Confessions 12 --- Exploding Heads

[Palauan Hammer]

In the quest for golf immortality (okay, grand improvement) has anyone gone so far deep into their own heads it resulted in a Scanners moment? If the reference escapes you, google images is your friend. :tomato:

 

That was me every, single, range session before. Almost got to the point where I couldn't take the club back. My coach saved me though, he's very mental orientated, fundamentals, not into details/launch numbers etc., just suuuuuper old school. When he saw me, first thing he said," stop thinking, I'll tell you when to think" LOL. He made me hit balls at his command, saying go and I had to swing the club or risk having something thrown at me, I love him to death. He has taught me so much, and he actually came to see me the other day so I'm looking forward to working with him when I get back out there.

 

By "something" I'm guessing he was throwing not-so-soft objects :D

 

Yup! Haha, it could be a half full Gatorade bottle, a whack from an alignment rod, you name it. If was swinging poorly he would "shut me down" and make me do a drill for an entire extra large bucket LOL. Oh, and heaven forbid I start talking about shafts or needing new clubs. He'd cut me off and say "when your a player you can hit anything Pari". Then he would grab some old Korean lady student of his drivers, tee one up, and pipe it 270. Dude is nuts, I'm glad I have him to help me.

 

Pari (pronounced Par-E) is a local term here used for your best friend/homie btw haha

[Palauan Hammer]

Halebopp, never been to Australia yet, but I will someday! I'm above the equator on an island named Guam. US Territory, very small, hot and humid all year. It's great it's tropical and everything, trust me I'm not complaining lol, but I do kinda miss seasons. For instance, I never realized how much I love fall golf, it's nice to be out on the course without sweating buckets. The golf ball sure does feel harder though.

 

I also agree that the English language is very confusing. Lots of words are pronounced exactly the same, spelled differently (or the same) but have entirely different meanings.

 

Oh, I know Guam from World War II and the island hopping. If I remember right, there was some Japanese guy holding out well into the 70s but I guess that happened on most of the islands. Before paying attention to your whereabouts, I connected the "Palauan Hammer" to some ancient Roman/Germanic melee weapon. :D

 

What you describe as fall golf would most probably mean summer golf for us. To me fall golf means temperatures around 35-45F, a bit of wind and drizzle. This summer was actually quite bad as it rained on more days than it didn't and needing long-sleeved thermal base layers under you polo shirts in late July.

 

Sorry for the late reply haha. Yes, Guam played a somewhat major role in the Pacific theater during WWII, actually another island in the Marianas chain, Tinian, was where the Enola Gay took off from to drop that horrible bomb.

 

As for the Palauan in my name, I'm actually Palauan, my Grandparents on my Moms side came from Palau. It's further south that Guam. Still part of Micronesia. Beautiful place, great for scuba/snorkeling/fishing and hiking. The water there is FANTASTIC!

[Matt J]

TeeJay, pari. I love it. You're lucky to have a good friend and coach.

 

I got crazy with my cabin fever of being sick on the couch and just placed a big GolfWorks order. Inexpensive swing weight scale, and a bunch of clubmaking supplies. I've been playing around with the idea, but generally have just let the pros do it down at my local shop. Their great and I appreciate them. I will continue to use them some for sure, but I want to be able to assemble a club that's swingweighted correctly in a bind. I bought a dozen S200 shafts to goof around with off of ebay for cheap a while back and also just bought a component head off of GolfWorks, a Maltby gap wedge forged head. I hate their graphics, but I'll load it up with lead tape anyways. :)

 

Also threw a pack of SensiCore vibration dampeners in there. They aren't cheap, but I've been curious about them for awhile.

[scomac2002]

 

Also threw a pack of SensiCore vibration dampeners in there. They aren't cheap, but I've been curious about them for awhile.

 

I had SensiCore inserts installed in a set of Dynalite Gold XP shafts that I had in a set cast cavity back Mizunos that were particularly harsh when I was dealing with tendinitis. I suppose they helped some, but it wasn't like a night and day difference. I ended up switching irons to go with graphite shafts as a permanent solution to the problem. Once I had recovered fully from the tendinitis, I eventually went back to playing steel shafted irons. It has never really occurred to me to revisit the shaft insert method to deal with harsh feedback. I think that the bend profile of the shaft and the type of grip you use has a bigger impact on the level of feedback you get as any vibration damping device.

[DeNinny]

The issue with elbow(s) pain and inserts is that it may not be post impact vibrations that cause the pain. Inserts will damp vibrations that are a result of post impact, but they won't help reduce the high forces on the elbow(s) from impact itself. So inserts may just help you avoid the immediate pain of a mishit, where the clubhead 'hums' or rings after it, but not necessarily help with chronic pain caused by impact itself.

[LittlePoison1980]

In the quest for golf immortality (okay, grand improvement) has anyone gone so far deep into their own heads it resulted in a Scanners moment? If the reference escapes you, google images is your friend. :tomato:

 

That was me every, single, range session before. Almost got to the point where I couldn't take the club back. My coach saved me though, he's very mental orientated, fundamentals, not into details/launch numbers etc., just suuuuuper old school. When he saw me, first thing he said," stop thinking, I'll tell you when to think" LOL. He made me hit balls at his command, saying go and I had to swing the club or risk having something thrown at me, I love him to death. He has taught me so much, and he actually came to see me the other day so I'm looking forward to working with him when I get back out there.

 

By "something" I'm guessing he was throwing not-so-soft objects :D

 

Yup! Haha, it could be a half full Gatorade bottle, a whack from an alignment rod, you name it. If was swinging poorly he would "shut me down" and make me do a drill for an entire extra large bucket LOL. Oh, and heaven forbid I start talking about shafts or needing new clubs. He'd cut me off and say "when your a player you can hit anything Pari". Then he would grab some old Korean lady student of his drivers, tee one up, and pipe it 270. Dude is nuts, I'm glad I have him to help me.

 

Pari (pronounced Par-E) is a local term here used for your best friend/homie btw haha

 

The distance between genius and insanity is measured only by success. ;) We all need some inspirational crazy in our lives. Even better if you can trust them. :D

[Matt J]

I don't have the greatest expectations of the Sensicore inserts, but for 3 or 4 bucks a club if it helps at all and I like the feel, then I'll probably keep using them.

 

Deep dive in replacing the 52 degree wedge with a 51 has turned into a component head, a kicked down used wedge from Mr. Hulk Smash himself, and an odd unknown JDM import. If I hate them all I'm buying a Miura. I think if I take extra good care of them I might get three years. That's still pretty painful on a $200 golf club.

[mdgboxx]

I don't have the greatest expectations of the Sensicore inserts, but for 3 or 4 bucks a club if it helps at all and I like the feel, then I'll probably keep using them.

 

Deep dive in replacing the 52 degree wedge with a 51 has turned into a component head, a kicked down used wedge from Mr. Hulk Smash himself, and an odd unknown JDM import. If I hate them all I'm buying a Miura. I think if I take extra good care of them I might get three years. That's still pretty painful on a $200 golf club.

 

If I add our 15% tax to my (now) $169.99 each, Glide wedges, it comes to $195.50. I pre-ordered them in Feb 2015 @ $175 +tax.

 

IMHO, it's close enough to go for anything on the "preference list"...Just saying, not preaching.

[DeNinny]

LOL MJ is slowly becoming a fellow Miura snob, my Broletariat!

 

So I have just finished my Philly cheesesteak sandwich made with Korean kalbi beef short ribs, and I thought I might post some real confessions again as I relax for the night...

 

It's been a mixed results golf season for me. After breaking 80 at least half a dozen times last season and also shooting my personal best of 75, this season I finally broke 80 (78) last Sunday for the first time. So this season has been bad in terms of scoring as low as I feel that I should. BUT... I also did not have many rounds in the 90s this year either. I probably only shot over 90 (95 being the worst IIRC) less than half a dozen times and also I had more rounds in the low 80s overall, so all this has been a good thing.

 

As far as the specifics of my game, once again it has been highs and lows. My driver was erratic at the start and so I switched to my strong 3w "Big Frank", but still I struggled off the tee big time. Towards the end of the season my swing was improving and I started being able to figure out my driving issues, and so lately I have been driving it well. I have switched to my winter bag and I am realizing I am hitting my 9.5 R5 Dual as far as my buddy who is using an M2. And it is great because he has always been the longest hitter in my regular foursome. A year ago he would always be at least 10 yards farther on his drives. Not anymore!

 

My iron play has been the most improved and most consistent part of my game. I am just loving the baby blades but I have proved I can play any of my sets (MP67s, Retro TBs, and baby blades) very well (and very bad). I have easily improved my GIRs from years past and again I attribute a lot of my improvement to "confessing" our swings and swing methods in here and also exploring and learning the complete science of golf in terms of both the equipment and the swing. I have learned to stabilize my swing center much better. There is little sway in my head and hips position as I swing. I am keeping all the weight and pressure of the swing to stay inside the insteps of my feet. I am learning to limit the length of my backswing through using my chin to be the stopping point for my left shoulder as I get to the top. Most importantly, I am swinging the overall weight of the club and my arms and hands on the "DUST" plane I have mentioned earlier in this thread. My downswing plane is balanced finally and now I just focus on the timing of when I start to release all my lag and let centrifugal force power the clubhead into the ball. The realization of FINALLY understanding HOW to do this with my own authentic swing has been a golf epiphany for me this season. I realize now that I just have to learn how to maintain consistency in all the how, and so I am all about determining the specific FEELs that are associated with good ball striking. It's funny, I think a lot of you get the impression that I am getting into the weeds and too detailed about all the swing mechanics, and maybe I am to some degree, but the end result for me after getting into all the details has been to understand that it is all done to meet some very basic physics objectives that are not complicated at all...low MOI to high MOI, balanced swing plane, stable center, return hands to address position at impact...this is really all it comes down to and the details are no longer confusing and over complicating things for me because again they are just details to support a few simple objectives. I can't emphasize enough how looking at golf as simply a physics or engineering problem with a known "solution" has personally helped me improve. And it has paid off in spades with my iron striking for sure but also my overall swing in general.

 

My wedge game has been a disappointment. I went through a period of simply just choking at the moment of truth of impact and I would either skull it across the green or I would chunk it and not even reach it. It was simply just failure to execute at the moment of truth due to mental blocks and lack of confidence. And since I am OCD-ish I could not break the funk. Towards the end of this season I just started getting more confident and somehow just turned the feedback loop towards the positive. I hope that it keeps up. Also I developed better keys to my wedges that came from my overall swing improvements. I am all about staying flat footed now and also maintaining the same angle between my feet and ankles during my pitches and chips. Just like my swing, my wedge shots have to have a stable base and it starts at the feet. This winter I am going to keep focus on wedge game as a high priority. Keep it in tune and keep up the momentum as I ended the season. This will hopefully get me back to the same wedge game I had several years ago. That golfer is still in me and I just need to find him.

 

And lastly my putting has been up and down. Long putting has been ATROCIOUS. I was pulling them very badly the longer the putt. Also I could not judge the distance like I used to. Only my short and mid range putting was solid, and even with those putts I went through a period of the pulls. I love my new Bosa, but I gotta confess that my old Tri-Hot #1 has been good to me. Finally towards the end of this season I started refining my putting keys and I have realized that the feel of my lead shoulder simply going straight up at impact is very helpful in building a consistent action that I can TRUST.

 

So in a nutshell, I have let some parts of my game regress and slip a little as an expense of my increased focus on ballstriking and applying as much engineering and physics that is in my mental capacity to the swing and the club. I am learning how to engineer my own swing and overall game more and more and that is what is enabling me to make progress at this game. I struggled and my game plateaued years before and continued going into the earlier confessions threads, but now I see an engineering path to swing ownership and my love and enthusiasm for this game is growing because of it.

[Matt J]

Good confession Ninja.

 

One thing that came along accidentally for me with my wedges is warming up with them. I like to hit half and three quarter wedges first with no expectations, but then when I feel warmed up enough to take a full swing I hit just my wedges for awhile. I really try and get my path and face worked out with them and then just hit the other clubs in my bag once or twice before I go out. That's part of the reason my wedges are getting so worn out, but the benefit is my wedge game has improved a ton. Also, getting used to that 1 hop drop knockdown wedge. It's not always inside 5 feet, but you also nearly never miss the green with it. And when it's good, it's real good. Just some thoughts...

 

Best wishes!

 

Good confession Ninja.

 

One thing that came along accidentally for me with my wedges is warming up with them. I like to hit half and three quarter wedges first with no expectations, but then when I feel warmed up enough to take a full swing I hit just my wedges for awhile. I really try and get my path and face worked out with them and then just hit the other clubs in my bag once or twice before I go out. That's part of the reason my wedges are getting so worn out, but the benefit is my wedge game has improved a ton. Also, getting used to that 1 hop drop knockdown wedge. It's not always inside 5 feet, but you also nearly never miss the green with it. And when it's good, it's real good. Just some thoughts...

 

Best wishes!

[mdgboxx]

LOL MJ is slowly becoming a fellow Miura snob, my Broletariat!

 

So I have just finished my Philly cheesesteak sandwich made with Korean kalbi beef short ribs, and I thought I might post some real confessions again as I relax for the night...

 

It's been a mixed results golf season for me. After breaking 80 at least half a dozen times last season and also shooting my personal best of 75, this season I finally broke 80 (78) last Sunday for the first time. So this season has been bad in terms of scoring as low as I feel that I should. BUT... I also did not have many rounds in the 90s this year either. I probably only shot over 90 (95 being the worst IIRC) less than half a dozen times and also I had more rounds in the low 80s overall, so all this has been a good thing.

 

As far as the specifics of my game, once again it has been highs and lows. My driver was erratic at the start and so I switched to my strong 3w "Big Frank", but still I struggled off the tee big time. Towards the end of the season my swing was improving and I started being able to figure out my driving issues, and so lately I have been driving it well. I have switched to my winter bag and I am realizing I am hitting my 9.5 R5 Dual as far as my buddy who is using an M2. And it is great because he has always been the longest hitter in my regular foursome. A year ago he would always be at least 10 yards farther on his drives. Not anymore!

 

My iron play has been the most improved and most consistent part of my game. I am just loving the baby blades but I have proved I can play any of my sets (MP67s, Retro TBs, and baby blades) very well (and very bad). I have easily improved my GIRs from years past and again I attribute a lot of my improvement to "confessing" our swings and swing methods in here and also exploring and learning the complete science of golf in terms of both the equipment and the swing. I have learned to stabilize my swing center much better. There is little sway in my head and hips position as I swing. I am keeping all the weight and pressure of the swing to stay inside the insteps of my feet. I am learning to limit the length of my backswing through using my chin to be the stopping point for my left shoulder as I get to the top. Most importantly, I am swinging the overall weight of the club and my arms and hands on the "DUST" plane I have mentioned earlier in this thread. My downswing plane is balanced finally and now I just focus on the timing of when I start to release all my lag and let centrifugal force power the clubhead into the ball. The realization of FINALLY understanding HOW to do this with my own authentic swing has been a golf epiphany for me this season. I realize now that I just have to learn how to maintain consistency in all the how, and so I am all about determining the specific FEELs that are associated with good ball striking. It's funny, I think a lot of you get the impression that I am getting into the weeds and too detailed about all the swing mechanics, and maybe I am to some degree, but the end result for me after getting into all the details has been to understand that it is all done to meet some very basic physics objectives that are not complicated at all...low MOI to high MOI, balanced swing plane, stable center, return hands to address position at impact...this is really all it comes down to and the details are no longer confusing and over complicating things for me because again they are just details to support a few simple objectives. I can't emphasize enough how looking at golf as simply a physics or engineering problem with a known "solution" has personally helped me improve. And it has paid off in spades with my iron striking for sure but also my overall swing in general.

 

My wedge game has been a disappointment. I went through a period of simply just choking at the moment of truth of impact and I would either skull it across the green or I would chunk it and not even reach it. It was simply just failure to execute at the moment of truth due to mental blocks and lack of confidence. And since I am OCD-ish I could not break the funk. Towards the end of this season I just started getting more confident and somehow just turned the feedback loop towards the positive. I hope that it keeps up. Also I developed better keys to my wedges that came from my overall swing improvements. I am all about staying flat footed now and also maintaining the same angle between my feet and ankles during my pitches and chips. Just like my swing, my wedge shots have to have a stable base and it starts at the feet. This winter I am going to keep focus on wedge game as a high priority. Keep it in tune and keep up the momentum as I ended the season. This will hopefully get me back to the same wedge game I had several years ago. That golfer is still in me and I just need to find him.

 

And lastly my putting has been up and down. Long putting has been ATROCIOUS. I was pulling them very badly the longer the putt. Also I could not judge the distance like I used to. Only my short and mid range putting was solid, and even with those putts I went through a period of the pulls. I love my new Bosa, but I gotta confess that my old Tri-Hot #1 has been good to me. Finally towards the end of this season I started refining my putting keys and I have realized that the feel of my lead shoulder simply going straight up at impact is very helpful in building a consistent action that I can TRUST.

 

So in a nutshell, I have let some parts of my game regress and slip a little as an expense of my increased focus on ballstriking and applying as much engineering and physics that is in my mental capacity to the swing and the club. I am learning how to engineer my own swing and overall game more and more and that is what is enabling me to make progress at this game. I struggled and my game plateaued years before and continued going into the earlier confessions threads, but now I see an engineering path to swing ownership and my love and enthusiasm for this game is growing because of it.

 

TLDR...! (j/k)

 

I took the time to read all of it. It urged me to tell y'all about my "first outing" in too many years.

A long lost buddy of mine called last Thursday, he had misdialed someone else's number. He invited me, nonetheless, to play 9 holes (at 80, he developed mild arthritis) on Monday.

 

Sunday, I went to the range. Spent 1 1/2 hrs getting acquainted with my Glide wedges, on the short game facility, then went to the driving range for the grand renewal. To my surprise, it was better than I expected. Awkward at first, then got into the "swing" of things. My only disappointment was that I couldn't get the height I wanted out of my driver. (G20, 9.5°) I was unusually, for me, reasonable by hitting only a mid size bucket of 85 balls.

 

Woke up Monday morning with a reminder that I had not done this for too long, but happy and eager to hit the course. I decided to put my old relic of a Ping Rapture original (10.5°) in the bag instead.

 

At the Course, we split a 40 balls bucket, to warm up, and off we went....I'm already liking my Rapture. We agreed to use a cart, a bit of a mistake, since it was cart path only.

 

1st four holes, par, par, bogey, par. I had to calm myself down, pull on the reins, so to speak. I could feel my golf cap shrinking. LMAO

 

I walked off with a +3. I was playing from the mid, and he from the forward tees. The green side rough was harder to go through than I expected. What should have been, IMO, an easy chip was actually a 3/4 to full swing of a flop, so I didn't run out. But all in all, the Glides did exactly what they were made to do. My best friend, the putter, was glad to be back outdoors, and proved, the only way it could, that I had made the right choice when I preferred it to a Cameron California Del Mar. Not one single 3 putts.

 

Woke up Tuesday morning, stiff as a board, and happier than I'd been in a long, long time....Yeah! I'm bragging, and proud of it!!! :yahoo:

[DeNinny]

Good confession Ninja.

 

One thing that came along accidentally for me with my wedges is warming up with them. I like to hit half and three quarter wedges first with no expectations, but then when I feel warmed up enough to take a full swing I hit just my wedges for awhile. I really try and get my path and face worked out with them and then just hit the other clubs in my bag once or twice before I go out. That's part of the reason my wedges are getting so worn out, but the benefit is my wedge game has improved a ton. Also, getting used to that 1 hop drop knockdown wedge. It's not always inside 5 feet, but you also nearly never miss the green with it. And when it's good, it's real good. Just some thoughts...

 

Best wishes!

 

...

 

Yeah it is not a coincidence that several years ago when my wedge game peaked is when I dedicated at least a big bucket every time I got out to just hitting the same distance shot with my 60, 53, and PW. My course has a practice green for pitches and I simply hit shots to all three flags with all three wedges from different spots. I do the same with chips. (It was also the time when I realized I was accelerating the wear on their faces and grooves.) I need to go back to a similar routine, maybe scale it down but still force myself to stick with it. And yeah I learned how to hit that hop-n-stop shot.

[Palauan Hammer]

Great confession Ninja, and trust me I know you smart enough to dive DEEP but find your way out once the details have been absorbed. I truly believe understanding the science behind the golf swing can only make me a more complete golfer. I used to have points in my game where I'd "lose it", I highly doubt I'll ever lose it again. I should be able to diagnose my swing on the spot and make the necessary adjustments, then really work out the kinks post round. I have to thank you all here in the Confessions thread for that.

 

I'm sure your game will only continue to get better! As for the wedges, I did something similar to you and MJ, I started mainly hitting my wedges on the range. I find it helps synchronize, or groove the swing which translates well to the rest of the bag. Drills, and gradually increasing swing length with wedges will most likely be how I start on my first day back. Looks like 3rd week of Feb. 2017 for me to get back on the course, at the earliest.....Almost there.

 

Speaking of back on the course, GREAT first 9 back MDG! Your range and 9 hole round are super inspiring to me, I've changed my swing a little and it's been (when all is said and done) 3 years since I was on a range or golf course. I have my doubts like anyone else, but I'm so consumed with my dream that I will stop at nothing to reach it. So hearing how it basically came back to you is very very inspiring to me! Thank you for sharing that, and I certainly hope your able to get out again sometime soon!!

 

Lastly, swing confession. Coincidentally there is an article on the main page about transition/feet/knees. That has been my big area of focus when I get outside and swing the club, a week ago I decided to look deeper into ground pressures. I have to say something I had overlooked, and instead of focusing on turning my hips or putting them in a position I've been finding it much easier to press into the ground with my feet in the proper directions to allow my knees and hips to do what I want. All ties back to what Ninja was saying about better understanding your swing. So, to date, I've fixed my set up. I stand a touch taller, pelvis/butt tucked under me a little more than before. I turn my hips much better in the backswing, transferring the weight better as well. I've shortened my arm swing while increasing my shoulder turn, no more arm overrun. The downswing is where my swing feels way different, my head feels really steady and stays back. Hips don't slide nearly as far as before, as a result the mild EE I had is basically gone now and my hips are rotating through impact better. (still working on it though)

 

Sorry for novel guys! :)

[DeNinny]

Pal Ham, when I started thinking that my feet were turning the earth below me rather than my hips turning is when I started to piece together how to use them to maximize power and stability. I'm a believer that this is what Hogan meant about the secret is 'in the dirt'.

[Palauan Hammer]

Pal Ham, when I started thinking that my feet were turning the earth below me rather than my hips turning is when I started to piece together how to use them to maximize power and stability. I'm a believer that this is what Hogan meant about the secret is 'in the dirt'.

 

Dude, seriously! I felt so dumb for not thinking of that myself lol. Every sport I ever played growing up I've used the ground for power. Soccer, and baseball were my everyday sports until I was 12. Anyway, yeah, once I started to think of my feet and where I want to push into the Earth at certain points in the swing it's like the knees and hips just fall in line. It's only been about a week but I have to say this is a Yuuuuuge (lol had to.....) breakthrough for me. I always thought about pressing (generically) straight down below me, never occurred I should direct the downward force in a different, more diagonal direction to get the legs and hips working properly back and through.

[Matt J]

Ninja, I've always thought the same thing about Hogan. He was an enigma, so to describe the progression of golf into one phrase seems to fit the man. The "dirt" encompasses so much. From the lie, the grass that grows from the ground, and of course the golfer that is connected to the ground through his two feet, and then briefly with the sole of the club after impact. "In the dirt" is the whole thing IMO. The foundation in your feet through the swing, a plan that encompasses the specific lie in the grass and the angles of the lie's slope, the texture of the earth under the ball, and then the moment of truth do you "dig" the right trench. Some are just a wisp, others a moat, but what matters is at the moment of truth did you have the path and face angle moving at the perfect speed to throw the ball skyward for it only to return back to the "dirt." Sublime.

 

Hambone congrats on getting a date set. Let me know when you have some time and we'll make another bromance phone date.

[Palauan Hammer]

Wow Matt, nicey put there!

 

 

I'm free everyday but Thursdays, that's the one day a week I get out of the house. Probation and counseling yay!

 

So I've made a list of practice aids I'd like to acquire before February next year.

 

1. Eyeline putting mirror, I know I could use a cd but I'd like a bigger mirror to see my shoulders as well. Plus the tee gates and lines built in are helpful.

 

2. A couple Aerobies.These aren't a golf aid but I could use the crap out of these when working on my short game which will be most of the time anyway. My idea is to place these where I want to land the ball for whatever particular shot I'm working on. Hula hoops are WAY too big and they're too thick, i've tried tees but I end up hitting the tees, plus from 20 yards they're not too visible. Aerobee's are perfect, bright colored, flat, durable, and I can get them in different sizes. I'll go with 13" and 10" to really challenge my distance control. These might work https://www.amazon.c...eywords=aerobie

 

Only thing I'm worried about are them flying away in the wind, but I think they're sleek enough to avoid the wind when resting on the ground.

[DeNinny]

Great confession Ninja, and trust me I know you smart enough to dive DEEP but find your way out once the details have been absorbed. I truly believe understanding the science behind the golf swing can only make me a more complete golfer. I used to have points in my game where I'd "lose it", I highly doubt I'll ever lose it again. I should be able to diagnose my swing on the spot and make the necessary adjustments, then really work out the kinks post round. I have to thank you all here in the Confessions thread for that.

 

Palmolive Handler, the deep dives into the minutia details is how I learn truly what is important, what is not, and more importantly what I still don't understand. So much in the marketed version of golf physics is based on assumptions (some completely false like ones in the "gear effect" and the supposed science of high bounce) or simplifications, and in the process of this there are significant details that are missed. The same goes for the swing and prescriptive swing methods (like the Stack and Tilt or "X" Factor). So in general I try not to make an assumption in the process of making a theory based conclusion. A lot of engineered catastrophes are because of either a calculation error or a missed detail assumed to be insignificant...As they say...The devil is in the details...

 

The other major issue with having the science wrong (whether it be about your clubs or your swing) through poor assumptions is that it will completely convolute your ability to troubleshoot an issue. If you are wrongly convinced that a club's "technology" is part of the physics of some golf shot result, good or bad, then you may not realize that you have a swing key or issue that is the true root cause. Same goes for a false understanding of the swing.

 

So for me what has been working is to simply apply the know laws of physics, biomechanics, and all technical subjects to any part of the swing with zero assumptions. That's how I solved technical problems in college and now at work, so that is how I will solve my technical problems in golf. And in the process things are getting SIMPLER for me. What I need to focus on and "fix" is becoming easier and easier to do. And I'm not saying I'm some golf expert or anything like that. I'm just saying I am starting to know MY SWING and what works and doesn't work for it and it all comes from understanding the fundamental scientific purpose of the swing and clubs.

 

I have compared understanding the swing to exploring your own personal cave (or mine) with only a limited supply of light. The darkness of the cave represents what you don't know about your own swing and the lighted parts indicate what you understand. It's a YUUUUUGE (LOL) cave too. Lots of darkness and potential to get lost. The light itself is your ability to understand the logic of a good swing but not necessarily to execute it. That is represented by your ability to navigate the cave without bodily harm which represents a mishit or swing flaw. Ultimately, being able to navigate your own cave in complete darkness, without ANY light, represents true swing ownership. It is when you are a completely feel golfer and know exactly how your swing works without having to process it from a technical standpoint anymore.

 

At this point of my spelunking, I really feel like my light is brighter and I can see a bigger portion of my cave with it. I can see the dangerous areas a little better too and now at least can avoid them until I can learn how to safely navigate them. And I have also started memorizing parts of my cave so that I can light up other areas better.

 

I'm sure your game will only continue to get better!

 

Yes that is what I am trying to confess since my confessions buds are a part of it. I believe I really am on a path towards getting better and I just wanted to document it and get it out there. I am in a good place about my swing and game again and it feels good. LOL just when the season ends, too.

 

Looks like 3rd week of Feb. 2017 for me to get back on the course, at the earliest.....Almost there.

 

That's awesome there is finally a light at the end of your tunnel. LOL I confess that I hope it isn't an incoming train.

 

We need to start some betting lines as to what you are going to shoot the first time you get out. When you figure out the course, I say we make a game of it.

 

Oh and LOL at you apologizing to me about a long post. :taunt:

[LittlePoison1980]

D, once you've made the commitment to the new swing, and trust it, you'll see much more free time to work on the other things. I'm sure your scores will drop precipitously once things click at the same time. Trust what works for you.

[DeNinny]

D, once you've made the commitment to the new swing, and trust it, you'll see much more free time to work on the other things. I'm sure your scores will drop precipitously once things click at the same time. Trust what works for you.

 

Agreed, but it is more about understanding why the commitment should be made in the first place rather than making the commitment itself. I cannot trust anything without understanding the fundamental science of a good swing. LOL to quote Regan...

 

..."Trust, but verify."

[LittlePoison1980]

Understand completely. You own the theory, method, and the process. That's the way to work on the golf swing.

[Palauan Hammer]

DeNino Pari Kuya! The cave analogy is a good one. The amount of information I've gathered through you, and others throughout all the confessions threads has basically given me a much bigger "torch" as well. More of my cave is also illuminated, and with the knowledge of how my swing works I can only see getting better or reaching a much higher level of play than I ever have before. I predict winning many local tournaments, and I don't doubt I could work hard and perhaps win the Thai,Malaysian, or Philippine Amateur tournaments. Sky is the limit.

 

 

I'm down for a bet! We'll have to set the parameters. Do I get to go to the range at least once before? Or should I just go out, no golf for 3 years and play the tips? LOL

[DeNinny]

DeNino Pari Kuya! The cave analogy is a good one. The amount of information I've gathered through you, and others throughout all the confessions threads has basically given me a much bigger "torch" as well. More of my cave is also illuminated, and with the knowledge of how my swing works I can only see getting better or reaching a much higher level of play than I ever have before. I predict winning many local tournaments, and I don't doubt I could work hard and perhaps win the Thai,Malaysian, or Philippine Amateur tournaments. Sky is the limit.

 

 

I'm down for a bet! We'll have to set the parameters. Do I get to go to the range at least once before? Or should I just go out, no golf for 3 years and play the tips? LOL

 

Master Palauan Hammer, it has been nothing but a pleasure and enlightening experience for me to go on a tour of your cave through these threads as well. LOL it seems a lot safer and prettier than mine. Seeing how you made your danger areas safer and brighter gave me ideas on how to make mine safer. Same goes for all confessors' caves. The more swing spelunking we do as a team, the safer and brighter MINE gets!

 

It is your choice how you want to prepare before your first round, just please disclose whatever it will be so that we can make odds decisions. But I say go in cold or with as minimal warm up and practice as possible. It's not that I want you to shoot poorly either. I just think it would help gauge the "raw", mental only, golfer in you. That raw golfer in you has zero bias of recent actual golf experience, good or bad. You are currently and truly a mental golfer at this point. It may be the last time in a long time that you will be this "fresh" and unbiased. I wanna know how good THAT Palauan Hammer is. Like your pari said about a good golfer can hit any club well, a good golfer can just up and play a good round any MFing time he wants! "Practice? A PLAYA don't need no steenking practice!" (But seriously, you do whatever you want before your first round. Make it as enjoyable as you possibly can.)

 

And for the record I'll bet that from the tips and only minimal warm up before the round that you will still break 80.

[DeNinny]

Ninja, I've always thought the same thing about Hogan. He was an enigma, so to describe the progression of golf into one phrase seems to fit the man. The "dirt" encompasses so much. From the lie, the grass that grows from the ground, and of course the golfer that is connected to the ground through his two feet, and then briefly with the sole of the club after impact. "In the dirt" is the whole thing IMO. The foundation in your feet through the swing, a plan that encompasses the specific lie in the grass and the angles of the lie's slope, the texture of the earth under the ball, and then the moment of truth do you "dig" the right trench. Some are just a wisp, others a moat, but what matters is at the moment of truth did you have the path and face angle moving at the perfect speed to throw the ball skyward for it only to return back to the "dirt." Sublime.

 

Hambone congrats on getting a date set. Let me know when you have some time and we'll make another bromance phone date.

 

The ground is the true point of leverage in the swing. When you evaluate the entire 'system' of the swing from a physics perspective, all the forces generated by the swing (via the golfer himself) will ALWAYS result in some sort of force change in the feet as they contact the ground. There is no way around this when you consider the golfer and the swing as a dynamically changing structural object supported by the ground. Just like the club is attached to the hands, the golfer is attached to the ground.

 

LOL bromance phone date. Are you guys to the point of sending each other naked golf selfies or something?

 

:air_kiss: :fie: :air_kiss:

[mdgboxx]

@Pal Ham,

 

****Speaking of back on the course, GREAT first 9 back MDG! Your range and 9 hole round are super inspiring to me, I've changed my swing a little and it's been (when all is said and done) 3 years since I was on a range or golf course. I have my doubts like anyone else, but I'm so consumed with my dream that I will stop at nothing to reach it. So hearing how it basically came back to you is very very inspiring to me! Thank you for sharing that, and I certainly hope your able to get out again sometime soon!!****

 

 

Ha,

My secret is not "in the dirt", it's floating in that restricted space, just above and in between the ears. In my blue collar worker's vulgar vocabulary, I call it: EXPECTATIONS

 

IMHO, they are the force that pushes my EGO up to the front line, thus becoming an easy target for the crushing ball. I left the house with one single goal in mind...Go play outside, regardless of the outcome. I know I'm not in the shape I was in 5 yrs ago, both mentally and physically, my range session confirmed it the day prior. My greatest flaw, has always been my driver. I've mentioned my "Pretzel Swing" on numerous occasions in our Confessions Threads.

 

Until ±10 yrs ago, I attended A.A. meetings on a regular basis. They somewhat had me accept and believe that "Keep It Simple Stupid" (KISS) was the right attitude when facing adversity. Until last Monday, it never dawned on me to apply that frame of mind on a Golf Course, especially on the tee box.

 

If you found any modest inspiration in my Confession, then plz, allow me to share my secret: **KISS**

 

It may not be the Cure all, End all solution for everyone, but it's a very good place to start from.

 

If you don't get ahead of yourself, (expectations) you'll do more than awright.

[mdgboxx]

Pal Ham, when I started thinking that my feet were turning the earth below me rather than my hips turning is when I started to piece together how to use them to maximize power and stability. I'm a believer that this is what Hogan meant about the secret is 'in the dirt'.

 

I've read somewhere, or was it on Youtube, that Hogan had an extra spike installed on the shoe of his back foot, to add stability/traction in his downswing.

[DeNinny]

@Pal Ham,

 

****Speaking of back on the course, GREAT first 9 back MDG! Your range and 9 hole round are super inspiring to me, I've changed my swing a little and it's been (when all is said and done) 3 years since I was on a range or golf course. I have my doubts like anyone else, but I'm so consumed with my dream that I will stop at nothing to reach it. So hearing how it basically came back to you is very very inspiring to me! Thank you for sharing that, and I certainly hope your able to get out again sometime soon!!****

 

 

Ha,

My secret is not "in the dirt", it's floating in that restricted space, just above and in between the ears. In my blue collar worker's vulgar vocabulary, I call it: EXPECTATIONS

 

IMHO, they are the force that pushes my EGO up to the front line, thus becoming an easy target for the crushing ball. I left the house with one single goal in mind...Go play outside, regardless of the outcome. I know I'm not in the shape I was in 5 yrs ago, both mentally and physically, my range session confirmed it the day prior. My greatest flaw, has always been my driver. I've mentioned my "Pretzel Swing" on numerous occasions in our Confessions Threads.

 

Until ±10 yrs ago, I attended A.A. meetings on a regular basis. They somewhat had me accept and believe that "Keep It Simple Stupid" (KISS) was the right attitude when facing adversity. Until last Monday, it never dawned on me to apply that frame of mind on a Golf Course, especially on the tee box.

 

If you found any modest inspiration in my Confession, then plz, allow me to share my secret: **KISS**

 

It may not be the Cure all, End all solution for everyone, but it's a very good place to start from.

 

If you don't get ahead of yourself, (expectations) you'll do more than awright.

 

The only difference between us is how we get to the simplicity. I could not KISS my swing until I analyzed it to the Nth degree (+1).

[Palauan Hammer]

MDG, I will indeed go with the KISS method, along with just being grateful to even play golf again.

 

 

Ninja, I will give it a try cold turkey. I'll probably do a small bucket just to loosen up, get a few solid shots under the belt, and perhaps a little pitching and putting then head out. I'm totally down to see what "off the couch Hamsky" produces. Let's also not forget the other variables, basically every club (minus my wedges) are brand new. Different shafts as well. Also, I've added a 14* 3 wood, I haven't hit a 3 wood since I was 13 years old LOL. Other variables, I'm about 24lbs lighter at the current moment, and I'll probably lose 15 more lbs before Feb. because of this awesome diet I'm on.

 

So, lets do it this way. I'll post when my first round will be. I'll take a picture of the scorecard so you guys can see the course rating/length. I'll hit a small bucket, pitch and putt. Then head out. I'll play from the tips as well. I'm flattered that you have faith I can break 80 Ninja LOL. I really think I can too actually.

 

Here's what I think will be the most awesome part about knowing there is "something on the line" the first time I go out......It'll get me out of playing swing. Because I know my score will count.My focus will only be putting the ball in the hole. Sheer will, and full trust in my swing. This will be a fun experiment, I'll try to Vlog the round and get a few swings/putts on video too.

 

Oh yeah, MJ and I haven't made it to that level yet, we're taking it slow :D

 

 

**Forgot my golf shoes and golf clothes are all brand new too, talk about a fresh start LOL**

[mdgboxx]

@Pal Ham,

 

****Speaking of back on the course, GREAT first 9 back MDG! Your range and 9 hole round are super inspiring to me, I've changed my swing a little and it's been (when all is said and done) 3 years since I was on a range or golf course. I have my doubts like anyone else, but I'm so consumed with my dream that I will stop at nothing to reach it. So hearing how it basically came back to you is very very inspiring to me! Thank you for sharing that, and I certainly hope your able to get out again sometime soon!!****

 

 

Ha,

My secret is not "in the dirt", it's floating in that restricted space, just above and in between the ears. In my blue collar worker's vulgar vocabulary, I call it: EXPECTATIONS

 

IMHO, they are the force that pushes my EGO up to the front line, thus becoming an easy target for the crushing ball. I left the house with one single goal in mind...Go play outside, regardless of the outcome. I know I'm not in the shape I was in 5 yrs ago, both mentally and physically, my range session confirmed it the day prior. My greatest flaw, has always been my driver. I've mentioned my "Pretzel Swing" on numerous occasions in our Confessions Threads.

 

Until ±10 yrs ago, I attended A.A. meetings on a regular basis. They somewhat had me accept and believe that "Keep It Simple Stupid" (KISS) was the right attitude when facing adversity. Until last Monday, it never dawned on me to apply that frame of mind on a Golf Course, especially on the tee box.

 

If you found any modest inspiration in my Confession, then plz, allow me to share my secret: **KISS**

 

It may not be the Cure all, End all solution for everyone, but it's a very good place to start from.

 

If you don't get ahead of yourself, (expectations) you'll do more than awright.

 

The only difference between us is how we get to the simplicity. I could not KISS my swing until I analyzed it to the Nth degree (+1).

 

I know, but IIRC, you bring simplicity to the course, and test proof all the calculations, that you left on the drawing board, where they belong.

[Palauan Hammer]

Forgot to share this pic!! LOL my friend made this for me. I've long been known as the Cookie Monster, I have an unbelievable gift(?) to be able to eat LARGE quantities of cookies in a single sitting :)

 

 

He's gonna bring me luck, and ease the tension under tournament conditions, can't wait to go to battle with him!