What/How Did You Practice Today?

[Mdrnsamurai]

On 6/16/2024 at 8:13 AM, Dukhook52 said:

Hit about a dozen 5 irons on the backyard net. Quit. Swing ok, back…not good.  I love this game, and I love to practice almost as much as actually playing.  But age and back issues are beginning to take their toll.  Trying to learn to listen to my body and live to swing another day.

Any more old golfers out there dealing with similar issues?  I would love to hear your input!

after your session try swinging an equal amount of swings in the opposite direction... so if you take 25 swings righty then take 25 swings lefty and it gives you equal training of your back instead of just stressing the one side over and over again... Also luggage lifts with a kettlebell will strengthen and stabilize your back muscles...

[sirchunksalot]

24 minutes ago, Mdrnsamurai said:

Are your wedges bent correctly?? because maybe the lie angle is off??

They were right from the factory, but it might be worth having them looked at since I've hit them quite a bit. 

[Willie T]

Two days reporting here: 

Day 152 (18 Jun 24) - Spent time working the InDi 54 - short pitches, focused on setup and keeping the swing smooth.  
Day 153 (19 Jun 24) - Played 9 holes with son  while grandson was at golf camp.  Decent play - just could not see the line with the putter.  Still a good morning of golf. 

[Mdrnsamurai]

2 hours ago, sirchunksalot said:

They were right from the factory, but it might be worth having them looked at since I've hit them quite a bit. 

it's always good to have the lie angles match the rest of your irons, especially if the wedges are going to be used for full swings... especially if you are greater than 1.5* upright or flat...

[Siamese Moose]

It's not so much what I practiced today (chipping and putting), but that I practiced at all. I'm 4.5 weeks off a major shoulder injury, including a broken scapula and some rotator cuff and forearm tendon damage. Being able to hit any ball was so mentally therapeutic. I tried about a dozen fuller shots, but decided that I'm not ready for more than 50%. Then came home and did physical therapy. Hoping to return for my league on July 1st.

[Mdrnsamurai]

Range today...

5 hours ago, Siamese Moose said:

It's not so much what I practiced today (chipping and putting), but that I practiced at all. I'm 4.5 weeks off a major shoulder injury, including a broken scapula and some rotator cuff and forearm tendon damage. Being able to hit any ball was so mentally therapeutic. I tried about a dozen fuller shots, but decided that I'm not ready for more than 50%. Then came home and did physical therapy. Hoping to return for my league on July 1st.

get well sooner my brother!!!

[Willie T]

Day 154 (20 Jun 24) - weekly 9 hole round with good friend, had one of the regular locals tag along as well.  Had some decent up and downs for par….putting more consistent today as I trusted Mille for the stroke and pace….best of the day rolled a 35’ dead center cup for par that died perfectly at the cup….that one was fun! 

[Mdrnsamurai]

at the range today...

chips and pitches to start off with about 100 balls from 10yds, 20yds, and 30yds...

followed by a medium bucket through the bag Driver to GW, and some playtime in the sand with the 56* & 60*...

then I finished off the bucket with more time on the mat and finished the day with a 45-minute session of short putts from 3 & 6 feet...

[cnosil]

As those that have been on the forum for a while know, short game shots have been my nemesis for a while and I have been working to fix that aspect of my game.  I’ve had short game lessons from multiple coaches, watched YouTube videos, and bought into the Dan Grieves system.   

the past few weeks, things have started to click and I am hitting pitching and chip shots amazingly well. I’ve been hitting shots at home, on the course, and at MGS HQ to dial in the feels.    As my knowledge has grown I now realize all the resources were saying the same thing but it just didn’t click.   I ran across a video about James Ridyards death drill and that was the final piece; it taught me how arm structure and rotation were actually supposed to work.  Combined with a couple more Short Game Chef videos and a deep dive into the Dan Grieve’s lesson videos it is all coming together. 

Yesterday, prior to my league match I spend time on the courses short game area and was able to control trajectory and distance really well in all kinds of lies.   With the correct technique there were no really bad miss hits and now my confidence is sky high because I know what I should be doing!!!   I don’t think this is a short term kind of fix,  I now have understanding of movement.  
 

[StrokerAce]

10 minutes ago, cnosil said:

As those that have been on the forum for a while know, short game shots have been my nemesis for a while and I have been working to fix that aspect of my game.  I’ve had short game lessons from multiple coaches, watched YouTube videos, and bought into the Dan Grieves system.   

the past few weeks, things have started to click and I am hitting pitching and chip shots amazingly well. I’ve been hitting shots at home, on the course, and at MGS HQ to dial in the feels.    As my knowledge has grown I now realize all the resources were saying the same thing but it just didn’t click.   I ran across a video about James Ridyards death drill and that was the final piece; it taught me how arm structure and rotation were actually supposed to work.  Combined with a couple more Short Game Chef videos and a deep dive into the Dan Grieve’s lesson videos it is all coming together. 

Yesterday, prior to my league match I spend time on the courses short game area and was able to control trajectory and distance really well in all kinds of lies.   With the correct technique there were no really bad miss hits and now my confidence is sky high because I know what I should be doing!!!   I don’t think this is a short term kind of fix,  I now have understanding of movement.  
 

Congrats! That HC is going to drop like a rock now. 

Between Dan Grieve, Short Game Chef and James Ridyard is there one that you would recommend?

[cnosil]

18 minutes ago, StrokerAce said:

Congrats! That HC is going to drop like a rock now. 

Between Dan Grieve, Short Game Chef and James Ridyard is there one that you would recommend?

I like Dan Grieve.  I watched a few of his videos and bought his 3 releases book and it helped me a lot.   Actually sent him a couple of questions about some things I read in the book and he responded.   Short game chef would be a close second.  I think both Grieves and MacLaughlin are trying to simplify the short game for recreational arms.    Ridyard provides some info in his videos but he  is more technical in what he presents and doesn’t necessarily teach.  

that is an assessment based on the free material , yes I bought Dan Grieve’s book, but I use the videos to help fine tune.   The book helped me better understand what he was doing/saying in the lesson videos he has been putting on YouTube.   
 

if you like short game chef, he did 2 videos with Jerome Ruffin over the last couple of weeks that I thought were pretty good.  
 

https://www.youtube.com/@JeromeRufin

[jpostema]

It amazes me how dumb little things I would never think about significantly impact ball flight and strike. I got a quick lesson with a local coach last night. I wanted to check on my driver and wedges. My driver had been line drive pull hooks. The fix was to open my club face slightly at address. Since seeing him last and without knowing, I had closed my driver face by around 5 degrees. Opening it back up slightly immediately fixed the ball flight issues. 

Next, we looked at wedges from around 115 to 100 yards. I'd been hitting them fat consistently and kept coming up short on approach shots. The fix was to stand up taller during my swing. When looking at the video, my head dropped around 6 inches from addressing the ball to impact. After correcting this and standing up straighter, I consistently hit the green from 115 with no shots, finishing short.

[cnosil]

@StrokerAce  I had mentioned the death drill; here is the video that demonstrates.  It really taught me how little the arms are used and that it is rotation that is important.  

 

[Jim Shaw]

1 hour ago, cnosil said:

As those that have been on the forum for a while know, short game shots have been my nemesis for a while and I have been working to fix that aspect of my game.  I’ve had short game lessons from multiple coaches, watched YouTube videos, and bought into the Dan Grieves system.   

the past few weeks, things have started to click and I am hitting pitching and chip shots amazingly well. I’ve been hitting shots at home, on the course, and at MGS HQ to dial in the feels.    As my knowledge has grown I now realize all the resources were saying the same thing but it just didn’t click.   I ran across a video about James Ridyards death drill and that was the final piece; it taught me how arm structure and rotation were actually supposed to work.  Combined with a couple more Short Game Chef videos and a deep dive into the Dan Grieve’s lesson videos it is all coming together. 

Yesterday, prior to my league match I spend time on the courses short game area and was able to control trajectory and distance really well in all kinds of lies.   With the correct technique there were no really bad miss hits and now my confidence is sky high because I know what I should be doing!!!   I don’t think this is a short term kind of fix,  I now have understanding of movement.  
 

that is great news, and hard work helps, way to go...

[cnosil]

7 minutes ago, Jim Shaw said:

that is great news, and hard work helps, way to go...

Thanks.  obviously still need to continue working, but I feel like I ham moving past the technique aspect and can start to focus on execution and results.  

[Jim Shaw]

5 minutes ago, cnosil said:

Thanks.  obviously still need to continue working, but I feel like I ham moving past the technique aspect and can start to focus on execution and results.  

I love that evolution, mechanics, mechanics, mechanics, feel... 

[PrismFlopper]

So I saw a clip the other day of mickelson saying if you hit off a tee that the ball goes 5 yard further. Yes Ik I’m nowhere near his level but my habit for lack of a better term is that anytime I hit a wedge off the tee like PW,GW,SW I tend to hit it WAYYY SHORT. the only thing I can think is it’s getting way more spin and height causing it to go short. Nylons have ideas or can help explain that to me. I have this most often with par 3s and I think that causing some of my lost shots. Maybe I’m teeing it a little bit cause me t get under it… idk. 

[StrokerAce]

18 minutes ago, PrismFlopper said:

So I saw a clip the other day of mickelson saying if you hit off a tee that the ball goes 5 yard further. Yes Ik I’m nowhere near his level but my habit for lack of a better term is that anytime I hit a wedge off the tee like PW,GW,SW I tend to hit it WAYYY SHORT. the only thing I can think is it’s getting way more spin and height causing it to go short. Nylons have ideas or can help explain that to me. I have this most often with par 3s and I think that causing some of my lost shots. Maybe I’m teeing it a little bit cause me t get under it… idk. 

where you contact the ball on the face of the club has a dramatic difference. Careful listening to what Phil says... it has to come with some context.

 

[NM01]

41 minutes ago, PrismFlopper said:

So I saw a clip the other day of mickelson saying if you hit off a tee that the ball goes 5 yard further. Yes Ik I’m nowhere near his level but my habit for lack of a better term is that anytime I hit a wedge off the tee like PW,GW,SW I tend to hit it WAYYY SHORT. the only thing I can think is it’s getting way more spin and height causing it to go short. Nylons have ideas or can help explain that to me. I have this most often with par 3s and I think that causing some of my lost shots. Maybe I’m teeing it a little bit cause me t get under it… idk. 

How far above then ground is your ball when it’s on a tee?

[cksurfdude]

13 hours ago, cnosil said:

Yesterday, prior to my league match I spend time on the courses short game area and was able to control trajectory and distance really well in all kinds of lies.   With the correct technique there were no really bad miss hits and now my confidence is sky high because I know what I should be doing!!!   I don’t think this is a short term kind of fix,  I now have understanding of movement.  

NICE and Congrats!!! Kudos for the persistence to keep working working working to get to this breakthrough!

[Willie T]

Day 155 (21 Jun 24) -  No pounding balls, no rounds of golf as we are taking a couple of days at the beach - instead worked on slap shot drill while grilling earlier.  Like doing this even when not using clubs as I can focus on the feel of the weight shift in the feet, continuing to build trust in the left being able to handle the pressure. 

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Range session working on getting my hands deeper. Then some face angle drills and drive block practice. Then got the itch and played the short course, focusing on soft swings taking and extra club or two to feel my range work. 

[Byrnzee]

Went to the driving range today to prepare for my trip to Arcadia Bluffs tomorrow morning. One of the main things I was working on was consistency with my 2-iron. I recently started using a new swing feel and it has helped with better consistency with every single club in my bag... with the exception of the 2-iron. 

I have a feeling it's related to either a) poor setup or b) mental block. I used to hit this club very well, so I know that I have it in me somewhere. I've watched some tips on YouTube and Instagram for proper setup and I feel like I have that down. So that goes back to the mental side.

I think I'm trying to hit up on the ball rather than down as well as getting impatient and rushing my transition. I probably hit every 4th shot great with it, but I really would like to get more consistent especially for a course like Arcadia Bluffs, where it would thrive.

If anyone has any additional tips for consistent 2-iron contact other than what I mentioned above, please don't hesistate to reach out here or in a PM! 

Otherwise, very happy with the rest of my session. Ball-striking continues to be very solid with the rest of the clubs and my driver has never been more consistent. Hoping I can just execute this weekend on the golf course!

[russtopherb]

I got in my first practice with the Evnroll ER5 I'm testing here, and I warmed up with a bucket at the range before hitting the practice green. I worked my way around the bag working on feeling like my backswing stops at hip high, which in reality is more like shoulder high. I hit some great drives and irons, but my fairway and hybrid were really solid as well which was nice to see.

The grass on the section of range they have roped off is pretty much decimated at this point, and the guy next to me was doing his best to hit off of a small patch of actual grass but unfortunately he hooked the perimeter rope on his follow through and ripped half of it away. The poor guy was mortified. I put a few stakes back in to help, and I just looked at him and said "don't worry, I've done it too". He apologized profusely and noted he was just trying to hit from the tiny patch of grass he was able to find, we commiserated about the lack of grass on the grass range, and went back to our buckets.

[cksurfdude]

Just putting and chipping - and both went well. Playing tomorrow and always need a confidence boost beforehand!!!

[Syks7]

Sometimes this game...  Since I shot a 78 three weeks ago (or more precisely since I walked off the 14th green at even par in that round) my iron and approach game has been suspect -- starting with the terrible tee shot on the 15th green that day.  I've been mostly focused on driver for the Ventus test so I figured I'd kind of find my way back into it.  Well it leaked into my short irons and wedges yesterday and I decided I'd had enough.  Spent the morning going in and out of the 95 degree sweatbox/garage running through drills, getting frustrated at lack of feel, then taking a breather.  Decided to go back in a few minutes ago with the intent to slow it down and take 3/4 swings....  Guess who's got two thumbs and has been too deep in the back swing with his irons and full swing wedges.  

Still a tad heavy, but it's 3" behind the ball anymore.

I figure what's happened is that I've been taking a lot of swings with the driver and I've been driving the club deeper and higher into the back swing to generate some more club head speed -- which works very well for my driver, 3 wood, and hybrids. That's leaked into my irons (heavier clubs) and that's lead to me getting out of sequence, stuck, and flipping the club to catch up.  Good times.  

Edited June 22 by Syks7

[Willie T]

Day 156 (22 Jun 24) - Very similar to yesterday’s work - except not while grilling….its been good to just work on the feels of weight shift and not be distracted by “where the ball went-itis”.  

[Chas c]

I think I finally fixed my issue with my back. Been doing some research and trying to decide if I needed to go to the doctor and get an X-ray since my back was not getting better, and saw some articles about subluxating your ribs. Long story short, I pulled out the foam roller and I think I popped my rib back into place. Still have some muscle soreness from being awkward lately, but the pain during golf swings is GONE! 

[TJ Hall]

On 6/20/2024 at 4:46 PM, Siamese Moose said:

It's not so much what I practiced today (chipping and putting), but that I practiced at all. I'm 4.5 weeks off a major shoulder injury, including a broken scapula and some rotator cuff and forearm tendon damage. Being able to hit any ball was so mentally therapeutic. I tried about a dozen fuller shots, but decided that I'm not ready for more than 50%. Then came home and did physical therapy. Hoping to return for my league on July 1st.

Glad you’re feeling a bit better and able to swing a bit…hope for a full recovery soon!

Edited June 23 by TJ Hall

[Chas c]

13 minutes ago, TJ Hall said:

Glad your feeling a bit better and able to swing a bit…hope for a full recovery soon!

Playing a round today, we'll see how it goes