KellyBo
Golf, Have Fun or Quit!
I had a lesson the other day but I'm just getting around to writing about it so here goes.
The only time I could get in for my lesson was at 5pm on the 1st day of my club championship and I went ahead and scheduled it. BIG MISTAKE! I hit way too many balls and felt so sore and fatigued the next day.
On the first day of club championship I shot an 86 which is not good from our ladies red tees. The last 4 times I have played our course I shot 78, 79, 81 from red and 81 from gold which is rated 4-5 strokes harder for women. My game has been much better lately and I was feeling good about the tournament but I was really disappointed in how I played.
Told coach I would like him to help me with two problems that I was having in the tournament (besides my mental game/nerves).
Driver:
He worked with me on squaring my shoulders better and really made me tilt back to the right because I am throwing my shoulder way too quickly. My setup was awkward and I hit some really ugly shots at first but by the time I was finished I was hitting them straight as an arrow. I was exhausted though after playing 18 earlier in near 100° weather and hitting tons of balls on the range that evening until I got it right.
Wedges:
I told him about a really good drive I had hit in the tournament leaving me only 30 yards to the green on a par 4. I screwed up on my 2nd shot big time and ended up with a bogey. He told me I had been hitting those shots so good and he didn't understand. I admitted that I had some confusion with when to turn and when not to turn on those type shots and I lacked confidence at times, especially when hitting off hard pan like we have at our course.
He found a place to practice on the range that didn't have good grass and we went there. He asked me if I practice on hard pan and I admitted that I do not. I'm always looking for good grass when I practice.
He asked me to look at the green and tell him if I thought I could throw a ball without turning or did I feel like I needed to turn to get the ball there. I told him initially I thought I would need to turn since it was about 40 yards away. Eventually I figured out that I didn't need to turn at all and it was a simple straight back swing about waist high.
He wants me to take some time practicing short shots using a swing just about knee high and then waist high using the straight back swing without the turn. I made really good contact with those and he told me to experiment with different distances such as 20, 40, 60 yards and with different wedges. He wants me to determine my distances and write them down. It will help me be much more confident with those type shots. Makes sense that I would improve dramatically if I had an idea of distance on these shots.
I also asked him how to make the ball go higher on demand. He showed me how opening the face on the wedges makes them go higher. He worked with me on opening my stance and swinging across on certain shots makes it lob more. It's something I will have to practice.
My 2nd day of the tournament was disastrous. My nerves got the best of me. I had a great range session before the tournament but the first shot off the tee was trouble. My driver was awful all day but my short game was better. I was and still am so sore from hitting way too many balls on Saturday. I know fatigue, nerves, and too much to think about with my driver played a part in me shooting my worse round on the red tees this year (92).
Bobby said the biggest problem with me is I won't get out of my own way. I do not have the confidence I need and have way too much self-doubt. He says he has seen me play really good recently and he wants to figure out a way to get me playing as good in tournaments as I do at other times.
I'm taking a few days off and letting my body and mind recover. Bowling anyone?
The only time I could get in for my lesson was at 5pm on the 1st day of my club championship and I went ahead and scheduled it. BIG MISTAKE! I hit way too many balls and felt so sore and fatigued the next day.
On the first day of club championship I shot an 86 which is not good from our ladies red tees. The last 4 times I have played our course I shot 78, 79, 81 from red and 81 from gold which is rated 4-5 strokes harder for women. My game has been much better lately and I was feeling good about the tournament but I was really disappointed in how I played.
Told coach I would like him to help me with two problems that I was having in the tournament (besides my mental game/nerves).
Driver:
He worked with me on squaring my shoulders better and really made me tilt back to the right because I am throwing my shoulder way too quickly. My setup was awkward and I hit some really ugly shots at first but by the time I was finished I was hitting them straight as an arrow. I was exhausted though after playing 18 earlier in near 100° weather and hitting tons of balls on the range that evening until I got it right.
Wedges:
I told him about a really good drive I had hit in the tournament leaving me only 30 yards to the green on a par 4. I screwed up on my 2nd shot big time and ended up with a bogey. He told me I had been hitting those shots so good and he didn't understand. I admitted that I had some confusion with when to turn and when not to turn on those type shots and I lacked confidence at times, especially when hitting off hard pan like we have at our course.
He found a place to practice on the range that didn't have good grass and we went there. He asked me if I practice on hard pan and I admitted that I do not. I'm always looking for good grass when I practice.
He asked me to look at the green and tell him if I thought I could throw a ball without turning or did I feel like I needed to turn to get the ball there. I told him initially I thought I would need to turn since it was about 40 yards away. Eventually I figured out that I didn't need to turn at all and it was a simple straight back swing about waist high.
He wants me to take some time practicing short shots using a swing just about knee high and then waist high using the straight back swing without the turn. I made really good contact with those and he told me to experiment with different distances such as 20, 40, 60 yards and with different wedges. He wants me to determine my distances and write them down. It will help me be much more confident with those type shots. Makes sense that I would improve dramatically if I had an idea of distance on these shots.
I also asked him how to make the ball go higher on demand. He showed me how opening the face on the wedges makes them go higher. He worked with me on opening my stance and swinging across on certain shots makes it lob more. It's something I will have to practice.
My 2nd day of the tournament was disastrous. My nerves got the best of me. I had a great range session before the tournament but the first shot off the tee was trouble. My driver was awful all day but my short game was better. I was and still am so sore from hitting way too many balls on Saturday. I know fatigue, nerves, and too much to think about with my driver played a part in me shooting my worse round on the red tees this year (92).
Bobby said the biggest problem with me is I won't get out of my own way. I do not have the confidence I need and have way too much self-doubt. He says he has seen me play really good recently and he wants to figure out a way to get me playing as good in tournaments as I do at other times.
I'm taking a few days off and letting my body and mind recover. Bowling anyone?
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