"5 Minutes Daily" Practice Challenge

[Patch]

Day 152

Played 9 holes this morning. Carded a nice little 39 for my walk. Had 6 pars, and 3 bogies.

This was pretty much what I want out of my normal game. Stay in the fairways, and once close enough to the green, finish the hole off with good chips/pitches and a putt.

I had 12 putts today, which is well below my average of 16. I made some longer than normal putts. This, new to me, "Heavy Putter" , and I are getting along quite well. 

I am still limited to playing 9 holes for another couple weeks per the doc's orders. Thought about going for more, but since I was golfing with said doctor, it was a short thought. 

[JuanTheGolfer]

DAY 192  Rise and Grind... to avoid the Summer heat!!    Spent 2 1/2 hours on the range working through the six drills I was assigned.   Working on keeping the club more in front of me... and keeping my head quieter.

[iacas]

Day 118 - June 1, 2018 - http://www.gamegolf.com/player/iacas/round/2192420

[boogielicious]

Day 62, June 1 - Mirror work at the gym. Focused on the backswing to A5 to get positions right. Then slow swings with smooth transitions. I’ve been rushing the backswing and transition on the course.

[saevel25]

Day 2

went to the range and worked on chipping and pitching. Tried to fixed the forced flip at the ball at impact. 

[DeadMan]

Day 27: Putting mirror work today. Working on my putting set up. Trying to get my eyes over the ball and toe of the club on the ground. 

[Shindig]

After a very sad few months in which no golf was played and outdoor practice wasn't much more often than that, I got back to it the past few weeks.  But since I wasn't posting, today is Day 1.  I love the new rules, by the way.

Yesterday's round, and indeed the three rounds this year (all recent, two regulation plus one 18-hole par-3) had the same story from last year:  my most strokes lost (using strokes gained metric) are short game and putting.  My last round included five up-and-down after a missing GIR, plus a chip-in for par, and I still lost strokes putting (taking three shots to get onto a green from less than 30 yards out, and in the fairway, didn't help).  Plus, tomorrow is the qualifier for my club's match play, and I want to play well, so I'm cramming. 

Today's practice was two hours at a local par-3 course's practice facility.  The first and last half-hours were putting;  I took five balls and worked on putts inside of 10', something GameGolf tells me I need to work on.  Drills included around-the-clock from 4' and 8' as well as mixing it up some.  I'm particularly ashamed that even in the weeks where I wasn't playing golf, I couldn't be bothered to do the ruler drill, but just the same, after some work, I was making a good number.

The hour in between was at the chipping green.  I played the "drop a few balls, get this many points for a chip finishing on the green in a good distance, etc";  I worked with my 56 and 50, as well as my iron set's U-wedge (recently acquired);  these shots were primarily within 20 yards, although I did a few from 30 yards out too.  Shots attempted included bread-and-butter chips (which I'm not great at, and a recent evolvr lesson tells me I need to work a bit on my form for it), pitches both for the sake of it and over a bunker (I did not practice in the bunker).  The grass in the area is approximately light rough with some bare spots.  

(Editing to add this:) It took me about 40 balls to reach 50 points;  this included several shots that missed the green entirely.  One of those 40 I decided was "unscored" -- it sank into a hole on the chipping green, but not the one I was aiming at.  I wasn't sure how to score it under those rules, since I think it would have gotten much closer to the target if the other hole wasn't there.

Also, I regret not practicing the medicine ball drill more in my time off (end edit).

A related goal:  while today's practice was, in part, out of desire to do well tomorrow, this month's practice is partly because my birthday is at the end of the month and I'm either going to play a Pete Dye course on my birthday or I'm going to play a course that has hosted a major ... and I want to play well that day.  

Edited June 2, 2018 by Shindig

[Patch]

Day 153: Supposed to be triple digits today. Out early to beat the heat. 

Started out with 100 yard approach shots to a pin. Focus was on aim/alignment. This is just a pin stuck in the ground in a large grassy area. No green cut around it. (B+)

From there, I moved to within 50 yards of the  same pin, same focus. Hit another 14 balls. (B+)

Next up was chipping/putting practice. Focus was one chip, and one putt to various pins from various areas off the green. This included reading the green for a chipping target line as needed. I used just one ball. Probably hit between 15-20 chips. Three chips went in the hole. Had one three putt. Split the rest with one, or two putts. (B-)

I was going to get some putting in, but due to the mass on humanity on the putting green, I called it a day.  

 

Edited June 2, 2018 by Patch

[saevel25]

Day 3

played in a scramble, tried to make good swings. 

[JuanTheGolfer]

DAY 193      Go up early, and swung my Orange Whip for about ten minutes.   Then headed over to the golf course to play in a monthly scramble.... Our team shot 61, which was 11 under par.   But I think we will finish out of the money.    Home for lunch and then to the range.  Even though we used a lot of my drives and second shots -- got to get better! to go lower!

[boogielicious]

Day 63, June 2 - just putting today. T-storms outside but it have a mat inside. Worked on aim, grip and stance. Also tried my old lighter putter, but the heavy one still feels a bit better. Both are set up identically length, loft and lie.

[DeadMan]

Day 28: http://www.gamegolf.com/player/DeadManUofM/round/2195391 and http://www.gamegolf.com/player/DeadManUofM/round/2195390

[iacas]

Day 119 - June 2, 2018 - Played elven holes today and had no idea what I was doing. Still scored "okay" but… meh. After a five-minute (or longer) wait on 12 tee I just drove to the range.

Hit 15 balls while still having no clue.

Then tried something - a feel of just using my arms, not worrying about my lower body, my turn, my weight shift, etc. Bam. Instantly felt that simple golf swing that I felt I had three weeks ago before my ankle injury.

[HJJ003]

Day 31:

10+ Minutes putting practice indoors. Putted a empty sleeve of golf balls trying to work on square putter face at impact. I have a tendency to pull my putts...especially shorter ones. 

[Shindig]

Day 2 - today was match play qualifiers at my home club.  But my tee time wasn't until late and I did a combination practice and warm-up before hand.  Yes, I know that's not generally advised.

I did half an hour of putting practice, starting about 2.5 hours before my tee time.  This was mostly focused inside of 10', with 4' and 8' primarily, around the clock.  I did some speed drills too.  Outdoors, with a ball, on grass, obviously.

I then did some chipping practice, dropping four balls and chipping.  I would have done the drill from yesterday, but the short game area was well occupied so I didn't, just focusing on hitting.  With about an hour before my tee time, I went back to my normal warm-up routine, which I cannot really count as practice.  I assume playing still counts for this challenge, though?

Anyway, the round, and how it relates to practice.  I thought I had a decent short game inside of 100 yards today, but I clearly didn't: 5.86 strokes lost (15 hcp average is 2.38).  I only hit 2 GIR but had a few fringes I putted from (and not well;  I need to practice the super long putts because I attempted a few 20-yard putts from the fringe the past few rounds), plus some really bad chips, or chips where I put the ball not really within that nice 15' region... okay, gotta work on it.  

Amazingly, my putting was only 1.6 shots lost, better than a typical 15 handicap.  

Anyway, I obviously have a lot to work on in every area and it's unrealistic to think that because I practiced a bit yesterday and today then I'd suddenly have a really good short game.  I do have a few shots I'm really happy with from today though.

I am happy that I went 14 holes without anything worse than a bogey (tripled 15 and doubled 18 though, sneaking two pars in between).   I think that's somewhat meaningful, although I'd like to stop being over par on par-5s too.

[Patch]

Day 154

Did a couple of things today.

First was putting. Three times around the 6 hole practice green, using one ball. Focus was on two putts, or less. Distances ranged from  12-15 feet between each pin. Went counter clockwise for 6 pins, then clockwise for the next 6 pins. Final 6 pins was just picking one. Par was 36, and I had a 40. ( B)

Next was some pitch shots to targets 10', 15', and 20' feet away. Focus was easy swings, trying to land the ball on, or near the targets. It didn't matter where ball wound up, as I was just trying to hit the targets. Hit 42 balls, using two different clubs, with adjusted back swing lengths. I was hitting balls out of shorter rough. The area gets mowed tomorrow. (C+)

[JuanTheGolfer]

DAY 194   Had hoped to get out early and then the rains came!!  Finally was able to get to the range at 2:15 pm.   Spent the next 90 minutes working through 6 drills all designed to help me keep the club more in front of me and my head quieter.  When doing these drills I use 5, 6, and 7 irons and vary them so I am not hitting all the drills with just one club.

Then played the back nine from the Blue Tees in windy and wet conditions.  I was pleased that I was 2 over par (1 birdie and 3 bogies).  I intend to play at this further tee back for all future practice rounds at my club so when I play the White tees it will be mentally easier (at least that is how I see it).

Also, since the course was empty late in the afternoon I spent a lot of time around two greens, hitting wedges from 30-40 yards and shorter.  This is the area of my game that needs the most attention and I plan to work on this very intently until it can become a strength.

[iacas]

Day 120 - June 3, 2018 - Warmed up on the putting green. Prepared to play. Striped - and I mean striped - a driver off the first tee (no full swing warmup) with the feel/thought I developed yesterday… got to my ball… and the siren sounded, and we went in.