My Swing (phillyk)

[DaveP043]

Congratulations, @phillyk

[mchepp]

Congrats!

[boogielicious]

Congrats @phillyk!

[HJJ003]

Congrats @phillyk!!

[nevets88]

Congrats @phillyk ! 

👶

[mvmac]

Congrats @phillyk!

[phillyk]

Since baby, I haven't really played any rounds, but I've had time to practice a bit at work in our sim and outside for a few balls a day.  I was perusing through the sliding hips thread a couple weeks ago and there was a video that struck a sort of "ah hah" moment. It talked about a method for the slide and this pic still sums up the feel I've been working on:

I've typically had problems, I think, with getting my hips rotated enough by impact and weight could be further forward. When people talk to me about starting forward with my hips I try the weird bump thing and it just doesn't stick.  But this idea of the upper body very slightly sliding with lower body has created better feeling contact and I think it's getting me rotated a bit more as well as getting my weight further forward.  I need to take a video of some swings to confirm, though.

My other swing thoughts I've been sticking with are: shoulders feeling level at address, looser right hand on grip, and upright/better plane takeaway

Yesterday, I played in a scramble with a couple guys.  Considering the amount of practice and not having played on course for 3-4 weeks, I'd say it was a success.  Ball flight is a straight-draw, distance was on point, flight consistency was good.  I had a few bad judgments on what club I needed because pins were tucked (I set up the course so I should have known better).  But those shots were so close to being right, but being "so close" was still off green and in these events you need birdies.  Chipping, which I expected, was the most in need of improving, but driver was great, putter was awesome, so can't really complain.

[phillyk]

Managed to play 18 today. Shot even 72, 5 birdies, 5 bogies. Just felt like I was shaking off the rust a bit since I haven’t been playing much. Missed a few easy chips and putts, made a few longer putts, and made a few lazy swings off the tee. But, otherwise, did well, can’t really complain. 

Main thing I’m still working on is the left lean on the downswing to get my weight moving left a bit sooner and keeping myself on plane. 

[phillyk]

Received a training aid the other day because it was lying around my bosses house.  It's one of those heavy warm up clubs that have a pre-set grip and adjustable weights (called VN Swing & Warm up according to the shaft, although it's labeled as something else on amazon). Figured I'd use it kind of like a Super Speed trainer.  I was thinking of buying Super Speed initially.  I still may, not sure yet. But, it definitely showed that my release was slightly early.  I've been doing some fast swings with it and can definitely feel the work in my arms.  After switching to a normal club, I can feel the whip.  Obviously it'll take time to actually see any results, and it's not that I need extra club head speed (average 118mph right now) but if there's a chance for more speed without trying hard, why not go for it.

Played the other day and was rushed out to the 1st tee because of a mens league group we weren't warned about when we called.  I hate not warming up because I have mental list of swing thoughts I want to nail down and figure out before getting out.  Oh well, first tee shot was actually ok, but it didn't last.  The misses weren't big, but they were enough to cause some trouble.  Realized this morning that my hands were low while trying to maintain my more on plane back swing but it brought me to the inside hard on the downswing and so I either hit a good shot, push, or hook.  Starts at set-up and through some slow swing practice this morning, it is feeling and looking better.  Another big problem was short game, of which I haven't practiced in a while, and it showed.  Found that I was coming in very steep, so I had chunks, skulls, and a few good shots.

I'm playing in an event tomorrow, so my goal is to make sure I get there early enough for a thorough warmup and a little extra short game tuning.  

[iacas]

If the club is too heavy it can actually be detrimental. I recommend SuperSpeed, not clubs or things like the Orange Whip or the Gold whatever-its-called (the yellow/black heavy thing that looks kinda like an Orange Whip).

Yeah, a regular club feels whippy/light after, but you actually swing it worse AND slower.

[Chasing_Bogeys]

Congrats on the new addition! Kids are amazing!!!
I've REALLY enjoyed this thread and look forward to stalking your progress. As a HIGH handicapper who hits a slice it's nice to read/see that it CAN be corrected and see the proof of hard work delivering an improved swing.

[phillyk]

It's nice to start playing a bit more.  I played an interesting round yesterday, but I'll take it as a good sign considering it's only my 3rd round or so in two months.  16 holes of reasonable golf (even par), and 2 holes of stupid mistakes that I couldn't recover from (a triple and a double).

On 1/13/2019 at 10:33 AM, phillyk said:

Realized this morning that my hands were low while trying to maintain my more on plane back swing but it brought me to the inside hard on the downswing and so I either hit a good shot, push, or hook. 

Regarding this, I am setting up a bit taller with hands feeling high, and I had good contact with most of my shots except driver and wedges, which I'll come back to in a moment.  Most iron shots were hit at my target, but I mis-judged distance quite a bit. I went long a lot.  It was one of those days that starts at 32 degrees, warms up to 50 degrees for an hour, then drops with the sun.  So maybe it warmed enough that I didn't need the extra club or I am compressing my irons a bit better than I thought. 

The triple was from going long on a par 3, short sided myself, tried to get cute, failed, and then lipped out a 1ft putt. Lots of things went wrong that hole but it ultimately stemmed from missing the green.  The hole was 165 uphill half a club to a club, to a back pin. 8 iron, in summer goes 170ish, while 7 iron goes 183ish. So I thought 8 iron would not be enough, and decided to hit an easy, gripped down 7 iron.  I hit it really well, just a tad right of the pin, but I got up there and it was half a club long, should've hit the 8.  The double I'm still not 100% sure what happened.  My range finder had been having trouble picking up the flagstick most of the day.  My reading was 135, uphill, so I hit wedge, a little skinny, but it ended up 10 yds over the green.  Didn't think the skinny-ness would have done that.  A guy in my group was a couple steps in front of me and I asked what distance he had, and he said 122yds.  Im thinking I actually measured the tree that is sitting right behind the green, because my ball was about tree high with the front of the tree. My lie was down hill to a higher green while short sided, so it did not bode well.  And I lipped out another short putt there.

On 1/13/2019 at 10:33 AM, phillyk said:

Another big problem was short game, of which I haven't practiced in a while, and it showed.  Found that I was coming in very steep, so I had chunks, skulls, and a few good shots.

I'm playing in an event tomorrow, so my goal is to make sure I get there early enough for a thorough warmup and a little extra short game tuning.  

Despite those two bad holes, my short game was A LOT better.  Those two holes were the only ones I did not get up and down from, when I missed the green.  I had been too steep, so I gripped down and tried to bend my knees a bit more to stay low.  With the stroke, I tried to stay shallower, and I got much better results.

Putting-wise, my lag putting was great, short putting (inside 8ft) was a bit off.  I just take too much time when I address the ball.  I must normally triple check or something, but I forced myself to only check once, then hit the ball and it felt much less strained and the rhythm was better.  So, I'll work on that.

Back to the driver and wedges. This is all conjecture. In some of the recent swing adjustments, I have moved my ball a bit forward in the stance and while it has worked well with irons, I think the driver and wedges position is too far forward.  My shots yesterday, with both, were fades that start straight-ish and they went high (I usually hit a draw with driver and straight with wedges). So very slightly open face, maybe, but an over the top compared to face angle for sure, which is not "normal" for me (at the very least, I hate over the top, so I want it gone, haha).  I'll take a closer look at it today.

On 1/13/2019 at 6:33 PM, iacas said:

If the club is too heavy it can actually be detrimental. I recommend SuperSpeed, not clubs or things like the Orange Whip or the Gold whatever-its-called (the yellow/black heavy thing that looks kinda like an Orange Whip).

Yeah, a regular club feels whippy/light after, but you actually swing it worse AND slower.

I'll probably just get SuperSpeed then.  The one I have is a heavy club.

[Double Mocha Man]

Phil... guessing you weren't playing Eaglemont.  No uphill par 3's there.  Speaking of par 3's... I'm trying the Homestead par 3 layout today for the first time... teeing off in 2 hours... hoping there is no frost delay.

[phillyk]

33 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Phil... guessing you weren't playing Eaglemont.  No uphill par 3's there.  Speaking of par 3's... I'm trying the Homestead par 3 layout today for the first time... teeing off in 2 hours... hoping there is no frost delay.

I was at Meridian Valley.  I haven't played Homestead in a couple years.  I need to get back out there. I'd assume everywhere has a delay this morning, but most courses will be open by 11.

[phillyk]

5 hours ago, phillyk said:

Back to the driver and wedges. This is all conjecture. In some of the recent swing adjustments, I have moved my ball a bit forward in the stance and while it has worked well with irons, I think the driver and wedges position is too far forward.  My shots yesterday, with both, were fades that start straight-ish and they went high (I usually hit a draw with driver and straight with wedges). So very slightly open face, maybe, but an over the top compared to face angle for sure, which is not "normal" for me (at the very least, I hate over the top, so I want it gone, haha).  I'll take a closer look at it today.

I'll probably just get SuperSpeed then.  The one I have is a heavy club.

Yep, ball position was a little too far forward.  It was middle of the left foot and I like it just inside my left heel.  After adjustment, I hit a few shots with my driver and they came out just like I want.  I'll keep on that, but I wish I would've figured it out yesterday.  Still need some work on partial wedges and to flight them better.

[phillyk]

Got out yesterday.  Didn't warm up again, so took me a few holes to figure myself out. But after that, everything felt solid except driver.  I'll work on it this afternoon.  Ended up shooting a -1, 71 (37/34).  The back 9 definitely felt good.  The driver felt slightly better with a few good shots, but it still was a bit off.  I hit 8 of 9 greens in regulation (the front I hit 5 of 9).  The 1 green I missed was from the shortest approach shot I had on a par 4, but it was a front pin from 40yds away and I just barely left it short. Easy up and down though.

My feels for the day that carried well on the back 9 were: hands higher at address, stand slightly further away from ball, straight back and up takeaway with a flatter left wrist at A4, then feel like I'm swinging up at the ball.

Short game was better. I had one chip in birdie, but finished at 50% scrambling (2/4). The 2 misses were from short siding myself and couldn't get ball close to the pin.  I'm adjusting my putting routine a bit.  People tell me I take too long over the ball.  What I notice is that I may start second guessing my speed or line the longer I hover at the ball.  So, I'm working on just doing 1 look back at hole, then going. I think it'll be a good change, just need practice.

On 1/15/2019 at 2:47 PM, phillyk said:

 Still need some work on partial wedges and to flight them better.

Wedge flighting was much better. I needed to get more weight on my left side.

[phillyk]

It's snowing today, so I had to take a video. This was with our G410 7iron demo while wearing sneakers.  Looked like my back foot slipped a little but managed to keep my balance, so I'm pleased.

I have been trying to get my hands a little higher than this at address. But not a bad swing otherwise, a little push draw.

Played in a 2 person 27 hole tourney yesterday.  Hit the ball really well most of the day.  Had a little lull in the middle, but bounced back.  One thing that sucked and bugged me because I couldn't figure it out all day was green reading.  I missed literally everything outside of 3 feet.  I was giving myself handfuls of birdie opportunities within 20ft and we couldn't make a single one.  The only birdies were from par 5's that we got on it two.  My partner annoyed me by constantly saying everything breaks toward the city (or SE from the course).  The city is over there, so aim a little this way.  Really through me off and he's my partner haha. Oh well, at least my full swing was working well.

Edited February 3, 2019 by phillyk

[phillyk]

Forgot to say, I'm getting the new Srixon Z-Forged irons!

Srixon Z-FORGED Irons

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The Srixon Z-FORGED Irons provide a muscle back blade offering with a knife-like address profile for maximum workability. Srixon

They look sweeeeet!! I'm doing the split set again, though.  So I'll have these in 7-pw, then 3-6iron of the 785s.