"5 Minutes Daily" Practice Challenge June 2016

[RandallT]

Daily mirror work. 15 minutes A4-A6 moves.  Trying to feel left arm to be more relaxed and separated more from my body as feedback from instructor was that it was tight and stuck to my chest. If that can get out more, he says that'll help my shoulders get more level at A6. Working on it more. Feels like the club at A6 is WAAAAY far away from me. I guess that's good, because it's different! Gotta change the picture.

[Valleygolfer]

Reviewed swings on youtube this morning; hit a bucket of balls and played lights out round of golf; Went to the range and hit a bucket of balls that was 80% wedges.

[saevel25]

June 2nd, I played 9 holes of golf. 

[Jeremie Boop]

9 hole golf league tonight. Focused on keeping my right elbow close on the downswing throughout the night.

[MiddleTees]

Backswing drill inside.

Also played 18 today.

[sirhacksalot]

Working on wrist hinge and gathering the swing in the back swing. Crappy weather so mirror work only. New putter coming tomorrow.

[WUTiger]

Practiced the A1 - A4, for 5 minutes, to check my position at top. I may need to do more of the Trailing Arm Drill - my right elbow position is too close to side sometimes.

I also started Decision Mapping on the course I will play tomorrow, Emerald Green GC in North St. Louis County. I played two holes at EG on an odd day three years ago - my friend and I played No. 1 and 2 before we hit the back end of a scramble tournament the starter forgot to tell us about. We got a refund and played elsewhere.

At EG, I will be playing with the senior group from my home course.

[Chilli Dipper]

All I did was hit some foam balls with my 7-iron in the yard for about 20 minutes. It rained heavily in the afternoon, so it gave me an opportunity to practice in soft conditions. I usually don't take divots on my iron shots, but the impact that nicks the turf in firm conditions digs in when it's wet; the sensation is different than what I'm used to.

[Dinoma]

took 20 mins at the indoor range to work on the mini pitch routine and attempt to get the distances dialled in more.

[Lihu]

Stretching out the core muscles to maximize the amount I can turn. Still doing the modified half swing drills.

My forearm and hand muscles are really sore after I started doing the full turn swings with lag. One reason for my tiredness. I think I am swinging much faster. On the range, I do see a 10 yard gain on irons and higher flights, but my contact is less than optimal. Haven't really taken this swing to the course yet, either. I am seeing gains in distance, but it's really sporadic which is making scoring from inside 170 very difficult. Obviously, I'm going to need to balance range time and playing time.

[Rainmaker]

Awesome practice session this morning.  I can't wait for this rain to stop so I can hit some balls outside. 
I've been really mentally pestered by this swing thought my instructor gave me - to feel like you're trying to break the shaft over your left shoulder in the downswing.  I really couldn't understand that at all at the time.  It made no sense to me whatsoever. 

I thought about it and thought about it.  A couple different times in practice I thought - "aha - maybe that's what he means" . .but it didn't really "take".  But today I got a huge realization about it.  It's not easy for me to articulate but I understand the feeling.  It's about, first off, not swaying *at all* in the takeaway and then getting the club into a position where I can load it.  It doesn't feel like it will break, lol . .but it seems like I might be able to bend it . .especially if it were a flexier shaft (I have s300s, they barely flex for me). 

It felt like my core was really engaged in the downswing.  The results were good.  On video I saw reduced sway - better Key 1, better Key 3 . .what was a little off is my Key 4.  I really need to make sure my shaft is laid down and not too upright or I swing too much to the left. 

Anyway - hopefully next week I can get in for a lesson. It's definitely time. 

[onthehunt526]

6/3/16:

Played an early 18 holes with @krupa this morning... Hit it Ok, i guess. Shot around 90 because I skulled two pitches into Fall Creek on 16 and skulled a wedge from 130 on 17 and made triple... But other than that it was pretty good.

I enjoyed playing with Matt who is getting better... 

[RandallT]

Range time for about an hour. One bucket, and worked on all the same things from my last video analysis. Focus this time was relaxing my arms on the downswing, and getting them to separate from my chest. Kinda exaggerated how far they got at A6 from my body, and I was surprised at how much easier the transition to impact from there felt.

Gradually sped up and confirmed with video how the form looked DTL. Not great, as I stay steep and keep the arms close as I get over the ball and get anywhere near half speed. But some progress in slow speed to feel the arms relaxed and (I think) achieve a better A6. Shoulders do feel flatter and less closed to the target.

[MiddleTees]

Short session of backswing drill inside before playing 18. Best round this year, 11/14 fairways hit. Shot 103.

[Rainmaker]

5 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

Awesome practice session this morning.  I can't wait for this rain to stop so I can hit some balls outside. 
I've been really mentally pestered by this swing thought my instructor gave me - to feel like you're trying to break the shaft over your left shoulder in the downswing.  I really couldn't understand that at all at the time.  It made no sense to me whatsoever. 

I thought about it and thought about it.  A couple different times in practice I thought - "aha - maybe that's what he means" . .but it didn't really "take".  But today I got a huge realization about it.  It's not easy for me to articulate but I understand the feeling.  It's about, first off, not swaying *at all* in the takeaway and then getting the club into a position where I can load it.  It doesn't feel like it will break, lol . .but it seems like I might be able to bend it . .especially if it were a flexier shaft (I have s300s, they barely flex for me). 

It felt like my core was really engaged in the downswing.  The results were good.  On video I saw reduced sway - better Key 1, better Key 3 . .what was a little off is my Key 4.  I really need to make sure my shaft is laid down and not too upright or I swing too much to the left. 

Anyway - hopefully next week I can get in for a lesson. It's definitely time. 

 

I worked on this some more this afternoon.  I always feel like my swing is improved once my mind can "understand" what to do.  Not necessarily muscle memory, more like muscle "cognition".   I have experimented in the past with the thought of my legs as a "pedestal" but it never really panned out. 

I realized today, though, that I can think of my legs as an "assisted pedestal" . .or a "propedestal", lol.  If my goal is to rotate my torso as fast as possible while not changing my spine angle, the role of my legs is more clear.  In the backswing, my legs would coil up so that the torso could coil up more.  In the downswing, my legs would first get into the correct position - ie - unwind - to allow my torso to fire really hard but not change angles or move laterally.  The "breaking/bending the shaft" part comes when I change direction . .assuming, of course, I'm in a good position to allow that to happen.

Just a thought but I like it and will keep working on it.   

 

 

Edited June 3, 2016 by Rainmaker

[Lihu]

10 hours ago, Lihu said:

Stretching out the core muscles to maximize the amount I can turn. Still doing the modified half swing drills.

My forearm and hand muscles are really sore after I started doing the full turn swings with lag. One reason for my tiredness. I think I am swinging much faster. On the range, I do see a 10 yard gain on irons and higher flights, but my contact is less than optimal. Haven't really taken this swing to the course yet, either. I am seeing gains in distance, but it's really sporadic which is making scoring from inside 170 very difficult. Obviously, I'm going to need to balance range time and playing time.

Got a swing tune up at the range today. My last drive was down the middle and long to the fence. All my irons are going straighter and longer. Starting to be able to either push or pull my shots. Taking a golf break, but still going to to daily practice with a Swing Fan.

Swing thoughts:

1) Tightened up my feet. Set flair to about 5-6 degrees. I have enough flexibility to get the full hip and shoulder turns without exaggerating the foot flair.

2) Set the feet much closer together (about 1 3/4 feet apart).

3) Stand a little more upright, bend the knees a little bit more.

4) Pronate the lead wrist a little bit.

5) Turn only as far as I can when still comfortably looking at the ball

6) "Hold" my lag and set the wrist as much as possible.

7) Limit the back swing to the same spot every time.

8) Weight distribution 40/60 setup weight, 80/20 Top of swing, 5/95 at impact.

Drills:

a) Half swing slow turn from A3 to A6

b) Clip a rubber tee with driver while comfortably keeping my eyes on the ball

c) Wrist cock drills with a mock swing from A3 to A6 with an exaggerated wrist set.

d) Back swing transition drills with a stick or mirror to limit the length of the swing.

Going to focus on form and timing on the range, practice putt and chipping for at least 35% of the time, then focus on my scoring and shot zones with GG on the course.

[saevel25]

Worked on my pitching and distance wedges for about an hour today. It's getting better. 

[Valleygolfer]

6/3

1 1/2 hours at the range hitting irons like a boss, woods not so much but cleaned it up towards the end.

Chipping competition with a buddy after the first bucket.