"5 Minutes Daily" Practice Challenge September 2017

[Shindig]

I've already missed two days this month but I'd like to be in the habit.

September 10 -- hit the range (since I'm still flinching when I try to hit a ball at home).  Small bucket.  Worked on hands high at A4, bringing the club down at the angle, and then finishing the swing.  I hit enough really slow ones that snap faded;  I forced it out of my mind as I was working on my priority, not hitting pretty shots.  My "as one motion" swings today, though, did result in some good shots.

I also hit some driver shots, after having bad drives this past round.  I realized my setup was missing -- my first few shots seemed familiar, but then I set up with my knees out, the ball forward, and my hips pre-set.  I then hit many better shots.  I should put a note somewhere ... not sure where ... to focus on this.

Did some putting too.  No drills, just trying to be at ease. 

[Lihu]

 

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Lifting head through swing; not initiating swing through hips soon enough; stance too wide; ball setup too far back in my stance

Working on Key 1, and progressing to key 1,2 then going back to Key 1 only back and forth to make sure I get Key 1 ingrained with Key 2 elements. Not actually working on Key 2 yet.

I'm also playing around with different stance widths to see how far apart I can get my feet and still get weight shift without sway.

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In the meantime, I'll practice the swing in front of a mirror every day this week.

Practicing in front of a mirror. Will progress to video once I "ingrain" this again. . .

Edited September 11, 2017 by Lihu

[onthehunt526]

9/11/17:

10:00 swings with my 52° and 56° wedges. At first, I had a little trouble... But after slowing down the takeaway a smidge, I hit some really nice shots.

[WUTiger]

Sept. 11

Before work, I practiced putting for 20 minutes with my regripped Slotline Inertial putter. Went with the SuperStroke MidSlim 2.0 grip with stock, 50-gram CounterCore backweight.

I had been having trouble with some putts twitching back to the left because of too much right hand roll.The original Slotline pistol grip had started to fray badly, so I went with a grip with a non-taper shape. I had tried larger, non-taper grips testing some of the newer-model putters.

According to SuperStroke marketing, "The added weight engages the larger muscles of the arms, shoulders and back," which encourages a better pendulum motion with less face closure.

It will take a bit of getting used to, but I can tell how it should feel. I definitely need to keep the putter 1/8" off the green with putter under control of arms, and ensure the left hand leads the way.

[WUTiger]

Sept. 12

Long day and rainy day. Practiced my backswing and downswing using the office door as a mirror for  5 minutes. I seem to be getting more consistent top position after working with SKLZ Gold Flex trainer recently.

It's still a challenge to step through the downswing w/ right foot and keep good balance at end.

[onthehunt526]

9/12/17:

Played 9 holes today... Strangest par-free 9 holes I have ever played... I didn't make a par, not one. 5 bogeys, 2 doubles, but shot 42.... Hmmm... What the hell... Basically I was 6 over through 4... (Bogey, Double, Double, Bogey)... So after a shitty short hybrid (went like 195 yards), behind a tree... 155 yards to the middle (160ish to the hole)..  I hit a 7-iron over the tree... Right at the flag.... Lands short of the hole, rolls up, INTO THE HOLE for an EAGLE. 

Bogeyed 6, 7 and 9. On 8, I hit another hybrid off the tee... 8-iron from 155 ish to  just short of the green... I putted it from maybe 15 feet off the green, into the hole for a birdie.

So an EAGLE, a birdie, 5 bogeys, and 2 doubles... 6 nGIR I guess (do you get a GIR for jarring a 7-iron from 160 yards on the 5th hole?), 2 three-putts (haven't really taken the claw on the course yet), 2 zero-putts, 1 one-putt (I nearly holed my second putt in a row from the fringe on 9), 4 2 putts. 

Like I said the strangest 9 holes ever.

First ever EAGLE.

Edited September 13, 2017 by onthehunt526
Forgot the mention first ever EAGLE

[WUTiger]

Sept. 13

Another rainy day. I did hip and shoulder stretches and ran 2 miles. Then, I used the SKLZ Gold Flex trainer for swing drills. Finally, I hit 6i shots with limited-distance plastic balls in my front yard for 10 minutes. Generally straight ball trajectory and good balance on follow-through.

Play in benefit scramble tomorrow.

[onthehunt526]

9/13/17:

Worked on putting from 6 feet and in... I missed a few shorter ones to the left, so I worked on alignment.

[Lihu]

Played 14 holes on my shorter home course today after having made all my recent swing changes on the range. Pretty much hooked or drew everything. The draws we're okay, but the hooks cost me quite a few strokes. It was like feast or famine. 5 Greens in regulation with one of them being a putt from the fringe for a birdie and a total of 15 over.

Drew my first tee shot 300 something yards into the right fairway rough close to the green. Pitched 35-ish yards for an easy tap in par.

Second tee shot hooked so far right through the trees that it hit the green on two holes over. Hit under the trees with a 4 and thinned my punch shot 10 feet short with a miraculously lucky shot. Bogeyed with a putt on and 2 putts.

Hooked my 3rd drive into a cart parked a hole over, . . .

It pretty much went on like this until the 13th where I hooked with both my driver and 3W into the hill with two really long tee shots that landed prominently high on the side of the hill in or near someone's yard. That prompted my long time playing partner on the next hole to set me up 20 degrees to the left. The ball started off 20 degrees left and made a huge arc back to the green, and landed about 15 yards shy of the green rolling to the fringe. They changed the bunker since the last time I played, so instead of landing in the bunker I ended up on the fringe a few inches off the green for an eagle lag putt. I ended with a tap in birdie.

Of note is the 6th hole where my tee shot only flew about 260 into the rough, but I hooked my U wedge about 30 yards right. Started right on the line to the pin and hooked all the way to the right side of this large undulating green for a 4 putt double.

Hooked every single club that I used, even my pitch shots were hooking only not as bad.

I don't really know what to practice at this point? Going to play a round with my son for some troubleshooting before my China trip next week, and before he heads off to college. . .

Edited September 14, 2017 by Lihu

[Lihu]

Ironically, I had just hit 50 balls on the driving range and another 50 pitch shots and everything drew. After I told my daughter what happened, she mentioned that I might have been overswinging again or tension is causing me to swing too hard or something. Thinking back upon it, I was hitting farther than usual if the ball didn't hook so much. . .

So, I'm working on relaxing my swing to see if that helps. . .doing breathing exercises to see if I can control the force I use.

[onthehunt526]

9/14/17:

Wedges in the yard. Practiced standing slightly further from the ball and staying "taller"... I'm actually hitting some nice three quarter feeling wedges shots finally... and my 56 degree wedge not doing that hit the top of the face shit anymore,,, So that goes about 90 yards with a three quarter feeling swing, So If I ever went to "full" I probably could get to 100 yards.

[WUTiger]

Sept. 14

Played on a scramble team that lost the Championship flight in a scorecard playoff. We shot 14-under.

Good day with short irons and putting. First hole I put a PW 2 feet from the cup for a tap-in birdie. Had two other short irons inside 8 feet, both of which yielded birdies for the team. Had a couple of 10-foot putts which I made for other birdies. Had two other "ties" where I got an iron shot within 20 feet of pin.

Hit several good drives, but the big hitters normally put one beyond me.

Great weather, and the course is in top shape. Wonderful day of for golf!!!

Edited September 14, 2017 by WUTiger

[onthehunt526]

9/15/17:

15 holes today. Made a couple birdies toward the end. So that's 3 and an eagle in my last 24 holes. Just too inconsistent right now, unless I have an 8-iron in my hand.

[WUTiger]

Sept. 15

Practiced with a PW for 10 minutes on way home from work.

Worked on picking shots off of tight lies. and getting good shoulder rotation to control distances on partial shots.

Made sure I was standing close enough to ball and staying down through the shot. Stance inconsistent in final holes last time I played.

[onthehunt526]

9-16-17:

Grabbed my 56° wedge and tried to get the feeling of brushing the grass while I'm hitting a pitch shot. Didn't use any golf balls, however this was just to get used to the correct feeling. I will continue to work on this in the Coming days and weeks.

Edited September 16, 2017 by onthehunt526
Wrong date

[WUTiger]

Sept. 16

Went to range at course. Worked on stance/ball position, swing motion and full shots.

Set up head instructor's mirror and checked my set-up and stance. Need to make sure I don't stand too far from ball on medium irons. Also, on driver, I was setting up some shots off the left toe rather than left instep; what looks like off left heel more likely off left instep - optical illusion.

I also did some contact drills with 6i... half swings to ensure good contact, watch divot position.

Was having trouble with full 6i, so I went back to the mirror. I closed my eyes and took a backswing to what felt balanced, and opened my eyes. This position is hands at top of shoulder, not ear level. Also, I had a wider sweep turn past 90*, and still had balance.

Then I worked on driver and got higher, nicer draw with slightly less rise and more rotation on backswing.

Finished with 7i shots: went through full pre-shot routine with each ball, did set-up by mirror, and then hit the shot.
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What I'm battling: a more armsy, ear level takeaway vs. a (desired) wider sweep takeaway which I sense on my better shots.

[Lihu]

Well, I don't have the hook any more on my good shots.

i was hitting fades, pulls, draws, all over the map type of stuff. Birdied the first hole tripled the second, and it kind of went downhill with a bogey appearing every now and then. Nice drives ended up 3 putting. 3 GIR in 9 holes. Lots of doubles and triples. Ended up with 14 over on 9 holes. Came over the top trying to kill the ball throwing my sequence completely off. Playing with my son and a  Web.com player and his plus handicap buddy didn't help much. I hit one drive only 5 to 10 yards behind them which was kind of cool. Otherwise, it was a pretty terrible round. Lots of work to do.

Edited September 17, 2017 by Lihu

[onthehunt526]

9/17/17:

170 days in a row.

I came across something in my practice session. Instead of changing two or three ( or Four) things. I tried changing one. I lightened my grip pressure to a feeling of holding Alina's hand. (She is my almost four year old.) I started with some quarter swing shots with my 58° wedge. It felt as I barely needed to swing the club back. Boom 40-45 yards every time. 

I proceed to hit seven or eight shots with a "half swing" or to about 9:00 or so. Same easy swing, same light grip pressure. 60 to 65 yards consistent every time. 

Now was the real challenge for me. 10:00 swings. So the only thing different, lighter grip pressure. Same easy swing. 75 to 80 yards for all six shots.

I decided I'd go back to 90 yards to see if I could at least hit 4 of 5 on the green. Actually I hit the first two right Of the Stick but on the green. The middle one was a smidge long. The fourth was two yards short of the flag. The final one was right on for distance about 12 feet to the left of the hole. 

I'm not sure what the issue is. But I may be on the right track.