[Sandy]

Well I finally got the first chance to try it out on the course at the weekend, and the first results look good! I ended up hitting my second lowest round ever, but being just one shot higher on a slope 124 course compared to my lowest round on a slope 107 course means it was by far my best round ever, and 7 or 8 shots lower than everything else I've had this year so far.

In terms of how it played I suddenly found it had massive benefits with my short irons and wedges. Suddenly I was able to play my wedges consistently from normal lies (and not hit them fat or thin with no consistency at all) and my 52* Vokey was my best friend again. The effects were less noticeable with my long irons and hybrid but again were pretty solid. If anything the fact I was hitting solid shots showed up issues with alignment more clearly, so that's something I need to work on and think about more when I play.

The biggest thrill for me though was seeing the difference the firmer grip made off my short irons. The extra yards were still there, and in some cases I was hitting shots with two clubs less than I would have needed a couple of months back. The first big sign of what this meant came on the 4th hole though - I hammered an 8i onto the green, and when I got up there realised it had left a massive pitching mark, and the ball had barely rolled 6" from the mark. Two holes later and I hit my 52* wedge onto the green with a 3/4 shot (but still with a firm grip), go up to the green and see the ball had spun back a good 12" from its pitching mark - the first time I have EVER spun a ball back!

I know this is a game of false dawns for all of us - this website is a testament to that - but this one, for me at least, fells like a big one that'll have a big effect on my scores.