Round: John Olohan's 3-Club Tournament

4 Players (Me, Erik, John, Eric)

Pre-round practice: 40 balls, chipping and putting

18 Holes

Long story short, one random round at Braintree Muni, Erik and I met this extremely sociable, charismatic investment broker, John Olohan. No lie, by the 3rd hole, we practically knew this guy's life story. At the end of the round, we exchanged business cards and he flat out invites us to his annual 3 club tournament, he hosts every year at Stow Acres Golf Club. When we left, Erik and I weren't sure if he would follow up with the invite, but when I got home, there was a large email with a formal invitation to the tournament. Fast forward 4 months and here we are, Friday morning waiting around the practice green listening to a Scottish dude play the bagpipes. This tournament was a highlight of my career so far b/c I've never played a 3 club tournament. I thought long and hard about which clubs I'd be bringing. My strategy was built around my 3 wood, 8 iron and putter. Most people left out the putter and decided to putt with a hybrid or wedge. By the third or forth hole, my playing partners, John and Eric, were wishing they brought the putter. John and Eric, friends of Olohan, provided many laughs throughout the round. For starters, on the second hole, Eric completely missed his tee ball not once but TWICE!! It was incredible. John then got buzzed enough to take a bottle of Mike's Hard Lemonade and leave it in the hole for the group behind us. (photo below) My playing was pretty solid, I was flushing my 3 wood off the tee. At times, I struggled with the 8 iron and putter. The most impressive shot was on the 17th hole par 3, $10,000 hole-in-one reward. Olohan's assistant was present on the tee, taking photos of each group (photo below) and ensuring no one bullshits the prize. The hole measured 170 yds. which was one of the few distances that my clubs didn't match. I decided to choke down on the 3 wood and swing at 60 percent. The ball came out low, straight and online to the flag. The ball landed 15 feet from the cup, the closest ball of the day according to Olohan's assistant. I ended up 3 putting and bogeying the hole :( the best score of the group. John and I delivered the best scores for most of the holes. We ended up playing bogey golf especially when the sun went down, the temperature dropped, which made us lethargic. After the round we enjoyed some bar food and told John we were looking forward to next year. I ended up with a score of 90, which blows my mind b/c I only used three clubs!!!! This is a crazy game and that's why I love it.

Team score: +8
Score: 90

Notable
Scrambling and Tee shots

Practice
Irons, Irons, Irons

Me and the Bagpiper

Eric teeing off

John's gift to the group behind us

Team Kill 'Em All: (L-R: Me, Erik, John, Eric)

Proper Wrist Position

By Steve Silverman via Golflink.com

Your wrists provide the final movement of the golf club as it prepares to hit the ball. To hit the ball correctly, you must have excellent timing with your wrists as you start your backswing, begin your downswing and finish with your follow-through.

1. Address the ball properly as you prepare to swing. Your shoulder needs to be square to the target and your left foot should be directly underneath your shoulder. If you are in this position, your hands and wrists will be in the right position as well. Your wrists should be loose at address.
2. Cock your wrists as you begin your backswing. To get prepared for impact with the golf ball, you need to cock your wrists and get them to a 90-degree angle once you reach the apex of your backswing. This will enable you to hit an accurate shot with good distance.
3. Uncock your wrists as your reach the midpoint of your downswing. This means that once you have reached hip level on the downswing, you need to unlock your wrists and start transferring your power to your hands.
4. Turn your right wrist over as you make contact with the ball. Once your hips have come through the hitting zone, your hands will follow. The correct action with your hands is to drive through the ball with your left wrist and then turn your right wrist over to hit the ball correctly.
5. Get your wrists to finish up high to conclude your swing. Once you have finished the follow-through, your hands should be up around shoulder level. This will help you get maximum distance and increase your accuracy.

School of Golf: Speed Up the Swing

As seen on the Golf Channel's "School of Golf"

The 3 major speed producers are the hands/wrists, arms & body.

Left hand: Make sure you get the pad of hand on top of the grip. Ideal for proper wrist caulk backswing.
Stance: Bend forward at the hips, not at the kness or the belt.

1. As you swing club back, make 90 degree angle between left arm and club shaft at the top.
   There should be a 90 degree angle between your right arm and forearm.
   Lastly, there should be a 90 degree angle between your shoulders and your address angle.
2. Swing a piece of rope. Make your body and hips unwind and release the head of the rope on the downswing.
3. Flip around your driver and grip it. Make swings with it and listen for the WOOSH!

School of Golf: Pre-Round Warm-Up

As seen on the Golf Channel's "School of Golf"

"I don't see how anyone could warm-up to play well in less than 30 minutes." –Tom Watson

1. Short game first
   - (4 ft.) knock in 4 putts in row.
   - (25 ft.) knock 4 putts within 1.5 ft to hole.
   - (Long distance) knock 4 putts close to the hole.


2. Driving range
   - Start with short clubs (focus on smooth tempo).
   - Inhale on backswing, Exhale on downswing. (helps with rhythm)
   - End warm-up with club you'll use on the first tee.

Don't ever try to fix your swing during pre-round warm-up.