What/How Did You Practice Today?

[Awtatman]

Quick range session over lunch. Working on setup to close my body more to the target. Setting up what “feels” square and then consciously rotating my trail hip and shoulder straight back a touch. Been struggling with a pull and I’ve always been a little too over the top. This seems to be helping with both.

Stopped by the short game area to hit some bump and runs with a 7 iron. I used to exclusively chip with a 56* but am working to incorporate more creativity around the greens. Using almost a putting stroke and hitting out of the toe purposely.

 

[Willie T]

Two fer today (lost connection the forum side yesterday while typing) - so:

Day 239 (12 Sep 24) - Spent time swinging the big stick this morning into the net.  Then I settled into some work with the irons - working on tempo, tempo, tempo.  Wrapped up the day with one of the chipping rigs (called battlechip) in the backyard with the 54 - at the grandson's behest.  

Day 240 (13 Sep 24) - Rain, rain, rain - so no Friday round with the men's group.  Barely got in some work with 9i at the net (did focus on smoothing the tempo, getting good weight shift), moved inside when the downpours started to spend time rolling the ball with Millie (my Odyssey putter).  Had a blast working on the preshot putting routine in the shop trying to predict the roll of the carpet into the icing cup target.  

[Michael.Sandoval33]

Range day was good today, worked through the full bag. Honestly felt like time flew by because everything was just clicking really well. I did try something new which was to swing once half swing, take that shot, and swing full the next.

Getting better with my 4h and 3w right now but not trying to force either, there are always alternatives that can be found to both. Qi10 Max was solid as ever. 

Just a solid day overall

[sirchunksalot]

I went to the range today to hit a large bucket after getting a little frustrated installing a Blink doorbell, I couldn't get it flush in my siding and got a little aggravated so I thought why not take it out on some golf balls? It was actually very relaxing and I had a good time. 

I started off with some partial wedge shots focusing on keeping weight on my right side and rotating through the ball. I hit some good shots and got dialed in at up to 60 yards. 

I put down some alignment sticks and ran through the bag trying to work on not pull hooking so much. That was a mixed bag but I will say I was hitting the ball crisply on more shots than not. 

I hit driver a few times and was having problems because I couldn't get the tee down to where I like it and was hitting a lot of high slices. 

I finished off working on my 6 iron, it's a gap in my bag simply because I don't have the confidence in it and I need to get better with it. I was actually hitting it pretty good and hoping I can take that out my next round. 

[ILMgolfnut]

Second Rypstick workout of the week tonight after skipping about four weeks. Average was about the same, 89ish, two topped out at 90. Not too surprised after my recent inactivity due to the sore shoulder and other issues. Planning to get back into Fit For Golf during my road trip next week and see if I can wake up the muscles.

[Shankopotomous]

I had a backyard wedge session last evening along with some putting in between yard chores.  The wedges started well with good distance and direction control on the first 20 then the next 20 or so shots were mostly left and a bit long.  It felt like bad posture during the swing.  So i concentrated on that and got the last 30 or so shots back on target.  

I continued to work on getting a consistent process for putting.  1. Making sure alignment is on target from my feet to my shoulders.  2. A couple quick heads up practice strokes to get the feel for distance.  3. Putter behind ball, hover putter, make stroke like practice strokes.

It is feeling pretty smooth.  Hope that continues!

[Medfloat]

Sooooo, I played Thursday (if you want to call it playing) and had an off day….I mean really off.  So I decided to practice my mental game. That practice included acceptance - acceptance that I am not a pro, nor am I a robot. Patience - be patient in the routine, be patient in the swing. Focus - focus on the task at hand, focus on the target.  Forgetfulness - forget everything but task, forget the last bad shot, forget about the score.  Reflection - reflect on the good swings, reflect about the good weather and company, reflect in the good opportunity to be outdoors golfing.  

on to the next round where I WILL play better.  Enjoy the weekend!!
 

[Syks7]

I'm not a particularly consistent iron striker... But I'm pretty proud of this.   15 balls, almost 1/4 sized,  with our two real misses (which both came toward the end of the 15 ball string. Bother were shanks from getting a little too lose in my back swing and it or not I think one of the shanks was responsible for that top left mark because it wasn't there before the shank that most definitely put the ball into the side safety net.

Is the strike pattern about a groove and half to high?..  yeah, but I've learned to have realistic expectations from my self-guided amateur practice and to focus on one thing at a time.  Consistent Center of the face is more than good enough for now.   

Side note:  I've been focused my back in on my irons since approach is what's been killing me lately and I can't wait to see which of the others (driver,wedges, putter) drops/becomes the bain of my scoring as a result of this renewed focus on the irons.   

Edited September 14 by Syks7

[Rob Person]

Almost an hour total with the orange whip midsize and lightspeed at home. Been following their YT video series. It is definitely a workout in itself. Still acclimating to the difference between these and a club. They are not the same for positioning in any regard.  I do think they are helping though with my back to front transitioning and hip rotation when done right. As for the accuracy aspect, if these do in fact increase my speed, that will be another thing to adjust too.

[Rob Person]

So I managed to stumble upon this series of videos that were "suggested" via the orange whip series. 

Michael Breed

this is just one I picked to share.

I like his way of explaining things and his drills seem to isolate each part of the swing.  What impressed upon me was his way of suggesting changing one process at a time and not fix what is not wrong. 

Plus he has a simple DIY swing aid that can be used for alot of things. I'll probably build one soon.

 

Edited September 15 by Rob Person

[Willie T]

Day 241 (14 Sep 24) - Grandson came home with a David Ledbetter Swing Setter (early 2000’s double click magnet).  Thought it would be fun to see how well I clicked.  Supposed to click when you set and again when you release at the bottom of the swing.  Found it to be fun and challenging. 

Edited September 15 by Willie T

[Willie T]

Day 242 (15 Sep 24) - Got in a solo round late this afternoon.  With a solid ENE wind of 10-15 mph it was about playing the wind - hurting wind going out (played 2 clubs up), helping coming in (played 2 clubs down).  Shot a solid 80 (39 front / 41 back).  The most fun was hitting tee shots and approaches that rode the wind.  A great afternoon of course management focused on working with the wind.  

[Rob Person]

Before my round this morning went through 40 balls at the range and a 2 stage orange whip session.

[Willie T]

On 9/14/2024 at 10:50 PM, Rob Person said:

So I managed to stumble upon this series of videos that were "suggested" via the orange whip series. 

Michael Breed

this is just one I picked to share.

I like his way of explaining things and his drills seem to isolate each part of the swing.  What impressed upon me was his way of suggesting changing one process at a time and not fix what is not wrong. 

Plus he has a simple DIY swing aid that can be used for alot of things. I'll probably build one soon.

 

Really like Michael Breed’s teaching- hey the contraption looks like a simple enough swing trainer to build… may have to do one as well. 

[Willie T]

Day 243 (16 Sep 24) - Rain (another one of those tropical things rolled in south of us (toward @ILMgolfnut’s way))…worked on what I like to call “dink and roll” using an 8i in the bedroom (have about 15’ of distance) - hitting little chips (flying about 6-8’) and rolling out to auto return putting cup.  This drill replicates just off the green drills where it’s too tall to putt and you only need it to roll a short way.  

[ILMgolfnut]

Drove to Charlotte in the rain, checked into the hotel and headed straight for First Tee, which has covered bays at its range and is also close to my hotel. Set up the Garmin and hit 95 balls, about 50 with the big dog, working on CHS, launch angle and trying to hit a draw. It was pouring outside the covered bays and the wind was 20-25 mph directly behind me, which played havoc with the numbers; I don't think the Garmin took the wind into account in any way, and some of the numbers I got seemed to bear no resemblance to reality. Having said that, what I got from the numbers it gave me:

More than half of the driver shots were CHS > 80, topping out at 86.1. The ball speed recorded on that 86.1 was less than the CHS, which I don't think is even possible. I don't recall any blatant tops but it says I topped that one. Chalk it up to Garmin weirdness. On shots where the data seems more reliable, top ball speed was 125.1 on CHS of 83.8, so a smash of 1.49. Fourteen drives had a launch angle of at least 10, and no blatant popups, so a little better there, I think. Apex height was at least 30 feet on 12 drives. I hit a few of my low bullets, but did better at shots that looked more like real drives (somewhat reminiscent of the figures I saw on tee shots at the Solheim Cup; the ladies weren't hitting moon shots either).

Maximum carry recorded was 174, but I question that, in large part because of the tailwind as well as my shots flying past the target flag at 175. Max total distance was 205. That's iffy too, with the wind helping and the rain-soaked range hurting. As for draws, I hit a few, a few pulls, a lot of pushes and a few push-draws. I don't recall any major bananas, but some of the pushes were far enough right to get a Chiquita label.

[Off Map Oscar]

Today was the last day of my lessons with PGA hope. Next Monday we have a tournament for just the class. Should be fun. 

 

This afternoon I decided to play 18 with my travel set as I just finished gripping them earlier and they had dried enough to swing. 

Letting the computer decide the putts always ends up with a high score but I was happy with the results. Main reason I did this is I wanted to see how the travel set would preform at sea level for when I'm in Florida soon. 

[cnosil]

Last day of most wanted testing so I got to hit lots of 50 yard wedge shots.....336 in total.  14 wedges, 12 shots each wet and 12 shots each dry.   Really happy with my 50 yard sessions this year; the Dan Grieve approach has moved my wedge game to the next level.   Still a weak area of my game.....need to build a wedge matrix and learn rollout distances for bump and run type chip shots.   

Will get a little putting practice this week as well.   Since most wanted season is wrapping up they will be doing some labs to test equipment claims, compare playing ideas, and things heard in the golf community.    Wednesday will be comparing the performance of various types of putters and up soon will be line versus no-line.

They are also considering a suggestion I made...does layering of clothes for winter golf actually impact the golf swing.  

[barney_bogey]

The chipping green caught some nasty virus so it's been closed for almost a month now. Meaning my typically half hour/half hour short game practice has just been an hour of putting.

Turns out if you practice putting a ton it translates to dropping a few more putts during your round!

Beyond that, flighting wedges down has been the focus on the range. I find that an early wrist hinge and more weight on the left side has been the ticket to lower launch angles. Tried to ask the swing coach about it but he gets distracted.

Time for a new coach.

[BobBC78]

Had surgery to fix an umbilical hernia last Friday, so for now I'm limited to putting on my indoor mat. Plan to get to chipping next week and work my way back into full swings in early October.

The two drills I'm focused on indoors are (i) getting a line on the ball to roll w/o wobble and (ii) doing the "yardstick drill". Yesterday I got 5/10 successfully off the end of the yardstick, so the goal for my next session is 6/10.

[Rob Person]

34 minutes ago, BobBC78 said:

Had surgery to fix an umbilical hernia last Friday, so for now I'm limited to putting on my indoor mat. Plan to get to chipping next week and work my way back into full swings in early October.

The two drills I'm focused on indoors are (i) getting a line on the ball to roll w/o wobble and (ii) doing the "yardstick drill". Yesterday I got 5/10 successfully off the end of the yardstick, so the goal for my next session is 6/10.

Heal up! You could also work on Bump n runs 

[BobBC78]

12 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

Heal up! You could also work on Bump n runs 

Thanks! Yes I also plan to work on chipping with my 4H (basically also a putting stroke). I like this shot from various spots and lies around the green, but it takes practice to get the distance control right

[BobBC78]

I focused today's practice on setup, tempo and start line. 

Setup - Used a wall mirror to check posture, in particular that it was comfortable and taller, not hunched over. On course I have a habit of getting to crouched, whereas I tend to see the line better when I stand taller. Used a putting mirror to check my eye alignment.

Tempo - Did swings of various lengths to a metronome set at 72 bpm, which feels pretty comfortable for me. 

Start line - Stroked putts through a gate 12" in front of the ball to the metronome; made 15 consecutive w/o hitting the gate.

This session took about 20-minutes, but was time well spent because bad habits have crept in to my putting. 

[Wib081]

Today’s in garage practice between teams calls has been focusing on staying behind the ball. I have a habit of early extension and catch it a bit towards the toe. Been using plastic/foam balls A wedge and sidewalk chalk on the face of the club to see the impact. Was able to get it in the middle consistently after about 5 minutes. Plan is to continue for the rest of the week and then completely lose it on Sunday

[MrJG300]

Worked on launch angles with my irons and hybrids. Played a best shot Sunday and found a lot of iron shots that were the right club choice, but produced a lower ball flight and would just run past the hole. Found something that worked, with opening the club face before the takeaway, but now to see if that will actually lead to a consistent result.

[Syks7]

Another little bit of subtlety that took me too long to figure out.  I've been heavy with my irons lately and it feels like I've had a hard time getting back to my lead side to make clean contact.  I know I've been getting stuck but I haven't been able to figure it out...  I haven't been working that hard on it because while approach has been mediocre I've still been scoring reasonably well.  After yesterday where all the bad happened on approach I took a little video from the front and discovered a tiny little hitch.  It's subtle, but make a huge difference.  When loading my trail leg I'm letting my hip get slightly behind the trail leg, it's very slight but it makes it hard for me push off the trail leg into my lead leg and get my hips around.  Did a few takeaway loading drills focused keeping the hip ahead of the ankle and rotating properly and saw an immediately improvement to the contact pattern I was showing off the other day 1-2 grooves down and a much cleaner feel.  Time to drill it a bunch to get it set.   Gotta love how something so subtle can have such an outsized affect on a swing.

[russtopherb]

I had to WFH today due to a contractor visit so I snuck out at lunch to hit a bucket. Things didn't start off so great with my PW however I realized after a few balls that I was too stiff and tense. As soon as I relaxed my arms, my wrists started to hinge naturally in the backswing and contact was so much better.

I only hit maybe 4-5 drivers but they were all bullets so I just went back to irons and wedges to targets. I also hit a few 4h & 5h shots that made me wonder why I can't do that on the course 

[Gravenor]

Hit the range tonight after a pretty poor round Sunday evening. I hit 22% of GIR all day, and the 78% I missed were almost all pushed right of my target. I couldn't figure out what I was doing and it became more and more frustrating.

I realised this evening that I was becoming what I can only describe as "disconnected at impact". Leading way too much with the hands combined with some early extension and I was delivering the club face VERY open at impact.

I started hitting 1/4 swings, focusing on compressing the ball and imagining I had a magnet on the butt of the grip and my belt buckle. I gradually moved up to 1/2, 3/4 and finally full swings with each individual club, and then restarted the process with the next club .

The backdrop didn't hurt either!

Anyway, I had one of those "everything has just clicked" moments whilst hitting balls this evening which is always positive, but I feel like a few range sessions before my next 18 holes wouldn't go a miss.

All-in-all, a productive session. 

[cksurfdude]

Had some productive practice time this afternoon - working on things I've been working on most of the season but I think maybe a little bit perhaps some it is possibly sorta starting to slowly creep into my actual swing! (.. fingers crossed ..)

I've always struggled with getting off of my trail side (and now I'm finding that some of those trail side muscles are weaker...) so really focused on that .. and began getting more consistent contact.

Hit a bunch of PWs working on that pressure shift .. along with extending the arms into impact .. then with a 7i and then with driver.

Then a bunch of SWs just looking at distance control and then over for a bunch of putting .. various lags plus downhill breakers which need some work.

Gotta start to take some of this good stuff out onto the course!! 

Edited September 17 by cksurfdude
.. yeah typo

[Michael.Sandoval33]

Hit El Dorado range today and was surprised to find that I would be hitting off grass which was awesome. Started off a little choppy, there was a good amount of grass already missing in the hitting area but no matter. Eventually settled in and found some good compression. Feeling better in sitting down into the downswing and taking those divots after the ball. 4h and 3w are also both starting to see some life. Taking it a little easier on my swing with both has helped a lot. Didn't have the chance to chip too much today, but had some good flops. Putting was so-so though. Definitely need to work more there.

Here's from my best 4h swing