How To Improve My Handicap in 21 Days...

[Jameson]

On 19/4/2016 at 10:08 AM, Lihu said:

Most people think they are better than the people around them

I am practising now in hitting my driver without moving my head forward... I want so bad to hit good drivers, since it will help my game a lot. 

Also I have sent my first video to evolvr so as soon as I get my review, I will work hard on my priority piece, I am so eager to start... 

[Jameson]

So I have received my first lesson from evolvr and it´s great! I have starte to fix what they have told me to.

The main issue now is that I don´t have left flat wrist the top of the back swing and to fix it I have to curl it down at that point. This also leads to a wrong impact position where the club pass the hands..

I have had two practise sessions trying to fix this. I will send a new video to check If I am doing the drill properly, but inthe meantime if you have any good drills or thoughts about this, they are welcome!

 

Thanks! 

[Jameson]

Just a quick update on my training: I am working on my priority pieces now:

- Curl my left wrist a the top of the backswing

- Don´t let the club passing the hands at impact

I am trying, but it´s hard to achieve... If ayone know any drills or recomendations, it would be great! thanks

Edited August 15, 2016 by Jameson

[iacas]

On August 15, 2016 at 9:05 AM, Jameson said:

Just a quick update on my training: I am working on my priority pieces now:

- Curl my left wrist a the top of the backswing

Then actually do it.

[Image showing left wrist just as cupped as ever removed by request.]

That is you practicing it. You need to make yourself actually DO the thing.

#ToughLove

[Odogesq]

21 days is a really short window to shave two strokes off your handicap, even with significant instruction and golf/range time built in. Not to mention the rounds of golf you will have to play during that window to get the handicapping calculation to adjust downward. Assuming unli ited resources and time, best chance of getting there though is to do nothing but golf for the next three weeks. Lessons and practice in the morning, and playing in the afternoon every day for three weeks. If you are like the majority of us saps and don't have unlimited resources, I would suggest working on your course management as mentioned above to ensure you you keep the big umber off the card, and also lots of putting and chipping. At a 18 handicap I imagine you can get it close to the green with the first 2-3 shots on any given hole, so being able to chip it close and 1 putt the majority of the time will get your scores lower.

[Jameson]

So I have received my second lesson on Evolvr, and the conclusion is that I am not achieving my priority goals:

- Curl my left wrist a the top of the backswing and Don´t let the club passing the hands at impact

So I have been told to repeat it at very slow motion and with short swings, because otherwise I am not going to make it.

So next time I go to the range, I will make a lot of slow and short swings trying to teach my body how to do it. Oh my this is not easy.

Again, any tips should be welcome!

[Jeremie Boop]

11 minutes ago, Jameson said:

So I have received my second lesson on Evolvr, and the conclusion is that I am not achieving my priority goals:

- Curl my left wrist a the top of the backswing and Don´t let the club passing the hands at impact

So I have been told to repeat it at very slow motion and with short swings, because otherwise I am not going to make it.

So next time I go to the range, I will make a lot of slow and short swings trying to teach my body how to do it. Oh my this is not easy.

Again, any tips should be welcome!

Honestly, the best tip I can give is to not do anything other than what has been given to you as your primary piece. Practice it at home in your free time in the mirror, focus on it while at the range or in the yard hitting into a net, work the slow motion swing into your preshot routine, etc. This is coming from someone who's struggled with maintaining focus for a long time. Once you fully commit to making the change that you are told to make things will start to happen, and just because it starts to happen don't think it's time to move on because it's so easy to lose what you've gained by moving on too quickly.

[Jameson]

I am working with drills but it is really hard to introduce this change in my swing. I can make it with little swings, slow ones, but as soon as I perform a normal swing it´s gone. Of course, in the course I can´t make it.

Yesterday I played a horrible round. Some pars, but some crazy holes with huge numbers. Sometimes I think I won´t break 90 regularly never... 

[iacas]

16 minutes ago, Jameson said:

I am working with drills but it is really hard to introduce this change in my swing. I can make it with little swings, slow ones, but as soon as I perform a normal swing it´s gone. Of course, in the course I can´t make it.

Yesterday I played a horrible round. Some pars, but some crazy holes with huge numbers. Sometimes I think I won´t break 90 regularly never... 

Keep working.

[No Mulligans]

On 8/19/2016 at 0:09 PM, Jameson said:

So I have received my second lesson on Evolvr, and the conclusion is that I am not achieving my priority goals:

- Curl my left wrist a the top of the backswing and Don´t let the club passing the hands at impact

So I have been told to repeat it at very slow motion and with short swings, because otherwise I am not going to make it.

So next time I go to the range, I will make a lot of slow and short swings trying to teach my body how to do it. Oh my this is not easy.

Again, any tips should be welcome!

Have you seen this video:

 

[iacas]

5 hours ago, No Mulligans said:

Have you seen this video:

That's not really what he's working on right now.

[Jameson]

I have received my third evolvr lesson, and it looks like my clubface is improving! I am still working on my left wrist though.

Now I also need to be sure that my wrists are working properly not only in the downswing but int the backswing as well. I have also been told that my arms are still beating myself to the ball, so I have to let the body to the job.

I hope all of this feedback will let me eventually hit my driver which is my biggest flaw...

Any comments, suggestions, whatever is welcome. Thanks,

[Liko81]

On 5/24/2015 at 11:42 PM, Jameson said:

Imagine, because of a bet you should improve your handicap in 2 points (from 18,8 to 16,8) in just 21 days...Some points:

 

- What should you point your attention at the most?

 

- My putt is good, and my shortgame, overall too. I think improving this is the fastest way to improve my scores... However my biggest flaw is my driver, but I think I need more time to improve it...

 

- I think is not an impossible deal, but right I now I see it, a bit tough. My plan is to practise a lot, but I need to focus someway...

What would you focus at? How your training plan would look like?

 

- Do you think is possible?

 

Thanks in advance

Focus on what costs you the most shots in a given round. Identifying that can be deceptive; it's easy to see where deficiencies in putting, chipping and pitching add up. These are the precision shots that are supposed to put you in one-putt distance if not in the hole, so when you mess them up the ramifications are obvious. However, having to be good with a shorter class of club or shot on a regular basis usually indicates an issue with a longer club. You wouldn't have to chip or pitch it to one-putt distance if you could consistently stick the green from 80-150yds ("approach" range; full wedges to mid-irons). You probably wouldn't be approaching from 150 yards on that short par-5 if you were hitting your fairway woods, hybrids and long irons better, and you wouldn't have to stripe the shot of your life from the next fairway over to make GIR on that par 4 if your driver could find more fairways. Just sayin'; everything in balance. The short game tends to be underemphasized at the range during personal practice, but overemphasis on the short game at the expense of the clubs that get you to "short game" territory in the first place is just as bad.

As for your driver, a 200-yard drive down the center of the fairway is a playable shot. A drive that would have gone 300 yards, if it hadn't taken that big right turn through someone's skylight, is a stroke and distance (and a significant repair bill). And more likely, even if it had stayed in, it probably wouldn't have gone 300 yards if you have a slice problem. Straighten your drive out at the cost of distance, then work on adding distance while keeping your flight path. If after 21 days you end up with a drive that always goes straight but averages 20 yards less, that's an unqualified victory right there; just grab an iron two numbers stronger for the fairway shot.

When you practice at the range (and you will need to, a lot), don't just make the ball go bye-bye. Common mistake, only encouraged further by the width and target-rich environment of the range. Getting it up in the air off every club consistently was a good focus to have as a beginner/30-capper, but once your game is securely in the double-digits, you'll quickly run short on low-hanging fruit like tops, turfs, push-slices, duck hooks and other wild shots to erase from your scorecard, and you have to start working on the harder stuff like being able to accurately call your shot (Babe Ruth did it once, for about a 130-yard HR, and he's legendary for it; scratch golfers have to be at least that good every shot, from up to double the distance). Pick a marker at the approximate range of the shot you're practicing, and aim; put the shots in line with the flagstick on a regular basis and you'll drop strokes dramatically. Similarly, your instructors will tell you to remember the good ones. That's good for confidence and so it keeps you coming back for more lessons, but at a 15-20 cap range, your overall goal is to minimize the bad shots, and that means not only remembering them but keeping track. Consistency, especially in flight path and direction, is your ultimate ideal for the 21 days.

[Jameson]

17 hours ago, Liko81 said:

Focus on what costs you the most shots in a given round. Identifying that can be deceptive; it's easy to see where deficiencies in putting, chipping and pitching add up. These are the precision shots that are supposed to put you in one-putt distance if not in the hole, so when you mess them up the ramifications are obvious. However, having to be good with a shorter class of club or shot on a regular basis usually indicates an issue with a longer club. You wouldn't have to chip or pitch it to one-putt distance if you could consistently stick the green from 80-150yds ("approach" range; full wedges to mid-irons). You probably wouldn't be approaching from 150 yards on that short par-5 if you were hitting your fairway woods, hybrids and long irons better, and you wouldn't have to stripe the shot of your life from the next fairway over to make GIR on that par 4 if your driver could find more fairways. Just sayin'; everything in balance. The short game tends to be underemphasized at the range during personal practice, but overemphasis on the short game at the expense of the clubs that get you to "short game" territory in the first place is just as bad.

As for your driver, a 200-yard drive down the center of the fairway is a playable shot. A drive that would have gone 300 yards, if it hadn't taken that big right turn through someone's skylight, is a stroke and distance (and a significant repair bill). And more likely, even if it had stayed in, it probably wouldn't have gone 300 yards if you have a slice problem. Straighten your drive out at the cost of distance, then work on adding distance while keeping your flight path. If after 21 days you end up with a drive that always goes straight but averages 20 yards less, that's an unqualified victory right there; just grab an iron two numbers stronger for the fairway shot.

When you practice at the range (and you will need to, a lot), don't just make the ball go bye-bye. Common mistake, only encouraged further by the width and target-rich environment of the range. Getting it up in the air off every club consistently was a good focus to have as a beginner/30-capper, but once your game is securely in the double-digits, you'll quickly run short on low-hanging fruit like tops, turfs, push-slices, duck hooks and other wild shots to erase from your scorecard, and you have to start working on the harder stuff like being able to accurately call your shot (Babe Ruth did it once, for about a 130-yard HR, and he's legendary for it; scratch golfers have to be at least that good every shot, from up to double the distance). Pick a marker at the approximate range of the shot you're practicing, and aim; put the shots in line with the flagstick on a regular basis and you'll drop strokes dramatically. Similarly, your instructors will tell you to remember the good ones. That's good for confidence and so it keeps you coming back for more lessons, but at a 15-20 cap range, your overall goal is to minimize the bad shots, and that means not only remembering them but keeping track. Consistency, especially in flight path and direction, is your ultimate ideal for the 21 days.

Thanks a lot for your comments.

Fully agree with all of them. 

Now focus on my full swing improvement, so I will be able to hit great drives (I hope). However, there is always room to improve the short game, as you said. Trying to improve there too.

Thanks,

[CarlSpackler]

The best advice I can give you is to not pressure yourself to change, but tell yourself you WILL change. It won't be easy. Change never is, but it IS achievable. 

[Jameson]

Last comments after my last rounds and training sessions:

- I have hit some really great balls with the driver.
- My irons still does not feel really good. 
- I feel like I am letting the club pass my hands at impact yet. 
- I am trying to move my whole body, and avoiding having a swing too armsy.
- I like when I stop at the top of the backswing, it helps me slow down the downswing, which is usually good for my ball striking.
- Not able to break 90 yet.

Edited September 12, 2016 by Jameson

[Jameson]

Hi all, regarding my golf training, I was told that a great book to read is 'even great golf is not that hard...' Has someone any insight or opinion about it?? is it recommendable?? its worth a read?

[Jameson]

I am seeing improvement in my driver, and I am very very happy with this. I have been told to work on my hips turn in the down swing, so at impact they should be facing the target (or almost). This is what I am trying to accomplish now.

By the way, I am trying to find some exercises that could be practised during the winter...