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My Swing (Blackjack Don)


Blackjack Don
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My name is Don, and I'm a golfaholic. When I was ten years old, my folks moved near a country club in Kansas City. My parents were country, not country club, nor could we afford to join. However, I scoured the woods for lost balls and sold them back to the players. I was successful because my balls were not "water balls." In fact, I made so much money I never had to ask for an allowance. I began to actually play when we moved to Dallas. I was 14, and mowed yards to buy a student pass to Tenison Park, a superb Parks and recreation course. I wasn't very good, and it never occurred to me to take lessons. I took one in college, but as a student, was too poor for more, but I remember how well I did with it. Then I took a break for nearly forty years. I played tournament tennis for a couple of decades, and taught. I skied, became an instructor with a PSIA certification. Ten years ago, I began a meditation practice, and that led to a year as a Thai monk living in a monastery. After nearly a year, I went back to dealing blackjack. I came to Vegas as a professional poker player, and did well, until I didn't. (All poker players go broke at some point. I got a job.) All of this combined is how I am now learning to play golf. Mindfully, with a plan developing, using all the technology I can, using statistics, and video. This will be as much a blog as a quest for instruction.

I do not plan to find a teaching pro, because A. I can't afford it. I work on call, three days a week, which is comfortable, but not luxurious. However, the main reason is because I doubt even Bobby Clampett would be perfect for me. I am, however, following his program very closely. Once I started keep my left wrist straight and swinging with the bottom of the swing four inches ahead, I immediately got results. The left wrist straight was the equivalent to learning how to fold in poker. It changed everything.

As I was trained in skiing by the US Ski/Professional Ski Instructors of America program, I am a firm believer in starting with the basics. These two are my basics, my pizza slice, my snowplow. I have spent hours swinging with my left wrist straight. When I first started it, I couldn't do it at all. My wrist would collapse, and was wristy from start to finish. Now, I can hit straight shots in the air, short but sweet. I'm making progress, and that's satisfying. If I can consistently break bogey, I'd feel a real sense of accomplishment. That's my goal.

I've been Playing Golf for: Seriously for six months. That's when I got off the couch and onto the range. For real.

My current handicap index or average score is: 25
My typical ball flight is: Inconsistent

The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: Fats and tops--all about the swing bottom.


Videos: 

 

Wayne

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  • iacas changed the title to My Swing (Blackjack Don)

Don, that is not a bad swing by any means..I don't think.  

There are very knowledgeable folks here I am not one of them, but I do like to watch other people's swing and learn or catch a fault if I can.  I am sure the folks here will tell you what might be your problem with fat & thin shots and I hope they correct me if I'm wrong. 

In my little experience, and for me, fat/thin shots are mostly cause by sliding, poor posture or not keeping your posture throughout the swing...like standing up a little as you go thru the ball (I think that is what I see in your video..) But..it can also be caused by your swing plane  being too steep and or casting the club...

When I am hitting fat or thing, I try to stay in my posture, I try not to move up or down or sideways much, and I try to swing around a little unlike up and down. 

I think you like me, will learn a lot in this forum. 

Goog luck.

By the way if more experience folks are the ones that should be commenting on other's swings then I hope someone tells me, and I'll shut up.. : )

 

Edited by Hategolf
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2 minutes ago, Hategolf said:

By the way if more experience folks are the ones that should be commenting on other's swings then I hope someone tells me, and I'll shut up.. : )

I've always thought it was fine to make observations and caveat that we are not instructors.  I will chime in like that from time to time! I'm a student like you. 

Welcome to swing threads, @Blackjack Don!

My Swing


Driver: :ping: G30, Irons: :tmade: Burner 2.0, Putter: :cleveland:, Balls: :snell:

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Thank you for the welcomes. My ex-wife said most people have one life and I've had ten. Lots of stuff I didn't include, like being a disc jockey and fisherman on the Gulf Coast. They have nothing to do with golf.

1 hour ago, Hategolf said:

By the way if more experience folks are the ones that should be commenting on other's swings then I hope someone tells me, and I'll shut up.. : )

Please do not on my account, and I'll defend you to anyone who doesn't have his name on the thread. You have made a couple of very good observations. Even if they are not right--they are--you should still make observations. If you're right it's good to know; if you're not, even better. Nobody ever learned something when they were right, only when they were wrong. That's the monk talking.

Mostly I started this to chart my progress. When I first found TST, I wasn't nearly as good, and I've got film to prove it!

:-P

My best friend was a scratch golfer once upon a time. He was a student under Eddie Merrens at the LA CC. I guess Merrens was the West Coach Harvey Pennick. This is what he wrote about my swing:

Quote

Video worked.  It's hard to review a single swing. And its hard to review an old guy's swing.

 

But here goes:

 

1.  Nice low and slow pull back.  

2.  It looks like the lack of a full left shoulder turn down is pulling your swing out of the best vertical arc.  

3.  This pulls your hands into a little more of a wrap around arc with the hands not quite high enough and just a little too close to the body.  

4.  This wrap around is repeated and leaves you extending in an arc wrapped around you instead of more in a straight up and down arc line to the target.  The left hand needs to end thrown straight at the target.  

5.  There is a "lift" you apply that the timing is off.  The lift looks early that will lead to topping some shots.  

 

None of these issues was so severe as to hit OB.  

I have issues.

Wayne

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2 hours ago, Blackjack Don said:

Please do not on my account, and I'll defend you to anyone who doesn't have his name on the thread. You have made a couple of very good observations. Even if they are not right--they are--you should still make observations.

Just be careful- there have been some blowhards that come and go that have no business commenting on swing threads. They actually were leading people astray in some instances. So I'm a big believer in "buyer beware" and each person should assess the info for themselves. But at the same time, we moderators might jump in if we someone who is obviously unqualified running around making comments on tons of swing threads. There's a line to be crossed somewhere, where we humble students need to know our limits.

I like the swing threads for the camaraderie. Cool to see others working on things that are relevant to your own. This below has me intrigued:

5 hours ago, Blackjack Don said:

Once I started keep my left wrist straight and swinging with the bottom of the swing four inches ahead, I immediately got results. The left wrist straight was the equivalent to learning how to fold in poker. It changed everything.

I'm working on not cupping my left wrist. Curious if you have any recollection of how hard this was to fix? I'm a bit surprised to hear you say how important it was for your game. I can still get around the course with this flaw, but I'm thinking that it is adding a fair amount of inconsistency to my ball striking.

Anyway, I was also gonna drop a note about camera angles. In this thread below, the "General Instructional" heading has some good info for swing threads, including the standards for down the line (DTL) and face on (FO) views for swings. 

 

 

My Swing


Driver: :ping: G30, Irons: :tmade: Burner 2.0, Putter: :cleveland:, Balls: :snell:

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Real quick since you may not care about the advice, but in order I'd look at:

  1. Turning more centered (see the "wall drill" for an example). Your hips and head sway a fair amount.
  2. Keeping up your pivot speed. It's going to be really tough to keep your Inline Impact conditions intact when your whole pivot stalls as seen on the right.

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Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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1 hour ago, RandallT said:

Curious if you have any recollection of how hard this was to fix?

I'll let you know when I get it fixed. Hard? For me, nigh on impossible! I'm so right-handed I can't wave left handed! When I started working on it, I would take a club in my tiny apartment living room and just swing it with my left arm. I couldn't even hardly take the club back with just my left hand. Now, I can get past parallel and keep my left wrist straight. For me, this has been super hard because I'm so right side strong.

When I hit a wicked slice, it's because my left wrist broke down. It's a tell, to use a poker term. I started by putting with my wrist straight. Then chipping and pitching. My last problem is with my driver. When my left wrist is firm, it goes straight. If not, it may hook or slice. Since I'm a pretty strong old guy, where it lands is anybody's guess.

Fifteen years ago I read a poker book, and a few years later was able to tell the author how much he meant to me. He told me I could fold! That was the turning point for me. I would do the same for Bobby Clampett. He told me to keep my left wrist straight and focus on hitting the little ball before the big ball. As long as I do those two things, the shot may not be great, but it's usually straight. 

Now I got other problems to work out, as you have seen.

Thanks for the feedback. I've got an idea of where I want to go, but I can't see what I don't know. That's where the video and feedback come in. You've helped.

Namasakan 

Erik, of course I'll listen. I want to get better more than I want to be right!

1. I'm tight. I don't have the flexibility anymore, esp in the midsection. I've lost some weight and am doing some exercising. Why I'm not doing yoga is beyond me. Meditation is not a problem, but I hate doing yoga for some reason. Not including laziness. I'm working on becoming more flexible and that might help my turning. It's been a problem I'm working on. I used to go backward about six inches to the right, and that sucked.

2. This one I don't understand and feel it's important, tho I don't know why. Can you please break it down for me a little, because I'm not yet up on your lingo. Is this related to the stiffness I have in my trunk?

Today I worked on keeping my left arm straight(er). This inhibits my turn--A LOT--but it felt like I was doing better. The shots were better by a bunch. Just gotta be able to twist better.

Thanks for the help. Much appreciated.

Best wishes,

Don

Wayne

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22 minutes ago, Blackjack Don said:

Erik, of course I'll listen. I want to get better more than I want to be right!

1. I'm tight. I don't have the flexibility anymore, esp in the midsection. I've lost some weight and am doing some exercising.

Don, the post is called "Lack of Flexibility and the Wall Drill". Read it. :-D

For you, it's not even really about getting 90° or more shoulder turn. It's more about training your hips not to sway back. Use the wall drill for that.

22 minutes ago, Blackjack Don said:

2. This one I don't understand and feel it's important, tho I don't know why. Can you please break it down for me a little, because I'm not yet up on your lingo. Is this related to the stiffness I have in my trunk?

No. I'm saying that if your torso slows down, your left arm and wrist are going to break down too because the club is whipping past you. You have to keep up more of your rotational speed through impact.

I would not worry about that right now, though.

I would get better camera angles, and record in higher framerates: https://thesandtrap.com/b/playing_tips/filming_your_swing .

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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Thanks. I've got work to do.

Watching a David Ledbetter video worked good, but the second set of pictures, Erik, made the lightbulb go on. I'm limited in how much I can do against my own walls, no club, but I found the exercise with my arms folded and turning my shoulders, even making a slow practice-type swing, I can do in front of my fridge. So before I can open the fridge, I have to make a few hip turns. That's incentive, and making do.

Guess my phone isn't going to work anymore. I'm going to have to upgrade.

:-)

Wayne

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12 hours ago, Blackjack Don said:

Thanks. I've got work to do.

Watching a David Ledbetter video worked good, but the second set of pictures, Erik, made the lightbulb go on. I'm limited in how much I can do against my own walls, no club, but I found the exercise with my arms folded and turning my shoulders, even making a slow practice-type swing, I can do in front of my fridge. So before I can open the fridge, I have to make a few hip turns. That's incentive, and making do.

Guess my phone isn't going to work anymore. I'm going to have to upgrade.

:-)

Be patient and try and focus on one thing at a time. Do the wall drill as Erik suggested.

You can also work on the shoulder turn feel anywhere. While reading this, stand up and do the drill you mention above. Make sure  to focus on keeping your hip turn centered. I've been caught many times doing this drill at work, while shopping etc. :-P It is funny because other golfers will see me do this and know instantly what I am working on!

Other ways to work on this are outlined in part 4 of @Foursum Golf 's post. It is similar to the wall drill and it works on core strength and flexibility. I do this one all the time including when I am warming up before a round or range session. As we get older, we can lose this flexibility, so we have to keep working on it.

 

 

Scott

Titleist, Edel, Scotty Cameron Putter, Snell - AimPoint - Evolvr - MirrorVision

My Swing Thread

boogielicious - Adjective describing the perfect surf wave

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I know what you mean about doing it at odd times and the smiles you sometimes get. I often practice turning when standing on a dead blackjack table. Nothing else to do, so I practice stuff. I used to be a lot, lot worse. lol

Thanks for the link. Marked.

Wayne

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Pretty decent-looking swing Don. 

Custom fit RBZ irons. Taylormade RBZ driver. Some crappy old high-bounce Macgregor wedge and an even older Mizuno 5 wood. Haven't settled on a ball yet - still looking. Decades of football, weightlifting and boxing came together to create the world's worst golfer. I'm slowly correcting that now. 

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Thanks, brother. It's got a ways to go, but it's a lot better than it was six months ago. I have video. lol Still have a lot to improve on. Keeping the drive in the fairway. Becoming a good ball-striker. It would be nice to spend one day a week on the range improving one thing, and two days chipping and putting, instead of 60/40 the other way. Everything needs improvement. But the encouragement I've gotten here, and with my own eyes, is the best motivation. That and seeing the ball occasionally do what I envisioned it doing is the best motivation of all.

Best wishes.

Don

Wayne

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Have you seen this thread @Blackjack Don?

Note that it's in absence of a glaring weakness.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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6 minutes ago, iacas said:

Have you seen this thread @Blackjack Don?

No, but I sure appreciate when you point these out. It might take me years to find all the gems you got here. A true treasure trove and one more to add. Thanks.

PS: Your bookmark folder must be enormous! :-D

Wayne

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10 minutes ago, Blackjack Don said:

PS: Your bookmark folder must be enormous! :-D

I just use Search.

You should buy a copy of LSW, too, while I have your attention.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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Note: This thread is 2397 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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