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Journey to Break 85

Yoccos, I have to say man, reading your posts, you and I are almost alike right now. The grip, the tempo, the hip slide... LOL, I'm working on all that right now too! Keep at it. I'm shooting 89-92s right now, what are you at?
 
We can do this!!!! I'm right there man on regulation courses as far as score. On the Executives I play Im right around 80 give or take a couple strokes. It's really been a process. Fixing the grip has definitely improved how I release the club and has really kept the fat shots away. hip slide was hurtin me and I had no idea until I was doing slow motion swings lol. What kinds of things have been helping you???? We are almost twins hahaha. Def would love to try some different drills.

sacul1573 said:
Yoccos, I have to say man, reading your posts, you and I are almost alike right now. The grip, the tempo, the hip slide... LOL, I'm working on all that right now too! Keep at it. I'm shooting 89-92s right now, what are you at?
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Btw.. My driver was in timeout, keeping my hips in check really calmed her down. But who knows what will happen tomorrow haha.
sacul1573 said:
Yoccos, I have to say man, reading your posts, you and I are almost alike right now. The grip, the tempo, the hip slide... LOL, I'm working on all that right now too! Keep at it. I'm shooting 89-92s right now, what are you at?
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Oh, my driver is no longer in timeout. I just need to update the signature. Yeah, the hip slide is what got the driver in timeout in the first place. I tend to slide more with the longer clubs, ie, trying to get more power to them. I find nice and easy swing usually does much better. Getting a little draw spin on the ball will help it go much further than powering a fade/slice.

I videotaped my swing and posted it for Andy to take a look at. He's been my instructor of sorts, and things have definitely gotten better since he's been helping. Maybe you should try doing the same?

With my grip, about 10 days ago I was reading about it, and noticed that my left hand grip is to "palmy", ie, I wear out the palm on my glove. This indicated that I needed to move the club down into my fingers more, which in turn has allowed me to hinge and hold lag a little better. I've also been working on keeping my left wrist flat (not cupped) at the top of my backswing.

I think it'd be a blast playing a skins game with you... lol!
 
Lol it would be! Im gonna do everything in my power to make the next west coast outing. Im pretty much a lock! Everything you just said, I've been working on. I need to start asking Andy more, great point. He has some slick drills and he goes more by feel.

Are you going to the outing????
sacul1573 said:
Oh, my driver is no longer in timeout. I just need to update the signature. Yeah, the hip slide is what got the driver in timeout in the first place. I tend to slide more with the longer clubs, ie, trying to get more power to them. I find nice and easy swing usually does much better. Getting a little draw spin on the ball will help it go much further than powering a fade/slice.

I videotaped my swing and posted it for Andy to take a look at. He's been my instructor of sorts, and things have definitely gotten better since he's been helping. Maybe you should try doing the same?

With my grip, about 10 days ago I was reading about it, and noticed that my left hand grip is to "palmy", ie, I wear out the palm on my glove. This indicated that I needed to move the club down into my fingers more, which in turn has allowed me to hinge and hold lag a little better. I've also been working on keeping my left wrist flat (not cupped) at the top of my backswing.

I think it'd be a blast playing a skins game with you... lol!
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Yoccos1981 said:
Lol it would be! Im gonna do everything in my power to make the next west coast outing. Im pretty much a lock! Everything you just said, I've been working on. I need to start asking Andy more, great point. He has some slick drills and he goes more by feel.

Are you going to the outing????
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I wont be at the THP outing in flordia, but I intend on making the next west coast outing!
 
Sweet!!! Or if youre ever in az or im out there def should try to make a tee time
sacul1573 said:
I wont be at the THP outing in flordia, but I intend on making the next west coast outing!
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Had some good rounds this last weekend. Shot my best ever 86 on Saturday (Par 70) and an 89 on Sunday. Sunday was kinda horrid because my driver was hooking like a machine. I did test those Prov1x's and did not care for the ball. Interesting because I shot my best round. I used the same ball Saturday and Sunday (until I hit it into a house lol). The feel was pretty harsh. Not hard, just harsh. Spin though on the greens was sick.

Anyway, like I said Sunday beat me up. My distances were off but I can say the hole day my ball striking was awesome. I love the feel when you compress a ball. I know stupid, but when you just start doing something consistantly it just feeds the golf addiction. I more addicted now lol. The practice has definitely paid off.

My putting was awesome. Well for me. Only 1 3 putt on Saturday. What made it nice was if I didnt hit a green I was a short chip away. GIR/Close GIR's really make a huge difference. Along with staying playable off the tee. I hit some bombs too. As I said my ball striking was really good for me. But distance wise I was not very consistant. For example, 164 yard par 3... First go round on Sunday I hit a 7 iron. Right below the hole. When we decided to play another couple holes, my 7i went about 180 until it hit the back hill and rolled into the street. I pulled my 8i out and pulled it into the houses lol. ProV1x founda home. It was the same ball I used earlier on the hole (first time around) so I gained a whole club. Need to work on my consistancy.

Practice has been practice. I got the shanks towards the end last Friday and was sure I was going to get killed last weekend. But it was in fact the opposite. I still have a lot to work on but Im getting really close to 85. Im sure Sunday could've been much better had I kept better focus. The tee shots got me off my game a ton. I will be practicing those and some short irons this week. I dont like to focus on too much. Short game as well!
 
Last week I took some time away from the normal practice and only did one day at PGA SS. Other days were spent chipping into a large pink bucket. Sid was helpful sometimes but sometimes her assistance was not very helpful. Ill never understand how a dog knows exactly where to lay one down when you are practicing in the backyard.

I had some good practices the last couple days... My ball striking started to click at the end of Monday night. I figured out how to hit down on the ball! Amazing!!!!!!! What a difference that makes in yardages. No wonder I would hit some head scratching shots on the course. It started to click towards the end of practice on Monday night and carried into Tuesday. It took some shots to get warmed up but once I did it was a good feeling. I knew when I hit a bad ball and "cast" the club. I found something that when followed, helps me hit consistant shots! Ill post that at the end. Anticipation building... I know...

My driver. The Sat round I previously mentioned it was making it rain. The next Sunday not so much. Well I found a decent solution.... Nuetral setting and follow that sequence!!!! Man it felt good to smack the ball straight and the ball flight was better than its ever been. I messed around with a Nike VR with a PX 6.0 shaft (it was $159.. I almost bought it for the shaft alone) but couldnt hit the dang club. But the Str8 just feels great for me right now. My SS is lower with it than other clubs but it travels about as far. Its much easier for me to control because of the heavier feel.

Anyway, I also am trying out some gloves for THP. I'm even wondering if the footjoy Sta Soft is giving me more yards. Reason I say this is because it feels like a second skin as opposed to glove. My grip is much better and I can actually feel the club.

Here is what Im going to follow from now on:

- Choke up on the club (I dont lose anything at all, I actually gained yards)
- Ball more towards the middle (I think it was too far back previously)
- Hit down on the ball (finally got the feel of how to do it without casting)
- Deliberate Swing (not slow, but deliberate... with a purpose)
- Follow the SEQUENCE!!!!!! I read somewhere where you end in you backswing is how you should start your downswing. This was the biggest reason I hit good shots. My swing felt much more together with this though. It's a matter of finding the right sequence too. That's hard for me right now but Im sure with practice Ill get it. I know what is right and its just a mtter of training my body to do it too. Im really thanking my martial arts training for giving me a lot of the tools to be able to do this. Sometimes your body says no and thats just because it hasnt had to do it before.

I should be hitting the course in the next couple days.. I plan on it tonight or just some more practice and glove testing.. Good times indeed.
 
Sounds like you are making really good progress! I really struggled with distance too when I first started striking the ball better with my irons. It took me a couple weeks of playing almost everyday to figure it out. It feels so wonderful when you hit down and that little booger flies up so high and long and you hardly hear it come off the face of your club! Unfortunately it is still not a consistent thing for me but I sure love those days when I'm hitting it well. You're going to break 85 soon! I just know it! I'll be watching for the announcement!
 
Thanks KellyBo! It'll be a huge deal. Probably its own thread.. NAAAAAAAAAAH. I'm normally pretty modest but I love to write things out. I was looking back through some old posts and it helped me keep focus! Especially with all the people who have been supportive I feel it on the course and practice range. How much are your irons varying? I have a mid point but it seems like it could go 5-10 yards each way...

KellyBo said:
Sounds like you are making really good progress! I really struggled with distance too when I first started striking the ball better with my irons. It took me a couple weeks of playing almost everyday to figure it out. It feels so wonderful when you hit down and that little booger flies up so high and long and you hardly hear it come off the face of your club! Unfortunately it is still not a consistent thing for me but I sure love those days when I'm hitting it well. You're going to break 85 soon! I just know it! I'll be watching for the announcement!
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I would say that I've added about 5-10 yards to my iron shots even after shortening my back swing for better control. Just making much better contact and a better follow through. Some days I still don't hit it well though and other days I'm in the groove. I sure wish I could get more consistent! I have a new training aid that I plan to use on the range. It is the Medicus Vision Track. http://www.medicus.com/med_vision.php I got it off Ebay for $40. I hope it will help. I used it last night for the first time in my backyard hitting birdie balls. It is pretty cool. One of my main problems right now is breaking my wrists. It's so hot though!! 110 heat index today...can't deal with that!
 
Sooooooo true about the heat. I get the opportunity to practice inside for now which is awesome. Miss the feel of grass though. You'll to let me know how that training aid works out. Im gonna try to shorten my backswing for a few shots see what happens!
KellyBo said:
I would say that I've added about 5-10 yards to my iron shots even after shortening my back swing for better control. Just making much better contact and a better follow through. Some days I still don't hit it well though and other days I'm in the groove. I sure wish I could get more consistent! I have a new training aid that I plan to use on the range. It is the Medicus Vision Track. http://www.medicus.com/med_vision.php I got it off Ebay for $40. I hope it will help. I used it last night for the first time in my backyard hitting birdie balls. It is pretty cool. One of my main problems right now is breaking my wrists. It's so hot though!! 110 heat index today...can't deal with that!
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Played 18 yesterday.. Had a blast. Used a combo of my Nike One Tour D's and Z Star Xyellow. I did this because I typically start off slow. Lol. The last time I played Tokasticks I shot well over 100, I stopped keeping score I lost so many balls. Had the SHANKS. I was very nervous. Lump in my throat and kinda shaking. First thing the course was in awesome shape for the summer. $13 (including tax) to play 18 with a cart. I played the whites (6100) and I had a blast. My irons were crisp and my drives were under control. I have to say the glove helped a lot too. Was very consistant and depending what happens when I test the Srixon.. it may be my glove of choice! Even though its higher end on price point, from what I've seen so far its definitely worth it.

I'm mad at myself for only a couple things. Lost my two nikes and Im down to one sleeve. Ugh. I lost them because I was playing single and backed up by a group of jack@sses. They had no clue as to golf course etiquette but they weren't even cool about it. Reason I said because of them is I got to hit second shots lol. Mind you just practice but I typically shank my second shot. I shanked my Z star into the next teebox on a par 3. Worst part was I went looking and couldnt find it anywhere! I was po'd bcs I could see the area it landed and couldnt find it. I then shanked my Nike into the water on the next hole (another 2nd practice shot). I shouldnt have hit either practice shot because my first two were good. I was just trying to pass the time. Anyway good story is when I hit that teebox where the Z Star passed it was sitting right there for me lol. I lost my other Nike on a par 3... But I wasnt mad bcs I destroyed my 7 iron and hit the best feeling shot all day. Just didnt judge my distance right.

I shot an 87. Woulda been 85 if not for that triple (my good 7 iron). I duffed my pitch on that hole. I also had 2 3 putts. I just lost concentration. Very easy putts but I huried up because I was dumb. Woulda been a nice 83. But it's things Ill take with me to the next round.

My ball striking was awesome. My pull-draw was there but the ball was still in play. I didnt hit many GIR/FIR but because I was just outside what would be considered a true FIR/GIR I was hitting playable shots to the greens all day. I just remembered to use the sequence with a deliberate swing. Also choked up on the club some and didnt lose any distance. I need to work on my shorter irons (8,9). I still seem to sweep a little with those. But Ill get it. My 6/7i's were on point. PW was good but still have some room and I hit my 5i decent. Found my 200 yardish club! Driver was good too. Hard to follow the sequence but its starting become habit now.

I do need to work on my nerves. I know THP's will be awesome in FL but I need to be able to not get so worked up and just play. This is was just a ramble post but I'm so close. My game is really starting to come together. I'm so glad I found THP and all the awesome people here.
 
Good stuff, bud! You are getting really close, but more importantly, you have really improved your total game. I'm thinking you are going to be going a bit further than breaking 85 soon.
 
Appreciate that Hawk. It's really nice seeing all the work come together. I was a few mental lapses away from really punching back on this course that really left me beaten down. I've def gathered a lot of strength from Andrea but this site has been so tremendous with the advice, encouragement and people.
 
Finished my last round of testing with the StaSof and I have to say I loved the footjoy product. Anyway, shot an 85. Lol. It was a horrid 85. HOOKIN the crap out of my driver. But that XFT wedge is money! I was getting it close or least in a position to two putt. The greens were under construction and it was windy on Sunday afternoon. Had a blast. Lost a few balls but it wasnt my fault. Lol. YOu would hit a ball in the fairway and lose it. The grass was present but the rough was very thick. Was fun but really hard to find my ball!

Well I was getting soooooooo mad I kept hook pulling everything. It was so bad that I didn't have chances to make pars (a few birdie attempts) but it was enough to get under my skin. I always remember its ok to get mad but I have to be able to control my reaction. Game was horrid but a lot of fun. My score was the best yet on a par 72.

All this hook pullin is just in time for my lesson! I've been working the diamond drill and trying to keep my elbow close but there is something I'm just missing. I would post videos for Andy but I hate cameras. Lol. Really I do. So I have my lesson today and hopefully we can start work on the things I need help with. Set up is huge and I'm gonna have them check my grips. I like midsize grips better but not sure how that impacts me. Anyway, good stuff and I'm hoping the instructer is cool. I really hope its not gonna be some severe swing overhaul but lets see what happens....
 
Great job on the 85 Yoccos! I was really struggling with the pulls last week. The last time out I didn't pull at all! I am reading a couple books and one of them talked about targets. It said to find a large target in the distance, i.e., tree, tree branch, etc. It's okay to have an intermediate target too but the large target far away is the most important. Make that target the last thing you look at before you look down at the ball and visualize your ball going right to that target. I know it's a mental thing more than technical but it REALLY made all the difference for me. The baseball diamond drill is also a good drill for stopping the pulls. One stroke away!!!!
 
Thank you kB!!! Yup and some of those putts shoulda fell lol. Im gonna try that baseball drill again Im just having a hard time getting the feel of it. Im gonna look into the vision track soon after I get some other purchases out of the way fo sho. Also some good books! It was better today and still had a pull hook but def not nearly as severe. Talkin to Gray and he was right abt its gonna take some time!!! Haha gonna have a cold one then off to bed! Really appreciate the support.


KellyBo said:
Great job on the 85 Yoccos! I was really struggling with the pulls last week. The last time out I didn't pull at all! I am reading a couple books and one of them talked about targets. It said to find a large target in the distance, i.e., tree, tree branch, etc. It's okay to have an intermediate target too but the large target far away is the most important. Make that target the last thing you look at before you look down at the ball and visualize your ball going right to that target. I know it's a mental thing more than technical but it REALLY made all the difference for me. The baseball diamond drill is also a good drill for stopping the pulls. One stroke away!!!!
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So. Lessons! I've had two of them. I'm gonna just say this now but I love any type of learning environment. I really enjoy the process of learning something new. I was extremely nervous because I really didn't want to have to rebuild my swing. I would do so if it was needed but I really didn't want to go that route if it could be avoided. Good news! I don't but I had some things that needed work.

My grip.. Was good for the first lesson and we changed it for the second. This is brutal. It may not seem like much but I guess I was too much palm. Hehe. So holding the grip more in my fingers is hard. Really interesting at times lol. I also thought my grip pressure was loose but wow. It's one thing he says I really need to do is relax my grip. Also produces interesting shots lol. I try to overcompensate on these things but I figure with practice I'll get it down.

Posture... Ok but I needed to get more upright and back on my heels. Not very hard.

Swing Plane... I had two lol. My sweeping takeaway and then I'd find the slot on the way down! He just helped me make it more simple. We also shortened it. I had a really long swing. We got it a lot shorter and although I've lost distance I know Ill make up for it. We also got the swing a lot more upright.

All arms... This is how I know Ill make up for it. Looking at the vid he was able to indentify I was turning my shoulders (this is how I describe using the big muscles) way too late. This has been tough! It's just a timing issue from how I throw punches in martial arts. Really hard to break the two but I'm gonna do it. Because I use my arms I'm casting and hooking.

I dip... lol. Again the training is coming back to bite me!!!!!!!!! It's really hard to break. But he says as long as it isnt too much and I get my head moving forward with the shoulders we can worry about it later lol.

Sooooooooooo. It may seem like a lot but we've broken it down into two simple drills.

1. Chipping. Modify a wedge with an extension. Hinge and hold! Once I hit down on the ball to right field (hit the ground after) the extension should not hit my hip. This really showed me what proper extension on my downswing should look like. It also forces you to turn your shoulders and use the big muscles rather than your arms.

2. Slow 3 step swing. Two pauses. Once at the top. Then drop my arms pause... then use my shoulders to swing. I get the first two awesome then I dip. SO HARD to stop.

Anyway.. a lot to work on. We did a couple different things with my posture too on the second lesson but I'm learning its all about progressing into the next step. My swing plane is on point! This was huge. My set up is a lot better and the grip will work itself out. Just gotta work on the shoulder turn and that damn dip.
 
good stuff yoccos, the hinge and hold improved my efforts around the green immensely!! keep up the good work and thanks for the updates.
 
Good luck, Yoccos. It's pretty tough to break old habits, but you can do it!
 
Thanks guys. I'm definitely gonna keep hacking away :) I'm just glad it wasn't everything I had to change lol.
 
I enjoyed reading about your lessons. I'm glad you don't have to go through a major swing change like Gray. That's no fun at all!! I know you will work it out with a lot of practice. I am starting back with lessons next week. I had one scheduled for today but they closed the course for a few days because the bentgrass greens are stressed from the heat. Our heat index is staying around 110-115 right now. It's so darn hot and humid that I don't even want to be out there.
 
Yoccos -- Man I am proud of you. It feels like we are a brother from another Mother with all this hard work on the ol golf game! It's going to be a pleasure to meet you down in Florida. Keep working, but stay cool with plenty of water. Well try to stay cool, that's near impossible now! I am about to go out and hit balls for an hour and then come in, shower and watch the Bridgestone tournament. Like KellyBo said I am enjoying your progress and determination. You got the bull by the horns so hang on and don't let go :eek:).

Hit em good,
ol Gray
 
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