Lloyd Martinez

Well, the lessons are paying off. I was not able to finish the round due to rain, but I was only +3 thru 7. I had a bad 8 and the rain started at 9. I did not tee off with anything longer than a 7i, so I know I have room for improvement, but things are going well! I ended with a 46 on the front (+10) https://dashboard.golfpadgps.com/round/R8THT7#1

I played a round this weekend. Good news first, of the 5 Par 3's I made par on 4 of them. I doubled the last (200 yds), but it was because of 3 putts and not the approach/chip on within 10 feet. The bad news is that I only hit the 8i or higher well (the same clubs I have swung during my lessons). More good news, not one time during the round did I shank/slice the ball (the focus of my lessons initially). Next steps: Using the tools from my lessons, I need to practice with longer irons/woods/driver over the next few weeks. I really feel that I can score lower if I am within ~150 yards on my approach vs. playing a 6i/7i off of the tee to ~225+ and splitting the rest of the hole with my 9i-AW depending on how well I hit the tee shot.

I use a mirror/dry erase marker to check my head/hip movement when I practice my takeaway in the house. Setup the mirror, address the ball and draw a box around your head and make the same lines from the image above down your waist/legs. Then you can practice your swing, pause and look at the mirror to see how you did. I personally prefer the mirror, because I can address the ball and ignore the mirror until I have completed the motion and then I can look up to see how I did. It is also much easier if you have someone who can make the marks on the mirror for you, but not absolutely necessary.

I will be visiting as a tourist in early August. What course would you recommend I play? In the Virginia Beach area you will pay anywhere between $30-$100 for an AM tee time on the weekend at a public course. During the week you can sneak in an afternoon/evening round for ~$30-$50 at the same courses.

Time for a quick update. After my last lesson, we confirmed I am doing a better job of maintaining my posture to the point of contact. I am keeping my hips away from the ball and rotating my weight forward much better. I still need to work on not extending my trail arm too soon and rotating the club head thru impact (trying to get a draw). Swing thoughts when I hit the range before the next lesson: Keep the takeaway short. What feels like stopping after I set the wrists (~9 o'clock) results in my left arm getting somewhere between 10 and 11. Try to hit the ball with the toe of the club (by rotation, not extension). Follow thru and continue the rotation after impact. The difference in the feel/sound of hitting the ball solid and compressing with a nice divot after vs. scooping and having the divot start just before the ball is amazing!

I made my first birdie on a par 3 (170yd) at a local course this past Sunday. Setup with a 6i off of the box and topped the ball, so it only advanced 100 yards. Holed the next shot with my AW!

Updating to include screen shots from my first lesson. Change in posture at address giving more room between the body and arms. My right elbow is very close to my body. Hands are going towards the ball too aggressively causing an out to in path and more frequent impact with the hosel Right arm extends early, need more rotation with the lower body Follow through needs work Next lesson is on 6/27. I will continue to focus on the post above until that time.

Well, I had my first lesson with Jason Bowman. He said the mechanics of the swing were above expectations for the scores I shoot, but did identify a few things I did when I addressed the ball, causing my posture to be inconsistent. He also identified a couple of issues with my swing that I should focus on before the next lesson. I will make a list below, so I can track my personal progress going forward. Today's takeaway: Pre-shot routine - Stand behind the ball and grip the club in my left hand with the face parallel to the target. Make sure the club is in my fingers and not creeping towards the palm of my hand. When addressing the ball, verify the face of the club is facing the target, hands slightly forward, and align my feet accordingly. Bend, Bend, Drop - Bend at the hips, maintaining solid vertical posture, shoulders back, butt out / slight bend at the knees / drop the club down. Check for proper shoulder tilt and verify the right forearm is not too tense. Keep my head behind the ball during the takeaway. Drills: Mirror drill to verify shoulder posture and head position. Chair drill to verify my hips rotate and not push towards the ball. Rotate, rotate, rotate. Focus for the next lesson is to shorten the takeaway and make a full turn/follow thru.

Wow, thank you for the great tip. I just did a few slow swings trying not to change anything, but really focusing on my wrist position at each stage. You are correct, my wrist is extended at A4. The weather in the area is iffy today, but I will try to get a better video posted this weekend. Edit... I might have my terms confused. I generally thought that an out to in swing and a steep swing were one in the same. Is this not the case? You can come in on plane, but with an out to in swing?

Here is an updated video from today, DTL 7 iron. I played nine yesterday and shot my best score of the year (50), so I wanted to see how my swing was looking. I was struggling with a push/slice today, so I my aim was left of target. Generally, I still struggle with coming in too steep, so I really need to find a drill and focus on that. In this video I realized my head is not staying centered vertically as I start the downswing. Overall, I am making progress, but I have a long way to go.

I decided to play the same 9 again yesterday and I struck the ball much better. I had two blow up holes with a triple or worse and ended with a 50! 5 less putts and much better shots from the tee left me with a great chance to shoot lower than I have been. I am happy with a 50, but I really feel like I had a shot at a 45 if I can get rid of the occasional shanked iron. I have a swing analysis tomorrow and I hope to play a full round this weekend. I am very optomistic that a sub 100 round is in my future! Lloyd Martinez - Stumpy Lake (9) - 2016/06/15

Well, I have officially booked a swing analysis with Jason. I look forward to meeting him and improving my game!

Welcome! Always good to see another member from VB :)

Well, played nine yesterday and absolutely hacked the ball around for the first 5 holes. I hit very few shots clean and I was fortunate to finish the first five holes without losing a ball. Going straight to the first tee box without going to the range was not wise, but weather was coming and the window was tight. On hole 6 my drive pushed to the right and the ball rested about 20 yards behind two trees (10 yards wide) with a single branch (18' up, 1' in diameter) obstructing the path to the green. I pulled out the 6i and focused on making clean contact intending to punch the ball under the obstruction and towards the green. As luck would have I struck the ball very well and the ball hit the branch squarely and bounced back past me resting 3 yards further from the green. I quickly addressed the ball and took an second shot with the same mechanics and once again caught the ball clean only to hit the same branch and watch the ball squirt left back on the fairway. Ironically, after these two well struck shots I continued to strike the ball exceeding well for the rest of the round. If I clean up my putting (23 putts) and continue to strike the ball well, then a sub 100 round is in my future. I now have a sense of confidence in my irons and I cannot wait to get back out and play again. Lloyd Martinez - Stumpy Lake (9) - 2016/06/12

Which simulator do you practice with?