Blog 2011

20/8/2011 - Making Progress

Hi again, one happy bunny reporting in! Ok so first the bad news, I made my debut for BBO v Surrey but I should not have played as I was really ill with a virus, I pulled out of 2 competitions in the run up in the hope of getting better but I didn't. I didn't want to let the team down so I turned up and to my surprise Constantin and Xavier were there to watch my match. I played with Steven Stanhope (giant of a kid) against Scot Murray and Zac, they are 2 of their best under 12s and they absolutely stuffed us 8 and 7 I think the score was, Dad had to carrry me to the car as I was exhausted on the 13 th Tee, I slept all the way home. BBO got a stuffing as well 51/2 v 1/2. Anyway a valuable lesson learned......don't play if you are ill.

Turning to the good stuff and to let you let you know what challenge Rob set me - Rob said he didn't care how I hit the ball for the rest of the season but when people looked at me set up he wanted them to think "crickey that kid sets up like a pro". So I have worked really really hard using a mirror, videos and watching lots of golf videos of the pros to work towards this. I have changed 3 things in a big way, my left hand grip, my pelvis angle at address and my posture/spine angle. 

I have seen Rob lots in the last few weeks as part of the Castle Royle Junior Coaching Programme and also one on one lessons every other week. Check out the video page for a before and after review (will be on this week) see how my left side from Shoulder to hips to feet is now in a strong straight line, my left hand grip is stronger and how much more straight my back is. This has improved my plane and I am so pleased with the move I am making from the top of the back swing when I "compress" and "open up". I have not focussed on results but a great thing has been I have dropped my handicap to 20, I am really pleased I have done this on the longer courses and still feel I have a strong handicap when I play at places lile Calcot which is a bit shorter than Castle Royle. 

I also made my second apprearance for the County v Beds and won my match with Rubin Das - we are both 10 and beat 2 13 really year olds 3 and 1, have to say our short game was just really on song.

Looking forward to the rest of the season I hope to drop the handicap another couple of shots but I have achieved my goal for this year getting to 20.

Other news is that a I won a net section at a BBO Order of merit event at Temple Golf Club which is 5 minutes from Castle Royle, I absolutely loved the course, its a bit shorter than Castle Royle but still over 6000 yards but it really tests your shortgame big time, me and Dad got speaking to the secretary about how good the course was and the result is I joined it as another club to compliment the other 2 I am at. Seb Jones has also joined, the beauty is I can play in the adult events at weekends straight away.
 
See you soon, Harry

20/7/2011 - well done Rob and Darren

Hi everybody great news that my favourite golfer Darren Clarke won The Open Championship - my coach Rob Watts was there with him for the week as part of his team and helped him on the range and get ready for the rounds. I felt sorry Darren didn't mention Rob in his speech but there was obvioulsy a lot of people to mention!

Here is a link to a video clip on sky sports, half way through Darren and Rob and standing together with the Claret Jug............awesome.

http://bcove.me/kr22tbm0

I have been putting lots of focussed practice in on my golf since my last blog and I am really starting to see the results, will hopefully publish those before and after pictures soon and let you know what that challenge was. Lots of golf coming up now Football has closed down a bit, got a hectic schedule including the county under 12s and my debut for BBO v Surrey coming up this weekend, have also updated my gallery with a few more pictures. take care.H

4/7/2011 - hip issues

Hi everybody, sorry its been a while I have been busy with school, football and more so golf now, 

For Purley FC we actually qualified for our first summer tournament final ever at Purley's first ever tournament they have hosted, we played ok in the league section and I scored a belter in the semi to beat probably the best team in the comp, it was a left foot rasper! We didn't turn up in the final and lost 2-0 to Meadway, never mind we did better than we thought we would.

Reading FC is going ok and we are now playing practice matches at Reading college on Sunday mornings, first one was a bit of a nightmare but I have done ok in the more recent ones...I think.

Golf has been a bit hit and miss and I have embarked on some radical changes to my set up. The European Champs in Scotland was mostly fun, I started well on the first day shooting 81 in very windy conditions to sit tied 10th but then the wheels came of, I shot 2 bad tounds to finished tied 33rd out of the 53 in my age group, very disappointing and it started to highlight some issues I needed to work on. I returned to my club golf but my confidence was very low, even in practice I was playing very poorly. So Dad took some videos of me on hitting balls and we both watched them in slow-mo, it didn't look very good, for those technical ones reading this, I was developing a very severe reverse pivot which was also giving me tight "glutes". We have also had a good chat to Rob Watts about my coaching and we all decided its time for change! So I working hard on my posture, set up and pelvic angle, Rob has set me a challenge which I won't share for now but it is not focussed on any results in terms of scoring or ball striking, I will hopefully be able to post a before and after picture/video in the near future.

But now some good news, I managed to drop my handicap to 25 and I have loads of golf coming up so will blog soon...............Harry.  

12/5/2011 - New Clubs

Hi again, so getting into the golf season now, my results so far have not quite been what I wanted but I have been playing well without scoring too well. But I have moved up to the next size in my US Kids Tour Series and I can see a big difference already. Haven't got much competition chances in May as me and Dad decided I would give the white tee medals a miss for a while until the summer is here, I have only one yellow tee comp this month which is Sunday.

County stuff has been going well, I played very well in the last squad get together at Castle Royle shooting well under my handicap for 14 holes which included 4 gross pars. We were given our BBO shirts and Hats which was really cool.

We played the first round of the national skills challenge and although I have gone up an age group I scored 29 out of 30 to lie tied second nationally so far. Lucy had a go as well and did really well scoring 8 points, she seems more interested in playing now.

I am missing Xavier not being at Castle Royle and the BBO but I have played with him a few times and he is playing great, last time I saw him he was nearly down to 19 so I have some catching up to do! I will see him a bit in Scotland at the US Kids comp which is coming round fast

I got back in at Reading but still in the advanced centre, not sure what I need to do to get into the elite centre, I'll just keep working hard!

Blog soon, Harry.

23/3/2011

Hi everybody, sorry it's been a while!

Big news is that my Saturday Football Team Purley Jubilee have won our league. We did it with 2 games to spare. It has been a bit odd because we started in a blend of divisions 4 and 5 of the Berkshire Youth Development League and then they split it half way through. Our results against the teams in the new division 4 only stood so we went from 5 points clear to 2 points behind. But anyway we didn't get worried and played great to move back in front. We have been playing some great football, I haven't scored as many goals this year as last but  I am playing in midfield not upfront, I enjoy it more and we have a great midfield, I am playing more on the right but I do play in the centre a lot as well. I hope we pick up a trophy this weekend as I'm lucky to be captain so I will pick it up like the FA Cup! We clinched the title with a 3-0 victory aganst our nearest rivals, see the gallery for a picture of the team straight afterwards. I am still at the Reading Academy, we have a 2 day session coming up in April which will probably decide if I stay in etc.

Not much to report on the golf front other than I won a stableford at Castle Royle and have attended 2 county coaching sessions. I am looking forward to the season as I have got a slot in the US Kids European Championships in Gullane a tournament I love,

See you soon

H



20/01/2011 - Sports Personality

mmm all 2 and 1's in the date then!

So the major news is that I won the Reading School Sports Personality award for the 3rd year running - Sir John Madjeski won the main award - unfortunately judging by the comments on the website not the most popular choice, I have asked not to be nominated for this particular award again as it's time so other children got the chance to win it. There was a boy there this year who has overcome diabetes to play football again and he won a special achievement award, I stood next to him when they took photos and said well done to him. I got to meet Brian McDermott the current Reading FC Manager and Adrian Williams a former Reading player and Welsh International - will post some pictures soon!

Purley are now top of the league and 4 points clear so hopefully we can continue to play well and win the title. Also back in at Reading Academy and now training twice a week - they are looking to develop the advanced centre sqaud to be able to bridge over to the Elite - whatever that means! 

Not much golf but I have played twice at Wentworth, once with Dad (East Course) and once with Xavier (The Edinburgh) - very rusty so looking forward to the weather improving. Got a lesson booked with Rob and also have the dates through for the Elite Squad training.

WIll blog again soon............oh yeah and I'm now 10!

 
   
 

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