That’s pretty hilarious. Nothing makes me laugh harder than my own shanks. I get it though, it’s frustrating.
I’ve gone radio silent because I’ve been reworking my entire swing with an instructor. He’s trying to turn me into a draw player but is close to giving up because he says my swing is naturally built for a fade. But he wants to give me more distance, so that’s what we’re working on. It’s so fucking hard to turn my hands over. They just don’t do it - even if I grip the club super light. I’m fighting a decades old baseball habit, where you don’t really rotate your hands through the swing.
Fighting a few other minor things like a tendency to go to the outside at the start of my downswing but overall my instructor says my swing looks way better than the results I’m getting. He also changed my grip from strong to neutral and I lost about 40 yards off all clubs instantaneously - that was pretty frustrating.
He has a lot of faith in my game because he says my short game is excellent. I sort of believe him - the fact I can score in the 90’s even though I shank about half my shots is totally my game inside 100 yards. Inside 100, I’m rarely taking more than 3 or 4 strokes at worst to the hole. Extremely rarely - only if I whiff my wedge approach and that’s the only club I can consistently hit well. I also haven’t 3 putted in several weeks. Not as many 1 putts as I’d like but my putting is so strong right now I’m a little scared of it randomly leaving me, it’s all I got.
Played much better today and think I solved my driver woes. I’m playing the ball a bit more forward in my stance and teeing it a wee bit higher. Only sliced one off the planet and it was a provisional that I didn’t use. Yanked a couple left but nothing crazy. Woods were decent but didn’t hit any on the button so they were 20 to 30 yds short, at least they were in play. Superchunked a couple of 2nd shots with long irons I wish I could have back, every time it was off a drive I split the fairway with, ugh that drives me nuts. Short game and putting were very good, no GIR but I was close a lot which led to some nice chips. Took a cart today cause weather was iffy but it held til I putted out on 18, always nice to have the rain start as you’re loading the clubs in the car, haha!
Some more golf in Western Mass in October. First picture doesn’t do it justice as to the severatity of the slope is incredible. I hit my normal 260-270 yard drive. It ended up 325 down the slope for a 6 iron into the green.
Played a few rounds recently but was too lazy to post them, mostly 100+ with the usual issues. Hit a new course today, one of the local Town courses, it was in great shape and at $24 to walk a bargain! It’s on the short side which is good for someone like me that doesn’t get it out there far. Other than a couple of disaster holes I played pretty well. Driver was working, only had to chip out of trouble a couple of times. Was swinging a little slower with the irons and making pretty good contact. Short game was Ok but my putting sucked, lotta wuss strokes led to several 3 putts on small greens. Running out of golfable weather but plan to play here more next year. Winter sucks.
Saw a ton of foxes today, first time seeing them on a course. Surprising since it’s located in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Guys they paired me with said they almost disappeared 3 years ago but are coming back strong now.
I broke 90!!!..at a par 65. :( First time playing here, weird but cool course, 2 dogleg par 5s and 9 par 3s. Very hilly and a tough walk for my old bones but I’ll play here again when it’s not crowded. Course is packed tight and it seems like there’s a lot of opportunity to hit/get hit with stray shots. Greens were punched and sandy so I’d like another crack at it when they’re in shape.
hitting the ball more consistently since my lessons but still a huge loss in distance after he changed my grip to neutral. With a super strong grip I gain 30 yards on every club. He won’t let me though until I can consistently hit a draw and a fade on command. I can do a fade or a slice on command, and I can sort of pull the ball on command, but I can’t really master the draw. He’s about to give up on me. I have a really hard time turning my hands over, it’s a hold over from how much baseball I played. I think I’m just a natural fade player and that’s fine. I’d rather he teach me how to power fade.
Right now my driver is about 175 yards off the tee. It’s way too short to really play most courses, even a 330 yard par 4 plays a little long for me, hitting 5 iron or a hybrid into the green I almost never strike it well. From that distance I’ve only ever hit a green twice in my life. But like literally every second shot has to be one of those two clubs and I can only hit the 5 iron a buck 50, (down from about 200).
What’s crazy is it was so blatant and with cameras everywhere. Suggests there’s probably hundreds of similar incidents when the cameras arent around. Scumbag.
Been spending the offseason getting lessons and practicing.
My putting has improved immensely. 12-15 footers are all makeable putts for me now which used to be extremely difficult 2 putts. I rarely miss anything inside 5 feet anymore. It’s improved my average score by like 7-8 strokes a round.
Chipping has fallen off a little because I’ve spent much more of my practice time with putting and full swing shots. My pitching is ok.
But man, I was getting really discouraged until today. After my lessons - I was only hitting my 5 iron about 140 yards, on a good shot. It made absolutely no sense to me, or my instructor. I think he thinks I’m lying when I say my 5 iron should be at least a 175 carry, 190+ on a really good day. I’ve hit greens on short par 4’s with it before.
Not that I’m super long - I’m probably a little above average when I’m playing well, and my clubs are lofted 1 club up (eg 5 iron is really a 4 iron) but god damn, 140 yards??? I was hitting a 7 iron into a 105 yard shot the other day.
Finally figured out today after watching videos of myself is that I have not been hinging my wrists in my backswing, basically just all arms and casting it really badly. As soon as I started hinging my wrists and thinking about club lag during the shot, boom 40 yards on all my clubs. I went from hitting my 60 degree about 35 yards to 70, just by hinging my wrists in the backswing.
I’m so fucking relieved. I had a round with 3 birdies the other day, shot an 88 for the first time. And that was with my suck ass swing. I’m excited to see what I can do now that I have my distance back and my putting is fire.
Super excited for the 2020 season now - I was dreading it a lot until today. I figured I was probably going to quit before summer at this rate.
January heat wave, 62deg but windy as all hell. Steady 25+mph with some nasty gusts but who cares, I played golf!! Played decent considering my Driver was a mess. Hit 2 of everything, 2 slices, 2 push lefts, 2 pop ups, 2 snap hooks…and 2 good ones
Everything else was very good, I’m just torching the Cobra F8 7/8w I bought recently, it works great everywhere, tee, rough, fairway, bunker, it doesn’t matter. I’m tempted to start putting with it!! Wedges from 80yds and in were particularly good too, impressed the random I was paired with.
Think I’m gonna buy the Cobra 3 and 5 wood the second I finish this post!! Maybe they have the same magic.
