My Swing (jlbos83)

[jlbos83]

I've been Playing Golf for: Years.  Big break through kids, etc, much more for the past 15 years +
My current handicap index or average score is: 24.7
My typical ball flight is: Medium.
The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: Fat.

My name is Jeff, I am pretty much a hacker, but I have decided that I really want to get better, by more than wishing!  Part of the purpose of this is to keep me accountable to myself, if nothing else.

Here are the goals I posted, which explain most things about my game.  I may add some comments if I think there are missing bits!

 

GOALS:

 

1.  Get my Index back to what it was about six months ago, 17.4.  I forgot how to swing, and play, it seems, and hit the hard cap.  So that means I need a five stroke improvement.  Since I know I have it in me, that should be doable.  

The rest are somewhat less goals, as steps to reach the main goal.

2.  Get more fit.  I'm 60 now, been through cancer, and the surgeries and chemo to beat that.  But, any tiny bit of physical conditioning I had (which was not much) went away. So, I will now:

  a.  Walk most rounds.  I got an electric caddie in January, and have almost 100 miles on it.  I have only ridden twice since then.  Once, the first week, when I had blister issues on my toes, the second on a course that just a lot more elevation change, as sell as distance between holes.  I believe I would have been too slow, even if I was fast.  I hope that I can walk even through the Arizona summer, time will tell.

 b.  I subscribed to GolfForever.  Don't know yet if it is really any good, but it gives me some structure, and is doable, at least so far, a week in.

3.  Lessons.  I had taken a series at GolfTec (I know, maybe not the best, on the other hand it got me from about 27 to 17.4 in the year after I took them, so they certainly helped.  I am no longer a massive slicer.  I am taking another series now, I may change to online, or something else when that's complete, but I did shoot 43 on the back nine the other day (never mind the front), so I think there is improvement.

4.  Practice.  Getting to a lit range in the evening is a challenge.  Work, dang it!  So, I got a net, a mat, and a SC300 that I can use in the backyard.  And a light that I can set up on the wall behind it.  I wish I could see more of the flyout, but I can tell difference in contact, for sure.  Now I want to work on getting consistent wedge distances.  I think it will be useful for that.  I have a putting mirror and mat coming this week.  I can putt anything from pretty well (made two 30 footers in one round) to awful (I can miss any two footer in the world), I think it is partly inconsistent eye position.  At least I will be able to get to consistent, and go from there.  I plan do do some kind of practice at least 3 or 4 times a week.  I know every day would be good, but I want to be realistic.  Though, if you count practicing slow body movements while riding (alone) in the elevator, or waiting for the microwave, maybe I make every day!

Last, a fun goal.

5  My partner and I should win our summer work golf league!  That will be hard, the handicaps really even the field, and it means we both have to play well, but what the heck!

More about me:

Colon cancer, five years ago now.  This involved several abdominal surgeries, as well as radiation and chemo.  I played through a lot of it, even with an ostomy bag, or a chemo pump.  Golf (and my wife) helped keep me sane!  From mid 2018 to the end of 2020 my index had fairly steady trend, from about 27 down to 17.4.  Then, as mentioned in #1 about, I forgot how to play.  So, I am going to work on it!

---

Videos: 

I shall add video in the next week or so, but I wanted to give myself a place to track/comment on my goals.

[jlbos83]

I still plan to post video soon!  I got the Covid shot number two Tuesday, and my arm has been pretty sore!  Finally getting better today.  I'm playing tomorrow morning, so I hope it is really better!  I am happy to be vaccinated, though!

 

[jlbos83]

Ok, I finally have video, only 7I, as I have not hit driver into the net yet.  Hopefully this works, I had a heck or a time getting slow motion uploaded.  But this is a start, perhaps!

 

 

 

[jlbos83]

Should be the same swing, using YouTube, figuring out which I like best.

 

 

 

[boogielicious]

thanks for posting the videos. I would recommend checking out the drills in the thread below. The first five are really good for the full swing. You are flipping a bit at impact and you may be over swinging in the backswing. If you can, post video of yourself doing these drills. They really help.

 

[jlbos83]

Yeah, I know I am flipping... you should have seen me a couple months ago!  I will take a look at the drills for sure!

 

[jlbos83]

I can see the usefulness of the drills, especially day 5.  That is another way of envisioning what my instructor is trying to get me to do.  It makes so much sense that if I get my hips to turn earlier (and perhaps harder), the arms can follow, and the club will be square without my hands having to flip it to catch up.  I will do all of the drills, but that is the one I am going to focus on the most.  I'm also going to look more carefully at my trail elbow in the backswing, and make sure it isn't collapsing a bit too much. 

I think that little flip is what causes my occasional fat shots, when I don't time it quite right it throws the clubhead into the ground.

My SC300 claims those shots carried 155 or so, I think it is a little generous, I think the carry is closer to 145, total of 155, based on golf course results.  But, at least I am almost hitting solidly for an old, falling apart guy.  

First night of league tonight, I need to cleanse my mind of extra thoughts for those few hours, and see if I can make some improvements over the weekend!

 

[boogielicious]

You can practice getting forward shaft lean at impact by starting with chips and rehearsing slowly. Use short swings and try to keep the hands in front of the shaft through impact. Then move up to longer swings. This is what Day 5 is about.

[jlbos83]

1 minute ago, boogielicious said:

You can practice getting forward shaft lean at impact by starting with chips and rehearsing slowly. Use short swings and try to keep the hands in front of the shaft through impact. Then move up to longer swings. This is what Day 5 is about.

That totally makes sense.  I looked at the video at the end of my last lesson, and it was less flippy.  I need to work that.  In the lesson my instructor got me to "6" (though he did not use that terminology), then grabbed my club and pulled my body around with my hands not moving, to get the feel.  It totally makes sense to me, my body is just resisting my orders!  I do know that I am getting better at turning through on my shorter shots, they have been crisper, and more consistent.  I had gotten so used to timing up my hands, that it is still feeling odd to keeps them out of it.  And me head still tells me that they should be providing power, though the evidence of every actual golfer would suggest, no so much!  Over the past couple of weeks I have been hitting fewer fatties, which suggests to me that I am getting there, incrementally.

Sunday I had 155 to a hole, but it was near the back of the green and I didn't want to be long, so I went down to an eight, and it rolled about ten feet off the back.  Thank goodness I didn't hit the seven I pulled first!  I did chip up and make the par, though. 

[billchao]

On 4/21/2021 at 10:34 AM, jlbos83 said:

Should be the same swing, using YouTube, figuring out which I like best.

 

 

 

You need to pivot better in the backswing. Get your left shoulder down so you don’t turn so flat and get your hips more involved earlier. That’s where I’d start. Check this drill out:

Congratulations on beating cancer, BTW.

[jlbos83]

13 minutes ago, billchao said:

You need to pivot better in the backswing. Get your left shoulder down so you don’t turn so flat and get your hips more involved earlier. That’s where I’d start. Check this drill out:

Congratulations on beating cancer, BTW.

Yes, getting the left shoulder down has been another "thing".  It certainly helps when I do!

And, thank you!  We diagnosed five years ago this week, so I am feeling pretty happy about that!