What/How Did You Practice Today?

[sirchunksalot]

We had a problem at work that shut us down early today, so I came home and headed out to the range. I started out badly, hitting quite a few off the hosel. Oh great.

When life gives you lemons, place a tee outside the toe and just focus on not hitting that. It's amazing what external focus drills can do for you. I wasn't perfect, but started hitting better shots and feeling the buttery Mizuno goodness. 

 

I worked through a small bucket and had to go in and grab another. 

I even remember what @chisag told me a couple of weeks ago about tempo and my 6 iron and I hit some good shots with it. I appreciate it, Sam.

Driver was great! I hit a bunch of good shots with it and only one stinker off the heel. 

It's nice to see the fruits of what I've been working on starting to pay off.

[GolfSpy_APH]

12 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

We had a problem at work that shut us down early today, so I came home and headed out to the range. I started out badly, hitting quite a few off the hosel. Oh great.

When life gives you lemons, place a tee outside the toe and just focus on not hitting that. It's amazing what external focus drills can do for you. I wasn't perfect, but started hitting better shots and feeling the buttery Mizuno goodness. 

 

I worked through a small bucket and had to go in and grab another. 

I even remember what @chisag told me a couple of weeks ago about tempo and my 6 iron and I hit some good shots with it. I appreciate it, Sam.

Driver was great! I hit a bunch of good shots with it and only one stinker off the heel. 

It's nice to see the fruits of what I've been working on starting to pay off.

You have no idea how much I love there... and I know the feeling of that toe iron strike... 

[sirchunksalot]

22 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

You have no idea how much I love there... and I know the feeling of that toe iron strike... 

That toe strike definitely reverberated up into my hands and watching the flight, I thought I'd look down and see another mark on the hosel. 

[AntLockyer]

Practiced 45 footers in the rain yesterday (hit 100 before moving on to 20 footers). Why? Because some time very soon I'm going to have to hit a 45 footer in the rain.

[Jim Shaw]

played 9 holes today, shot even par 36, 1 birdie, 1 bogey, 7 pars, hit 4 fairways, 5 greens, had 13 putts.... I need to hit more fairways and more greens on Monday when I play...

 

[EasyPutter]

Practice today was with putter on an indoor sloped practice green at Wildwood CC.  Saturday #2 of 6 in this PGA HOPE program offering in the Rochester area was spent entirely in the putting room (and now I realize a photo would be helpful - mental note for next week).

Rolled putts with my L.A.B. DF2.1 and also my old Pinemeadow Z-ON M1 I took with me to give a new-to-golf Veteran a chance to try my older more traditional mallet putter [that doesn't look like a starship the size of a manhold cover, just kidding] to compare to her RAM blade putter.  I had not used my Z-ON M1 since testing began for the DF2.1 and found the L.A.B. putter has made me stop concentrating on preventing twist induced by wrist movement holding the grip.  The DF2.1 by design has inertia to dampen out the twist or yaw motion of a swing.  The Z-ON M1 felt as prone to wiggling in my hands as a fish is when trying to remove a hook from its mouth.  That putter was set to rest by the wall.

Those few putts with the 2006 model Pinemeadow Z-ON M1 were enough for me to be willing to part with it when several minutes later one of the Pros asked to try it.  He proceeded to drain 5 putts in a row going across slope to a cup 10 feet away finally missing the 6th to break his growing assertion that he was interested to take it off my hands lol.

So the practice was as much giving pointers to a new golfer while rolling my own putts.  I was surprised when more than 90 minutes had disappeared when the host Pro came around and informed me I was the last Veteran still there.  Like the old Batman shows said, I will be there next week, at the same Bat (place) and same Bat time.  

Update for the 2022 L.A.B. DF2.1 putter testing:  the putter actually does,, as advertised reduce to the point of elimination, the tendency of yaw or twist of the putter during the swing. 

[Merlin1313]

Did some 40-60 yard shots and some chipping. Did the same yesterday, but the ground was still frozen and the wind was howling, so there was no hit and check, it was hit and roll for days. Today was completely different. I did a lot better (except for the obligatory, occasional chunks and blades).

[juspoole]

Had a decent day yesterday - low 50's and sunny.  Decided to take my 4 year old.  Bad decision. He lasted 4 minutes and was screaming and in a mood to leave.  The few I did hit were not good.  Will keep at it in terms of trying to get him introduced if he wants and hopefully hitting the ball better myslef.

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Realized my hands are likely coming too far out when I swing causing my heel strikes, so focused keeping them down and left and on video my swing looks better. Need to try it with a ball now. 

 

 

[RickyBobby_PR]

1 hour ago, Vegan_Golfer_PNW said:

Realized my hands are likely coming too far out when I swing causing my heel strikes, so focused keeping them down and left and on video my swing looks better. Need to try it with a ball now. 

 

It because you are spinning your chest and hips at the same time in the downswing (classic ott move) and not keeping the back to the target and straightening the right elbow and adding flexion on in the left wrist.

Do you have a video of you keeping them down and left?

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

8 minutes ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

It because you are spinning your chest and hips at the same time in the downswing (classic ott move) and not keeping the back to the target and straightening the right elbow and adding flexion on in the left wrist.

Do you have a video of you keeping them down and left?

this video is. that's the feeling. As for the the seperatation of rotation, that is still a work in progress but hasnt been anything my coach has pointed out to me yet.

[RickyBobby_PR]

15 minutes ago, Vegan_Golfer_PNW said:

this video is. that's the feeling. As for the the seperatation of rotation, that is still a work in progress but hasnt been anything my coach has pointed out to me yet.

I don’t really see the hand come down and what happens is your rotating the chest and increasing extension in both legs and having to shallow with dropping the right shoulder and getting the right elbow stuck behind you and still very bent, looks like it’s about 90° right around impact.

I know you posted in the amg shallowing thread on wrx about trying the right elbow extending move, have you tried that at all?

[cksurfdude]

30 minutes ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

It because you are spinning your chest and hips at the same time in the downswing (classic ott move) and not keeping the back to the target and straightening the right elbow and adding flexion on in the left wrist.

Yep yep yep. You haven't seen me swing but you just nailed some of the key things I'm working on!

.. especially the right (trail for me) elbow coming into impact...

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

30 minutes ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

I know you posted in the amg shallowing thread on wrx about trying the right elbow extending move, have you tried that at all?

yes. i do that daily and that is the feel i have when i start my swing

[RickyBobby_PR]

Just now, Vegan_Golfer_PNW said:

yes. i do that daily and that is the feel i have when i start my swing

It’s not happening in your swing though. If that was was translating into the actual movement your hands would stay back and the right arm would be bent to more than 90° near impact.

 

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Just now, RickyBobby_PR said:

It’s not happening in your swing though. If that was was translating into the actual movement your hands would stay back and the right arm would be bent to more than 90° near impact.

 

work in progress my friend. this may take more than the month i have been working on to go into my swing. At this point, i am just happy to get the club starting to layoff a little in transition.

[RickyBobby_PR]

3 hours ago, Vegan_Golfer_PNW said:

work in progress my friend. this may take more than the month i have been working on to go into my swing. At this point, i am just happy to get the club starting to layoff a little in transition.

Of course it’s going to take time. The club isn’t laying off at least not in this budoZ it’s steep in transition and your right shoulder dropping is what’s causing it to layof/shallow

[cksurfdude]

So practiced outdoors - in the middle of Feb - two days in a row!

First day brought the wife along .. and while running through my current not-quite-routine practice (have a general outline I like to do but it'll vary) and not 100% feeling it ... she suggests why don't we go play 9?

Wasn't planning on it ahead of time, only had a few practice clubs with me, and it's kinda grey damp chilly breezy but ya know... So grab a few range balls (yes haha they *are* almost just like Pro V1s ) and off we go.

Cannot say I hit the balls on the course as well as on the range, but it was worthwhile. We have temp greens, and the grass is thin of course and the ground pretty damp everywhere .. so not my fave conditions but hey it's golf!

Did manage to get most tee shots off either into the fairway or into a playable position .. so there's a bit of progress on that aspect of the game.

...

Next day was just range time, sans honey, and was hitting 'em somewhat better. There are a few black and white striped poles at various distances - one seems to be good for me for the 7i .. as long as I get a solid shot off .. and there's one closer at about 90 or so yds .. good target for the PW for me (no GW in the practice bag).

So with the 7i I'm starting to get a few, what looks to my old eyes, reasonably close to that target pole .. like I said it requires a solid strike .. so even though my "good" percentage is still low, and dispersion still way wider than I'd like, I can see some progress over time

The PW to the closer target also still a WIP (work in progress) but started landing balls nearer and nearer each time I went back to that club + target - especially after I adjusted my setup to grip down and stand a little closer to the ball.

C'mon Spring!!

[Andrew75]

5 draws then a fade, five draws then a fade. 

[GaryF]

Three range sessions this week.  Monday, I hit every club in the bag then worked on 58* LB tight lie chip/pitches.  Focusing more on my approach to the setup.  With my irons, I just haven’t been consistent and I believe in part because I’m not setting up with the club head squared AND flat relative to the lie angle.  After a number of pgatss sessions and one fitting, my current 3* up is not correct for me.  But with a proper and consistent setup, I can better adjust to it.  

Yesterday I started with 3/4 swing with gap wedge, then full swing, then focused on full swing GW, PW, SW, 9 and 8i.  Getting more comfortable and hit all very well and consistently. Then worked on 58* LB tight lie shots 10-20 yards out.  Then putting.  Really good session.  

Today, similar session but after the wedge warmup with some 3/4 and full swings, worked on 6i, 3h, 7w and driver.  Then the 58* LB 20 yds and closer.  Then putting.  Found some thicker grass and mixed in some slightly open club face and squared face.  Hit everything really well.  Mid 70 degree temps help. The changes I’m making feeling more natural but not there yet.
 

 

 

[Kenny B]

36 minutes ago, GaryF said:

Three range sessions this week.  Monday, I hit every club in the bag then worked on 58* LB tight lie chip/pitches.  Focusing more on my approach to the setup.  With my irons, I just haven’t been consistent and I believe in part because I’m not setting up with the club head squared AND flat relative to the lie angle.  After a number of pgatss sessions and one fitting, my current 3* up is not correct for me.  But with a proper and consistent setup, I can better adjust to it.  

Yesterday I started with 3/4 swing with gap wedge, then full swing, then focused on full swing GW, PW, SW, 9 and 8i.  Getting more comfortable and hit all very well and consistently. Then worked on 58* LB tight lie shots 10-20 yards out.  Then putting.  Really good session.  

Today, similar session but after the wedge warmup with some 3/4 and full swings, worked on 6i, 3h, 7w and driver.  Then the 58* LB 20 yds and closer.  Then putting.  Found some thicker grass and mixed in some slightly open club face and squared face.  Hit everything really well.  Mid 70 degree temps help. The changes I’m making feeling more natural but not there yet.

Have you tried different trajectories with your 58º off tight lies and rough?  It's one of my favorite practice routines.  Different days I practice from different yardages, but I'm trying to hit a low, medium and high trajectory shot with my 60º to the same place on the pitching green.  I'm building feels for different shots out on the course.

[Bang60]

1 hour ago, Kenny B said:

Have you tried different trajectories with your 58º off tight lies and rough?  It's one of my favorite practice routines.  Different days I practice from different yardages, but I'm trying to hit a low, medium and high trajectory shot with my 60º to the same place on the pitching green.  I'm building feels for different shots out on the course.

I was doing that with my 55deg, at my new golf club “Kapiti” only 9holes. There’s alot of rough around the greens and the 1st cut, plus it’s a grass I’ve not played for a long time and I can’t remember what it’s called lol. I’ve been practicing high chipping over a knob of rough onto the chipping green, I watched a Mrshortgame video and I’ve improved alot so happy with that….

[Kenny B]

1 hour ago, Bang60 said:

I was doing that with my 55deg, at my new golf club “Kapiti” only 9holes. There’s alot of rough around the greens and the 1st cut, plus it’s a grass I’ve not played for a long time and I can’t remember what it’s called lol. I’ve been practicing high chipping over a knob of rough onto the chipping green, I watched a Mrshortgame video and I’ve improved alot so happy with that….

I usually practice out of our short grass, but I do spend time pitching out of the rough over a sand trap.  I don't use the low trajectory shot because there isn't enough distance to the back of the green; I use a high shot to just clear the bunker and a medium trajectory shot to the back of the green.  It's amazing how much more confident I am out on the course when hitting similar shots!

[Bang60]

32 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

I usually practice out of our short grass, but I do spend time pitching out of the rough over a sand trap.  I don't use the low trajectory shot because there isn't enough distance to the back of the green; I use a high shot to just clear the bunker and a medium trajectory shot to the back of the green.  It's amazing how much more confident I am out on the course when hitting similar shots!

Today’s hit of the high flop shot over a bunker or long rough was the best I’ve hit in a while, I was using my Ping 55deg that I’ve not used much but it’s back in the bag. I tried out my Wilson lady 1200 7wood with the twist steel shaft and not good enough, 1st 3 shots were ok next 7 not good at all so it’s back in the shed lol as it’s got stiff competition from my widex 7 wood..

[GaryF]

4 hours ago, Kenny B said:

Have you tried different trajectories with your 58º off tight lies and rough?  It's one of my favorite practice routines.  Different days I practice from different yardages, but I'm trying to hit a low, medium and high trajectory shot with my 60º to the same place on the pitching green.  I'm building feels for different shots out on the course.

No but I’m learning as I go on how to use a low bounce wedge mainly for around the green when the turf conditions don’t allow a more standard bounce, but I am working on extending the distance.  I get your point and and have varied ball position in my stance and played around with opening/ squaring the face, etc.  it’s a fun club but it does take a lot of practice to build the necessary feel in order to hit with conviction. And a shot with this club w/o conviction is usually a bad result.

I have hit out of dormant Bermuda rough (last week) with the ball sitting up enough to get the club under and produce a lot of spin which landed 3’ from the hole and rolled maybe 6”. 

I actually started using this club last year out of green side bunkers that were fairly compacted with only a thin layer of loose sand.  I was struggling with a standard 54*/12 in those conditions.  
 

Edited February 23, 2023 by GaryF

[Kenny B]

28 minutes ago, GaryF said:

No but I’m learning as I go on how to use a low bounce wedge mainly for around the green when the turf conditions don’t allow a more standard bounce, but I am working on extending the distance.  I get your point and and have varied ball position in my stance and played around with opening/ squaring the face, etc.  it’s a fun club but it does take a lot of practice to build the necessary feel in order to hit with conviction. And a shot with this club w/o conviction is usually a bad result.

I have hit out of dormant Bermuda rough (last week) with the ball sitting up enough to get the club under and produce a lot of spin which landed 3’ from the hole and rolled maybe 6”. 

I actually started using this club last year out of green side bunkers that were fairly compacted with only a thin layer of loose sand.  I was struggling with a standard 54*/12 in those conditions.  
 

I’m not good with low bounce wedges; if I don’t make perfect contact I chunk them; bounce is my friend..  Even though our turf is quite firm, I’ve practiced enough with my 54/14 and 60/12 wedges that I do OK.  I don’t use the 54/12 much except for long bunker shots around the green and heavier rough.  I chip with my 60 most of the time, unless I’m close to the green and a long way to the pin (like 30-90 feet; then I might use my 48º PW of my iron set… depends if I want to run it or fly it to the hole.  My 54 still looks pretty new after 3 years, but I’ve worn the chrome off my 60.  

[GaryF]

9 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

I’m not good with low bounce wedges; if I don’t make perfect contact I chunk them; bounce is my friend..  Even though our turf is quite firm, I’ve practiced enough with my 54/14 and 60/12 wedges that I do OK.  I don’t use the 54/12 much except for long bunker shots around the green and heavier rough.  I chip with my 60 most of the time, unless I’m close to the green and a long way to the pin (like 30-90 feet; then I might use my 48º PW of my iron set… depends if I want to run it or fly it to the hole.  My 54 still looks pretty new after 3 years, but I’ve worn the chrome off my 60.  

I get what you are saying about chunking if it’s not perfect contact, but what I’ve found is it’s really critical to read the turf condition which then determines where I position the ball within my stance.  With our tight conditions right now, the ball has to be back from the midpoint. When the turf gets a little more spongier, I can place the ball forward and open the face a  Little.  Both of the aforementioned lets me loft the ball with backspin, so good if I don’t have much green to work with.  But the conditions have to be right to use this club.  My alternatives are to use my 54* with more bounce, or I might chip with my 8i.

[Grand Stranded]

I’ve hardly touched my clubs since before the Holidays and tomorrow I’m going to hit the range  to prepare for Saturday league play. The guys play year round down here and I just got back down from Long Island, so I’m not exactly a force to be reckoned with right now, lol.

I have to decide whether I’m going to bag a brand new 7W (never hit one before) or my Hy-wood, and I’ll be hitting a 16.5* HL for the first time on the course that day. I was hoping my reshafted G425 would be here by now but that’s looking pretty unlikely.. 
That’s a lot of new stuff, and a rusty swing to bring into a money game, but it is what it is. Hopefully I’ll work out the kinks tomorrow and Friday, then hit the ground running.

[Kenny B]

8 hours ago, Grand Stranded said:

I’ve hardly touched my clubs since before the Holidays and tomorrow I’m going to hit the range  to prepare for Saturday league play. The guys play year round down here and I just got back down from Long Island, so I’m not exactly a force to be reckoned with right now, lol.

I have to decide whether I’m going to bag a brand new 7W (never hit one before) or my Hy-wood, and I’ll be hitting a 16.5* HL for the first time on the course that day. I was hoping my reshafted G425 would be here by now but that’s looking pretty unlikely.. 
That’s a lot of new stuff, and a rusty swing to bring into a money game, but it is what it is. Hopefully I’ll work out the kinks tomorrow and Friday, then hit the ground running.

In my experience after a long layoff the long game will be fine, even maybe a little better, but the wedges will need at least 9 holes to work out the kinks. YMMV.

Good luck this weekend!!

[MrBandit]

Went to X-Golf yesterday and worked on my Mizuno P225 irons, looking at the numbers on the simulator (most accurate one i have ever used).
Just worked on my PW-6Iron and look at balls speed, smash factor, path, swing speed, trajectory, elevation and spin rate. Since these are new since the beginning of the year still trying to figured out the correct distances and gaps.
Unfortunately I need to take a screen shot of the numbers as I was going thru the irons, so I only got the averages. There are some bad swings in there, so those average are off a bit.. but at least I have something to start looking at and begin to dial in.  I did notice I was spinning those irons a lot, 8000-9000 at times.. something ridiculous. First time using the Modus 105 Shafts, coming from AeroTech Steel Fibers 125CW its a big difference.

PW - Average 130.3
9I - Average 154.6
8I - Average 168.5
7I - Average 182.1
6I - Average 193.6