"5 Minutes Daily" Practice Challenge November 2017

[Ty_Webb]

Chipping tonight. A few minutes in the basement again. Working on getting the left arm away from the chest. 

[Lihu]

Short game chipping practice at 15, 20, 30 and 40 yards. 40 yards took a "full" chip shot with a 52. Tested out that same swing with my GW and PW and was hitting up to 50 and 60 yards respectively, but didn't hit enough to check dispersion at those distances. My dispersion at 15 and 20 yards  around 10 yards but luckily I was the same at 30 yards. It opened up to about 20 yards at 40 yards, and I'd guess that it's about the same with the 50 and 60 yard distances. I think I can work on controlling how far back I turn my shoulder a bit better. Going to check that out the remainder of the week. The main thing is I now have a real chipping.pitching stroke, as opposed to some random attempt at "partial swings".

Picked up my son from UCLA to play a round of golf somewhere. We're still deciding where.

Practiced my full swing in a mirror this morning, and it's also coming along. A2 and A6 are finally starting to look the same or similar.

[Ty_Webb]

Got to the range today for a little while. Worked on trying to keep separation between my left arm and my chest. Was quite successful too. Can’t wait to try it out on the course in about 6 months. 

[iSank]

Hit a bucket working on center contact by putting those poles on both sides of the ball. Then walked over to the sand trap practice area then the course looked quiet to I played 9. Was a nice walk, and I had no sixes! 

11/19

[onthehunt526]

11/19/17:

It snowed today, so there went practicing outside. Putted in the living room for a bit from 7-10 feet focusing on bead.

[Lihu]

I think I'm coming in a little too shallow?

Practiced my full swing in a mirror this morning, and it's also coming along. A2 and A6 and checking if the club simulator is coming in steep or too shallow.

[onthehunt526]

11/20/17:

Smooth 9-iron swings in the backyard focusing on my positions.

[Ty_Webb]

I spent some time today working on my backswing in the mirror. Again trying to get that feeling of separation between left arm and chest. 

[iSank]

On 11/19/2017 at 5:17 PM, onthehunt526 said:

11/19/17:

It snowed today, so there went practicing outside.

Yikes! Grew up an Empire Stater, now I’m an Aloha Stater.

at sunset I stepped outside and took close to 50 swings, making good contact, nice and easy, focused on swing path, good practice.

11/20

[Lihu]

On 11/20/2017 at 5:53 AM, Lihu said:

I think I'm coming in a little too shallow?

Practiced my full swing in a mirror this morning, and it's also coming along. A2 and A6 and checking if the club simulator is coming in steep or too shallow.

Practiced in front of the mirror (actually 3 dark windows at FO, DTL and 45 degrees). My swing was coming in too shallow, and my son mentioned this ti me during our round. I was setting up too steep at about 2:30 and now I'm trying for 1:00. The grip changed a bit as well. In order to get A2 and A6 shaft positions about the same, I also had to widen my stance to keep my hips from over rotating. I "throw" the club starting just inside my rear leg thigh. Did this slowly at first to make sure I don't hurt anything and progressed from there. Going to try this out on the range in the late afternoon.

[onthehunt526]

11/21/17:

It was 58° outside today. So I hit some mid and short irons (like 6-iron thru 48°) at about 60-65% speed. Most of the focus was contact. It seems like this works to get the "feeling" of great contact... I nailed about 5 of them right on the sweet spot... Around 160-165 yards with a 6-iron with about 5/8 speed... I only hit my 6-iron 5-10 yards further at 80-85% speed.

[Lihu]

9 hours ago, Lihu said:

Practiced in front of the mirror (actually 3 dark windows at FO, DTL and 45 degrees). My swing was coming in too shallow, and my son mentioned this ti me during our round. I was setting up too steep at about 2:30 and now I'm trying for 1:00. The grip changed a bit as well. In order to get A2 and A6 shaft positions about the same, I also had to widen my stance to keep my hips from over rotating. I "throw" the club starting just inside my rear leg thigh. Did this slowly at first to make sure I don't hurt anything and progressed from there. Going to try this out on the range in the late afternoon.

The throwing is always lagging. If it’s a subconscious throw, it seems okay. An active one is going to take tons of practice so that I don’t hook it behind me. Exaggerating of course. The ball literally goes forward 100 yards takes a right turn and lands another 100 yards two holes over from the left side of the driving range.

Worth attempting because I feel like I should be able to get a lot more distance that I want for playing mornings during the winter months. 

 

[Ty_Webb]

More chipping and a little bit of putting tonight. Lined up the line on a putt and then tried to make it roll end over end. Tolerably successfully. I think it’s helping. 

[iSank]

Was watching Sung Hyun Park this past weekend and it seems like she really keeps her head down for a moment after contact so I practiced that today with my irons out back. “Felt”real good but I don’t know, it’s just nice to swing the clubs and keep the tempo going. If I make it thru tomorrow, the rest of the month will be a breeze.

11/21

[iSank]

11/22,it’s early and I was in my living room practicing my putting. Working on center contact and ball rolling straight.

Aloha!

[Lihu]

On 11/20/2017 at 5:53 AM, Lihu said:

I think I'm coming in a little too shallow?

Practiced my full swing in a mirror this morning, and it's also coming along. A2 and A6 and checking if the club simulator is coming in steep or too shallow.

Still practicing steepening my swings with irons, hybrid and wedges. This seemed to get me my high flight back, and the divots seem to be much cleaner off grass.

The shallower swing is likely better for my driver and wood. I'll have to practice and see how it works out on the course. Pitching stroke is finally getting more solid. I can brush through really thick rough now. Trying to get more spin without a more aggressive swing. Just swinging naturally letting the arms hang freely.

[Ty_Webb]

I read Stan Utley’s art of the short game and he suggests a square chipping stance. I spent a few minutes trying that and trying an open stance, open hips and square shoulders as taught to me by someone else a few years ago. I definitely prefer the latter. Then I spent a little time with the t-stroke. Square feels much more square to me now. 

[iacas]

31 minutes ago, Ty_Webb said:

I read Stan Utley’s art of the short game and he suggests a square chipping stance. I spent a few minutes trying that and trying an open stance, open hips and square shoulders as taught to me by someone else a few years ago. I definitely prefer the latter. Then I spent a little time with the t-stroke. Square feels much more square to me now. 

One of my main problems with the "open" stance is that the ball is effectively moved BACK in your stance and the leading edge is given more of a chance of catching.