What/How Did You Practice Today?

[PrayingForPar]

Crazy wildfires and thunderstorms here in SoCal so was forced to practice putting indoors.

Spent about 30 minutes with a putting mirror working on start line and tempo with a metronome.

[rkj427]

Spent a few hours this afternoon at both the range not too far from home, and then walked over to the course close by to use the practice green.

At the range worked on mostly irons, started with wedges, worked my way up to the 4 iron, then back down to wedges again. Tried to hit irons to various distances, using different flights and swings to accomplish that.

After the iron work, hit a few hybrids and fairways, both off the grass and then off some tees. Hit about 8 or so drivers to wrap up that session.

At the putting green, worked on long distances as lately I am playing to hit GIR rather than going for the pins, as many times the pins are not in getable locations.

Spent about an hour there, varied distances, breaks, and both uphill and downhill putts. No really terrible misses, but not many unexpected makes from long range either. I am OK with 2 putting greens, as long as I am on them in regulation.

[cksurfdude]

On 9/3/2024 at 2:12 PM, sirchunksalot said:

On the range I hit the ball pretty well but was suffering from a case of the toe strikes.

Double check your setup. Soooo many - what are perceived as - ball striking errors may be traced back to your initial setup to the ball. And check your target alignment, too.

After you get a solid strike make note of ball position front-to-back plus near-to-far from you. This may, or may not, be a little different vs what you'd thought was "correct".

...

As for me, I've had a couple of decent practice sessions recently .. including testing out different driver shafts I seem to have collected.

I think just simply hitting different shafts can be instructive to help you understand where in your driver swing things go wonky. (..yeah yeah haha yes it's everywhere )

Also tested out a demo 7i I've had sitting around since last year - a Tour Edge E723 with Tensei AV Blue shaft - and really cannot remember why I didn't like it at the time... Well I'm glad I kept it because I liked what I was seeing at the range and am gonna carry it on the course and try to hit shots side by side vs my gamer.

On top of all that figured out something in my backswing - I think it was @cnosil was responding to someone about putting and describing arms moving horizontal vs vertical - so I tried a feel of the lead shoulder pushing back + turning the shoulders and chest. Started catching the ball better .. especially on chips and pitches!!

So a little bit of late season progress within this on-going continual work in progress! 

 

[Shankster]

1 hour ago, cksurfdude said:

Double check your setup. Soooo many - what are perceived as - ball striking errors may be traced back to your initial setup to the ball. And check your target alignment, too.

True.  I am having an alignment issue right now.  It is extremely difficult to figure out.  I feel super closed but I am not, it’s messing with my brain.

[RonnieB]

On 9/5/2024 at 7:40 PM, Off Map Oscar said:

My coach says he does this a lot before he goes out for the first round of the season. I've started doing it on 5 to 8 balls with my 7 iron at the start of my warmup bucket. It definitely helps remind me what my body mechanics should be doing. 

I did the slap shot and it was helpful. I found out with my driver I was standing too close. My round on Saturday evening I was hitting the ball straight back taking a full step back in my stance and having my hands farther out in front me. Thanks for the tip, I like the slapshot. 

[Off Map Oscar]

23 minutes ago, RonnieB said:

I did the slap shot and it was helpful. I found out with my driver I was standing too close. My round on Saturday evening I was hitting the ball straight back taking a full step back in my stance and having my hands farther out in front me. Thanks for the tip, I like the slapshot. 

Glad it helped!

[Willie T]

Day 236 (09 Sep 24) - At home, work in the backyard with the 6i and 8i into the net.  Left foot was tender so weight shift was off today - noticed the lack of solid contact on quite a few shots.  Still felt good to make some solid swings.    

[Rob Person]

 

Went to the range this morning, broke in the orange whip after having watched 20 or so videos on practice swing techniques.  The results were interesting,  but not WOW. More practice needed for sure.

Biggest takeaway was that swinging the orange whip then swinging the driver are 2 completely different feelings for me.  Following the instructions I was able to position the whip and made my hip rotation more effective, which also forced me to shallow the whip more with wrist position and dropping down into the impact area.  But for whatever reason when I tried it with my driver,  I was pulling my shots to the left (not hooking)

Definitely need some more practice as I could really feel my swing position more with the whip.

[Shapotomous]

Backyard wedge shots tonight, about 50 of them.  Besides dialing in yardage and direction with the wedges this helps keep my swing tempo in the groove for all the clubs.  There is a state Sr Open tourney coming up in mid Oct that I am on the fence about entering.  I need to keep a good swing going just in case i decide to sign up 

[cnosil]

8 hours ago, Rob Person said:

Biggest takeaway was that swinging the orange whip then swinging the driver are 2 completely different feelings for me.  Following the instructions I was able to position the whip and made my hip rotation more effective, which also forced me to shallow the whip more with wrist position and dropping down into the impact area.  But for whatever reason when I tried it with my driver,  I was pulling my shots to the left (not hooking)

 

What are you doing with your shoulders?   Possibly using shoulders to move the OW to generate power?   

[Rob Person]

3 minutes ago, cnosil said:

What are you doing with your shoulders?   Possibly using shoulders to move the OW to generate power?   

Having slept on this and Without video to examine,  I'm going to guess that the extra weight and flex of the whip in the back swing is causing an exaggerating  motion when I return to the down swing. Even when I repeated the technique slower, you can really feel the whips movement. With the driver being lighter,  and trying to mimic that same feeling, I'm not getting the same downswing results

[cnosil]

25 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

Having slept on this and Without video to examine,  I'm going to guess that the extra weight and flex of the whip in the back swing is causing an exaggerating  motion when I return to the down swing. Even when I repeated the technique slower, you can really feel the whips movement. With the driver being lighter,  and trying to mimic that same feeling, I'm not getting the same downswing results

I ask because my left miss comes when I start the swing with the shoulders to generate more power.  I try to remind myself to do the Justin Rose drill and keep my back toward the target.   
 

it could be that you are engaging Ifyou hands more and orating the face closed.

tt could be a million other things too

Edited September 10 by cnosil

[Willie T]

Day 237 (10 Sep 24) - More work in the backyard - worked thru the bag using hard foam balls focused on tempo, setup.  

[Rob Person]

Here you go @cnosil. I recorded today's range session. Cut it from 51 minutes to 9.  

I was striking the driver quite well today too. Avg 240-259 yards avg. Best was 260 on the course (I played 9 afterwards)

 

 

[Overspark07]

Gap wedge at the short course trying to groove the new swing. Hitting full shots for 30 minutes or so until the sun set, then worked on some different releases right around the green.

[TAGolf13]

Continued working on my short game, particularly putting with my eyes closed. I'll be taking that strategy to the course tomorrow to see how I do. Seems to be working OK on the practice green. 

The highlight of yesterday's 2-hour short game work was watching my beloved chipping, putting, and pitching. She's making another attempt at playing, and I'm psyched about that. She'd be my favorite golf partner if she sticks with it!

 

[Shapotomous]

@Rob Person good practice video.  That last club you were hitting....it looked like you had the best tempo and balanced swings with that one.  Did the good swing translate to good ball flight?

I practiced more 50 yard wedge shots last night with the 57* working on consistency in setup & with the bottom of my swing and face control.  I hit 60 shots and was happy with the impact pattern on the face.  I was able to maintain a lower ball flight with the Edison as well.

[cnosil]

9 hours ago, Rob Person said:

Here you go @cnosil. I recorded today's range session. Cut it from 51 minutes to 9.  

I was striking the driver quite well today too. Avg 240-259 yards avg. Best was 260 on the course (I played 9 afterwards)

 

 

I don’t have enough knowledge to critique the swing.   I also haven’t watched the OW videos but you seem to just be swinging the club without focus on body positions.  Made me think of this Instagram post and how the swing is done in posture with good mechanics   

https://www.instagram.com/need_golf/reel/C_sZ48Vujts/

[Rob Person]

52 minutes ago, Shapotomous said:

@Rob Person good practice video.  That last club you were hitting....it looked like you had the best tempo and balanced swings with that one.  Did the good swing translate to good ball flight?

I practiced more 50 yard wedge shots last night with the 57* working on consistency in setup & with the bottom of my swing and face control.  I hit 60 shots and was happy with the impact pattern on the face.  I was able to maintain a lower ball flight with the Edison as well.

Thanks. It is a 7 wood I cut down a couple inches. Before the stix irons, I didn't have a solid 150 club. I can generally land this 145-155 every time. It is an older Adams Adw, graphite shaft.

Ball flight off the deck is generally mid height. Off the tee can get it to nearly stop on landing. But off the tee I can't control the flight as well.

[Rob Person]

7 minutes ago, cnosil said:

I don’t have enough knowledge to critique the swing.   I also haven’t watched the OW videos but you seem to just be swinging the club without focus on body positions.  Made me think of this Instagram post and how the swing is done in posture with good mechanics   

https://www.instagram.com/need_golf/reel/C_sZ48Vujts/

These were just warm up/body flexing swings.  I'm still learning the process and plan to take it up in stages. 

Also, I cut the video down by 40 minutes.  I would use the OW in between each club.  Today's focus was just my long clubs

Edited September 11 by Rob Person

[Shapotomous]

Practiced putting this morning.  For some reason I tried hovering the putter before the backstroke and had the most consistent distance control I've had in a loooong time.   

  Thinking back the best putter I ever saw in person hovered the putter and moved it back and forth like a cue stick before his stroke.  He was a great pool player and a wizard with that Ping Zing.   I think I have a Ping Zing in the workshop collection, maybe I'll dig that out and see if I can recreate the magic of old Mont Nettles!!

[Willie T]

Day 238 (11 Sep 24) - played weekly nine hole round with my good friend, made it a 7 club challenge for me (D, 3h, 6i, 8i, Pw, 54 & Putter).  Had a blast thinking less about which club instead focused on shot placement t into the green or near it.  Found myself in between distances a couple of times, made for interesting club choices - still shot what I typically shot nine - a 42…btw Millie and I struggled with the greens - two 3 putts for bogie and a couple of tap in pars for bogie…could have easily been sub-40.

[ClevelandGirl]

Rare occurrence when my usual sim session coincides with a break in the action so the perfectly average golfer “played” the scratch golfer at Dundrum in Tipperary. No putting action so hit the green it’s a 2 putt, inside the magic 12’ circle is a 1 putt. We set my cap at 20 and his at 0, but somehow the trackman made us 18 and +1, which neither of us understands. It was also set to the Not Rude setting (which is medium. I maintain the settings are easy, medium, and rude, and this is a hill I will die on). 
 

Seriously it’s fun to watch my friend play golf. He’s scary accurate and the distance he gets. When he plays indoors he doesn’t even pull driver or a wood. I can’t imagine the jaw dropping distance his driver goes. 
 

Anyway I continued my steady 70% FIR average with my driver, and figured out something with my hybrids so I’m back to hitting those well. It was a fun practice session, including working on course management - my friend talks out loud his decisions for me and he’ll correct me or question my decisions. Sometimes it’s “outdoors I would definitely layup from this lie but indoor golf is about the hero shot!” There was much yelling at virtual balls on a screen - can hardly imagine what folks would think of us. 
 

As you know with sim golf, sometimes you get in the s*** and you can’t get out. One of my blow up holes was three swings trying to get out to where I could see anything. There is a semi-strict no mulligan rule at his sim, because it’s too easy when a bad shot goes awry, so we will mark a blow up hole by the sim. I will own the second snowman - that was all mad skillz baby.
 

There was also healthy competition, though I am not competitive and he is, so despite myself we got caught up in the scores and I was at one point +5 to his -1, and we sort of staged a comeback somehow by collaborative cheering on. We ended up his net +1 to my net+2, which isn’t bad at all for me. 

[MountainManJeff]

Today's practice was a putting practice.  I was using my indoor putting mat and working on tempo, alignment, and overall feel.  

Mostly working on 5'-8' distances with a few 2' and 3' shorter distances as well.

takeaways from today...

• left elbow brushing/touching my left hip (I'm a right handed putter)
• soft grip (I can grip too tight at times).  The soft grip allowed the club fact to get back to alignment and strike the ball in the center - consistently.
• mindset - practice like you're on the course and just stuck that 100 yard shot to 8-10 feet... it's birdie time... make it count.

[russtopherb]

Solid range session this morning, working on shoulder turn and starting the downswing feeling like I'm juuuuuuuuuuuust hanging back a bit to avoid my upper body lunging forward. I hit a lot of great irons and wedges, some drivers leaked out to the right but nothing that would have been massively penal. After working on the feels, I bounced around the bag to simulate playing a few holes.

[schooner44]

I've been working a lot of half swings and learning distances with punch/hooded shots. That in combination with proper use of clubs around the greens seems to be helping my short game quite a bit. 

Also worked on my driver on Tuesday. My instructor is gradually adding things into the lessons and the latest thing was flipping my wrists through. Even though I've mostly gotten rid of my slice, I still had a little baby fade which reminds me how close I am to slicing into the next fairway. Flipping my wrists actually had me hitting some drives dead straight which I never thought I'd be able to do. I just need to be conscious of the progression and using proper technique. 

[cksurfdude]

On 9/11/2024 at 8:48 AM, cnosil said:

.. Made me think of this Instagram post and how the swing is done in posture with good mechanics   

https://www.instagram.com/need_golf/reel/C_sZ48Vujts/

 
..this was like the missing link / missing piece of the puzzle / etc for me!! Tried this yesterday in the garage, in front of a mirror, and then at the range today - starting out with a SW, then PW - and wow what a difference it's making for me!

So straightforward and simple it's almost like 'too good to be true' kinda thing but it just resonated with me.

THANKS @cnosil!!!

[cnosil]

2 hours ago, cksurfdude said:

 
..this was like the missing link / missing piece of the puzzle / etc for me!! Tried this yesterday in the garage, in front of a mirror, and then at the range today - starting out with a SW, then PW - and wow what a difference it's making for me!

So straightforward and simple it's almost like 'too good to be true' kinda thing but it just resonated with me.

THANKS @cnosil!!!

The main reason I posted it was because when I was watching @Rob Personvideo he looked like he was just swinging the OW.  Even though he was doing it just to get loose,  I really thing we need to stay focused and swing with solid mechanics and not get to lackadaisical.   its why we do drills in slow motion. 

Glad to hear it is helping!

[Rob Person]

1 hour ago, cnosil said:

The main reason I posted it was because when I was watching @Rob Personvideo he looked like he was just swinging the OW.  Even though he was doing it just to get loose,  I really thing we need to stay focused and swing with solid mechanics and not get to lackadaisical.   its why we do drills in slow motion. 

Glad to hear it is helping!

So watching further videos, they never want you static. They are always showing starting with a slight forward swing and then transition to the back swing. 

[JAYER38]

I had a bad problem with being all arms and with driver that always meant a fade or big slice cause I wasn't closing the face(swing path was usually consistent with starting the ball pretty centered). As I went down the bag the fade went away dude to the left of the club helping.

So I went to work on fine tuning my turn/ground use lately... About a month ago I found a good feeling and movement that helped me complete my turn and close the face with a consistent -2*-0 swing path(Basically felt like I would twist the lead knee forward right before the top of my back swing which helped get my front hip back/turned just letting the arms drop and go thru effortlessly) Driver was performing the best it ever had, my misses were down and even then it was a slight pull. I did my best to practice and use that feeling as I went down the bag. Irons weren't working with that feeling so I began to really use the front foot and dig it to turn the lead hip with ground force and that became the go to giving me some of my most consistent iron play. BUT as I was adjusting my Irons the Driver has feeling has left...

I somehow have "lost" the feeling and am not completing my turn with Driver now so hitting big draws that start right and pull back to center/start center and go left or major push/blocks out right. I feel that instead of driving my lead foot into the ground which pulled my front hip back I'm squatting then driving the foot down just "jumping" with the lead leg  not letting me complete my turn

This has been so frustrating!! So haven't swung a club since Monday hoping I can come back with a new mental game and jump back into it