My Swing (GolfLug)

[GolfLug]

Needed to document last three days of slow mirror mapping and corresponding feels. It seems like 95% of conscious mapping needs to happen by A2 at the moment.   

A1 Map: Low hands with 'unified' forearms at address almost at knee level. Peripheral attention to target. 

A1 Feel:  Arms, hands and club hang with neither wrists or elbows locked.

Extra credit feel: Rounded back and soft neck. 

 

A2 Map: Club parallel  to ground AND target line without much departure of the upper arms from chest. Right arm still hanging gently off my chest. Right wrist and club-face starts to open up. 

A2 Feel: No arms lifting or departure - still hanging nicely off the chest. Right wrists feels extra hingy but open.

A2 Caution:  No left elbow or wrist locking.    

From here on, it seems fairly automatic or I am really not going to work on anything else at least for a while. 

 

Some observations from the mirror (not conscious work) past A2:

- Club starting to tip back automatically at A3 and spine inclination still intact! 

- Left arm seems to maintain structure at A4 without locking wrists or elbows. Chest still over the ball. Nothing collapsed or sloppy.  

- Right wrist back hinge seems to have maxed out at A4 without additional effort just from weight of the club laying off. Again, spine inclination is still intact with it being structurally still soft. I think this is very promising. 

- Keys 1 and 2 seem to be very solid. Another great check.

- Dynamically, a good confirmation feel at transition from BS to DS is that the club head wants to fall back behind further and right elbow wants to drop straight down at A4 - A 4.5 with no inclination to goat hump. I think in grand scheme of things this is holy grailish for a good club path and what @iacas wanted me to get to from day 1. Everything past A5 is a blurr at the moment, but that is fine. Club exit and finish seem to be working out well. 

Have been taking 4-5  hard swings at the net with my new Callaway 8 deg. and dynamically the whole swing feels very steady, unhurried and light. Can't tell the ball flight much but impact feels full and clicky.    

I am barely playing much golf (2 rounds a month, and lucky if I squeeze out an extra 9 somewhere) but honestly haven't been this optimistic (cautiously..:-)) about things after a year of regression.  

 

[GolfLug]

Last night I noticed a bit more weight shift on the backswing towards the right foot, which is a little regression but then slowed down everything and realized that innately I tend to have a right side dominance creep back into my feels when I am less than fully aware. Arms feel un-unified and chest seems to poke out between the arms at impact and swing becomes loopy.

Long story short a unified upper arms 'unit' feel throughout the swing made a big difference. As soon as I became mindful of this, both Keys 1 and 2 returned to order. Weight rolled easily over left through downswing. Made some good swings and ball felt really good coming off my 6 iron.

Not playing much actual golf but loving this new Rukket net. Thanks for the recommendation @billchao.

 

[iacas]

4 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

Long story short a unified upper arms 'unit' feel throughout the swing made a big difference. As soon as I became mindful of this, both Keys 1 and 2 returned to order. Weight rolled easily over left through downswing. Made some good swings and ball felt really good coming off my 6 iron.

Good. I always try to get people to the point where they understand parts of their own swing. Ideally as players get better, we can then focus on new things instead of having the same few lessons time after time.

Good job.

[billchao]

51 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

Not playing much actual golf but loving this new Rukket net. Thanks for the recommendation @billchao.

Glad you like it. I've had a couple of nets and this one is the best. I destroyed the fabric on the bottom of mine and it still works just fine.

[GolfLug]

5 hours ago, iacas said:

Good. I always try to get people to the point where they understand parts of their own swing. Ideally as players get better, we can then focus on new things instead of having the same few lessons time after time.

Good job.

Lately I am ok with just working and making small improvements with patience instead of focusing on dropping scores. Even the little regression isn't bothering me. 

4 hours ago, billchao said:

Glad you like it. I've had a couple of nets and this one is the best. I destroyed the fabric on the bottom of mine and it still works just fine.

I really like the double netting. Red looks cool.

[GolfLug]

On 9/25/2018 at 10:26 AM, GolfLug said:

Rounded back and soft neck. 

Last night I spent a few extra minutes on this ^^. On the front my chest does feel like it hangs over the solar plexus. Also, now using a little folded wash towel under my right foot to help with Key 2.

Trying hard to not get get too confident as improvement has not carried to the course (not that I have played much)  but this is the best stretch of ball striking I have had, even if in to a net. 

[GolfLug]

On 9/25/2018 at 10:26 AM, GolfLug said:

A1 Map: Low hands with 'unified' forearms at address almost at knee level. Peripheral attention to target. 

A1 Feel:  Arms, hands and club hang with neither wrists or elbows locked.

Extra credit feel: Rounded back and soft neck. 

Adding to A1 from last nights practice.

Turning 'out' right bicep/inside of right elbow a bit at set up makes it sooooo much easier to get to a laid off A4 and protect Keys 1 and 2 same time. The club almost wants to fall off the back in pizza tray with a nice pitched right elbow.

Adding to A1 and A2:

Feeling a very gentle stretch (NOT reaching) in the left arm from A1 to A2 also helping greatly with laying off at A4 and nice snug pitch right elbow from A2 through A6. 

Gosh, can 2019 be the year when I will finally laying off club at A4 without thinking?? Can I finally change the picture for good?? I guess it is not battle tested so can't get too excited but certainly feels like am off to a good start..

 

Edited January 10, 2019 by GolfLug

[GolfLug]

On 1/10/2019 at 3:06 PM, GolfLug said:

Gosh, can 2019 be the year when I will finally laying off club at A4 without thinking?? Can I finally change the picture for good?? I guess it is not battle tested so can't get too excited but certainly feels like am off to a good start..

 

So, another thing I noticed is at A4 the club head mass seems to fall 'behind' my hands when laying off. I feel like that is really helping transition and sequencing. I know for a lot of folks this can start getting into the push hook zone but I have a weak right hand finger grip so I might get a mild pull every now and then but definitely not an accompanying duck hook. Helps me drive my right elbow/forearm towards the ball without fear. Hip and knee joints seem to stay unlocked and springy even at impact.     

It seems ball striking has been much more consistent. Granted these have come on really easy courses but last 4 scores - 79, 81, 83, 78. For very sparse winter golf and atrocious putter distance control (more 3 putts than I care to count), that ain't bad at all.

I have cut down my putter to 33 inches. Will have to do until I get an Edel fitting hopefully this year.  

 

[iacas]

1 hour ago, GolfLug said:

I have cut down my putter to 33 inches. Will have to do until I get an Edel fitting hopefully this year.  

I might be able to put the system in the car for March.

[GolfLug]

26 minutes ago, iacas said:

I might be able to put the system in the car for March.

Let's do it!

[iacas]

10 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

Let's do it!

I'll try.

It should fit.

[GolfLug]

A great macro feel: Vertical flow of arms-shoulder-chest 'unit' throughout the swing. Club lays off at A4 just fine. I checked.

I think I get out of whack when my 'flow' gets a little too across and against my torso instead of 'with' it. I start throwing the club out towards the ball by stagnating my torso turn. If there is anything good about it is that it's a one way miss - a weak fade.

Was able to correct it on back nine last weekend to shoot 38 (45 on front nine..😔).

Edited February 23, 2019 by GolfLug

[colin007]

Flow issues can be related to prostate health. Better get that checked out. 

😋

[GolfLug]

On 2/23/2019 at 6:25 PM, colin007 said:

Flow issues can be related to prostate health. Better get that checked out. 

😋

Sure.. make fun of an old man. I see how it is. 

[colin007]

3 hours ago, GolfLug said:

Sure.. make fun of an old man. I see how it is. 

I wish I hit my driver like an old man...

[TN94z]

Nice work in here man! Interesting reading your posts discussing the "feels" that you have.

[GolfLug]

It's been a while since my last post. Anyway, even though there has been not much golf in the last few months, the golf that I have gotten for most parts has been fun. The miss I have is still that it always has been - club drops too far inwards on the downswing and results in a block slice or a smother hook. But, the occurrence has gone down drastically. Have been practicing keys 1 and 2 (steady head and weight forward) diligently with the help of a home made balance board. 

 

 

Check points in set up and BS:

1. Rounded back and unified arms.

2. A2 without lifting arms and club almost parallel to ground. 

3. A4 nice and vertical with a bit of cupping in the left wrist. Allows my club to lay off easily.

DS:

1. Stay in posture - spine incline and a bit of secondary axis tilt through impact. 

Transition is still tad bit loopy but I find it frees me up to swing as hard as I want through impact without fear of smother pull. 

 

 

[GolfLug]

Keeping my chest over the ball throughout the swing has been a terribly helpful feel. It lowers my ball flight with the driver a bit but I can hit harder without fear of losing it right.