My Swing (DeadMan)

[DeadMan]

So, my season is ending now. I won't play a full 18 until March probably. Going to be mostly range sesssions from now, which is totally fine. Just wanted to post a couple of interesting things from my year and stats and where I'm going from here.

I felt like I improved as a golfer this year, but my handicap at the beginning of the year was 5.9, and I'm going to finish as a 6.4. What happened is that I found a real hot streak from May-July and then leveled out at the end of the year. Unfortunately, I thought my swing was fine and didn't work on it enough. Then I videoed it and saw that I had messed up what I was working on. That said, I got an person lesson on my pitching technique specifically and that completely changed that technique. I went from being a mediocre pitcher of the ball to a good one. I've been making some ridiculous up and downs due to that. But I still have issues.

Anyways, I have a stats spreadsheet that I keep with pretty intense stats. It's interesting:

• My GIR% is virtually the same from last year to this year: 43.4% (2016) vs. 43.0% (2017).
• Adding in the fringe to that is also virtually the same: 50.6% vs. 50.0
• nGIR% + GIR% is virtually the same (81.7% vs. 82.1%)
• Putts per hole (1.87 vs. 1.85) and per GIR (2.08 vs. 2.06) virtually the same 
• Scrambling % is virtually the same 24.8% vs. 25.7%
• Stroke average on par 4 and par 5 virtually the same, but I dropped .1 of a stroke on average on the par 3s.

Looking at all that, did I really improve? Yes, but not much. The courses I played this year were harder (average slope last year was 127.3; this year 131.4). My handicap is higher because my low scores this year came off my handicap  earlier because I played a bit more golfer than last year.

Where do I go from here? I think I actually have some easy places that I could gain strokes.

1. I got fitted for a driver shaft, which should help my consistency. My old shaft was just the standard shaft. This one is shorter and more appropriate for my swing. I think I might save a stroke or two a round, on average, just with this shaft. That's a big deal to me.
2. At that fitting, I found that I have a negative attack angle with my driver. It was between -4 and -2 degrees. I was still launching it high enough (12 degree launch angle) to be okay, but if I can make that even 0 degrees, I'll probably gain some really valuable yards.
3. Need to still work on my swing. I'm too steep in the downswing. I had this really good earlier in the year, just need to focus more. I also need to work on rotating my hips more in the downswing. Again, something I can do. After that, I might need to work on my clubface control, because my clubface is closed to the target at impact. But that's getting ahead of myself, and I need to focus on the shallowing first.
4. Putting speed. I am a bad lag putter, because I have terrible speed control. And that's because I accelerate through the ball. I have tried working on that in the past, with no success. I need to find a feel that helps me out here. I actually am a good putter from 10 feet and in. It's all about fixing that stroke.

I also won a FlightScope Mevo from the Newport Cup. I'm looking forward to using that to dial in my partial wedge distances. I tend to default to full swings with my wedges because I'm not confident in my distances with partial wedges. If I can dial that in better, I can give myself shorter putts.

It was a really fun season. I won two net events, and I came close to winning a gross event. I played in my first statewide event and didn't embarrass myself. The Newport Cup was awesome. I'm looking forward to being able to knuckle down and work on my swing this off season and I'm looking forward to another fun year next year. Hopefully I improve appreciably more next year.

[JonMA1]

14 hours ago, DeadMan said:

Anyways, I have a stats spreadsheet that I keep with pretty intense stats. It's interesting:

• My GIR% is virtually the same from last year to this year: 43.4% (2016) vs. 43.0% (2017).
• Adding in the fringe to that is also virtually the same: 50.6% vs. 50.0
• nGIR% + GIR% is virtually the same (81.7% vs. 82.1%)
• Putts per hole (1.87 vs. 1.85) and per GIR (2.08 vs. 2.06) virtually the same 
• Scrambling % is virtually the same 24.8% vs. 25.7%
• Stroke average on par 4 and par 5 virtually the same, but I dropped .1 of a stroke on average on the par 3s.

Some of the stats you record I think paint a better picture than just what I've used in the past (GameGolf). I like the putts per GIR. It goes a bit deeper than just tracking putts per hole. Same with including the fringe because that allows (I assume) for a putter on your next shot instead of a wedge.

I had to dig a little bit on what I recorded in 2016 to get some of the stats I thought were important, such as "GIR% when given the opportunity". For example, a poor t-shot would not give me an opportunity for a GIR. Knowing what the real cause for a poor stat allows me to work on a more specific or proper weakness.

Also, great stats. Not surprising you shoot the scores you do.

[DeadMan]

6 hours ago, JonMA1 said:

Some of the stats you record I think paint a better picture than just what I've used in the past (GameGolf). I like the putts per GIR. It goes a bit deeper than just tracking putts per hole. Same with including the fringe because that allows (I assume) for a putter on your next shot instead of a wedge.

Yeah, since I record everything myself, I can track almost any stat I want. Putts per GIR is a useful one for me. I would like that to be 2 or just under 2, so need to work on my lag putting more. 

Fringe I count as any shot where I use the putter next with a reasonable look at getting a par. So if I'm a foot off the green and have a 20 foot putt, it's a fringe shot. But if I have to putt through 6 feet of fringe or have a really long putt still, I won't count it as fringe. Basically, fringe plus GIR% are the ones where I feel like I should expect to make par. 

[DeadMan]

On ‎11‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 3:34 PM, DeadMan said:

1. At that fitting, I found that I have a negative attack angle with my driver. It was between -4 and -2 degrees. I was still launching it high enough (12 degree launch angle) to be okay, but if I can make that even 0 degrees, I'll probably gain some really valuable yards.

An update on this. With only a minor set up change that my evolvr instructor suggested, I made some really good progress with this. My launch angle in December was 11 degrees. On the range yesterday, my launch angle was 15.3. I'm also getting 25 feet more height on the driver, which is a good thing. My lowest launch angle was 12.4 degrees this weekend, which I can get away with (previously, I would get as low as 9 degrees).

That should get me some extra yards off the tee, which will be helpful.

I'm also working fairly well on the swing, although I need to kick it up a notch. I also haven't done any putting in a while, so I need to get on that.

[DeadMan]

I think I know what I need to work on:

 

(this is just one round, but still...)

[DeadMan]

Wanted to post an update:

This probably doesn't look like much of a change to any of you, but I'm pretty pleased with it. I've been working with my evolvr instructor on closing my shoulders in my set up and making sure my hands don't come too far off my body in my takeaway. If you compare my set up to the last video I put on here, it's a lot better. Takeaway is better, too. I don't think I'm quite there yet, but it's definitely getting better. I obviously see other things wrong with my swing, but I'm just trying to clean up this bit first.

Another positive, I've raised my launch angle with my driver a decent amount. From December:

From last night:

I'm not 100% sure what's up with the smash factor last night - might have been limited flight range balls? Anyways, I'm hitting it 20' higher and launching it 3 degrees higher. Good shit. Could use a degree or two more, but this is an improvement for sure. My lowest launch angle last night was still around 13, when it was around 9 in December.

Definitely need to reset my whole putting approach, though. I'm losing a lot of strokes putting out there, and it's mostly lag putts. Probably going to upload some video and get some feedback on that soon.

[DeadMan]

Long game is getting better...

[iacas]

#GlaringWeakness

Looks like good progress, and good work.

[DeadMan]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

#GlaringWeakness

Looks like good progress, and good work.

Yep. I have an awful putting stroke. I also hate practicing putting. Put those two things together and you get those numbers... According to GG, I only gain strokes putting against a 25 handicapper. 

Also, I still think the long game strokes gained is off a little bit because it doesn't factor in the altitude I play at.

[billchao]

2 hours ago, DeadMan said:

Yep. I have an awful putting stroke. I also hate practicing putting. Put those two things together and you get those numbers... According to GG, I only gain strokes putting against a 25 handicapper. 

And I thought I was a bad putter. Fix that, man!

[DeadMan]

On 5/25/2018 at 7:03 PM, billchao said:

And I thought I was a bad putter. Fix that, man!

I feel like I'm being ganged up on here...

 

[Smash]

Deadman, sorry if this was mentioned already, I couldn’t find it, what is the website you are using where you are calculating your strokes vs. handicap and showing those screenshots?

[DeadMan]

4 hours ago, Smash said:

Deadman, sorry if this was mentioned already, I couldn’t find it, what is the website you are using where you are calculating your strokes vs. handicap and showing those screenshots?

It's a screenshot from GameGolf. You need a GameGolf to be able to get those stats. I have the GG Live: https://www.amazon.com/Game-Golf-Live-Tracking-System/dp/B014UY7LV2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527446389&sr=8-1&keywords=game+golf+live

There's a thread about it here, too, if you want to learn more: 

FYI, the live is the previous version of GG. Here's some info on the Pro, the newer version, I believe: 

 

[DeadMan]

Okay, let's see if we can get to work on this putting stroke. Here are my very professional videos of my putting stroke. Both of these were about 30 foot putts. The angle on the DTL view is bad because I wanted to aim at a hole instead of just down the line with the camera.

Biggest problem I have is speed.

My through stroke is obviously way too long. So the feel I had been working on to try to fix that is obviously not good. I'm wondering if the ball is too far forward in my set up, too.

I also need to brush up on my aimpoint skills, but that's a different topic...

[DaveP043]

16 minutes ago, DeadMan said:

Okay, let's see if we can get to work on this putting stroke. Here are my very professional videos of my putting stroke. Both of these were about 30 foot putts. The angle on the DTL view is bad because I wanted to aim at a hole instead of just down the line with the camera.

Biggest problem I have is speed.

My through stroke is obviously way too long. So the feel I had been working on to try to fix that is obviously not good. I'm wondering if the ball is too far forward in my set up, too.

I also need to brush up on my aimpoint skills, but that's a different topic...

Obviously you know I'm no expert, but I see two things I'll mention.  In the DTL, it appears that the putter sits with the toe off the ground.  I believe that for me that goes along with some inconsistency in hitting my line.  I have to consciously choke down an inch or so to sole the putter properly, which also happens to bring the ball closer under my eye line.  In the FO, it looks as if your head is moving slightly away from the target just as you're approaching impact.  I'm not sure that either of those would cause speed issues, but just my first impressions.  Good luck!

[DeadMan]

21 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

Obviously you know I'm no expert, but I see two things I'll mention.  In the DTL, it appears that the putter sits with the toe off the ground.  I believe that for me that goes along with some inconsistency in hitting my line.  I have to consciously choke down an inch or so to sole the putter properly, which also happens to bring the ball closer under my eye line.  In the FO, it looks as if your head is moving slightly away from the target just as you're approaching impact.  I'm not sure that either of those would cause speed issues, but just my first impressions.  Good luck! 

Really good observations, thanks! I know have do have inconsistent contact with the putter, which can definitely impact speed. Fixing both of those things you notice would probably help with the contact and thus speed.

The head thing you noticed is really weird. It's pretty still and then all of the sudden, it's moving away from the target right at impact. I probably need to just keep myself from looking at the ball for a second after impact.

[DaveP043]

6 minutes ago, DeadMan said:

Really good observations, thanks! I know have do have inconsistent contact with the putter, which can definitely impact speed. Fixing both of those things you notice would probably help with the contact and thus speed.

The head thing you noticed is really weird. It's pretty still and then all of the sudden, it's moving away from the target right at impact. I probably need to just keep myself from looking at the ball for a second after impact.

This is exactly what I saw, its almost as if you're starting to follow the ball even before you've hit it.  Does it make sense to practice while looking at a blade of grass just in front of the ball, instead of the ball itself?  Anything other thank putting your attention on the movement of the ball.  And do NOT do what I do sometimes, follow the movement of the putter back and forward, nothing good comes from that.

[DeadMan]

I feel like I should have taken my hat off for these so we can see what my eyes are doing.