Drewtaylor21's Golf Journey (Swing Changes, WITB, Results)

[drewtaylor21]

It's been just over a week now working with Josh and I'm starting to put some pieces together. As I mentioned before, we're focused on being more dynamic, using the ground more efficiently, and the hope is that my path will resolve itself as a result (my tendency is to get too far left). The first few days were a struggle, and there have been some ugly swings in the mix, but Josh is outstanding at getting content back to me quickly and the suggestions he made have been spot on. I was overdoing a few of the things he wanted me to change early on, but I had an "aha" moment yesterday after he sent me another video showing me something DJ was doing in his swing that I wasn't. Long story short, I have a tendency to stay in flexion too long into impact and just rotate without extending enough or soon enough. Early extension is the cure! haha kidding (kind of). What he's shown me has already given me a better understanding of how to blend the up and down, side to side, and rotating components of the swing, and it's feeling much better! I still have some work to do, and we're really just starting this process, but I am seeing some really cool results when I do things the way he wants me to. My ball speed has gone up ~5 mph at various points in the bag already and I'm seeing better ballflights as well. Looking forward to more progress!

 

[PepsiDuck]

Looking forward to seeing it in action on Saturday!

[Dave D]

It's been just over a week now working with Josh and I'm starting to put some pieces together. As I mentioned before, we're focused on being more dynamic, using the ground more efficiently, and the hope is that my path will resolve itself as a result (my tendency is to get too far left). The first few days were a struggle, and there have been some ugly swings in the mix, but Josh is outstanding at getting content back to me quickly and the suggestions he made have been spot on. I was overdoing a few of the things he wanted me to change early on, but I had an "aha" moment yesterday after he sent me another video showing me something DJ was doing in his swing that I wasn't. Long story short, I have a tendency to stay in flexion too long into impact and just rotate without extending enough or soon enough. Early extension is the cure! haha kidding (kind of). What he's shown me has already given me a better understanding of how to blend the up and down, side to side, and rotating components of the swing, and it's feeling much better! I still have some work to do, and we're really just starting this process, but I am seeing some really cool results when I do things the way he wants me to. My ball speed has gone up ~5 mph at various points in the bag already and I'm seeing better ballflights as well. Looking forward to more progress!

 

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you did need some more distance :tongue:

 

swing looking good, certainly looks like an increase in foot pressure in transition, a real nice squat!

[royourboat]

Solid shooting drew!

 

What are your before/after face and path numbers from working with josh?

 

With staying in flexion too long, can't you try extending harder/faster?

[drewtaylor21]

Looking forward to seeing it in action on Saturday!

 

Yeah buddy! Stay away from those softball players between now and then....

[drewtaylor21]

you did need some more distance :tongue:

 

swing looking good, certainly looks like an increase in foot pressure in transition, a real nice squat!

 

Hey, I'm certainly not going to say no to some easy speed :)

 

Honestly though, back when I got the competitive bug and decided to get back into really playing golf (2012), I was consistently swinging driver at 120. However, I was pretty steep, had a bunch of early extension, and a giant miss right. I had no idea what I was doing, but knew I needed to change my path, so my random tweaks resulted in a lot of hip sliding and secondary tilt. It did tame things in terms of the right miss, but I lost a good bit of that speed I had. I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging, but I've always been a pretty athletic person, and I knew intuitively that I had more speed available to me, but accessing it while still hitting the ball proficiently has been an ongoing challenge. In the last couple years I've obviously been working on a much more rotational swing (GG, DD, etc), and while this has helped me deal with some of the excessive secondary tilt, all rotation and no up/down or left/right is not great either! Josh has shown me some things just in this last week that really opened my eyes to that, so it's exciting to see some pop coming back. Things are still a little on the rough side as far as timing/sequencing, but when I do it right I can really tell and it feels awesome!

[drewtaylor21]

Solid shooting drew!

 

What are your before/after face and path numbers from working with josh?

 

With staying in flexion too long, can't you try extending harder/faster?

 

Hey thanks! I haven't seen any club data, so I couldn't tell you much there. I do know that when I load into the ground properly and incorporate extension at the right time I'm hitting a push draw though, so I'm happy with that! The best ones seem to be starting about 1-2* right and spinning 100-300rpms left, FWIW.

 

The flexion extension issue that we are working on is that I really wasn't loading into the ground, and then didn't extend much out of the ground. When I did, it was pretty much after impact, so I wasn't really using that aspect effectively. In order to extend more, I need to pressure the ground first, so that is where we started.

[lhahn]

Hey Drew,

 

I get what you mean by rotation and up/down but can you expand on left/right?

 

Thanks,

 

L

[drewtaylor21]

Hey Drew,

 

I get what you mean by rotation and up/down but can you expand on left/right?

 

Thanks,

 

L

 

Hey Lawrence,

 

This is probably a pretty good example:

 

Notice from FO how my head actually goes away from the target from p3 to p4? Josh wants me to get my head moving up and away (think diagonally) from the target early in the takeaway so that my head is actually moving down and maybe slightly towards the target at the end of the backswing, as a result of left lateral bend/thoracic extension.

 

Hopefully that makes sense!

 

Go Hawks :mellow: lol

[lhahn]

Gotcha! Thanks for explaining.

 

Once my back feels a bit better I'm going to try and post some post-Monte swings and get some feedback. I've only been able to hit balls twice since the Seattle clinic... :fie: Been mostly slo-mo swings for me

 

The hawks........ dat O-line doe

[SA790]

Josh has me working on similar. Just getting more right shift in takeaway then getting more rotational in downswing. on video my hands are shifting out in transition (used to shift down too much and steepen shaft).I've never hit the ball this well and feel as if i can finally use my athleticism. Similar to you I've had a lot of clubhead speed. But lost a bunch of and always bothered me knowing I had much more in the tank so happy to have it back.

 

Only miss is from not starting the ball right and getting a little pull drawy. Is that what the extension piece does for you?

[GC70]

Hey DrewType, I love how you get those hips to fire! Swing looks great!

[drewtaylor21]

Gotcha! Thanks for explaining.

 

Once my back feels a bit better I'm going to try and post some post-Monte swings and get some feedback. I've only been able to hit balls twice since the Seattle clinic... :fie: Been mostly slo-mo swings for me

 

The hawks........ dat O-line doe

 

Sorry to hear your back is still giving you so much grief. I hope that resolves soon!

 

We have an O-line?? lol

[drewtaylor21]

Josh has me working on similar. Just getting more right shift in takeaway then getting more rotational in downswing. on video my hands are shifting out in transition (used to shift down too much and steepen shaft).I've never hit the ball this well and feel as if i can finally use my athleticism. Similar to you I've had a lot of clubhead speed. But lost a bunch of and always bothered me knowing I had much more in the tank so happy to have it back.

 

Only miss is from not starting the ball right and getting a little pull drawy. Is that what the extension piece does for you?

 

Honestly I'm still putting the pieces together regarding cause and effect, but pull draws have been a frequent miss for me too, especially in the short irons.

 

As far as my understanding goes, extending the hips should shallow the shaft/shift path right, and handle height (among other things) influences face angle. Lower handle will start the ball more to the left. I think you mentioned this in one of our PM's didn't you? Regardless, I know Dana likes the combination of ground reaction + higher handle to coordinate a push draw. Easier said than done though :)

[drewtaylor21]

Hey DrewType, I love how you get those hips to fire! Swing looks great!

 

Thanks George400!

 

Still itching to try that driver.... :swoon:

[GC70]

Hey DrewType, I love how you get those hips to fire! Swing looks great!

 

Thanks George400!

 

Still itching to try that driver.... :swoon:

It’s got to be good if I’m endorsing it! ;)

 

It’s the absolute best driver to date, for me! I think with your game any driver will do for you. Except......

[pusb365]

Hey Drew, how long have you been working with Dana/Dana's methods now? (I know you recently just started online lessons with one of Dana's guys)

 

I have a couple of questions if you don't mind, as I have just started working with a coach here in the UK who teaches very similar if not identical stuff to Dana.

 

Firstly, has it helped your game overall? What are the changes you've seen in terms of ball flight, distance, consistency?

 

Early days for me still, but I'm really liking how I'm hitting my irons, really solid, though I do over draw a few. But I'm really struggling with driver and often feel stuck with this new method. Did you experience similar with driver when working these feels? Any tips?

 

Thanks very much, and great thread!

 

[drewtaylor21]

Hey Drew, how long have you been working with Dana/Dana's methods now? (I know you recently just started online lessons with one of Dana's guys)

 

I have a couple of questions if you don't mind, as I have just started working with a coach here in the UK who teaches very similar if not identical stuff to Dana.

 

Firstly, has it helped your game overall? What are the changes you've seen in terms of ball flight, distance, consistency?

 

Early days for me still, but I'm really liking how I'm hitting my irons, really solid, though I do over draw a few. But I'm really struggling with driver and often feel stuck with this new method. Did you experience similar with driver when working these feels? Any tips?

 

Thanks very much, and great thread!

 

Hey thanks for following, and good questions here!

 

How long have you been working with Dana/Dana's methods now? (I know you recently just started online lessons with one of Dana's guys)

I took my first lesson with Dana in April of 2016, 2nd lesson in late August of 2016. I've been continuing with most of the same concepts (kind of a mix of a couple things from Dana, a couple from Gankas) since then. I don't think I'm doing quite what Dana is after, but I've figured out how to make it work for me. I just started online with Josh Koch a month ago to get some more direct attention and hopefully eliminate some of the tendencies I have to get too far left with path.

 

Firstly, has it helped your game overall? What are the changes you've seen in terms of ball flight, distance, consistency?

Yes. When I first started working with Dana and his methods, I had been trying to make Gankas' swing methods work for me and just didn't have much consistency (or a good enough understanding of all the mechanics and match ups). My driver swing speed was around 112 when I first saw Dana, and peaked around 118-119 back in February of this year (2017). Dana prefers a draw pattern, but I have yet to really solidify a draw that I can trust consistently, so I've stuck with what I would call a more neutral path fade (face slightly open), as I can play that all day under any circumstances. When I'm swinging well, my misses are pretty small and very playable. When I'm swinging poorly I tend to get too far left with path and get a more sizable left to right curveball off the tee that isn't much fun to play with (though it's still playable as I know it's never curving left).

 

But I'm really struggling with driver and often feel stuck with this new method. Did you experience similar with driver when working these feels? Any tips?

I can't really say I ever got stuck or struggled specifically with driver, but it always helps me to slow things down and really focus on transition. Getting rid of tension in the lead shoulder and the "pull" instinct I have at the top was a big key for me, but I think tips/keys are very individual so it'd be hard to say what might help you. I'd suggest trying to get in touch with Josh, as myself and a few other guys who have followed Dana are really liking his work. *EDIT* Sorry, forgot the part where you said you're already working with someone! What does your coach say about the driver issue?

 

Let me know if I can answer anything else for you!

[Schnee]

"When I'm swinging poorly I tend to get too far left with path and get a more sizable left to right curveball off the tee that isn't much fun to play with "

 

Ahem.... Drew-Type.

[drewtaylor21]

"When I'm swinging poorly I tend to get too far left with path and get a more sizable left to right curveball off the tee that isn't much fun to play with "

 

Ahem.... Drew-Type.

 

You spelled SLDR wrong

[drewtaylor21]

Christmas came early!

 

 

 

 

It's been over 3 years now since I've updated my wedges (yikes!) and I was long overdue. I had planned on this happening over last year's off-season, especially with the TaylorMade trip, but things didn't pan out with that set and I just never really got around to buying new wedges. Thanks to a great wife, I've got sharp grooves again! :)

 

I'm also experimenting with a 46* wedge for the first time. I've never loved the PW in any of the irons sets I've owned, and have always found them just a bit unwieldy for partial shots, so I'd always been interested in trying a "wedge" wedge. I've only had these for a few days now but so far I'm really liking the 46* and I think it's going to be a permanent addition to the bag!

 

Off-season is going nicely and I'm still LOVING the simulator and JNPG/OGT. Just won the winter tour Masters as a matter of fact :) I have to say, Augusta would be very scary to play under tournament conditions! The slopes are really insane and margins for errors on and around the greens are very small. It was really cool to see the layout of the course though. That hill coming up #9 is huge!

 

This is a pretty boring watch, but I had a nice round going at the Valspar Champs @ Innisbrook a couple weeks back. Ended up shooting 60, which to date is my best round on Sim. I find I'm pretty consistently about 6 shots better on Sim than IRL, but I'm getting a lot of good reps under a bit of competitive pressure with these events, so even though it's not "real," it absolutely has elements that will carry over to my outdoor game. Here is the link in case anyone is interested:

 

[QMany]

I'd followed your simulator build but didn't realize it was that cool! I'm jealous of that setup even more now. GOOD ROUND!

[sethdavidsdad]

Nice looking wedges. Be interested to see how you like the Blue over time

[drewtaylor21]

I'd followed your simulator build but didn't realize it was that cool! I'm jealous of that setup even more now. GOOD ROUND!

 

Yeah man, I can't speak highly enough about it! I know it probably sounds weird to be discussing results on sim play, but it's legit competition! I feel nerves and all, and even though it's taking place on a video game, I'm still the one hitting the shots, so it means something to me.

 

You and I have both discovered how pricey it is to play a competitive season of amateur golf, sadly. As my life has changed with the addition of a child, I find it harder and harder to justify the price and time it takes to play the events I want. Two-day events are pretty much a no-go automatically :( The sim has a big start up cost, but I can play against guys every week without having to miss work or travel and still scratch that competitive itch. It's not quite the same as the real deal, but it's a close second. For the stage of life I'm in right now, it's a life-saver!

 

I absolutely hope to be able to play more events IRL, but the cool thing is that I know I will be better prepared for them as a result of what I'm doing now! Pretty cool :)

[drewtaylor21]

Nice looking wedges. Be interested to see how you like the Blue over time

 

I hear the blue wears off the sole pretty quickly, but we'll see.

 

On the bright side, they open the door for some hilarity :rofl:

 

 

[Forged4ever]

Christmas came early!

 

 

 

 

It's been over 3 years now since I've updated my wedges (yikes!) and I was long overdue. I had planned on this happening over last year's off-season, especially with the TaylorMade trip, but things didn't pan out with that set and I just never really got around to buying new wedges. Thanks to a great wife, I've got sharp grooves again! :)

 

I'm also experimenting with a 46* wedge for the first time. I've never loved the PW in any of the irons sets I've owned, and have always found them just a bit unwieldy for partial shots, so I'd always been interested in trying a "wedge" wedge. I've only had these for a few days now but so far I'm really liking the 46* and I think it's going to be a permanent addition to the bag!

 

Off-season is going nicely and I'm still LOVING the simulator and JNPG/OGT. Just won the winter tour Masters as a matter of fact :) I have to say, Augusta would be very scary to play under tournament conditions! The slopes are really insane and margins for errors on and around the greens are very small. It was really cool to see the layout of the course though. That hill coming up #9 is huge!

 

This is a pretty boring watch, but I had a nice round going at the Valspar Champs @ Innisbrook a couple weeks back. Ended up shooting 60, which to date is my best round on Sim. I find I'm pretty consistently about 6 shots better on Sim than IRL, but I'm getting a lot of good reps under a bit of competitive pressure with these events, so even though it's not "real," it absolutely has elements that will carry over to my outdoor game. Here is the link in case anyone is interested:

 

DAMN??

 

Cheers?

RP

[mb123]

This one in particular is driving me nuts: http://simulation.onlinegolftour.net/combine-leaderboard.html?id=25170 It's a one-shot combine, so you get one chance from each location (60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120, 140, 160, 180 yards, then driver), with the obvious goal of being as close to the pin as possible at each spot. "Shankygolf" is a UK instructor with some serious game and I am having the damnedest time beating him on this one! lol. It's such a fun challenge though, as I really like having a bar to have to try to jump over, so to speak, and it mimics on-course demands nicely IMO.

 

I clicked on the link and see you beat him and you are number one, congrats!

[drewtaylor21]

This one in particular is driving me nuts: http://simulation.on...d.html?id=25170 It's a one-shot combine, so you get one chance from each location (60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120, 140, 160, 180 yards, then driver), with the obvious goal of being as close to the pin as possible at each spot. "Shankygolf" is a UK instructor with some serious game and I am having the damnedest time beating him on this one! lol. It's such a fun challenge though, as I really like having a bar to have to try to jump over, so to speak, and it mimics on-course demands nicely IMO.

 

I clicked on the link and see you beat him and you are number one, congrats!

 

Haha thanks, yeah I finally clipped him a week or two ago! I have a feeling there will be some back and forth as we push each other, but I know I've got more in the tank, so it will be fun :)

[pusb365]

Have you noticed much (if any) yardage loss on the new 46 wedge compared to an iron set wedge?

[drewtaylor21]

Have you noticed much (if any) yardage loss on the new 46 wedge compared to an iron set wedge?

 

I was a bit worried about this and thought I might have to bend it to 45* but actually it's spot on with my iron set PW. That said, my iron set wedge is a TM RSi TP, so the stock loft is 47*. The Mizuno wedge is giving me more consistent and slightly higher ball speed (~2mph), but is also easier to take a little off and still be precise.