dbrock504

You act like I'm crying because you won't take my advice. I suppose I was just anticipating someone who is having serious issues to be more receptive to advice and not be so dismissive. You never tried it on the range, so you have no idea how it is going to effect you although you think you do behind your keyboard. Therefore, that to me is ignorant. But hey, like I said, your swing. Doesn't bother me if you have issues. P.S. Paul Casey is much better than any of us here and has a "picture perfect" swing that I like to model after. Furyk is better at putting the ball in the hole, but Casey has much better textbook mechanics. The side by sides prove your swing is not where it should be based on textbook mechanics that allow for a more pure and consistent shot.

hahahahaha. that's awesome! You're going to compare 2014 to year 350? I'm going to continue doing what I am doing. I am 178 lbs 13% body fat with a 31" waist, 41" chest, 15" arms (just measured last night). bench 250, squat 350, dead lift 350, leg press 900. Who are you going to believe, that skinny person telling you carbs aren't essential, or a guy who has gained over 50 lbs of muscle only while adding 3% body fat in the last 3 years? Again, it's sad to see so many people be so mislead. Maybe that's why America leads the world in adult and child obesity!!! Lack of nutritional knowledge. Your comments really just discredited you. Do you know what Oryza is? it's rice and the earliest evidence goes back 13,500 years ago. People have been eating the leading carbohydrate since the beginning of man. So don't try and feed me some caveman BS. Do you really think people lived in caves in the middle of nowhere? Some did, but not NEARLY as many as you think. And they ate berries like no bodies business. Berries are tons of antioxidants and carbs. I challenge you. Don't consume one carb for 1 month (30 days). Exercise and do whatever you feel necessary. I will do as I have been and I bet my strength and muscle development will be leaps and bounds above yours. Quit believing the crap you hear and read on the internet by some goof who doesn't know what they're talking about or someone trying to sell a diet and make money off your ignorance and start trying stuff for your self. I'm really not going to argue with you. It's apparent you truly have no idea what you are talking about from a nutritional point of view. By the way, my mom is a Registered Dietician and Nutrition Specialist.

He's not just a PGA Certified instructor. He was named the STPGA Coach of the Year in 2008. (Southern Texas). This guy is not just a scratch golfer, he played on the senior tour, then his daughter had a surprise baby forcing him to stop. The way you look at things absolutely baffles me. It's your opinion and you are entitled to it, however I think you are wrong. It literally takes 2 minutes to see if it is effective. For me it was instantly. You try it and it works, or you stop doing it, but what I can tell you is what you are doing right now is wrong and I proved it with side by sides of a pro golfer. It doesn't get any better than that as far as help goes. Once again, you don't want to try it, don't. You sure are closed minded for someone who is hitting fat shots, thin shots, pushes, hooks. I'm not a 6.7 hcp, but I don't do any of that. If I was hitting like that, I would do anything someone told me to do. Good luck

Rickie Fowler. I know some people who know him personally through the motocross industry that I am heavily in, and they say he is super fun on the course. I met him at the Houston Supercross just a few weeks back. Chill guy.

I am really dumbfounded at some of the things people think are right about dieting. Carbs are not good for you! haha, well, as a bodybuilder, I can tell you that is completely and totally UNTRUE. You NEED carbs. However, there is a difference between good carbs and bad carbs. aka complex carbs (carbs that break down slowly and provide long term energy as well as fiber for your metabolism) and processed carbs (carbs that break down quickly and cause blood sugar levels to spike causing the body to store the excess as fat). Examples of Good Carbs are: brown rice, oatmeal, black beans, whole-grain pasta and bread, almost all fruits, almost all vegetables, sweet potatoes, etc. Examples of Bad Carbs are: white bread, flour, chips, processed sugars, potatoes, etc. The best time to eat carbs are in the morning for "break-fast". You are sleeping for 6 hours with no food, so kick start that metabolism in the morning. 50% of your diet need to be good carbs. If you are on a 2000 calorie diet, eat 300 grams of carbs per day. You guys really need to educate your selves on what you should eat vs what you shouldn't. If it tastes good (sweet), chances are there is refined, processed sugar involved. SPIT IT OUT!!!!! This includes juices and sodas. WATER WATER WATER. 100 oz a day (6 bottles of water a day minimum if you are inactive, adjust if you are sweating) Here is a longer list for those who want to live healthier, properly. http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/List_of_Good_Carbs_and_Bad_Carbs

This is going to come off defensive, but I'm really not. I just don't know how to say it without saying it. (I'm very candid and direct) Although I do have a high handicap at the moment (I need to recalculate it), I was taught these drills by a PGA Certified instructor. Not only by him, but a personal friend who played on the senior tour for a little bit and is still a scratch golfer. I feel as if people read my 20.4 hcp and say "oh this kid is an idiot". These drills work. They have worked for me, and my friends that I have shown who have this similar issue. I didn't pay $75/hr for nothing. But I'm not taking it personally or defensive although it sounds like I am. It is totally up to you. If you want to try it, what do you have to loose? If you don't want to try it, what do you have to gain? Point is, can't hurt, can it? If you don't, doesn't hurt my feelings. You are only hurting your self by not knowing what could have been. First- EXACTLY! I want you to move your hands later and upward in the golf swing, not pulling them back and across in this shape ----> ( your body as your picture 2 indicates you are doing. I want you to take a tee and put it 12" behind the ball and bring the club straight back over the tee in this shape ----> |. DO NOT break your wrists until you naturally feel that it is time. Believe me, you will feel when, and it's pretty late (about 60-70% up the backswing or so). DO NOT break your wrists out or in. Break them straight upward. That will steepen your swing plane. It's kind of obvious if you think about it. Warning, if you are chunking the heck out of it, you are too steep. Second- This is in your swing thread. It won't help anyone else right now. I am comparing Paul Casey to YOU. If you don't want to do it, don't do it man. Really, it's no skin off my nose and I know you appreciate the advice regardless. If I had an issue and asked for help and someone sent me side by sides of a pro with exact instructions to fix my issue, I would spend $10 and go get me a large bucket at my nearest range. If it works, hey cool, it works! Awesome! If it doesn't work. Hey, I tried it. It didn't work for me. Just me though... I don't like that last sentence. How do you know? Have you tried to do exactly what I've told you? Don't know 'till you try it! It seems as if you don't want to take advice from a 20 hcp. That's cool; I understand. No hard feelings at all.

Here is another example of what I'm talking about

May I make a suggestion? You have my friends identical swing. He had this same problem as well. This is what I told him, and it fixed it. You're swing is too flat for my liking. Set a tee 12" behind your ball and bring that club head STRAIGHT back over that tee and let the club naturally lift off the ground. In picture #1 there, your hands are already getting that club too flat for my liking. Here is a comparison for you The club is at a 45* angle or so in pic 2. I would rather it be around 70* or so. On pic 3, your hands are pushed so far off your body that you're going to come outside inside now. I figured you wouldn't believe me unless I provided some proof, so here is my guy I like to model after, Paul Casey to mirror your pic 3. If I stuck a glove under his right or left arm, the glove would not fall out. If I stuck a glove under either of your arms, the glove would fall out. Notice the angle of his LEFT arm vs your angle. You just a bit too flat IMO.

You are either going to resent this, or agree with it. I went back and read quite a few of your posts and I have come to a conclusion. Remember, I am not a pro nor a scratch golfer. This is only my opinion. You sir, are over-playing this game. You have a good swing from the videos and you seem to be a good player. The fact that you are so knowledgeable about each aspect of this game seems to be demolishing your game. This particular round is just a really bad day. We ALL have these. This game really is very simple. WE are the ones that make this game difficult. On a par 4, hit it twice toward the target and then putt it into the hole. Sometimes we forget that and make this game to be so unbelievably technical that it starts to erode at us. Did Arnold Palmer have a technically perfectly swing or putting stroke? No. He put the ball in the hole. The only part that matters of any swing is 1" before contact and 1" after. Everything else before can be as wacky as you can make it (Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk). Now you have developed a push and I bet 15 different possibilities to run through your mind. Am I pushing my arms? Is my swing plane good? Am I leaving the club face open? Are my hands behind my body on rotation? You keep adjusting, adjusting, adjusting your swing wanting to improve, improve, improve. To get to the level you are at (6.7C hcp), you have had to have had something correct at one point. If you keep changing things, how can you keep a good swing? Do you think Justin Rose tries to change things all the time? He does the correct things correct and practices those correct things to keep them correct. You seem to have the correct common aspects of the game correct (ie. smooth backswing, head down, tight V, rotating at the hips, weight transfer, rolling hands to make square face at contact, striking the golf ball first, taking a dollar divot, brushing putting stroke, etc.). I recommend you focus on perfecting the things that NEED to be there. The other things you do because it is comfortable for you. How far your back swing is doesn't matter. How bent over you are when you putt doesn't matter. Do those things affect play? Of course. I'm not saying that you can't try to improve and get better. All that matters is getting the ball in the hole. Some do it prettier than others. I find that when I play 3 times a week and go to the range 2 times a week, I start "creating" weird little habits that throw my game off. Then I spend the next 2 weeks over-thinking stuff. I suggest taking a bit of a break. I know, I know. What are you going to do? Get back to playing golf. Relax, have fun, swing easy, put the ball in the hole. You know how to do it! P.S. I love how you add videos and use this thread as a personal blog for your daily rounds. I will start doing this as well. Great idea!

Why? I have a very similar back swing to you. I was told by a PGA coach that it isn't a bad thing. If it helps you keep the club on plane, why mess with it? He explained it really isn't a necessity. Do as you will. It does look better, I guess.

You playin' golf, or living on the 17th green?

Ok, now I'm intrigued. Why did the Ping program recommend only 8.5* loft? What is your driver swing speed? Would you characterize your swing as being a sweeping swing, hit the ball on the up swing, or hit the ball on the down swing?

Sounds like you have everything you need to play the game. You have good clubs for a beginner. They will serve you well. I can only assume you are loosing a lot of balls and consequently taking a lot of drops to get to a 120 avg., correct? Focus on control rather than distance. Distance will come in time with a more fundamentally sound swing. If you have any questions, just post a thread. Any one of us will do our best to help you out. There are a lot of really good, smart guys in here that have already helped me!

Don't be sorry, bud. You only know what you can see on these threads. Having good irons and that bad driver is pretty funky isn't it? It makes for a frustrating game! For 3.5 years, I hit Wilson Fat Shaft Deep Red irons and they really sucked, but I got the entire lot (3-PW) at a garage sale for $5!!!! That's a $300 set haha!. After spending 6 months trying different clubs and being fit on 3 different types of machines, I got the Callaway X Hot irons this past December and it made my iron game go from a 5/10 to about an 8/10, if I had to put a numerical value on iron ability for the average golfer. I went from 2 GIR avg in 2013 to a 5 avg so far this year. Point being, equipment really does make a difference. If you find something that truly does match your game, it will benefit you greatly and should take care of most of your issues. For example, because of its offset and better spin production, I am able to hold more greens with the 8, 9, and PW. Because of a longer shaft on the 4 and 5 iron, I am able to get more distance out of it. Moving to something more forgiving would be a great idea. It worked for me! As for the overwhelmed part, I would suggest to just take the game one aspect at a time. That's what I did to help build good habits. I did nothing but focus on putting and chipping for 2 solid months 3 days a week. After I got pretty decent at it, I moved to 50-100 yd shots at a green on a local course's 9th hole for $3. Once I got that down, I moved to 150-100 and got that down. After I got the mid-short range game down, I spent 4 weeks 3 times a week at the range hitting my 3 hybrid, 4i, 5i and 6i. Now that my short-mid game is decent, I need to start working on the long range (220+ off fairways and off tee box). That's what I'm doing now and it's coming around slowly. I think I am going to break down and go back to that instructor for driver lessons soon. As a college student, it makes it hard paying his rates! P.S. if you are thinking about going Ping, go with the i20/g20's. They are going to be cheaper and they are essentially the same club, especially the i series. For the G25's all they did was change the look and make the top line thinner. I liked the G25's put hated the price... I got the X Hot's after the X Hot 2's were released ;) I recommend the Mizuno JPX-825's also. Great clubs, but once again, out of my price range.

I had a Ping G10 10.5* Regular TPC 129D shaft for 3 years and it did this EXACT same thing. I draw my long irons and draw/hook my 3 wood, but that Ping G10 had a wicked slice on it. I never could get rid of it. I put 2 different shafts in it (ProLaunch Platinum & Aldila NV both in stiff flex) and it never fixed anything. I ended up selling the driver 2 weeks ago and got a Callaway X Hot 9.5* Stiff. Problem gone! This driver even draws/hooks like my 3 wood. I have a friend who has the G15 and it does the same thing for him. Can't figure out why. I'm beginning to think it's Ping?

BBAADD. Before I got this new driver 2 weeks ago, it is not uncommon for me to take 7 or 8 drops (14-16 additional strokes to the scorecard) off the tee box in 15 tee boxes. I do loose about 2-3 balls off of mishits, shanks, etc. with my long irons and hybrid into the woods and I can't find it or into a hazard, but that happens... I agree with it. When I started playing golf 4 years ago, I was taught the "traditional" way (drive for show, putt for doe). I got lessons on putting and chipping and focused everything on putting, once I began to be a

Just to kind of chime in with ya here, I do the same thing but with my 5i. I arrive about 45 minutes before my designated tee time. I warm up with the Driver, 5i, 8i, and PW. Start with stretching and the PW with about 5 balls (my short iron game is my best asset), next to the 8 iron (my favorite club) with about 8 balls targeted at the 150 flag (I always seem to be 150-160 out), then the 5 iron with about 10 balls. The 5 iron gives me a lot of feedback just like your 4i does. If I'm pushing or rotating too hard on the ball, it tells me well (coming out nice but left 30 yds off target or a big hook). Once I nail the 5i down, I move on to the driver. My tee box game is the worst part for me, so I take about 25 balls here. Nice smooth swings. Then I chip for about 10 minutes and putt for the remainder of the time (usually another 10-15 minutes).

Very valid points. And get outta here! You're a single digit hcp. I haven't had my hcp calculated in a while, but I bet it's no where near 9. It's probably around 17? Anyone who can shoot in the 80's I call a good player.

Glad I can make you laugh...? To elaborate for you, I agree with you that you don't want to take too long assessing the issue because then you begin to get nervous as said. However, I see too many people (my dad) literally walk up on the putt and hit it. I would say a comfortable time would be about 20-30 actual seconds. That is about 10 seconds to look at the green and assess your speed and placement, 5 seconds to take 2 practice brushing feel as you mentioned, then address the ball, set your feet, check the target, check putter face alignment, check target. begin stroke (10 seconds). That is my routine. 20-30 seconds is not a long time, nor is it "step up to the ball, one quick look and GO!". However, if it works for you, it works for you. No arguing there. You seem to be a great player, so I am in no way shape or form telling you your way is wrong. I am just the opposite about having bad days. My bad days are because I become impatient and just walk up there and hit, not paying attention to what I'm doing because I'm so concerned with that crap drive I hit 3 shots back or that last par 4 I just 3 putt on. As I mentioned before, there is more than ONE way to play this game. Find what works for you

The first video, hole 10. You set up properly for the next video, but it seemed like you may have pulled it just a smidge. If not, maybe you just read too much break. That happens. That wasn't a bad putt. Good speed.

Please read my response again. I needed to edit it. I did not convey my thoughts properly the first time. Sorry.

Thank you for adding that. Here are 3 things I suggest to you: 1) slow down- I don't understand why some people take 30 seconds on the tee box to hit but 5 seconds to putt. Stand back, look at the green, think about your ball placement and speed, take 2-3 practice strokes, then address the ball. It seemed like you rushed a lot. I take twice that amount of time on the greens, if not more. 2) stroke- It looks like you actually have a good swing fundamentally (elbows, wrists and stance). However, I noticed some strokes were quicker than others. That is a no-no. You define how far you are going to hit by how far you take your back swing. Remember: Your follow through will be the same distance as your back swing. So example: 2 ft putt- take the putter back 6 inches, go forward 6 inches. 20 ft putt- take club back 18 inches, go forward 18 inches. All the while keeping a consistent tempo in the swing. The speed of your swing from a 2 ft putt and a 20 ft putt should remain the same. Do NOT speed up as you were doing. This creates all the inconsistencies you are having. 3) practice- quit playing so much and start practicing on the practice greens to understand how to play break and speed on down hills and up hills. It just seems as if you don't have enough experience to understand how the greens will break. From seeing you line up in the video, I could immediately tell you were lined up for a straight putt when it had a 3 cup break to the right. That just comes with time and experience.

I apologize for the insane argument above. We did not mean to overwhelm you. It really is simple. Implement a pendulum motion in your swing. You have to be getting "wristy" by rolling, flipping or rotating your wrists on the ball. 24 putts on 9 holes is absolutely insane. Upload that swing as you have mentioned and we will all be able to help you better. Go to YouTube if you can and just view a video on how to putt. They will provide a simple swing for you that you can model for now to get you out of such bad putting. Putting is insanely simple. Almost too simple. Anyone that uses different grips or funky stances are just making it harder on themselves IMO. Just putt the ball! The real skill is in the vision and ability one has to see the green well. That is the only thing that separates a good putter from a great putter IMO. You will be a great player once you become a low 30's putter if you're hitting 10 GIR a round.

I'm going to have to try this! Sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing this

Wow congrats on the weight loss. That's amazing! Being 6'4, you need to be at about 200-210 for a good, healthy weight. Focus on putting on more muscle. I'm sure you already know this considering you lost a lot of weight, but just in case you don't: High protein (chicken, fish, red meat only 1 time a week. Eat body weight in grams of protein. So if you are 185, intake 185g of protein a day), high complex carbs (brown rice, black beans), high in good fats (olive oil, flaxseed, peanut butter, almonds), low refined sugars (candy, coke), high in natural sugars (fruit). Eat 6 times a day in smaller portions to keep metabolism high. I also would recommend a high quality protein such as ISO-100 made by Dymatize. It's a hydrolyzed protein that metabolizes quickly (1 hour) that contains your glutamine, BCAA's and GMI's. Also I recommend a slower metabolizing protein to take after you wake up. I usually go with a blend of casein, whey, whey isolate, whey hydrolyzed, egg, etc. This metabolizes in about 4 hours. Take the ISO-100 immediately after you work out. Working out 3-4 times a week + the proper diet = clean muscle gain. This will not only make you look better, but feel much better on and off the course. I am a bit of a "bodybuilder" if you want to call me that. I don't compete. I'm 5'8. At 19, I was 135 lbs 10% body fat. I'm 22 and 183 lbs 13% body fat. Bench 245, squat 350 (my squat sucks), dead lift 350, leg press 810 4 times (I never max out on leg press. I have had a knee reconstruction). I didn't tell you those things to "show off" but to kind of give you an idea that I sort of know what I'm talking about. Keep it up! Loosing weight like you did is a massive life change. It's amazing, and it will ultimately affect your golf game. On the golfing aspect of it: The club head speed comes from the rotation of your hips. Focus on that. I know a 13 yr old kid who hits his distances with me (driver 275+, 4i 210, 8i 160). It isn't your strength that matters as much as your rotation on the ball. If you have any questions revolving around diet or exercise, feel free to PM me. I NORMALLY will have the answers. If I don't, I can point you in the right direction to someone who will.