The long version

My Golf Journey

Every milestone I can put a date on, from the 9-iron my dad handed me as a kid to the round that finally started with a 7.

A step forward
Changed how I practice
Time and money that went nowhere
Life around the golf

1992
Early 1990s
As a young kid (maybe 6 or 7 years old?) my dad got me my 1st club. A 9-iron. I remember hitting light weight plastic golf balls over our pool in the backyard.
5 years1997
Late 1990s
From around 10 - 14? I sometimes followed my dad around the course when he played. Only hit my 9-iron the whole course. My dad is left-handed, and I'm right handed so couldn't even borrow his clubs.
4 years2001
2001
I think it was my 16th birthday that my dad got me my first set of clubs (2nd hand).
2001 to 2020
From 16 through until my mid-30s. A very casual golfer who played maybe 3-4 times per year. Playing top level field hockey which was my priority at the time.
18 years2019
December 28, 2019
103first tracked round
First time I got an app to track my score. Across my first 18 holes I shot 103.
2020
June 21, 2020
29.3first handicap
Finally played 3x rounds with the app and got my first ever (rough) handicap. 29.3.
1.3 years2021
October 24, 2021
24.2handicap
About 2 years after getting an app, I had played 20 rounds for a more accurate handicap: 24.2.
2022
February 27, 2022
89broke 90
Broke 90 for the first time (89). Although was on a par 71 course (and is probably the easiest course in the city). Not sure it counts, but, I'll take it.
2022 to 2024
Play 1-2x per month. Not practicing, but enjoying playing a bit more often.
1.6 years2024
January 15, 2024
108first round with the group
Joined a semi-competitive (but still social) golf group. Play my first round with them. Very first drive I lost my ball. Hit 108. Wish I was better. Start down the rabbit hole of wondering how I get better at golf.
January 26, 2024
Sign up for SwingTweaks (online video swing analysis). Don't get analysis done yet because I need someone to video my swing.
January 28, 2024
88new lowest round
2 weeks later I broke 90 properly. Hit 88. My new lowest round ever. Was a casual round with my wife, best mate and his wife.
February 11, 2024
88
Play the same course as the 88. My 2nd round with the semi-competitive group. Hit 88 again. Stoked. Think I've turned a corner now that I care about score. Would be 8 months before I break 90 again.
March 2024
Have spent 20 years playing hockey every weekend (during the season) and training twice a week. Realize I probably need to practice golf to get better at golf (I wouldn't expect to just play hockey with never training). Don't actually start practicing.
April 1, 2024
Order my first SwingTweak video swing review.
April 13, 2024
Order a 2nd SwingTweak video swing review. Realize this isn't going to lead to success.
May 18, 2024
Get a knock-off divot board. Rubbish quality where I can't even see what is happening.
July 13, 2024
Read an ebook on different "natural" approach to golf swing. More confused than ever.
Q3 2024
Sometime around here, the golf app I am using starts reporting on high level strokes gained data. First exposure to breaking down a round of golf into separate components.
December 8, 2024
86handicap 23.3
Break 90 again. New lowest round ever of 86 (at the same easy par 71 course from 2 years earlier). Handicap is still 23.3.
2025
January 25, 2025
81handicap 20.4
Broke 85 for the first time. 81. New lowest round ever. Handicap is 20.4.
February 23, 2025
20.4last time over 20
Handicap is 20.4. Last time it was over 20.
March 9, 2025
Tried out HackMotion wrist trainer.
April 21, 2025
Setup home practice area with mat, screen & launch monitor.
May 17, 2025
Hear about a new app that provides more data on how you play. Change over to it and start tracking rounds with it. (Tangent App).
Early June 2025
Did an online training course. Learned about the importance of impact (instead of swing fixes) including how to measure it and improve it.
Late June 2025
104last round over 100
Played golf on my 40th birthday. Hit 104. As of the time of writing this, that was the last time I shot over 100 (hopefully forever).
July 2025
For my 40th birthday present, get fitted for new clubs.
August 2025
Pickup my new clubs from the fitting sessions. First time ever with new clubs instead of 2nd hand.
September 2, 2025
93handicap 17.9
First round ever with my new clubs. Hit 93. Handicap is 17.9.
September 2025
Despite my early learnings about impact, try another online course. Is mostly geared around building your swing from the ground up. Includes analysis of swing video from a pro. Tells me I have early extension as my main problem and gives me some swing improvement drills.
November 2025
Come across the concept of differential learning from another area of life. Realize it could be applied to golf practice also. Start trying it out. Also start documenting what I am doing.
Late 2025 onwards
Regularly in the 80s now and steady drop in handicap.
2026
Early 2026
Documenting my practice is helping me to refine what I am doing and keeping me focused.
February 7, 2026
78broke 80
Shot 78, breaking 80 for the first time. 12 months and 12 days earlier I was sitting at a 20.4 handicap.
Mid 2026
Take the info on my training and process, and decide to turn it into a training course to help others who were stuck like I was.
August 2026
Release DIAL Method for the first time.

Summary

As a kid I hardly played golf at all. As an adult I didn't play much more. It wasn't until my mid 30s that I started playing a bit more often. Once I started looking at how to improve, it was mostly me chasing the wrong answer. What actually moved the number was the last stretch: real data, impact instead of swing positions, and a way of practicing that survives contact with a golf course.

The short version of all this, and what I do with it now, is on my about page. The system I built out of it is the DIAL Method.

See how the method works →