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@ what some of the people have posted as their dreams. I respect that. I was thinking about this thread earlier today. I knew I'd get backlash when I posted it and I also thought it would be a fun little project, where people could watch my progress. Maybe I just haven't positioned it as such but 90% of the replies to this thread have been useless, people telling me to quit, people telling me im delusional, people telling me all kinds of shit. Have I really received any value from this? Not really. There was a few posts at the start that helped me but after that I've got nothing from it. I don't need people telling me I won't make it, or that I don't have the talent or how HARD it is or how good the players are. Look, I've watched pro the Canadian Open and Mackenzie Tour events + lesser pro events (club pros). I know what they can do, I know I'm not close but I know I will make it. I watched the players on the Mackenzie Tour hit their long irons 245 yards uphill into the wind on a par 3, my jaw dropped. I've seen how good they are. I'm not going out there, shooting 1 under and going well I think I can go pro soon. You guys can shut the f*** up about it. Everyone here knows some guy who didn't make it, "I know a guy who tried, he was really good but didn't make it." It's always some guy. My response? I don't give a f*** if some guy you know didn't make it. I will. These posts are useless. Ever heard of the phrase you are the product of the people you associate with? Has associating with this forum made me a better player? Not really. I get close to 0 value here and I say close to 0 because some people have helped me, which I appreciate. Right now. I don't see the point in continuing this but I'm willing to give it one more shot however if people just want to talk shit and tell me shit I already know, as if they are being helpful and insightful. Then I'm out. Maybe you can prove me otherwise and I'm the one that led this thread down the path that it went. Maybe I should post more about golf and let the naysayers go f*** themselves. Anyway, with that said let me give you an update. _________________ I've been reflecting on my good rounds last year and what I was working on specifically during the time I shot those scores. Here's a break-down of the stand-out rounds. 71 - When I shot this, I know I was working on starting the swing with the lower body and I was also working on keeping the head relatively still. I shot this right after going to watch a Mackenzie Tour event. The main thing I noticed during the event was how stable their bodies were during the swing. Their heads didn't really move much (vertically) and it looked solid. I think before we go further, I should clarify what I mean when I say their bodies were solid. They swung around themselves, they didn't sway, they stayed in one spot and pivoted around their bodies to hit the ball. Whereas before with myself I would sway thinking it would give me leverage but all it does it ruin your shotmaking. Think about the golf swing, if you're just using the arms and you aren't really rotating at all. There's no power because you're not turning around the ball. So when I got back I was inspired to work on that. I also was working on a one-piece takeaway, maintaining the triangle formed between the arms and the body for as long as possible and swinging on an upright plane. 69 - I never drove the ball better during this time, it was the main reason I shot what I did. What I was working on at this time was again stability (stance) and maintaining the triangle between the arms and body for as long as possible in the backswing without feeling stiff. 72 - Again, a similar theme of keeping the head still and I was really working on starting the downswing with my lower body. I don't think it's a coincidence that my best rounds had similar thoughts. I should also note that during these rounds I was experimenting with letting my right foot lift a little off the ground in the backswing, which gave me more leverage on my longer irons. I could really get "behind" the ball when I did this. Here's a few swings from around the times when I shot the above scores. If you notice, my body is relatively still during these swings. I don't think this a very complicated thing to answer why having less unnecessary motion is good. There's a famous painter Henri Matisse who said in regards to painting that "Everything that is not useful in the picture is, it follows, harmful. A work of art must be harmonious in its entirety: any superfluous detail would replace some other essential detail in the mind of the spectator." I agree with Matisse, I also love that quote in regards to the golf swing. Removing unnecessary motions to create one, smooth, poetic swing that is in harmony. You should also notice that in my pre-shot routine, I was taking the club back and forth, this is where I was focusing on maintaining the triangle. The reason this helped me with ball striking was that it makes sure that I make a full shoulder turn and I don't bring the club back too shallow. (which is a problem of mine). I noticed I played better when my swing plane was more upright and less shallow, and this helped me stay connected + relatively upright. I also think it just helps with consistency, the more sturdy and stable you are in the swing, the more consistent. At least that's what I found. Starting the downswing with the lower body, I knew I had an over - the - top action in my swing. I think when I worked on starting with the lower body and rotation of the hips, it made it harder to come over the top. I was able to stop my right shoulder from taking over and wanting to chop at the ball but this was I think a bandaid solution to a bigger problem. Which is something I will be working a lot on this year. Watch this swing. See something weird in the downswing? Look at my head. It dips and as one pro said, it looks like I'm trying to keep my head down. And it's 100% true. Remember the old guy that took me under my wing when I was younger that I talked about in a previous post? He told me to keep my head down. He drilled it into me. And I think that's why I come over - the - top. I'm so focused on the damn ball that I drop my head and when my head drops, I can't really drop the club onto a proper line. I have to come over the top to re-route the club onto the back of the ball. I remember a long time ago, when I was like 16 or 17 that I had considerably better ball striking when I allowed myself to not worry about "watching" the ball. I also remember that my ball striking was a lot better when I swung with my eyes closed, I felt "free" and that I was able to swing through the ball and not at it. Watch Sams swing here, notice how he isn't trying to keep his eye on the ball and also notice how his head doesn't move and there is no big dip. He's able to get the lowerbody into the swing. Now watch this video of me. Look at my downswing motion. It's f***ing terrible. It looks like I'm chopping wood and I think it's because I'm trying to keep my eye on the ball. My head doesn't move much laterally but vertically it dips like crazy and when I dip it like that, I can't get my lowerbody into the shot and I screw myself in consistency and accuracy. It's a very cramped motion. I need to go to range and work this motion out more but that's one major change I am making to my swing. I'm removing the over - the -top motion and allowing my head to be free. I'm not going to worry about what my head does, I'm just going to worry about swinging through the ball and using the lower body. I definitely don't think I use my lower body enough which is robbing me of power and consistency and as far as my knowledge is concerned, this stems from trying to watch the ball. Now, doesn't this sound contradictory? I'm allowing my head to move, but I kept it still last year and shot my best rounds? I think keeping the head still, helps me with not swaying but I'm still putting too much attention on the ball and it's causing my over the top motion. It's sort of hard to explain but I'm thinking of swinging around my head, the head doesn't really matter but it shouldn't move like crazy because then you're changing all of the angles you started with at address. By freeing my head, I think I will start to cure my dipping problem, combined with focusing a lot on the lower body to start the downswing. So bottom line. Remove my dip in the downswing. Stop coming over-the-top. That's what I'm working on swing related right now. Btw, here's a cap of my handicap. -
By pganapathy · Posted
Perhaps go to a pro shop or sporting goods store with a larger hitting area on their simulator. Unless of course you live in an area where there are very few simulators -
Do others have the same issue I seem to have. Today when I was at Dick's, I decided to try a driver in the simulator stall. It felt really odd, like I was hitting a ball inside my house. I kept holding back, getting tense, and after I shanked a shot directly into the launch monitor I decided it was best to not continue. Years ago I hit in one when I was buying a driver. But thinking back on it, that was a much larger stall. I think the issue is the distance from me to the drop cloth that stops the ball. The one I was able to hit at years ago felt like 10+ feet to the drop cloth, whereas this felt like it was half that. Anyway, I can't hit in a stall. Bummer too cause I kinda wanted to see all the stats from my shots. Now... before my driver experience I did hit a 6I and 4I with little problems. However my shots were coming up about 15% shorter than than they do when I play. I'm not sure if I'm holding back in the stall, or if the clubs I was trying (Mizuno MP-25s with stiff steel shafts - I play regular graphite Taylormade R9s). If I felt more comfortable in the stall, then I can better use it to evaluate my swing. As it is now, then thing scares me.... -
By onthehunt526 · Posted
No, and let me tell you why. I don't like how the bet is framed. Because I know at least here in New York even if you max out you must be paroled out of prison. And parole even on max outs is a mandatory 1 year here in NY. -
I use Lysol all purpose cleaner (you can use 409 or similar product) and a brass brush on my grips, then rinse them off with warm water and dry with a towel. They will feel like new. I've had the same grips on my clubs for 3 years. I'd say I do this once a season, but I don't have oily hands. Just do it when they start feeling less grippy than they're supposed to.
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