The Road to 40: Weeks 8 & 9 update

Apologies for missing an update last week. I needed a short break from real life, so my wife and I spent a day in Arizona Wine Country. Perfect weather, a great reset, and time with my favorite person — hard to beat that.

Back to golf.

Overall, last week was a solid one. Weekend practice sessions helped dial things in even more, and interestingly, all the exercise I’ve been doing is starting to show up in my distances. Over the past month, I’ve picked up about 5–7 yards per club — something I didn’t fully realize until Thursday, April 16.

I was playing nine holes and came to a familiar par 3: about 120 yards, all carry over water. Normally, I’d hit a smooth 9‑iron to ensure I cover the water. With a slight helping wind, I decided to go with pitching wedge instead. That club had been maxing out around 115 yards, so it made sense. Except… I flew the green. The back edge was 124 yards, and I ended up just off the back. The wind definitely wasn’t strong enough to explain it — a clear sign that my distances have changed.

This week also marked the start of Phase 3 of my “plan.” It’s wild to think I’ve been at this for over two months now.

Over the weekend, I stopped by PGA Tour Superstore to use their launch monitor technology and confirm what I was seeing on the course. Sure enough, the data backed it up — I’m consistently seeing those extra 5–7 yards per club. I won’t complain about hitting shorter clubs into greens.

The week itself was a good one overall (with one exception).

• Monday: A productive practice session focused on shots from 50–120 yards.

• Tuesday: Golf league night, and a great round — 1 birdie, 1 bogey, and 7 pars for an even‑par 9 holes. That’s still my best nine to date. I gave myself plenty of birdie looks; now it’s just about dialing in the putter.

Then there was Wednesday.

I expected to build on Tuesday’s momentum — good ball striking, solid contact — but it was the opposite. Chunked shots. Thinned shots. Nothing felt right with any club. After about 45 frustrating minutes, I packed it up and called it a day.

On Thursday, I made a deliberate decision not to swing at all and instead focused entirely on putting. I concentrated on putts from 5–15 feet and felt like I really dialed in my speed control. I’m excited to see how that translates back on the course.

I’ll get another practice session in this afternoon. I think I’ve identified what went wrong on Wednesday — too much shifting back in my backswing. Today’s focus will be on balance, solid contact, and process over distance.

After Tuesday’s round, I told my wife, “I feel like I’m so close.” And I genuinely believe that. The pieces are coming together.

I came across a quote this week that I’m going to keep top of mind:

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” — Babe Ruth

I’m not giving up.

Until next week.

Fairways and greens, y’all.