3 Weeks of the WORST Project EVER - The US Gov't Owes me $....

2 Tough tournaments, a GREAT lesson, 2 hours of practice and a 4 under par round on an easy course... I figure entry fees, time and expenses that adds up to $500 the government owes me.  Plus they have royally screwed my golf schedule... I wanted to play Bulle Rock "the only 5 star course in Maryland" Saturday, not with this ragged game I have.

I have worked 55 hours a week for the last 3 weeks on a project only for them to ditch the entire design and start over.  In that time I got in ZERO practice on the lower body move that will revolutionize my golf game.  Staggering improvement in my wedge game and effortless drives where I had to work hard for the distance and accuracy I achieved before.  SO... back to the drawing board.

That's the bad news.  The good news is ai have the cash for new equipment (minus a weekend getaway for my wife)... An unexpectedly short sale of my Triumph Sprint ST... 12 year old motorcycle - I have the check for $2250 in hand.  I have ordered the title and am waiting for a lawyer to send me the lein release (that I can't find for my own negligent filing practices.



The questions is what to get?  So far I've only hit the new Titleist 714 AP2's that my cousin bought and they are SWEET!  The sole grind really released from the turf well as described.  I might be crazy but it seems like they were a half to full club longer than my current AP2's (Generation 2).  I am also curious about the CB's from Titleist, the Calaway's and I should hit Ricky Fowler's Cobra's just to see if the muscle back blade feels as good as it looks w/ a little color flair!

MD Open was tough.  As I was concerned, time spent on full swing impacted preparedness for short game.  However, the fix Brendan put in place led to excellent tee shots, very straight. Felt very confident on the tee on tight tee shots.  Iron shots were hot and cold but I never felt real confident over them for direction or distance.  In the end I decided to shoot at pins with those shaky irons and made bogeys on 5 of the 7 holes I had left to play.  Inflated my final round score.


STROKES LOST: 23

PUTTING: 2 three putts

SAND: 7 (7,11,13,18)

CHIPPING: 6 (3,4,5,8,15,17)

PITCHING: 3 (8,1,15)

TEE SHOTS (Par 4's & 5's): 5 (7,8,9,11)

PLAN OF ACTION:

• Get back involved with a coach, Brendan Horton. 
• Come up with a project plan for improvement
• Get fit (core) to increase consistency, distance and reduce fatigue
• Get new equipment
• Roll all learned into our book to help others 

Quick Note for MD Open Final 8 holes

Maintain your height in the back swing.  Maintain good tempo!

Also, found way to get wood aligned... Feet together club in left hand and club head to left of feet lean forward and see direction of arrow.

I'm BACK! Thanks to Brendan Horton out of Olney Golf Park

SOOOO!  Taking Brendan's advice literally as well as a borrowed 3 Wood I played  Cross Creek Tuesday, 8 July 2014.  Maybe jumping out of the car and going straight to the 1st tee wasn't such a smart idea but weather was coming through in 3 hours so I had to play ahead of it...

Although I struggled a bit on the 1st two holes with no warm up by the 2nd shot on hole 3 I had developed a feel and hit the ball solidly.  The real turning point was the tee shot on 4.  I hit my Taylormade 4 hybrid perfectly with the better setup position and wow.   220 dead straight leaving me 150 to the hole.  8 iron was tracking  and left me 12 feet ... good stroke but made par.  Hole 5 I got it to the left side of the green for from 210 from the elevated tee.  For the next several holes tee shots felt free and went straight at my targets.l

In particular was the tee shot on 8. I hit the Titleist 910 FD and it felt great releasing through the ball.  Like an arrow it struck the center of the fairway.  The approach, with the better club alignment, was dead straight but a hair long.  The real fun was hole 9.  Again with the perfectly struck 3 wood.  From 119 my 52 degree wedge landed within a foot of the hole and checked up at 6 feet.... made the birdie.

Each hole after I hit shots online and solidly. When I didn't they were barely offline but on the green.  Hole 13 I hit a driver down wind and caught the hill for a 350 yard drive (again, wind and hill aided but I hit it solid).  Birdie.

STATS: Simple

10 fairways
15 greens
Even Par (+1 front, -1 back)

Now I just need to focus on shortgame to get up and down more consistently in prep for the MD Open st5arting 14 July 2014

GOAL: TOP 40 and make the cut.  It will require smart play, good choices and great putting. I'm confident though, I put on a Super Stroke putter grip and it feels great on the course.  When using the line on the ball my setup feels more solid and the stroke rolls the ball online each time.

Brendan Horton to the Rescue

Been a while again - had something going well and then I lost it, bad.  Was hooking the ball off the planet and I can't take that into Lakewood.  Texted Brendan and he said he'd take a look today (7/7/14)

I played yesterday and kinda figured out at least one problem, was coming over the top a bit and as he suggested my body was slowing causing my hands to take over.

At the range he looked at me hitting a few wedges and then an 8 iron and amazingly zeroed in on the problem quickly and made astute simple suggestions. I spent some time asking more questions to ensure I could retain what he explained.  The result is below...

1. Tempo. He had me hit 52 degree wedges. A club you wouldn't swing fast. I hit standard shots - you know - to your number
2. Then he handed me an 8 iron, told me to swing with same tempo.  
3. Then he observed my setup
1. I sole the club toward the back third of the sole with the grip pointed at my center and the face lays open slighty. Then I adjust hands, spine angle and other wiggles.
2. I then get comfortable including setting my spine angle to the right which further adjusts the face of the club unknowingly w/ that "sitting in"and shoulders opening
3. Then in the swing, with so much tilt to the right and shoulder angle my takeaway of the club is going back outside the ball and dragged inside
4. Swing
1. I was still dropping my elbow straight down and then sweeping the ball
2. Not bad if I do it consistently but it won't work with my current setup and takeaway

FIX:

1. Sole the club in the center with the face square and pinch with left hand
1. Longer irons will set to not get the leading edge too close to ground
2. Wedges will setup with leading edge naturally close to ground
2. Then grip and address the club with both hands with it properly soled
3. The V between my left and right hands is centered at my chest
4. The shaft points up my left arm (he stuck a orange pole in the grip and it went right up my left arm under my elbow and behind my shoulder joint)
5. Don't tilit or move spine angle
6. Widen feet to ensure shoulders stay square to feet/hips/club

SWING:  

1. From there I swung the club back with current backswing but better tempo... 
2. He said not too slow - good rythme back and down at same pace
3. Gotta be sure to let the backswing finish before starting down
4. With the adjustments the ball started more online and had some fade due to me or the wind but playable if I aim at center of green.

BALL POSITION

1. Be conscious of position of 3,4,5... 6...7,8... 9,W,52,58
2. 3W was further up and it produced a much better shot when not too far back compared to 2H

Up and down... up and down. I've taken the last 30 days to explore finding a key to my inconsistency.  With just barely over 2 weeks to the MD Open I'm experimenting with my swing to eliminate the fixes and inconsistency, probably not smart but its the most interested in golf I've ever been.

I've had flashes like playing with my cousin at Bretton Woods Country Club... 4 holes of trying a good backswing and transition/turn through the ball ... +4.  14 holes of just step up, aim and hit it with good tempo... +4 (poor putting)  I hit my drives and irons shots online with power.

One day at Cross Creek driving range I found something, the next I was unable to find the green.  I lost 4 days to a family vacation in Virginia Beach Virginia but not before I snuck in a practice.  I fooled around with a tip from Martin Kaymer where you make backswings with a tennis ball between your forearms.  Kept me connected, added width.  I stripped the ball.

25 June 2014 I return from Virginia Beach I go to MD but the range is closed.  A visit to the county owned Paint Branch driving range revealed heavily worn mats. I stuck it out though and again, being very mechanical produced horrible shots...

Today, 26 June 2014 I again go to MD University.  I luck up and find about 40 balls in various bays at the range. I collect them up and proceed to hit 140 balls.  I decided to not get mechanical and focus on two simple things

1. A square setup 
2. Athletic out toward balls of feet
3. Turning my head to see down the line to the target
4. Slow tempo
5. 3/4 backswing - basically getting my back to the target but not turning so far that I get my right elbow behind me
6. Release the club.  My hold on swing basically is a trap shot.

Wow.  All the wedges and 9 iron were MONEY!  I hit a few poorly but largely I hit them full distance with about 80% effort and they felt SOLID.  I did have problems if I didn't align the mat with the target.  However, once straight I had to be conscious of my shoulder alignnent.

I was most impressed by the 210 yd 3 iron.  Straight 3 irons were low and hot.  I needed height.  I setup aimed left of the green and slightly opened the face.  I swung through and it faded to the flag!  4 iron, same.. getting square I could it it very solid and 200yds (190 is usual 4 iron)

3/4 swing isn't really 3/4 - just feels that way. No mechanical thoughts of setting right hip or backswing.   Just slow takeaway and transition with full release of the club - no holding back!

THIS IS MY SWING UNTIL 17 JULY 2014. Now its all about shortgame ... wedge distance control, chipping, pitching and putting.

Tomorrow I will schedule my practice round on "Lakewood Country Club!"

28 May 2014

 Last night I subscribed to a new YouTube channel from Adam Huyck

I think this is what I need to increase my distance and consistency late in rounds.  Discovered my mobility and balance was inconsistent from one side of my body (left to right) than the other.  Check out his videos especially Thoracic Rotation and other rotational movements!