playing lesson with dave

alignment alignment alignment
get weight forward when finishing swing
widen stance

shorten backswing on pitches and chips
magic triangle
keep elbow indentations up!

trust your swing and finish. don't steer club with hands! don't worry about what happened last shot. tendency to pull shot, then compensate on next shot with push, then push hook. just forget about freak results and don't try to correct for them

important lesson

control tempo with all shots
swing slowly on backswing, control tempo--feel the clubhead, let the club swing itself.
finish shots. don't decelerate no matter what

grip-grip with middle 2 fingers of each hand.

hogan magic move
push shoulder back, pull shoulder up (for me, right elbow to body forces this to occur)--must leave room for elbow to track. that means start moving hips before arms go forward, allows arms to drop into slot.
keep left arm tight to body during follow through
works with all shots, including putts.

magic triangle must be maintained. keep elbows pointed up. no shanks possible. no need to swing arms.
focus on ground 4" in front of ball.
baseball grip. right hand can assist rotation of club. think about right wrist feel at impact.

42!

with a borrowed putter. ha!
5 gir!
6 pars!
most ever!
2 up and downs for par, most ever!
i rock!
no penalty strokes!

great tempo today, didn't try to do too much
remember in setup to allow right elbow/arm to swing through (stay out of way)
body turn will give arms free ride to pass through ball
driver setup to allow club to strike ball on upswing. stare at same part of ground as normal shots.

borrowed dave's putter
ping redwood zb with 2.5 deg loft, 34.5 ", 365 gram with tungsten weight, 1/2 shaft offset

faldo lesson/right thumb

think about right thumb fingernail on short putts. (tiny area on outside thumbnail)
think about this spot and trace swingpath

this works on full swings too!!!!!!

when getting in trouble on driver swings, remember to keep backswing short and make sure to follow correct steepness in path---i tend to get too flat with backswing

tempo on chips, one potato two potato
let body swing the ball. much slower than arm swing.
focus on angle of attack, my tendency to get to flat is here as well

swing thoughts

http://perfectgolfswingreview.net/impact.htm

aiming point ahead of ball
get hands to aiming point before clubhead to maintain angle (no flip)

manzella youtube episode 1
slap at the wall with left backhand, maintain angle (no flip)

weight shift
rotate left forearm

slicefixer 9-3 drill. do this over and over.
make sure body swings club rather than arms.
club in fingers of right hand.

why i love caddies

dang they make the game easier, esp on courses you don't know that have a lot of mounds.
-i always learn at least one new shot from them.this year it was (1)the putter from the junk blast out and (2)the wedge to the backstop green and roll it back to the hole instead of flopping it short-those guys are like ball bloodhounds-i brought 51 balls with me for 8 rounds and i returned with 3 dozen +, which is a minor miracle although it is harder to lose balls when the fairway is 100 yards wide. i did manage to lose some though when the line we picked was a little too conservative and i ran out of fairway. also that helps to keep the scores down.-if you are walking, it really helps to not have to rake the bunkers or carry your bag-they have great stories to tell-pace of play much better, can give you aiming lines when you have blind shots. can also keep an eye on the ball to see where it winds up for you while you are behind the mounds. i think next year. i need to be a little more conservative about where i hit it too distance wise if i can't see above the mound to know where the ball winds up.-help keep scores from blowing up -really help with distances in the wind-really help with distances to carry hazards-really help with distance to front of green on courses you don't know and when you have to leave it short of the green. the gps were nice for front of the green. i hadn't considered that before. lasers are nice for the flag but at bandon you aren't going at the flag too often. also in the wind the lasers can have trouble locking on.
i think green reading is very tough for the caddies. so much depends on how you strike the putt and the speed you pick. when you are putting for 20 yards away (or more) the speeds can be off a considerable amount. after 6 rounds they were doing much better than early on. still, everyone was burying long putts. very fun.

bandon dunes

caddies are great!
dane and jeff wilson next year

pick a line off the tee. can be a very left line to leave a margin for slice and possibly get a good line into the green.

short backswing, long follow through.
especially for putts.
tempo tempo tempo

won low net this year. fells great. going for 'a' flight next year.

range discoveries

tempo tempo tempo-one potato, two potato (strike ball on two)
take narrow stance, slightly open for wedge, square for longer clubs. keeps weight from shifting back.
head still! head still! head still!
focus on following down the line
slow backswing to top, make sure you lift club high enough and rotate club open
pause
shift weight forward and let arms follow (don't swing arms), leg driven swing

start with short backswing, set and weight forward
middle length backswing, set and weight forward
feel the shot and then step up and swing!

chipping discoveries

lie is incredibly important. club may be grabbed by grass. look at direction grass lies in. decide first whether you can bump and run or whether you have to fly it there.

check green for ridges and slopes. sometimes knowing it will run past 8' is better than worrying about it running down the slope 20'

range discoveries

whippy-use it!
don't stress the shaft with regular clubs. good things will happen.
stay level. keep head still

chase ball down the line-helps a lot
when ball flies to right and looks like push, it is because left side stopped turning. finish the turn.

finish backswing and
hit the ball with the pivot

range discoveries

shawn clement momentum
need arms to swing with their own momentum.
keep head tilted back as shawn recommends. learn how to look at ball from that angle
remember ian woosnam tip to keep ball logo in back and hit the logo with the club.
cannot relax arms enough. ball gets in the way.
club should hit ground several inches in front of ball with momentum towards target

keep working on short game. lower case y.
focus on landing area of ball.
short game is also momentum shot, ball gets in way.

putting
turn chest
remember to pick line and speed as putt approaches hole

last two rounds were not very good

great driving, great putting. great sand game
first sandie par.
great up and downs, for par.

short irons are killing me. top them, thin them. 8 shots into water or ob
51/51

need to remember to stay level, when backswing gets too long i tend to lift up.
swing within yourself, don't swing too fast.
focus on hitting sweet spot and area 4" in front of ball.
don't sway back on backswing
especially on chips

work on uneven lies.
stay in balance and make sure to hit center of clubface with ball. for example, on downhill sidehill shots, stay on heels.

demo day

alignment alignment alignment
turn chest with dead arms
tendency to throw right hand causes club to come in steep
visualize swinging up on the ball and turning chest

putting
turn chest, dead hands
follow thru low

switching to 9 degree, stiff flex driver due to ballooning ball flight with 10.5

rapture v2 diamana blue board s flex 9 degree seems to be the bomb

range session

finish with club over left shoulder
open clubface on backswing
tempo
relax left arm
if hitting fat, too close to ball

visualize shot, work on alignment

very important discovery!!!!! lesson

driving the ball
i tend to tense the left hand causes dead pulls and pushes
focus on keeping it very relaxed and i get great distance and a straight ball or slice
if i turn my right hand (rotate forearm) over properly, slice goes away.

remember to keep shoulders from spinning out, swing arms underneath.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

don't get too close to the ball
line up with ball near toe of driver.

putting-
relax hands!!!!!!!!!short thumbs on both hands.

playing lesson

went to try and replicate tee shots that i've been having trouble with
#2-tee up on left side.
#4 tee up to right tall tree
#5 tee towards wide, tallest tree--hit several shots to wedge distance from there

pearls-
broken tee means i'm standing too close
fat shots means i'm too close (steep)

tips-
good finish position with club on left shoulder results from right hand closing club!!!!!

**need to rotate clubface closed on drives, not hang on and steer.
rotation is with hands!!!!!! not shoulders
shoulders cause that big pull of death
remember tempo****************don't need to swing fast, just need solid contact
think of swinging arms around while shoulders hold their position.
**visualize shots
**alignment needs work. practice alignment
**driver-stand further from ball to shallow swing. ball near toe of club.


continue to work on opening clubface on backswing and downswing and then rotating closed with right hand

push/pull lesson

takeaway too inside is the likely cause of push/pull inconsistency for me

early wrist cock. open face slightly. then turn shoulders.
see gary carter golf channel academy on tivo

remember to keep speed stable end of backswing speed = start of downswing speed.
think whippy.
keep coke can between wrists.

---------
short game-
when chipping-you must finish shot.
use legs.
widedivots-
http://widedivots.com/video/swing/776/john-merrick
http://widedivots.com/video/swing/238/casey-paul

round from blues

par! hole 1 with 21 and 9i
hole 2-right is way better than left
par 9 with 21, 6i, 50

birdie! on 3 21, 8i, 1 putt

uphill shots need lots more club! watch this.

still playing horribly with longer clubs-wild pushes and pulls
on 4 yanked left again with 6 iron!
still yipping chips and long putts
laser helps a lot!

rounds

5/1 45

5/2 52

putting getting better.
remember preshot routine on chips.
visualize.

hole 9-consider 7i 7i w

when uncomfortable on full swing shots, remember to imagine stand bag behind you as swingplane
remember to visualize swing path and slightly descending blow
finish! not finishing leads to bad pushes.
slow backswing down, tempo!

practice session

putting-watch right hand grip esp thumb and index finger. thumb down grip, index finger with rest of fingers
separate hands slightly--no overlap
practice swinging it to distances 1/4 way there, 1/2 way there, 3/4 way there, all the way there
tempo tempo tempo
keep clubface square and moving towards line (cup for short putts)
keep follow through low
remember to keep coke can between forearms.
imagine wine glass on putter head
keep right wrist flexed greg norman secret

fullswing
imagine arc of swing, compressing ball
then backswing on that arc--very higher than i would do naturally
toss club, make sure not to cross the line
tempo-pitching wedge swing
swing right arm through down the line.

continue to work on chipping with dead hands, right arm follow through down the line
short backswing
balance wine glass on clubhead

sand
don't open club too much. finish swing. bacon strip divot in sand.
follow backswing arc, see above
keep weight forward, don't sway back. don't close the clubface on downswing.
keep coke can between forearms

putting lesson

went to address the 4 putts i had yesterday
good news-first par of season, first sandie, good driving day, good iron day

learned that right hand keeps taking over, leading to inconsistency with tendency to miss sweet spot and pull putts left.
work on right hand grip, particularly keeping thumb on top and index finger underneath, and grip relaxed
extend right arm on follow through
let gravity swing the club
set up 2x4 to practice follow through

remember-practice putts at 3 speeds and read different lines as appropriate.
on long putts, focus on distance, not on the line.
keep putter square through impact and on follow through.
continue working on same preshot routine.


pitching-
turn body back
short backswing
right wrist bent (greg norman's secret)
turn body through, arms passive, will compress ball
extend arms on follow through

practice session

remember to chip and putt with wrists set as described in watson's book. keep left elbow stable. these things dramatically reduce fat shots.
set weight to left. feet slightly open. focus on line.
remember backswing-don't let club get too low on backswing.
tempo is very important.
let right arm swing through

work on putting preshot routine
visualize distance from behind ball on line.
toss ball there.set up next to ball take practice swing. focus on line
set club down. take stance.
swing. tempo very important.
let right arm swing through.

practice session and full swing lesson

stand behind ball
pick line
pretend to toss ball to hole
set up and practice putt while looking at target
put putter down and then putt


putting and chipping
remember to keep weight forward
eyes 4" in front of ball
let gravity pull club forward
keep coke can between wrists
right arm through

full swing
remember to keep weight from swaying
all swings should be wedge swing
lift clubhead early and then toss up
lay club off since tendency is to cross the line
wedge swing through-coke can between wrists
right arm through.
eyes 4" in front of ball
especially with driver may need 6-8" in front of ball--wedge speed/relax!

sand
keep weight forward--this is an arms swing
take club back slightly outside
focus on entry point, ball forward in stance, forward of normal place where club hits ground
turn chest through and finish shot!

work on one thing at a time

golf fix with nick faldo
saved on my tivo
basically i need to be careful to pick one thing to work on at a time and stick with it.
for example if putting-work on distance control
do not worry about line, work on line another visit

putting-
pretend can of coke between wrists. keep arms extended, gravity will swing club.
gauge distance first before stepping up to ball. pretend you are throwing ball to hole.
step up and swing.
focus on keeping face square

full swing today
work on takeaway only start club on line with slight rotation of face to open, then toss club up (tuck right elbow)--use mirror to make sure staying on plane.
next-
go slow on takeaway.
next-
weightshift and let arms follow

full swing lesson today

problem-
duck hooking and pushing shots

what we found on video was that i was taking it back inside and with a very shut face the whole way. i made it even worse by crossing the line at the top.

fix-like charles barkley
swing up and then flip right elbow so that club stays outside hands
flip club over right shoulder with club laid off
and then turn body, arms will follow


sand shots
focus on entry spot
make sure to keep weight down (don't lift), keep weight forward, swing down line, knocking tee out from under ball, DO NOT FLIP AT BALL

widen stance slightly
shorten backswing-just need little flip
sort of like peter jacobson talking about ferris wheel swing.

chipping lesson today

hold club really upright. really upright. get heel off the ground completely.
this will keep you from stubbing and hitting fat shots.
k.i.s.s.

lesson today

clubhead very closed-need to open clubface a little on backswing
practice with wide stance
get over to left side! rotate around arch of left foot
keep arms relaxed
focus on keeping club in fingers

remember pace--put a number on pace, maybe 50 mph
think larry mize

first lesson after winter

practicing indoors leads to flat swing plane and inside takeaway.
watch for this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CSHqnYNijw
shawn clement on weight shift.
this is critical for my swing.
toss the club back.
fall forward onto left heel.
then forward weight shift occurs around left arch for stability--butt rotates away from ball back to midline (stays on tush line) as chest turns/ arms go forward for balance.
turn chest, let arms fall.

toss-fall-fall

look at larry mize tempo!
focus on getting tempo you want. assign a number like mph
10 then 20 then 30 and then remember to focus on matching that tempo

when chipping and putting-remember to practice swing and focus on where you want club to end up. then step up to ball, look at target, and swing.

putting routine-swing and get feel for distance you want
align clubface, then right foot, then left foot, look at target spot, and swing.

hands-
don't grip in palms
watch right index finger, think of holding ball between grip and right index finger (golfwrx pureballstriker). let club drop into place during swing. maintain forward press. like painting the ground with the club.
focus on spot few inches in front of ball to contact ground with club

grip grip grip

keep club in fingers

weight of club rests in v between thumb and index finger--right hand on backswing and left hand on follow through.

focus

grip-baseball grip with grip in fingers. make sure palms are parallel. short backswing

focus on spot where maximum acceleration desired. this may be 4-6" ahead of ball. focus on taking tiny divot at that point.

remember to focus on staying down the line longer. visualize path to swing over. keep arms close to body to shallow out swing path.

visualize a golf club held horizontally at wrist level that hands pass under during swing

body turn/ weight shift does the work, arms will follow, hands will turn over on their own. club will pull you to finish when done correctly.

jan 09 captiva island

swing changes are coming along great.
inside out now. problems are pushes and hooks rather than pulls and slices

i need to really focus on fundamentals, including alignment, grip, especially baseball grip and keeping grip in fingers rather than palms

try to maintain short backswing, right arm no further than parallel
remember tempo-pretend i am keeping coin on top of club, especially with putter
follow through down the line. keep head still after ball leaves club, esp with putter.

focus on pulling left hip back and pushing forward with right hip. golf magazine feb and march focus on jb holmes, angle of attack and pushing right hip forward. remember to keep left arm close to body. right arm has to stay close to body. continue to accelerate past impact

with chips, make sure to remember to follow through. focus on finish position. remember ball strike will be early on in swing and need to keep finishing. accelerate through contact.

don't over rotate left hand, leads to hooks.

flopped a pitch in for a birdie! first two pars of season. great start!