Goal: +3 Next Summer

[stunted]

Continuing from this thread http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1678810-anyone-hitting-tons-of-balls-every-day-how-do-you-get-your-body-ready-for-it/

 

Little bit about me - I'm close to a +3. Played golf all throughout my childhood and on the high school team, best I got to was an inconsistent 3. Next dozen years basically didn't play golf, maybe once a year, few times at the range. A few months ago I found 1atomicgolf's youtube channel, where he teaches "Channel Lock" swing. In just a few range sessions I was hitting it way more consistently than I ever did, and I fell in love with golf again. A month ago I purchased Skytrak, and switched away from the Channel Lock swing. It's a great swing but I was drawing the ball a bit and my goal is a near dead-straight ball flight.

 

+3, am I crazy? My theory is that I can get my swing to where I am hitting 95/100 7 irons inside 10 yards left/right from the center line on Skytrak (solidly struck), and something similar with the driver. Why is 95% important? The inspiration behind this is Steph Curry - he shoots 45% from 3, but I would guess if he was wide open in-game with nobody trying to block it'd be somewhere around 60%. He shoots about 90% on wide open 3's in practice (

), so I figure something above that would mean very elite ball-striking. This guy is also another inspiration, and disproves the idea that launch monitor success can't carry over to the golf course. I plan on upgrading from my 15 year old set of clubs to the Edel single length irons for 7-and-up, should be optimal for what I'm doing (even though I hit my long irons well), but I'm gonna make myself earn them first. I want to be firing at pins on tough, long courses so to me irons are priority. Then I'll work on perfecting the driver, wedges especially, and lastly short game and putting - and start playing a lot next year as well. I'm +3 and better or bust, and analytics has shown long game to be by far the most important. So if I can't hit the ball like I want to (probably by the end of the year), I consider this all a fail and not worth spending time with short game and putting.

 

How do I hit it now? With my current swing I think I am around 60-70% on Skytrak in hitting it within 10 yards of center. My ball flight is near straight with not a lot of curve even on misses, but I still frequently lose my swing. The one round I was able to play post-skytrak and pre-injury I hit my irons very well, but everything else was bad.

 

My plan would be to hit 100-150 deliberate full shots a day, checking video and making sure swing plane is right. I may get online coaching, but would be great to figure this out on my own. Pretty happy with my swing right now. I'll keep track of the last 25 or so each day to know where I'm at and to have something to post. Once I can get 80% consistently, I'll start working on drives. Also I'll end each day doing ladder drills with my wedges until I get bored or have other stuff to do. I have injury concerns - already threw out my back, and I have some issues with my hands/wrists/elbows, probably from hitting off mats and range rocks pre-skytrak. I have divotaction which keeps things from getting worse, but it's not getting better. Hopefully switching to graphite, softer balls, bionic gloves, and jumbomax grips will help. I'd like to mix in working out somehow - I'm decently long but if I can average 10 more yards that'd be great. If I can hit all my long game goals, I'll move the goal to 95/100 within 7 yards of center line, as well as going all in on putting and short game.

 

 

My back is healed so I'm ready to get this started. I hope this is interesting for you guys to read. I'll post screenshots, weekly stats, etc. Interested in making bets on this too. And I predict a continuation from my last thread of unsolicited advice, and arguing over the importance of short game ;)

[GungHoGolf]

The best you’ve been is a 3, and you’re “pretty close to a +3”?

 

More power to ya, but I’d take action on this, if only because you’re not being realistic. Going from a 3 to a +3 is probably 20 times harder than going from a 9 to a 3. It’s not a linear progression.

 

How old are you, and are you going to post up your GHIN with T scores? And will you post video of your swing?

[lewisbeardwell]

This is how you get better, be ambitions, aim for +3 if you fall short at +1 then great. Last summer I started at 7 and aimed for 4 got there after a few months and then found it hard to reset and aim for lower again, wish I set my target lower

[pinhigh27]

How about scratch first and then +3. +3 takes a lot of maintenance. Like play or practice 5x/week+ usually.

[bogeypro]

Getting to + handicap isn’t about beating balls till your hands bleed. It’s about using your brain on the course, playing smart, minimizing strokes from bad shots, and learning how to score.

 

Yes, you will probably need be on course 5 days a week to learn these skills. It’s s long way from 3 to +3.

[stunted]

The best you've been is a 3, and you're "pretty close to a +3"?

 

More power to ya, but I'd take action on this, if only because you're not being realistic. Going from a 3 to a +3 is probably 20 times harder than going from a 9 to a 3. It's not a linear progression.

 

How old are you, and are you going to post up your GHIN with T scores? And will you post video of your swing?

 

I hit the ball better than a 3 now, but my short game is like a 20. I'll post GHIN when I play more, but I won't be playing much the rest of this year besides random rounds with friends or family. I'll eventually post swing video.

 

 

This is how you get better, be ambitions, aim for +3 if you fall short at +1 then great. Last summer I started at 7 and aimed for 4 got there after a few months and then found it hard to reset and aim for lower again, wish I set my target lower

 

Yup that is what I'm thinking too :)

 

 

Getting to + handicap isn't about beating balls till your hands bleed. It's about using your brain on the course, playing smart, minimizing strokes from bad shots, and learning how to score.

 

Yes, you will probably need be on course 5 days a week to learn these skills. It's s long way from 3 to +3.

 

I plan to use bluegolf.com to map out courses I play, even home courses. Figure out strategies based on my shot dispersion and short game odds. But I want to train myself to hit the ball like a machine first. Most sports you need to learn the skills and fundamentals before learning plays, otherwise you can't execute the plays, and I see ball striking as the fundamentals.

[jj9000]

You received some really, really, good suggestions in your other thread.

 

Your issue is that you don't want to listen to suggestions of instructors and players that have been there and done that. Hell, you even have one guy willing to bet you won't make it to scratch.

 

You want to do it your way, which is admirable. However, until you begin to listen, you won't sniff a legit Tournament tested scratch by next summer. I don't care how many SkyTrack balls you bang out.

 

Next week you should start another "Look at me" thread with the same title and contents.

[stunted]

Go play golf.

 

Play 9 holes as opposed to banging out 200 balls.

 

If you still have time after 9 holes, grab your shag bag, and hit the short game area for a while.

 

Much more effective.

 

LOL. That's exactly what I did as a kid. Never got better than a 3 - I was scrambling for my life and hit it everywhere on the course.

[joedizzy1978]

You don’t have to listen to anybody. You know why there isn’t a manual on how to become a successful tour player or + handicap? No one knows. Go out and get it.

[jj9000]

You don’t have to listen to anybody. You know why there isn’t a manual on how to become a successful tour player or + handicap? No one knows. Go out and get it.

 

You want to know how I know you didn't take the time to read his first thread?

[dg_1983]

(even though I hit my long irons well)

 

What club is this? It is just short of my 6iron ball speed but has half the spin........also - turn on the 50shot tracer if you gonna post up, infact better still, dump the export of the shot history

[stunted]

You don't have to listen to anybody. You know why there isn't a manual on how to become a successful tour player or + handicap? No one knows. Go out and get it.

 

100%. To be clear, I welcome advice. There were some great ones in that thread that I'm thankful for and I'm applying them. And the advice that doesn't match my ideas I still may disagree with but it makes me think. But to say I'm absolutely wrong is and their way is 100% correct is ridiculous. I've tried their way - it didn't work. My way isn't guaranteed to work but it's working so far, so I'm going to keep doing it.

 

 

New practice club. Random Miura 7 iron. I gained a good club over my 690cb's. I'm not experiencing any legendary feel with it but probably due to the graphite shaft:

 

 

 

First healthy 20 shots after warming up:

 

Good start, only 5 outside 10 yards right or left. 6 centerlines (<200 spin and <2 degrees). Contact wasn't always consistent, hit some chunky. Used a wilson duo soft spin (bc of the 40 compression) and pro v1 for the rest, which explains the knuckle balls that went 190+ yards. I'm thinking it's best to stick with balls more similar to what I'd game.

[stunted]

(even though I hit my long irons well) What club is this? It is just short of my 6iron ball speed but has half the spin........also - turn on the 50shot tracer if you gonna post up, infact better still, dump the export of the shot history

 

If I want to improve 6-8 strokes in a year, I'm not sure I want to listen to the guy who improved 2 strokes in 4 years.

[Hawkeye77]

Golf isn't Space Invaders.

[bogeypro]

Get off the computer and get to the course. Your approach to this is fundamentally wrong. It reminds me of when rocky was fighting the Russian. Russian was computer trained where rocky was real world trained.

 

The course doesn’t have perfect lies. You need to play for something so you know how your nerves and thinking will react. At this point, you can hit shots..,you just need to get on the course and learn to hit what shot and when.

[gatorpedsMD]

Continuing from this thread http://www.golfwrx.c...y-ready-for-it/

 

Little bit about me - I'm close to a +3. Played golf all throughout my childhood and on the high school team, best I got to was an inconsistent 3. Next dozen years basically didn't play golf, maybe once a year, few times at the range. A few months ago I found 1atomicgolf's youtube channel, where he teaches "Channel Lock" swing. In just a few range sessions I was hitting it way more consistently than I ever did, and I fell in love with golf again. A month ago I purchased Skytrak, and switched away from the Channel Lock swing. It's a great swing but I was drawing the ball a bit and my goal is a near dead-straight ball flight.

 

+3, am I crazy? My theory is that I can get my swing to where I am hitting 95/100 7 irons inside 10 yards left/right from the center line on Skytrak (solidly struck), and something similar with the driver. Why is 95% important? The inspiration behind this is Steph Curry - he shoots 45% from 3, but I would guess if he was wide open in-game with nobody trying to block it'd be somewhere around 60%. He shoots about 90% on wide open 3's in practice (

), so I figure something above that would mean very elite ball-striking. This guy is also another inspiration, and disproves the idea that launch monitor success can't carry over to the golf course. I plan on upgrading from my 15 year old set of clubs to the Edel single length irons for 7-and-up, should be optimal for what I'm doing (even though I hit my long irons well), but I'm gonna make myself earn them first. I want to be firing at pins on tough, long courses so to me irons are priority. Then I'll work on perfecting the driver, wedges especially, and lastly short game and putting - and start playing a lot next year as well. I'm +3 and better or bust, and analytics has shown long game to be by far the most important. So if I can't hit the ball like I want to (probably by the end of the year), I consider this all a fail and not worth spending time with short game and putting.

 

How do I hit it now? With my current swing I think I am around 60-70% on Skytrak in hitting it within 10 yards of center. My ball flight is near straight with not a lot of curve even on misses, but I still frequently lose my swing. The one round I was able to play post-skytrak and pre-injury I hit my irons very well, but everything else was bad.

 

My plan would be to hit 100-150 deliberate full shots a day, checking video and making sure swing plane is right. I may get online coaching, but would be great to figure this out on my own. Pretty happy with my swing right now. I'll keep track of the last 25 or so each day to know where I'm at and to have something to post. Once I can get 80% consistently, I'll start working on drives. Also I'll end each day doing ladder drills with my wedges until I get bored or have other stuff to do. I have injury concerns - already threw out my back, and I have some issues with my hands/wrists/elbows, probably from hitting off mats and range rocks pre-skytrak. I have divotaction which keeps things from getting worse, but it's not getting better. Hopefully switching to graphite, softer balls, bionic gloves, and jumbomax grips will help. I'd like to mix in working out somehow - I'm decently long but if I can average 10 more yards that'd be great. If I can hit all my long game goals, I'll move the goal to 95/100 within 7 yards of center line, as well as going all in on putting and short game.

 

 

My back is healed so I'm ready to get this started. I hope this is interesting for you guys to read. I'll post screenshots, weekly stats, etc. Interested in making bets on this too. And I predict a continuation from my last thread of unsolicited advice, and arguing over the importance of short game ;)

 

lol, I'm a 2.5 @33. my goal is to get to +3 by 40.... G-luck, lol!

 

Get off the computer and get to the course. Your approach to this is fundamentally wrong. It reminds me of when rocky was fighting the Russian. Russian was computer trained where rocky was real world trained.

 

The course doesn't have perfect lies. You need to play for something so you know how your nerves and thinking will react. At this point, you can hit shots..,you just need to get on the course and learn to hit what shot and when.

 

this is great. as said 100000000000x here: it get under scratch u need to PLAY A LOT and get that 100yds and in mastered....

[stunted]

Get off the computer and get to the course. Your approach to this is fundamentally wrong. It reminds me of when rocky was fighting the Russian. Russian was computer trained where rocky was real world trained.

 

The course doesn't have perfect lies. You need to play for something so you know how your nerves and thinking will react. At this point, you can hit shots..,you just need to get on the course and learn to hit what shot and when.

 

I'm a poker player, and all the feel players got run out of the game by the guys who did a ton of computer work. I get what you are saying, and I think there will be some adjustment to playing on the course, but I really don't think it will take long. The one time I played post skytrak it took me 10 holes to get used to playing real golf, and I could get good contact out of tough or sidehill lies, but distance/direction was off. Which I think is easily fixable. And there's another guy who had this to say:

 

I haven't played a round of golf in a month and have pretty much focused exclusively on swinging on the SkyTrak. Had my first round yesterday and shot a 73 which felt like a round that should have been in the 60s. The I turned around and shot a career low 66 today after 3 putting the 1st hole!!!!

 

Had a bad end-of-the-day-25-shot-test, lost my swing 10 shots in and made 11/25. I redeemed myself a little in the next 25, but I decided I'm only going to track the first test every day, otherwise I could just end on a good 25 shot streak.

[Obee]

Looking forward to seeing your tournament scores....

[TTGolf77]

I agree with you that it’s possible to get so good at a simulator that you could be a +3, but I would be more concerned with the fact that your hitting shots fat and have inconsistent contact than how offline a shot goes. There’s probably something fundamentally wrong with your swing that needs to be fixed before you start pounding thousands of balls.

 

 

[Obee]

My journey from 3 to +3 was a bit more ... conventional. I played a lot of golf, including a bunch of tournament golf.

[JaNelson38]

Steve Stricker hit balls out of a trailer in the winter to get his swing back to where it needed to be to compete on the PGA Tour. He did all of this with no machines - he used a mirror and various baskets and targets at certain yardage.

 

You're setting goals based on numbers on a Skytrac machine.

 

Kinda says it all right there, really, and why you'll fail miserably on your quest unless you ditch the machine and actually play golf. Golf isnt played on a simulator. Its played outside. In the elements. On real courses with real grass.

 

Practice less and play more is advice given by dozens of current and past touring professionals. But when you do practice, practice outside. There's nothing that replicates seeing ball flights, or nothing that replicates gaining a feel from short game shots or putting.

[tatertot]

You're figuring your golf goals on made up stats from Steph Curry's practice sessions ... in basketball?

[golfarb1]

According to USGA handicap stats only ~%5.43% of golfers carry a handicap of 2.9 or better,so you are already among a small minority of golfers

Using the same stats shows that those golfers with a handicap of +1 or better comprise less than %1 of all golfers.

I could not find stats for +3 or better ,but I would guess that they would number less than 1/4 of 1 % of golfers.

About 2 million golfers are registered in the USGA handicap system.

For golfers with a handicap of +3 or better ,that means that there are about 5,000 golfers in the US with a handicap of +3 or better.

All of the pros currently on the major tours would qualify for this designation as would those trying to qualify for these tours. .A small% of of non touring club pros would attain that designation as would the top 500-1000 amateurs. in the country.Most of these amateurs are college players.

 

As one ages our brains become less plastic ,meaning that it is becomes progressively more difficult to forge new neural networks that represent a new physical movement.

I am not trying to rain on your parade ,but,the stats and your age are not in your favor

[PowderedToastMan]

What you negative nellies are missing is the very positive fact that he’s hitting a lot of balls, which is practice. You can argue about if there are more effective forms, but it’s still practice.

 

I first got to scratch and plus by spending 6 months doing at least an hour a day of swings, with a mirror, without hitting a ball, and going to the range once a week or so (this was during a Canadian winter). The next summer, in my first PAT, I was third overall in a tournament that does have some pressure (I was 18 and my job depended on passing). I played no other tournaments because I quite literally didn’t have time to.

 

My path was unorthodox, but I knew exactly what I had to do with my swing to play good golf and I stuck to that plan and trusted it and myself. I’m sure that plan would have been picked apart if I had posted it here had this place existed. That probably would have eroded my trust in the plan.

 

I also like taking from basketball, because that was my sport growing up. I was the captain of my team all through school, yet playing 5-on-5 probably only consisted of about 5-10% of my practice time. It doesn’t take long at all to adjust to the flow of a basketball game, and I believe the same can be said for tournament golf (in reality there will be a learning curve, though much shorter if you can embrace pressure and nerves). Just need to embrace the challenge and be ready to go out there and kill it.

[buckeyefl]

Getting to + handicap isn’t about beating balls till your hands bleed. It’s about using your brain on the course, playing smart, minimizing strokes from bad shots, and learning how to score.

 

Yes, you will probably need be on course 5 days a week to learn these skills. It’s s long way from 3 to +3.

 

Hitting hundreds of balls on skytrack is the way to do it. Just ask.

[buckeyefl]

I agree with you that it’s possible to get so good at a simulator that you could be a +3, but I would be more concerned with the fact that your hitting shots fat and have inconsistent contact than how offline a shot goes. There’s probably something fundamentally wrong with your swing that needs to be fixed before you start pounding thousands of balls.

 

You would also be wrong if you believe that nonsense.

[buckeyefl]

What you negative nellies are missing is the very positive fact that he’s hitting a lot of balls, which is practice. You can argue about if there are more effective forms, but it’s still practice.

 

I first got to scratch and plus by spending 6 months doing at least an hour a day of swings, with a mirror, without hitting a ball, and going to the range once a week or so (this was during a Canadian winter). The next summer, in my first PAT, I was third overall in a tournament that does have some pressure (I was 18 and my job depended on passing). I played no other tournaments because I quite literally didn’t have time to.

 

My path was unorthodox, but I knew exactly what I had to do with my swing to play good golf and I stuck to that plan and trusted it and myself. I’m sure that plan would have been picked apart if I had posted it here had this place existed. That probably would have eroded my trust in the plan.

 

I also like taking from basketball, because that was my sport growing up. I was the captain of my team all through school, yet playing 5-on-5 probably only consisted of about 5-10% of my practice time. It doesn’t take long at all to adjust to the flow of a basketball game, and I believe the same can be said for tournament golf (in reality there will be a learning curve, though much shorter if you can embrace pressure and nerves). Just need to embrace the challenge and be ready to go out there and kill it.

 

Hitting a bunch of balls when your swing has flaws that injure your back is not the same path that you took.

 

Hundreds of balls or swingsis only works if you have solid fundamentals. Otherwise you are just engraining a bad swing and making the journey that much longer if not impossible. His other thread he linked is quite informative. +3 is a long journey as you know.

[dg_1983]

(even though I hit my long irons well) What club is this? It is just short of my 6iron ball speed but has half the spin........also - turn on the 50shot tracer if you gonna post up, infact better still, dump the export of the shot history

 

If I want to improve 6-8 strokes in a year, I'm not sure I want to listen to the guy who improved 2 strokes in 4 years.

 

Sorry, what is this based on? My internet forum signature? Are you crazy? For what it's worth, my handicap is better than yours, like way better than yours at a UK scratch. All played in tournaments, with no best of formula or rounds ones can sign themselves. That means that my all round game is way better than yours, like way better, your probably closer to a UK 7. I've maintained that level of play raising a young family and holding down a proper job. To keep you happy and informed I'll update my signature for you and happy to post up my score history to prove I'm miles ahead of you.

 

Also, I was asking a question about the iron used, that you avoided and making a request for data dump, that I see you followed.

 

There is something wrong with your spin numbers, way too low, won't hold any greens that low and the flight isn't going to be good either. Look up the PGA tour trackman averages for ball park. If your going to tell me it's because skytrak is off or the because of the equipment your using you can forget the rest of the numbers, given spin is so vital in calculating flight.

 

I'll bow out now, I wish you luck as I do all improving golfers. Your problem isn't going to be related to golf, more your attitude you have demonstrated here.

[stunted]

As one ages our brains become less plastic ,meaning that it is becomes progressively more difficult to forge new neural networks that represent a new physical movement.

I am not trying to rain on your parade ,but,the stats and your age are not in your favor

 

I have thought about that. Hopefully it's still possible to teach this old dog new tricks.

 

 

What you negative nellies are missing is the very positive fact that he's hitting a lot of balls, which is practice. You can argue about if there are more effective forms, but it's still practice.

 

I first got to scratch and plus by spending 6 months doing at least an hour a day of swings, with a mirror, without hitting a ball, and going to the range once a week or so (this was during a Canadian winter). The next summer, in my first PAT, I was third overall in a tournament that does have some pressure (I was 18 and my job depended on passing). I played no other tournaments because I quite literally didn't have time to.

 

My path was unorthodox, but I knew exactly what I had to do with my swing to play good golf and I stuck to that plan and trusted it and myself. I'm sure that plan would have been picked apart if I had posted it here had this place existed. That probably would have eroded my trust in the plan.

 

I also like taking from basketball, because that was my sport growing up. I was the captain of my team all through school, yet playing 5-on-5 probably only consisted of about 5-10% of my practice time. It doesn't take long at all to adjust to the flow of a basketball game, and I believe the same can be said for tournament golf (in reality there will be a learning curve, though much shorter if you can embrace pressure and nerves). Just need to embrace the challenge and be ready to go out there and kill it.

 

Refreshing to see a positive post, gives me more confidence reading that :). Impressive you got to scratch with basketball being your sport.

 

As for hate I guess it's just with everything, people just rage when you think you can do something a little bit differently, especially when it involves newer technology. It's why I'm hesitant to post my swing. I hope as I age to keep embracing the new along with the old. New tech tends to win out as well - like in basketball analytics has completely changed the game.

 

And practice absolutely carries over to real competition. You always hear of people saying Curry, Kobe, Durant, etc, shooting 500-1000+ shots per day. You don't hear about how many pickup games they play. Golf-wise it's really amazing how much skytrak work carried over. My first round post-skytrak it felt very weird (only my 2nd round of the year), but although my brain was confused, muscle memory took over pretty quickly. My body just knew what to do to create the shot needed, it blew my mind how automatic it was. Even for lies I didn't practice. For those that don't believe me, I recommend them try it! Hit lots of balls with near-perfect feedback for a week with singular focus, then enjoy the best ball-striking round of your life.

 

 

 

Hitting a bunch of balls when your swing has flaws that injure your back is not the same path that you took.

 

Hundreds of balls or swingsis only works if you have solid fundamentals. Otherwise you are just engraining a bad swing and making the journey that much longer if not impossible. His other thread he linked is quite informative. +3 is a long journey as you know.

 

Very concerned about this, and I may have to take another week off. I don't have a pretty swing, but people with good swings get injured all the time so it isn't always easy to pinpoint what's wrong. Don't know what's throwing out my back, I'm hitting a lot of balls but it's not a crazy amount (far from 300/day). Could be my low finish or something in the transition. Wrists feels sore no matter what I do. I shot out an email to a guy who specializes in golf swing mechanics and injury prevention, so that may help.

[RichieHunt]

To get to a +3, you need to shoot some low rounds. The USGA handicap system is such where they take the best 10 scores of your last 20 rounds posted. So, theoretically you could shoot 100 in ten round and still be a +3. So there's a bias towards making birdies instead of grinding rounds out. Statistically, the biggest areas that lead to more birdies are an increase in driving distance, improved play on mid-length iron shots and improved putting from 5-15 feet.

 

 

 

 

RH