alfriday

Seriously, think about it...someone else could hit the shots based on your decisions. So.

Am I the only one who finds iacas's comments ironic. I mean, this is the guy who wrote LSW--a book about strategy, about building a "proper GamePlan [that] will help you drop multiple strokes using the game you have today." (p. 139.)

I don't know if golf is more mental than physical or vice versa. But I am convinced that a different mental approach/focus can help many problems in the game that many, if not most, instructors view as purely physical/swing related issues. A correct mental picture/intent can help golfers improve, and combining a mental approach with physical swing training can greatly accelerate improvement. Take an over the top swing as an example. With the pure physical approach, the instructor watches the player hit a few balls and dissects the swing into component parts. The instructor gives a bunch of physical causes: you take the club too inside or outside, you have too much weight on the front or back foot, you should be supinating your wrist or pronating it, your hips are firing too soon or too late. The instructor has the player work on a different take away for the first week. When that gets better, they move onto the next problem and try to fix it. Two months late, the player is hitting it much better on the range, but still frequently comes over the top on the course. The more the student focuses on the ball, the more likely a OTT swing will show up. The other approach: the instructor watches the student take some practice swings and then hit some balls. The instructor notices that the student rarely comes over the top for a practice swing but does so on most, but not all swings with a ball. Okay, she asks, why is the player sometimes coming over the top? Why is it worse when a ball is present? The instructor asks what the player is focused on. The ball of course. I want to hit the ball, make sure the club head makes good contact. The instructor then changes the focus of the player from hitting the ball to swinging through the ball to a target. The instructor explains that OTT is the default when the ball is the target. She gives some drills to improve focus away from the ball: the player hits whiffle balls to warm up, the player has to verbally identify the target and intermediary target and rehearse swinging out to the target, the instructor gives the student a mental image of swinging through the ball instead of hitting at the ball. After a week, the over the top move shows up less often and is not as pronounced. The instructor continues to have the student work on the mental side of swinging to the target and combines that with swing changes. In the physical only approach, the physical changes will be harder to adopt because the physical swing is fighting against the students mental image of what is needed and the student's primary focus. When the mental and physical are aligned, progress will be faster. Another way to say it: the mind directs the body. The mind is telling the body to swing one way when the ball is the target and a different way when swinging to the pin. In any case, an instructor who ignores the student's thoughts is short changing the student by focusing only on the physical. There's an old saying, if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail. If the instructor only deals with physical swing changes, every problem looks like a physical problem. On the course, which is more important, the physical or the mental? I don't know, but it is important that the mental image/goal/focus aids the physical side instead of fighting against it.

Call Liz at Golf International. She is wonderful to work with. I have traveled to Scotland 3 times and Ireland twice (third trip starts on Friday) and used Golf International each time. The company will arrange hotel, tee times and transportation as needed. They can get guaranteed tee times at the Old Course. Cost depends on level of hotel you stay in. Top of the line, like the Old Course Hotel and Grey Walls near Muirfield can be pricy. But much cheaper alternatives are available. Liz should be able to give you a ball park figure over the phone. Liz Lee at Golf International, 212-986-9176, 800-833-1389

Sounds like a focus issue. Check this out and see if it applies to you:

Good suggestions for variable practice above. I know there was a study on another golf site where the control group tried to hit all shots center club face. I don't remember what the second group did. The third group, hit one shot in the center, next on the heel and third on the toe. Center contact improved most for the third group. One putting drill I have tried is to hit three putts. The first putt so it hangs on the lip and falls in. Second putt solidly in the center. Third hard in the back of the hole. Change length of putt and repeat, mixing up the order of lip, middle and back of cup. Another is to hit putts off the end of your putter or with a 5 iron turned sideways. Hit clubs to various distances. If you hit the 8 iron 150, hit it 100, 125 and 175. Hit a draw, followed by a fade, follow by a straight shot. I think the idea is to not only change clubs on the range, but to change how you hit each club. So hit a straight 7 iron, a draw with the driver, a fade with a PW.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/12/how-to-learn-new-skills-twice-as-fast/?utm_term=.286eb9e9fae0

Went to Northern Missouri with my wife and son We had some sun and clouds, but the 2 1/2 minutes of totality was incredible. Kissed the wife during totality--it's supposed to be good luck. Well worth the 2 hour drive even with clouds. (My course was closed today because we got 3 inches of rain last night. Couldn't have played golf anyway.)

Look at the specs for the irons, not the number on the bottom of the club. It used to be a 3 iron was 24 degrees and 38 inches long. The 24/38 rule (more a guideline) was that most amateurs don't have enough swing speed to hit an iron on a consistent basis with less than 24 degrees and/or longer than 38 inches. I used "and/or" in the last sentence because I've seen it stated both ways. Some modern 5 irons are lower lofted and longer than the 24 degrees 38 inches. The forgiving head designs help the player get the ball up, but the rule still works as a general guideline for many players.

PM sent.

Watch this video a couple of times. If you think Shawn makes sense for you, let me know and I'll send you a list of his videos that organize his teachings into a method that works for seniors. I'm 59 and hitting the ball farther and with better dispersion than I have for years. Oh, the back doesn't hurt any more either.

We are 120 miles from the path of totality. We can go west to Nebraska or south to Missouri. Same distance either way. We plan to check the weather forecast the day before and decide which way to head. Our choice is to head to Missouri. One of the towns in the path is known as "Quilt Town" and my wife likes to quilt. The town has a very nice man cave as well. I already have the glasses and camera filters to catch the eclipse.

My mirrorless camera has all but replaced my SLR. There are a few subjects where the SLR still would be my first choice, but not many. With adapters, I can use all my Leica and Nikon lenses. To me, the SLRs are getting too bulky for general/travel photography. I started with a Canon 35mm in the 70s. It was light and manageable. Even without a battery pack, the pro SLRs are bigger and bulkier than my Mamiya 7.

I was watching the Masters on TV with my in-laws. After watching a group putt out, my mother-in-law asked why the players don't just putt straight at the hole. After all the golfers in the room stopped laughing, we explained that gravity is not just a good idea, it's the law. In fairness to my in-laws, they've had to explain the finer (and not so fine) points of NASCAR racing to me.

OP, Very interesting post. Your pro tells you that you are getting into good positions. You obviously hit a lot of good shots if you are getting 8 pars in a round. You say the problems come up with your long irons and driver. So, what's different on those clubs? Two things to consider: 1). Are you setting up with those clubs differently? With longer clubs it is easy to get into a bad set up or alignment. The ball too far forward, or weight too far on the toes can lead to the problems you describe. I'd start by checking balance and alignment. If you are reaching, all sorts of bad things can happen. 2). The problem could be focus. Are you worried about the shots on the course? If so, you may be focusing on hitting the ball too much as opposed to swinging the club and sending the ball to the target. Subtile difference, but it can have a major impact on the swing. If the ball is the target, your swing will be different than is your target is the flag or a spot (intermediate target) in front of the ball. As for drills, a couple come to mind. The Greg Norman drill may help. On the range, hit drives (or long irons) of varying length. Hit 100 yards, 125, 150 etc,. taking a full length swing each time. Shawn Clement's Perpetual motion drill (on Youtube) will definitely help. This is a drill that has been around forever. You keep swinging back and forth, staying in balance and centered in your stance. Ben Hogan did this drill on Ed Sullivan year ago--there's a Youtube video of him on the show if your curious. While this drill is not unique to Shawn, he gives a good explanation of it. Eye closed drill. Set up to a ball. Just before swinging, close your eyes and hit the ball to your target. Start with a short club and work your way up to the driver. The first time you try it you might want to make sure the range is fairly clear--just saying'.

One great thing about Myjoys is you can order shoes for your right and left foot in different sizes. My left foot and right foot are different sizes. With most shoes I have to compromise. It's nice to order shoes that fit each foot.

Shawn Clement's teachings are actually very "old school." He teaches the swing similarly to the way Ernest Jones, Manuel de la Torre, Harvey Penick, etc. taught the swing. To me, it is a superior way to learn the swing. First, through analogies, he allows the student to understand that the golf swing is an athletic movement that is very similar to other athletic movements. If you already know how to throw a ball, skip a stone or cast a fishing rod, you know the basics of the golf swing. Second, he has drills (which have been around for a long time because they work) that reinforce the correct movements and (most importantly) let the student feel a swing. The swing is taught as a whole. Third, there is a mental aspect to the videos. The emphasis is on swinging to the target. The movements are swing focused, not ball focused. The focus actually improves ball striking. The student learns to play golf, not golf positions and body parts. I have found Shawn's approach very helpful. In the past, I took numerous lessons, went to golf workshops, tried training aids, the whole nine yards. Shawn's approach has been very liberating. Using his drills and approach, I have gotten farther in the past 6 months that I did in the previous 6 years. The problem with Shawn's free video content is that it's not well organized. I recommended Shawn to my son earlier in the year and organized the videos for him. Here is a copy of the email I sent to my son: "I rewatched a number of Shawn Clement's videos on YouTube. I finally have a list of his best videos for you. I put them in a rough order to make learning his approach easier. I have listed the name of the videos below. If you go to YouTube and search "Shawn Clement Video Name", the video should come up. Intro videos/philosophy 1. Golfers Over 40 Watch This. (Watch this even though you are not over 40. It is a good intro to his approach.) 2. Ridiculously Easy Golf Part I. 3. Ridiculously Easy Golf Part II. 4. K.I.S.S. Golf--Keep it Simple. 5. Feel the Weight of the Golf Swing. 6. Stop Overthinking Your Golf. Process Videos 1. Best Video on the Grip Ever. 2. Knife the Grip. 3. Golf Grip and Wrist Hinge. 4. Set Up Posture to Swing to the Target. 5. Set Up all Clubs. 6. Understanding Weight Shift. 7. Takeaway and Starting Golf Swing. 8. Starting the Downswing. 9. Aiming, Alignment and Ball Position. 10. Body--Arms--Hands Timing in Golf Swing. 11. Swing Plane Update. 12. Rhythm in Golf Swing. 13. Tempo and Timing. Specific Drills--a great way to learn the basics of the Swing. You can do these even if you haven't watched all the previous videos. 1. Fencing for Power in Golf. 2. Best Drill in Golf--Feet Together. ( if you can do this drill and the one foot dill, you are most the way to a good Swing). 3. Savvy Feet Together. (There are a number of Videos wth Savvy. These may help Kate to visualize how her Swing will look). 4. 2nd Best Drill in Golf--One Leg. 5. Perpetual Balance Drill. 6. Learn Golf Much Faster with this Drill. (Elephant Walk.) 7. Feet Together--One Leg Updates. 8. Feet Together Driver=Consistency. 9. Through the Ball Drills. 10. Spine Angle Kettle Bell Tips. 11. Amazing Lumberjack Sledgehammer Drill. Mental Approach to Golf--Play Golf, not Golf Swing Mental approach. 1. How to Focus in Golf Part I. 2. How to Focus in Golf Part II. 3. Mental Game Baseball for Golf. (Introduces RIBS concept for evaluating shots in practice and play.) 4. Instinctive Practice. A few additional videos for later. 1. Eyes Closed for Solid Contact. 2. Throw that Club Straight. 3. Be Savvy When Throwing Clubs. 4. Savvy with Your Center. It is important to understand Shawn's approach to the Swing and then move onto the basic drills. The process stuff refines the setup and grip, but the videos fit with the Drills. I move back and forth between drills and process to refine my shots. I mentioned that I don't use Shawn's pitching method. I use the "hinge and hold" method. Here is a basic video on how I pitch: "Pitching" by Erik Barzeski."

I wonder what you mean when you say "poor swing concentration." If you are thinking about your swing in terms of mechanics, positions or body parts, then I'd say DON'T. I try to only think about what I want to do (swing to the target) not how I want to do it. The focus/attention is on the shot you want to hit, not on the swing itself.

To me, the biggest problem with most golf instruction is not the instructor, but the method that is generally and commonly used by instructors to teach a player. Few instructors teach a swing, they teach swing parts. They correct swing parts instead of teaching a full swing that eliminates the mistake before they happen. It has shown up numerous times in this thread: the golf swing is incredibly difficult and complex, the player needs to get to this position, your wrist has to pronate (or supinate), 60 % of your weight has to be on your back foot (or front foot), etc. The current method treats symptoms instead of the underlying illness. When I was young, I did a lot of fishing with my father. I learned to cast very effectively. I could place the lure over a log, or next to a stump or...you get the idea. I learned to cast overhand, side arm and underhand Casting a fishing lure to a spot is not much different from hitting a golf shot. The movements are just as complex. But, we don't break the motion down into minutia like we do in golf. In the days before high speed cameras and stop motion video, trackman, doppler radar, etc., Harvey Penik used a grass whip to teach a swing. Ernest Jones and Manuel de la Torre used a ball on a string. Players learned a swing, not positions. Focus was on the target and swinging to the target, not on the ball and getting the club into the "correct" place at the top of the back swing. A few current instructors teach a full swinging motion, but they are few and far between. Jimmy Ballard, Shawn Clement, Golf Made Simple, are a few. I'm sure I'll catch a lot of flack for my views. Thinking differently requires one to break out of the current paradigm and look at what has worked for generations of golfers. It also corresponds to the latest research on results oriented learning. Hopefully the cycle of body part focus and positions in a swing is coming to an end. But, I'm not holding my breath.

I am a photographer. I have published my photographs in several magazines and written several technical articles that have also been published. I have done numerous projects for regional banks and hospitals. I took exactly one photography class in high school. I think it's "arrogant and presumptuous" to assume one must have a degree.

I'm 59 and this year I'm playing the best golf I've played in many years. I quit trying to fix my swing flaws and basically started from scratch to build a solid, repeatable swing. Instead of trying to fix my over the top move, I fixed my setup and swing so I didn't get in position to come over the top. What worked for me? Shawn Clement. I watched his Youtube video "Golfers over 40 watch this." His approach clicked with me. He relates the golf swing to other sports and movements that I had done in the past. Hitting a golf shot is like throwing a ball, skipping a stone, etc. I then started doing the drills he recommends: the kettlebell drill, the feet together drill, the one leg drill and the walking drill. I still do these every time I go to the range and before each round. I then found his videos on "Hitting Golf Ball is Not Your Job." I found it liberating. Focus on the target, not the ball. Swing to the target, the ball gets in the way. No more over the top because I'm not ball focused. Check out "Dude! Stop over the Top." I finally joined his premium channel on Youtube for more a more organized approach to the game. But, there is plenty of free content of his on Youtube channel. It's just harder to organize into a helpful order. Here is a link to a grouping of his drills: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AXReWUx4Cg&list=PL1J-IG9ZQMY419ZC__Q4Z-qfAZpBYxInS&index=3 It worked for me. It may work for you. I'm having a lot more fun playing, a major part it because I don't try to change my swing on the course. I play golf instead of golf swing.

Using a bump and run (or punch shot) is a very skillful way to play certain holes. I have used the shot quite a bit on links courses. My home course is not set up for the shot (the ground in front of the greens tends to be soft), so I don't get a lot of opportunities to use the shot, but I practice it regularly in the range. For me, a half swing will travel 3/4 of the distance a full swing goes. The flight is lower so the roll is more. It's a great shot to have, whether from the tee on a par three or from the fairway. It comes in very handy in the wind.

I buy my beef, pork and lamb once a year at the county fair 4H auction. I know the youths who raised the animals and how they are raised. The local locker ages to my liking and butchers to my specs. The down side is most has to be frozen. Still, I prefer to store bought. As for restaurants, I went a long time without ordering meat. Mine was so much better. I'd order fish or shell fish. Then I started fishing in Florida and catching my own snapper and grouper. As for hunting, I spend most of the year in small town Iowa. The fields are full of corn finished deer, pheasant, ducks, geese, turkey, and quail. Not a bad way to round out a diet. Regarding pork. Anyone else tried Mangelista Pork, aka Hungarian Royal Pork? The best pork I've ever had. It's definitely not your "other white meat."

I learned something tonight. Apparently Trolls don't like steak.

Agree on the sous vide. Great way to cook. But, it requires planning and time. When I get home and decide I'd like a steak, the frozen method works great.