Jamo's Blog on TheSandTrap

[jamo]

EDIT 12/15/10: This is going to be the new format of my TST blog, Huddler-fied. Since there are no blogs, I just combined all of mine into a thread that I will update when I play. Feel free to comment on anything, just PLEASE keep everything constructive and on topic.

Tried out a new indoor range in Natick, and as a first-timer they let me use the Simulator free for a little while. It was alright, not to convinced on the accuracy, but fun none-the-less.
Some notes on what i was working on-

• Shortening the backswing, did this by keeping left arm straight
  Keeping the left arm straight made be bottom out a little farther back, so i moved the ball back in my stance, about to the center
  Making a full hip turn
  Pushing my left shoulder down, to create a more vertical shoulder turn.

As a hit balls, and integrated these things, i hit the ball more solid, and i think the fact that the ball was put farther back with help me maintain some lag, which i struggle with sometimes. Making the full hip turn helped with timing.

[jamo]

Went to Natick again for a quick-ish 30 min session. I was striping the ball and took some videos, but my swing hasn't seen much improvement. In short: it is waaaayyyyyy to long. Looking at the video, i can find a good frame to stop it at and all of the fundamentals are there: good "power pivot" (i found that reading on TMO's website, seems legit and i think i'll try it, although i think the "pivot" part of my swing is already there. My right elbow was a little disconnected, gotta work on that, as well as the vertical shoulder thing. When i do all of these things my swing is great, it's just hard to get the muscle memory ingrained when i can only play 1-2 times a week. The hip turn was really good though, as was the left arm, which started to become automatic.

So a couple things to remember:

• SHORTEN THE BACKSWING
• Connect the right elbow (glove drill time)
• Vertical shoulders
• A little less forward lean, to much weight on the front foot
• Keep the good hip turn, and the good left wrist action, it really helped with contact.

[jamo]

Also, I noticed from the videos i took that my head is moving way to much away from the ball. I think this is the result of a bad, hunched-over/ knees bent stance that my now-former instructor drilled into me, in one session none-the-less, i guess i'm too good of a learner, haha . Anyway, I had fixed it a month ago, but i guess it's coming back.
On another note, I've really come to realize that (nearly) everything he taught me was wrong. He managed to fix my swing plane, and i like where it is now, but a blind monkey could have fixed it, gladly i don't have video evidence. He was also right about my right elbow being to detached, but thats any easy thing to spot, I've done it numerous times in various "fix my swing" threads, though i haven't really fixed it it my own swing. As for what he did wrong, the stance for one, and secondly he didn't notice the vertical shoulder thing, an easy thing to see and one iacas swiftly pointed out in my own thread . Anyway, i wont be seeing him anymore, nor will i go back to his indoor range. If you want to read on about that, see here. . My rant is on the first page for me, though i changed my settings to display more posts per page, so it might be on the 2nd or 3rd.

[jamo]

In this post I'll put up pictures of what clubs are in my bag, and in the next post I'll put up pics of other items that i carry around. In the third post i'll write a little review of every club.

A pic of my full bag can be seen here, in the WITB forum thread.

Driver: Taylor Made SuperQuad 10.5* Stiff


3 Wood: Nike Dymo 13* Stiff


2 Hybrid: Mizuno MX 700 17* Stiff


3-PW irons: Mizuno MP-57 Stiff




Sand Wedge: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled Oil Can 54* 11* Stiff


Lob Wedge: Mizuno MP R 60* 9*


Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2 34in.

[jamo]

Here are some of the other items that I use on the course.

Shoes: Adidas Tour 360 3.0 White/Black


Golf Balls: Taylor Made TP Red, Titleist ProV1


Grip: Golf Pride Multi Compound White


Glove: Taylor Made Targa Tour


Bag: Titleist x86 Stand Bag

[jamo]

Driver: Taylor Made r7 SuperQuad 10.5* Stiff – This is quite simply the best driver I’ve ever hit. I like the shape, I like the ability to move the weights, I like the color. I either want to reshaft it, or get a Titleist 909 D2 or a Taylor Made R9 SuperTri. HOW IT LOOKS: The thing I like the most about the looks is the all black finish The face it black, the crown is black, and the sole is black. It really helps to frame the ball, thought the paint is mostly off of the face and the sole. The shape is not that of a traditional pear, but it is symmetrical, that is it doesn’t look like there is more weight out towards the toe. HOW IS PLAYS: This club has a good, solid feel, and it is very forgiving, though it isn’t as long as some competitors. This could be because I never got fit for it, and it spins way too much. It is fairly light, and I like that I can change that by adding weight. There’s nothing left really to say, other than I love the club but I wish I could get it fit for my swing. Driver Timeline: AMF- Orlimar Trimetal- Taylor Made r7 Superquad

3-Wood: Nike Dymo 15* Stiff: I’ve never really never found a 3-wood that I really liked. Some are good off the deck, and some are good off the tee, but none that are good at both. This club is mediocre at both. HOW IT LOOKS: It has a “keel” down the middle of the sole that is supposed to make it better off the deck, and it gives it a triangle shape for the face. The rest of the club is good looking, and the Powerbow really does make it look smaller. The sole is a little busy, but that’s why it’s on the sole. HOW IT PLAYS: Off the deck, the club cuts through the grass nicely, but off the tee, because the face is a triangle-ish shape, it is very unforgiving. It is very easy to catch it very thin and hardly hit the ball. Thus it goes about 20 yards and nose-dives when you hit it like that. It’s a good club, but it could be better. I like the Nike SQ SUMO a little better, and if I find a good cheap one I just might buy it. 3-Wood Timeline: Orlimar Trimetal- Nike SQ SUMO²- Nike Dymo

2 Hybrid: Mizuno MX 700 17* Stiff: I like this hybrid, but don't love it. Like 3-woods, I’ve never found what that I love. This one gets the ball way up in the air, but it is a little too big to hit out of all lies. I also like the new Mizuno, the Titlist 909, and the Taylor Made Rescue. HOW IT LOOKS: The crown is like that of Cleveland Hybores, and it drops down behind the face. It also has an odd design. I haven’t even had it for a year and already most of the paint has worn off. HOW IT PLAYS: This club hits it higher than any club I’ve ever hit. In the wind it’s terrible, but it also goes a long way, so it guess that makes up for it. Hybrid Timeline: Orlimar Trimetal- Nike SQ SUMO²- Nike SQ SUMO- Mizuno MX 700

Irons 3-pw: Mizuno MO-57 Stiff: Love them. They look great, they are buttery soft, and the fly nice and high, not to mention far. HOW THEY LOOK: These clubs are very simply designed. They are forged, and chrome plated, with a very slight cavity. The sole is nice and thin, which is a big improvement over my prior irons. HOW THEY PLAY: These clubs are very soft, though this has led to some extensive bag clatter, which just adds to their character. Though they are nearly blades, they hit it high and far. They give you a good sting when you miss-hit it, but not so much that your hands hurt. Irons Timeline: Orlimar Trimetal- Mizuno MP-57

Sand Wedge: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled Oil Can 54* 11*: This is one of the clubs that I have found to be perfect. I just got it after upgrading from the 56* so I could get a little more distance out of my SW to fill a distance gap. Now, it goes a perfect 100 yards with an easy swing, and I can get it up to 115 yards with a more aggressive one. HOW IT LOOKS: I got the oil can finish because I like the look when it rusts. I make sure to keep the face clean, but the back of the club gets very rusty. HOW IT PLAYS: it isn’t the softest club, it is cast after all, but it has a very good feel. It spins the ball more than any other club, from any lie, even out of the rough. SW Timeline: Orlimar Trimetal- Nicklaus Manganese Bronze 56*-Titleist Vokey Spin Milled Oil Can 56*- Titleist Vokey Spin Milled Oil Can 54*

Lob Wedge: Mizuno MP R 60* 9*: I bought this club in the summer after my old Nike got to worn down to put any spin on the ball, and I got a good deal. It is forged, and very soft, and has a good deal of spin, but does not rival that of the Vokey. I’m thinking of buying a Vokey or a TM xFT. HOW IT LOOKS: The MP R has a very clean look, and, since I have the Black Nickel finish, it blocks a lot of glare. It is very clean and simple, like most other wedges. HOW IT PLAYS: Like I said, very good fell, decent spin. I use this club out of the sand, and I hit 95% of chips and pitches with it, so it gets a lot of use. It isn’t particularly durable, and it is almost to worn out. LW Timeline: Orlimar Trimetal- Nike SV Chrome- Mizuno MP R

Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2 34in- I love this putter, but the lie angle isn’t quite right. The feel is good, and it rolls the ball very true. HOW IT LOOKS: The shape is great, but I wish I could change the colors without sending into the Custom Shop. I know I could do it without sending it in, but I don’t really want to. HOW IT PLAYS: Nothing really to say here. Maybe I should try lefty. I hit most putts well, but it seems on ever putt I either leave the club a touch open or closed, or I miss-read it by a small amount, or I hit it a touch too hard or soft. I lip-out more than anyone in the world. Putter Timeline: J:3 Junior putter- Nike OZ Black 160- Nike Unitized Tiempo- Titleist Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2

Shoes: Adidas Tour 360 3.0: I like these shoes. Good stability, good looks, good fit. I might get the Tour LTD, since they are only $150 now.

Golf Balls: Taylor Made TP Red and Titlist ProV1: I prefer the TP Reds, but on the golf team we got a free ProV1 per match so I accumulated a bunch. The TM’s go farther, but have a little less spin. The feel is about the same.

Grip: Golf Pride Multi Compound White: These are great, but pricy, so I have the stock grips on every club but the driver. They last a while too, because I can sand them down when they are worn.

Glove: Taylor Made Targa Tour: I like the look of these, and they are very durable, though I need to have a couple because they get sweaty.

Bag: Titleist x86 Stand Bag: I’ve had Nikes and Callaways but this is my favorite, and the lightest. I could do with one more pocket, though.

[jamo]

I went to Natick again yesterday and had one of the best range sessions in recent memory. I hit nearly ever ball solidly, and I could really feel my swing being grooved into place. My hips were making a good full turn on the backswing, and the left arm straitening has become completely automatic. My swing was much shorter than last week. Just short of parallel for the irons and just past for the woods. The woods could be a little shorter, but it will be hard. A long swing just seems to feel more natural. The right elbow was good, not great, and i was working on the shoulder turn thing. So, I'm getting there.

Things to remember:

• Shorten a little more
• Continue work on the shoulders
• Make sure the hips and right arm stay in the correct positions

[RIduffer]

Nice work. Shortening the swing is tough, it seems to mess with timing.

[jamo]

It just feels really tricky to swing shorter. I've made a lot of swing changes in my (relatively short) life, but this is by far the hardest. I haven't always swung long too, my dad used to really watch how long my swing was, this just sort of worked its way into my swing slowly. My theory is that as the air got colder, my swing got longer, to make up for the loss in power the cold caused.

[jamo]

I decided to go to ForeKicks, a dome in Marlborough, MA that I found out has a driving range indoors after reading this thread. . The have 2 basketball courts, an indoor futsal- style indoor soccer field, and 4 outdoor soccer fields, in additions on a weight room and some concession stands. The driving range is set up on one of the soccer fields, with an net about 50 yards in front of you, and nets also on the ceiling and walls. The mats were OK, not great but they were new and in good shape. The balls were also new, and they give you a fairly sizeable bucket for $10. Most of the indoor places I've been to have been paid for by the hour, but this one was by bucket, like most outdoor places.

As for my game, i continued what i have been doing. Keeping the head still, which helps with a correct shoulder turn. Also my swing was good and short, which led to me mis-hitting a grand total of 5 out of about 70 balls. They weren't even big mis-hits, and usually came when i was trying to hit a target. That leads me to another thing i liked. You could see where the ball was going, and 50 yards was right about where could see a little bit of curving, if you were trying to hit a cut or a draw. Duck-hooks and sh**nks were also fairly obvious. My left arm was staying straight by its own, and so i didn't even need to think about it. Thus i have 1 swing thought:

• Keep the good play going!

[RIduffer]

Good stuff. I worked on some of the same things today: head still, arms extended, short swing.

[bogeyhitter25]

Yeah I went there about a week ago. Not bad. It's just that it's like 50 minutes from my friggin' house.

[jamo]

Today, actually yesterday, was a total step back. My swing was getting too long, and i completely forgot about a correct hip turn. Usually the added hip turn keep my swing from being too long, but today for some reason everything felt awkward. While last time i felt like i could hit every shot, today I was making terrible contact. It felt like my head was coming up, and everything was forced, no fluidity. My arms were pretty solid, but my shoulders were terrible. Last time my only final thought was to keep up the good play, this time i need to brig back the good play. I need to remember the following swing thoughts:

• Don't focus on the shoulders, focus on the head. The head will control the shoulders
• Full hip turn.
• Shorter swing.

[jamo]

Oh, also this time i was at Natick and there was a little mirror next to me that i could see my swing in. I think it really messed me up. Definitely won't do that again.

[jamo]

I Tee'd it up (indoors) at Natick again. Brought the camera and i had some game today. I hit it great. The big thing was focusing on my hip turn and how far my arms traveled. My swing is getting shorter, little by little, and though i'm not completely where i want to be, i'm close. My arms were in good positions, though i still haven't got my shoulders quite right, as shown my the video. My head seemed fine, but my shoulders weren't great.
So, here goes nothing:

• Focus, focus, focus
• Hip Turn, short swing (these go hand in hand)
• Shoulders, though i'm not really sure how to go about this.

Some thoughts after watching the videos and some old videos of my swing i had floating around:

• My right arom is seperating waywaywayway too much, gotta get it down. This will help me shorten the swing, or at least give me the illusion of a shorter swing. As it is, my right arm forms a right angle, but the elbow separating so far from the body lifts my hands, and they go past parallel.
• My right leg is straightening too much. Som straightening is fine, and even good for the hip turn, but i've had problems in the past with my knee locking, which lead to pretty bad knee pain. I've also been on the complete other end of the spectrum, were my (former) instructor directed me to maintain the same flex as address, showing me an exaggerated picture of Justin Rose as evidence. When he compared another part of my swing to Tiger, i pointed out that his knee straightens, he didn't seem to care.
• I know that my right ankle.foot looks awkward, and it is, but as long as I've had a right ankle (lets see, about 17 and 1/4 years) i've had pain in my right ankle. As a little kid, i had to wear special shoes to correct a severe pigeon toe i had where my whole knees and ankles were turned in. As a result my ankles are both pretty weak, thus during my follow through, my ankle is is a strange position.
• My head and my shoulders are getting better, maybe halfway. Gone is the violent jerk up of my head and my shoulders are not totally flat, but i'm not there yet.
• It is something that i noticed the first time i posted my swing, but i have a little Westwood-esque chicken wing action going on. I haven't really focused on it, but it is something that i will likely work on later in the year.
• The "back" camera view isn't all that great. I had to put the camera on a table because i was m by myself. Also sorry for the delay at the beginning of the videos.
• I wear that shirt a lot
• Hmm, i've lost a little weight...

Also i'm sorry some of my posts are long when the appear on the main blog page

And some videos:
6 Iron Head on


6 Iron Back


Driver Head on


Driver Back

[Nickynoodles]

Your swing plane looks good and so does your CHS. I see what your saying about the lower body. Your lacking the hip rotation in the start of your backswing. Thats a wierd loooking little place your in hitting balls. I would love to have something like that around here. We have a few outdoor ranges and 1 indoors about 20 miles away. They got greens and real sand bunkers there and you can play 18 in the simulator but its just to expensive. Good looking swing and keep up the good work. Nice blog.

[jamo]

Thanks! This isn't my favorite place to hit balls, the other (Forekicks) is an indoor soccer field where the ball actually travels 50 yards before it hits a net, but they are only open until 3 pm, and only weekdays, so i don't go there often.

[jamo]

Driver: I currently have, and love(d) a Taylor Made r7 Superqaud 10.5* with the stock shaft, stiff. I bought the club (off the rack, because i got fit once, and i fit into the standard lie/length parameters) and them the shaft was fine, but i was 13 years old. I'm now 17, and swing much harder, about 15-20 mph. The flex is fine, but the shaft is completely ill-fit for me. The club itself is a fairly spinny one, and the shaft is too, so i hit a lot of ballooners that don;t go nearly as far as they should. So, i'm looking to get fit for a new club. I've looked, and like the Titleist 909D2, as well as the 907D2, though i don't think they will fit me for the 907 anymore. Titleist will probably come out with a new driver, but they tend to stay away from large technological improvements, so i think i'll be safe there. I also lie the new Cobra S2. It is all black, like my Superquad, and i like the look and shape. It doesn't have the weird indents on the top that a lot of Cobra's drivers do, and also i've heard good thinks about the sound, which seems to be toned down, a rarity for Cobra. It only seems natural that i go from the Superquad to the Supertri, so i'm also liking the Taylor Made R9 Supertri. It is $100 mare than the other two, and i never use MWT as it is, so i don't know if it is worth it. But all of this basically is contingent on me getting a job, which will help me pay for a membership to the golf course in my signature (a good deal at only $545), where i will also get free club fitting. If i do get the job, the $100 wont mean quite as much to me, i could go with what i like the most.

3-Wood: I have a Nike Dymo which i like, not love. it too is i'll fit for me, but for a different reason. The club is pointy on the bottom (if you've ever seen one or the Taylor Made Raylor hybrid, you know what i mean) and it is a little too upright for me, which really makes a difference with the pointy sole. I'm looking at the same clubs as drivers so, you get the point.

Hybrid: My Mizuno MX 700 is ok. I also like the Titleist 909H, the Taylor Made Rescue, and the new Mizuno MP line looks good.

Lob Wedge: I've been a little disappointed with the wear on my Mizuno MP-R, and am considering a Titleist Vokey Spin Milled, and the Mizuno MP-10. I was considering the Taylor Made xFT, but the price is a little too much for me.

Putter: I just want it bent flat a couple degrees, but i don't want to send it to Scotty Cameron, and i'm not sure if i want to trust the guys at Golfers Warehouse (similar to a Golfsmith or Golf Galaxy) to bend my $300 putter.

Any thoughts?
Also i considered making this a thread, but there was just too much, and i just sorta wanted to write everything down.