Journey to Break 85

Tmex

Paul Casey, WINNER!
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I couldn't find any place to blog about this on the forums.. I really wanted something to keep track of my progress. I know that if I start a word doc I wont have to own up to it. At least here I will get some feedback and I will feel more inclined to stick to my routine. Any feedback is welcome! Even if you want me to stop!!!!

I signed up the PGA SS card. I have unlimited sessions in their practice bay for 30-45 mins at a time. Whats cool is not only does it capture your stats (SS, Ball Speed, Launch Angle, shot type) but it also captures your swing on video to review and how your clubs impacts the ball (out to in, in to out etc...).

All I can say is I learned a ton!!!!!! I golfed a lot when I was in high school (about 10 years ago) and I stopped playing for a few years. Its good to see a lot of the basics havent left me and I just have to trust my swing more... But here are a few things I noticed:.


- I was rockin a lot. Tons of lower body movement. I realized that what seems like
a little bit is a ton. When I thought I took out 99% of the movement I noticed on video
it was right where it should be. And enough to transfer my weight and not dip.
Hopefully. Just have to work on being consistant

- My set up is out there. What I thought was a closed stance is actually nuetral. I would
over compensate and have a really open stance. Would that explain my pulls to the left?

- I also noticed my swing was super compact. Im getting back into shape (down 20lbs)
but man did it look compact. When I thought I was being wild with my swing, I still
thought it looked decent. I need to be more relaxed.. I looked super stiff.

- My out to ins isnt as bad as I thought. Which is cool. I've been working hard at it. I've
tried to limit myself to one thought during the swing. Thats the baseball diamond lol.

- I need to work on keeping focused even when im tired.

- I hit a ton of pulls lol.

- I dont get ball position. When I look down and see it far back.... on video its
still forward. This seems more psychological from a top down view but I hope to get
it straight. All I know is, my timing will be thrown off until I get used to the new ball
placement. I wonder if this explains my pulls too?????

- My swing speed is anywhere from 80 - 95 mph with my irons. I need to find a way to be
more consistant without slowing down on my downswing. This is gonna be tough.

- My free lesson cant come soon enough! I've had them before so Im hoping a couple
tune ups will be what I need for a bit. Obviously Ill need more as I keep getting better but
for now I think I can regain my old form.

Once I get a better picture of my swing and where its at, I know Ill def be posting in the ask the pro. Again, I apologize if this thread starts to bug because I plan on updating it a lot. I feel more accountable for working hard if this is here. Also, everyone on THP has really helped me re-ignite my passion for this game. In each of your own way you have contributed. Thank you!!!!!

I also realize I can't format.. sorry!
 
I didnt practice much on tuesday (just some chips in th ebackyard) it was my GF's son's bday. Weds I took to the practice sim again. Much better day. I relaxed my grip and hit some great shots. A lot more "straight" shots. I was really dailed in with my irons and it carried to the course.

I practice more with my Ci7's because they give me a little better feedback than the BP's. I'm not sure if this is the best idea but it has worked pretty well so far. I did bring my 7i from my BP to dail in the distance. I found the sim is about 10 yards shorter (I tested on the course). I also brought my 4i and 8i from the Ci7 set. I find myself hitting the 4i more because it makes those shorter irons seem so much easier to hit. My BP 3i was a favorite when i would go to the actual range. I love my 19* hybrid but hitting these longer irons really helps everything else. Im sure in a couple months once Im used to the wear on my BP's I will be practicing more with them. THey do provide good feedback too. Just for now the Ci7's are better for me. When I first got them, not the easiest to hit.

My driver is really struggling. Ok well Im really struggling off the tee with it. I hit one awesome shot off the tee on Thursday but I really am struggling with it. When I do hit it solid it is way left (a pull I believe). It starts left and goes left.. I need to figure it out. But I can manage with my 3w for now.

On thurs I played a par 62 executive course. My iron play was good. Contact was awesome. I duffed one shot all day and that was the first hole. Still pulling some on the shots but the wind was killer for AZ today. I think 15-20 mph gusts. I shot an 80. Which could have been sooo much lower but I was on both ends of the spectrum with my putter. I need it to be heavier. Hoping some lead tape will do the trick. 1 4-putt and 4 3-putts. Hit some nice 10 - 15 footers and I had 4 1-putts.

I really like playing these executive type courses because it gives me a good chance to get real time play with the irons in my bag. It also magnifies bad shots lol. Im getting pretty good with my wedges and really need to zero in on the putter. I chip in the backyard a lot. Been reading a book called "the impact zone" and it has some good principles. Sometime soon Ill be hitting up our pro here abou tmy driver. I'd like to shorten it to 44.5 but Im worried about the stiffness and weighting with the dymo. Its a 69 gram shaft so Im hoping its gonna be ok. its 46.25 right now. Maybe even 45 because I love hitting the Supertri and I believe it was listed as 45.5. Anyway, Im gonna stop for now!
 
Update... I still stink on the course lol...

last weeks practice sessions were great. I was hitting the ball straight and every now then a slice. Much better to me that my pulls I was getting. Still could not hit my driver. It's getting on my nerves. Used to be one of my strengths. My distance has increase about 10-15 yards a clubs since I began practice a lot. I attribute this to being more consistant. Im really starting to question my decision on reg flex shafts but my ball flight isnt ballooning so I think Im aok.

I played 9 holes last friday. I don't normally mind slower players. In fact when Im playing by myself I will hit a couple balls if it's a practice round and noone is behind me. The player in front of me hit 4 balls a hole and would not let me pass. 98 degree weather and walking just added to my annoyance. I could not hit the ball to save my life. I started off 1 under through 3 and then I fell apart. Fat shots and slices were the story of the day. It wasn't the slow pace, it was just me getting out of my game.

I played 18 holes at ASU Karsten with my brothers yesterday. Tons of fun! I shot 100 though lol. Not a good day. I just lost a lot of balls. My second shots were always better. I always count my lost balls as strokes and it really killed me today. It was beautiful though. 85 degrees and sunny. PLus the company was awesome. I had some really nice shots. on 18 I par'd the hole. Nice drive in the fairway and a 1 hopper onto the green. Just missed my birdie putt.

I'm really happy with my iron play. When I dont think about it, I hit some great shots. Its when I tense up that I do not hit so well. Trying to take my practice to the course right now and it's getting better. Ill get in at least 4 days this week at PGA superstore. Pretty stoked. Hoping the new haircut brings some sick shots. Ill be working on carving my consistant swing this week.
 
the haircut will definitely help!

these are a good read. keep up the hard work man!
 
Try one of my magic tees...combined with the new haircut you just may break 85...
 
Lol... SOrry just saw these! Thanks guys. The haircut helped, along with the chain. I had to cut my hair though this past weekend.... I went for a more streamlined mullet to make it more pronounced and got a little crazy. Im going to be growing it out again but I wont need to mention how happy my gf was. They just don't get it!!!! At our staycation resort, they had mats with tees. Crossed my mind during my second round today lol. I couldnt hit my driver to save my life. Updates to follow.

Try one of my magic tees...combined with the new haircut you just may break 85...

the haircut will definitely help!

these are a good read. keep up the hard work man!
 
YoCo -- You can do it man! You appear to have some strong determination and desire. Hopefully you also have a wonderful Pro somewhere in the mix. They take great pleasure in confusing the hell out of you for a little while before things start to appear normal again. I'm with you brother. This fricking game is a challenge but we will work hard and keep our eyes on the goal. My goal is simple . Good solid ball striking and meeting more great THPer's from this site soon!
 
I was able to play two rounds these past two days. Aye... I lost so many balls. Hahaha... but on the flip side, I have some thoughts on some of the balls I found and played these past few days.

Last week I was able to get some more practice in. I was mentioned a lot of pulling in my posts. I reviewed a few shots and made sure I was consistant in my swing before trying to fix anything lol.

I posted a question with Andy in the ask the pro. Bad news, I need new shafts. Andy described my misses to a tee (no pun). Either a pull from the slap or a high cut from the trailing club head. I was upset at myself and the fitting. My fitter told me the only difference I would notice in my shots with the two shafts was ball flight (high for reg and lower for stiff). decided since these were very new I was going to get them reshafted. I have 50% off a reshafting plus they include grips. Thank you Golfsmith! Btw, I was able to verify Andys assesment because PGA SS had some stiff flex BP's used and I was smoking them.

I did email Golf Galaxy to voice my concern with my fitting and info provided to me. Was more for me to vent. I didnt expect anything out of it. I'm playing tag with the Golf Galaxy GSM right now. I just expected them to say sorry and explain their no return if used policy. It was cool of them to respond so Im happy with that. I dont want to come off as a guy who blames others for stuff going wrong. It was just one of those things I felt compelled to write about.

I played two rounds the last two days. Monday, shot an 96. My driver was money. I was able to almost find all of my drives. Unfortunately I misjudged the distance to the desert haha. I couldnt get my irons going. I just kept thinking if I swung them too hard PULL. Once I calmed down, I was able to hit some sweet shots. I duffed a lot of chips and my putter was behaiving like a spoiled brat. Just means I need to practice more! And the guys we played with. Hilarious. Flip flops and t shirts. Really laid back.

This morning, I shot a fun 99. I had a blast. I had one of my brothers each day join me. I hit 5 drives oob and 1 3 wood into a pool. I just missed the homeowner lol. Nah, but I did hit a pool. Awesome. My irons. WTH. They rocked it like I had still had my mullet. I slowed my swing down which helped. I just dont like it because at any moment I could screw up my tempo. I started off really hot. Then, SHANKS, fat shots, blades, whiffs... I was really out of it. My go to club almost ended up in a watery grave. But a fun day and I have some good shots to build off of. I will be working the woods this week and putter. I have had a chance to game some premium balls so I will give my thoughts below..

Pro V1: I stayed away from these because I did not believe I could play them. I found 2. They spring off my driver. I backed some shots on the green with my PW. 2. It was pretty cool feeling. It was only a couple feet but I was estatic. The feel of the wedges is good. The spin is easy to control. think its the cover but they feel heavier around the green than distance balls. I hit these balls far. Farther than the gamers and One Tours with my driver. The irons were about the same. I did hit a ProV1x my brother found and could not keep the ball in the air. Slick ball just a little too much for me. I love finding ProV1's. Really sweet off the putter

One Tours: 4 piece ball and urethane cover. The balls feel heavy on mishits. But they still go. When you hit them flush you feel a huge difference. I read the Nike website and they have a compression rating of 88. Nike also says they are for higher swing speeds. I didnt have any trouble with these the past few days and I have a These balls are awesome off of short irons and wedges. They really grab. Putter was heavy and didnt feel all that great.

One Tour D's: The distance ball. I thought these would be for the higher swings speeds but I had my One Tour balls mixed up. It seems different than Titleist and Srixion to me. Anyway, I loved these balls. I knock them around with my driver and the irons are sweet feeling. They dont have that heavy feel I described above. On mishits you feel a difference but it is not like I felt with the other balls. I like the spin around the green. I dont notice a huge difference from the One Tours. Not as much "stick" as the ProV1's but nothing that would cause me grief. The feel off the wedges is great. I felt more confident with these than the other two. Off the putter was great too. They really rolled off the putter well for me.

I plan to try my sample sleeve of Srixon Z Star next week. I tried the Z Stars before but I didnt know what I was hitting haha. From what I remember, they were perfect for me. I hit them very straight on drives on and excellent with irons. I hope they work out because I really want to buy the yellow ones. SO much easier to see the yellow from my experience with Pinnacle/Spongebob balls. I also have a gift card to Sports Authority so I was going to pick up a box of these or RX's. Maybe even Pentas, but Im hearing mixed thoughts on those more so than the other balls. I know I should stick with one ball but Im to the point where Im not losing a ton of them. Gamers on the ultimate in between for me. I dont think I can ditch them completely, as they are the best value ball for me.

For now, the One Tour D is the leader. Awesome ball for me. Thanks for reading, it was a long read but I havent been keeping up! I have a lot of practice this week and I hope I can get my iron shaft situation straightened out. Im buying my airline tickets tomorrow for the outing...
 
Gray! I agree man. I love a challenge. I used the pitching drill from your/KB's lesson post! lol. It really all starts there. My improvement with my irons has come from pitching in the backyard. Helps keep that impact zone consistant. I love reading what Andy posts and he has been a huge help. Im still looking for a local pro. Maybe I will put an add out there on craigslist haha. You will get there too. And its awesome you can bring someone with you. I'm lucky to also have a supportive cast around me at home and on this site. It will be a lot of fun to meet you and the others at the outing. Im gonna soak up a ton from all of you.. Be prepared!!!!!!!!!
YoCo -- You can do it man! You appear to have some strong determination and desire. Hopefully you also have a wonderful Pro somewhere in the mix. They take great pleasure in confusing the hell out of you for a little while before things start to appear normal again. I'm with you brother. This fricking game is a challenge but we will work hard and keep our eyes on the goal. My goal is simple . Good solid ball striking and meeting more great THPer's from this site soon!
 
Gray! I agree man. I love a challenge. I used the pitching drill from your/KB's lesson post! lol. It really all starts there. My improvement with my irons has come from pitching in the backyard. Helps keep that impact zone consistant. I love reading what Andy posts and he has been a huge help. Im still looking for a local pro. Maybe I will put an add out there on craigslist haha. You will get there too. And its awesome you can bring someone with you. I'm lucky to also have a supportive cast around me at home and on this site. It will be a lot of fun to meet you and the others at the outing. Im gonna soak up a ton from all of you.. Be prepared!!!!!!!!!

Looking forward to it YoCo! By the way you might want to go to http://www.birdieball.com/scripts/prodview.asp?idProduct=15 and pick you some of these up. We have a write up in here under "Golf related training aids" where folks talk about them and how much fun they are to practice with. You can hit them in your back yard or just about anywhere as they only go 40 yds. Best practice balls I have ever run across. Just be careful not to piss off the local rattle snakes as I hear you guys have a few in the desert out there :eek:)!

Have a great week!
Gray
 
Re: My Journey to Break 85

Re: My Journey to Break 85

Sooo meeting with Golf Galaxy friday to go over my setup. Hopefully its legit. If not ill be on the lookout for shafts. I just want my set up to be right.

Birdie balls..... Woulda saved me a window lol.
 
Re: My Journey to Break 85

Re: My Journey to Break 85

Have a fitting appointment with Golf Galaxy friday. Gonna check lie, length and shaft flex. Basically my whole setup. Im excited. Nervous. I just want my shaft to fit. I dont want anything for free just what I woulda had for options in the beginning. The gsm has been awesome to deal with. Anyway took a breakt today will be bck to practice tomorrow. I did chip in the backyard though :)
 
Have a fitting appointment with Golf Galaxy friday. Gonna check lie, length and shaft flex. Basically my whole setup. Im excited. Nervous. I just want my shaft to fit. I dont want anything for free just what I woulda had for options in the beginning. The gsm has been awesome to deal with. Anyway took a breakt today will be bck to practice tomorrow. I did chip in the backyard though :)

Good luck with your shafts cause they sure can cause problems if they are not suited for your swing. Just ask Calloway on here!

KellyBo and I have our next lesson scheduled this Friday so we will be excited to work on some new stuff.

Keep up the good work and keep working on that chipping game. It will help more than most think!

Gray
 
Got my new shafts! DG S300. The Mizuno optimizer suggested the same but in X and I know I can't handle those. We tried them. It was funny. SHANK. But overall it was dead on because it had the X soft stepped, which I believe "loosens" the flex as the pro put it. I got all the other numbers confused but my SS was 88,90,87 and I had a consistant tempo and release factor. They also recommended KBS and Project X along with the DG (all in X with soft step). I compared the Rifles to the DG's and the DG was more consistant. Felt a little firmer and heavier. I loved the consistancy with the new shaft. Lower ball flight too which is an adjustment because my shots were flying very high. On the monitor they appeared to stop the same so Im hoping that holds true on the course today. They also added some distance which I was suprised because my swing speed was lower with the new shafts.

I will be taking these to the course today cold. Which I know isnt the smartest but we have an 80* weather day today in AZ and I have to take advantage. 100* by the end of the week so I better act now. Im not sure I will be hitting my srixons I just bought lol. I just want to get a feel of how these shafts perform. I'm a little worried with how the shafts will impact the ball flight of the balls I have. I tried to get lower launching balls to counteract the effect of my previous high launch. I still have the receipts so I can return the balls if need be. Thanks for reading THP. Any and all comments are appreciated :)

Good luck with your shafts cause they sure can cause problems if they are not suited for your swing. Just ask Calloway on here!

KellyBo and I have our next lesson scheduled this Friday so we will be excited to work on some new stuff.

Keep up the good work and keep working on that chipping game. It will help more than most think!

Gray
 
I went to PGA SS on Monday to practice with my new shafts. Gonna take some time to get dailed in but I have to say MUCH better shots. I had a lot more draws, fades and straight than pulls. The extra weight and stiffness will take some adjustment. I can swing without worry but that also comes with more over the tops. Really trying to find a good pre shot routine and something that I can be consistant with. Im going to schedule a lesson with them because I have a free one :)
My driver was suprisingly on point too. I was really tired at the end but decided to give it a few swings. I choked up an inch or so and I felt way more in control.

I played 18 on an executive course and par was 62. Shot a good 86 lol. I only lost 3 balls. One on the first hole because i didnt have time to look. I played as a single and it was pretty slow. I got a chance to hit about 3 balls a hole. Kinda tired me out. I only count my first shots and I always count if I lose a ball. One house and one water shot, not bad! Both using Tour Caliber balls. As I mentioned before, I stocked up on Nike's cause they were cheap. And I have to say, the Tours (not Tour D) are really growing on me. Also tried my Z-Stars. I liked them. The werent as long as the tours and they felt a lot softer. Something I will need to get used to but I really liked them off the putter. Im going to give them another spin because I dont think half a round is enough. They felt like a more substantial gamer. It is really hard to tell on the spin because the BP's generate so much. When your 5 Iron takes a bounce and stops, you really cant tell.

The new shafts are awesome. My ball flight went from high to penetrating. These irons still launch it but it's more a piercing than floating flight. I do lose a couple yards but I figure Ill get that back once I get my swing up there. The swing speed is different and the shafts dont mask mistakes like my original ones. For some reason too, the balls felt better. I felt like I was compressing rather than pushing. I don't know if that makes sense.

Once I get my distances nailed down Im sure itll be much easier. But I have to say I really feel like I have a whole new set of clubs. I loved the BP's before but I do even more so now. My niblick was a life saver yesterday and Ill be shutting my 50* or 58* down for it. Not sure which one. Probably the 58*. The nibby started to click finally. Sucks it was always on the second shot but if I woulda kept it in play, at least 4 strokes would've been saved.

Today at practice Im going to work on set up, takeaway and pre shot routine. If I can get in position on the takeaway I'm sure itll lead to more constistant downswing. From reading some of the ask the pro, I need to find out what my downswing trigger is. I also need to not dip. Lol. Ugh. I think those things will be enough for today. As always, any suggestions or comments are welcomed. Thanks!

-Marc
 
Havent posted for a bit.... Was getting pretty frustrated but I didn't want to dwell in it. FIgured if I kept practicing eventually I'd have a break through haha. Well I didnt think practice had been going great. What I noticed though was each time, less and less shanks! The slices... reducing. My pulls are still there but its not as bad.

I've be concentrating on a more straight up takeaway. Nothing too steep but when I bought my Nickent I was offered a free lesson. Takeaway like a faris wheel then throw a softball underhand along the diamond. Haha, it finally helped me to feel the diamond drill. He gave me a few pointers for draws and fades too. Really nice guy.

The effects on my drives has been huge. I started hinging my wrists at the top (not sure if I should do it here.. just feels easier for me) and I felt a stronger but easier swing. Now that I dont take it around, I'm crushing drives. I didn't slice at all last round. Some pulls haha, but I think thats because I come over the top. I think Im on to my over the top swing starter too. Being in the fairway or short rough has really changed my approach to things. So much more fun! Although I did pull a shot into a garage door yesterday haha.

My irons were tough after the shaft change. They really high lighted my swing flaws. As I've become more accustomed to them Im really noticing some good things. My distances fluctuate but Im getting a good graps on the control. I was nailing greens (on the back 9) with my 6 iron that I woulda pulled a 7 out before. This isnt a bad thing. I've just realized that just because your 6 goes 180, that doesnt mean you need to hit it 180. My fade is becoming a great tool!

Chipping/Pitching... I love it. I still go back and forth between the Niblick and my wedges. Yesterday was wedge day. I hinge and just use a putting stroke almost. Feels natural and the control is awesome. On the back 9 I was putting balls where I wanted and let the greens take the ball close. Such an awesome feeling.

Putting.... UGGGGGGGH. But the back 9 I was hitting those 5 footers for par. I've been practicing at home on the carpet just drilling shots. I was tenatitive before but I realized I couldnt be with the shorter ones. I will be buying a new putter soon. Going back to the anser style. Either a Wilson 8881 or Cleveland BRZ 1. Now that I've switching balls I liked the feel of these putters better with the new ones.

Lost balls.. Considerable decrease. Play within the course and Im doing great! I lost 3 yesterday.. 2 on one hole. So unfocused on #9. I was worried I crushed a window but it turned out to be a garage door. Then I undercut the approach with my SW... Right into the water. At that point, I decided to stop worrying about losing balls. It was causing unwanted thoughts. I said I just needed to concentrate. And if I did my misses would still be playable. WOW. I played the back 9 with my yellow ZStar and didnt lose it. Change in attitude was my break through. This is where I put my thought into action that I mentioned earlier. Just cause my 6 will go 180 doesnt mean it has too. Different shots call for different clubs. I dont make it too complicated. For instance, 160 yard par 3. Big green. I hit my 8. 171 yard par 3, hit my 7. 170 yard par 3 hit my 6. Elevated green. Things I wouldnt have thought about before.

I still pull and Im working on that. Trying to set up my free lesson with PGA SS. But I think Im going back to the guy who gave me the free one. He seemed to really care about what I did. No offense to the staff at the SS because they have been really cool. I need help on my set up. Killing me. Aiming, ball placement etc...

On to the on course........

Im going to skip a couple weeks. Bad. Haha but I figure Im going to move on with positive thoughts. But I'm still going to remember what I learned. Keep my head down! Full swings. I tend to shorten them while on the course. My timing is off because my swings are shorter. This helped a ton ont he back 9 yesterday. WOW.

Had a tourney at Karsten last Saturday. Our team shot a 70. Even par. Second to last haha. Good things.. Blasting my driver. The ZStars came to play. My irons were not good. The wind sucked but I just wasnt making good contact. I was definitely flipping. I learned from it though. This was the day I clicked with my driver. Ball flight was piercing and man I got some distance. I was hating the heavier shaft for a while but now I love it. The dymo2 really keeps things straight. And when struck on the sweetspot or close to it, man that thing is hot. Chipping/pitching was good. The greens were tough! Overall wasnt happy because of my iron play.

Played 18 yesterday at Greenfield lakes (par 62)

Front Nine:
Score 42
Par 30

Ouch. 3 blow up holes. Two lost balls on #9. I started off with a sweet par. Drive it a mile and had a nice chip onto the green. 3rd hole was water.. ugh. Just was ugly. I had some nice holes in the front 9 but the blow ups were bad! After #9 I decided I needed an attitude adjustment. Game was meant to be fun. Getting better would be the side effect. Normally I'd play my cheaper balls but I said eff it and pulled out my treasured yellow Z Star. Said I might as well be losing a good ball!

Back 9
Score 36
Par 32

Night and day. Once I lost my crappy attitude the game was fun. I hit some Tour D shots just to compare balls and I came to the conclusion I was gonna play great no matter what I was hitting. The yellow Zstar is sick! Those and One Tours will be my balls from now on. I throw some cheaper ones in there for different days. BUt those are my gamers. I didnt lose the ball at all. I was focusing so much on losing $3 ball that I was sucking. Along with my swing flaws. Basically, bad thoughts. Needed it to be more simple. My new approach on iron distances and shots was killer. Used the greens to my advantage. 5/8 GIR's and 1/3 FIR.. ALthought one of the FIR coulda been in but I went for angle to the whole. I actually planned a drive and it worked out lol. Just standing over the yellow ball was cool. I kept my head down more. Took full swings. Had fun.

I think I've had my breakthrough. Does it mean Im gonna shoot lights out all the time? Maybe!! We at least to my abilities. I can play good and I found my triggers to do so. Its great to see all this practice come together. Thanks for reading my long post :)
 
Practice this last week has been exceptional. I start off rocky. My takeaway has improved a lot. My tempo on both the takeaway and downswing are about where I want it. What I noticed was my balance was way off. Then I noticed a million other things. Which made me realize, I was thinking too damn much. I decided to just concentrate on set up and let my swing work itself out.

My swing thoughts are very simple now, deliberate takeaway, set my wrists (could be hinging, etc), throw the softball. I know there is a lot more to it. But I just don't want to think about it now. When I do all those things, and start my downswing with the softball underhand throw, my hips normally clear and I hit it straight with a small draw (or fade) depending on what i do with my hands (roll or keep open).

I couldn't figure out why I starting to pull again. I knowits over the top but what is causing it? On one hand Im happy because at least I'm closing my clubface haha but what the heck! So I read through some ask the pro and one piece of advice really stood out from Andy. Start with the basics. SET Up. I started to take a hard look at that. I noticed for one, hardly any flex in my knees. I overexaggerated it just to see. Took a martial arts stance and stuck my butt out haha. Like I was trying to throw a certain punch sitting on a barstool. Amazing how little tweeks can help. But something still felt off. I felt a like I was looking under my swing. If that makes sense. I got close to ball. Wow. Amazing how the little things can help. My 6 iron was for that day, smooth as Gray's Cobras. I have never hit the ball as far as iI was that day. And it felt like nothing. I didnt swing hard but it felt fast.

I thought I was ready again for the course. So confident. The next day I went to my local course (par 62) and I just fell apart on a few holes. I really hated golfing yesterday. I was just pissed off. So many things on my mind. Work, family and then golf haha. Now, I do have to say there were a lot of positives. I had an opportunity to hit second shots. I hit some really nice ones. Stuck my 8 iron within 5 feet, my niblick 120 out within 4 feet and a 7 iron within 10. I didnt bust out the Z Star X because I forgot them. The Srixon trispeed really have some bite. I spun those 3 shots back with them. Pretty cool. But I was so in the moment of playing bad I couldn't see the postives until today. I need to be stronger mentally. I would've recovered last week from this.

Any point of this entry was to remind myself that I need a more positive attitude. Some guys on here have such a great outlook that I am trying to adopt. I will be better the next time Im out. I've decided to hold playing a course as long as I can. Groove my swing. Maybe only take my 6 and 9 iron to just practice away/groove my swing. I need to remember on the course what it feels like to hit good shots. I also need to take the attitude on the course I do when I practice, it's a game that cant be controlled in one sitting. It takes awhile to get where you need to get. Patience will be my friend.
 
Looks like you're making great progress. Keep it up! You'll get there!
 
yoccos, you're approach right now is excellent. when we start to realize that we can't "will" a golf ball, that it's just a ball, that needs to be put in the bottom of our swings, good things tend to happen. to many preshot thoughts can be a tough thing. it's hard to trust what we've ingrained in our swings, but it's also a must. like you, i have some bad days on the course but try not to get pissed off, just chalk it up to a golf day and instead, take tons of pride in the great approach shots, try to be more aggressive with your putting. sometimes, ball striking just isn't there, and that's ok, work hard to scramble, work hard to get up in down, always challenge yourself with what you've been dealt. being positive is HUGE! i'm always glad to just be on the golf course, it doesn't mean that you can't be upset with a bad golf shot, but let those go, focus on the next one. good luck dude, you're making bigger strides than you think you are!
 
Thank you!!!! I didn't feel like it last night but after some thought/blogging I do feel like it. Appreciate the support! I wont give up thats for sure.
Looks like you're making great progress. Keep it up! You'll get there!

Thanks TC. I had a bad mental approach most of the round yesterday. I usually have a great time regardless of my score. I think I had too many expectations and thoughts going into the round. After some downtime I really saw the postives. I had some NICE shots. Shots I should be proud of. The type of shots that make me believe I can be great at this game. I really have to trust my swing more. It's there. I know it is haha. I was simply crushing the ball when I just swung. Sometimes it was off line, but I was able to draw/fade my shots at will when i didnt duff it lol. Last few rounds I was hitting it well just missing the greens lol. I was able to scramble. Yesterday, I gave up too soon. I don't know why I felt as if I was gonna hit 100% gir haha. If you dont mind, Im gonna take your paragraph and bring it with me next time I go out. It's a great reminder of what this game is about. I really appreciate the encouragement!!

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the support and advice.
yoccos, you're approach right now is excellent. when we start to realize that we can't "will" a golf ball, that it's just a ball, that needs to be put in the bottom of our swings, good things tend to happen. to many preshot thoughts can be a tough thing. it's hard to trust what we've ingrained in our swings, but it's also a must. like you, i have some bad days on the course but try not to get pissed off, just chalk it up to a golf day and instead, take tons of pride in the great approach shots, try to be more aggressive with your putting. sometimes, ball striking just isn't there, and that's ok, work hard to scramble, work hard to get up in down, always challenge yourself with what you've been dealt. being positive is HUGE! i'm always glad to just be on the golf course, it doesn't mean that you can't be upset with a bad golf shot, but let those go, focus on the next one. good luck dude, you're making bigger strides than you think you are!
 
of course i don't mind! i'm glad that there's something in there that works for you. it's natural to have high expectations but when they aren't met it's important to keep positive and keep focused. i think you're making phenomenal progress with your quest, and the most important part is that you've set yourself a goal!
 
I hear that!!!!! I think this new putter will be good for a few strokes too. I did sink a nice birdie putt with it. Also I'm figuring out that pesky niblick. Thing is deadly on 120 yard and in shots.
 
So I practiced yesterday. Interesting. I took 2 clubs. 7iron and Driver. I only hit my driver for about 15 mins (out of 1 hr). I was really trying to focus on my setup. This part really gets me. When I feel like my posture is right I hit well for a few shots. Then I start to adjust it when I hit a few thin. The reason I adjust it so much is my shot distance varies a lot depending on how low or high I am "sitting". But I'm gonna leave that for the pro when I get lessons haha.

I also worked a lot on grip. After reading some of the Little Red Book the importance of the grip really stood out. If Im holding it too hard I cant release my club or if its too loose I can't control it. So hard to find the medium. But for some reason, the little tip about using more finger to hold the club was also one I have not used. My goal was to find a consistant pressure and use more finger on the club. This made a world of difference. I was hitting good shots at first. Really nice sound and feel. After I started getting tired I stopped hitting good shots. Instead of looking to the grip I went to posture, set up, impact zone, swing technique. I realized I was getting much too complicated. I was starting to mess up what was right. It hit me, one good shot doesnt mean my grip is fixed. I went back to working the grip and nice shots follow.

I know I need lessons. I will get there. I'm going to focus on grip again next lesson. That will keep thoughts simple. I'll also look at swing sequence at some point. I can feel my shoulders turn and take the club left. I square the clubface and hit a wonderful shot.. just a huge pull haha. I think I might be using them too much and not firing in the correct sequence. I was blasting my 7 iron. Had a very good day with the tempo. My ss was consistantly higher than its been.

I did want to smash my driver. One day.. to the moon!!!!!!!!!! Little choppy today but I had lots of thoughts.. Gonna try to not think so much.
 
I enjoy reading your journal! I will say that the biggest "ah ha" moment for me has been slowing and shortening my swing down with a really good follow through. I used to try to kill everything. It really goes way further with an easy and controlled swing...imagine that. hehe

I am pulling for ya! You are making great progress.
 
Thank you :) I'm trying. I need lessons soon though. I have to say that the hardest part was slowing down. I practiced yesterday and had another ah ha moment. Once I started hitting the ball really well (nice pure sound) I was still pulling. But I was pulling for different reasons than last time. With the old shafts I was consciously swinging soft. I didn't want to over work the shaft. Once I got the stiff shafts in I have been swing harder. Not smarter! I had it in my head my old swing wasnt good enough for these shafts. But after slowing it down, I started to notice a big difference. My hips were shooting out way too far. Once I rained this in my shots were much more controlled. I still am working the baseball drill but its much easier to keep from going over the top because my hips arent forcing it. Basically I was throwing punches instead of shifting my weight. A punch you still shift your weight but there is a lot less hip action in a golf shot for me. I was basically lunging forward.

Once I kept the hips in check my shots were a lot better. I still am working on the over the top I created but its much more under control. I found a good rhythm and just plan on practicing that. My grip was much better this time again. Still working on it but it will get there. I couldnt believe how much setup was killing me. But all will be good and hopefully in time for the outing. I want to play that Champion course well!

Thank you for the comments KB. I really appreciate it :)
I enjoy reading your journal! I will say that the biggest "ah ha" moment for me has been slowing and shortening my swing down with a really good follow through. I used to try to kill everything. It really goes way further with an easy and controlled swing...imagine that. hehe

I am pulling for ya! You are making great progress.
 
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