Golf
FLORENCE SAWYER SCHOOL
INTRAMURAL GOLF
June 16, 2010
End of Season and the Intramural Golf vs Sawyer Staff
Hello all,
A great, fun tournament was had by all yesterday. And the rain held off! The tournament went much longer than it should have. I'll work on that problem for next year. We had an awesome group of golfers this year with a very supportive, encouraging group of parents.
Check out the pics! Many are frameable! http://picasaweb.google.com/117976009052837864147
I'll leave our golf website up in case your golfer would like to review the lessons and tips during the summer. And keep them practicing, short game and long.
Until next year, have a safe, wonderful summer.
Thank you. All the best,
Don Ryan
AVERAGE CLUB DISTANCES
Create a "formula" for remembering your club distances. Usually the irons differ by 10 yards from club to club. If you know the distance for one, you can figure the distance for all. Print and fill out this chart at the driving range. Keep it in your bag until it's memorized.
WOODS
Driver_______________yards
3 Wood_______________yards
4 Wood_______________yards
5 Wood_______________yards
7 Wood_______________yards
9 Wood_______________yards
HYBRIDS
3 Hybrid_______________yards
4 Hybrid_______________yards
5 Hybrid_______________yards
IRONS
2 Iron_______________yards
3 Iron_______________yards
4 Iron_______________yards
5 Iron_______________yards
6 Iron_______________yards
7 Iron_______________yards
8 Iron_______________yards
9 Iron_______________yards
Pitching Wedge_______________yards
Sand Wedge_______________yards
Lob Wedge_______________yards
CHIPPING
There are different philosophies on how to chip. Some say always use the same club and vary how hard or easy you hit it. We suggest the 7 iron if you're very close to the green. The best was is to land the ball on the edge of the green and let it roll to the hole. Some say vary the clubs for more and less distance because each club has more and less loft and roll. You have to decide what's best for you. If varying the clubs, fill in the chart below.
Average Chipping Distances
7 Iron_______________yards
8 Iron_______________yards
9 Iron_______________yards
PW_______________yards
SW_______________yards
LW_______________yards
PLAY EVERY SHOT TO THE GREEN INTELLIGENTLY!
1) Most amateurs never use enough club and end up having to chip, or in a sand trap, or in the water.
2) If there are obstacles in front of the green, take a longer club and hit it a little easier.
3) If there are obstacles behind the green, take a shorter club if possible.
4) If there is trouble to the right of the green, aim for the left of the green, and v.v.
The best tip: aim for the middle of the green regardless of where the pin is.
HOLE LOCATIONS
Some golf courses mark the locations of the holes on the greens so you can judge your shots from a long ways away. The differences in "pin placement" can be as much as more/less one club
• Red flag: hole is near the front of the green
• White flag: hole is near the middle of the green
• Blue flag: hole is near the back of the green
The may be a little yellow flag on the "pin" below the big flag.
• Little flag near the bottom of the pin: hole is near the front of the green
• Little flag near the middle of the pin: hole is near the middle of the green
• Little flag is near the top of the pin: hole is near the back of the green
Learn to pace off yards so you can calculate you exact distances to the pins from the yardage markers. One big step is one yard.
YARDAGE MARKERS
The fairway has yardage markers (disks in the ground, or stakes on the edge of the fairway) to help you judge the distance to the center of the green. Usually:
• Red: 100 yards to the center of the green
• White: 150 yards to the center of the green
• Blue: 200 yards to the center of the green
CLUB SELECTION TIPS
• Uphill to the green: use more club
• Downhill to the green: use less club
• When "between" clubs, use the longer club and choke up an inch Don Ryan
June 11, 2010
Hello all,
What a great time we had at the Sawyer-Hale golf tournament. The golfers played well and met many golfers from Hale MS. They all did themselves proud! Pasted below is the link to the photos I took today. Hopefully I got everybody.
Thank you again parents for walking, coaching, caddying and the gallery.
And a special thanks to Marcia Melone and the Stowaway Golf Course. You're great!
The next time we're together is the Sawyer Intramural Golf Team vs. the Sawyer Staff, Wednesday, June 16. There will be a bus one way to Twin Springs. Tee off will probably be around 4:15, pickup around 6:30. Details early next week. Parents are welcome as a gallery.
Take care, have a great weekend,
Don Ryan
http://picasaweb.google.com/117976009052837864147/61110SawyerHaleGolfTour#
if the link doesn't work, you may have to copy/paste
June 3, 2010
Hi all,
Our Intramural Golf Tournament/Cookout will be held this Saturday, June 5, beginning at 10AM. Golfers should arrive by 9:30. It might be a good idea to arrive closer to 9 to warm-up with a small bucket of balls and/or a little chipping and putting practice. Golfers should remember water, sunblock, umbrellas and anything else weather-related.
The tournament will be a scramble (best ball) format, and should last about two hours, with probably another half hour for the cookout. Everyone should be free by 1PM.
We are looking for parents to walk with the groups. If you have golf skills, don't be afraid to offer advice, without slowing down play. If you're not a golfer, you could walk with a group and keep score for them. It might be fun to "caddy" for the "pros."
Please let me know by email if you plan to walk with a group. We'd need one parent for each group, but more are welcome.
You will also be receiving an email regarding the Sawyer/Hale MS golf matches to be played at Stowaway Golf Club, 121 White Pond Road, Stow, on Friday, June 11. Tee-off TBA. There should be a bus for the event. And again, we need parents for scoring, caddying and gallery.
The Sawyer Staff/Intramural Golf Tournament on Wednesday, 6/16, at Twin Springs. Tee-off at 4:30. Possibly a bus. I'll let you know ahead of time.
Yesterday's lesson was the full swing with a driver. Details will appear on our golf webpage. Congrats to Dante Cabral, winner of the long drive competition!
That's all the news. Keep your golfers PRACTICING!
Don Ryan
June 2, 2010
"THE LONG GAME!"
The drive has to be on the short grass to set you up for the second shot to the green. Straight is much more important than distance.
1. Stand behind the ball, put a good grip on the club
2. Find a spot on the grass about 3 feet ahead of the ball lining up with the target. "Visualize"
3. Set up next to the ball; shoulders, legs, clubhead line up square with the ball and the spot.
4. Left foot moves out a few inches, right foot out to shoulder-width.
5. Low backswing and full turn and follow-through. Keep your eyes staring at the tee after you hit.
I saw many kids trying to use a driver like a baseball bat. All arms and hands. Swing with your body! Start your swing with a chip....to a power chip....to a pitch....to a full swing. Keep those "fishy hands" still.
Keep it on the fairway!
May 27, 2010
The Short Game!
What a blast we all had yesterday! Bob Keene is the man! I checked and the temperature in the sun was 100. What better idea is there in that weather than to spend an hour competing with short game skills? Chipping and putting, up and down! Chipping and putting is at least half of the game and score, and yesterday they were able to sharpen their skills.
Next week, we are still having golf on Wednesday, even with the 4/5 Chorus Concert. Golf finishes at 5:15, the concert begins at 7, with students arriving at 6:30. There is time.
Found: a black, 3 wood head cover with the word "bedrock" on it. It's in the music room.
Remember sunblock and water!
And as always.......PRACTICE DAILY!
May 26, 2010
Hi all,
Just so we're all clear on it, golf is as usual today at Twin Springs. Pickup at 5:15.
Also, dates to remember:
Saturday, 6/5, Intramural Golf Tournament/Cookout at Twin Springs. Morning is all I know for time so far. No bus. We welcome parent involvement (caddy, scorekeeper, gallery)
Friday, 6/11, vs. Hale Middle School at Stowaway GC, Stow; bus one way. Details to follow. We welcome parent involvement (caddy, scorekeeper, gallery)
Wednesday, 6/16, vs. Sawyer Staff at Twin Springs, 3:45, may or may not have a bus.
Please continue to check the Intramural Golf Website (via Sawyer website) for lesson recaps and announcements.
KEEP 'EM PRACTICIN' !
Don
May 20, 2010
The rain held off until the very end! And I learned from the week before not to try to outsmart Mother Nature.
A Golf Putting Test:
1. When putting, what's more important, aim or distance?"
2. How many putts are allowed per round?
3. What percentage of the strokes in a round of golf is the putting?
4. How is a reverse-overlap grip different than the conventional grip?
5. What "trick" can you do to find the exact setup position of the putter? 6.What do the wrists and head have in common when putting?
Everybody learned a lot at the International yesterday.
Remember, putting can be PRACTICED (daily) indoors on a rug.
May 13, 2010
Hello golfers and parents:
THE LESSON ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, WILL BE HELD AT THE INTERNATIONAL GOLF COURSE. YOUR GOLFER CAN BE PICKED UP AT THE INTERNATIONAL AT 5:00pm AT THE PRACTICE GREEN/DRIVING RANGE TO THE LEFT OF THE PARKING LOT. THE ONLY CLUB THEY NEED TO BRING IS THEIR PUTTER. I WAS TOLD COLLARED GOLF SHIRTS ARE APPRECIATED.
Yesterday's lesson was the "pitch shot." With the pitch, remember to begin with the chip, go to the powerchip position, then cock the wrists and make a full body turn to finish. And remember: ABC.
Helpful hint: I've been seeing a lot of heads moving with the body. Keep those eyes staring at the spot where the ball used to be. Like they say on the golf course, "You hit it and we'll tell you where it went!"
Go watch TV! Really! Put on the Golf Channel and watch the pros swing. There's really only one way to hit a golf ball. Watch the pros and you'll see all those fundamentals that you're being taught.
Remember to SWING A CLUB EVRY DAY, with or without a ball.
See you at the IGC
Don Ryan
Hi everyone,
I spoke with Bob Keene this morning and we thought it would be a good idea to change tomorrow's (Wed 5/12) intramural golf to Thursday, 5/13. Tomorrow is supposed to be cold and raining, but Thursday is warmer and sunny. I had visions of two weeks ago with the cold, the wind and the rain.
All details are the same. The bus will take us there on Thursday, same time, and pickup at Twin Springs is 5:15.
Again, please encourage your golfer to PRACTICE DAILY in the back yard. Even a minute of proper swings will make a huge difference. Muscle memory is the key to good golf.
And, please refer to the Sawyer golf website for a review of the previous lesson. A couple of important lesson details can be easily forgotten.
Thank you for notifying me when your child is absent from school on a Wednesday or missing golf. It's been easy to keep track of their whereabouts.
Dates to remember:
Friday, June 11, vs. Hale Middle School at Stowaway GC, Stow; bus one way. Details to follow.
Wednesday, June 16, vs. Sawyer Staff at Twin Springs, 3:45, no bus yet.
Don Ryan
May 5, 2010
POWER CHIP LESSON
PRACTICE DAILY!!
The golfers did really well today. The lesson focused first on the grip (the hot dog in the bun!) and then the power (full) chip, 20-30 yards, clubhead waist high on the backswing to waist high on the follow-through. Shaft pointed away from the target to shaft pointing toward the target. Straight left arm, right elbow bent. The power and the distance are from the body turn towards the target.
I'm hoping the golfers, especially the intermediate players, realize the importance of these two lessons. For the most part, the full swing is an extension of a short chip or a power chip. Those having problems with full-swing direction and distance should be using their chipping as the guide to discovering how to correct their full-swing problems.
That, and good chipping can easily knock 10 strokes off the scorecard!
Please encourage the golfers to PRACTICE daily in the back yard; hard balls for short chips, whiffle golf balls for full chips. Golf nets for the backyard are great, too.
Looking forward to seeing the progress on May 12.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Friday, June 11, vs. Hale Middle School at Stowaway GC, Stow; bus one way.
Wednesday, June 16, vs. Sawyer Teachers at Twin Springs, 3:45, no bus yet.
Don Ryan
Great chipping lesson today!
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE EVERY DAY
The lesson focused on chipping, which is not only a good way to introduce new golfers to the game, but is an important lesson to help experienced golfers with their short game. "Up and down!" Half the strokes on your scorecard are chips and putts.
And, a chip is also the start of the full swing!
Practice chipping every day! Put an object on the back yard and chip to it. Or aim for the bottom of a tree trunk. Remember: only the straight arms and shoulders move, like putting. Don't move your legs, body, and head. And very important: frozen wrists! The swingpath: back and through to the target.
FINISH WITH "A B C." Can you name all the parts of a golf club?
Drop into my room before school if you need help, review, or just want me check out your chipping stroke.
~ ~ ~
4/28; 1:30
GOLF TODAY IS STILL ON. PICKUP AT TWIN AT 5:15
Please note: We have reached the number of golfers we can accommodate.
April 14, 2010
SAWYER INTRAMURAL GOLF IS READY TO TEE OFF!
Hello Golfers and Parents!
Just letting you know we have a full complement of golfers and are ready to start our 2010 season. Last year was a great success. Many of our golfers are returnees from last year. That says a lot about the program, the lessons and the golfers.
The first lesson is the first Wednesday, April 28, after we return from vacation. The bus will be here by 3:45, to take the golfers to Twin Springs Golf Course. Remember, you are responsible for picking them up at Twin Springs at 5:15.
Your clubs may be brought to school on Wednesday mornings. Students should put them neatly and organized in the stage storage room, next to the gym. There is an outside door, which I'll try to have unlocked before you arrive. For those students who do not own clubs, Twin Springs will supply clubs for the lessons.
* Your clubs may be brought to school on the morning bus only if you ask the bus driver ahead of that day if he/she will allow it. They have all allowed it, but I wouldn't wait for a Wednesday morning to ask.
At dismissal time, students should stay in their homerooms until the 2nd wave of busses is dismissed. At that time, go to the gym and sit on the bleachers. Do not bring your clubs into the gym. If I have pick-up duty out the back door, another teacher will be with you until I join you in the gym, usually around 3:20. We'll then go to the stage storage room for the clubs. We’ll have a few minutes before the bus, and we'll review the previous lesson, with club in hand.
*Please remember, you are responsible for your own transportation home from Twin Springs at 5:15PM.
*Students planning on staying at Twin Springs beyond 5:15 need to have a note for Mr. Ryan.
*Parents, I'm trying to keep your child accounted for and safe. You can help me do this by keeping me informed of who is absent from school or intramural golf, who is going home with whom, and who is staying beyond 5:15.
EMAIL. If there is an additional email address you'd like to have receive these mailings, just send me an email and I'll include it.
I have confirmed Wednesday, June 16, as the date for the Sawyer Staff vs. Intramural Golf Tournament at Twin Springs. Starting time will be 3:45. And, we probably will not have a bus. Also, a reminder that that Intramural Golf Tournament/Cookout is the morning of Saturday, June 5, at Twin Springs. Definitely no bus. I’ll keep you updated.
If there are questions, I can be contacted at dryan@nrsd.net.
Hit ‘em straight!
Don Ryan
April 1, 2010
We are pleased to announce that the intramural golf program, in conjunction with Twin Springs Golf Course, is again being offered to grades 5-8 Sawyer School students.
Sawyer Intramural Golf, with Twin Springs, is offering the following:
- 6 Group Lessons with Bob Keene, head professional at Twin Springs. Lessons are every Wednesday, beginning April 28, 4:00-5:15, ending June 2. Lessons focus on beginners and intermediate players.
- Sawyer Intramural Golf Tournament/Cookout to be held Saturday morning, June 5, at Twin Springs.
- Tournament vs. Hale Middle School Intramural Golf Team to be held at the Stowaway Golf Course in Stow. Date to be determined.
- An additional focus on 8th grade students considering trying out for the high school golf team, including a visit by Mr. Dennis Bean, NRHS golf coach.
- Possibly, a tournament vs. Sawyer’s teachers to be held at Twin Springs. The format would be match play, with three students playing best ball against a teacher’s one ball.
- A bus will leave Sawyer every Wednesday at 3:45 to transport the golfers to Twin Springs. Parents are responsible for picking up their children at Twin Springs at 5:15. There will not be a bus to the Saturday, June 5, tournament/cookout, or to the tournament vs. Hale.
Price for the program is $100, which includes the bus, one-way to Twin Springs, for the six Wednesdays. The extracurricular permission sheet below, must be returned to Mr. Ryan with a check made payable to the Florence Sawyer School. I have extra sheets at my door if you’re unable to print the webpage.
Twin Springs can only accommodate 30 students, the first 30 students to return the Extracurricular Permission sheet and check will be accepted. If there are questions, I can be contacted at dryan@nrsd.net.
Don Ryan
Sawyer School
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Nashoba Regional School District
Florence Sawyer School
100 Mechanic Street
Bolton, Massachusetts 01740
Permission for Extracurricular Activities
Student Name: ___________________________ Extracurricular Activity: Intramural Golf
DOB: ______________________ Grade: __________________________
Please provide phone numbers where you can be reached during this activity should it be necessary to contact you for any reason.
Parent/Guardian: ____________________________ Home Phone: _____________
Work: _________________ Cell:______________ Other:____________________
Father/Guardian: _________________________ Home Phone: __________________
Work: _________________ Cell:______________ Other:__________________________
Emergency Contact (Local person to be notified in case of emergency, when you are unable to be reached.)
Name:__________________________ Phone: ___________________
Relationship:______________
Does your child have a life-threatening allergy? Yes No
If so, to what? _________________________________________________________________
Does your child carry his/her own epi-pen? Yes No
Does your child have asthma? Yes No
Does your child carry his or her own inhaler? Yes No
(Permission to carry an epi-pen or inhaler requires that physician permission be on file with the school nurse.)
MEDICAL RELEASE: I grant my child permission to participate in this activity and I grant the Nashoba Regional School District Personnel, the right to obtain emergency medical treatment for my child, __________________________________, during the period of this extracurricular activity. I give permission for ambulance transport to the nearest hospital. Payment for any and all medical treatment is the financial responsibility of the parent/guardian.
Parent/Guardian signature: ________________________________ Date: ___________
Parent (name) Email_____________________________________________
Student Email___________________________________________________________
Regarding GOLF, would you consider your child a 1. beginner or 2. intermediate player?