tpi 6/26

need to work on gluts
exercise
1)bridges with one leg bent while lying on ground
2)lunge position bring arms overhead and toward ground
3)rotate shoulders on one leg with ball
4)hop on one leg and rotate shoulders
retro walking

9 hole round 6/26

slow backswing

played the easy 9 today felt like i scored as bad as i could have today-left 2 putts 1" shortlipped out 2 3 foot puttsonly lost 2 balls-the second was on hole #9 when i said hey i've only lost only lost one ball so far, this could be good. then i was hitting the ball so well i decided to see if i could carry water that i always lay up to. it turns out laying up was the right move. :lol:
but 7/7 fairways!2 gir, 19 putts, score: 49. i struck the ball really well today. out of sand in one both times i was in sand, but unfortunately one i hit a little too hard trying to get it close and hit it into the fescue on the other side and couldn't find it.
dang i am on fire! i'm going to keep riding this hot streak until it disappears.


slow backswing

note to self:
hole 1-
stay below at all costs on approach.
21 deg hybrid is good to leave you 100 yards in from gold tees

hole 2-
4 wood, 21 hybrid, 28 hybrid, sand, 2 putts
just missed the green-actually hit green and bounced into sand
easy swings will get you there

hole 3-
21 degree hybrid
mishit 50deg wedge 80 instead of 100 yards
used 58 deg wedge on uphill lie from base of hill-need 54. remember to just get on green from base of hill rather than trying to worry about stopping it. the severe uphill will add loft. use the 54!
pitch came up short and needed another chip and 2 putts. left first putt 1" short. get ball to hole!!!!

hole 4-
gir-3 putt-missed 3 footer right

hole 5-
hit 4 wood 211 yards.
hit 6 iron short.
chip and 2 putt.
missed 3 footer right again.

hole 6-
21 degree to fairway. 21 degree to fairway for second shot. 130 yards in. pulled 9 iron into sand. bladed sand shot across green and into fescue resulting in lost ball trying to get it close. just hit it out next time!!!!!chip and 2 putts

hole 7-4 wood, 28 degree left 100 in. 50 deg on green from downhill, sidehill lie. remember balance is critical on these shots. missed putt by 1" short.

hole 8- marked 149
7 iron landed on far side fringe, had about 8 yards before ob, probably 8 iron is the right club for middle of green with no wind. 2 putts for par

hole 9
21 degree left me 200 in. tried to clear water. i think water line is 30 short of green and i aimed left of green with a 200 yard club. mishit into water
hit 54 at least 85 (really clean) and flew the green, was expecting 75
chip and 2 putts.

slow backswing

overall lagging was excellent
short putts not. yesterday i was pulling putts, today pushing putts
remember- do not let the right hand get active. almost all bad shots happen when right hand starts to become active, both short and long game and putting.
squeeze both hands tight and then relax to take hands out of swing!

tempo is important. just let club do the work. good things will happen.
slow backswing!

lesson scheduled with lucas for short game.
remember-short backswing long follow through.

whistling straits

2nd greatest golf trip of all time

shot really well-98 to 108 on tough courses

hated erin hills-too many blind shots, too much unplayable berm

sand shots-great out in every one. even up and down one and a missed short putt away from 2 up and downs. some really tough ones including a buried ball in a severe uphill. also hit couple great shots from 10-20 feet below green successfully out and onto green.

chipping pretty good but not good enough to save par.

missed about 5 3 foot putts but otherwise played really well.

still fairly wild off the tee.

prone to slicing driver

prone to wormburning 4 wood-am i standing up during swing?

need to keep working on right hand out of swing, esp on shots i think are tough. let club do work.

playing lesson from gary the caddie from manitowoc-

slow backswing, finish backswing, let club do work.

finish swing-tendency to stop as getting to left leg and then using arms to finish

putting-tend to pull putts, keep hands together. make sure ball in middle of stance! make sure ball in middle of stance! make sure ball in middle of stance!

watch lag distance. make sure not to hammer 3 foot putts.

look at tree tops to gauge wind.

whenever get in trouble-concentrate on slow backswing and letting club fall down.

don't get discouraged by bad shots-you can still salvage hole now.

tpi

gluts gluts gluts

work on side to side hops. (get weight to left side)
side to side hops with turn of shoulders
hop onto step with each leg
single leg takeaway.

range tips

full swing
-think of pushing a swing. toss the club back and pause at the top and allow the club to fall. esp with driver. there is no ball.

in wind-
-move ball back and swing slowly with extra club

chipping
-commit to backswing length. make sure left arm stays in same position throughout swing. with 54 degree wedge, fly 3/4 of way there. trust ball to check up. no sway off ball. just allow club to swing. there is no ball.

sand
-swing with body, not with arms. don't sway off ball (stay centered) no problem at all getting height with 54. focus on entry and exit points. take bacon strip. swing in to out.

back 9 played today/ shot 53!

it's amazing how much the course opens up when you are not afraid of sand.

i feel pretty good about today's half round-
trying to draw the ball i took a couple of penalties when the ball went straight or sliced

lost 2 balls only
it's amazing how different the course looks if you aren't afraid of being in the sand. had 3 sand events today, 1st one trickled in and caught under lip. no stance, no shot so i bunted it forward into the main part of bunker and popped out. other two sand shots popped out and landed on near side fringe and rolled through green, stopping on other side fringe. need to learn how to control distance, but at least out in one.

5 putts lipped out.

had first birdie of the year! par 3. amazing how good you feel when you have a birdie. 7iron to 10 feet. concentrated real hard and ball rolled to cup, paused on edge and then barely fell in.

another great shot-170 yard 5 hybrid from under tree branches to protected island green. barely cleared water, bounced up off upslope somehow and rolled onto green.
yes!
----------------------------
need to focus on weight shift/tempo
working on that draw the pro wants me to hit

new clubs arrived yesterday!

and they rock
ping rapture driver stayed in bag
ping g10-4 wood
ping g10-3-5 hybrid
ping g10-6-p 1 degree strong awt with cushion
ping tour w 50,54,58
ping craz-e jas 1 with special built up grip

playing lesson

played 5 holes today with pro who is 1 hcp
keys for lesson
1)tweaked alignment a little- i will now aim at right side and draw the ball in rather than aiming at left side to allow for the fade/slice
1a)set club slightly closed and turn right hand over
2)need to take more aggressive lines than i have been taking/trust swing
3)finish swing-club on neck
4)sand-ball position forward-in line with left big toe! set up with hands behind ball
5)finish shots, esp putts and chips. commit!!!!

hole 10-par 5 (aim right side of fairway and draw ball in)
score-par
driver to fairway, outdrove pro, 5hybrid to fairway, 7 iron on, 2 putt

hole 11-par 3 (aim right at green-don't be afraid of water)
score-bogey
5 hybrid 170-won closest to pin
3 putts :(


hole 12-par 4 (truth comes out)
score-7
driver sliced right into lateral hazard.
from rough shot sliced into fescue on right
hit out
chip on
putt 2x


hole 13-par 3
score par
6 iron 170
2 putts
(tee shot was closest to pin)

hole 14-par 4
score 7
driver to fairway-aimed at bunker in middle of fairway and carried it easily
outdrove pro
7 iron bounced off right side of elevated green and landed right on edge of fescue
2 chips on
3 putts


hole 18-par 4
score bogey
tee shot -aim at y in cart path in the distance
driver- flared into right fairway and came to rest against tree
distance wise-outdrove pro
chip out from under tree
7 iron on (inside pro)
2 putts

didn't go in one bunker, so we drove to trouble making bunker facing water and hit some shots out. got out every time onto green but see hints above

note:pro went par on every hole. me not so much.

great lesson!

9 holes today

played 9/shot 60. i thought it was a 56 until i realized when i was putting them in the computer i forgot to write a score for hole 8. on a side note, it is not a good idea to do a hellacious leg workout the day before you play a round and then walk. dang they need to rename our club to a hiking club with some golf swings thrown in. but i think my new pre shot routine (no swing thoughts at all/working on pretending the ball isn't there) is going to be good. still need to dial in distance and get better at sand and putting (putted 2 off the green-but so did the two guys i was playing with who are both single digit guys, although it sounded like everyone was complaining about the pin locations today). left three in the sand today. finished round and went immediately with pro to bunker and hit 25 shots, all out of the sand no problemo. so, oncourse problems in sand all mental. well i think if my legs are tired, my tendency is to stand a little bit and then i cast my right hand and hit really fat. playing lesson tuesday. on positive note, only lost 3 balls today. lots of great chips to 8 feet or less/lipped out putts. 2 gir (par 3's). if you take out the two 10's on holes 1,2 i finished well (for me). playing lesson tuesday

note to self- commit to your swing and swing confidently/aggressively. cautious swing=death by deceleration. @sshole. putting-finishing swing really improves consistency and distance. work on distance control.

preshot routine

i need to keep this simple

think only of target. one or two practice swings while already aligned
identify where club strikes ground.
make sure ball is in appropriate location
step forward and swing confidently.

commit! if you don't finish your backswing, you have already decelerated at the point you are striking the ball.

putting

take putter grip-allow putter in palms. momentum swing. don't cut off follow thru. let it finish.
weight slightly on left side. ball at sternum.
ignore ball (don't hit the ball) focus on the swing.
backswing to inside of foot for short putts
backswing to outside of foot for medium putts
backswing to hands outside of knees for long putts.
focus on this rather than ball. again, momentum swing.


identify line first and then focus on distance for long putts.
look at line from both sides-imagine how water would drain if poured on green.

full swing

shawnclementgolf.com is my current favorite website
top 25 golf pro on youtube
buy the dvd, it is worth it--one curious point is that the audio only comes out of one speaker on my portable dvd player.

work on weight shift-esp one leg drill and foot together drill. feel the momentum rather than swing arms.
think of dog wagging the tail. keep pelvis up.
do not left the weight sway.
swing has momentum-like child on swing--have to let everything happen in sequence
stay level during backswing
turn body, arms will follow

downswing-think skipping rock.
watch right elbow/should stay close to body.
pay careful attention to grip, esp right index finger
make sure that you don't cast right hand/let the body turn and momentum cause the club to travel along a path that the ball lies on.
ignore the ball, ball just in way (practice swing should identify where club strikes ball)

chips

evaluate lie
pick landing spot
stay level
weight on left side
don't move off ball!
keep elbow straight

sand

sand is the devil. i hate sand. for some reason, even though everyone else seems to think getting out of sand is easy, i have never been able to get out.

sand tips
get your @ss down
open clubface only a little
swing in to out
visualize bacon strip sized strike area
let ball get in way, think of ball as just a grain of sand
don't weight transfer on backswing
swing smoothly (don't rush)
turn shoulders