What Are You Working On?

[Gaber]

Originally Posted by iacas

Similar to "What'd You Shoot Today," "Best Shot of the Week," "2009 Goals," and other similar threads, I thought it'd be neat to have a thread that asks: "What are you working on?"

The rules:

Post what you're working on, why, what you hope to accomplish, how you're doing about it, etc.

Post when you begin something new, take a new approach, etc.

Don't reply to any posts unless your reply also accomplishes the two things listed above.

In other words, this isn't a true "discussion" thread, much like "What'd You Shoot Today" isn't a discussion thread - more of a "post or read" kind of thread. If you truly want to reply to someone else's post, start a new thread and quote the post in this thread.

I'll have something to add Friday after my first lesson, but until then, someone go ahead and get us started: What are you working on?

Thanks for asking!

Since its the off season in Canada - London, Ontario , there are two things I am working on:

1) Putting: more of an open stance like 45 degrees open - facing the target has really freed up my putting stroke - I still use the same principles of putting (grip, eye alignment) a single line on the ground instead of using my feet as an alignment (never seemed to work for me). I find that this part of my game has been the worst in the last 2 years since I have become more serious about getting better. I use a quarter and aim my ball to that quarter makes me focus on a smaller target which helps a lot.

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2) My take away (I believe I found a great way to work this out on this site :) I believe it was the hinge vs cock thread) it helped me a lot to make the right transition - I have a bad tendency to pull the club along to far on the inside with my left arm and consequently don't get a full backswing/turn and I become to handsy coming down.

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3) Shaping the ball - power fade/power draw (another great thread from TST), moving my feet to align in an open/closed just getting comfortable being in those positions, hoping to move this to the range to get comfortable hitting the ball with these positions.

Thanks!

[onephenom]

I'm working on the Bubba shaping, ie hooking and slicing on purpose. like his masters shot. It's tough... i'm going to work on it this season by dropping balls off the fairway (even if I hit it), somewhere that demands that shape. it forces me to make it happen. and plenty of work on the range :)

[mmoan2]

After hacking up a 9-hole course yesterday twice for 3 excruciating hours, I've determined that it's time to do the following things:

Putting - Better green reading on putts over 30 feet. When I feel comfortable with a line on a green, I'm pretty darn good with a putter. When I'm not sure of a line, or if I overanalyze it, it's like my speed, line, and stroke all go bye-bye at once and I can be left with a 10 footer after a 35 footer. That's often a 3 putt for anyone not named Luke Donald (I heard he made 90% of all putts inside 10 feet last year. Are you kidding me????). I feel like my stroke mechanics, speed, and touch/feel are generally good, but poor green reading kills me and causes a mental block. Confidence is key in this sport, remember?

Short Game - Chipping and pitching less in practice. 15-40 yards from the cup are my greatest strengths. If ony pitch-and-putt was a professional sport! If approach wedges are considered short game, I need to a) perfect my distance control on 1/2, 3/4, and full wedge shots, and b) consistently get my weight forward and strike down on the ball. I hit too many thin shots. When I consciously tell myself to literally drive the ball into the ground, I hit beautiful, high wedge shots with big divots and backspin. Then I revert to old habits and hit thin shots over the green.

Full swing - Deconstruct my entire swing and start over. I haven't progressed with the full swing much in 6 months and I have the same bad habits now I did when I first started playing seriously in 2010. I have the benefit of getting 5 video-based lessons for $120 from a Groupon deal (this person normally charges $85 a pop so it's a steal), so I'm doing one every Saturday for 5 straight weeks. I hope to accomplish much better consistency, generous distance (as much as can be expected playing with 2 year-old clones that have seen 10,000 or so shots each), and the ability to put knowledge and feeling together to correct myself. I plan on posting here often with updates to #2 in the original post (begin something new, new approach...)) because I'm starting from the grip up.

Fitness - Lose 60 pounds in 2013 (I did 55 in 2012), add a weight training/yoga regimen to my life in the summer and increase my core strength, leg strength, and flexibility seriously. I played for 5 hours yesterday and I feel like I was stabbed in the back with a steak knife.

[Russtopher]

Since there's way too much snow on the ground, here's the two things i'm working on indoors:

1) Tempo. I've discovered that my swing was far too fast, in my efforts to kill the ball. Daily I work on swinging without a ball for around 10-15 minutes, just ingraining the feeling of swinging the club at a good tempo, and with proper timing. I had a horrible slice which *may* have been due to starting swings with my arms/shoulders, all thanks to swinging far too fast. Now with a slower swing, I'm able to start with a hip slide and turn and my arms & club naturally follow through. I'm hoping to hit a covered range shortly to try things out and see what my ball flight is like.

2) Putting. I have my putter and a number of balls in the living room, right now I'm just working on quiet wrists and using my upper body to putt. I've always been very handsy with the putter and I'm working on fixing that.

[Righty to Lefty]

I am working on my fitness since I can't tee it up due to being in Afghan.  CrossFit 5 days per week and pulling on the rower 3 times per week for an hour.  I am down 25 pounds and can't wait to see how and if it translates into my golf game when I go on vacation in about 10 days.

[jbishop15]

Working on hip slide down the target line and stopping my right knee from kicking in towards the ball.

I'm using a club at my feet pointing down the target line, and using that visual to help slide properly. For the knee, pretty much the same thing.

[spentmiles]

Working on laying off my driver so I don't hit it over the green every time.

[smellysell]

Connection and not coming over the top, which I suppose is really just one thing, since they go hand in hand, for me anyways.

[jefkve]

Back to the begining for me...Played 18 yesterday and got paired up with a couple kids who are working on getting their PGA certs. First things they mention was my grip looks good (SWEET!), and then they mention that I'm swaying (%^&!). So, back to key #1 for me. Was also told I'm a bit too upright, so going to have to see if I can fix that, but main thing is going to be keeping a steady head for the time being.....

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by spentmiles

Working on laying off my driver so I don't hit it over the green every time.

I hear ya man, same problem I have.  Sometimes off the tee I even lay back to driver distance.

[gwlee7]

Working on Key # 2 trying to get my weight/pressure more forward on the downswing.  Been making lots of slow practice swings while maintaining flex in my left knee to get used to how it's supposed to feel.  Trying to feel like my swing is more "linear" than "rotary".

[Mr. Desmond]

I was working on this today after I found myself making high and fat contact (inconsistent) with the ball.

I had worked on separation from the top with the arms, but I had begun to allow my front shoulder to get high ... needs to go low at the start of the downswing. I remembered this video on the range and began the drill.

[daniel2852]

A couple of things right now.

Firstly keeping the club face square at impact and developing better clubhead control over all.

Wrist movements, I'm flipping or doing something that is not keeping my left wrist in the proper position through the downswing, my wrist is sore today from this action.

Accelerating through the downswing and lag timing. I finally have worked a pretty consistent swing out, I just have to tweak it to get consistent acceleration and not add loft to irons.

Working on consistent distances overall.

[dennyjones]

My instructor has me using yoga blocks to visualize the correct swing path.     I'm working on better swing path and extension.

[keeps21]

Key #1 - Steady head - by making a steeper shoulder turn is what I'm going to be working on for a while after seeing a photo of the top of my back swing from this weekend.

[mmoan2]

It's amazing what a good instructor can do for you-

I had a series of five lessons with someone who was highly recommended.

First TWO lessons we worked on grip and stance. That's it. It was better for me than the past 1000 hours I spent on the range. Which knuckles hold the club, where the pressure from the right hand should be, how the index finger on the right hand should work, how to relax the right arm, how the feet promote hip turn, etc.

Third lesson - lots of camera work at 240 fps reviewing my awful takeaway and impact position. After 30 minutes of that, we spent about another hour on takeaway and impact position.

Fourth lesson - finally some full swing motions (mostly without a ball). Hip slide and weight forward! Lag... Filmed myself on Saturday and my entire swing is MILES ahead of where it was three weeks ago.

Fifth lesson - coming soon...

Folks, forget the range. Get some darn lessons! 80 will fall by May 1.

[mikelegacy]

I'm focusing this year (when the season begins) on getting more solid iron shots, especially on the longer irons in the fairways. I tend to stand up a little bit when I get tired and I have a lot of inconsistency when it comes to dipping my shoulders forward or back so I'm not hitting the ball consistent; not even consistently fat or thin.

[lukebisatt]

Hello , I was wondering if any one could tell me how long it would take someone my level to get down to scratch, currently I play off 10, I'm 15 and started playing golf since I was 13 and only being playing serious for 1 year I started off 24 beginning of last year and now down to 10. Also at the end of last year I was playing to around 6. I spend around 16-19 hours a week playing and practicing. And aim to spend around 16 hours per day in the school holidays. Roughly how long do you think it would take me to get to around 1 or scratch handicap , Thankyou.