CNosil - Journey to a better golf game

[cnosil]

4 hours ago, tigerpill said:

 

I know I am late to the party, but very interested to follow your journey. I have always thought the Mike Adams approach was intriguing. From time to time his stuff pops up, but you have ignited the interest again. I'm curious where you found someone to do the assessment on your swing. Thanks

A local instructor that I had worked with years ago;  I thought he had stopped individual coaching but we reconnected and did some work.   

[Goober]

It sounds like you have the ability to shoot 70 golf each time you tee it up. But somewhere you have a massive disconnect during your rounds. You ever just clear your mind and say “ just swing and let the ball get in the way of the club”? 
 

your poor mind is in a whirlwind now of swing ideas and philosophies. Just reading many of these threads I’m noticing a trend. Paralysis by Analysis 

[cnosil]

8 minutes ago, Goober said:

It sounds like you have the ability to shoot 70 golf each time you tee it up. But somewhere you have a massive disconnect during your rounds. You ever just clear your mind and say “ just swing and let the ball get in the way of the club”? 
 

your poor mind is in a whirlwind now of swing ideas and philosophies. Just reading many of these threads I’m noticing a trend. Paralysis by Analysis 

Shot 76 last weekend so, yes I can.   I think you are  assuming that I have a lot goin on in my mind.   I think you are assuming that because we talk about swing ideas and philosophies on a forum that we are trying everything when we play.  While  
 I try to understand and discuss details, when I play it is simply pick a club and try to hit it a certain distance.  There are no technique or process thoughts when I am on the course.   THe question I am trying to resolve is what is the disconnect….bad swing = bad result no matter what you are thinking.  

With a significant amount of work on technique my short game is decent again.   Now I am trying to fix the toe/pull hook shot that creeps into my rounds and generally results in penalties or having to pitch out from trouble.   The body is amazing and will do what it can to hit the ball, but simply thinking let the ball get in the way doesn’t make you produce a good swing.  
 

been hitting drivers for the last couple of weeks.  One day everything is off the heel, the next good contact, the next toe, the next high, the next low, the next wide open Vance, the next closed, or some combination of all of them.   For full swing shots I can put the bad shot behind me,  short game mistakes is a little harder due the the long term frustration that I experienced. 
 

maybe it is a focus issue and the lack of thoughts is creating the problem.   

[Goober]

Well 76 is a great score. If you can shoot that. Than I think the change would be very simple (no matter what it maybe). Might be as simple as grip pressure more or less in one hand or the other. Or maybe your head position is swaying. You ever try putting tees around the ball. One on the north and one on the south quadrant of the ball. And just swing thru that gate. Wish I could help you further. But it’s hard to quantify what you may be doing wrong by posts on here. I’m sure it is just a minor adjustment 

[cnosil]

32 minutes ago, Goober said:

Well 76 is a great score. If you can shoot that. Than I think the change would be very simple (no matter what it maybe). Might be as simple as grip pressure more or less in one hand or the other. Or maybe your head position is swaying. You ever try putting tees around the ball. One on the north and one on the south quadrant of the ball. And just swing thru that gate. Wish I could help you further. But it’s hard to quantify what you may be doing wrong by posts on here. I’m sure it is just a minor adjustment 

I want to average around 75 which my instructor said was a perfectly reasonable goal.   

What you provided is tips: tweak your grip, adjust head position,  do this drill.  How is that different than what you are advocating against?   I want a professional opinion on what I am doing wrong.  I went for a lesson in June and after 2 hours we diagnosed the issue and worked on fixing the problem.  I now have to engrain the pattern for a problem which was described as a difficult issue to resolve.  Not a quick fix because I can go to the range and hit good shots.  The question is am I swinging correctly or just adapting to what I am doing that day.   Based on my inconsistency on the course when I have only one attempt to execute I am guessing I still have work to do.  
 

based on your posts golf and the  golf swing seems to be something natural to you.  Not everyone has that ability and needs to work hard to be moderately successful.  We are all different and the approach that works for you may not work for someone else.  Some people may not get better, but that doesn’t mean they should stop trying if they enjoy the game and the learning process.  MGS is a community where people come together to share their enjoyment for a game.   While we do offer critical advice and have opinions to share we are mostly here to support the what the person is doing to try and play the game better.  

[GolfSpy AFG]

1 hour ago, cnosil said:

I want to average around 75 which my instructor said was a perfectly reasonable goal.   

What you provided is tips: tweak your grip, adjust head position,  do this drill.  How is that different than what you are advocating against?   I want a professional opinion on what I am doing wrong.  I went for a lesson in June and after 2 hours we diagnosed the issue and worked on fixing the problem.  I now have to engrain the pattern for a problem which was described as a difficult issue to resolve.  Not a quick fix because I can go to the range and hit good shots.  The question is am I swinging correctly or just adapting to what I am doing that day.   Based on my inconsistency on the course when I have only one attempt to execute I am guessing I still have work to do.  
 

based on your posts golf and the  golf swing seems to be something natural to you.  Not everyone has that ability and needs to work hard to be moderately successful.  We are all different and the approach that works for you may not work for someone else.  Some people may not get better, but that doesn’t mean they should stop trying if they enjoy the game and the learning process.  MGS is a community where people come together to share their enjoyment for a game.   While we do offer critical advice and have opinions to share we are mostly here to support the what the person is doing to try and play the game better.  

Well said.

What is the cause for that toe contact…have you ID’d it and have a fix?  When I struggled with that it was basically early extension and standing the club up at impact.

[cnosil]

3 hours ago, Getoffmylawn said:

Well said.

What is the cause for that toe contact…have you ID’d it and have a fix?  When I struggled with that it was basically early extension and standing the club up at impact.

Essentially elbow movement on the downswing.  As I started the downswing my elbow flew which causes me to incorrectly route the club into the ball.   Fix is hand path and keeping the right elbow in front of me.  

[cksurfdude]

On 1/13/2022 at 2:35 PM, cnosil said:

Some people may not get better, but that doesn’t mean they should stop trying if they enjoy the game and the learning process.

(.. that's me raising my hand! )

Thoughts, tips, etc etc and whatever notwithstanding I really enjoy the discussions in this forum, and really enjoy following along threads like this where someone is describing/chronicling their efforts and journey to "better" (whatever that particularly means to each individual golfer!).

[cnosil]

as 2022 gets underway, figured I would do an assessment of my game and document what I am thinking.   

Yesterday I wrapped up most wanted driver testing.  The past 4ish weeks has been great as I get to hit balls and see how I am performing based on GC quad numbers.  
 

Weekend weather hasn’t been that great so I haven’t gotten many actual rounds or the ability to go to a range.  What I noticed on the course with my last round was that my iron play seems measurably better.  This seems to play out during my warmup sessions at MGS.  Ball flights, strike locations and club/mat interaction looks and feels good.  
 

Driver is another story.  It seems to have become feast or famine with some good shots but mostly impact all over the face.  Brought in my gamer driver and was seeing the same thing.  This aligns with what has been happening on the course as well.  Maybe it is mental block;  before each driver session we hit some shots to dial in driver configurations and I can hit the ball pretty well.  When the actual testing starts things start to fall apart and occasionally toward the end of the test things will come together a little bit.   Maybe it is the mentality of just trying to hit the ball hard with the driver leading to the inconsistencies.  Maybe I actually need a swing thought.  
 

with most wanted putting under way, I get an opportunity to roll some putts and kind of measure some progress.  Started the year off with the Ping app to measure my  stroke.  This confirmed what I saw with the biomech app when I did a fitting at GG a few months ago.  Essentially I have a consistent stroke that per the Ping app is a slight arc (low face rotation) and their grade was a +3.7 handicap.   Fitting information showed that I am 69/70* lie angle; which is important information for some of the putters in this years testing.   Changed up my putting approach a few months ago and went back to a more “mechanical” approach.  For a while I have been putting by trying to “see” the line of the putt and use a blank side of the ball. Went back to using a “line” on the ball and my smartline ball marker. I quoted line because I usually use the balls name as my straight line and not one I drew.  Overall, I think the more linear thought process seems to work better for me.  I do still try to visualize a curved line but final confirmation is more related to green slope.  I’ve reached out to a local instruction that teaches AimPoint express and am planning on doing a class in the spring to work more on that skill set.  
 

short game has been a long time work in progress and I really feel like I have turned a corner and am becoming more effective with these shots.  When I stand over the ball there is confidence that I won’t Chunk or blade the shot; even though it does still happen.  practicing at home hitting off hard surfaces has really helped low point control.  Next step is to work on dialing in distance to start reducing dispersion.   
 

 

[cksurfdude]

Sounds like a lotta good things are going on there .. it's gonna be a good golfing season!

AimPoint is great - well imho, anyway, seems kind of a take it or leave it idea with people who try it. But I got a *lot* out of the clinic I'd attended ... helped me develop a simple, repeatable putting routine and gave me a lot more confidence on the greens .. especially those tricky extra sloped and contoured ones.

[cnosil]

I have been hitting the ball pretty well during most wanted testing; well enough that I have put the 5 iron back in the bag and pulled a hybrid.  Haven’t gotten to the course a lot this year due to weather conditions on the day I  normally play.  Scores continue to be in that upper 70/mid 80 range and seem to be driven by short game success.  Driver and irons have pretty good and even bad shots dont put myself into much trouble.  Success with these clubs is about tempo, swing length, and not over swinging.  Short game contact is generally good, but hit everything long or wide right; even shanked a distance wedge shot yesterday.  I don’t think it is too bad, just need to dial it in as I  have been working on keeping the face a little more open to the path and using more of the bounce on these shots.   

As my round progressed yesterday, I got a bit discouraged about my game.  In my head, I feel like I should be playing significantly better golf like averaging about 7 strokes better.  I went though all my shots yesterday and none of my tee or longer approach shots were terrible or put me in a place I had to pitch out,  I just am not executing well on distance and finesse wedges.  
 

if I had actually played more than about 4 rounds of golf I’d consider taking some time off to fix the mental state.  I don’t know, maybe it is more than just golf related….

Need to start my search for an instructor; thinking a lesson just checking the fundamentals like ball position, grip, and alignment and then checking the full swing, and a couple of short game lessons.  

[THEZIPR23]

Have you looked into any of the online instructors? From what I can tell we have a similar approach to the game. I started a couple of weeks ago with online lessons with Shauheen Nakhjavani. IMO it is a decent value and has worked well for me. I don't need to hit a 100 balls in front of an instructor, just pieces of info and work on my own from there.  

[cnosil]

1 hour ago, THEZIPR23 said:

Have you looked into any of the online instructors? From what I can tell we have a similar approach to the game. I started a couple of weeks ago with online lessons with Shauheen Nakhjavani. IMO it is a decent value and has worked well for me. I don't need to hit a 100 balls in front of an instructor, just pieces of info and work on my own from there.  

I have done online Instruction in the past and wouldn’t be against it.  My last instructor was a hybrid; we did both online and in person stuff.  It might make it harder to find a coach; really wouldn’t know where to start with picking one.  
 

may also need some psychiatric help as well 

[cnosil]

Time is really flying; hard to believe we are into May.   Most recent focus has been full swing since I have been hitting irons during most wanted testing and it was the last thing I was doing when I had an instructor.   I mentioned this in another thread but having a GC Quad available has been instrumental in helping me improve my swing.   
 

Full Swing: I have been working on minimizing my in-to-out path and tie strikes.   Prior to my swing changes, I was 5-7* in to out.   By feeling like I am making a 3/4 swing, my path has become more neutral and is in the 1-3* in to out which is where I want to be.  This change along with a couple of other feels has also reduced the toe strikes.  Those tweaks are better alignment, feeling like I am staying on my trail foot a little longer to start the downswing with my hands and not my shoulders.  The best thing is that I am seeing much better iron shots on the course.  Ball flight is much straighter and my big miss the pull hook is still playable when I hit that shot.  There are some drawbacks….  I’m have reduced the pull with the Driver but  it is now more of a push to push fade.  Shots are still playable and solid but something I need to look at a little more.  The bigger problem is the hybrid;  what was a strength is now a disaster and I am unable to get any height with this club….ball flight is straight but only a few feet off the ground. 
Short Game/distance wedges:   The iron improvements seem to have helped the distance wedges.  I am getting solid ball contact, good flight, and good distance control.  
Short Game/finesse wedges: this has and continues to be a big weakness in my game.  I usually get to the course early and work on this aspect of my game.  On the range I can be effective and hit good shots but can’t reliably move it to the course.  I have rounds where I can hit the ball really well and I have days like yesterday where I miss hit most of them.  Prior to yesterdays round I went to the short game area and just dropped balls and was able to hit them to targets.  As I type this and think back to the shots I hit poorly, they were the shots that were in the under 20 yard distance. When I get the shaft back to a position that is parallel I seem to be more effective with these shots.  I ultimately need to get to the short game area and work on this more but between testing and golf league finding the time is difficult.  
Short Game/Putting:  This might be a situation where you shouldn’t make changes.   Decided to give the LAB DF 2.1 a try and I feel like my putting has taken a step backwards.   Maybe my expectations were high based on reading peoples reviews but I am struggling with distance control and missing putts that I expect to make or should be making.  Again this seems like an I can’t take it to the course type scenario.  My indoor and course practice indicate that it performs equal to or better than prior gamers but it doesn’t translate to the course.  One of the things I do notice is that during practice I can get the ball rolling end over end but I get a little wobble on the course.  Not sure what to do here but will probably stick it out for a little while longer.  
 

 Technique or mental breakdown?  I’m leaning toward mental breakdown since my ongoing problems are mostly in the finesse area and when I am standing over the ball I seem to be thinking and not just doing.  Basically trying to be too precise and thinking about getting the ball close.  

[GolfSpy AFG]

1 hour ago, cnosil said:

Time is really flying; hard to believe we are into May.   Most recent focus has been full swing since I have been hitting irons during most wanted testing and it was the last thing I was doing when I had an instructor.   I mentioned this in another thread but having a GC Quad available has been instrumental in helping me improve my swing.   
 

Full Swing: I have been working on minimizing my in-to-out path and tie strikes.   Prior to my swing changes, I was 5-7* in to out.   By feeling like I am making a 3/4 swing, my path has become more neutral and is in the 1-3* in to out which is where I want to be.  This change along with a couple of other feels has also reduced the toe strikes.  Those tweaks are better alignment, feeling like I am staying on my trail foot a little longer to start the downswing with my hands and not my shoulders.  The best thing is that I am seeing much better iron shots on the course.  Ball flight is much straighter and my big miss the pull hook is still playable when I hit that shot.  There are some drawbacks….  I’m have reduced the pull with the Driver but  it is now more of a push to push fade.  Shots are still playable and solid but something I need to look at a little more.  The bigger problem is the hybrid;  what was a strength is now a disaster and I am unable to get any height with this club….ball flight is straight but only a few feet off the ground. 
Short Game/distance wedges:   The iron improvements seem to have helped the distance wedges.  I am getting solid ball contact, good flight, and good distance control.  
Short Game/finesse wedges: this has and continues to be a big weakness in my game.  I usually get to the course early and work on this aspect of my game.  On the range I can be effective and hit good shots but can’t reliably move it to the course.  I have rounds where I can hit the ball really well and I have days like yesterday where I miss hit most of them.  Prior to yesterdays round I went to the short game area and just dropped balls and was able to hit them to targets.  As I type this and think back to the shots I hit poorly, they were the shots that were in the under 20 yard distance. When I get the shaft back to a position that is parallel I seem to be more effective with these shots.  I ultimately need to get to the short game area and work on this more but between testing and golf league finding the time is difficult.  
Short Game/Putting:  This might be a situation where you shouldn’t make changes.   Decided to give the LAB DF 2.1 a try and I feel like my putting has taken a step backwards.   Maybe my expectations were high based on reading peoples reviews but I am struggling with distance control and missing putts that I expect to make or should be making.  Again this seems like an I can’t take it to the course type scenario.  My indoor and course practice indicate that it performs equal to or better than prior gamers but it doesn’t translate to the course.  One of the things I do notice is that during practice I can get the ball rolling end over end but I get a little wobble on the course.  Not sure what to do here but will probably stick it out for a little while longer.  
 

 Technique or mental breakdown?  I’m leaning toward mental breakdown since my ongoing problems are mostly in the finesse area and when I am standing over the ball I seem to be thinking and not just doing.  Basically trying to be too precise and thinking about getting the ball close.  

So what’s the recurring miss with those finesse wedges?  Bad contact, can’t dial in the distance…?

Sounds like you’re ball-striking is improving which is great to hear.

[cnosil]

1 hour ago, Getoffmylawn said:

So what’s the recurring miss with those finesse wedges?  Bad contact, can’t dial in the distance…?

Sounds like you’re ball-striking is improving which is great to hear.

Yeah, really happy with ball striking.   
 

as for the finesse wedges it is a combination of fat shots and just not enough effort to cover the distance…always short.  Probably getting the body too involved and flipping my hands

[GolfSpy AFG]

3 hours ago, cnosil said:

Yeah, really happy with ball striking.   
 

as for the finesse wedges it is a combination of fat shots and just not enough effort to cover the distance…always short.  Probably getting the body too involved and flipping my hands

I’m no swing coach, but for what it’s worth the TourStriker SmartBall has been great in helping sync up the arms and body, especially on wedges. Some cheaper foam ball options out there too, they just don’t have the tether.

Like I said, for what it’s worth, which might not be much!  

[cksurfdude]

6 hours ago, cnosil said:

Time is really flying; hard to believe we are into May.   Most recent focus has been full swing since I have been hitting irons during most wanted testing and it was the last thing I was doing when I had an instructor. ..etc ...

Sounds like a LOTTA good things are happening, and also an interesting introspective read!

The hybrid thing is curious .. maybe try to get a little more of Harry's time..?

I've also been working on all aspects of my swing and game; most of my practice time is hitting different wedges on different trajectories to different targets ... no question it has been hugely helpful but, of course, it's no guarantee of not fluffing it short when in an actual wanna get up and down scenario in a golf round........

Work In Progress amiright?!?

 

 

 

 

[cnosil]

3 hours ago, Getoffmylawn said:

I’m no swing coach, but for what it’s worth the TourStriker SmartBall has been great in helping sync up the arms and body, especially on wedges. Some cheaper foam ball options out there too, they just don’t have the tether.

Like I said, for what it’s worth, which might not be much!  

 

I have a smartball and have been using it during some practice sessions.  As I mentioned I can do okay when "practicing" before a round.   I think that is also part of the problem;  I need to gamify it and add pressure to make is more like when I am playing.  

 

 

2 hours ago, cksurfdude said:

Sounds like a LOTTA good things are happening, and also an interesting introspective read!

The hybrid thing is curious .. maybe try to get a little more of Harry's time..?

I've also been working on all aspects of my swing and game; most of my practice time is hitting different wedges on different trajectories to different targets ... no question it has been hugely helpful but, of course, it's no guarantee of not fluffing it short when in an actual wanna get up and down scenario in a golf round........

Work In Progress amiright?!?

I am really happy with the ball striking I have seen the last couple of times I have played;  my full swing practice is definitely working.   When you hit the ball well it is so much fun.  

I'll have to try hitting the hybrid on the range to see if it was a fluke;  like you said,  it is a work in progress.   

[cnosil]

Found a new instructor and trying to setup a lesson for this week to make sure we are compatible and can start to achieve some of my desired swing improvements.   Essentially my high level goals are to:
1. Build a reliable stock shot. 
2. Improve overall ball contact by reducing fat/thin/toe strikes.
3. Improve face control. 

On course measurements will be to increase FW and GIR percentages.  I typically hit 8ish FW and greens during a round and would like to see those numbers improve.  While FW % isn't really all that critical and I prefer to look at if I am able to advance the ball and have a chance to land on the green I think hitting a few more FWs would be beneficial.   I'd like to bump up the GIR to average 11ish per round.    My thought is that this would save me 3-6 shots per round getting my scores down to averaging mid to mid-high 70s.     depending on how quickly I progress with the lessons,  maybe do some finesse and distance wedge work.   

 

[Kenny B]

10 hours ago, cnosil said:

Found a new instructor and trying to setup a lesson for this week to make sure we are compatible and can start to achieve some of my desired swing improvements.   Essentially my high level goals are to:
1. Build a reliable stock shot. 
2. Improve overall ball contact by reducing fat/thin/toe strikes.
3. Improve face control. 

On course measurements will be to increase FW and GIR percentages.  I typically hit 8ish FW and greens during a round and would like to see those numbers improve.  While FW % isn't really all that critical and I prefer to look at if I am able to advance the ball and have a chance to land on the green I think hitting a few more FWs would be beneficial.   I'd like to bump up the GIR to average 11ish per round.    My thought is that this would save me 3-6 shots per round getting my scores down to averaging mid to mid-high 70s.     depending on how quickly I progress with the lessons,  maybe do some finesse and distance wedge work.   

 

I wish I had your GIR.

[ncwoz]

18 hours ago, cnosil said:

I'd like to bump up the GIR to average 11ish per round.

I've been really trying to bump up my GIR as well, when I can get to the green "on time" the game is so much easier. I know it's been a journey of a lot of hard work, but it's really cool to see the growth you've experienced persevering through different frustrations.

Do you use any kind of stat or shot tracking systems? I'd be curious to hear your strokes gained in the different areas of the game.

[cnosil]

9 hours ago, ncwoz said:

I've been really trying to bump up my GIR as well, when I can get to the green "on time" the game is so much easier. I know it's been a journey of a lot of hard work, but it's really cool to see the growth you've experienced persevering through different frustrations.

Do you use any kind of stat or shot tracking systems? I'd be curious to hear your strokes gained in the different areas of the game.

Hitting greens definitely  makes the game easier.  Hit 11 today and shot 79 with 2 doubles on the card.  Getting through the short game woes was really the biggest frustration and it has really just been in the past month or so that things really clicked and I am building confidence.   

Unfortunately I don't have any stat tracking systems.  I have done some of the phone based systems (18 birdies, myroundpro) and got really distracted during the round so I stopped.   One of these days I'll probably end up with one of them but I am sure it will say I need to work on all areas of my game  

 

 

 

[ncwoz]

4 hours ago, cnosil said:

Unfortunately I don't have any stat tracking systems.  I have done some of the phone based systems (18 birdies, myroundpro) and got really distracted during the round so I stopped.   One of these days I'll probably end up with one of them but I am sure it will say I need to work on all areas of my game  

Haha I feel ya! I think stat tracking apps are most interesting when they get put into the hands of self-aware golfers, because sometimes their assumptions are spot on and sometimes they don't realize areas they are way better/worse than they anticipated. When I first started Arccos I would have guessed that putting was a strength and my penalties off the tee weren't helping, but was surprised at how much of a strength my putting was, and how badly I was crippling myself with the penalties off the tee. I was also surprised to know how poor my approach game was. Would love to hear if your stats lined up with where you thought or not.

[Violinguy]

On 6/19/2022 at 5:43 PM, cnosil said:

Unfortunately I don't have any stat tracking systems.  I have done some of the phone based systems (18 birdies, myroundpro) and got really distracted during the round so I stopped.   One of these days I'll probably end up with one of them but I am sure it will say I need to work on all areas of my game  

 

 

 

Yep.  Tracking stats/shots/yards/swings etc. takes a lot of work and brain power that I could use to play better golf.  I use 18 birdies for GPS only.  I'm not anywhere the player you are, so I definitely don't need any extra distraction on the course.

 

[cnosil]

First lesson in my series was today;  got along pretty well with the instructor and I think he is going to be able to help me out.  Always find it funny when I talk to an instructor about my game and then they see me swing the wonder what is wrong with my game and they think I should always score in the 70s.     I don't disagree,  but I just can't make it happen.   

Did some warmup swings and he watched while I hit my shots.  None were too bad and most were slight pull draws.  After about 5 shots he stopped me and mentioned ball position and it being way too far forward so we moved it back in my stance and the pull draw turned into a perfect shot starting right of the target and curving back onto the target line.   He also noticed my swing gets a little long and across the line.   We switched to a long iron to see how I was hitting them and to see if we could get some of the big snap hooks or big right pushes.  Not horrible but we talked about how the missed are increased as the clubs get longer.  He also noticed that I need to sequence a little better and get the hips rotating some more.    Drills and things to help are:

1.  put a tee or popsicle stick in the back of my glove to keep my wrist flat to bowed to keep me from going over the line at the top of the backswing

2.  Tempo drill where you swing the club forward and then make a full swing.   This helps me with sequencing and shorting the backswing.  Additionally it works on my tempo to keep me from swinging to fast which was resting in the push ball flight

3.  start at impact position and then make a full swing.  Another drill to help remind me to get the hips rotating.  

Overall he didn't think the swing needed a lot of work and that if I practiced using the above drills I should quickly get my swing in line especially moving the ball back in the stance.  With the ball back I will be in a better position and it will help with face control.  

Future plans:   Start the next lesson and take a look at the full swing and then transition to evaluating wedge play and then getting out on the course to see if we can see what might be causing the big misses I experience during my rounds. 

[Kenny B]

1 hour ago, cnosil said:

First lesson in my series was today;  got along pretty well with the instructor and I think he is going to be able to help me out.  Always find it funny when I talk to an instructor about my game and then they see me swing the wonder what is wrong with my game and they think I should always score in the 70s.     I don't disagree,  but I just can't make it happen.   

Did some warmup swings and he watched while I hit my shots.  None were too bad and most were slight pull draws.  After about 5 shots he stopped me and mentioned ball position and it being way too far forward so we moved it back in my stance and the pull draw turned into a perfect shot starting right of the target and curving back onto the target line.   He also noticed my swing gets a little long and across the line.   We switched to a long iron to see how I was hitting them and to see if we could get some of the big snap hooks or big right pushes.  Not horrible but we talked about how the missed are increased as the clubs get longer.  He also noticed that I need to sequence a little better and get the hips rotating some more.    Drills and things to help are:

1.  put a tee or popsicle stick in the back of my glove to keep my wrist flat to bowed to keep me from going over the line at the top of the backswing

2.  Tempo drill where you swing the club forward and then make a full swing.   This helps me with sequencing and shorting the backswing.  Additionally it works on my tempo to keep me from swinging to fast which was resting in the push ball flight

3.  start at impact position and then make a full swing.  Another drill to help remind me to get the hips rotating.  

Overall he didn't think the swing needed a lot of work and that if I practiced using the above drills I should quickly get my swing in line especially moving the ball back in the stance.  With the ball back I will be in a better position and it will help with face control.  

Future plans:   Start the next lesson and take a look at the full swing and then transition to evaluating wedge play and then getting out on the course to see if we can see what might be causing the big misses I experience during my rounds. 

Sounds like a good plan.  Sometimes it doesn't take much to make significant changes.  Hope you see good results.

I'm just the opposite... I used to play the ball further back in my stance, but I make much better contact with the ball off my shirt logo.  Any further back and it's fat city.

[cnosil]

9 hours ago, Kenny B said:

Sounds like a good plan.  Sometimes it doesn't take much to make significant changes.  Hope you see good results.

I'm just the opposite... I used to play the ball further back in my stance, but I make much better contact with the ball off my shirt logo.  Any further back and it's fat city.

That is probably about where I was playing the ball and the assessment was that cannot see me to manipulate the face and I either shut it down or held it open.  We moved it back to “center”  that when looking at me face on was on the button line of the shirt, but from my perspective looked like the ball was behind my buttons.   
 

Hoping for good results and this is why I wanted to see someone in person.  He was able to the swing live and we could make adjustments in real-time.  I didn’t think I need many changes and mostly tweaks and if I was doing video exchange it would have been a multi day process.   

[cksurfdude]

13 hours ago, cnosil said:

After about 5 shots he stopped me and mentioned ball position and it being way too far forward so we moved it back in my stance and the pull draw turned into a perfect shot starting right of the target and curving back onto the target line. 

It's always amazing to me how the *slightest* adjustment can have such a -large- effect!!

Golf really is a game of continual learning and refinement .. sounds like you've found a really good instructor .. and looking forward to reading about all those upcoming near-par rounds

[cnosil]

Couple of days post lesson and I have gotten a practice session and a 9 hole league match under my belt.  Practice session didn’t go well with lots of fat shots so I was worried going into my league round.   Had hoped to hit a bucket prior to the round but due to all day rain the short game and driving range we’re closed so it was going to be a commit and hope kind of round

How did it go?  Score was terrible due to 2 triples on par 5s that were the result of tee shots that went OB so I finished 7 over.   Iron and hybrids were solid; the changes seem to be producing better ball flight and more solid shots and reduced toe strikes. Driver is going to need a little tweak to get ball position correct;  I moved it back based on the discussion with my instructor and ended up pushing and push fading almost all my tee shots.   it will be a topic of conversation at my next lesson.   
 

Will have to see how it goes Sunday during my next round but looks like lesson 2 may be driver setup and then spending time on short game.