What/How Did You Practice Today?

[ZackS]

1 hour ago, cnosil said:

Went to the short game area and working on hitting different length pitch shots.  Seemed to go ok,  but probably just got into a groove.  I need to get to the point where I start hitting good shots from shot number 1 and don't have to take a few shots to get things working.    

After about 30 minutes of hitting pitch shots I walked over to the putting green.   I was disappointed,  aeration holes and lots of bare spots so it wasn't even worth doing any putting practice.     

Probably a good thing since my was starting to sneeze, my eyes were watering, and nose was getting congested.   Came home and took some allergy meds.  All day at Augusta probably would have killed me

 

 

There is a time a place to get in a grove practicing your pitches to work on form, contact and flight windows. If you are at a point where you can get consistent contact and flight window, you want to just move around regularly. I like to take 2 to 3 balls so I hit a few from each spot but not enough to groove anything and keep moving. Try not and do similar distances back to back and mix up flights windows even the hole you are practicing to does not call for that shot. 

[RaRa Golf]

Relegated to another basement chipping session until the ranges and courses open up around here. 

 

[cnosil]

54 minutes ago, ZackS said:

There is a time a place to get in a grove practicing your pitches to work on form, contact and flight windows. If you are at a point where you can get consistent contact and flight window, you want to just move around regularly. I like to take 2 to 3 balls so I hit a few from each spot but not enough to groove anything and keep moving. Try not and do similar distances back to back and mix up flights windows even the hole you are practicing to does not call for that shot. 

Definitely.  I probably wasn't clear but the groove/feeling comes after 5 or so shots and then I can hit the various shots from then on during a practice session...kind of the warm up period.  I want to hit good shots starting with shot #1.    The problem during a round is that there is 10-15 minutes or more between shots and I lose the "feel" for the short game shots.  

[ZackS]

20 minutes ago, cnosil said:

Definitely.  I probably wasn't clear but the groove/feeling comes after 5 or so shots and then I can hit the various shots from then on during a practice session...kind of the warm up period.  I want to hit good shots starting with shot #1.    The problem during a round is that there is 10-15 minutes or more between shots and I lose the "feel" for the short game shots.  

For sure, taking it to the course is probably the hardest parts of the game. I am a very technical thinker but when it comes to playing and it’s not just stock shots and short game I am at my best if I stay out of my head and just react to what I am seeing in front of me. Very hard sometimes as I like to over analyze everything. Haha

[cnosil]

4 minutes ago, ZackS said:

For sure, taking it to the course is probably the hardest parts of the game. I am a very technical thinker but when it comes to playing and it’s not just stock shots and short game I am at my best if I stay out of my head and just react to what I am seeing in front of me. Very hard sometimes as I like to over analyze everything. Haha

That is why I signed up for DECADE to stop the overthinking.

[invee123]

Went to the range and hit about 100 balls. Really working on improving ball striking consistency. My main issues is anything above a 6 I'll hit a toe miss and anything below a PW I'll hit a heel miss.... working to figure that one out now.

[vandyland]

I have always seen this thread and kind of ignored it....to my own detriment. I think it is because I know I don't practice enough or, rather, I go through fits where I practice a bunch and then don't until things get off track. This thread, from what I have read, seems to be about keeping accountable to themselves and I would like to try (again) to do that. So with that prelude...

I am in the wilderness with my golf swing. Just completely lost and it is bumming me out. I land here every so often and, in general, what I have done is a band aid fix because I want to keep playing golf at a competent level. I am trying hard to avoid that this time. I don't *think* I have to completely rebuild my swing but the flaws in my swing in no particular order are (1) poor hip turn (2) lead arm pinned to chest (3) backswing that is too long (4) spin out in transition/downswing and, at times (5) flipping through my release. And those are just what I can see and know about. Many of these flaws could be interrelated. So what is the point of this rambling post? Well, I think I need to stop playing golf for a while. Like actual golf rounds. It isn't fun and I am caught between trying to just get around the course and actually implementing my changes. So instead it has to be good dedicated practice. Here's my short term plan:

1. Take a lesson - Check. Took a lesson on Tuesday and the instructor identified my poor hip turn and lead arm issue (I knew about the hip turn but the lead arm issue was new to me). 

2. Work on one swing issue at a time - too often I try to fix everything at the same time which is impossible and very frustrating. For now, I am working on the hip turn only. During the week I hit into a net which I believe to be quite useful for trying to change a motor pattern since I can't see the ball flight and be discouraged. Too often I give up because the results don't show up in the ball flight quickly enough when, really, I should just be checking to make sure I am actually getting into the position I want to. Eventually my swing will get better as I adjust but a new motor pattern is going to wreak havoc on my ballflight and strike in the early days, right? So my current order of operations is (1) hip turn (2) lead arm (3) shorten backswing (4) better transition move with delay (5) roll through impact with hands. 

3. Stop Playing Golf. Do Block practice - Not stop forever (hopefully) but for at least the next two weeks I need to use my "golf round time" to go to the range and work on this feel. All while not being overly concerned with where the ball is going but am I getting into the positions the instructor has suggested. It seems like the best way to do this is to start with shorter clubs and do shorter swings, like hitting 80-100 yd 9 irons (normal 9 iron is 135-140 yds). 

4. Keep myself accountable - using this thread (hopefully with much shorter posts) I will see if I can put together two weeks of practice without abandoning the struggle like I always do and band aiding it. I follow one teacher and one school of thought at the moment. No instagram/youtube/message board tips on swing theory. I have to block that out. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

5 minutes ago, vandyland said:

1) poor hip turn (2) lead arm pinned to chest (3) backswing that is too long (4) spin out in transition/downswing and, at times (5) flipping through my release.

Most of these aren’t flaws, they are compensations or the result of an actual flaw. Hip turn is a flaw, leads to inside takeaway a lot of times which leads arm pinning and arm runoff. The arm runoff is why the swing gets too long. The spin out is a result of the hip turn because the hips aren’t going to move properly in the transition/downswing if the aren’t right in the backswing. The flip has to happen because where the club is at in the downswing you wouldn’t hit the ball if you didn’t and would more than dog a tench behind the ball.

This is where so many end up down the rabbit hole of sawing fixes thru self diagnosis and not making improvements and usually going backwards.

[cnosil]

17 minutes ago, vandyland said:

I have always seen this thread and kind of ignored it....to my own detriment. I think it is because I know I don't practice enough or, rather, I go through fits where I practice a bunch and then don't until things get off track. This thread, from what I have read, seems to be about keeping accountable to themselves and I would like to try (again) to do that. So with that prelude...

. 

This thread, the how did you play, and those of us that created our own threads to document progress is to keep ourselves accountable and moving forward.  
 

while some people provide some good suggestions,  it’s nice to see that we are all working on our games and that others face the same struggles we are.  
 

[vandyland]

3 minutes ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

This is where so many end up down the rabbit hole of sawing fixes thru self diagnosis and not making improvements and usually going backwards.

No doubt you are right about that @RickyBobby_PR. The hip turn and pinning of the lead arm were both identified by Monte in a lesson. The bad transition is pretty obvious when I look at it on camera but hasn't been verified by Monte because, well, there is too much to fix in the backswing currently. The flip I can feel when I do the Monte release pattern and it feels so foreign to me.

I have always had the tendency, when things start to go wrong in my swing, to "move less." Less wrist set, less hip turn, less arm swing, less everything until I am barely moving at all and in an extremely unathletic position. I basically put myself in a phone booth and try to swing. I always end up there thinking that less moving parts means less can go wrong but that has never been the answer for me. In fact, quite the opposite. 

I am working with an instructor again (Monte), using his videos and going to his clinic in June. I am all in with his methodology but I have just been rushing to try to get it and go play with it. There is always some upcoming round (currently in the near future I am going to Hawaii at the end of April and then a member guest in May) that I need to have a somewhat competent game for so I abandon what I am working on. Will this time be different? Who knows?

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Played a sloppy wet practice round on a par three course and I am pleased with how it went. 
 

always kept score with first ball but played two others.  
highlights:

UW in the bag is so wonderful to have. Off the tee, in the rough. It’s a beauty and works well with my swing. I was trying to hit some low punches off the tee and unfortunately left sky marks. Ugh

iron play was decent  distances aren’t there but contact and direction were very good  

Pw from 115 uphill slightly (ball closest to hole was my second ball)

lag putting was awesome. Only one three putt and most long putts were left within 2-3 feet.

pitching today was spot on will add pics later as I need to edit them

70 yards out (gw)
 Left two witching 8 ft  the ball short in the picture was my 54

50 yards out of slop, 58*

left it two feet out for birdie

 

[RickyBobby_PR]

19 minutes ago, vandyland said:

The bad transition is pretty obvious when I look at it on camera but hasn't been verified by Monte because, well, there is too much to fix in the backswing currently. The flip I can feel when I do the Monte release pattern and it feels so foreign to me.

Monte is to his credit very focused on fixing the biggest issue because of how it will fix many other things. Based on following Monte and seeing his posts on wrx the lead arm pinning can still be an issue with a good hip turn and I’m sure he will address the transition of it’s not fixed by the proper hip turn.

The flip pattern isn’t really a flip like many think of a flip but is how the wrists actually work going from flexion to extension. Like his cast a it’s not a cast when there is turn and the flip isn’t a flip it’s a release as long as the body is turning 

30 minutes ago, vandyland said:

am working with an instructor again (Monte), using his videos and going to his clinic in June. I am all in with his methodology but I have just been rushing to try to get it and go play with it. There is always some upcoming round (currently in the near future I am going to Hawaii at the end of April and then a member guest in May) that I need to have a somewhat competent game for so I abandon what I am working on. Will this time be different? Who knows?

Unfortunately changing movement patterns doesn’t happen overnight and takes a lot of time. Something GG said in his online course is leave the practice and swing work on the range and play golf on the course knowing that the more work you put in on the range will slowly transfer to the course. And many good instructors and golfers will tell you play golf golf swing on the course.

Something Monte has said on wrx several times. The timeframes may be off but the concept is the same

pros think of swing changes in terms of months or years (look at Justin rose saying a move he’s been working on for 11 years has finally kicked in)

low hdcp think in terms of weeks months 

mid hcdp think in terms of practice session to practice session or round to round 

high hdcp in terms of swing to swing 

 

[202]

Relegated to another basement chipping session until the ranges and courses open up around here. 
 

I need to build a platform like yours to have my feet at the same level with the mat. What are you using to stand on?

[chisag]

35 minutes ago, vandyland said:

I have always had the tendency, when things start to go wrong in my swing, to "move less." Less wrist set, less hip turn, less arm swing, less everything until I am barely moving at all and in an extremely unathletic position. I basically put myself in a phone booth and try to swing. I always end up there thinking that less moving parts means less can go wrong but that has never been the answer for me. In fact, quite the opposite. 

 

... Good point. There is a short par 4 on my home course where I almost always hit a 4 or 5 iron depending on the wind and has a generous fairway. I have such a free swing because the margin for error both long/short and side to side is huge. The very next hole is a par3 and often I am hitting that same 5 iron again. Huge deep bunker in front with iffy sand, a steep drop off from a false front the entire right side that drops a good 50 yards down a hill and because of the shape and slope of the green, left side is no bargain either. You just have to hit a very solid shot to the center of the green. It is so easy to shorten the swing and attempt to guide the ball away from trouble. I try to remind myself to swing with the same freedom I did on the previous hole because as we all know trying to guide the ball rarely ever works. 

[IndyBonzo]

2 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Good point. There is a short par 4 on my home course where I almost always hit a 4 or 5 iron depending on the wind and has a generous fairway. I have such a free swing because the margin for error both long/short and side to side is huge. The very next hole is a par3 and often I am hitting that same 5 iron again. Huge deep bunker in front with iffy sand, a steep drop off from a false front the entire right side that drops a good 50 yards down a hill and because of the shape and slope of the green, left side is no bargain either. You just have to hit a very solid shot to the center of the green. It is so easy to shorten the swing and attempt to guide the ball away from trouble. I try to remind myself to swing with the same freedom I did on the previous hole because as we all know trying to guide the ball rarely ever works. 

This.  Fixing this issue is my #1 priority right now.

[202]

I hit a couple of buckets at the range this morning. 7i - SW. I almost brought the driver and hybrids, but decided to do an iron only session.

[RaRa Golf]

3 hours ago, 202 said:

 

I need to build a platform like yours to have my feet at the same level with the mat. What are you using to stand on?

 

I couple of old Wii Fit boards

They are the perfect height for the mat I made.  

[vandyland]

Rainy day today so worked on hip drills from "The Efficient Swing" series in 2 minutes increments. This is basically where I film myself getting into the hip positions over and over for 2 minutes then watch it back (which is painful and embarrassing) for 2 minutes and repeat 5 times. Trying to learn the movement in isolation before I start complicating it with my entire swing. 

Also, worked on my takeaway for short pitch shots using the keys from the youtube video "How to hit the stock pitch" (on "The Golfer's Journal" channel on youtube) and mainly his description of the backswing. I have a tendency to pick the club up rather steeply and so this reminds me to be a bit shallower. My setup is already what he describes in this video since that is what I learned in the "Use the Bounce" videos from Monte. So far this feels like since I am shallower I can get away with being a little behind the ball better than if I am coming in steeply. Focusing mostly on trajectory height and distance and not obsessing about contact "feel" since there is less of a compression feeling when I come in shallower....if that makes any sense. 

I highly recommend the Short Game Chef videos on The Golfer's Journal as a way to de-program the classic (and difficult to execute) "hands forward, ball back in the stance" method of pitching that exposes the leading edge and is just, in general, a very high degree of difficulty. The Short Game Chef (Parker McLaughlin) contends that the modern pitch has hands even with the ball in the middle of the stance (for the stock shot) and a shallow slightly open clubface that glides over the grass and can still handle a slight dropkick of the club. 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

Worked on trying to get the feel of staying wide in my takeaway and staying more in my posture on the downswing through impact. Toe misses were less frequent but I found myself fatting more shots than I am used to. I didn’t have my tripod so couldn’t set my phone up for video, but I'm going to try to remember to bring that in the future so I can look at swings next time. On shots where it *felt* good, I was getting really good impact on the face and good distances. I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I think it was progress. 
 

Also put a new shaft in my driver, the PX HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX, and it is much more active than my Tensei White AV Raw, so that will take some getting used to. However, the first three balls I hit were dead center of the face, so that was encouraging, even though ball flight was not ideal. Leaving the face open on misses, but good shots had a nice flight. Not sure yet if I like how active it is, but will get some more work with it and go from there. 

[GolfSpy TCB]

Nasty weather today in Houston, so when I got home from work, I spent a little time on the home range working on loading the left knee on the back swing and trying to get closer to the slot on the down swing than away from it.  Weather looks to be even worse tomorrow for Good Friday...  Probably won't get to the course until Saturday afternoon, or Sunday if I can find time around the Easter activities at home. 

[IndyBonzo]

I had a frustrating lesson with my coach today. My swing and game have improved so much over the last few years, but I just cannot seem to overcome my tendency to try to manipulate the ball and raising my wrists at impact thus leaving the clubface open and leaving the ball out right. It creeps in over and over again.  I end up trying too hard and that makes it worse.  Part of what makes it so infuriating is that I know the tendency and I know not to do it and I know how to fix it but it still happens.
 

The other parts of my game are good enough that I should be breaking 80 consistently. But this is holding me back, and I admit to having serious doubts about my ability to resolve this.  This happens primarily on 7-iron and below which means I miss greens. Right now, it’s costing me five or more strokes a round  

My type A personality is beating me up pretty good right now.  All this hard work only to be stuck at this plateau  - yeah, it’s a lot sometimes when we care about this game so much and trying to get better.

I really hope a breakthrough is nearby. Until then, I will keep beating my head against this wall until it gives in.

[richk9holes]

2 minutes ago, IndyBonzo said:

I had a frustrating lesson with my coach today. My swing and game have improved so much over the last few years, but I just cannot seem to overcome my tendency to try to manipulate the ball and raising my wrists at impact thus leaving the clubface open and leaving the ball out right. It creeps in over and over again.  I end up trying too hard and that makes it worse.
 

The other parts of my game are good enough that I should be breaking 80 consistently. But this is holding me back, and I admit to having serious doubts about my ability to resolve this.  This happens primarily on 7-iron and below which means I miss greens. Right now, it’s costing me five or more strokes a round  

My type A personality is beating me up pretty good right now.  All this hard work only to be stuck at this plateau  - yeah, it’s a lot sometimes when we care about this game so much and trying to get better.

I really hope a breakthrough is nearby. Until then, I will keep beating my head against this wall until it gives in.

I had a similar practice, sending Care Bear vibes

[Triple_Putt]

Rolled some putts like my nightly routine has become, but also practiced a little bit with the 60* out in the grass. Mostly just soft hits towards a target as I don’t have that much room 

[IndyBonzo]

3 minutes ago, richk9holes said:

I had a similar practice, sending Care Bear vibes

Back at you friend

[richk9holes]

2 minutes ago, IndyBonzo said:

Back at you friend

My enemy The Big Slice is back, so I need friends.

He's  a lot bigger than me.

[IndyBonzo]

10 minutes ago, richk9holes said:

My enemy The Big Slice is back, so I need friends.

He's  a lot bigger than me.

Crap I’m sorry.  You’ll beat him.  Bully the bully.  

[richk9holes]

Just now, IndyBonzo said:

Crap I’m sorry.  You’ll beat him.  Bully the bully.  

I'm gonna see if hitting him 105mph works. Not with my car, mind you.

[vandyland]

Break in the weather finally. We are getting what Augusta will get this weekend. Just focusing on hip turn and nothing else, don’t care about contact or any other “positions.” As a reference point here is my “old” swing which had almost no hip turn or depth:

And as a comparison, here is the slightly improved hip depth and what I am trying to ingrain:

I mean, look at spieth here…this is goals…

Edited April 7, 2023 by vandyland

[tdroma98]

Nice weather today, spent an hour on the putting green practicing short putts (4-6'ft) and 30+ footers. trying to keep the feel!

[Bang60]

2 hours ago, IndyBonzo said:

I had a frustrating lesson with my coach today. My swing and game have improved so much over the last few years, but I just cannot seem to overcome my tendency to try to manipulate the ball and raising my wrists at impact thus leaving the clubface open and leaving the ball out right. It creeps in over and over again.  I end up trying too hard and that makes it worse.  Part of what makes it so infuriating is that I know the tendency and I know not to do it and I know how to fix it but it still happens.
 

The other parts of my game are good enough that I should be breaking 80 consistently. But this is holding me back, and I admit to having serious doubts about my ability to resolve this.  This happens primarily on 7-iron and below which means I miss greens. Right now, it’s costing me five or more strokes a round  

My type A personality is beating me up pretty good right now.  All this hard work only to be stuck at this plateau  - yeah, it’s a lot sometimes when we care about this game so much and trying to get better.

I really hope a breakthrough is nearby. Until then, I will keep beating my head against this wall until it gives in.

I’ve just finished beating my head against the wall did no good at all, but I’m happy to just be healthy enough to hit a few balls with my 9 iron