Willie T

Spent todays session hitting about 100 balls, focusing on keeping the club wide and closed during takeaway. One of my biggest faults and bad habits that I always fall back into is getting flippy with the wrists during my takeaway, bringing the club way too far inside the plane and ending up in a very shallow position at the top of my backswing. This causes the arms to "get stuck", so to speak, when you begin the transition into the downswing.

My strike pattern improved significantly, and this drill always helps smooth out my tempo. I always lose ball speed and yardage when I use this drill, but i'm more than happy to make that sacrifice when my strike pattern and shot shaping increases so significantly.
Spent the rest of the session working on some alignment issues with my wedges.
All-in-all very successful range session. ⛳

My coach gave me some great advice on how to build a reliable wedge chart so I'm actively rebuilding my wedge chart. 
Waist high swing, Shoulder high and Full. Most likely to use the waist and shoulder for all wedge work unless I need to climb over a tree. John Daly said if you wanna be accurate with your wedges never take a full swing. 
 
First column is carry. 2nd is total on flightscopes "hard" surface. I can guesstimate roll based on conditions of the day with this being the high side. 

A quick update on how the gloves are doing.  Been rotating thru the different models - still prefer the breathability of the Pro over the Max.  The grippy nature proved itself with the older grips of the Tommy Armour 845s Silver Scots I played today.  

Started playing golf after 15 years again on April 7th…shot a 116 with an asterisk….on August 25th…shot 75!
41 shot improvement ain’t so bad!
best round ever. Had Only broke 80 twice in 25 years. Did it twice this summer.  Also had a 77 in June. Have been close to more with  some 80-81-82-83 rounds. Now down to 13.2 handicap . Even shot 1 over 2 weeks in a row on front 9. It’s fun to get better. 
 
59.6 years old. Torn rotator and a replaced knee and play the gold tees. 190-235 tees shots. 
I guess not bad for a semi old geezer. 
 
AND!!  Just made my FIRST HOLE IN ONE tonight 8-28!!
Hole# 7 over water…Paradise Valley in Fayetteville, Ar.
122 to the pin. 
hit an easy 8 iron…hit 12 -15 ft away and went straight sideways left into the hole!! Luckily had a couple waiting to tee off, so had witnesses and got pics and video with the nice gentleman. 
damn, a good, amazing week!!!
and shot another 37 to boot  
 
 

Went to the range yesterday with my wife.  We both hit 100 balls and for me nothing could go wrong.  All the shots where on distance and on direction, the most accurate that I have hit in a very long time.  I am pretty sure that the range balls were pre-programmed to make me feel better about my golf😄.  Actually wanted to collect those range balls and put them in my bag😄.
I think the problem was that lately I was standing too upright trying to keep the toe of the club on the ground.  Then yesterday morning I saw the video about the club toe setup that was posted and read the the comments that followed.  So, at the range I just let my arms hang down freely before gripping the club with the toe ever so slightly off the ground, relaxed my shoulders completely, and on the backswing worked on the sensation of the club moving straight up.  It all worked like a dream.
With the driver I changed my tee from 48mm to 38mm but giving me approximately 42mm height off the ground, concentrated on minimal head movement by focusing on the grass just behind the ball, huge relaxed back swing to a trigger point on full rotation, triggering the down swing (similar to the break of a finely tuned glass trigger on a good hunting/sniper rifle), snapping the hips through on the down swing (although my back took some strain), working the wrists and ..... away she goes...... I hit the sweet spot on 95% of the shots.  Drives accurate, straight as a bullet, and carry distances of >260m according to SwingCaddy.  
I am now so ready to take on the wife this weekend and break the 5 week losing streak against her.

Day 224 (28 Aug 24) - Easy day with some of the clubs hitting into the net in the backyard.  Worked on setup and takeaway process.  Kept most swings to 1/2 swings as the focus was getting consistent contact on the ball with the club face.   

Day 223 (27 Aug 24) - Monthly men’s group outing nine hole super ball.  Had grandson playing in our threesome - kid carried us on the greens as he made five 1 putts for 4 pars and 1 birdie - average distance was 10’.   For me it was a solid round of ball striking with the 845s Silver Scots, TM R580, etc.  Now if I could only putt like my grandson…we finished 1 under with no bogies, 8 pars and 1 birdie. 

Day 222 (26 Aug 24) - worked thru the 'somewhat vintage’ bag today - TA845s Silver Scots, TM R580 driver, SLDRs 3HL and Callaway Diablo 3h.  Hit into the net to get the feel back on how these hit.  Have to say the 845s irons are still sweet swinging clubs.  Will be using these in the monthly nine hole super ball round tomorrow.  

Day 221 (25 Aug 24) - An easy session with the MacGregor 7i and hard balls into the net.  This club will let you know if you miss hit and reward when you get it solid.  Love the concentration this requires to get a smooth thru the ball swing.  

Not sure how much a player I am - some would call me a “glutton for punishment”…lol, just like the challenge they present.  
 
 
Yes - local Goodwills, even Salvation Army or Habitat Restore stores are good places to look.  Have to say “shopgoodwill.com” is a great resource, got one of my all time fave putters there for cheap.  Also if there are big yard sale/thrift stores in your area - hit as much as you can.  

Day 220 (24 Aug 24) - some work at the net this pm with a couple of adders - foot spray and divot board along with the ball behind the club to keep takeaway shallower. Primary focus was on getting consistent center of club face (only worked with 9i) and getting solid thru the call contact.  Swung at about 60% speed (what felt like it) to keep things in good sequence.  Hit maybe a total of 30 balls…here’s a couple of photos of the setup: 

Thanks @BIG STU - yes I love switching up to the old clubs.  I know I don’t go as far with the woods and the irons are finicky - still they are for the most part the first set of real clubs  I had given to me.  So they come out for yard drills and of course for course work.  Love when some tell me they could never hit those woods and the irons scare them.  Golf is hard, and these clubs (for me) really don’t make it all that much harder….just more challenging…. 

Day 219 (23 Aug 24) - What started as the Friday men’s group 18 hole round became 27 when my son and grandson wanted to play nine.  Got in some solid work based on the drills of the past few days.  Overall game was so-so, weather was good, company was awesome - made for a solid Friday of golf. 

A quick update on how the gloves are doing.  Been rotating thru the different models - still prefer the breathability of the Pro over the Max.  The grippy nature proved itself with the older grips of the Tommy Armour 845s Silver Scots I played today.  

Day 223 (27 Aug 24) - Monthly men’s group outing nine hole super ball.  Had grandson playing in our threesome - kid carried us on the greens as he made five 1 putts for 4 pars and 1 birdie - average distance was 10’.   For me it was a solid round of ball striking with the 845s Silver Scots, TM R580, etc.  Now if I could only putt like my grandson…we finished 1 under with no bogies, 8 pars and 1 birdie. 

Day 224 (28 Aug 24) - Easy day with some of the clubs hitting into the net in the backyard.  Worked on setup and takeaway process.  Kept most swings to 1/2 swings as the focus was getting consistent contact on the ball with the club face.   

Day 224 (28 Aug 24) - Easy day with some of the clubs hitting into the net in the backyard.  Worked on setup and takeaway process.  Kept most swings to 1/2 swings as the focus was getting consistent contact on the ball with the club face.   

Congrats testers - should be a fun test to see how Callaway's latest Apex irons test out in your capable hands.  Good testing - may you hit 'em not only straight and far, but accurate as well!  

We’re are bringing another newly launch product by way of the latest additions to Callaway's renowned Apex line of irons—the Apex Ai200 and Ai300 to member testing.
The Apex line has a rich history, originally stemming from the legendary Ben Hogan brand, and has been a go-to for serious golfers since Callaway adopted it. Known for combining the feel of a forged iron with cutting-edge performance, the Apex irons have continually evolved to meet the needs of today’s players.
These new models claim to represent a significant leap forward in golf club technology, blending Callaway's advanced artificial intelligence design with premium forged construction. The Ai200 is designed for players seeking a balance of distance and precision, featuring a sleek, fully forged hollow-body construction. On the other hand, the Ai300 caters to those needing a more forgiving, game-improvement iron without sacrificing the feel and control that better players demand. Both models are designed to deliver superior consistency, performance, and a modernized look and feel, which is where you come in.
Please welcome and congratulate our testers! 
@JohnSmalls 
@bbreezy716 
@Wib081 
@GolfSpy_BNG *special*

Day 223 (27 Aug 24) - Monthly men’s group outing nine hole super ball.  Had grandson playing in our threesome - kid carried us on the greens as he made five 1 putts for 4 pars and 1 birdie - average distance was 10’.   For me it was a solid round of ball striking with the 845s Silver Scots, TM R580, etc.  Now if I could only putt like my grandson…we finished 1 under with no bogies, 8 pars and 1 birdie. 

Day 223 (27 Aug 24) - Monthly men’s group outing nine hole super ball.  Had grandson playing in our threesome - kid carried us on the greens as he made five 1 putts for 4 pars and 1 birdie - average distance was 10’.   For me it was a solid round of ball striking with the 845s Silver Scots, TM R580, etc.  Now if I could only putt like my grandson…we finished 1 under with no bogies, 8 pars and 1 birdie. 

A quick update on how the gloves are doing.  Been rotating thru the different models - still prefer the breathability of the Pro over the Max.  The grippy nature proved itself with the older grips of the Tommy Armour 845s Silver Scots I played today.  

Day 222 (26 Aug 24) - worked thru the 'somewhat vintage’ bag today - TA845s Silver Scots, TM R580 driver, SLDRs 3HL and Callaway Diablo 3h.  Hit into the net to get the feel back on how these hit.  Have to say the 845s irons are still sweet swinging clubs.  Will be using these in the monthly nine hole super ball round tomorrow.  

Day 222 (26 Aug 24) - worked thru the 'somewhat vintage’ bag today - TA845s Silver Scots, TM R580 driver, SLDRs 3HL and Callaway Diablo 3h.  Hit into the net to get the feel back on how these hit.  Have to say the 845s irons are still sweet swinging clubs.  Will be using these in the monthly nine hole super ball round tomorrow.  

Day 222 (26 Aug 24) - worked thru the 'somewhat vintage’ bag today - TA845s Silver Scots, TM R580 driver, SLDRs 3HL and Callaway Diablo 3h.  Hit into the net to get the feel back on how these hit.  Have to say the 845s irons are still sweet swinging clubs.  Will be using these in the monthly nine hole super ball round tomorrow.