93civiccpe's road to the Grandaddy

[93civiccpe]

This is long overdue but I wanted to get a plan together prior to starting this thread. I had a similar thread a couple years ago as I was preparing for the Morgan Cup. I want to take what I learned from that experience and try to build on it. First, a little bit of background on how I got here. I was one of a lucky 4 to be named as participants in the Grandmama event when the Grandaddy was postponed last year due to the pandemic. There was not a ton of time to prepare so I was just trying to go in and be as consistent as I could without making major swing changes which could have a negative impact on my swing and confidence. Due to the increasing number of Covid cases the Grandmama event was also canceled but we were in turn added to the 2021 Grandaddy team which is mind blowing. I know how special this opportunity is and do not want to squander it!

The opportunity to get fit by some of the best in the business at the ECPC has not been lost on me and I'm in a unique position where I have almost a full year to prepare for that. I want to bring the best, most consistent swing I can to that event so I'm going to journal my plan here as well as the tools I'm going to use to get there. In addition to swing goals I also have fitness goals. On the last day of the Morgan Cup I was fighting my body (especially my back). I went into the event following a diet that allowed me to shed a lot of needed weight but I did not have a ton of endurance. In all honesty I was a little leaner than I wanted as I loss some muscle mass during the diet. In an attempt to add muscle I've modified the diet and put on some muscle but also some fat. I don't have a particular weight goal but I do want to lose a little bit of the fat I've put on while still adding muscle. For general fitness I plan to use my bowflex and to continue running with my daughter (and possible train for a 10k with her). I am still on the keto diet which has worked really well for me and I believe I've got a better combination of macros which will allow me to lose weight but still push and add muscle.
As far as my golf game, I will break that down in a separate post below but as a starting point Arccos has me at a 13.5 handicap but my game is still quite inconsistent. I plan to continue using Arccos as I play to identify the weak areas of my game and try to improve on those. I also have a skytrak setup in my garage to act as a virtual range on the frigid winter nights. I do have a Garmin G80 that I will often take to the range with me to assess swing data / ball flights.

The bag I am currently planning to play this year (once everything is delivered) are as follows:
Epic Speed Driver
Cobra SZ big tour 3 wood
Epic Max 5 wood
Cobra F9 4-iron with Atmos stiff shaft (set up as a driving iron)
Callaway Apex 21 5 iron - GW with MMT 95 graphite shafts
Cobra MIM 54 & 58 degree wedges
Cleveland Frontline Elevado slant neck putter (although I have a Callaway putter coming to put against this)
My current ball is the Callaway Chromesoft X.

 

[93civiccpe]

Self Assessment of my golf swing / game:
I have put a lot of work into being more consistent and my scoring has improved this year. I always have been a headcase when it comes to driving the golf ball and I got an online lesson this year with a coach who was able to break the swing down in a way that helped me a ton. I now have more confidence with driver and am hitting it farther than previously but I am not a long hitter. I am more accurate and take less penalties off the tee though. I want to use the superspeed system to increase my swing speed but I will also be focusing on retaining (and even improving) my accuracy.


Fairway woods off the deck (with the exception of 7 wood) are a struggle of mine. There are days where I can pull them off and it feels easy and others where I top the ball embarrassingly. I do believe a good bit of this is due to swing flaws and technique and I want to improve on hitting fairway woods over the course of this year. I also am hit or miss with these off of the tee. I do want to get more consistent when I need an accurate shot off the tee and club down from driver.


With long irons (4,5 & 6 iron) there are days where I hit these great and others that I struggle with contact. Often the 6 iron is the last iron I'm confident with and it shows. On the range I'm hitting the longer irons better but I need that to transfer over to the course.


Short Irons (8 iron - PW) - I'm more confident with these but I don't hit as many greens as I should. I went from feeling comfortable with going after pins to now just trying to hit the green. I felt as the season went on that there was something off in my swing and I think it's a reason I don't have the consistency I want. I will hit it close on one hole and then struggle for the other 17 at times.


Wedges: I have done a ton of work on my 100 yard and in game and have seen improvement according to Arccos but it is still very streaky. I need to continue the work I put in and improve even more. I do believe I should vary my clubs more in these shots to see if I can hit the distances I want with a more controlled swing. When it comes to chipping that is the one area of my game that Arccos rates high and that I have a lot of confidence in. I went from having a very hand-active technique to more of a Jason Day technique where I use my body and the bounce more and the results have been great. I have noticed that if I go too long without practicing this area of my game that it does suffer so I want to continue enhancing this strength. I normally would put my bunker play in a similar perspective as chipping as it has been a strength but my last round I played in wet bunkers and really struggled. Out of good lies my bunker play is fairly good but there's a ton of room for improvement here.


As for putting, I have spent a lot of time working on my putting stroke and have a 10ft mat in my home office and I practice a bunch throughout the day when I have time during breaks. My putts per round statistic was decreasing but has flatlined a bit. I want to keep up the practice I am currently doing and try to get to the course to work more on longer lag putts as that is a streaky area of my putting.


As for my general swing, I use my hands way too much. I previously had a horrible, weak push slice and have worked the past several years on my swing. I now hit a draw and my miss is normally a big hook. I do often take a divot in front of the ball (which previously seemed impossible). My swing is repeatable enough to play decent rounds of golf around my handicap but I know that I throw my hands at the ball and that there are a lot of flaws in my swing hindering me from playing much better golf. I have started to get general aches occasionally after playing so I am trying graphite shafts in my irons for the first time. My motto for this year is whatever helps me play my best golf. In the past I have too often played irons based on how they look but I'm all in for whatever will help me shoot lower scores.

 

[93civiccpe]

Using a coach and their assessment (wake up call) of my swing.
I have a coach locally but he took a new position which does not leave him with the time to coach anymore so I wanted to find a coach who would be dedicated to helping me achieve my goals. When I was having driving woes I was recommended to a coach who is not local to me, Jordan, who I did an online lesson with. He looked at my driver swing and immediately showed me some major flaws which were causing a lot of inconsistencies and how to fix them. I went on to have the best season of driving and build confidence in a club that I previously felt lost with. I set up an hour and a half zoom meeting with him to discuss what I wanted and to see if he was interested and how he would go about helping me. He was excited and talked through my progress in golf and even about preparing for the Morgan Cup. He noted that the chipping and putting games which helped me prepare for that were a part of what he uses and that I should be incorporating similar games/challenges to my partial and full swing practice. He also discussed the online lessons and wanting to access my Arccos data so we can talk through rounds for him to better understand where I'm losing shots on the course. He is big on drills when working to change a swing and talked through that with me. He bluntly asked me what my real goal was and I had to stop and think. I know I want to be playing my best golf and have a consistent swing for the fitting at the ECPC but I like setting bigger goals to challenge me an keep me motivated. That way even if I end up short of the goal I still have made big improvements. I told him that I want more distance off the tee while hitting more fairways. I want my fairway woods and long irons to be a strength instead of a weakness. I want to be able to attack flags with my short irons and wedges leading to more looks at birdie. I want my putts per round to decrease. I want to get rid of the chicken wing / flying lead elbow I often have on my follow through. Ultimately, I want to get my handicap down to single figures and I believe I can if I am able to accomplish the other goals above. He responded that he could not make any promises as it would be dependent on me putting in the work but that he would be happy to work with me to address the flaws in my swing and the errors I make on the course. I like his teaching style so I decided to start the lessons and send him my swing.

So, his first assessment of my swing was a wakeup call. I will admit that I should put my swing on video more often as I can usually see the tendencies that creep into my swing and cause problems. It is one thing to think you have a bad swing but another to have conclusive evidence that there are serious problems with it. His video lesson pointed out the good things in my swing but highlighted the areas I already knew were there are irk me but I have been ineffective to fix on my own. At address my left hand grip is too strong and is out of position. I take the club back way too far on the inside causing the face to get open part of the way back and slightly accros the line at the top. He mentioned that Matt Wolff is likely the only guy who can consistently recover from a position like that. He really liked my first move from the top which is a slight squad and shallowing of the club but he said it was not enough. The club is still stuck behind me which means coming into impact I have to stall the body, push up, and let my hands release hard through impact to try to save the shot. When I time it up, I end up with nice, powerful draws. But it's hard to be consistent with that delivery which explains the mishits and the big hooks. He explained that it all goes back to my setup (grip/ position of the club at address) and my takeaway. He said that getting to a good position at the top makes everything much easier.

 

[93civiccpe]

My first drills. So, to start working on this he suggested I cut down an iron (to not hit the walls/ceiling) and work on getting my grip correct and to practice the takeaway and backswing checking at 3 points on the way to the top. I did not have a club I wanted to cut up so while I was out running an errand I stopped at a Goodwill and looked at the bin of discarded clubs and found one that looked unique and scary. Apparently this is a vintage club made in Italy and the darn thing is smaller top to bottom than a golf ball. As I was only going to use this for drills (and not hitting balls) I grabbed it. (Plus it was 4 dollars). I cut it down and for the last week have carried this around the house and am constantly gripping it and working on the backswing. @JB I stayed true to my reputation and used a ton of build up tape.. . My wife has rolled her eyes a lot and my kids thought I made it for my 3 year old daughter. (What kind of mean dad would start their kid with a tiny 3 iron like this.. It made me laugh though my kids didn't understand why). To be honest, the new grip feels awful. It feels awkward and like I'm less in control of the club. A lot of this is because I was overly strong with the left hand and was over-gripping it. Slowly but surely it is feeling more normal but I've worked this whole time without hitting balls. I don't want to introduce that variable too early as I know I'll likely revert back to my old swing and not trust the new one. Last night Jordan suggested I try chipping and taking 3/4 swings in my garage. The half swings resulted in hitting the hosel a lot. I am still throwing my hands but I don't need to. When I trusted the position and turned through I started feeling much more crisp contact that felt good. It is going to take a lot of partial swings to trust this swing but I'm determined to make this change. I am going to get a video to Jordan in the next day or two using the partial swings to get his feedback and see if the grip and takeaway are where he wants it.

 

[gkeller813]

This is long overdue but I wanted to get a plan together prior to starting this thread. I had a similar thread a couple years ago as I was preparing for the Morgan Cup. I want to take what I learned from that experience and try to build on it. First, a little bit of background on how I got here. I was one of a lucky 4 to be named as participants in the Grandmama event when the Grandaddy was postponed last year due to the pandemic. There was not a ton of time to prepare so I was just trying to go in and be as consistent as I could without making major swing changes which could have a negative impact on my swing and confidence. Due to the increasing number of Covid cases the Grandmama event was also canceled but we were in turn added to the 2021 Grandaddy team which is mind blowing. I know how special this opportunity is and do not want to squander it!

The opportunity to get fit by some of the best in the business at the ECPC has not been lost on me and I'm in a unique position where I have almost a full year to prepare for that. I want to bring the best, most consistent swing I can to that event so I'm going to journal my plan here as well as the tools I'm going to use to get there. In addition to swing goals I also have fitness goals. On the last day of the Morgan Cup I was fighting my body (especially my back). I went into the event following a diet that allowed me to shed a lot of needed weight but I did not have a ton of endurance. In all honesty I was a little leaner than I wanted as I loss some muscle mass during the diet. In an attempt to add muscle I've modified the diet and put on some muscle but also some fat. I don't have a particular weight goal but I do want to lose a little bit of the fat I've put on while still adding muscle. For general fitness I plan to use my bowflex and to continue running with my daughter (and possible train for a 10k with her). I am still on the keto diet which has worked really well for me and I believe I've got a better combination of macros which will allow me to lose weight but still push and add muscle.
As far as my golf game, I will break that down in a separate post below but as a starting point Arccos has me at a 13.5 handicap but my game is still quite inconsistent. I plan to continue using Arccos as I play to identify the weak areas of my game and try to improve on those. I also have a skytrak setup in my garage to act as a virtual range on the frigid winter nights. I do have a Garmin G80 that I will often take to the range with me to assess swing data / ball flights.

The bag I am currently planning to play this year (once everything is delivered) are as follows:
Epic Speed Driver
Cobra SZ big tour 3 wood
Epic Max 5 wood
Cobra F9 4-iron with Atmos stiff shaft (set up as a driving iron)
Callaway Apex 21 5 iron - GW with MMT 95 graphite shafts
Cobra MIM 54 & 58 degree wedges
Cleveland Frontline Elevado slant neck putter (although I have a Callaway putter coming to put against this)
My current ball is the Callaway Chromesoft X.

Get that garage cleaned out then get after it. I expect lots of updates in the fitness thread from you, and your teammates!

Cant wait to follow you in this incredible journey!

 

[RealPretendPsychic]

LFG! Hard to believe we’re down to 10 months, which is an odd thing to say considering we were originally supposed to be in California 2 months ago. Looking forward to the big show and following your journey along the way.

 

[BoilerCLE]

Love it! Can't wait to follow along. Did you try to hit that club before you cut it down??? Would have been interesting to see the results.

 

[93civiccpe]

Love it! Can't wait to follow along. Did you try to hit that club before you cut it down??? Would have been interesting to see the results.

Erik! How have you been?? I would be lying if I said no. The results were mixed. It is difficult to hit but the shaft was softer so I did hit a few well enough to get them in the air. The sweet spot seems to be very close to the hosel. I cannot imagine trying to play the game back when these clubs were the norm!!

 

[Smiter]

Love it! Will be following along even if I don’t comment a lot. I read a lot more than I comment.

 

[6ixOhFore]

I’m excited for you man, the excitement building up to the main event. Love that you started your journey to improve that is half the battle.
Keep it up my man

 

[YukonLiving]

Great start! Sounds like you've set a really solid plan into motion! Looking forward to following along on your journey.

 

[Carolina Dundee]

This short club practice is interesting, please let us know what the outcome is from it.

 

[golfinnut]

Sounds like you, SamRyan & I need to get out this spring & summer, so we can get you prepared to face the onslaught of noises, cracks, jokes, & all around nagging that the Zoo Crew will be doing to you during the event. You will have to learn how to take it under pressure. Especially if you have a chance of sinking that winning putt!

 

[MattyD-MPLS]

Glad to have you on the squad, Shaun! Great intro and can’t wait to see the updates on your swing progress.

 

[93civiccpe]

Sounds like you, SamRyan & I need to get out this spring & summer, so we can get you prepared to face the onslaught of noises, cracks, jokes, & all around nagging that the Zoo Crew will be doing to you during the event. You will have to learn how to take it under pressure. Especially if you have a chance of sinking that winning putt!

I'm in!! If you two can't rattle me then no one can!! We will certainly catch some rounds once this cold weather goes away!!

 

[93civiccpe]

This short club practice is interesting, please let us know what the outcome is from it.

So far it's helping me get used to the new grip.. It's slowly starting to feel less bad. The mirror work with it to get the takeaway /swing plane correct is still a work in progress and I realize I need a mirror in my hitting area of my garage to check as I was getting too far to the inside last night and putting the hosel into play..

 

[BoilerCLE]

Erik! How have you been?? I would be lying if I said no. The results were mixed. It is difficult to hit but the shaft was softer so I did hit a few well enough to get them in the air. The sweet spot seems to be very close to the hosel. I cannot imagine trying to play the game back when these clubs were the norm!!

Doing well! St. Louis weather has been consistently between 30-40 degrees, so haven't hit the course for awhile, but itching to get out soon. This is the first time I've personally known somebody headed to the Grandaddy, so I'm super excited to cheer you on! I know you'll be more than prepared, but if you learned anything from the Morgan Cup, let it be to never underestimate your opponent, no matter how sick he appears to be

 

[Luchnia]

As for my general swing, I use my hands way too much. I previously had a horrible, weak push slice and have worked the past several years on my swing. I now hit a draw and my miss is normally a big hook. I do often take a divot in front of the ball (which previously seemed impossible). My swing is repeatable enough to play decent rounds of golf around my handicap but I know that I throw my hands at the ball and that there are a lot of flaws in my swing hindering me from playing much better golf. I have started to get general aches occasionally after playing so I am trying graphite shafts in my irons for the first time. My motto for this year is whatever helps me play my best golf. In the past I have too often played irons based on how they look but I'm all in for whatever will help me shoot lower scores.

Reading your post, I think you and I have similar games. One thing I found about me is that I use my body pretty good but as I fatigue I get much more armsy. I am 66 so it makes sense to me. I am working extra hard on stretching and exercise right now to build up more stamina. There are days I can hang in there nicely all day, but other days I know fatigue is an issue.

I played a lot of golf last year and play with a local league. I plan to retire soon and wonder how that will affect my game. For the most part, I am pretty good at knowing my weaknesses, but in some areas it can be tough. I video tape myself sometimes and study it to see if I can figure out how to improve. I think right now my biggest issue is inconsistency and especially with the driver. I think I could do better if I get more consistent with my setup routine.

My 5 wood has become really strong lately, but still challenging me some off the deck and with the aim some - getting better though. I often hit my 5 wood farther than my driver off the tee box. It is not unusual that I will get 220+ out of my 5 wood and sometimes I won't get that out of my driver because of not hitting square. When I do hit my driver good I may get a solid 250-270, just not consistent enough.

I think my plus is that my overall iron game is a strength. Probably the worst thing is my left arm sometimes is bit weak and I turn it some on the swing sometimes affecting my aim. Trying to figure out how to get that strength consistent.

I forget where you are located, but I am 35 miles west of Richmond. I think you mentioned before that you are further west. I wish you the best in this upcoming golf season and hope you achieve your goals! I might consider another lesson, just not sure right now. Never know, we might get an opportunity to chase the white ball around on a round together this year.

 

[JDax]

You are off to a great start... Can’t wait to follow the journey!!!

Enjoy every second of the ride.

 

[TCB2010]

You've put a lot of thought and assessments into this, thanks for sharing and enjoy the time!

 

[WICHITAREJECT]

Your teammates are going to be glad to have you! (And your penchant for daggers at the right moment)

 

[Snickerdog]

Have fun on this journey!!! It is a wonderful experience and worth every step of the way. Lifetime of memories await you.

 

[xThor]

Excited to be part of the team with you, and follow your journey and progress this year!

Cannot wait to share a bourbon with you my man!!!!

 

[jmix18]

@93civiccpe This is great! Well done on laying it all out for us all to read/participate in. Can't wait to see how things change over time.

Trust the grip change. I worked with my coach last year and he changed mine... told me "that's the weakest grip I've ever seen in my life - we have to change that." Opened my right hand up - which felt absolutely stupid - and had me swing. It was a jaw-dropping fix and made me happy giggle as my ball flight was down (where it should be), the contact was crisp, and it went where I wanted it to go. Seriously had a happy giggle when I did it. It was tough to maintain all the time but over time it just becomes part of your setup and swing. It'll work out as long as you trust it.

Good luck in this process. Cheering for you from the Frozen Tundra of Minnesota.

 

[93civiccpe]

Reading your post, I think you and I have similar games. One thing I found about me is that I use my body pretty good but as I fatigue I get much more armsy. I am 66 so it makes sense to me. I am working extra hard on stretching and exercise right now to build up more stamina. There are days I can hang in there nicely all day, but other days I know fatigue is an issue.

I played a lot of golf last year and play with a local league. I plan to retire soon and wonder how that will affect my game. For the most part, I am pretty good at knowing my weaknesses, but in some areas it can be tough. I video tape myself sometimes and study it to see if I can figure out how to improve. I think right now my biggest issue is inconsistency and especially with the driver. I think I could do better if I get more consistent with my setup routine.

My 5 wood has become really strong lately, but still challenging me some off the deck and with the aim some - getting better though. I often hit my 5 wood farther than my driver off the tee box. It is not unusual that I will get 220+ out of my 5 wood and sometimes I won't get that out of my driver because of not hitting square. When I do hit my driver good I may get a solid 250-270, just not consistent enough.

I think my plus is that my overall iron game is a strength. Probably the worst thing is my left arm sometimes is bit weak and I turn it some on the swing sometimes affecting my aim. Trying to figure out how to get that strength consistent.

I forget where you are located, but I am 35 miles west of Richmond. I think you mentioned before that you are further west. I wish you the best in this upcoming golf season and hope you achieve your goals! I might consider another lesson, just not sure right now. Never know, we might get an opportunity to chase the white ball around on a round together this year.

We definitely need to get some rounds in together this year! I'm in Hanover just northwest of Richmond.