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Blew It Up, Trying To Piece it Back Together Again

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Just_Brad

Just_Brad

#GD 2023Legacy #HYFY - JB says "Be a Brad"
Albatross 2024 Club
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After seeing JB's post about How Long Does It Take a Grip Change to Take Effect, I figured I would share a bit more.

So foolishly I decided that after seeing great results out of my new Grandaddy setup, that I would try and fix things, because I was greedy and wanted more. I was seeing the best carry/total numbers on GC3 that I had ever seen, but it was pairing with everything going left (some gentle draw, too many snap hooks).


I went to my instructor, and said I wanted to fix things. We had band-aided as much as we could over the years, but we were tapped out.
Mainly grip change, going from very weak (that I have used for 20+ years), to neutral. I think I have it, after realizing I didn't go from Weak to Neutral, but instead to very Strong. This was then going to change my setup (in part getting my shoulders proper etc).

Now here is maybe the bigger problem. I am ok with the grip feeling foreign, weird, terrible, whichever you want to call it. What bothers me is that changing that grip has altered pretty much everything else about my swing. Setup needs changing, takeaway needs changing, downswing needs changing......

I've reached out to my instructor, who tells me to concentrate on grip, and don't even hit balls. But I need to make this work to be able to effectively test/review my new gear, so I want more. I need to adjust to the new grip, and get used to swinging again, but I don't want to take new grip and old everything else.... and then have to constantly adjust adjust adjust. I am impatient, want to progress, and want to learn, but feel like I am very in the dark right now after absolutely blowing everything up.

I need to pair that new grip with proper setup, proper takeaway/backswing, downswing..... its a lot. I just feel really lost, and weirded out that we could destroy all this, but then not really vocalize any plan to rebuild it.

The season starts once the snow melts, so at this point I have a month to go (maybe more).

The hope is that I can rebuild to something passable for a golf swing, so I can not only effectively review the Grandaddy gear, but to enjoy myself on the golf course while going through these adjustments.

Here's hoping it can happen.
 
I think I have a better idea right now, of what I am doing wrong, and what I need to do to fix it.

Baby steps tomorrow, lets see how it goes!
 
Another weekend passes, with marginal improvement.
I thought that work with the irons has started to some around, and my more normal ball flight has started to appear again (back to a fade again), which is encouraging.

Trying to concentrate a lot on takeaway at this point, because I don't actually know what else I should be doing lol. I'm really looking forward to getting back to just swinging easy and carefree again at some point.

Driver and woods at this point, is an absolute dumpster fire still. Starting to get concerned at this point that I am going to damage the driver head with how poorly and all over the place I am hitting it. I might actually switch back to my old driver/woods for workouts/swing changes... because it isn't pretty.

Owner of the sim place I go to, who also is a TPI coach, wants me to get into the bay so we can look at clubhead data. At this point it can't hurt. It isn't like I am going to get worse.
 
20240309_101412.jpg
See that on the toe? Yeah that is a ball strike. There was also one on the underside of the toe the same way.
Jimmy Fallon Lol GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
 
Don't give up. It only comes after much time and much work. If it feels comfortable and right, you've switched back to your old habits. It's driven me crazy to think I'm doing perfectly what my coach says and then go back and review the video to see the same old swing. But over time, bit by bit, I'm starting to see more of the right things on video and more importantly in contact and ball flight.
 
Don’t try to fix it all at once. you say you are impatient and I get it, but the best approach is a step by step one. So get the grip ironed out and really comfortable then get with your teacher to figure out the next step. Good luck!
 
MGoBlue said:
Don’t try to fix it all at once. you say you are impatient and I get it, but the best approach is a step by step one. So get the grip ironed out and really comfortable then get with your teacher to figure out the next step. Good luck!
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Thats honestly what I am stuck on right now. Sure, so I have switched the grip,and everything has gone to crap.
But I dont acrually get what I am supposed to be doing. Am I supposed to still be swinging, are there drills i should be doing..... just crickets at this point from my instructor.
 
MGoBlue said:
new instructor time?
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Possibly soon. I just want a plan and guidance, all I am getting right now is "concentrate on your grip".
 
Just_Brad said:
just crickets at this point from my instructor.
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He’s seemed to not be the best even while you were working on stuff before the Grandaddy. I’d move on as soon as you could. It doesn’t seem like your improvement is a priority to him
 
Muchmore said:
He’s seemed to not be the best even while you were working on stuff before the Grandaddy. I’d move on as soon as you could. It doesn’t seem like your improvement is a priority to him
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The hardest part is, that there are maybe 3 instructors in the city.

Might switch and try TPI stuff. Not a fan of the cost, but he has the facility I already go to.
 
Just_Brad said:
The hardest part is, that there are maybe 3 instructors in the city.

Might switch and try TPI stuff. Not a fan of the cost, but he has the facility I already go to.
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And has communicated with you. The cost may seem prohibitive, but it seems like something your really want to work on. So I’d think hard about it
 
Just_Brad said:
The hardest part is, that there are maybe 3 instructors in the city.

Might switch and try TPI stuff. Not a fan of the cost, but he has the facility I already go to.
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You're not located in Winnipeg by chance? If so, I can give you a reference to an excellent instructor you may want to try.
 
wadesworld said:
You're not located in Winnipeg by chance? If so, I can give you a reference to an excellent instructor you may want to try.
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Unfortunately no.

Winnipeg is 2 hours east of where I am, and I hardly ever make it there anymore.

I'll take the name though, never hurts to have the name of a good instructor.
 
I think with as much work you are putting in, you might need to do what Jeff Spicoli said and take a week or two off. A good reset and not thinking about it for a little bit will probably help out a lot.
 
Just_Brad said:
Unfortunately no.

Winnipeg is 2 hours east of where I am, and I hardly ever make it there anymore.

I'll take the name though, never hurts to have the name of a good instructor.
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Jayson Nickol. You can find him on the Skillest app, or on twitter (@jaysonnickol) if you just want to see an example of his teaching. Obviously not something you'd want to do frequently, but I'd absolutely be willing to drive 2 hours for a lesson with him on occasion.
 
He’s not wrong about the grip though. During a grip change no less, you can’t worry about ball flight and this and that when you might not even have that grip by the time you take the club back.

It’s really easy to tweak back to something not at all what you had at address and not even notice/feel it.
 
At this point, after looking at Skillest, and emailing back and forth with the local instructor here at EVO Golf, I think I am gong to stay local.

Why? He runs the facility that I have been practicing at since November, access to GC Hawk and club data, and cost wise it comes in at the same amount per lesson as the Skillest instructor I was looking at. The more lessons I take, the cheaper it would be as well.

Thinking more based on flexibility, and ease of access, I will give it a shot here, and see how it goes.
 
So the plan at this point is to meet with an insturctor names Austin Dobrescu at Evo Golf (the facility that I have been going to since November).
Initially I was hesitant due to the increased cost (I think it is like $125 an hour, compared to the $50 and $75 with other instructors). Thinking about it more, it costs more because in effect I am paying for the cost of the sim bay, as well as the instructor time, but this will get me more info more data to look at, and honestly I think I need that feedback and instant display of how things change.

I very much am looking for a clear display of how things have changed, or improved. Counterproductive? Probably. I don't think I stick to things when it is a scenario of "if you do this you SHOULD see this". If it is a case where "If you do this" then this happens, and I can see the data, I can see the outcome, I hope that will make it stick more.

At this point, I think I am done swinging a club until I see the instructor. I have been swinging a club at this point since last April, with the only time off being pre-Grandaddy when I couldn't swing a club due to injury. I think I am a bit burnt out, not having my winter break that would usually help refresh/reset things for me. I think a lot of bad habits have crept in, and the fix is definitely needed.

I honestly started the year just trying to swing for speed. I wanted to swing faster, to gain yards, to be longer. Did I wreck my swing overall? Maybe. Trying to make the change, still has me really motivated. I can see it in the irons, when I hit one well. Even with the woods and driver, I can hear the difference when I hit one well, and it has me wanting more.
 
Muchmore said:
He’s seemed to not be the best even while you were working on stuff before the Grandaddy. I’d move on as soon as you could. It doesn’t seem like your improvement is a priority to him
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I agree. I feel like he is just taking your money at this point. Time to find a better coach...


I see after I made this comment that you are moving on... I wish you the best. You are a good dude! Don't give up keep working!
 
MGoBlue said:
Don’t try to fix it all at once. you say you are impatient and I get it, but the best approach is a step by step one. So get the grip ironed out and really comfortable then get with your teacher to figure out the next step. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Totally agree with this.

That's where I am - instructor is changing out one thing at a time - spend a week bedding it in (don't worry about ball flight or anything else) just get the first one until it feels as natural as you can. If you try and change everything at once then it will not be clear whether you have bedded in the first move. So to the OP - practice the new grip without hitting any balls until it feels ok and more natural. Just my 2c worth.

A
 
Lesson scheduled for Tuesday, and really getting excited for it.

Ready to get to work, with a plan, and make some progress.
Probably to my detriment the past couple days, I have been watching a lot of swing videos, and am really curious how my own swing is going to transform and what changes/gains might take affect.

Tuesday cannot get here fast enough!
 
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Man Brad… you sound like your a mess.
 
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