What's in the bag 2023

Time for a post this cloudish Friday afternoon.

You might have noticed from the side bar that I have made whole sale changes to my bag this year. Starting up with the Big Dog. I have been a fan of Ping drivers over the last couple of years. Starting with the G400, the G410 and then the G425. 

While the performance of the G425 was pleasing, I was somewhat let down by the 'dullish' sound off the face which lacked the nice metallic sound of a ball well smacked. I bade farewell to the Ping and got myself a Cobra LTDx. 

The LTDx looked really good and resembled the younger, flashier brother if you would of the Ping G425. I was hitting it well, but the relationship was over when Ping launched the G430.  

Let's just say, the let down of the G425 was quickly forgotten. This was the Ping feel and sound that I recalled from the days of the good'ol G410. Paired with my trusty Fujikura Speeder Evo3 shaft, I was getting good distance and forgiveness. Don't think I will be changing out the big stick for a while.

No changes in the FW and Hybrid department. My Titleist Tsi2 3w (also with a Speeder Evo3 shaft) is still fantastic off the tee (sometimes outdriving my driver). While my XXIO hybrid is still reliable. I did change the shaft though. The stock (stiff) shaft was a tad too flimsy. 

Perhaps the biggest change were the irons. I don't think of myself as a JDM fan but these EPON Af-306 irons are a game changer. 

I have tried EPON irons in the past and while they were nice to hit, didn't justify the hefty price tag in my book. I was hitting the Titleist 718TMB irons pretty well but was searching for that extra forgiveness. The Af-306 provided just that. 

Matched with the OTI-95(s) shafts, I was hitting them with ease with a nice ball flight. Sound hits felt buttery and were rewarding. Sure the occasional shit shots creep in, but overall I am hitting them consistently better than the 718TMB. Haven't sold them yet though. The EPONS didn't come cheap but it came 4 - PW and so far, worth every cent spent. 

Wedges. The last two sets of wedges I had were from Srixon. The RTX4 and then the ZIPCORE. The Latter were sexy. Loved the clean and sleek look and they performed really well too. The grooves were getting worn and it was time for a replacement. My choices were narrowed down to the ZIPCORE 6 or the pricier SM9. Titleist make lovely wedges that come with an even 'lovelier' price tag. I played the SM4s and the SM6 before switching over to Srixon. Bit the bullet and switched over to the SM9. All I can say is, no regrets. 

What can I say about the putter. Won't be changing my beloved Evnroll Er5b until it becomes unusable. Starting to show wear and tear, but just look at it! I mean 😍😍

Also switched from my PXG cart bag to a flashier, less bulky J.Lindeberg stand bag. Cart bags are a thing of the past. Way too big and heavy for the modern day golfer. Only thing I do miss are the individual dividers, but that's not a deal breaker for me anymore. 

And that's WITB for 2023. 

Caught an eagle (my first!)

So I finally made an eagle over the long weekend.

For the uninitiated, an 'eagle' in golf means a score of (-2)  on each hole. Meaning you sink your ball in 2 strokes on a par 4 and 3 strokes on a par 5. An eagle on a par 4 is much rarer than an eagle on a par 5. Depending on the length of a par 5, long hitters (or pros in general) make it a habit of getting on the green in two strokes, which leaves them with a putt for an eagle. But I digress!

We teed up at the Samarahan Country Club on Saturday (3.06.23) and while the course was slightly wet, we were blessed with lovely weather throughout. Hole 12 is a par 4 measuring some 330m from the blue tees. Not a very long hole but the sloping green provides a good challenge. That said, put yourself in the fairway with a decent drive and you will have a good chance of scoring.

I tend to play a draw or miss with a hook off the tee, so aiming to the right side suits my eye at the 12th. Hit a pretty decent tee shot and was left with about 115m to the front pin. Contemplated hitting my approach wedge for my second but my playing partner, Aaron suggested I hit an easy PW instead. Thankfully I followed his suggestion! 

Hit a lovely shot and while I couldn't see where the ball landed, I figured it would be close. It was only after we heard our friend shout out loud ahead did I realize just how 'close' it was.   

Judging from the pitch mark, it landed just short of the pin and rolled about 2 meters into the cup. Hurray!!

No $$ reward for the achievement but I will get a certificate from the Club and my name on the Eagles achiever board. While a hole in one is the most coveted shot in golf, I would argue that an eagle on a par 4 is harder to achieve. For starters, you get to tee it up nicely on a par 3, whereas you are left with all sorts of possible lies on a par 4. Again I digress. 

Anyways, my collection is now almost complete. Managed a hole in one in 2019  and now have an eagle to add to the collection. Will probably never get an albatross (2 strokes on a par 5) so I am very, very content. As usual, I have sent the ball and score card to my reliable frame maker for another memorabilia. Just need to find a space on my almost full wall.   

Sustaining a weight loss / health plan.

If I had to to narrow it down, it would be these four things.

1.    Surround yourself with positive support

This is a big deal. You need to be around people who understand and support your efforts. Hanging out with people who tell you "haiya, won't kill you one la" as they hand you that can of coke for instance, will derail you and throw you off course. Positive vibes and energy will get you through tough times. 

2.    Discipline

Make a concerted effort to list down what you need to change and keep at it. To quote Kevin Kisner "This ain't no hobby fellas". Damn straight! It's not easy by any stretch and there will be days when you want to 'give up' or postpone your plan, which is why (1) is also very important. 

3.    There is no short-cut

This ties in with number 2. There really is no short cut. Don't hype yourself thinking you are going to lose 10kg in 1-2 months. It is unlikely and will end in frustration. Consistency is the name of the game and setting achievable targets is crucial. I.e. lose 1 - 2kg a month, exercise for half an hour at least 5 days a week. 

4.    Exercise and eating better

Exercise and diet go hand in hand. 

Now when it comes to exercise, do what's comfortable for you and as long as you exercise and work up a sweat, you won't go wrong. I knew I couldn't sustain a heavy intense gym kind of workout long term, so I did my exercise on the treadmill (30-45mins sessions, 5-6 times a week) and gradually progressed from walking > brisk walking > to jogging. Sure I golfed on the weekend but with the golf buggy, I wouldn't exactly call it vigorous exercise.

Now when it came to food, I spent some time to really identify what I needed to cut out from my diet and what I could tweak and add to make it viable long term. I was pretty liberal with what I drank or ate previously and while I wouldn't call it reckless, I was eating a lot of food portion wise. 

There are some who go on an extreme change and incorporate a "healthy" food diet, cutting out various elements completely from their diet. It may work for some but it really isn't for everyone.  So what I did was cut out the unhealthy stuff (soft drinks), rarely ate processed foods, ate healthier (more veg, natural foods, ate more home cooked food) and controlled my food portions. 

Controlling my food portions was somewhat a mental exercise. By controlling, I don't mean skipping meals. I was eating less-er and conditioning my mind to accept that I wouldn't die of starvation if I only ate 'this much food'. I am not kidding when I say I was a big eater. For example, lunch for me would be a serving of char kueh tiaw, topped with a fried egg and a side of 6 dumplings or nasi biryani with a side of roti telur or a Mcd large value set with an extra order of nuggets. You get the idea. 

Everyone is different. As long as you cut out or eat less of the unhealthy stuff, tweak around with your diet and see what's best for you. By all means, have a cheat day once a week, eat that piece of fried chicken (home-cooked) but remember that balance and moderation are key. 

I am no health guru, but the above really helped me to reach my health goals and maybe it will help you too. 

Happy New Year!

It's time again for my once a year new year post!

Plenty happened in 2022. Notably, the world came to grips with Covid-19 and closer to home, we saw a monumental change in the ruling (unity) government. 

On the health side of things, I am very glad to report that I have achieved my goal of becoming healthier. To be honest, I didn't exactly get to work right after my last post on 3.1.2022. By the first quarter of 2022, I weighed a hefty 90.9kg. I was feeling sluggish, unfit and had a big belly to boot. 

Shit got real round about July 2022, when I finally mustered the courage to have another blood test. You see I hate needles and wasn't keen to see my results which would explain the delay. Anyways, as expected the numbers weren't great. Cholesterol, Uric Acid and Sugar levels had exceeded the normal accepted range and I was feeling rather pissed at myself. During my consultation, the doctor (bless her) gave me a much needed kick in the behind. 

"Your numbers aren't great and if you continue on like this, I will probably have to prescribe you some medication for your cholesterol to prevent early onset of heart disease. But the good news is, it is still reversible."   

With that, I gave myself a 6-month target to get into shape and embarked on this health reset journey. 

I started to exercise more frequently (30-40 minutes on the treadmill, 5 - 6 days a week - with a round of golf on the weekend) and made wholesale changes to my diet and took control of what I was putting into my body. Cutting out a lot of sugar (think soft drinks, sweet drinks, processed foods), eating healthier and cultivating better food habits (hardly any supper and eating lesser portions than I would usually gorge). This wasn't a race but a steady marathon and I was seeing progress gradually. 

By the first week of December 2022, I reached my desired weight of 79kg (that's a loss of almost 12kg). The belly had flattened significantly, I had better stamina and I felt fitter than I had been in years. I mean, I was playing better golf too as a result! 

All that was left was to take another blood test and I was anxious. I knew there had to be some improvement but was cautious to manage my expectations. So imagine my delight when I saw all worrying stats drop! Total cholesterol had dropped to normal range (some work left to do to bring down LDL and Triglycerides further), sugar was back to normal as was my uric acid level. Even the Doctor was surprised and suitably impressed with my efforts, might I add and said what every patient wants to hear "Keep up the good work." 

The only downside to this is that a lot of my clothing no longer fit properly 😂 but I suppose that's a good problem to have. The journey continues though and now that I have hit my desired weight, my plan now is to tone and shape up the body with some weight training. Nothing serious or too muscly. 

I have had a number of friends compliment my trimmer look and if anything I feel way better about myself and health in general. Some have also asked how I did it, so I will share that in the next post. 

Till then, here's wishing everyone a healthy and safe 2023!