Finally
starting to practice in 2014 after too much snow, when is it going to
end? I found a couple hours to go over to the University of
Maryland range. I had planned to go the the Laurel Golf Center
on Route 198 and get the all you can hit deal with one condition...
if they had raised the price to $24 I would boycott their
establishment unless they were the last range on the planet. I
figured with the weather breaking and their prices have been creeping
up steadily over the years that they'd push it even further... sure
enough the prices was $24 for all you can hit.... RIP OFF. I've
watched that price creep up from what was once $12, then $14 and
later $20 it had reached the point where it would take hitting 4
large buckets to make it worth it and by then my back would seize up.
Finally
at the University of Maryland, I stretched ... hamstrings, back,
shoulders and some swings with two clubs. Then I started up through
the bag with a 52 degree wedge and up through my 7 iron. With my
putting success centered around a VERY relaxed grip to lag the putter
during the stroke and keep my hands out of the release I wondered if
the same feel would help my full swing.
I
hit 1/3 of the bucket feeling like I was hitting everything heavy. Quick
analysis I realize at setup my arms are slack or even slightly bent
but I'm probably extending them through the downswing... fat shot.
Standing taller and hovering the club with extended arms had an
immediate difference. Tying in the relaxed grip and slower back
swing had me striping the ball with all of my clubs up through the
driver. I hit the rest of the bucket with those three keys...
Based on these tests proving to be successful I'll do drills for the next few weeks each day and night for about 10 minutes getting used to/comfortable with this part of the setup and backswing
- PROBLEM: hitting chunky shots where my arms are slightly relaxed/bent at address and coming back to the ball extended
- FIX: Taller posture and getting arms fully extended when addressing the ball. Don't rest the club, moving toward hovering instead of grounding the blade on irons.
- PROBLEM: Tension in hands and arms leads to hands control of back swing
- FIX: Very light grip pressure... like a 4 or 5 helps set the club on transition to create lag
- PROBLEM: Back swing and transition are too quick. The club isn't getting set, I'm not getting all the way into my right side before I move down to the ball. I'm pulling shots WAY left.
- FIX: Slow the tempo of the back swing and transition down. Ridiculously slow off the ball to feel set into right side.
- FEEL: Feel the right foot push off into the instep to start the transition and bump into left side... feel my chest turning like I'm rotating the buttons on my shirt to turn them toward the target. This feels like I've got my hips beginning to clear and I link up my rotation of my chest after that to really cover the ball... my right elbow is getting back to my side through that phase and I'm primed to hit from the inside. I feel free - not stuck - to hit the ball from a balanced position
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