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MPR: The Single Digit Project


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I've been inspired by two recent threads: [mention=56939]jlukes[/mention]'s swing overhaul, and [mention=16651]revkev[/mention]'s thread comparing lessons and fitting vs. self-teaching and off-the-rack clubs (these are both great threads that, if you haven't, you should go read and keep up with).
To begin, I'm nowhere in jluke's class as a player. I'm a mid/high handicap player, floating right around 15. But I think I can get better.
As I commented in revkev's thread, I have no objections to getting lessons and getting a fitting. I'd love to do both of those. My chief obstacle is location. I don't have an actual driving range within an hour of my home. There are no full golf stores (as far as I know) within two hours of where I live. There is a really good golf coach at a course that's an hour away, and he also does fittings. He would absolutely be my first choice, but signing up for regular lessons with a two-hour round-trip commute: the time and cost add up in a hurry. I tried to get together with him to get fitted for my G700 irons that I reviewed for MGS last summer, but we couldn't get our schedules to align.
So consider me another test case for revkev's question. I'm aiming to answer the question, "How much improvement can be gained with off-the-rack clubs and self-teaching?"
Here's the starting point:
1432703033_Strokesgained.jpg.bcc5ac6a3535208089beac4e7f772fc6.jpg
This is my Game Golf summary of my rounds from this past July and August, set in contrast with a 5-handicap.
What immediately jumps out is that I'm loosing a ton of strokes to a single-digit off the tee and in my short game. There is certainly room for improvement in ball-striking and putting, but the low-hanging fruit is in the other categories.
Why am I so bad off the tee? It's not because I spray it all over; I hit an ordinary number of fairways. It's because I hardly hit it out of my own shadow.
Stats.jpg.95a76408509f094a0b1c651079adac36.jpg
Do you see that last column? That's embarrassing.
So, my first plan is to continue the SuperSpeed training that I've been doing for a couple of months now. I've seen significant speed gains already, but because I have no way to get to a course or a range before spring (late April at best here), I'm anxious to see how the speed with translate.
I'm also working on a meaningful swing overhaul, with a lot of similarities to what jlukes is describing in his thread. Here's a screen cap of a swing in my backyard from a couple of years ago:
Flip.thumb.jpg.63963fca09a375fc1f888c4e56ea27ce.jpg
Like jlukes, I have a tendency to have a pronounced forward sway through the swing, which essentially forces me to catch up with a flip at the bottom. The early extension is visible in
. For my part, I'm pretty sure the answer is found in wrist angles, with a corresponding emphasis on rotation and staying behind the ball. These are the moves I'm working on now.
I'm also working through the content from Adam Young's The Strike Plan. I'm a big fan of Adam's work, especially the notion of turning strike into a practiced skill.
How am I going to measure progress until I'm on the course? Technology! I have just recently purchased a SkyTrak, which I got for a very good price. I also have a good camera that wirelessly connects to my tablet, allowing me to look at my swing in real time. And finally, I have a Zepp swing monitor. My intention is to use my garage as a pretty high-tech self-coaching bay.
The SkyTrak is going to be a big part of tightening up my short game as well. One of the built-in features is the Dave Pelz-esque wedge matrix: it allows you to chart your wedges distances for full, 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4 swings for each of the wedges in your bag. My hope is to dial these in with practice this winter, giving me much greater ability to knock shots within 100 yards to makeable putting distances.
My goal for this season is ambitious. I want to drop from being ~15 handicap to somewhere in the single digits. But I believe that I have the tools that I need to accomplish this goal. And I have a community here for the support, which is also a key component. I'll be using this thread to keep everyone posted on my progress.

Just found this, interesting stuff.
I’ll catch up.


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Rick

 

 

Left Hand, 

Driver; PXG 0311XF Cypher 50 gr Senior  
5 wood; Ping 425, Senior Shaft 55 gr       
7 wood; Ping 425, Senior Shaft 55 gr      
5 hybrid; Cally Steelhead, Hazardous R2     
Irons; Mizuno JPX 923HM 7-GW Recoil 460 F2
Wedges; Titleist S9 54*, Mizuno SW 56*

Putter; Waaay too many to list

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  • 4 weeks later...

2019 Season: The Year in Review Post

It has snowed here. There is likely some golf yet to be played in the next couple of weeks, but this season is drawing to its close, and it's time to look back at my progress this year.

Let's start with some big picture numbers:

image.png

I isolate my July/August numbers, because that tends to be when the weather and my golf game both peak. On the whole, there's a lot of progress in this chart:

  • I gained about a stroke off the tee, almost two strokes in my approach game, and about a half stroke putting. I got about a half stroke worse in my short game.
  • My GIRs went up by over a third.
  • Putting (in raw numbers) has been a pretty constant part of my game.
  • During the peak months, I gained nearly 30 yards off the tee. 221 is still not impressive and I'm still convinced it is far below my potential, but it's a sizable improvement over the previous year.
  • Not on the chart: my scrambling numbers improved incrementally, from 19% to 22% (in July/August).

I began this project with a Game Golf handicap of 15.8. As I detailed in some previous posts, I found that GG's course rating information was incorrect for my home course, and remains so. The upshot is that my starting handicap was likely inflated a bit by GG. My current number is 12.8, but a bit of that is entering the last few rounds with the (now too high) course rating. All in all, I'm thinking that the 12.8 is probably pretty accurate, but that I didn't drop a full three strokes from my handicap this season.

Nonetheless, I think I made real progress, and the prospect of dropping from 12.8 to something sub-10 next season is not terribly far-fetched. I'm anticipating, then, continuing this thread for Season 2.

So where can more work be done? There remains for me a strong correlation between the aspects of the game I practice most and the parts of the game I'm best at (shocker!). I putt regularly on my practice green in my basement. That will continue, and I'll be doing my offseason tradition of pitting my stable of putters against each other for the starting gig in my bag next year. New this year: I'm going to be using my PuttOUT gate for the testing this year, to narrow down which putter I'm most effective with in starting the ball on my intended line. I'm finding that I have a regular tendency to pull putts.

Iron play also remains a strength relative to handicap, and it got even better this year. In July/August, Game Golf would put my ball-striking on the level of a 7 handicap. Two plans here. The first is that I just bought a used DST Compressor 8 iron. My hope is that it will continue to sharpen my impact position with my irons. The second is that (for me) I've learned not to practice on my fluffy garage turf. Instead, I stand on the fluffy turf and hit balls off a tight lie turf (the same stuff I used on my putting green). The fluffy turf lets me get away with fat contact far too easily, and I noticed it immediately when I began this season on the squishy, snow-melted course. Practicing on the tighter lie this winter should allow me to come out of the gates better next spring.

The short game remains the biggest and most place for improvement. My season-long comp (2018 vs. 2019) is not good here:
image.png

My dispersion pattern this season was (oddly) more symmetrical, with an almost even spread left and right of the green. But hitting the green 50% of the time from inside 100 yards is just brutal.

How is this going to improve? One factor might be that I had to give up my @PrecisionProGolf NX9 HD in mid-August. The main MGS office needed it for a video shoot. I can't prove that this created my problem, but from July 1–August 14, I hit 57% of greens inside 100 yards. From August 15 (when I sent my NX9 away)–September 30, that number plummeted to 39%, with 52%(!) of my shots ending up short of my target. With the rangefinder, I hit 31% of GIR; after I sent it away, the number dropped to 23%.

I'm frankly just not good at estimating yardage inside 100 yards. Nearly all my practice is done on my SkyTrak, and I don't have a projector for the SkyTrak; I'm using a TV screen on the side of my setup. That means the I don't visually connect distances to swings in my practice; instead, I'm attaching specific yardage numbers to specific backswing lengths and feels. Not having my rangefinder, then, quite plausibly could have contributed to the decline of my short game down the stretch of the season.

(The July 1–August 14 strokes lost number for my short game was 4.61, which is better than my numbers from 2018.)

So my improvement plan with my wedges includes, first, using my NX9 consistently within 100 yards next season. Second, I again believe that practice from the tight lie mat will help here: a lot of those 35% of short game shots that come up short are because of fat contact.

Third, I'm full-on committing to a three-wedge clock setup this winter. I replaced all of my wedges with more friendly Cleveland wedges this season: the CBX in 50° and the RTX-3 CB in 54° and 60°. I plan to work heavily with SkyTrak this off-season to establish consistent 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and full swing distances with each of those clubs. This aspect of my game is so poor right now that any dedicated work is bound to improve my scoring significantly.

Off the tee, I got better, but I'm still underachieving. This remains for me the hardest part of my game to practice. There are no ranges near me, and my garage ceiling is not high enough to allow me to practice on the SkyTrak. I'm looking at the possibility of removing a small portion of my garage ceiling (it is just a layer of insulation) and swinging between the rafters, but even that is pretty dodgy.

I do intend to take my SkyTrak to my parents' house, where their garage has very high ceilings and would allow me to get a least a couple of driver sessions in.

I will also be resuming a fitness plan for the off-season. I'm giving real consideration to jumping in on the Fit For Golf Superspeed plan while the sale is going on. But I also might just do the SuperSpeed training along with regular workouts on my BowFlex-like home gym.

It's also my intention, next season, to get my first driver fitting ever. That's always a challenge; I don't have fitters local to me. But I have a few times a year when I have reasons to get to the Twin Cities, and should be able to arrange something like that next season.

I've appreciated all of you who have followed along on my journey this year, who added your encouragement and tips along the way. Thank you for that!

:titleist-small: TS3 9.5°, Tensei Blue
:755178188_TourEdge: CBX T3 15°, Project X HZRDUS Black
:callaway-small: Epic Super Hybrid 18°, Aerotech Steel Fiber FC HYB S
:755178188_TourEdge: C722 21°, Ventus Blue 8S
:touredgeexotics: CBX Iron-Wood 25°, Project X HZRDUS Black 6.0
:Sub70: 639 CB, Aldila NV 95 Graphite, 6–PW
:cleveland-small: CBX 48°
:mizuno-small: T22 54° and 60°
:edel-golf-1: EAS 4.0, Garsen G-Pro grip
:taylormade-small: TP5x and Tour Response

Full WITB with pictures

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  • GolfSpy MPR changed the title to MPR: The Single Digit Project (YEAR IN REVIEW POSTED)

That is great improvement year over year. Whether it is a full 3 shots or not it is nothing to shake a stick at. Your peak numbers are not far off from where you want to be. One question and then a couple of suggestions. 

What is your driver CHS?

Keep working on those GIR's. The short game is the quickest fix to getting your handicap down but another 15-20% GIR will be a huge help and will contribute to long term sustainability. 

Try a putter with more toe hang. If you are missing left it could help starting the ball on your intended line. I would suggest something in the 75* or 3/4 to hang range to see if that helps.

Get a rangefinder. One of the biggest things that gets in golfers way is variables if we can eliminate as many as possible we will always be better off.

Get FIt For Golf. You won't regret it and will see progress within 2 weeks. Not saying you wouldn't with SS and your bowflex but FFG is legit and has been a huge help to me and almost anyone I have seen using it.

 

It has been fun following along. Keep it up. Enjoy seeing the progress. Not sure how you can play this crazy game with as much time off as you are forced to take. Winter time here means I go from 3-5 rounds a week to 2 and I can still barely sustain my number.

:taylormade-small:     Stealth 2+ 9 (Diamana PD 60 S 45") 

image.png.dee92ef6cebb2ac4a3883744fc248f12.png     Stealth 2+ 15 (Diamana PD 70 S 43")

:ping-small:          G425 19 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:ping-small:          G425 22 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:srixon-small:            ZX7 5-9 (KBS C Taper S)

:titleist-small:            Vokey SM9 45 10 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 49 08 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 55 08 M (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 59 04 T (KBS 610)

:taylormade-small:     Spider GT Splitback 34"

 :titleist-small:           ProV1 #23

Twitter             @THEZIPR23

 

"One thing Golf has taught me, is that my muscles have no memory."

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Awesome to read all of your progress this season. I really appreciate all of the time and effort you put into your posts, and it's one of the threads that inspired me to create my own.

I'm still really jealous of your SkyTrak setup. My garage has 10 foot ceilings, you're welcome anytime this winter. 🙂

I have the DST Compressor 8 iron and used it a bit last winter. My only warning to you will be that it's pretty easy to cheat with the club off of a mat. The mat can mask fat shots, as you've alluded to, and I found the huge amount of bounce on the DST iron basically allows it to skip forward and still strike the ball well. Something to keep in mind.

Unofficial WHS Handicap: 7.5 / Anti-Cap: 13.0 (Last Updated Feb. 19, 2024)

Driver: callaway_logo.png.3dd18aa65544000dd0ea3901697a8261.png Callaway Paradym TD (10.5°, -1/N), 45.75", Fujikura Motore X F1 6X | Fitting Post
3 Wood: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra RadSpeed Big Tour (14.5°), 43", Fujikura Motore X F1 7X
20° Hybrid: PXG_Logo.png.8401024d1fb8aec46f0e790c1aa5b80c.png PXG 0211 (2020 Model), 40.25", Mitsubishi Tensei AV RAW White 90X
4 Utility: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra KING Utility (2020 Model), 38.5", Aerotech SteelFiber i110cw Stiff
5-PW:
logo-Ben-Hogan-large.png.98d743ae5487285c6406a1e30a0a63b5.png Ben Hogan PTx Pro, 37" 7 Iron, Aerotech SteelFiber i125cw Stiff | Club Champion Fitting
50°, 54°, 58°:
231036130_Edel_Golf_Logo_v2_grandecopy.png.13cc76b963f8dd59f06d04b1e8df2827.png Edel SMS, V Grind, Nippon Modus 125 Wedge| Official Review Thread
Putter:
image.png.49fcc172a1ed0010d930fbe1c5dc8b79.png L.A.B. Golf DF 2.1, 36", 68°, Black with Custom Sightlines, BGT Stability Tour, L.A.B. Press II 3° | Unofficial Review
Grips: 
stargrip.png.4285948f41f1409613266e7803f0bbaa.png Star Sidewinder, Undersized with Custom Tape Build-Up
Ball: :Snell:Snell MTB-X Optic Yellow

Tracked By: shotscope.png.4a7089f2bddff325285b1266a61dda03.png  Shot Scope H4
Bag: :1590477705_SunMountain: Personalized 2020 Sun Mountain Sync
Riding On: 
image.png.1db52ce91db040317a9ac580f1df8de8.pngBag Boy Nitron | Official Review Thread

WITB? | 2022 Reviewer Edel SMS Wedges | 2021 Reviewer Maxfli Tour and Tour X Balls2020 Participant #CobraConnect Challenge | 2019 Reviewer Callaway Epic Flash Driver

 

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22 minutes ago, THEZIPR23 said:

That is great improvement year over year. Whether it is a full 3 shots or not it is nothing to shake a stick at. Your peak numbers are not far off from where you want to be. One question and then a couple of suggestions. 

What is your driver CHS?

Keep working on those GIR's. The short game is the quickest fix to getting your handicap down but another 15-20% GIR will be a huge help and will contribute to long term sustainability. 

Try a putter with more toe hang. If you are missing left it could help starting the ball on your intended line. I would suggest something in the 75* or 3/4 to hang range to see if that helps.

Get a rangefinder. One of the biggest things that gets in golfers way is variables if we can eliminate as many as possible we will always be better off.

Get FIt For Golf. You won't regret it and will see progress within 2 weeks. Not saying you wouldn't with SS and your bowflex but FFG is legit and has been a huge help to me and almost anyone I have seen using it.

 

It has been fun following along. Keep it up. Enjoy seeing the progress. Not sure how you can play this crazy game with as much time off as you are forced to take. Winter time here means I go from 3-5 rounds a week to 2 and I can still barely sustain my number.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Driver clubhead speed likely lingers in the mid to high 90s, I would guess. I have the swing radar, but I've mostly used it with the SuperSpeed sticks. When I was doing SuperSpeed, I had gotten the red stick hitting an average near 110, with the green topping out in the 130s. So I definitely have the speed to be getting 250 regularly off the tee.

:titleist-small: TS3 9.5°, Tensei Blue
:755178188_TourEdge: CBX T3 15°, Project X HZRDUS Black
:callaway-small: Epic Super Hybrid 18°, Aerotech Steel Fiber FC HYB S
:755178188_TourEdge: C722 21°, Ventus Blue 8S
:touredgeexotics: CBX Iron-Wood 25°, Project X HZRDUS Black 6.0
:Sub70: 639 CB, Aldila NV 95 Graphite, 6–PW
:cleveland-small: CBX 48°
:mizuno-small: T22 54° and 60°
:edel-golf-1: EAS 4.0, Garsen G-Pro grip
:taylormade-small: TP5x and Tour Response

Full WITB with pictures

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3 minutes ago, edingc said:

Awesome to read all of your progress this season. I really appreciate all of the time and effort you put into your posts, and it's one of the threads that inspired me to create my own.

I'm still really jealous of your SkyTrak setup. My garage has 10 foot ceilings, you're welcome anytime this winter. 🙂

I have the DST Compressor 8 iron and used it a bit last winter. My only warning to you will be that it's pretty easy to cheat with the club off of a mat. The mat can mask fat shots, as you've alluded to, and I found the huge amount of bounce on the DST iron basically allows it to skip forward and still strike the ball well. Something to keep in mind.

Some very, very preliminary results with the DST here. I set up the SkyTrak on Saturday, did a little warming up, and then hit a half dozen 8 irons, then the same with the DST, and then back to my 8 iron. The lofts don't match up; the G700s are pretty loft-jacked, so the DST is more like my 9 iron.

image.png

[Note: the G700s are not going to be high-spin irons and from my reading, spin rate off mats tends to be significantly low. Here's an article from TrackMan that says that a 7 can drop nearly 2,000rpm of spin on mat compared to grass.]

So far, this all seems like what would be expected. If the DST gets my hands in the right spot, I should see a slightly lower launch and (hopefully) more crisp contact with increased spin. I would have liked to have seen the ball speed increase, but we'll keep an eye on that going forward.

:titleist-small: TS3 9.5°, Tensei Blue
:755178188_TourEdge: CBX T3 15°, Project X HZRDUS Black
:callaway-small: Epic Super Hybrid 18°, Aerotech Steel Fiber FC HYB S
:755178188_TourEdge: C722 21°, Ventus Blue 8S
:touredgeexotics: CBX Iron-Wood 25°, Project X HZRDUS Black 6.0
:Sub70: 639 CB, Aldila NV 95 Graphite, 6–PW
:cleveland-small: CBX 48°
:mizuno-small: T22 54° and 60°
:edel-golf-1: EAS 4.0, Garsen G-Pro grip
:taylormade-small: TP5x and Tour Response

Full WITB with pictures

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17 minutes ago, Jay11 said:

You can modify some trusses in your garage to get yourself some more ceiling height. 

 

Honestly, I'm insane, but doing this so that I could swing a driver in my garage would take it to another level 🙂

:titleist-small: TS3 9.5°, Tensei Blue
:755178188_TourEdge: CBX T3 15°, Project X HZRDUS Black
:callaway-small: Epic Super Hybrid 18°, Aerotech Steel Fiber FC HYB S
:755178188_TourEdge: C722 21°, Ventus Blue 8S
:touredgeexotics: CBX Iron-Wood 25°, Project X HZRDUS Black 6.0
:Sub70: 639 CB, Aldila NV 95 Graphite, 6–PW
:cleveland-small: CBX 48°
:mizuno-small: T22 54° and 60°
:edel-golf-1: EAS 4.0, Garsen G-Pro grip
:taylormade-small: TP5x and Tour Response

Full WITB with pictures

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One other update I forgot to include: I mentioned at one point in this thread my goal of birdieing each hole at my home course one time this season. Here's how I did:

  • Hole 1 | 435 | Par 4: Nope. This is a tough opening hole (rated the second hardest on the course. I almost never have a GIR here, which makes birdie difficult.
  • Hole 2 | 267 | Par 4: Multiple birdies. This hole is a 90° dogleg left with no reasonable way to cut the corner. Normally, it calls for a PW off the tee and a GW on the green.
  • Hole 3 | 170 | Par 3: Nope.
  • Hole 4 | 482 | Par 5: Yes. For a par 5, it's short, which should result in lots of birdie chances. But wayward shots are punished hard on both sides (forest), so it's also easy to make a big number.
  • Hole 5 | 330 | Par 4: Yes. Pretty straightforward, slightly uphill. Probably should have had more than one here, to be honest.
  • Hole 6 | 368 | Par 4: Yes. One that I'm most proud of. Another difficult hole, with OB left and woods right off the tee, with a second shot to a very difficult green.
  • Hole 7 | 200 | Par 3: Yes. This hole is massively downhill, but hitting the green from 200 and making the putt is always immensely satisfying.
  • Hole 8 | 365 | Par 4: Multiple birdies. Pretty straightforward hole.
  • Hole 9 | 419 | Par 4: Nope. Plays far longer than the listed yardage, normally uphill and into the wind.
  • Hole 10 | 315 | Par 4: Yes. A fun dogleg.
  • Hole 11 | 352 | Par 4: Yes. Guess what? Another dogleg.
  • Hole 12 | 300 | Par 4: Nope! I'm stunned a bit embarrassed by this one. This is one of the easiest holes on the course, and I didn't even realize I had gone the whole season without birdieing it.
  • Hole 13 | 367 | Par 4: Yes. Another very difficult hole requiring two very precise shots.
  • Hole 14 | 363 | Par 4: Nope.
  • Hole 15 | 142 | Par 3: Yes. A blind par 3.
  • Hole 16 | 315 | Par 4: My first and only eagle! Unfortunately, my Game Golf battery died so I have no digital record of it. But I hit a nice drive and then holed out from about 65 yards for the big bird.
  • Hole 17 | 287 | Par 4: Multiple birdies. Downhill, often downwind. The easiest hole on the course.
  • Hole 18 | 553 | Par 5: Nope. Back uphill, into the wind. Several GIRs, but a heavily sloping green makes birdie here an accomplishment.

So the final tally: 12/18. Meh. I birdied one hole I wouldn't have expected (6), and left several out there that I should have gotten. Looking forward to giving this another try next season.

:titleist-small: TS3 9.5°, Tensei Blue
:755178188_TourEdge: CBX T3 15°, Project X HZRDUS Black
:callaway-small: Epic Super Hybrid 18°, Aerotech Steel Fiber FC HYB S
:755178188_TourEdge: C722 21°, Ventus Blue 8S
:touredgeexotics: CBX Iron-Wood 25°, Project X HZRDUS Black 6.0
:Sub70: 639 CB, Aldila NV 95 Graphite, 6–PW
:cleveland-small: CBX 48°
:mizuno-small: T22 54° and 60°
:edel-golf-1: EAS 4.0, Garsen G-Pro grip
:taylormade-small: TP5x and Tour Response

Full WITB with pictures

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One other update I forgot to include: I mentioned at one point in this thread my goal of birdieing each hole at my home course one time this season. Here's how I did:
  • Hole 1 | 435 | Par 4: Nope. This is a tough opening hole (rated the second hardest on the course. I almost never have a GIR here, which makes birdie difficult.
  • Hole 2 | 267 | Par 4: Multiple birdies. This hole is a 90° dogleg left with no reasonable way to cut the corner. Normally, it calls for a PW off the tee and a GW on the green.
  • Hole 3 | 170 | Par 3: Nope.
  • Hole 4 | 482 | Par 5: Yes. For a par 5, it's short, which should result in lots of birdie chances. But wayward shots are punished hard on both sides (forest), so it's also easy to make a big number.
  • Hole 5 | 330 | Par 4: Yes. Pretty straightforward, slightly uphill. Probably should have had more than one here, to be honest.
  • Hole 6 | 368 | Par 4: Yes. One that I'm most proud of. Another difficult hole, with OB left and woods right off the tee, with a second shot to a very difficult green.
  • Hole 7 | 200 | Par 3: Yes. This hole is massively downhill, but hitting the green from 200 and making the putt is always immensely satisfying.
  • Hole 8 | 365 | Par 4: Multiple birdies. Pretty straightforward hole.
  • Hole 9 | 419 | Par 4: Nope. Plays far longer than the listed yardage, normally uphill and into the wind.
  • Hole 10 | 315 | Par 4: Yes. A fun dogleg.
  • Hole 11 | 352 | Par 4: Yes. Guess what? Another dogleg.
  • Hole 12 | 300 | Par 4: Nope! I'm stunned a bit embarrassed by this one. This is one of the easiest holes on the course, and I didn't even realize I had gone the whole season without birdieing it.
  • Hole 13 | 367 | Par 4: Yes. Another very difficult hole requiring two very precise shots.
  • Hole 14 | 363 | Par 4: Nope.
  • Hole 15 | 142 | Par 3: Yes. A blind par 3.
  • Hole 16 | 315 | Par 4: My first and only eagle! Unfortunately, my Game Golf battery died so I have no digital record of it. But I hit a nice drive and then holed out from about 65 yards for the big bird.
  • Hole 17 | 287 | Par 4: Multiple birdies. Downhill, often downwind. The easiest hole on the course.
  • Hole 18 | 553 | Par 5: Nope. Back uphill, into the wind. Several GIRs, but a heavily sloping green makes birdie here an accomplishment.
So the final tally: 12/18. Meh. I birdied one hole I wouldn't have expected (6), and left several out there that I should have gotten. Looking forward to giving this another try next season.

Shows your potential of how well you can play your home course. The challenge is putting it all together in one round.

Driver:  :ping-small: G400 Max 9* w/ KBS Tour Driven
Fairway: :titelist-small: TS3 15*  w/Project X Hzardous Smoke
Hybrids:  :titelist-small: 915H 21* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype
                :titelist-small: 915H  24*  w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype        
Irons:      :honma:TR20V 6-11 w/Vizard TR20-85 Graphite
Wedge:  :titleist-small: 54/12D, 60/8M w/:Accra iWedge 90 Graphite
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A quick post about my goals for my full swing this winter: I need more rotation. The extent of my lack of rotation really hit me looking at @jlukes most recent lesson video. Also, note the contrast at impact between the best swing I see on a regular basis and my own swing:

MDOL19SevgbR4Ry9OxheN-9Zrb_QJeoe6dtYWJfx

My hips have opened a tiny bit at impact, but my shoulders might as well be in their setup position. By contrast, Kirke's swing approach DJ levels of openness at impact:

Image result for dustin johnson impact

What am I hoping to accomplish with this change? I think that's always an important question, because I know I'm susceptible to the temptation to work on cosmetic aspects of my swing just for cosmetic reasons. But my goal is that by pursuing a more rotation-based (rather than arms and hands-based) swing, I'll see more consistent dispersion patterns from better clubface control. I'd also like to see crisper impact; arms/hands swings are tremendously timing based, and I suspect that my issue when my iron play is awry (fat shots) is a consequence of this.

How am I going to work on this? In addition to jlukes's video, what opened my eyes to my lack of rotation were my initial swings with the DST Compressor. Because it forces your hands to lead through impact, the stalled out upper body makes that position feel very awkward. I also just picked up a Power Package golf trainer for a good price on eBay (yes, I have a training aid addition). From all that I've seen, it looks like a good aid for helping a person feel the need for rotation. I know @dhartmann34 has a thread about the Power Package on the forums; I'd definitely be interested in hearing an update from him on his evaluation of it.

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A quick post about my goals for my full swing this winter: I need more rotation. The extent of my lack of rotation really hit me looking at [mention=56939]jlukes[/mention] most recent lesson video. Also, note the contrast at impact between the best swing I see on a regular basis and my own swing:
MDOL19SevgbR4Ry9OxheN-9Zrb_QJeoe6dtYWJfxIr9ySjoxCdNbLoQEV9CP-IdcfDKtWl5LsPOh3Y9qIoBG71w5A07EXDRxbSgRApScd2RouVghDHCw2o8WBIx_Djh-2J3wREiYI-NxpV3QYf_8jmRwnMI9WxEXBn1oew0uDfH_r7UjDAqUgKBrnuU7YSMQKqv1HFjspHO0B_sHKtIgbIjly_6enGuXHYodxD38GdXXK5AGnrpafwZs70Is1I3n8fkJYTDZo1d2XUL0kasVwsuD3LzBTEZaFtAELqf3pqwqwK80rB-wD13JOs0xTFSuiamIhaxSeNsnL38nx1AlhG1qWrJDwINSHLsii3A0w5jsUcjkK0kHDpexOrRZKlvMO_msr_vZDNKJM1ZkxTIGR63BvY_e47b5WDxDYXHmXPl1T0GxtnHe9jl4tpHswN59tFwiB8CMPBvEXKA2XHOAb5J1nxkB0ABMlhK66E5pBAnsRUuhif8zE3vpNecmzTNshXcF702qd8f6oOIbOlqaVv4CUeprifhlHiz-_iqVwsQrX4D_vaMZ7DL2qyNaWj0wIDYIxbbYam2nS9-ozt9U5h5x81C8DZC5z74lmUUJZqgi1ZQmuPR6VcoxwQl1BnetvBnayV5huK2n-KFgwclVyPxhRkqe99A3bB2YCCew2oadoL5uaGWC13hO=w2048-h1433-no
My hips have opened a tiny bit at impact, but my shoulders might as well be in their setup position. By contrast, Kirke's approach DJ levels of openness at impact:
MeandMyGolfDustinJohnson-1000x600.jpg
What am I hoping to accomplish with this change? I think that's always an important question, because I know I'm susceptible to the temptation to work on cosmetic aspects of my swing just for cosmetic reasons. But my goal is that by pursuing a more rotation-based (rather than arms and hands-based) swing, I'll see more consistent dispersion patterns from better clubface control. I'd also like to see crisper impact; arms/hands swings are tremendously timing based, and I suspect that my issue when my iron play is awry (fat shots) is a consequence of this.
How am I going to work on this? In addition to jlukes's video, what opened my eyes to my lack of rotation were my initial swings with the DST Compressor. Because it forces your hands to lead through impact, the stalled out upper body makes that position feel very awkward. I also just picked up a Power Package golf trainer for a good price on eBay (yes, I have a training aid addition). From all that I've seen, it looks like a good aid for helping a person feel the need for rotation. I know [mention=67453]dhartmann34[/mention] has a thread about the Power Package on the forums; I'd definitely be interested in hearing an update from him on his evaluation of it.
In regards to the Power Package... I love it. If you make the right moves, it's fantastic. But it is hard to get used to at first. The urge to want to be good and hit solid shots right off the bat and within the first month, is hard to break. If you can't deal with going through the process of bad before the success and good comes, it will be difficult to use.

I will admit that due to a baby, consistent Seattle like almost daiky rain here in the Midwest this year, and starting a business, my practice regimen has been lacking a lot this year. I've got to get back to the PP for sure. Once I can move those kids toys in the living room I'll be golden... Guess I'm going out to the garage.

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11 minutes ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

A quick post about my goals for my full swing this winter: I need more rotation. The extent of my lack of rotation really hit me looking at @jlukes most recent lesson video. Also, note the contrast at impact between the best swing I see on a regular basis and my own swing:

MDOL19SevgbR4Ry9OxheN-9Zrb_QJeoe6dtYWJfx

My hips have opened a tiny bit at impact, but my shoulders might as well be in their setup position. By contrast, Kirke's approach DJ levels of openness at impact:

Image result for dustin johnson impact

What am I hoping to accomplish with this change? I think that's always an important question, because I know I'm susceptible to the temptation to work on cosmetic aspects of my swing just for cosmetic reasons. But my goal is that by pursuing a more rotation-based (rather than arms and hands-based) swing, I'll see more consistent dispersion patterns from better clubface control. I'd also like to see crisper impact; arms/hands swings are tremendously timing based, and I suspect that my issue when my iron play is awry (fat shots) is a consequence of this.

How am I going to work on this? In addition to jlukes's video, what opened my eyes to my lack of rotation were my initial swings with the DST Compressor. Because it forces your hands to lead through impact, the stalled out upper body makes that position feel very awkward. I also just picked up a Power Package golf trainer for a good price on eBay (yes, I have a training aid addition). From all that I've seen, it looks like a good aid for helping a person feel the need for rotation. I know @dhartmann34 has a thread about the Power Package on the forums; I'd definitely be interested in hearing an update from him on his evaluation of it.

This reminds me of a section from Zen Golf(I think?).  The writer had many photos of swings from his student with a ball.  Most students weren't happy with what they saw.  Then he had them throw a club as far out on the range as they could.  And the videos revealed swings resembling that screenshot of DJ above.  To throw that club (forwards!) a good distance, the body rotation becomes much more natural than when swinging at a ball.

Obviously not a drill for the garage, raised rafters or not!

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2 hours ago, romeopapazulu said:

This reminds me of a section from Zen Golf(I think?).  The writer had many photos of swings from his student with a ball.  Most students weren't happy with what they saw.  Then he had them throw a club as far out on the range as they could.  And the videos revealed swings resembling that screenshot of DJ above.  To throw that club (forwards!) a good distance, the body rotation becomes much more natural than when swinging at a ball.

Obviously not a drill for the garage, raised rafters or not!

I actually played a number of rounds this year with that being my primary swing thought. Here's what's interesting: I've taken some video of myself making practice swings without a ball, and my shoulders open up a decent amount through the impact zone. For instance:

snapshot_20191024_114904.jpg

But put a ball there, and in comes the early extension/rotation stall/hands-arms catch-up move!

I know I can make this move when swinging. I'm hoping that working with these aids will help me transfer that movement to actual swings with a ball.

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1 hour ago, romeopapazulu said:

This reminds me of a section from Zen Golf(I think?).  The writer had many photos of swings from his student with a ball.  Most students weren't happy with what they saw.  Then he had them throw a club as far out on the range as they could.  And the videos revealed swings resembling that screenshot of DJ above.  To throw that club (forwards!) a good distance, the body rotation becomes much more natural than when swinging at a ball.

Obviously not a drill for the garage, raised rafters or not!

You’re referring to a Fred Shoemaker drill from “Extraordinary Golf: The Art of the Possible” - a personal favorite that I recommend to everyone.

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4 minutes ago, downlowkey said:

You’re referring to a Fred Shoemaker drill from “Extraordinary Golf: The Art of the Possible” - a personal favorite that I recommend to everyone.

Thanks!  That was a long time ago and a borrowed book, so the name escaped me.  Looks like I can pick up my own copy for one hard earned dollar on amazon!

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3 minutes ago, romeopapazulu said:

Thanks!  That was a long time ago and a borrowed book, so the name escaped me.  Looks like I can pick up my own copy for one hard earned dollar on amazon!

Anytime muchacho! My copy has been leant out many times and it has been eye opening for all my pals. Beyond mechanics, Shoemaker delves into the unique effect that ego has on the golf swing - a terrifying subject that everyone must eventually face on the path to extraordinary. Images of the club throw drill are a wonderful illustration of potential physical motion -vs- the limitations of a result oriented thought process.

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BobbyGrace.png.1dc40002fcec0eee8603b71b3e706e89.png______Amazing Grace NYC Tour CS
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4 hours ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

snapshot_20191024_114904.jpg

 

Wow, what a perfect indoor place to practice your swing! Lay down a few strips of wide masking tape (so you don't damage the carpet) and you have a great place to practice with foam balls all winter.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just above freezing in the garage. Working hard this winter to build a swing on rotation rather than flipping. This is a work in progress:

 

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Something that just dawned on me, watching the video above: my setup position is very unorthodox. I bend a lot at the knees, with the result that my rear end is way outside my feet:

snapshot_20191109_184455.jpg

Why does this matter? Again, my goal is to develop a rotation-based swing, and tone down the early extension/flipping recovery swing. Because my hips start so deep, I don't think there's a possible way to maintain that depth. I also doubt there's any possibility of squatting in the swing to use ground forces, because there's no room to squat.

Finally, given that position, there's virtually no room for my hands to come into impact without raising pretty significantly.

In the next couple of days, I'm going to experiment with a setup that gets my center of mass more over my feet. I noticed in @edingc's thread on his off-season progress his observation about standing too close to the ball. I don't think I'm likely to actually increase my distance from the ball, but by straightening my legs and bending more from the hips, I suspect I'll feel a great deal further from the ball.

I'm intrigued.

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I don’t know if that is the fix our even if what I am about to type is an issue however it does appear that you are moving towards the ball in the downswing. Your weight seems to be really on your heels at address so maybe it is all connected. The effect is usually easily discernible, finding the cause is the difficult part. I will say that without a doubt that move looks much better than a year ago.

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10 hours ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

In the next couple of days, I'm going to experiment with a setup that gets my center of mass more over my feet. I noticed in @edingc's thread on his off-season progress his observation about standing too close to the ball. I don't think I'm likely to actually increase my distance from the ball, but by straightening my legs and bending more from the hips, I suspect I'll feel a great deal further from the ball.

I'll be curious to see the changes! Your stance reminds me a lot of Keegan Bradley, as is. 

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  • GolfSpy MPR changed the title to MPR: The Single Digit Project
On 11/9/2019 at 9:42 PM, THEZIPR23 said:

I don’t know if that is the fix our even if what I am about to type is an issue however it does appear that you are moving towards the ball in the downswing. Your weight seems to be really on your heels at address so maybe it is all connected. The effect is usually easily discernible, finding the cause is the difficult part. I will say that without a doubt that move looks much better than a year ago.

Thanks for the kind words. I'm inclined to think that the two issues are related for me. I'm hoping to hit some balls in the garage this afternoon and get some video to confirm. Here's my suspicion: the crouched setup position means my hips are already about as deep as they can go.

The Keegan comp suggested by @edingc is interesting. Here's a great super slo mo of Keegan's swing:

Camera angles can be tricky, but I think I might start even deeper than he does.

Let me do my admittedly very amateur Peter Kostis Konica Minolta analysis, using Justin Thomas as a comp. Keegan sets up his rear end quite deep behind he heals, with a significant knee bend. By contrast, JT has a more "orthodox" setup, with a slight knee bend but with his center of mass more in obviously within his feet:

keegan-thomas-address.jpg

Now, think about this: if your knees are bent significantly, it is difficult to straighten your leg without moving your hips toward the ball. This is why, @THEZIPR23, I think my thrust toward the ball is, in part, related to my setup. So note that at the top of his backswing, Keegan has retained almost all of his initial knee bend. At least as I see it, this slightly restricts his hip turn, compared to JT. Just try it: squat at the knee and then tree to rotate your hips, versus rotating your hips while allowing the leg to straighten. Because I'm no elite athlete, and especially as I get older, I'm not seeing that restricting hip turn is a good move for me. So if I'm going to let my back leg straighten a bit to allow for my hip to get deeper, I'm not going to be able to start with my knees so bent.

keegan-thomas-top.jpg

These two videos appear to have a comparable angle: both slightly in front of the player. Keegan has still retained the depth with which he set up, which permits his arms to come through where they need to. JT has as well, but it looks like because of his setup, he has a bit more room for his arms to get through. Both are "maintaining their spine angle" (actually converting it into a side bend), but it appears to me that Keegan has to be bent even more than JT to get to the ball.

keegan-thomas-impact.jpg

In no way is this a critique of Keegan's swing. If I could do what he does, I would. What I'm thinking is that I'm just not capable of maintaining the hip depth that I'm establishing at setup the way that he does, and that I'll have a better chance of a swing that doesn't lurch forward toward the ball if I don't start so deep.

Here's a quick illustration of what I hope to expect. The second swing is obviously just a practice swing without a ball, but the way that my impact position retains the same hip-to-head position of my address (compared to the swing from Saturday, in which I've clearly lurched toward the ball about six inches) is what I'm hoping to see when I hit balls with the new setup:

extension.jpg

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  • 1 month later...
1 hour ago, jlukes said:

Just going to post this here 😄

I'm a little disturbed that you've hidden a camera somewhere at my house.

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It was just this week that I learned that Morgan Pressel is my favorite golfer:

 

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:Sub70: 639 CB, Aldila NV 95 Graphite, 6–PW
:cleveland-small: CBX 48°
:mizuno-small: T22 54° and 60°
:edel-golf-1: EAS 4.0, Garsen G-Pro grip
:taylormade-small: TP5x and Tour Response

Full WITB with pictures

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Psssst.... - I know the secret to Single Digit. Pick your number 1-9.

And it doesn't involve a contraption built from 2" structural tubing. But if you have some decent equipment, reasonable coordination, a mind, and some time on your hands you can get there. Probably this summer!

My Sun Mountain bag currently includes:   TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 771CSI 5i - PW and TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges

                                                                               :755178188_TourEdge: EXS 10.5*, TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 929-HS FW4 16.5* 

                                                                                :edel-golf-1: Willimette w/GolfPride Contour

 

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On 10/24/2019 at 10:47 AM, GolfSpy MPR said:

I actually played a number of rounds this year with that being my primary swing thought. Here's what's interesting: I've taken some video of myself making practice swings without a ball, and my shoulders open up a decent amount through the impact zone. For instance:

snapshot_20191024_114904.jpg

But put a ball there, and in comes the early extension/rotation stall/hands-arms catch-up move!

I know I can make this move when swinging. I'm hoping that working with these aids will help me transfer that movement to actual swings with a ball.

LOVE IT hitting golf balls in church---- Kinda reminds me of when I went to the Episcopal church--- Our Assistant Priest was an avid golfer--- When our Bishop can to visit twice a year I tried to bet the Assistant Priest that I could hit his Shepard's Stick like a 1 iron. The handle part was solid at the top about the width of a 1 iron--- The Bishop heard about that and asked me "If I could hit a 1 iron?" while reminding me tongue in cheek it was a sin to lie to the Bishop. My Assistant priest backed me up and said he had actually seen me hit a 1 iron---- Come to find out the Bishop was a golfer too and he thought it was hilarious--- I did learn the history on his Shepard's Crook though  it was over 100 years old and had been carried by every Low Country Bishop since the 1800s

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

 G

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  • 3 weeks later...

So far this winter, we've had something more than 10 feet of snow here. But the plus side is that we're in the middle of a warm spell: the high temps for the next 10 days are all right at or just above freezing. Considering that this time of year, it's not uncommon for us to have a stretch of days that long in which the temps don't rise about 0°F, I'll take it! I have no idea if this portends an early spring; around here, golf by the end of April means we're off to a good start.

The warmer temperatures mean that getting into the garage for SkyTrak sessions is a bit easier. I don't trust my distances so much in this weather. The golf balls and clubs are literally frozen, and the cold temps means I'm typically wearing a few layers. But it's still good for working on face/path and strike, even if I have to club up to reach the distances I want to hit.

Putting practice continues. I bought a low-end mat that I can use at my office. Enjoying the opportunity to get reps with line and speed.

And I'm settling on my club setup for the upcoming year. I'll do a WITB 2020 post in the near future, but I added one candidate for the last slot in my bag today. Dallas Golf was selling a brand new Cobra F6 5-6 with a Fujikura Motore shaft for $80 shipped, so I grabbed that to give me another option in the top end of my bag. Hoping that as the season gets closer and everything warms up to do some serious gap testing with my SkyTrak.

:titleist-small: TS3 9.5°, Tensei Blue
:755178188_TourEdge: CBX T3 15°, Project X HZRDUS Black
:callaway-small: Epic Super Hybrid 18°, Aerotech Steel Fiber FC HYB S
:755178188_TourEdge: C722 21°, Ventus Blue 8S
:touredgeexotics: CBX Iron-Wood 25°, Project X HZRDUS Black 6.0
:Sub70: 639 CB, Aldila NV 95 Graphite, 6–PW
:cleveland-small: CBX 48°
:mizuno-small: T22 54° and 60°
:edel-golf-1: EAS 4.0, Garsen G-Pro grip
:taylormade-small: TP5x and Tour Response

Full WITB with pictures

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