"5 Minutes Daily" Practice Challenge

[JuanTheGolfer]

DAY 292    In spite of the lingering effects of the flu, I got out early to spend a couple of hours on the range, working on keeping my backswing more on plane and getting my sternum more over the ball on the downswing instead of hanging back.

While on the range I had the honor of meeting Jane Reed.  She played on the LPGA tour in the 1960s, and is a member of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals Hall of Fame.  Her two grandsons have become my "golfing" friends since we see each other at the course or the range almost every day.  She has spent a lot of time with those two teenagers, helping them to become very good golfers.

Yesterday, the greens had been punched with the large holes, however, I decided to play 9 holes, so I can continue to improve my wedge and short iron game.  With no expectations, I played the front nine from the Red Tees in 4 under par.  I rolled in a forty foot putt from just off the green on the first hole... and away I went!!  I now have played under par from the Red Tees in the last four rounds I have played.  I need to do it again the very next time I go out, so that I can move back a set of tees... then start the process all over again.  I really enjoy how it helps motivate me and focus me on improving my distance control and ball striking with my wedges, ...

[DrMJG]

Day 64

After watching a few videos of myself, I am basically ok with my swing for most of my clubs.  Still fighting raising up on backswing with my driver, did not think I was doing that but clear video proof I was.  Not a lot, not every swing.  Happened mostly after I had hit 3 or 4 nice drives.  Need to concentrate more when it gets too easy.  Hit 40 balls today,

Edited September 11, 2018 by DrMJG

[RFKFREAK]

Day 42.

More work on keeping hands low from A1 to A2 and keeping lower body quiet. 

[Shindig]

Day 98.  Got 15 minutes of putting (outdoor, real balls, real grass, real putter, on a a real putting green) after work and before evening plans.  Feels good.  Mostly focused on 10' putts or so and getting them to the hole.  I don't get tired of seeing putts go in the hole!

[Patch]

Day 255

What happened? TST screen no longer fits my phone's screen.

Just some putting practice this morning. 

Sure hope this screen issue clears up. 

[HJJ003]

Day 56: 

Was going to be driver day, but wet conditions forced the range to go mats only, and they don't have any rubber tees so I worked on Irons and preventing my OTT move. Had to use some alignment sticks today as training aids as I started with a pretty good OTT move at the start of my session. I noticed that I was drifting towards the ball at the start of the downswing which was giving me no option but to come over the top....and I also had some sway going on in the backswing. Worked a bit on a centered pivot with no sway off the ball and made sure I was sliding towards the target to start the downswing and that helped my ballflight and heel contact immensely.  

[JuanTheGolfer]

DAY 293   Spent more than 2 hours on the range working through the drills to help me be more on plane in my backswing and more over the ball on my downswing....  the practice putting green and chipping area are still covered with sand from the aeration on Monday, so I decided to go out and play 18 from the Green Tees which are 5495 yards.  The purpose was to continue to get experience and more data on how I am doing with improving my proximity to the hole with shots 125 yards and in.  Felt good about the Proximity to Hole data, shot one over par 73 in spite of losing a ball on the 14th hole.   Had to play, lift, clean and place since a few holes are cart path only due to the rains we have been having for the last two months.   The ball I lost was just off the fairway in the left rough and I could not find it in all the standing water.  Wishing for drier days!!

[boogielicious]

Day 6, Sept 12

Not much time today. Wanted to work on my full swing to reinforce the good round yesterday but rain stopped that. Did work on a few feels though for set up and alignment indoors.

[iacas]

Day 221 - September 12, 2018 - Got in 30 minutes of really good practice before my lesson today. Really liking the new feels for the backswing, which lets me use an older feel for the downswing. Very happy with today's work.

[DrMJG]

Day 65

I went through the entire bag today.  Some clubs off deck and tee, some just off tee, some just off deck but 8-10 shots per club.  Took close to 1 hour 20 minutes to do this.  

Only "difficult" club was my 7 w/i hybrid. Over all ok, but topped one and one wild push fade.  Was able to correct both mis-hits, though not all shots had good loft. Distance expectation was fair to good.  Just did not feel comfy with this weapon.

I should also comment that I had better over all drives with my GX-7 than my driver.  Using a target of a "green" that was 220 from my tee, I hit 5 of the 10 shots on or just off the green with the GX-7, 2 went over and 3 were less that 200 yards. Driver tended to give a bit of a slice and missed the green to the right by 10-15 yards  Driver was maybe 20 or so yards longer over all, but was more off line.  My driver is 2.5" longer than the GX-7 and that may be part of the problem.

Still, taken as a whole, a good day of hitting many sweet spots, making adjustments and feeling good.  Of the 110 shots I hit today, I figure I hit maybe a dozen that would have been totally rated as "what the hell was that".  If I play about the same ratio tomorrow in my round, I should be fine (provided my putter does not fail me and if I do not leave too many 25+ first putts). 

Edited September 12, 2018 by DrMJG

[RFKFREAK]

Day 43.

 

 

[Shindig]

Day 99.  Two dozen balls after work with an 8-iron.  Mat, real balls, into a net, indoors.

[Patch]

Day 256

Full swing wedge work today, using my PW, and SW. All shots were out fresh mowed, semi rough.

Intermediate target was a pin about 50 yards a way.

Idea was to fly the ball over the pin on, or near my target line. Distance with each club was what it was.

Then I would check ball dispersion. Some were left, some were right, and a few were ringht on line. I check dispersion by holding up one, or two finger widths. Three fingers is not a good thing. 

Focus was on using my preshot routine, with all it's various parts, while stepping into my address position. After I am in my address position, I focused on a one piece take away, to a top position I am comfortable with. Then a smoothe transition into my normal swing tempo in to the ball, and on to my follow through. Focus is staying in balance through out my whole swing. I am no longer a long hitter of the ball, so there is no need to act like one, and screw up the shot by being out of balance. 

 

[HJJ003]

Day 57: 

Lag Putting practice. Did my "5 point" drill from 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 feet. Started a little rough because I was accelerating through the golf ball...got back to a more pendulum type swing and applied some aim point and low and behold things got a lot better...especially from 40 and 50 feet. 

[DrMJG]

Day 66

9 holes at an executive course.  Longest hole is 380.  Used my GX-7 for all longer tee shots.  Usually a 5h or 7h to green from there.  2 were nice PW to green but only 2 were GIR.  I hit 3 non fairway off tees.  Biggest problem was leaving me 20 or so feet to hole.  So ended up with a 46.  Need to do some putting work this weekend.

Happy in most respects and score is right in the middle of my scores lately.

[JuanTheGolfer]

DAY 294    Worked on the range for almost three hours working on my backswing plane, getting my sternum more over the ball on the downswing, and also on my release.  In my last lesson my coach asked that I get the Impact Snap training device to work on my release.  It arrived yesterday, and I started using it this morning.  I have always struggled with my release such that my left wrist was not flat at impact so I was not compressing the ball well or always hitting it crisply.  The Impact Snap is teaching me how to have a better release -- when I hit shots today I could immediately see the positive impact on my ball striking.

Finally had my bi-weekly lesson and my coach confirmed my address position and backswing have improved a lot in the last six weeks, .... and then gave me a couple of drills to continue to work on getting my sternum over the ball instead of hanging back.  Along with having me to continue to use the Impact Snap training device.  

The best part of today is that we stopped by our home which is under construction -- and spoke with the Superintendent, he noted that there is one more inspection to pass, which is scheduled for tomorrow, and that our closing is still on schedule for 9/24!!

Edited September 13, 2018 by JuanTheGolfer

[iacas]

Day 222 - September 13, 2018 - http://www.gamegolf.com/player/iacas/round/2383107 - Played pretty well, really. Driver was not too shabby. Still pissed about the bunkers, as well as letting myself over-ride my feet on the par putt on the fifth.

[RFKFREAK]

Day 44