My Swing (nevets88)

[nevets88]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

Have you tried addressing it (on the ground) with the ball off the toe of the driver? When you lift the driver up to hit it off the face… it's more centered that way.

No. I'll give that a try, thanks. 

[nevets88]

Lesson with JT. More back/upper back extension from 3-4, go down to ball from 4, left shoulder down. Arms crampy, chicken wingy at 8, will work on getting them straight. Worked on 40 yard pitch, that area between finesse and full swing wedge shots. Another instructor I got comfortable with and he's moving away from NE, but he'll be popping back north occasionally. MP-53s are awesome, better to feel where ball is actually hitting the clubface. Doesn't feel nowhere as "dead" as AP1s, kind of like stringing your racquet at 75 pounds of tension vs 55. Much better at controlling ball height from off the fairway.

Still too much transition variation.

CoM going towards ball too quickly, also too high.

Next swing, fixed. Shaft pointing one foot inside ball at 5 above, one foot outside ball at 5 here. But getting better at feel and not depending on the camera so much.

[nevets88]

Lesson vids from last week for reference:

 

[nevets88]

The highlight of my summer.

Last week, or was it the week before, I can't remember, I played Bethpage Blue and had about 125 yards into the green on my second shot at 6. The least yardage into 6 I've ever had in all my years of playing Blue was like 160 many moons ago. It was a hot day, not much wind, 6 is listed at 465, the tees were probably up around 440. Usually, I'm looking at 200 into the green on a good drive, play it safe to the right side. This time, dunno why (maybe because my miss is right these days), took an aggressive line left over the trees and must have hit the dirt patch and got a huge bounce forward and right, initially thought maybe I should take a provisional, that's pretty far left, went ahead without a provisional, was prepared to take a drop and lo and behold, my Snell is brand spanking in the middle of the fairway with a wedge in when it's usually a hybrid. Of course I hit the wedge short and eventually bogeyed the hole, curse of the perfect drive, but now I have a new record to top. For one second there, I got to know what it's like to hit a (albeit bounce assisted) drive over 300 yards. I don't know why I took such an aggressive line, will probably aim a lot more right the next time I play this hole and every time after that.

[nevets88]

Played back 9 of Blue, shot a 43, no sixes, two pars, while primarily focusing on the back extension piece (Key #1 head steady/Key #4 sweet spot path) from the last lesson, Still thinned two drives, which managed to go straight 150 yards, so not too much damage, 3 3 putts as well, overclubbed and flew one green, got on in 2 on one par 5 but 3 putted. Better able to gauge how much to shallow driver/long clubs at A4 without a camera, if it cuts, than more shallow, usually fall on the not enough shallow side, but it's very gratifying to be able to correct at the course because of observing tendencies from video practice. With putting, Aimpoint reads are good, but distance control is no good, but that should come with more rounds. This time irons better than driver. Will start using Game Golf now, scoring is not as chaotic now and playing more, short game getting better, although still have not done a short game practice session with video.

[nevets88]

Toe hits are distance killers, but this toe hit is progress as tendency is to hit towards heel, rarely toe, so getting sweet spot path closer to body. A little claustrophobic with driver because stall and ball so close to wall don't swing as freely because afraid of hitting something. 

 

[nevets88]

Noticed sweetspot path too under the hand plane. Here, adding "leaving the hands up" feel in addition to the rotate and extension at 4 pieces.

 

[nevets88]

Still working on the same things, shallow, don't stall, turn all the way through, thoracic extension from 3 to 4 (Key #1, keep head from going away from target), but less arm drop from A4, more arms go first feeling so as to sync both top and bottom and not excessive slide forward. All to get Key #4, the sweetspot path to go directly to ball, it's still going too under and behind past A6, but an improvement over before. Also feeling more "cover", going down to ball and blending everything together rather than hitting positions. Gonna put the alignment stick through the belt loops next time. Could possible compress into the ground a little bit before A4. The shallowing feel is different now, feels like leaving hands up (even though they're dropping), but more trail shoulder ER, w/o retracting trail elbow.

 

[nevets88]

Better with the thoracic extension before A4, also better at keeping weight on inside of trail foot at A4, there's a little swaying, head bobbing, and the arms could be freer A8 and on, but a lot more comfortable in the skin of driver swing, thinking about it less and working to make it more blended, smoother.. Better able to vary the downswing elements based on length of club during a rounds, was not doing enough left shoulder down after A4 with irons, slide too much, fat. Suspect one of these future lessons, pro is going to make me put a ball between the elbows, tend to not do arms straight at A8.

 

 

[nevets88]

This year is the hardest I've worked on the full swing and on the range yesterday I was thinking maybe I should pack it in. It's clear that I don't have the talent for this. While I made progress it's just taking so long. Anyway, will sleep on that. Ironically, since playing more this year, the short game, which I barely practiced, is a lot more dependable. 

[iacas]

4 minutes ago, nevets88 said:

This year is the hardest I've worked on the full swing and on the range yesterday I was thinking maybe I should pack it in. It's clear that I don't have the talent for this. While I made progress it's just taking so long. Anyway, will sleep on that. Ironically, since playing more this year, the short game, which I barely practiced, is a lot more dependable. 

I think you should play more, practice less. I think you seem to chase perfection on the range.

If that's what you enjoy, cool, but the above doesn't indicate enjoyment.

[billchao]

1 hour ago, nevets88 said:

This year is the hardest I've worked on the full swing and on the range yesterday I was thinking maybe I should pack it in. It's clear that I don't have the talent for this. While I made progress it's just taking so long. Anyway, will sleep on that. Ironically, since playing more this year, the short game, which I barely practiced, is a lot more dependable. 

I think you're being too hard on yourself, and also what @iacas said. I've played golf with you more than I have played with anyone else in the last couple of years and I can tell you that you've made a lot of progress since the first time we played together. You opened up with a 41 in not great conditions last time out, you were playing great.

I don't know how you're tracking your progress, but the swing is never going to be perfect. Golf is not about being perfect. As far as your scoring is concerned, I feel you can improve in putting and short game. Might take some of the pressure off your full swing, too.

Nobody improves as quickly as they'd like to. I think you're doing just fine.

[boogielicious]

2 hours ago, nevets88 said:

This year is the hardest I've worked on the full swing and on the range yesterday I was thinking maybe I should pack it in. It's clear that I don't have the talent for this. While I made progress it's just taking so long. Anyway, will sleep on that. Ironically, since playing more this year, the short game, which I barely practiced, is a lot more dependable. 

I've run into ups and downs this year too. I've practiced more than past years hitting into a net. I can be really hard on myself too. Lately, I've had signs of improvement followed by difficult rounds. I have had similar thoughts as you have. But then the next morning, my resolve it renewed. I just have to keep working at it.

When you play, do you focus on your swing or just target? Sometimes I worry too much about my swing on the course instead of just picking a target and swinging. When I just think target then focus on the ball, I seem to play better.

This could help you as it has for me. Except for sand. I suck at sand. 

[nevets88]

Thanks all. I've been playing a lot more and enjoying that more than the range. It just seems like one step forwards two step backwards. I really just like to play a round without one or two stinkers of a swing. I enjoy varying height and curve and more the art of getting around a course but swing still needs to be fundamentally sound. Will play more and practice less. 

[billchao]

8 minutes ago, nevets88 said:

I really just like to play a round without one or two stinkers of a swing.

Me too. Let me know when you figure out the secret because we can make a lot of money selling it to most golfers 

But seriously, how many stinkers did I hit last time we played? I'm pretty sure half of my tee shots were stinkers and the other half were with irons so I could avoid hitting stinkers (and I still hit stinkers).

[iacas]

1 hour ago, nevets88 said:

I really just like to play a round without one or two stinkers of a swing.

If I understand you correctly… I haven't done that yet. I don't think Tiger has, or does very often, either.

[nevets88]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

If I understand you correctly… I haven't done that yet. I don't think Tiger has, or does very often, either.

I mean like a cold shank from a perfect lie resulting in OB or a fat shot from 150, also perfect lie,that's 30 yards short. 

[boogielicious]

6 hours ago, nevets88 said:

I mean like a cold shank from a perfect lie resulting in OB or a fat shot from 150, also perfect lie,that's 30 yards short. 

For me, it is the fat shot on what should be an easy partial wedge or short iron. They happen. It makes me crazy, but they happen.

I keep working to stop that, and it makes me mad at the time. But then I see a PGA Pro cold shank a short iron into the crowd or DJ/Brooks/JT/Rory/Spieth slice a driver so bad, it is into the next zip code and I feel better about myself. If Tiger doesn't have to hit the fairway every time, neither should I! 

I read Matt's, @saevel25, my swing thread whenever he posts. Matt is a single digit and he feels the same about his swing as we do. We all want to be perfect on each shot, but it is not really possible. There are too many variables. A guy I know copyrighted the saying, "Golf is Hard." 

Enjoy the great shots. File the bad ones as something to work on and then just keep playing.