Shankster: A Solo Story / Take 38

[Shankster]

13 hours ago, RDel90 said:

This was a great read! What a journey. I started mine about 9 months ago. Started with the Graves/Moe method (Kenny helped my with some training aids) the first 6 months, but I couldn't get comfortable with distance from the ball to swing like Moe. Also being shorter, Graves ball position/stance width was too wide for me and I was just too inconsistent. Almost wanted to give it up. Then I started following a lot more Kirk Junge over the last 3-4 months (also tempted since he is only about 45 min from me now in South Florida) and find his hybrid setup for impact method must more comfortable for me (narrower stance but still use the Graves ball position, and don't have to worry about keeping back foot down). Both Graves and Junge say its all about the setup and find my misses are all setup dependent. Originally, my SPS miss was a straight hook ending up 35 yards left of target. When getting re-fitted for iron shafts (I'll tell you about that in a moment) I found out my face to path was about 3.5 degrees closed. Fitting seeing that it's said it's about 10yds offline for every degree face is closed/open. I had too much forward shaft lean delofting/closing the face. Fixed my "rod" lead arm and got the face more to square which seems to straighten things out. 

Going back to fitting, when going from the 2 plane to SPS, did you get refit? Or sounds like you will as you explore single length or graphite shafts? I was fitted in my clubs (PXG 0211 with TT Elevevate 95 Stiff, 2 deg flat, 84 mph swing speed) Jan 2020 with a conventional swing. Sortly after switching to SPS, I gained some good club head speed (about 7mph with irons and 13mph with driver) but was hooking consistantly. I just couldn't control my club face. Also, I noticed a brig drop in smash factor. I really had to be deliberate and slow my swing (6i to about 75-77mph - even slower than when originally fit) to keep ball flight straight and get smash factor back up. So I went to get re-fit for shafts this Jan, and moved up to KBS C-Taper 120g Stiff. Talk about going boardy in shafts!! Also moved up grips to midsize from standard (just couldn't bring myself to dive into the JumboMax). Now no swing thoughts about technical address or what I need to do and I can just swing away. 6i is about 91mph now and hitting straight and baby draws. Makes me wonder how many people get frustrated with SPS without proper fitting or realizing thier gains. Like me, maybe their 2 plane sticks might not be the right setup for SPS?

Recently, also switched to the Bryson ball, Bridgestone Tour B X (Previously played Snell MTB-X) and it's been a world of difference! That ball is awesome (only complaint is a little firm/clicky on the putter). With new shafts and gamer ball I got my 6i up to a 182 avg carry. Drives are about 275 average total with the occassional 300+ dropped in. I highly recommend the Tour B X. 

Like you at one time, I'm at a point now where my short game is costing me a lot of strokes. I just cant get comfortable. More often thin misses and with some occassional fatties thrown in. Constantly trying to adjust something so I'm in my own head. I'm losing at least 10 stokes with wedges 75yds in. Just hard to get the practice time in with a 7 month old baby!

Following as I'd love to hear more on your progress!

 

Thanks for the follow on the topic.  I am not sure what I am even doing anymore.  Haha.

Definitely more like the Kirk Junge approach.  Short game used to be an asset, I was always in the junk and needed some escape shots... but since I’m in ply more often I didn’t need any Phil or Seve type escape shots.  I was trying to set myself up with a PW into the green, which was 145 last year. Only got one round in the “Bambi” the dotted 48°, but when I get the distance dialed in (* if I get it dialed in I should say) I will ply to that distance....

79° on Friday seems like a good day to call in sick.

[RDel90]

On 3/22/2021 at 10:54 AM, Kenny B said:

I was going to ask how the training was going, so thanks for the update.  Moe's method works for some, but not for others.  It really helped me, but at a cost of shorter distance off the tee.  Yes, it eliminated my slice, but at a cost of distance.  That's why I gave it up.  I couldn't make the Graves short game method they taught work for me either.  I was better off picking what setup worked best for me, and then spending a lot of time hitting lots of balls.  I still practice the short stuff a lot or I lose my feels.

 

It's been a long journey for me too and I feel I am just starting to get comfortable aside from the short game right now. I just can't believe what a difference when I swapped shafts. When I was conventional, I could not for the life of me hit the KBS C-Tapers. Then fast forward a year and I couldn't swing the original Elevates and loved the feel and results of the C-Tapers. I just need to get the short game practice time in. Recently got a free set of the Arccos sensors and bout the Caddie Link (sensors free if you own a new Ping club in the last 2 years). Looking forward to see what data I get to drive further improvements.

[Shankster]

Figured I’d give an update on this rollercoaster.  Adding speed in this swing has created a ton of old/new distance that I used to have.

The driver can still get pretty wild from time to time, and this set up seems to naturally favor a draw for me in the irons.

Ive been using this same set up all year, and I’d is really working for me.  I don’t see myself going back to a conventional swing ever.  
 

If you are interested in it, check Kirk Junge out.  He has a lot of good content on his YouTube channel.