one of the new talents search programme suddenly gives me goose bump. It was vocal quality which makes me turned around and wanted to pursue who is the face with that vocal. Thats is quality as I said to myself walking towards the crowds at the centre of the concourse level. It was Jac , and gosh , at last what a beautiful vocal to spur the local music industry to another level.
Back to KLIA rush , reach the airport on time. Asked for a seat for me and mum close to each other. Let me say this out loud, that person who seats behind the counter should be one of those who should be fired. "Sir , your flight is fully booked and we can't allocate seats to you and mum together". OK . fine. But not until when I board the plane and later found out that at least more than 15 seats are empty and no one is sitting next to my mum. Car**i*e , you are caught for being the worst crew behind the counter at KLIA for 2005 awards.

GA is away

A bit tight up this week. Travelling on 17th into the city and flying back with mum on 18th evening. And a few more days before the 25th.

No he did not

A local newspaper posting about a national golf amateur who will represent the country in one of the regions prestigous game . In the biodata it was claimed that among the latest titles that he won was Miri Open .

I honestly believe , that particular newspaper should be more responsible in making such posting and do actual groundwork. I did not recall him winning this year Miri Open. If my memory serves me well , it was a golfer from neighbouring country who took the title from his fellow countryman in a playoff.

If he won the amateur title , that is a different claim altogether. But claiming he won Miri Open , is way way way way not a way to potray a national golfer. That is way way way too much.

96 and 92 , I might as well quit golf now...

Yes it was the worst score of the year and I am not proud of it . At one minute I was hitting the par 5 on regulation and missing birdie putts and on other occassion , I was desperately hitting 6 to reach a par 4 hole.

This must be the worst weekend to sum up 2005 season. Maybe at the same time , I was not supposed to make any drastic changes to my grip and back swing , which I did right after the month of ramadhan.

But , not feeling too bad at it. Simply because I am now able to hitt the ball on higher trajectory esp the approcahing irons and hitting the hard green without too much bouncing effect. This time , I can play the ball high and had it stop right after its first bounce and usually it stop about 1 feet from the landing spot.

Next weekend will be busy attending my mother in law visiting us in Miri. And the weekend after that , I will be busy attending my dearest Zalita at Columbia Asia Hospital in Miri.

Tiger seems to be losing the fuel to make the kill on the final day and he lost to David Howell for the title. I must congratulate England for winning against Australia 26 - 16 at Twinkenham. I did not watch the England vs Argentina game , but happy for Owen who scores twice to win 3 - 2 against the world 2nd ranking team.

Until then , if you have not participate in any active sports , might as well bring along that pc to your bed...he he just kidding.

Miri Golf Club , Practise Range

Panoramic view of Miri Golf Club Practise Range and Chipping Green behind it , on a late friday afternoon at about 5.46 pm. Featured in the centre is a golfer , Mr Boniface one of the single handicapper in Miri.
Please click the photo for larger view.

Short game tools for Zed @ MiNdblog

There are a number of ways to improve your short game , but keep sticking to the basic tools will also helps you to lower your scores. If your have no problems with the driver or the fairway woods , then try the following:

Short game 50m - 100m to the pin.

1. Lean on your left leg.
2. Slower and shorten backswing but consistent and follow it through to the top and stay there.
   
3. Make sure your backswing is parallel to the target not going beyond your legs. Usually when amateur golfers execute their backswing , the tendencies is that you will swing it more than you turn your shoulder.
   
4. Right leg , keep it there , don't move an inch.
5. When you bring your iron towards the ball , keep your eyes on the ball not the ground behind the ball.
   
6. If you go the range , practise more on the grass , not the turf. The feel is not the same. Thus practising more on the grass will make it more easier to remember.

Shorter game less than 50 m to the pin , high loft attack esp when the green is higher than where your balls lies:

1. Of course higher wedges are to be used , 60 degrees or 58 degrees is a must buy to play this shot.
   
2. Ball is place on your right leg.
3. Shorter backswing , moderate downswing and follow it thru up to the top , not behind your shoulders.

Shorter game less than 50 m to the pin , lower loft attack esp when the green is flat or level to where the ball lies:

1. It varies with the distance .
2. Much shorter backswing but controlled downswing with follow through just like when you use a putter.
3. Imagine from 50m , you are using a 7 iron with a putting stroke.
   
4. Then move down 8 iron at 40m , 9 iron at 30m , PW at 20m.
5. Even shorter putting stroke if you decide to use 8 iron at 10m , but it will more roll effect on the ball.

Try those on the practise green. It always boils down to how you control your backswing and follow through your downswing. The truth is I do controll the distance for my short game by estimating the distance for each irons , in three main speed for my backswing. Full backswing which is now not more than my right shoulder height , half swing and putting stoke swing.

Good luck Zed.

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