112 replies to this topic

[Pleasedwith3putts]

One_Putt_Blunder, on 10 February 2013 - 09:43 PM, said:

Starting to feel more and more confident I will get almost all of my game back including distance once I am back to 100% this summer.

That's great news and gives me something positive to focus on as I have gone from 115 to 100 ss over the past few years simply because I can't clear my left hip anymore due to the FAI / OA so am pretty much side on at impact and coming over the top, so pure handspeed. Am scheduled to go for more Xrays in June as a fallback to see how things may have regressed, but crunchtime will come before then  as have been pretty inactive over the Winter, just hitting a few balls at the range. I find walking OK and hitting a few shots OK, but the combo of hitting shots and walking 18 can be the killer, especially if you get a few downhill lies on the way round as getting through onto that left side is not great at all, just like Kenwiggins noted.

I can also empaphise with what you say about having to get up if you sit at a table for too long. Ordinarily I am scheduled to be in your neck of the woods around May time for an annual trip to play TPC / We Ko Pa / Troon / Grayhawk / Quintero but have held off at the moment live in the UK and it's an 11 hour flight I'm not sure I can make.

Just wondered f you ever tried a cortisone shot? - was interested to read Kenwiggins say he didn't realise how much pain he had until it was gone after the shot and am thinking about giving it a go to see if that will give me a few months pain free (and make the trip) but have also read there can be some negatives so it's not a slam dunk try to nothing!

Thanks again for sharing your progress and hope it keeps going well for you

[One_Putt_Blunder]

I did not do the cortisone shot, I did not want to end up causing more damage. Had I known early on that I would be having surgery and had a big trip like that I prob would have had just one to make it through the trip. Not something I would rely on for a long term solution though, it can disintegrate bone/cartlage with prolonged use http://www.livestron...cortisone-shot/

[kenwiggins11]

Pleasedwith3putts, on 12 February 2013 - 05:14 PM, said:

One_Putt_Blunder, on 10 February 2013 - 09:43 PM, said:

Starting to feel more and more confident I will get almost all of my game back including distance once I am back to 100% this summer.

That's great news and gives me something positive to focus on as I have gone from 115 to 100 ss over the past few years simply because I can't clear my left hip anymore due to the FAI / OA so am pretty much side on at impact and coming over the top, so pure handspeed. Am scheduled to go for more Xrays in June as a fallback to see how things may have regressed, but crunchtime will come before then  as have been pretty inactive over the Winter, just hitting a few balls at the range. I find walking OK and hitting a few shots OK, but the combo of hitting shots and walking 18 can be the killer, especially if you get a few downhill lies on the way round as getting through onto that left side is not great at all, just like Kenwiggins noted.

I can also empaphise with what you say about having to get up if you sit at a table for too long. Ordinarily I am scheduled to be in your neck of the woods around May time for an annual trip to play TPC / We Ko Pa / Troon / Grayhawk / Quintero but have held off at the moment live in the UK and it's an 11 hour flight I'm not sure I can make.

Just wondered f you ever tried a cortisone shot? - was interested to read Kenwiggins say he didn't realise how much pain he had until it was gone after the shot and am thinking about giving it a go to see if that will give me a few months pain free (and make the trip) but have also read there can be some negatives so it's not a slam dunk try to nothing!

Thanks again for sharing your progress and hope it keeps going well for you

I had just had the one shot it did help a ton.I was nervous about long term damage that may occur if I were going to do it a bunch of times. My hip was effecting me big time. Sleep, work, and normal day to day stuff. I also didn't want to have to continue on ibuprofen 800mg x 3 times a day.

It's amazing the increased range of motion I have now post op. I still have a long ways to go but hip joint pain is gone. The muscles surrounding the joint still are stiff.  I am 8 weeks post op now and Oneputt has been a ton of help. Keep us posted on what you find out and decide.

[Pleasedwith3putts]

Thanks guys. Lots of decisions and guess you ultimately have to get yourself comfortable that your circumstances are bad enough to offset the risks attached to the procedure. I may well try one shot just to see whether I feel a difference which could close the deal on the benefits of getting it fixed.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Playing again Tues, If I have time I will try and get some new swing videos uploaded. Weather here is getting warmer which is making it easier to get warmed up. Still have to be careful as I still do not have the stamina to hit too many balls on the range pre round. Need to keep a fine balance point or I will start fading fast on the back 9

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Played so so today chilly morning followed by some decent wind over the last 7 holes. Stamina and strength seem to be getting better as I am not fading as much late in the round. Still pretty weak in the lower body and I am having a hard time dialing in my distances part due to strength and part due to the colder temps wrecking havoc on the distance. Positive of the day was had my first 300+ yard drive on the new hips, although wind aided I absolutely flushed it.

Took a couple videos on the range when I was fresh but they did not come out so grabbed this driver swing on 17. Was not my best swing of the day and I was trying to play a stinger to keep it out of the wind, but here is the video.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Another couple rounds in the books and I am finding that other than my lack of strength the hardest part about this comeback is the mental side, and tempering expectations. Much easier said than done. In the back of my mind I know how good I used to be and I see flashes of good shots now but need to learn to just start playing without expectations for the next few months as I work on my strength and stamina.

The good news is the more rounds I have played the better my stamina has become, I also just changed my schedule around at work which should help me find a more reliable gym/workout schedule.

Got a couple new driver videos from the last WRX outing on 03/10 both drives were pretty solid fairway finding fades, Balance still needs work along with getting stuck inside just a hair.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Happy to report I posted a new post surgery best today 76 out at Wekopa Saguaro in a pretty stiff wind. Spent some time on the range Wen working on getting my swing wider, left arm straighter and right elbow a bit more tucked and it is starting to come together a bit more. Seeing my longer clubs pick up some distance gains. Stamina is becoming much better each round I play I am getting less and less tired and weak towards the closing holes.

[JBW]

I had microfracture surgery on my left knee 3 weeks ago and also developed a blood clot, which runs the full length on my leg, but after reading your story, I feel fortunate and inspired.  Thanks for sharing and wish you the best in your recovery.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

JBW, on 24 March 2013 - 01:45 PM, said:

I had microfracture surgery on my left knee 3 weeks ago and also developed a blood clot, which runs the full length on my leg, but after reading your story, I feel fortunate and inspired.  Thanks for sharing and wish you the best in your recovery.

Thanks JBW and I wish you a healthy recovery as well


Decided to re establish my handicap again. I had let it lapse in 2012 when I finally came to the conclusion I really wasnt the same and could not play much. I got my first revision 04/01 and it started off at 5.6 which is so much better than I ever could have expected getting back into the game. I really thought I would have been hovering between 9-10 to start especially with the layoff I had. Only 4/11 scores counted but I was thrilled to see that GHIN revision email in my inbox on the 1st again.

[Pure745]

Looking good BROTHA!!!!  Swing looks fantastic, but more importantly, looks like you'll be able to enjoy your rounds a bit more with less pain.  Good golf is just a cherry on top.  We'll have to get together soon, my schedule has been chaotic with this whole marriage thing.. who would have guessed?!

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Pure745, on 02 April 2013 - 09:03 PM, said:

Looking good BROTHA!!!!  Swing looks fantastic, but more importantly, looks like you'll be able to enjoy your rounds a bit more with less pain.  Good golf is just a cherry on top.  We'll have to get together soon, my schedule has been chaotic with this whole marriage thing.. who would have guessed?!

Thanks Tai, too bad you cannot make the Nor Cal run, playing some great tracks. I will shoot you a text this summer I have a couple long weekends prime for a quick drive to So Cal if we can make the schedules match up.

Hey you gotta keep the wife happy so she does not cut off the club budget I understand and I am sure most of WRX does too after reading your driver and fwy wood tests haha.

[Pure745]

^^^^^ LOL!

You are very right sir.. she let me join a private course too   Gotta be extra nice to her.. as you've seen, you know what she is asking for

[hornyjuan]

What a great story. Awesome inspiration!

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Well starting to see my stamina come around the more I play, overall strength is still 75%-80% but for the first time since January I played back to back days and was not nearly as run down. I shot 79-79 yesterday and today, Yesterdays was pretty impressive to me, wind was howling out at Wekopa 30+ mph gusts and I shot +2 37 on the back in the worst of the wind.

Starting to trust my lower body and swing a bit more now that I have 14-15 rounds on my new hips, driver distance is coming around a bit seeing more drives in the 250-260 yard ranges. Irons still about 1 club short of where I would really like them, but I am pretty confident that will come as I get closer to 100%.

The mental side is becoming the toughest part now. I have moments during the round when I play like my old sub 1 index self and others when I play like a 10 index. I just need to understand at this stage bad shots and inconsistent play is going to happen. Secondary to that is I have to get used to the idea of making birdies again to improve my rounds. I have been averaging about 2-3 birdie looks inside 10 feet per round but only converting 1 of them and that is something I need to work on. The weird part is I have made many more par savers in that same range, just a mental block around birdies for some reason.

Edited by One_Putt_Blunder, 19 April 2013 - 12:11 AM.

[carrera]

Good to hear this update.  Keep us posted.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Got a round in today after taking a bit of rest after playing back to back days last week. Really focused on tempo today, taking the club back nice and smooth and really accelerating through the ball and holy cow did it work, I hit every iron shot flush and saw some distance gains in my iron game. It was still blowing a decent wind and while the stats show I hit 9 GIR I was so close I was putting on 5 of the misses and got up and down 6/9 times or 6/8 times from inside 100 yards (bad tee shot on the 470 yard par 4 18th forced a layup). They had the course set up with some pretty good sucker pins today but played smart for most of the round playing away from pins going for easy pars and it seemed to pay off greatly.


Now for the great news 2 new firsts for me post surgery.

First 9 holes under par with a -1 35 on the front 9
New low round post surgery and new personal best at Wekopa Saguaro with a +2 73

Oh and here is a really cool photo walk through of Wekopa Saguaro. Such a great place to play.
http://www.golfcluba...o-pa-golf-club/

Edited by One_Putt_Blunder, 24 April 2013 - 06:40 PM.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Another update, I have been shooting in the high 70s low 80's the last month but my ball striking consistency was really coming along and with that improving and being consistent again I  have more trust in my game going after specific targets and distances like I used to.

It all came together today for a new low round post surgery even par 72 from the tips on a 7078 yard course which was great on 2 levels 1 the score 2 the fact that I am getting more comfortable playing at length again vs the 6600-6700 yards I was playing at early in my return. Overall for today was 10 fairways 10 GIR 28 putts 4 birdies 4 bogeys. Short game saved my behind on a couple holes chip in for birdie on the 221 yard par 3 from pin high in the rough, 2 other great up and downs from a real tricky downhill/sidehill lie and a great flop to a short sided pin.

The shot of the day however was on number 18 428 yard par 4 playing dead into a 2 club wind. Decent drive but found the right side of the fairway which meant I had 192 left into a stiff wind to a pin tucked back right which meant taking on the water hazard. I have been hitting my hybrid great so I said what the heck no guts no glory. Here is the result the dark spot behind my ball is the ball mark. As far as the putt well I left it dead center and 2 inches short for what would have been a 71

Edited by One_Putt_Blunder, Today, 01:02 PM.

[golfnut5438]

Great to see you doing so well.  Was just talking to a friend about Pasatiempo et al today.  September is coming faster every day.  Can't wait to see you beat me like an old drum again.  Stay well.

[mshills]

That's good stuff.  Keep up the posting!  I don't want to speak for the rest of the community here, but I think this thread is getting a lot more reads than replies.  I for one do enjoy seeing your progress, and it's something you should be damn proud of.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

golfnut5438, on 22 May 2013 - 09:23 PM, said:

Great to see you doing so well.  Was just talking to a friend about Pasatiempo et al today.  September is coming faster every day.  Can't wait to see you beat me like an old drum again.  Stay well.

Thanks Randy just about 3 months away for right now. I won a free round out at Half Moon Bay via a contest they had on twitter. I believe they told me it was good for a twosome. I am still waiting on the certificate but it it is good for two how about I replace that lunch I owe you with a free round?

mshills, on 23 May 2013 - 08:03 AM, said:

That's good stuff.  Keep up the posting!  I don't want to speak for the rest of the community here, but I think this thread is getting a lot more reads than replies.  I for one do enjoy seeing your progress, and it's something you should be damn proud of.

Thank you, I will continue to post periodic updates along with new milestones. One of the reasons I started this thread was early on in my diagnosis I searched and searched for real world examples related to golfers going the same thing and I could not find any. One of the biggest joys to me was being able to help a handful of fellow golfers going through similar issues. Hopefully this will help some folks realize there may be a light at the end of the tunnel and calm some of the initial fears of going through such a major procedure.

[golfnut5438]

One_Putt_Blunder, on 24 May 2013 - 01:06 PM, said:

golfnut5438, on 22 May 2013 - 09:23 PM, said:

Great to see you doing so well.  Was just talking to a friend about Pasatiempo et al today.  September is coming faster every day.  Can't wait to see you beat me like an old drum again.  Stay well.

Thanks Randy just about 3 months away for right now. I won a free round out at Half Moon Bay via a contest they had on twitter. I believe they told me it was good for a twosome. I am still waiting on the certificate but it it is good for two how about I replace that lunch I owe you with a free round?

Can't beat that offer.  LMK when.  Better than a stale sandwich any day.  Hope to have a couple of buddies with me to help fill out a foursome that week as well.  Hit'em straight!

[Eag1e]

Read the whole thing... brought a smile to my face at the end. Really great story to read, though. I'm really sorry for everything you've had to go through. I'm in a similar boat with the "being too young to get injuries you have" stuff, thankfully mine are very minor compared to many and don't really impede everyday life... I can only hope it stays that way and doesn't get crazy down the road. I also just realized this was posted in October! I'm gonna have to read through this thread soon and see what's happened since then... hope it's all gone nothing but amazingly for you.