When we saw Hootie was getting back together for a tour, we scooped up tickets without a second thought. It was a blast. They’re producing a new album, which is scheduled for a November 1 release and I can’t wait to hear it.
A Young Spectator
Reflections
1,000 Daily Posts
Yesterday I hit 1,000 days in a row of posting on this blog. Wow! It’s crazy to think about. Have you ever done something for 1,000 days straight that wasn’t a human function, like eating, sleeping, etc?
My streak started on November 10, 2016 on a work trip to Iceland. I remember thinking I would keep it going for a little while, but never expected to reach 4 digits. Over the streak I’ve published 1,136 posts, which included 139,371 words, 2,674 links, 1,571 images, and 272 Videos. You can also check out my posts when I hit 41 days, 79 days, 100 days, 1 year, and 2 years.
This post will extend the streak to 1,001 days, which could be the end. Over the last few months it has become a chore to make sure I publish and some of the enjoyment has disappeared because there have been days when I’ve had to find something for a post at 7 or 8 at night. Going forward, I’ll publish when I have something to publish and I’ve deleted my daily reminder to remove the pressure.
I couple of days ago I noticed it was the 8,000th post on this blog, which is also a pretty big milestone. Any bets on when I’ll get to 10,000?
Unlimited Car Washes
I signed up for an unlimited membership at Mister Car Wash, which is only $30 a month for their most expensive wash. So far I’ve been getting the car washed about once a week and I’m loving it.
No Roots
Update: I came a cross this sweet live version a few days later.
Bear KompleX Black Diamond 3 Hole Grips
These grips are money for pull-ups and toes to bars! I’ve used a bunch of different grips over the years and these are the best by far. I didn’t care for them when doing bar muscle-ups though, because they grip so well and I prefer something that can slide around the bar more. I’m really liking the bigger size XL after using larges in a couple of other Bear KompleX styles.
11th Annual Hug Memorial
Good enough for 4th place, but 6 strokes behind the winning team.
A New Driver Shaft
Last month I made a trip down to Carl’s Golfland for a driver fitting with a TaylorMade rep. It went well and I found something that I was consistently hitting well. I was fully prepared to buy a brand new M6 with the shaft I had hit the best. The rep said with my swing speed there is no way I can play a stock shaft off the shelf. Unfortunately (for them), they never put the recommendations in my account, even after I sent several messages.
One of my golf buddies runs a little business called STUD GOLF, doing club repairs and sales here in Saginaw. After talking to him about driver heads (which don’t change much over a few years), I decided to try replacing the shaft in my TaylorMade M2. After all, the shaft is what really matters, even though almost everyone gets geeked out by the newest driver heads on the market. Looking through TaylorMade’s customization options, I found what I thought was the shaft I had hit so well. It’s the Aldila ROGUE Silver 110 M.S.I 60 in a stiff flex and it turned out that Don had one in his shop. It even had the correct TaylorMade tip already on it, so it was an easy swap.
After using it for a week and then choking down on it to test for even more consistency, I was blown away. So then I had the shaft shortened by a half inch. One other change I made from the club fitting was to adjust the M2 down from 10.5° to 9.75°, which is producing a better launch angle. This also slightly opens the face, which helps eliminate some of the hook misses (I rarely slice anymore). I’m bombing this thing well over 300 yards!
Over the last decade or so golf club manufacturers are changing everything so amateurs can hit it longer; everyone wants more distance. They keep lengthening driver shafts because it allows people to generate more club speed and hit it longer. The price you pay is consistency though. Length off the tee doesn’t do any good if it’s in the trees or in a pond. The pros on tour don’t even play drivers as long as what is being sold to amateurs. The pros are willing to give up some distance for accuracy to hit more fairways.
If you’re a little wild with a driver try choking down a half or full inch next time you play. The results may surprise you.
A Swing in the Right Direction
As a member of the Golf Association of Michigan, I get to post my scores in their USGA handicap system, which updates twice a month.
So far it’s been one of those summers where my golf game feels like it’s close. Over the last few weeks I’ve been dialing things in, but a few bad shots each round really cost me. Here’s to hoping I can clean up those mistakes and get back to single digits like last October, especially with a good start by shooting 79 today.
