a swing "epiphany" or "breakthrough"......

[bjwestner]

update:  so I went to the range and hit balls last night.  It was kind of hard to judge because there was a strong wind that I was hitting into and I was also hitting range balls versus the balls that I play with (um, that did not sound too good but I think you know what I mean).  I was doing the same thing, easy swing, trying to be very loose, wide and extended on the takeaway and then just trying to hit down on the ball........I hit only a 100 balls as I was trying for quality over quantity.  I was pleased.  I'd say that I was more accurate than I would have been previously and I'm sure the ball traveled further (although it was tough to judge with such a strong incoming wind).

This new swing has created a new miss for me though....I noticed it once in the round last Sunday and I had a few balls last night where I came through too quickly and this resulted in me absolutely crushing the ball very far, but the ball went pretty far out to the left, resulting in a hook.  That's okay though because I knew as soon as I hit those balls that I came through too fast and that was the reason for the miss.  Even though they were misses it was still nice to see my 9 iron go past the 150 marker uphill!  :)

I'm really anxious for this swing change to make a statistical change in my stats and score.  I know that I will still have misses/poor shots, but I think that this new swing will help me possibly in my biggest area of opportunity:  approach shots that are greater than 175 yards out.  At least this is what I am hoping for.  If I can get more GIR then I know my score will drop.  I'm realizing that even if the ball is just around the green and not even a GIR then it's still better.  Having the ball around the green in regulation is what I am aiming for instead of bleeding shots and not being around the green in regulation as often.

Another thing I noticed was the lack of reverse pivots that I had.  This was a big issue for me when I first started and something that would still occasionally happen before but now with an easy swing and making sure that I shift my weight, it hopefully is an issue no longer.....

[dak4n6]

Good job bj. But, be aware, as I said before, that tempo is a very ephemeral thing and tends to change esp depending on your level of confidence.

[TourSpoon]

Ah yes, the dreaded left ball. You will see this as a mistake among even the best players that will sometimes hit a knockdown partial shot and end up tugging it left as the shoulders outrace the hips. When you are slowing down your tempo, don't get anxious, but think path to keep everything in sequence. At least that is what I do. Glad to hear about your progress.

[Ernest Jones]

My most recent swing epiphany was, "gee whiz, I really need to get some lessons"