McRock's Cosmic Ride to the IA Amateur Championship and beyond...
Slider
New member
I'm going to John Deere Classic for Saturday's round so that wouldn't work for me. Keep me updated if there is a get together.
- Staff
- #78
No worries. Any weekend in August except for the 20th would work for me. No hurry.
- Staff
- #79
I'm hoping to go to that as well. Going to try and play the course in the next week or two. It will beat me up most likely, but it's a good time nonetheless.
- Thread starter
- #80
Ok, this is going to be a positive post which is a first in awhile. All those driver problems appear to be solved, or at least in a workable spot. As noted in the Heavy Driver thread, I made an effort to make sure that I wasn't swinging with my arms. Taking the 'towel under armpit' drill, I had success on the very first swing. I made several more swings to make sure it wasn't a fluke. It didn't appear to be. I was hitting drives pretty well. They are still 30-50 yards shorter than I was hitting last year and the beginning of this year, but very workable. I suspect one reason for the loss of distance is because I'm trying so hard to keep that left armpit closed up, I'm swinging a little stiff. I only had 10-15 minutes to work on the drivers yesterday before league, so I wasn't really comfortable with the change, but again, it was workable.
It was so workable in fact, that I had no balls go OB during league last night. I did hit a drive short that didn't carry a lateral hazard, but hey, at least it was straight. I have three lessons paid for, and should my pro ever come back from Pennsylvania, I'll even get to take part in those lessons. I'm hitting straight, and the follow through feels natural which is a good sign of a good swing plane for me. I'll let the pro handle the distance issue and tweak it out.
As far as league goes, it was a fantastic night. I play an 8 handicap (for nine holes), and shot 3 shots under my handicap, for a 5 over 41. I was not a fairway machine, only hit 2/6. But my misses were not bad (except the one that came up short in the hazard). Instead of having between 3-5 penalty strokes due to my tee shots, I had 1, and only because I hit it short. I did hit 5/9 GIR. I was also even on putting, but I have to say I was aggravated by my two 3-putts. Both of my 3 putts were on par 5s where I was on the green in regulation. The first 3-putt was just lack of focus and concentration. I shouldn't have done it, I wasn't that far from the pin to begin with, and launched it 10 feet past the cup. Second 3-putt, also on a par 5, and also on the green in regulation. That hole I blame on hole location. I have to describe the green so you can fully understand the stupidity of the pin location, which was put in by someone who doesn't even play golf. Imagine standing in one endzone of a football field, looking across to the other endzone. However, this 'football field' has a valley running from sideline to sideline, with the bottom of the valley on the 50 yard line, and the valley is only from one 40 yard line to the other. That is the shape of the green I was on, with the valley right through the middle. The genius put the pin on the 45 yard line in the valley. The result is that there is about an 18" circle you can land your ball in and expect to have a shot at two putting. I landed the ball on the high side, putting down hill to the cup. I managed to hit the first one short because if you go long, you'll have a double breaker down and up the valley. I then missed my second, again, trying to avoid the valley. Ended up three putting. I was not a fan of that pin location, at all.
I look forward to playing most of this weekend, continuing to improve on my driver and hopefully improving on 6 foot putts. I missed two birdie putts from about 8 feet, and that left a bad taste in my mouth.
And my wedge game, is just spot on. I'm loving it, as can be seen by this near hole in one on a very short 100 yard par 3. I'm just attacking flags from 110 and in right now, and its beautiful to have the confidence to do it.
Until next week
~Rock
It was so workable in fact, that I had no balls go OB during league last night. I did hit a drive short that didn't carry a lateral hazard, but hey, at least it was straight. I have three lessons paid for, and should my pro ever come back from Pennsylvania, I'll even get to take part in those lessons. I'm hitting straight, and the follow through feels natural which is a good sign of a good swing plane for me. I'll let the pro handle the distance issue and tweak it out.
As far as league goes, it was a fantastic night. I play an 8 handicap (for nine holes), and shot 3 shots under my handicap, for a 5 over 41. I was not a fairway machine, only hit 2/6. But my misses were not bad (except the one that came up short in the hazard). Instead of having between 3-5 penalty strokes due to my tee shots, I had 1, and only because I hit it short. I did hit 5/9 GIR. I was also even on putting, but I have to say I was aggravated by my two 3-putts. Both of my 3 putts were on par 5s where I was on the green in regulation. The first 3-putt was just lack of focus and concentration. I shouldn't have done it, I wasn't that far from the pin to begin with, and launched it 10 feet past the cup. Second 3-putt, also on a par 5, and also on the green in regulation. That hole I blame on hole location. I have to describe the green so you can fully understand the stupidity of the pin location, which was put in by someone who doesn't even play golf. Imagine standing in one endzone of a football field, looking across to the other endzone. However, this 'football field' has a valley running from sideline to sideline, with the bottom of the valley on the 50 yard line, and the valley is only from one 40 yard line to the other. That is the shape of the green I was on, with the valley right through the middle. The genius put the pin on the 45 yard line in the valley. The result is that there is about an 18" circle you can land your ball in and expect to have a shot at two putting. I landed the ball on the high side, putting down hill to the cup. I managed to hit the first one short because if you go long, you'll have a double breaker down and up the valley. I then missed my second, again, trying to avoid the valley. Ended up three putting. I was not a fan of that pin location, at all.
I look forward to playing most of this weekend, continuing to improve on my driver and hopefully improving on 6 foot putts. I missed two birdie putts from about 8 feet, and that left a bad taste in my mouth.
And my wedge game, is just spot on. I'm loving it, as can be seen by this near hole in one on a very short 100 yard par 3. I'm just attacking flags from 110 and in right now, and its beautiful to have the confidence to do it.
Until next week
~Rock
- Thread starter
- #82
Another week down, still no lessons scheduled, although they are bought and paid for. May have to just send the pro an email to schedule it, he's rarely around when I am.
The weekend was mostly driver and short game practice for me, which is all i really do at my local muni course. Both were going well. I was working on a new shot with my 56* wedge to get more spin on the ball, and I had a lot of success with that. I was also finalizing the swing change with my woods. And by wood, I mean driver, because I broke the shaft on my 3 wood. The swing change isn't too drastic, and is noted above, but I definitely swing with my body now with the driver. Unfortunately, that put entirely too much pressure on the regular flex shaft of the 3 wood. Very first swing with the new 'body swing' and the shaft snapped, just below my hands in the grip, at the transition to the downswing. But, I still hit the ball, it was a pretty nasty hook.
League also went really well. Shot 40 on the back nine for +4, which is 4 strokes better than my handicap. I struggled on the first 4 holes. I was pushing everything a little to the right. It was nothing serious, but I wasn't hitting like I knew I could. So, by hole 5, I finally decided it was time to change from my arms and hands swing in the irons to the body swing. It went pretty well, but it was something I would like a little time on the range with before simply switching to the swing mid round. Still, I had some great shots. I had 16 putts, 3/7 FW, 4/9 GIR. Even my sand shots, which I never practice, were going well. I had one greenside bunker shot that I hit perfectly, landed pin high, and simply checked up. That's something I've never done before. Must be all that golf I watch on TV. I had 1 birdie, 4 pars, 3 bogeys, and one double bogey. The double bogey also happened to be my only 3 putt on the day.
I'm going to get my first lesson scheduled for probably about 2 weeks out. I'm feeling really good about my progress this year. My original long term goal was to make the cut at the Iowa Amateur Open. This year was going to be about getting my swing and game into shape. Next year is going to be about handling tournaments, by playing a lot of Iowa Golf Association tournaments. The third year is the year I want to make the cut at the Iowa Amateur Open. To top out my goal for this year, I'd like to break 80 3 times before the end of the year, or in the alternative, since I play a lot of 9 hole rounds, break 40 6 times. My last two weeks of league have been 41 and 40. If I could get to where I can break 40 consistently on 9 holes, I'd feel pretty good about where I am. I really don't know how to get there. I know I could use some chipping practice, I only got up and down a couple of times, and I blew two green side chips that were pretty easy. Hopefully lessons will help determine where I need the most improvement.
Until next week
~Rock
The weekend was mostly driver and short game practice for me, which is all i really do at my local muni course. Both were going well. I was working on a new shot with my 56* wedge to get more spin on the ball, and I had a lot of success with that. I was also finalizing the swing change with my woods. And by wood, I mean driver, because I broke the shaft on my 3 wood. The swing change isn't too drastic, and is noted above, but I definitely swing with my body now with the driver. Unfortunately, that put entirely too much pressure on the regular flex shaft of the 3 wood. Very first swing with the new 'body swing' and the shaft snapped, just below my hands in the grip, at the transition to the downswing. But, I still hit the ball, it was a pretty nasty hook.
League also went really well. Shot 40 on the back nine for +4, which is 4 strokes better than my handicap. I struggled on the first 4 holes. I was pushing everything a little to the right. It was nothing serious, but I wasn't hitting like I knew I could. So, by hole 5, I finally decided it was time to change from my arms and hands swing in the irons to the body swing. It went pretty well, but it was something I would like a little time on the range with before simply switching to the swing mid round. Still, I had some great shots. I had 16 putts, 3/7 FW, 4/9 GIR. Even my sand shots, which I never practice, were going well. I had one greenside bunker shot that I hit perfectly, landed pin high, and simply checked up. That's something I've never done before. Must be all that golf I watch on TV. I had 1 birdie, 4 pars, 3 bogeys, and one double bogey. The double bogey also happened to be my only 3 putt on the day.
I'm going to get my first lesson scheduled for probably about 2 weeks out. I'm feeling really good about my progress this year. My original long term goal was to make the cut at the Iowa Amateur Open. This year was going to be about getting my swing and game into shape. Next year is going to be about handling tournaments, by playing a lot of Iowa Golf Association tournaments. The third year is the year I want to make the cut at the Iowa Amateur Open. To top out my goal for this year, I'd like to break 80 3 times before the end of the year, or in the alternative, since I play a lot of 9 hole rounds, break 40 6 times. My last two weeks of league have been 41 and 40. If I could get to where I can break 40 consistently on 9 holes, I'd feel pretty good about where I am. I really don't know how to get there. I know I could use some chipping practice, I only got up and down a couple of times, and I blew two green side chips that were pretty easy. Hopefully lessons will help determine where I need the most improvement.
Until next week
~Rock
- Thread starter
- #83
This is going to be a short post. I had league last night, I had driven 1200 miles in the preceding 5 days. I had no energy, I was rusty, and with no energy, I couldn't even get my issues worked out on the range. I hit maybe 1/10 shots pure, and the rest were fat, thin, off the toe, off the heel....
I think you see the pattern. I tied my worst score for the front 9 at a 50 (+14). Started off with a couple of snowmen, ended with a triple, the holes in between weren't too bad though. The shots weren't great, but I scrambled for a lot of bogeys.
Now to focus on the positive items. I finally got my 3 wood back, now it has a UST ProForce V2 shaft in it. I wasn't fit for it, have no idea which of the V2s it is, but the guy replacing my shaft thought it would be good since it was on sale. We'll find out today when I goto the range.
One of the 'soon to be' pros at the course is thinking of selling his Titleist 910 D2 driver. Not knowing much about club values, I told him I might be interested in it for about $300. It's 5 months old, and I know it has been taken care of. Amazon has them now for $345, but I don't know which shaft is in it for amazon.
So I don't know, thoughts anyone? Is a used, but well taken care of Titleist 910 D2 driver worth $300? Is it worth $100 less than whatever it would cost new? I know the pga value guide says $155, but that's 'trade in value.' Who knows, I suspect the shaft will be too stiff for me anyways.
Finally, I got my first lesson scheduled for next week. I have no idea what it will cover, but I can't wait to get going on it.
I think you see the pattern. I tied my worst score for the front 9 at a 50 (+14). Started off with a couple of snowmen, ended with a triple, the holes in between weren't too bad though. The shots weren't great, but I scrambled for a lot of bogeys.
Now to focus on the positive items. I finally got my 3 wood back, now it has a UST ProForce V2 shaft in it. I wasn't fit for it, have no idea which of the V2s it is, but the guy replacing my shaft thought it would be good since it was on sale. We'll find out today when I goto the range.
One of the 'soon to be' pros at the course is thinking of selling his Titleist 910 D2 driver. Not knowing much about club values, I told him I might be interested in it for about $300. It's 5 months old, and I know it has been taken care of. Amazon has them now for $345, but I don't know which shaft is in it for amazon.
So I don't know, thoughts anyone? Is a used, but well taken care of Titleist 910 D2 driver worth $300? Is it worth $100 less than whatever it would cost new? I know the pga value guide says $155, but that's 'trade in value.' Who knows, I suspect the shaft will be too stiff for me anyways.
Finally, I got my first lesson scheduled for next week. I have no idea what it will cover, but I can't wait to get going on it.
- Staff
- #84
The V2 shaft is one of my personal favorites. Looking forward to your thoughts on it.
Personally, I'd pass on the driver unless you are really hitting it well or happen to be fitted for it. That's a lot of money to spend and you may find that your lessons help that driver swing more than anything
Keep it up and stay positive! The lesson could be a really great thing for you. I know that the few small changes I've made have made a huge difference in my shot quality. It's really a matter of replicating them every time at the moment.
Personally, I'd pass on the driver unless you are really hitting it well or happen to be fitted for it. That's a lot of money to spend and you may find that your lessons help that driver swing more than anything
Keep it up and stay positive! The lesson could be a really great thing for you. I know that the few small changes I've made have made a huge difference in my shot quality. It's really a matter of replicating them every time at the moment.
- Thread starter
- #85
Thanks Hawk. I suspect your right on holding off on the driver. One, I can probably get it new this winter, and fitted, for $300, around Christmas time. Two, this one is 9.5*, which I'm guessing will not work for me, combined with Three, it has an extra stiff shaft, so I'm guessing my ball flight will be ultra low. Still, going to try it out, the guy is a friend, and it gives me something to compare the HD to.
And, who knows, the lesson may completely change my driver swing, and I may hate the Titleist after it.
It's actually a series of 3 lessons, with the first being next week. Thanks for the encouragement!
And, who knows, the lesson may completely change my driver swing, and I may hate the Titleist after it.
It's actually a series of 3 lessons, with the first being next week. Thanks for the encouragement!
- Thread starter
- #86
Another week down, let's talk about league. Ok, league sucked.
Ok great, let's talk about the lesson then. I had my first lesson at 3pm. Not only had I been up since 230 AM, but it was 100 degrees. Then I had league 2 hours later. I'm pretty sure between the heat and the lack of sleep, that I couldn't have possibly done well at league.
As for the lesson, as the pro drives up to the range, he asks "what are we working on today?" "I think we need to work on my driver. The day I have with the driver determines whether I shoot 40 or 50 in 9 holes." He then commented that I was hitting my 3 wood so well, why not just stick with it. "Because my 3 wood goes 225 yards on rock hard ground, and by driver used to go 255 when I knew how to hit it. That makes a big difference on approach shots."
So we worked on the driver. This post is going to be a jumbled mess, because really, the lesson was a bit jumbled, but I've organized the 'lessons/tips' below. I'm swinging the Heavy Driver, making a few adjustments, and he steps in. "What are you hitting?" "It's a Heavy Driver, it works well, I just fade it and the launch angle is too low." "Well, it just looks like your having to 'work' so hard to swing it, I'm not sure that's the driver for you, your launch angle is 7 degrees probably." :bulgy-eyes:
Ok, so bye Heavy Driver. I liked you. After the lesson, I came to the conclusion that the Heavy Driver probably is a perfectly fine driver, but it's not a good idea, for me, to make swing changes with it. I'm not the biggest guy, and when you trying to 'feel' changes to your swing, it's easier to do with a lighter driver. So out come 4 drivers, two of which I've hit before and hated.
Thankfully, he wasn't actually trying to sell me a driver during my lesson, he was just trying to find one I felt comfortable swinging with the swing changes. In the end, the TM Burner 2.0 TP was my favorite. Never would have figured a fade biased driver would be my pick, but it was.
The culprit of my driver swing....I was throwing my hands at the top, creating an outside in swing path, and leaking power. He asked at that point, whether we wanted to work with my current driver swing and make a few fixes to make it more consistent, or rebuild my driver swing from the start. Well......I have some high goals, and I'm doing well on my 3 year plan. But part of that plan involves hitting a driver consistently 260, and really, it needs to be more. I need consistency and power in the driver. I have a swing with the 3 wood that works, and my irons are fine, so I can play them while I work to rebuild the driver swing. Bye bye old driver swing, you were once great, but now I'm kicking you to the curb. It hurts me more than it hurts you, but its necessary for my goals. :crying:
So here are the lessons/tips for a whole new driver swing I picked up that session. By the time I was incorporating all of these, I no longer faded the ball. I actually was pulling them left a little. He said the swing plane was much better. My launch angle was also still low, which he said was confusing with the way I was swinging. He then called me a 'modern marvel of the golf swing.' I let him know I've been called lots of things, but never that. Unfortunately, my 'marvel' was not a good thing.
Set-up (pre-shot routine)
1. Stronger grip. I should be able to FJ on my golf glove. This will help roll my hands over through the impact area, which is my major problem right now.
2. Square up the back foot, flare the toe out on my front foot. My chest and hips are still square to the target line. I apparently don't do bad at leading with my hips, but the hips stop, causing me to basically block to the right. Flaring out the front foot should help my hips rotate on through.
3. Stand about two inches further from the ball. Make up for it by lowing my spine angle, NOT by reaching further out with my arms.
4. Ball off the inside of my left heel.
5. The back of my front hand should be in line with inside of my front knee.
6. Loose grip. When I want to draw, feel like I'm going to lose the club. When I want to fade, grip the crap out of the club.
Swing changes.
1. Push club back with shoulders and keep it lower longer. I'm picking it up a little quickly.
2. Swing thought, start the down swing by rotating my hips. This will drop the hands down for a nice inside-out swing path. Pull the club through. The butt of the shaft starts moving towards the ground.
3. Weight shift. Back swing, the weight shifts to the inside of my back foot. Down swing, all the weight goes to the outside of my front foot. I'm not shifting weight very well, and actually may even be reverse weight shifting. this is the hardest thing for me to do, but I know a drill from when I was kid to get it down.
4. Roll the hands over. Second hardest thing for me to do. Apparently I've gotten all the other swing changes down well enough, but I either roll the hands over too early or not at all.
So now, I am performing all of these swing changes, now it's a matter of timing and practice. When the timing is right, particularly with rolling the hands, I should get the results I want. I may have missed something here, but I wrote it all down right after the lesson, so I have my 'cheat sheet' for when I'm at the range.
Speaking of the range, I think I'll go there now. I suffered somewhat of a mental breakdown/collapse yesterday at work. :surrender: I let my boss know about it, he told me to take today off work and clear my head with a 3 day weekend. So I think I'll just head out to the range.
And the last note, depending on when it's rescheduled, I probably will be training up for the City tournament. Normally I don't play it because they only get 6-10 people here. But, I'm playing the course well, and it will be a great test of my short game under pressure.
~Rock
Ok great, let's talk about the lesson then. I had my first lesson at 3pm. Not only had I been up since 230 AM, but it was 100 degrees. Then I had league 2 hours later. I'm pretty sure between the heat and the lack of sleep, that I couldn't have possibly done well at league.
As for the lesson, as the pro drives up to the range, he asks "what are we working on today?" "I think we need to work on my driver. The day I have with the driver determines whether I shoot 40 or 50 in 9 holes." He then commented that I was hitting my 3 wood so well, why not just stick with it. "Because my 3 wood goes 225 yards on rock hard ground, and by driver used to go 255 when I knew how to hit it. That makes a big difference on approach shots."
So we worked on the driver. This post is going to be a jumbled mess, because really, the lesson was a bit jumbled, but I've organized the 'lessons/tips' below. I'm swinging the Heavy Driver, making a few adjustments, and he steps in. "What are you hitting?" "It's a Heavy Driver, it works well, I just fade it and the launch angle is too low." "Well, it just looks like your having to 'work' so hard to swing it, I'm not sure that's the driver for you, your launch angle is 7 degrees probably." :bulgy-eyes:
Ok, so bye Heavy Driver. I liked you. After the lesson, I came to the conclusion that the Heavy Driver probably is a perfectly fine driver, but it's not a good idea, for me, to make swing changes with it. I'm not the biggest guy, and when you trying to 'feel' changes to your swing, it's easier to do with a lighter driver. So out come 4 drivers, two of which I've hit before and hated.
Thankfully, he wasn't actually trying to sell me a driver during my lesson, he was just trying to find one I felt comfortable swinging with the swing changes. In the end, the TM Burner 2.0 TP was my favorite. Never would have figured a fade biased driver would be my pick, but it was.The culprit of my driver swing....I was throwing my hands at the top, creating an outside in swing path, and leaking power. He asked at that point, whether we wanted to work with my current driver swing and make a few fixes to make it more consistent, or rebuild my driver swing from the start. Well......I have some high goals, and I'm doing well on my 3 year plan. But part of that plan involves hitting a driver consistently 260, and really, it needs to be more. I need consistency and power in the driver. I have a swing with the 3 wood that works, and my irons are fine, so I can play them while I work to rebuild the driver swing. Bye bye old driver swing, you were once great, but now I'm kicking you to the curb. It hurts me more than it hurts you, but its necessary for my goals. :crying:
So here are the lessons/tips for a whole new driver swing I picked up that session. By the time I was incorporating all of these, I no longer faded the ball. I actually was pulling them left a little. He said the swing plane was much better. My launch angle was also still low, which he said was confusing with the way I was swinging. He then called me a 'modern marvel of the golf swing.' I let him know I've been called lots of things, but never that. Unfortunately, my 'marvel' was not a good thing.
Set-up (pre-shot routine)
1. Stronger grip. I should be able to FJ on my golf glove. This will help roll my hands over through the impact area, which is my major problem right now.
2. Square up the back foot, flare the toe out on my front foot. My chest and hips are still square to the target line. I apparently don't do bad at leading with my hips, but the hips stop, causing me to basically block to the right. Flaring out the front foot should help my hips rotate on through.
3. Stand about two inches further from the ball. Make up for it by lowing my spine angle, NOT by reaching further out with my arms.
4. Ball off the inside of my left heel.
5. The back of my front hand should be in line with inside of my front knee.
6. Loose grip. When I want to draw, feel like I'm going to lose the club. When I want to fade, grip the crap out of the club.
Swing changes.
1. Push club back with shoulders and keep it lower longer. I'm picking it up a little quickly.
2. Swing thought, start the down swing by rotating my hips. This will drop the hands down for a nice inside-out swing path. Pull the club through. The butt of the shaft starts moving towards the ground.
3. Weight shift. Back swing, the weight shifts to the inside of my back foot. Down swing, all the weight goes to the outside of my front foot. I'm not shifting weight very well, and actually may even be reverse weight shifting. this is the hardest thing for me to do, but I know a drill from when I was kid to get it down.
4. Roll the hands over. Second hardest thing for me to do. Apparently I've gotten all the other swing changes down well enough, but I either roll the hands over too early or not at all.
So now, I am performing all of these swing changes, now it's a matter of timing and practice. When the timing is right, particularly with rolling the hands, I should get the results I want. I may have missed something here, but I wrote it all down right after the lesson, so I have my 'cheat sheet' for when I'm at the range.
Speaking of the range, I think I'll go there now. I suffered somewhat of a mental breakdown/collapse yesterday at work. :surrender: I let my boss know about it, he told me to take today off work and clear my head with a 3 day weekend. So I think I'll just head out to the range.
And the last note, depending on when it's rescheduled, I probably will be training up for the City tournament. Normally I don't play it because they only get 6-10 people here. But, I'm playing the course well, and it will be a great test of my short game under pressure.
~Rock
- Thread starter
- #87
Another week down, and this past week was full of working on the new driver swing. It has clearly done me some good. I'm hitting the ball on a nice trajectory. My misses are usually left. And I'm hitting about 10-15 yards further. My league score yesterday was 41 (+5). I only lost two balls, which was on the very first hole, yanked it left, and last hole, chunked it right. I pulled the ball on my next tee shot, but it was still in play. We just happened to be playing against the head pro, who is my golf instructor, last night. So he tells me widen my stance. Presto! Next hole, I actually leave the ball to the right a bit. Then next hole, I crush it, 280 yards, dead center of the fairway. Next hole after that, crushed it uphill 255 yards, right in the dead center of the fairway. We won't talk about the last hole. It was just a fatigue right shoulder/arm swing. I'm not sure about the 41 really. The pro 'gave' me two putts of about 5-6 feet each. My putting has been spectacular, and there was nothing difficult about the putts. Still, I feel like I would have only made one of those. Even if I had missed both, it's only 43, and that's pretty good for losing two balls.
I was afraid during the round to ask my instructor how my swing looked as far as what he told me in the lesson last week. I had something working and I needed to stick with it. After the round, I asked him about my swing. He said I was doing betting starting my downswing by rotating my hips around, and my weight transfer was much better. He said I was still throwing the club out at the top of my swing though, leading to the outside-in path. He suggested widening my stance more and more until my body has no choice but to bring the club down on the downswing without throwing it out at the top.
Having a consistent driver has renewed my golfing spirit. I'm excited to play everyday now, and I'm ready to start working towards my goals again. Goals for the remaining part of the year.
1) Make League playoffs.
2) Place in top 3 in city tournament (pending the actual rescheduling of the tournament)
3) Break 80 in 2 consecutive 9 hole rounds during league. (as in, 39 one week, and 39 the next)
I'm going to be continuing to work on my driver until I get that down. Also, my pitching is starting to be a problem, so I have been and will continue to focus on that at the range.
Until next week
~Rock
I was afraid during the round to ask my instructor how my swing looked as far as what he told me in the lesson last week. I had something working and I needed to stick with it. After the round, I asked him about my swing. He said I was doing betting starting my downswing by rotating my hips around, and my weight transfer was much better. He said I was still throwing the club out at the top of my swing though, leading to the outside-in path. He suggested widening my stance more and more until my body has no choice but to bring the club down on the downswing without throwing it out at the top.
Having a consistent driver has renewed my golfing spirit. I'm excited to play everyday now, and I'm ready to start working towards my goals again. Goals for the remaining part of the year.
1) Make League playoffs.
2) Place in top 3 in city tournament (pending the actual rescheduling of the tournament)
3) Break 80 in 2 consecutive 9 hole rounds during league. (as in, 39 one week, and 39 the next)
I'm going to be continuing to work on my driver until I get that down. Also, my pitching is starting to be a problem, so I have been and will continue to focus on that at the range.
Until next week
~Rock
- Staff
- #88
Sorry I missed your last update, Rock. Sounds like you've seen improvements in a short time!
I noticed some issues with my pitching right after working on weight shift as well. It has been a bit of a struggle, tbh.
I noticed some issues with my pitching right after working on weight shift as well. It has been a bit of a struggle, tbh.
- Thread starter
- #89
Yea, the pitch shot has turned into sort of this low trajectory shot half blade. When I'm trying to land a ball delicately on the green, its not really the shot I have in mind.
- Staff
- #90
I actually have found that turning off my 'swing-thought' brain has allowed me to hit the touch shots. If I start thinking about shoulders, weight, I end up with disasterous results.
- Thread starter
- #91
Wow, what a week it has been. A flurry of golf at the beginning and end, and some days off in the middle.
First, the flurry at the beginning. I had a 4 person scramble on Saturday, and I needed to get that new driver swing in check by then, so I was at the range Thursday and Friday last week. It must have worked out, because I was drilling the ball. In fact, out of 14 driver holes, we used my drive on 10 of them. I was just crushing it, perfect draw. 280-290 depending on the roll out (it was a hilly course, on flat ground I was probably hitting 275-280). It was going to be quite a day for our group. We had one guy who hits about 230 yards, but he is always dead center of the fairway, giving me and the other big hitter the green light to rip it. Unfortunately, none of us could buy a putt, or an approach shot. Ended up -2 with 3 birdies and one bogey.
Then there's league last night. Got out there, and I was slicing the driver. Just high push fades, my previous problem. I kept trying to remember my driver lesson, thinking to myself, 'what am I forgetting to do?' I hit my normal medium warm up bucket, and still had a problem. Decided to skip my putting warmup and hit another medium bucket. After all, if I didn't get this fixed, it was going to be a long night. So, with five balls left, I decide I need to 'quick fix' it. I make sure my arms don't get disconnected from my body and PRESTO! I'm hitting drives like I should be again.
Ok, rush off to Hole #10 (league on the back 9 last night). No putting warmup, no 10 minute break between warmup and golf. Should be an interesting night. First 5 holes, all pars. Driving the ball well, but it was actually some of my worst iron striking I've had in awhile. Still, even with mishitting the irons, i was getting plenty of distance. I just think to myself how far I've come that my mishits are still plenty playable. Unfortunately, after being even through 5, I think went double bogey, bogey, double bogey, bogey. The funny part was that my bogeys were the result of a lost ball out into the prairie. The doubles were just my own screwing around.
In fact, my first double was after a perfect tee shot, 130 yards from the pin. There is a bunker on the right side, but I make sure I have enough club to carry it. Plus, unless I hit the shot to the right at all, the bunker won't be in play. My partner just keeps telling me to not be greedy, and if I'm greedy I'll pay for it. I did my best to ignore his negative nancy attitude. Besides, with shorter irons, my miss is usually a pull to the left. So then I hit the ball off the toe, which causes it to be just right of my target line, and a bit short on the carry. Plugged right at the front lip of the bunker. Managed to get it out of the bunker, but still not on the green the next shot. Chip nearly holed, but then flew past 6 feet, and missed the putt back. So there was my double.
My partner spent the rest of the night talking about how he doesn't play well at league, and then complaining that I could still be even par if I just hadn't been greedy. I kept trying to reason with him that when I have the confidence to pull off a shot, I'm going to go for it. I can handle a lot in golf. I can handle people getting mad, because I've done it. I can handle people getting down on themselves about golf, because I've done it. I can handle people who talk during my swing (I haven't done that, but it really doesn't bother me, I'm pretty good about 'zoning in'). I can even handle people giving me unsolicited swing advice, because if I want to, I can completely dismiss it. But I don't particularly like someone telling me not to try a shot I know I can do. Way to put negative thoughts in my head about MY OWN game. I kid you not, that bunker was not even a concern or thought I had until he points it out.
Anyways, that was quite a rant. Finished +6 over the last 4 holes for a 42 (+6). That makes my two week total for league 83, front nine 41 last week, back nine 42 this week. For not having a great iron striking day, I was more than happy with it. In fact, the doubles and bogeys didn't even bother me except my partner kept saying I lost it all when I went for that shot and ended up in the bunker.
Playing 18 this Sunday. It will be my first 18 hole round in quite some time, so I'm looking forward to seeing if I can continue to shoot low 80s when playing 18 holes instead of just 9 at a time. Also, I have a lesson tomorrow, and I plan to take the new driver swing and put the new swing in place with the irons. I'm sure there will be some tweaks to make the swing work correctly with irons. If there aren't too many, I'll have him work on the 3 wood both off the tee and off the deck.
Until next week
~Rock
First, the flurry at the beginning. I had a 4 person scramble on Saturday, and I needed to get that new driver swing in check by then, so I was at the range Thursday and Friday last week. It must have worked out, because I was drilling the ball. In fact, out of 14 driver holes, we used my drive on 10 of them. I was just crushing it, perfect draw. 280-290 depending on the roll out (it was a hilly course, on flat ground I was probably hitting 275-280). It was going to be quite a day for our group. We had one guy who hits about 230 yards, but he is always dead center of the fairway, giving me and the other big hitter the green light to rip it. Unfortunately, none of us could buy a putt, or an approach shot. Ended up -2 with 3 birdies and one bogey.
Then there's league last night. Got out there, and I was slicing the driver. Just high push fades, my previous problem. I kept trying to remember my driver lesson, thinking to myself, 'what am I forgetting to do?' I hit my normal medium warm up bucket, and still had a problem. Decided to skip my putting warmup and hit another medium bucket. After all, if I didn't get this fixed, it was going to be a long night. So, with five balls left, I decide I need to 'quick fix' it. I make sure my arms don't get disconnected from my body and PRESTO! I'm hitting drives like I should be again.
Ok, rush off to Hole #10 (league on the back 9 last night). No putting warmup, no 10 minute break between warmup and golf. Should be an interesting night. First 5 holes, all pars. Driving the ball well, but it was actually some of my worst iron striking I've had in awhile. Still, even with mishitting the irons, i was getting plenty of distance. I just think to myself how far I've come that my mishits are still plenty playable. Unfortunately, after being even through 5, I think went double bogey, bogey, double bogey, bogey. The funny part was that my bogeys were the result of a lost ball out into the prairie. The doubles were just my own screwing around.
In fact, my first double was after a perfect tee shot, 130 yards from the pin. There is a bunker on the right side, but I make sure I have enough club to carry it. Plus, unless I hit the shot to the right at all, the bunker won't be in play. My partner just keeps telling me to not be greedy, and if I'm greedy I'll pay for it. I did my best to ignore his negative nancy attitude. Besides, with shorter irons, my miss is usually a pull to the left. So then I hit the ball off the toe, which causes it to be just right of my target line, and a bit short on the carry. Plugged right at the front lip of the bunker. Managed to get it out of the bunker, but still not on the green the next shot. Chip nearly holed, but then flew past 6 feet, and missed the putt back. So there was my double.
My partner spent the rest of the night talking about how he doesn't play well at league, and then complaining that I could still be even par if I just hadn't been greedy. I kept trying to reason with him that when I have the confidence to pull off a shot, I'm going to go for it. I can handle a lot in golf. I can handle people getting mad, because I've done it. I can handle people getting down on themselves about golf, because I've done it. I can handle people who talk during my swing (I haven't done that, but it really doesn't bother me, I'm pretty good about 'zoning in'). I can even handle people giving me unsolicited swing advice, because if I want to, I can completely dismiss it. But I don't particularly like someone telling me not to try a shot I know I can do. Way to put negative thoughts in my head about MY OWN game. I kid you not, that bunker was not even a concern or thought I had until he points it out.
Anyways, that was quite a rant. Finished +6 over the last 4 holes for a 42 (+6). That makes my two week total for league 83, front nine 41 last week, back nine 42 this week. For not having a great iron striking day, I was more than happy with it. In fact, the doubles and bogeys didn't even bother me except my partner kept saying I lost it all when I went for that shot and ended up in the bunker.
Playing 18 this Sunday. It will be my first 18 hole round in quite some time, so I'm looking forward to seeing if I can continue to shoot low 80s when playing 18 holes instead of just 9 at a time. Also, I have a lesson tomorrow, and I plan to take the new driver swing and put the new swing in place with the irons. I'm sure there will be some tweaks to make the swing work correctly with irons. If there aren't too many, I'll have him work on the 3 wood both off the tee and off the deck.
Until next week
~Rock
- Staff
- #92
Good luck on Sunday. 18 is no more than two 9's Might as well play them the same way you always do.
I know what you are talking about when you mention playable iron misses. I'm not missing nearly as badly when I do, which really makes life easier.
Might as well play them the same way you always do.I know what you are talking about when you mention playable iron misses. I'm not missing nearly as badly when I do, which really makes life easier.
- Thread starter
- #93
Ok, let's talk about the past 7 days. I had a lesson on Friday. It was lesson #2. I wanted to work on irons, which we started off doing. He didn't change anything except my swing plane. He put a bucket on the ground and said, 'make sure you swing outside that bucket.' BAM! Perfect shot, added 10 yards to my irons, added more height and more back spin. Ok, so the first five minutes was done, and I put 10 6-iron shots within 10 feet of each other, so we moved back to the driver. He implemented the same swing plane change, and also made sure I wasn't over rotating my upper body. Apparently I rotate my upper body the too far, resulting in, among other things, the lower body not having to move. It took a few swings, and then BAM! 275 yard drives, high and straight every time. The rest of the lesson was simply doing it over and over again. Then I hit a bucket of balls and did it over and over again.
The next day, the swing was gone. Then Sunday came around, and the swing was still gone. I shot +15 in 18 holes. The score was ok, but it was way better than the ball striking. Same thing yesterday at league. Started out with 3 pars. Bogeyed the next hole because I hit out of bounds on the tee shot. Then a par next. So, I was +1 through 5 holes. Then went bogey b/c of a three putt, then a par. Ok, +2 after 7 holes, I'm feeling pretty good about this. Hit a great drive, only to not find the ball, ended with a double on that hole, and the last hole, also a double. The score of +6 in 9 holes is ok, but the ball striking was terrible. I basically reverted to my old swing, just to have some game. So as an example of what it's like to have poor ball striking, but ok results. I was 138 yards away from the pin, which is a pretty average 8 iron on the old swing. I hit the ball, it lands in front of the green, rolls on, its about 15 feet from the pin. That's perfectly fine, but not the game I want to play. With the new swing, I could have hit a 9 iron hard, or backed off the 8 iron, landed it on the green, and stuck the ball.
I was incredibly frustrated last night. I just kept thinking why do I play a game, and even take lessons, if I'm not going to get better. I'm not shooting any better scores. Hell, I don't even have a reliable swing anymore. I am the kind of person who always goes at something with full steam, which, my wife personally does not like. But that's just me. When I want to do something, I'm going to do it with all of my effort. And when I reach my goal, I'm done with it. Well, I seem to have hit such a plateau that it's hard for me to even continue trying. I feel like I'm doing the best I can, and that there is nowhere else to go. I think to myself that if I could get that new swing to stick, maybe then I'd get better, but so far, that new swing only works during lessons.
Sometimes, I really want to quit this game, but I know I won't, because I'm a glutton for punishment.
~Rock
The next day, the swing was gone. Then Sunday came around, and the swing was still gone. I shot +15 in 18 holes. The score was ok, but it was way better than the ball striking. Same thing yesterday at league. Started out with 3 pars. Bogeyed the next hole because I hit out of bounds on the tee shot. Then a par next. So, I was +1 through 5 holes. Then went bogey b/c of a three putt, then a par. Ok, +2 after 7 holes, I'm feeling pretty good about this. Hit a great drive, only to not find the ball, ended with a double on that hole, and the last hole, also a double. The score of +6 in 9 holes is ok, but the ball striking was terrible. I basically reverted to my old swing, just to have some game. So as an example of what it's like to have poor ball striking, but ok results. I was 138 yards away from the pin, which is a pretty average 8 iron on the old swing. I hit the ball, it lands in front of the green, rolls on, its about 15 feet from the pin. That's perfectly fine, but not the game I want to play. With the new swing, I could have hit a 9 iron hard, or backed off the 8 iron, landed it on the green, and stuck the ball.
I was incredibly frustrated last night. I just kept thinking why do I play a game, and even take lessons, if I'm not going to get better. I'm not shooting any better scores. Hell, I don't even have a reliable swing anymore. I am the kind of person who always goes at something with full steam, which, my wife personally does not like. But that's just me. When I want to do something, I'm going to do it with all of my effort. And when I reach my goal, I'm done with it. Well, I seem to have hit such a plateau that it's hard for me to even continue trying. I feel like I'm doing the best I can, and that there is nowhere else to go. I think to myself that if I could get that new swing to stick, maybe then I'd get better, but so far, that new swing only works during lessons.
Sometimes, I really want to quit this game, but I know I won't, because I'm a glutton for punishment.
~Rock
- Staff
- #94
Rock, I know that feeling well. There have been many days that I seriously wondered if I was ever going to get any better. In the end, I think that the better you get, the slower improvements come. I saw huge improvements last year, but that's because I was downright terrible when I first started. I couldn't help but get better just from simple things. Now, it's much more difficult and I seemed to get stuck at a spot for longer than in the past.
Stick with the lessons man. You are going to forget what made your swing work because it's so new to you. Sometimes it will seem like you can't remember it at all. Just think of it like anything else you've learned. It took a lot of repetition before it sticks. You can get yourself there and in the meantime, try to enjoy the ride. It's the journey, not the destination!
Stick with the lessons man. You are going to forget what made your swing work because it's so new to you. Sometimes it will seem like you can't remember it at all. Just think of it like anything else you've learned. It took a lot of repetition before it sticks. You can get yourself there and in the meantime, try to enjoy the ride. It's the journey, not the destination!
BamBooBender
See-Moe
Hang in there Rock! That just the way it goes sometimes. I've been in the same position many times, where one day, I think I have it all figured out, and the next it seems like I have to start from scratch. Like you, I tend to put 110% into whatever I'm doing at the time, maybe I just try too hard sometimes.
- Thread starter
- #96
Thank you guys. I'm viewing this two ways right now. I can grind it out. Or at least focus on other areas of my game, like short game. Or I can take a break (by break, i mean no golf until wednesday next week), schedule my lesson for next wednesday, and hopefully whatever bad habits I've picked up in the past week are gone and out of me. I'll be like a clean slate. I'm leaning towards the break, maybe a chance to just clear my head. Plus, maybe it'll make me a little more excited about golf. The problem with 'grinding it out' is just what it says, your grinding it out. It's not exactly fun. They both have their benefits. If I know me, which I'm pretty sure I do know me, because I am me, I'll end up not playing until Sunday, so it'll be part break, part grinding it out. I'll probably read over all my lesson notes between now and then, and then I'm just going to let golf get out of my mind for a few days.
~Rock
~Rock
DawgDaddy
Old Coot
My suggestion is to not take the week off Mc, but to put in some time chipping and putting before your lesson next Wednesday. It will keep your golf appetite fed and it will be positive work on some parts of your game that involve good tempo. Anytime you can work on your tempo is time well spent IMO. Hang in there buddy, it will get better.
- Thread starter
- #98
Well DD, I did the opposite of what I said I'd do. I played Friday and Saturday, and then took sunday, monday and tuesday off.
So, it's another week down. I should count how many times I have used that phrase. The small break did do me some good. I 'sort of' reverted back to my old swing with my irons. I just went to the range, and swung what felt normal. The idea in my mind being that if I could get back to that point, then my instructor only made one change to it. So now that I'm back, I will focus on the change in the future.
Yesterday was also the opposite of my past two weeks in league. The past two weeks, I had bad ball striking with good scores. I think I was +11 for the 2 week total (9 holes per week). Yesterday, I had fantastic ball striking, but not a great score. Ended up with a 44, +8. Overall though, it was the best round I felt I've had in about a month. The reason I say that is because with my good ball striking, I played everything greedy. I attacked every pin, went for every par 5 in two. After the round, I knew what it was like to play like Phil Mickelson, where every shot is high risk/reward. Most of the time I missed, but that's ok. I wanted to try. Quite frankly, my league team has been on a downward spiral, and I wanted to get something going, because +6 was not going to cut it last night against our competitors.
So, even at +8, I felt great about the round. Most of my misses were small. But when your attacking pins tucked behind bunkers and what not, if you have a small miss, it can be costly. The only real problem for my game yesterday was my short game. The greenside chipping was terrible. In fact, I think I only had one up-and-down. The prior two weeks was more like 40-50% on up-and-down from simple greenside chipping areas. Oh well, a little practice will cure that right up.
So I'm not sure if I'm going to make the playoffs for league or not. It's going to take a strong finish. The format is 2-person best ball, and next week, my teammate will not be there. So I will be playing by myself, which shouldn't be too different than it has been lately. My teammate has not been playing well in league the past few weeks.
As a final side note, I've been trying out lots of balls this year to see what's out there. This week, I've been playing with the Bridgestone 330-s, and as far as 'tour quality/priced' golf balls, they are the worst I've played. They balloon on the driver, and their spin greenside is not worth the distance lost on the drive. Just thought I'd throw that out there. They do have some of best durability though of the balls I've played this year.
Until next time,
~Rock
So, it's another week down. I should count how many times I have used that phrase. The small break did do me some good. I 'sort of' reverted back to my old swing with my irons. I just went to the range, and swung what felt normal. The idea in my mind being that if I could get back to that point, then my instructor only made one change to it. So now that I'm back, I will focus on the change in the future.
Yesterday was also the opposite of my past two weeks in league. The past two weeks, I had bad ball striking with good scores. I think I was +11 for the 2 week total (9 holes per week). Yesterday, I had fantastic ball striking, but not a great score. Ended up with a 44, +8. Overall though, it was the best round I felt I've had in about a month. The reason I say that is because with my good ball striking, I played everything greedy. I attacked every pin, went for every par 5 in two. After the round, I knew what it was like to play like Phil Mickelson, where every shot is high risk/reward. Most of the time I missed, but that's ok. I wanted to try. Quite frankly, my league team has been on a downward spiral, and I wanted to get something going, because +6 was not going to cut it last night against our competitors.
So, even at +8, I felt great about the round. Most of my misses were small. But when your attacking pins tucked behind bunkers and what not, if you have a small miss, it can be costly. The only real problem for my game yesterday was my short game. The greenside chipping was terrible. In fact, I think I only had one up-and-down. The prior two weeks was more like 40-50% on up-and-down from simple greenside chipping areas. Oh well, a little practice will cure that right up.
So I'm not sure if I'm going to make the playoffs for league or not. It's going to take a strong finish. The format is 2-person best ball, and next week, my teammate will not be there. So I will be playing by myself, which shouldn't be too different than it has been lately. My teammate has not been playing well in league the past few weeks.
As a final side note, I've been trying out lots of balls this year to see what's out there. This week, I've been playing with the Bridgestone 330-s, and as far as 'tour quality/priced' golf balls, they are the worst I've played. They balloon on the driver, and their spin greenside is not worth the distance lost on the drive. Just thought I'd throw that out there. They do have some of best durability though of the balls I've played this year.
Until next time,
~Rock
- Thread starter
- #99
Felt like giving an early update, since I usually post on Thursdays, I just have the golf itch, so why not procrastinate at work and write about it.
A few weeks ago, or maybe a month ago, I posted these 3 goals.
1) Make League playoffs.
2) Place in top 3 in city tournament (pending the actual rescheduling of the tournament)
3) Break 80 in 2 consecutive 9 hole rounds during league. (as in, 39 one week, and 39 the next).
Goal #2 is impossible. My city course never rescheduled the city tournament, because, quite frankly, they suck. So I guess I can cross that one off.
The remaining two goals could go hand in hand.My 9 hole handicap is a 6 right now. We have two regular season weeks of league left. My team is on the bubble for making the playoffs. By team, I mean me for about 7 holes a round. Add on top of that, my teammate is gone this week, so I compete by myself. But if I shoot sub-40 the next two weeks, it should earn us enough points to make the playoffs.
And this comes at a time when my ball striking is very playable. I played 18 this past Sunday, and shot 85 (+13). It was 45 on the front, with 2 penalty strokes, three 3-putts, and one 1-putt. Contrast that to the back 9, which was 40, 1 penalty stroke, one 3-putt and four 1-putts. In fact, I had bogeys and pars, and one double bogey, which was mostly due to unfortunate circumstances. Hit the driver, plugged deep, deep, deep, in a fairway bunker right in the middle of the fairway. It took two shots to get out, came away with a double. Oddly enough, the hole with a penalty stroke on the back 9 I still saved par on.
I'm trying to schedule my lesson for Wednesday. It's my 3d and final lesson, and I'm hoping he gets me back to hitting that high, straight and long shot he had me doing a few weeks ago.
I will make the playoffs. It's time to get my game face on.
~Rock
A few weeks ago, or maybe a month ago, I posted these 3 goals.
1) Make League playoffs.
2) Place in top 3 in city tournament (pending the actual rescheduling of the tournament)
3) Break 80 in 2 consecutive 9 hole rounds during league. (as in, 39 one week, and 39 the next).
Goal #2 is impossible. My city course never rescheduled the city tournament, because, quite frankly, they suck. So I guess I can cross that one off.
The remaining two goals could go hand in hand.My 9 hole handicap is a 6 right now. We have two regular season weeks of league left. My team is on the bubble for making the playoffs. By team, I mean me for about 7 holes a round. Add on top of that, my teammate is gone this week, so I compete by myself. But if I shoot sub-40 the next two weeks, it should earn us enough points to make the playoffs.
And this comes at a time when my ball striking is very playable. I played 18 this past Sunday, and shot 85 (+13). It was 45 on the front, with 2 penalty strokes, three 3-putts, and one 1-putt. Contrast that to the back 9, which was 40, 1 penalty stroke, one 3-putt and four 1-putts. In fact, I had bogeys and pars, and one double bogey, which was mostly due to unfortunate circumstances. Hit the driver, plugged deep, deep, deep, in a fairway bunker right in the middle of the fairway. It took two shots to get out, came away with a double. Oddly enough, the hole with a penalty stroke on the back 9 I still saved par on.
I'm trying to schedule my lesson for Wednesday. It's my 3d and final lesson, and I'm hoping he gets me back to hitting that high, straight and long shot he had me doing a few weeks ago.
I will make the playoffs. It's time to get my game face on.
~Rock
DawgDaddy
Old Coot
Loved that part of the post, you must believe it to achieve it. Good job McR.