Journal - My quest to the 80's - (Continued from the WALL 93-96) thread

[CSStriper]

Im not really sure only spoke to him once.  I was at mikes range hitting a bucket while my buddy got a lesson.  After his lesson we were heading to hanover for a round.  Mike told us he was there.  My buddy was talking to him since they have talked in the past so we were asking how the course was playing while we were waiting for a cart to get gassed up.  He was coming off 9 and heading to the club house

[xburbx]

small world.

chris and i played tonight.  nothing major.  feeling a little burned out mentally from all the golf.  trying to find a reason to dial in the intensity.  i might take a couple days off.

[xburbx]

so tonight i went to the range and did something i wanted to do for a while now.  i taped my swing.  i have been struggling with figuring out the best swing for me and whats right and whats wrong.  some days i try for a steeper plane and ill hit consistent and then some days when im trying to hit that same plane, i cant contact well.  any given day if my swing is on, it doesnt feel like it matters much in the way of my take away.  i tried 3 different swings tonight and i think some of the angles were not great, but i tried.  the other thing i really noticed was that if my tempo was good and i was swinging with a rythm, it almost didnt matter what take away i was using.  the contact was right.  regardless, if anyone wants to see the different swings, here they are.

7 Iron

- Regular comfortable swing

- Flatter swing with bigger shoulder turn

- Steeper swing plane (these seem to hit more solid but this swing plane gave me the shanks the other day ) -

3 hybrid

- Regular comfortable swing -

- Flatter swing -

- Steeper swing -

[carpediem4300]

i shot 89 last night, first time i broke 90 ever, a big change after shooting 120+ a month ago, although very disappointed as dropped alot of needless shots

last 5 rounds 95/99/110/101/89

keep your thread going mate, its inspiring!!!!!

[xburbx]

good stuff on the 89.  its a big mental hump to get over.  so after really studying my swings in the videos and reading more about a consistent swing i found something last night that i think might be huge.  i took it to the range, then played with it as it wasnt that much of an adjustment.  i hit the ball tonight better than i ever have.  i was also hitting much further.  i was really looking for consistent swinging but distance came with it.  im hoping it isnt a fluke and i just had a good night, but we'll see.  so what is it? its the towel drill.  put the towel or gloves under each armpit and hold them while you swing.  the point of the drill is to keep your arms connected and swing with your body.  at first i didnt buy into it, but then i looked up video of it.  i just wouldnt believe that a pro golfer could swing like that because it felt like my swing was wide enough.  then i saw a video of tiger practicing it.  he was hitting his regular full shot with the glove tucked under his right arm.  the drill does a million other correcting type things besides fixing hard slices, consistent contact etc.  i think the ball was flying further because i was finally not swinging with my arms.  my body did the work.  it looks like ben hogans swing when done right.  obviously my swing isnt as pretty, but it's the same concept.  hopefully it is a ball contact hump i have gotten over and not just some luck, but i will keep everyone posted.  i shot a 43 on the back 9 and missed a ton of putts i dont usually miss.  i hit a lot of good approach shots and chipped well, but i couldnt make a 3 foot putt tonight if the hole was 10ft wide.  just one of those nights.  didnt play the front.

[xburbx]

played a little this weekend out in pittsburgh. the towel drill is really adding consistency from round to round with ball striking. i dont feel like i have to find a new swing each round. my ball striking prior to the towel drill was consistent but not as consistent as i would have liked.  so far, with this, it has helped a lot.  i have even taken it to the putting green.

[xburbx]

played tonight.  had my worst 27 holes of the summer. i couldnt putt or chip for the life of me.

48

47

46

ouch

[xburbx]

had another lovely day shooting a 96.  i did realize the problem.  my chipping has temporarily left me.  I mentally went over all the holes i played today and noted 10 chips that i just shouldnt hit and usually dont.  i can normally get up and down 30-40% of the time or get a chip pretty darn close.  i was probably up and down on 1 or 2 holes today.  my putting has been a little off because of something i have been trying but i got comfortable with it today and they started coming around.  ball striking is still better but i was fighting some old habits.  my ball striking was high 80's and my chipping was high 90's.  i got a nice blend of 96.  in order to remedy this little mess i am going to chip 100 balls tomorrow and put 40 before i play.  get the confidence back.  im just going to chip/hit and putt enough balls to get over the setback.

one note i realized i was doing on my chips that i didnt see until later in the round was that i was getting too fast on my back swing on the chip and then not accelerating into the chip.  i slowed the backswing and increased the downswing.  i thought of the 25%/75% rule.  chips started clicking after this

[xburbx]

i will also probably do another swing video set with the towel swing sometime next week

[Ctp722]

Dude this doesn't count.....you still had effects of a BEAR FIGHT/ Moonshine still in your system. So I really wouldn't count it.

Originally Posted by xburbx

played tonight.  had my worst 27 holes of the summer. i couldnt putt or chip for the life of me.

48

47

46

ouch

[xburbx]

yes i was recovering from the bear fight and the long lasting effects of moonshine.  i played today and did what i said with chipping and putting practice.  i chipped 100 balls and putted 50.  i felt great stepping up to the tee and then managed to shoot a 95.  here is the difference though.  i realized i was taking this towel drill to far by staying so tight to my body that it was killing my contact.  it was as if i was trying to pinch a towel to my upper lats and not my arms pits only.  once i decided to keep the tight feel but higher up on the arm my swing came back.  i am also making sure that my swing plane is just under my back right shoulder and not above.  i played another 9 after the 95 and i feel like im back.  my chipping and putting were on as that towel thing was impacting my chips too.  shot a 41 on the last 9 of the night and felt good doing it.  hopefully this was just a bump.  if it is, it is was a painful and frustrating one.  i felt like taking a few weeks off until that last 9.

[twilliams16]

This thread is so inspiring. I've had the same goals and setbacks as you. One day i'll hit my wedges like a pro, but wont hit off the tee's for crap. My last 2 rounds have been 86/89 and getting over he 90 hump twice really boosts my confidence. I try not to focus on drills as much as i should. But i've been working with a buddy who is a 2 hdcp and he has completely helped everything.

Good luck with your 70's quest. Keep us updated

[xburbx]

thanks. im glad others are getting something out of it.

[xburbx]

i was invited to a free outting today.  i dont usually like best ball tournaments, but for free i figured why not.  overall ball striking and confidence is back in order.  obviously i dont know what i would have scored but it felt like it would been a normal 80's day.

[xburbx]

nothing new to report.  just played a few more rounds.  no record breaking scores one way or the other.  i need to figure out how to get into the high 70's.

[carpediem4300]

chipping and putting? are you following these stats?

I shot 91 last night,.....thats with taking a 12 on one hole!!!!, i averaged 4 putts and my chipping was dreadful also,

I hit 16 fairways, an 11 GIR,

I can see where my downfalls are :(

[xburbx]

16 fairways and 11 gir to shoot a 91 with a 4 putt average?  is that possible?   thats low 80's to high 70's numbers all day long.

[carpediem4300]

I nearly cried reading this :'(

haha my putting is aweful anyway but me and a friend were rushing to get round before dark so it was a case of "mark it, line it, hit it"

I also took a 11 or 12 on one hole that has a green without a flat surface on it,

My driving and fairway shots are quite consistent, but my putting is atrocious as is my chipping so wether im on the green or not im taking WAY to many shots to get it in the cup,.....

***EDIT***** just saw that i said i averaged 4 putts, that was wrong my bad, was more like 5/6 i think, we were putting so fast i didnt really have time to record

Originally Posted by xburbx

16 fairways and 11 gir to shoot a 91 with a 4 putt average?  is that possible?   thats low 80's to high 70's numbers all day long.