"5 Minutes Daily" Practice Challenge August 2017

[onthehunt526]

8/14/17:

Downswing drills with my irons. Working on putting more pressure on the ground with my body so I can fire off the ground faster.

[boogielicious]

August 14 - Mirror work in the gym focusing on rotating hips more from P5.5 to impact.

[Shindig]

August 14.  Slow backswing to A4, focus on transition to A5 maintaining the desired angle.  Mirror work which was a little tricky because I had to move because of where mirrors are in my room.  Will likely hit the range later today to do this with live balls so I can finish a swing.

(14 for 14 in August so far)

[dennyjones]

8/14:

10 minutes chipping in the yard.

[WUTiger]

Aug. 14

Played in first round of area Senior Championship. Ended up with a 92, which is right about on HDCP for the odd par 68 course. I did have 29 putts on the day.

For details, see Members Tournament Play thread. Round 2 is tomorrow.

[todgot]

this was my "range work" over the weekend.  Ended up not being able to practice so I'm out for August.  Will try again in September but keep posting this month. 

[Shindig]

Went to the range after all;  hit SLOWLY each swing and took over an hour also to go through 30 or so balls.  I swung slowly even though I don't have to worry about a divot in my carpet.  Almost entirely 6-iron (a few shots with my old 6-iron, R-flex but a heavier shaft, to see how it felt for a different reason).  Hands high at A4, pull club down and keep angle closer to 75 than 120 (to avoid casting and I think this is related to lag too).  

I'm really worried that after only maybe 30 minutes at home, total, over two days, and an hour at the range, this feels normal.  Either I'm doing it wrong and reverting or I learned this piece very quickly.  

Also putted for about 20 minutes, making an around-the-clock with 4' putts (missed two, went back and hit two in from each miss location) and practicing 30' putts (that motion is a lot more natural now, hopefully I don't hit those fat going forward).

I already practiced today before this, I just wanted to update my practice diary   

[dennyjones]

8/15:

Swung my Orange Whip for 5 minutes this morning.  

[onthehunt526]

8/15/17:

Some easy shaft vertical backswing to shaft vertical follow-through swings with a PW, 8i, and 6i today. Focusing on keeping that tempo smooth.

[Shindig]

8/15 as I get some things done this morning, I am visiting my golf room for five minutes at a time, working slowly through the backswing (nothing focusing on, but needed for what I'll be doing) and the transition to A5, maintaining the angle.  Will still try to get to the range this afternoon.

[WUTiger]

Aug. 15

Turned out I was net score leader for my age group after Monday's opening round of the area Senior Amateur Championship tournament.

Well, I had a terrible day for Round 2. I decided to withdraw after nine holes. I was having trouble being steady over the ball and was feeling slightly dizzy by the final hole. Some double and triple bogies.

Basic scenario: Had solid drives on five of six long holes, 220- to 250-yard tee shots each. But, I couldn't get solid contact on iron shots, and had several double-chip holes. Truth-teller came on No. 18 (played back nine first). Hit a solid drive, and then in succession topped, chunked and whiffed attempted 5i shot.

Possibly weather related: in summer when it rains, is hot for a day, rains, is hot for a second day the mold count goes through the roof. In past I have gotten slight inner ear infections from this, although not in about 10 years.

The Amateur circuit has one more 18-hole event at end of month. Don't know if I want to play in it or not.

[onthehunt526]

8/16/17:

After some practice with this let's call it 3/4 or so swing, I'm having more success with direction than I was with a "full" swing. So now I just need to get distances down with this shorter swing... No 200-yard 5-irons here.

[WUTiger]

Checked over my clubs today for 10 minutes. The grips are about due for change, due to heavy use of short irons and grip abrasions from having shafts reglued.

First probably will be my Cobra hybrid. I've been having trouble with consistent swings, and it feels really feathery since I started using my Alpha FWs. The grip is 10 grams heavier than standard, so a lighter grip would give me +2 swingweights, make it easier to feel head at top.

The Lambkin UTx grips came stock on my PW and SW. They feel good, just a little firmer than the Winn Dri-Tacs, so I may put them on all my irons and woods.

21 minutes ago, onthehunt526 said:

So now I just need to get distances down with this shorter swing... No 200-yard 5-irons here...

I volunteered at the Senior PGA in 2013, and half the players used a 3/4 swing as their standard iron shot. You may not lose much more than 10 yards, because you will make better contact.

Similar story at the local Senior Amateur tournament. Play was slow and playing partners started talking about their swings. The guy who eventually won low gross for our age division told how he had gone to a punch swing - comes up maybe shoulder high on takeaway. He stands about 5-foot-9, weighs maybe 150 lbs., and hit his irons as long as anybody.

A shorter swing could make you dangerous for longer! 

[dennyjones]

8/16:

Played in a scrambles.   Hit some good shots, read the greens well and hit some good putts.   

[Shindig]

August 16.  25 putts on the ruler.  Missed one right (like the second one) and one left (the 21st).  Rest fell off the end of the ruler (and kept going at least 3' on my carpet).  Focused on rocking the shoulders each time.

(Also, I did get to the range yesterday for a small bucket and 20 minutes on the putting green working on speed.  I didn't post last night as I posted earlier in the day about some indoor work, but since I'm also using this thread as a practice diary, I'm adding it here).

16 for 16.  Let's keep doing this!

[dennyjones]

8/17:

5 minutes with the wall drill and 5 minutes with the Orange Whip trying to focus on pivot.

[boogielicious]

August 17 - I had a setback with my knee. Not sure what did it, but I am out of action at the moment. 

[WUTiger]

Aug. 17

Practiced slow-motion swings (no club) for 5 minutes, using my office door as a mirror. Need to make sure I kick the hips forward sharply to start downswing. This keeps my arms from getting out ahead.