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Breakthrough Thread

JR

JR

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Here is a thread for folks to post in whenever they finally "get" something. I'll start.I was outside practicing with a wedge today. I haven't been hitting for anything lately, so I decided to adjust a bit. I have always had a very steep swing, so with 56 in hand, I try to flatten out a bit. I make an exaggerated, Fowler-esque backswing, and BOOM, a beautiful, long wedge shot with a baby draw. Start firing these off one after another, and with a few minor adjustments (ball position mostly) I think I may have a winner here.
 
Great idea for a thread, Jake.
 
I love those "aha" moments. I recently had one around the greens. I adopted the "hinge-and-hold" method for pitches, and now everything is landing softer and it's much easier to control how much they roll out. I'm having much more success with my short game now. Great thread Jake.
 
Have those ahah moments too..........................I just can't seem to remember them out on the course!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :banghead:
 
Great thread and great post! Great to hear you had one of those moments!!
 
I'm changing my grip from weak to neutral, which as felt way too strong to me. Last night I watched a video describing how keeping your hands in from of the clubface at impact actually opens the clubface - which explians the benefit of a neutral/strong grip. ie. It promotes a descending angle of attack.
 
Perkins Rooster said:
I'm changing my grip from weak to neutral, which as felt way too strong to me. Last night I watched a video describing how keeping your hands in from of the clubface at impact actually opens the clubface - which explians the benefit of a neutral/strong grip. ie. It promotes a descending angle of attack.
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I'm changing my grip from weak to neutral, which has felt way too strong to me. Last night I watched a video describing how keeping your hands in front of the clubface at impact actually opens the clubface - which explains the benefit of a neutral/strong grip. ie. It promotes a descending angle of attack.Sorry I can't edit my posts with the version of Explorer I have at work - I really need to start proof reading my posts first.
 
There's a great section of John Feinstein's book "A Good Walk Spoiled" [ISBN 0316277371] which talks about pros working hard to find "the click" -- when your swing suddenly gets into a groove and they no longer have to work so hard at it. Also about how they flounder when they lose it and have to find it again.

A very good read in general, actually, for anyone who's a golf nut.

Ken
 
khoover said:
There's a great section of John Feinstein's book "A Good Walk Spoiled" [ISBN 0316277371] which talks about pros working hard to find "the click" -- when your swing suddenly gets into a groove and they no longer have to work so hard at it. Also about how they flounder when they lose it and have to find it again.

A very good read in general, actually, for anyone who's a golf nut.

Ken
Click to expand...


I am a 6 handicap and you don't have to be a pro for this to happen, something similar happened to me over this past year. After having tendinitis in both elbows last summer, and not playing much because of it, it took me at least 3 months just to get back to where was 2 years ago. I was watching golf on tv and watching a super slow mo of McIlroy swinging and it hit me, I needed to turn my body starting down instead of just pulling my arms down at the ball from the top. That was my breakthrough. It was something I had been doing before when I was playing well and just lost the feel for it completely due to the injuries.
 
PGA pro, Jack Connel, had me loosen my grip and told me to feel like I was throwing a ball under handed down the target line.

Bang. Everything fell into sequence. No one ever really had to tell me how to throw a ball. Now, I merely feel like I'm throwing a ball at every target and things seem much easier.

Only took me 20 years to learn this!

Cheers
 
Jacob Robertson said:
Here is a thread for folks to post in whenever they finally "get" something. I'll start.I was outside practicing with a wedge today. I haven't been hitting for anything lately, so I decided to adjust a bit. I have always had a very steep swing, so with 56 in hand, I try to flatten out a bit. I make an exaggerated, Fowler-esque backswing, and BOOM, a beautiful, long wedge shot with a baby draw. Start firing these off one after another, and with a few minor adjustments (ball position mostly) I think I may have a winner here.
Click to expand...
I struggle with wedges too. You plan on uploading a video with this write up. I'd love to see it. Awesome thread too!
 
Have had several "AHA!" moments that worked for me. I pick up little bits of info everywhere so I can't say where all the ideas came from:

When I address the ball, before I hit, I focus my eyes about one inch in front of the ball.....and swing as if the ball is where I'm looking. I find by doing this I'm taking a divot in front of where the ball actually was sitting and I'm hitting down on the ball. According to all the gurus this is a good thing. LOL. I'm compressing the ball more. This is with my irons mainly.

When I address the ball, I put the toe of the club to the ball. Again, mainly irons. I find by doing this that when I swing I'm far more likely to hit the ball in the sweet spot. I first got this idea from watching the pros on TV. I then went to the front yard and took swings in the grass and realized my swing path was different from my address position. This made a HUGE difference in my game.

From the Golden Bear I learned to not vary my ball position as much as I was. Now I don't vary much from the ball being in the center of my stance. Maybe half an inch and almost never more than an inch. Depending on the lie, a wedge club, etc...Driver being the exception. This really simplified things and freed me up to think of something else.

...

THIS THREAD WOULD MAKE A GOOD STICKY.
 
Gianna1025 said:
I struggle with wedges too. You plan on uploading a video with this write up. I'd love to see it. Awesome thread too!
Click to expand...
Thanks, I thought this thread would be a good idea. Unfotunately, no video right now, my internet bandwidth cap got hit and I am working with dialup speeds. I went out again today and moved up a few clubs to an 8 iron and tried the same motion. It isn't really like Fowler's swing, it is very much single planed, but much, much flatter than I am accustomed to. It works even better with the 8 iron, I was hitting absolute bullets, starting low then rising slightly throughout the flight, before dropping down softly about 150 out.
 
I like this thread.

I had that "aha!" moment today and I'm not even on the range or course so it was time to dig this one up methinks.

So, I've mentioned in the Classic thread I'm battling a cut with it. Its been plaguing me the past couple rounds and just blowing my mind. Well, in the SeeMore testing thread I had shown (and it was revealed to my by my SPi guy Brady) that with my old stroke I was aiming left with my left foot open and this forced me to cut across the ball to try and get it on line. Today sitting here with my inability to hit balls because of doc wife's orders (wrist) this whole thought hit me.

So, though I can't go hit balls, I CAN run my flip cam and swing indoors! (Yes, driver, indoors, in the living room, don't tell the wife and thank God for vaulted cielings).

Set up the cam, and without thinking about anything just set up as normal and took 5 swings. Back to the cam and BOOM, left foot is set up back leaving me open AND my shoulders are aimed left causing me to cut across the golf ball as my driver head is aligned at the target straight unlike my body. Reset the camera, adjusted my feet and shoulders straight down the line and went at it 5 more times. To the video and its a pretty in to out swing down the line.

Essentially, I was setting up to play the cut and didn't realize it. Friday needs to get here so I can put it to work and see.
 
Putting finally snapped for me yesterday, I got a tip from a playing partner about shortening my backstroke and wow I was draining everything from then on in. Combine that with me finally getting a handle on the SeeMore RST for aligning my putts and I think I'm going to be lights out for a while!
 
My "Aha moment" came today as well...

I've always had a tough time shifting my weight forward on the downswing, and therefore hit a lot of fat shots. However, while out practicing today, I started to only focus on this shift, and hitting down on the ball. So, I did a drill that I saw a video on. I placed to balls about a foot apart from one another, in a straight line, and put a ball in between them. My whole goal was to make sure that my divot started in front of the imaginary line connecting the balls. And voila! Divots IN FRONT of the ball, compression, and consistent ball flight and distance. What a feeling. Now, my only hope is that I am able to repeat this.
 
Lol, I was wondering if this thread would ever take off.
 
I havre had a break through in my short game, the ATV has clearly changed the way I approach my shots with confidence 100 yards in
 
Hi, I'm new to THP & just thought I'd post my first reply!

I had a massive breakthrough today, I've been slicing my driver terribly. I've been reading a lot of posts on here & have gotten some great swing tips. Today was the day to try them out!

Result : Great success!! After the first few bad slices, I really started to hone in on a better swing & began to do a more gentle fade! The ball still goes right however it's so much smoother now!

Definitely on the right track, Swing wise. I really feel like I'm on my way now, My whole game has changed, Irons & fairway woods.

Thanks to the people on this site.

Just thought I'd share my good news!

Hit em hard, Hit em straight!
 
I also had a breakthrough earlier today, when I first started swinging my clubs last summer I was hitting my irons & wedges(all I had at the time) strait, no problems. In comes the driver, I was able to make good contact, but always sliced the hell out of it. I mean it went as far right as it did strait. Then I didn't practice much during the winter or spring. Then this summer go out to the driving range and all of a sudden all of my clubs go right, no matter what I did. I read through a ton of threads here on THP, I tried many different things that were suggested, feeling that I accomplised what was suggested, yet I still sliced extremely bad with the driver and all of my irons/hybrids went right. Then today I realized that I was bending my knees way too much. I Stood up straighter and boom irons are going strait again, and my driver is 100X better than it was still a little right but I left the range feeling great, not pissed off that I can't hit worth a damn.
 
I have had a few breakthroughs recently since I started lessons and building a new swing a couple of months ago. Finally starting to click on some of it.

Took about 2 months to groove a new back swing, close to breakthrough on it. My teacher was working on my down swing on the range a couple of weeks ago and I was struggling. He took me in to the video room t the end of the lesson. After one swing on video he told me to get my hands higher at the top, and "BAM" there it was. We were so focussed on the the down and impact that he missed that on the range. I love video. By getting my hands high at the top it keeps me extended and away from my body so I don't pull the club to far inside. Allows me to get around on the ball and keep the lag and release correctly. Felt weird and almost like a hitch at the top, but looks smooth and strong on video.

Next lesson was on the course, and I was slicing everything higher than a 7 iron. He pointed out that I was swaying and not rotating my hips. Very frustrating to hit my 9 iron 150 and only hit the 3W 175. Next day on the range, as soon as I got my hands high at the top, I tried to feel the turn or rotate in the hips to start the down swing. "BAM", nothing but long straight or baby draw shots with every club up to a 3 wood.

A day later on course it started great (ripped a 3W 220 up the middle with people watching), but started slicing the 3 wood again by #4. Finally noticed on #7 that I was rotating the hips on the back swing (I was trying to feel a good turn). I focussed on keeping the lower body still on the back, and starting the down with the hip turn, and "BAM", best drive of the day.

It will take some time and practice to get all of the "AHA" moments to muscle memory. But, I am so excited that I am finally making progress and can feel the difference in bad and good in my swing.

My biggest break though on that round was letting go of the bad shots (I had plenty) and focussing on the next shot. I didn't realize that until later when I totaled up my score card and thought about the round. I really enjoyed myself on the course, had a great time, and shot a terrible score. I didn't allow my score or my swing to be tied to my joy or self worth.


Never quit, keep working on it. I was ready to sell my clubs and forget about the game a few weeks ago.
 
superhawk said:
When I address the ball, before I hit, I focus my eyes about one inch in front of the ball.....and swing as if the ball is where I'm looking. I find by doing this I'm taking a divot in front of where the ball actually was sitting and I'm hitting down on the ball. According to all the gurus this is a good thing. LOL. I'm compressing the ball more. This is with my irons mainly.

When I address the ball, I put the toe of the club to the ball. Again, mainly irons. I find by doing this that when I swing I'm far more likely to hit the ball in the sweet spot. I first got this idea from watching the pros on TV. I then went to the front yard and took swings in the grass and realized my swing path was different from my address position. This made a HUGE difference in my game.
Click to expand...


I had this same breakthrough a couple weeks ago and now am a big fan. I stand a little further away from the ball to line up the ball to the toe (for irons) and have been hitting my irons infinitely better. I aim an inch or two in front of the ball as well, which really helps with contact.

With my fairway woods, focusing on hitting down on the ball instead of sweeping has resulted in a lot more consistency.
 
Breaking 80 for the first time was a breakthrough mentally for me. I knew I had the skill but it was just a mental block for me. Now since I did it once about 2 weeks ago, I've done it 3 more times in my last 4 rounds.
 
Damaikis said:
Breaking 80 for the first time was a breakthrough mentally for me. I knew I had the skill but it was just a mental block for me. Now since I did it once about 2 weeks ago, I've done it 3 more times in my last 4 rounds.
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Congrats! That is awesome!
 
My aha moment came after hitting 40 out of 50 practice half wedges fat of off a tight hard pan lie.

As I was hitting the balls back to towards my bag with one hand, one right after the other was a crisp little shot with lots of spin that would take a couple of hops and stop dead within a reasonable distance from my bag. I was hitting them better one handed than I did trying to make a perfect two handed textbook swing. What was the difference? While hitting them back I was actually swinging the club. While hitting them out I was restricting the swing and trying to hit them with my legs and arms with some sort of punch shot I thought I saw on TV.

What was the "AHA"? That no matter what type of shot you are trying to make, from the driver down to baby chips and 2 foot putts, the club must be swung freely through the ball. And, even guys who tell you that they make any shot with only their shoulders are probably not aware that they are actually swinging the club with their hands, it's just that the shoulders rotate at the same rate as the club head making it seem as though it is a shoulders only shot. The Club Must Swing Freely Through The Ball on all Shots!
 
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