THP Lesson Thread

[SkiBumGolfer]

One of my best lessons in a long time. Decided to focus on short game exclusively, due to some struggles recently, and it really opened up my eyes.

First we worked on chipping, particularly from tougher lies. I shared that I struggle with fat shots and inconsistent contact from the rough on short shots, and Ricky (my instructor) had me choking up significantly, getting really close to the ball and keeping the heel up and toe down, opening the face a bit and taking an arms only, putting like swing but with more speed. And my contact improved SIGNIFICANTLY almost immediately. He said he uses this technique on around 90% of his short chips, and I can see why, it's almost automatic when I do it right. It will take some more reps but things are VERY promising.

Potentially even bigger was we also worked on sand shots. And he was able to finally get it through my head to open the feet about 30* to target line and open the face (which I WAS doing), but then swing along the TARGET line, NOT the feet line. The other adjustment was to take the ball in the front of the stance based again on the TARGET line, not the feet line - I was taking it based on the FEET line, meaning it was WAY too far forward. And I proceeded to hit about 10 bunker shots in a row onto the green with a nice high trajectory. I have NEVER done that before.

So yeah, a very awesome and promising lesson. I will need to ingrain this stuff but I'm feeling more positive about my short game than I have in a long while.

Well as was to be expected, this didn't all click today in my round, the sand shots in particular. I'm just not comfortable with the setup yet. And while I had some really nice little chips with the toe down method, I also hit a couple really thin ones that hurt me pretty badly.

Just a reminder that sometimes these things don't click immediately! Lessons also require reps

 

[Just_Brad]

On the agenda very soon this season:
Lessons on how to get out of the sand.
Putting Lessons.
Short Game/Inside 100 lessons.

Lets address the shortcomings that I have been ignoring.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

On the agenda very soon this season:
Lessons on how to get out of the sand.
Putting Lessons.
Short Game/Inside 100 lessons.

Lets address the shortcomings that I have been ignoring.

Sounds like you and I are similar. All of the above are historically problems for me as well. Just had a promising lesson on this stuff though, hopefully you find the same!

 

[Just_Brad]

Sounds like you and I are similar. All of the above are historically problems for me as well. Just had a promising lesson on this stuff though, hopefully you find the same!

Last year was a rebuild year on my short game (chipping and pitching), which I believe went fairly well..... but time will tell on that.
My Instructor always gives me hell for wanting lessons before I have really played any rounds at all, so this year I will be sure to get some rounds in first.

Bunkers though, they are an issue. Used to be passable out of the sand, getting out wasn't an issue. Problem being not many of the courses here that I actually play have bunkers. The 9 hole I frequent has 1 bunker. The 18 hole that I hit up sometimes, has ZERO. Luckily the practice center has a couple bunkers, so practice will be plentiful!

California golf will be a completely different beast for me. The grasses will be different, the greens definitely different. Trying to get out in front of all this, to try and not make a fool out of myself lol.

 

[mantan]

One of my best lessons in a long time. Decided to focus on short game exclusively, due to some struggles recently, and it really opened up my eyes.

First we worked on chipping, particularly from tougher lies. I shared that I struggle with fat shots and inconsistent contact from the rough on short shots, and Ricky (my instructor) had me choking up significantly, getting really close to the ball and keeping the heel up and toe down, opening the face a bit and taking an arms only, putting like swing but with more speed. And my contact improved SIGNIFICANTLY almost immediately. He said he uses this technique on around 90% of his short chips, and I can see why, it's almost automatic when I do it right. It will take some more reps but things are VERY promising.

Potentially even bigger was we also worked on sand shots. And he was able to finally get it through my head to open the feet about 30* to target line and open the face (which I WAS doing), but then swing along the TARGET line, NOT the feet line. The other adjustment was to take the ball in the front of the stance based again on the TARGET line, not the feet line - I was taking it based on the FEET line, meaning it was WAY too far forward. And I proceeded to hit about 10 bunker shots in a row onto the green with a nice high trajectory. I have NEVER done that before.

So yeah, a very awesome and promising lesson. I will need to ingrain this stuff but I'm feeling more positive about my short game than I have in a long while.

My pro had given me a very similar lesson. It was crazy easy to do once I got the setup part down and trusted it.

I'd gotten in the desert with my short game before I found my old notes and the stuff we were working on. From the dead hand chip, partial wedge and high floating lob shot. All came flowing back.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

My pro had given me a very similar lesson. It was crazy easy to do once I got the setup part down and trusted it.

I'd gotten in the desert with my short game before I found my old notes and the stuff we were working on. From the dead hand chip, partial wedge and high floating lob shot. All came flowing back.

It really was silly easy... At least in the lesson. I really need reps, as today I just wasn't comfortable. But as you said, I need to get the setup down and practice it, because I've now seen the results when it's done correctly.

 

[butchammon]

Check it out.... One of the videos from my lesson yesterday.

 

[PiratePenguin]

Yesterday was lesson #3 with current teacher. Worked mostly on lower body rotation, getting more weight onto my left heel and firing off of my right big toe to get there. Also taking a short pause at the top of my backswing, which we shortened slightly, and then initiate the downswing with hip turn, right foot push off instead of arms-first like I had been. Improved contact and ball compression, fewer fat shots from getting a little stuck on my right foot until after ball impact. Got some good results. Will see how it translates to the course tomorrow.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

My latest lessons are really starting to feel right on the full swing and on chipping. Absolutely bombing the driver right now as a result, and chipping is really coming along though I had a couple rough ones. Hit one chip with a 52* to kick in range setting up an easy birdie

Sand though? STRUGGLE BUS. I need to get back over to the practice bunker and get back to the basics of what he was telling me because today was a step back.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

Good lesson yesterday. I'm excited to get out there and try to implement this stuff in my rounds tomorrow and Sunday.

• I've been seeing some isolated pulls and pull hooks lately off the tee and with longer clubs, and it turns out my address position has steadily snuck more and more closed to the clubface target, which was exacerbating the issue. So I need to focus on setting up on the target line or even just slightly open to it. The other thing was sliding too much to the left (trying too much to exaggerate weight shift) and being late on the the rotation, which caused the arms to get stuck and come across. So the other thought is to continue focusing on getting that right hip and right shoulder down to the ball and feeling that muscle contraction on the right oblique. Hit some suuuuper straight shots when I was doing this right, which as encouraging!
• Worked on pitching and really trying to make sure I use the bounce, to the point of actually opening the club some and hitting it kinda like a bunker shot. Clipped some really nice contact this way with a lot of consistency in distance, and the fat ones were nowhere near as penal as I was used to. I THOUGHT I was using the bounce, but he really had me exaggerating it more and I really like the contact I was seeing.
• Worked on bunker ball position mainly. Apparently my ball position was SO far forward that I was either hitting way too far behind the ball and leaving it in or bouncing off the sand and blading it, OR overcompensating and trying to throw the weight forward and consequently blading it. He coached me on a still forward, but nowhere near as exaggerated ball position, and then taking a swing essentially just like a pitch swing using the bounce, with a shorter backswing, but then just really accelerating through it. Still working on feeling how hard to hit it, especially with different sand consistencies, but I didn't leave any in the bunker or blade any so that was really encouraging.