Speed without yanking the handle?

[BB28403]

Good Luck EBraaaaaa

[ddetts]

Best of luck, play well!

[gioguy21]

go get em dood -- be patient and balanced. you got this

[ebrasmus21]

Practice day today. Get some work in on the range today and then play a practice round. Need to work on my “traj” as Tiger would say.

 

Thanks @Timbo929 @BB28403 @ddetts @gioguy21

[ddetts]

> @ebrasmus21 said:

> Practice day today. Get some work in on the range today and then play a practice round. Need to work on my “traj” as Tiger would say.

>

> Thanks @Timbo929 @BB28403 @ddetts @gioguy21

 

Make sure those glutes are activating properly.

[wmblake2000]

About those pros at your club... If they bother you, I'll take care of them. What you've got to do is cut the hamstring on the back of their leg right at the bottom. They'll never play golf again, because his weight displacement goes back, all the weight is on the right foot, and they'll push everything off to the right. They'll never come through on anything. They'll quit the game.

[JAMH03]

> @ebrasmus21 said:

> I'm going to try chronicling my game, lessons and practice for a while. This is my attempt to provide personal content to the site in the hopes that it will be useful in one way or another, at least maybe to some. If this thread proves to be useless I won't beat a dead horse.

>

>

>

> About me:

>

>

>

> Weekend warrior. Summer of 2017 I played to an all-time low of 4. Handicap usually somewhere between 4 – 7. However, I picked up some bad habits and my ball striking completely left me. In the span of around 3 months I went from a 4 handicap up to 11 (my current number). **Lots of shanks have happened in this period**

>

>

>

> ***FFS please no more shanks***

>

>

>

> I've been told by my buddies (who are good sticks themselves) that I: swing from the inside too much, restrict my hips in the backswing, move off the ball too much and get "out in front" way too much. I suppose this is all could be true but I've never really known what to do with this information.

>

>

>

> I also have never really practiced because of the fear that I'll practice the wrong things and then really set in stone bad habits or just waste my time. If someone asked me how to practice effectively I wouldn't know what to tell them.

>

>

>

> For my own sanity I decided if I'm going to keep playing this game its time to try taking lessons. There is a well-respected instructor in my town that a buddy referred me to. To start I purchased a package of 4 lessons. Definitely open to continuing on with lessons but had to start somewhere so I picked package deal of 4 lessons.

>

>

>

> My dream would be to improve my game enough to be a scratch golfer. To clarify, when I say scratch I mean a weekend-warrior-playing-the-same-course-every-weekend kind of scratch. I could very well be delusional in this goal but I'm not trying to say I'm going to become a legit tournament scratch. Just want to shoot goods scores with my buddies and maybe play one or two tournaments a year.

>

>

>

> The idea I had for this thread would be to provide regular updates on how I'm playing, how lessons are going, what I'm learning and *hopefully* provide evidence of improvement along the way.

>

>

>

> Would this interest anyone? Any ideas on how I can make this topic interesting enough for people to get something out of it?

>

>

>

> **These are a couple of swings from last summer when I knew things were going wrong. We can use this as a starting point**

>

>

>

> -

>

> -

 

Nice thread!

Checked out both swings. Clearly very good swings. I tend to agree your friends are right. Like you say what to do with that info? IDK either I guess that's a thing to ask your pro?

Can't wait to read the rest of the thread!

 

@ebrasmus21 With that said here is my advice to possibly improve your process and get you closer to your goals:

1. Rotella's book the Golf of your dreams speaks explicitly to what you're doing here. Even on what to ask from the pro its really simple and straight forward. It would behoove you to read it and POSSIBLY help your focus and benefit from his experience working on just these kinds of things! Reinventing the wheel is always a waste of time.

 

2. Pinnick said the difference between a six cap and scratch is that the scratch player makes time to practice whether that be by sacrificing one round a week, or getting up 30 mins early, practicing at lunch time, something. Gotta love Pinnick and I think he's right.

 

3. Pelz says to practice with feedback and especially for your goals and journey I think that's fitting for you too. Time is so limited no reason to waste it if you can help it.

 

 

[JAMH03]

> @gentles said:

> A few pointers OP that might help you:

>

>

>

> Use some basic statistics to understand where you need to improve the last few strokes off your game. Mathematically you need to save a quarter of a shot on every hole, where will that come from? Strokes gained lets you reference against PGA tour averages. I spent 2 months tracking every shot and found that my wedge game was actually the best part of my game, I thought it was bad. Scott Fawcett's DECADE system is a user friendly method which does the analysis for you and tells you what you need to work on.

>

>

>

> Learn more about proper practice techniques. "The Practice Manual" by Adam Young is a great place to start with this - there are different types of practice, and you should be intentional about what you're doing. There is a LOT of great ideas in the book. One example I like is differential practice - can you strike the ball solidly if you hover the club above the ball at address, or take a stronger than normal, one foot back stance? Learning to be adaptable and transfer skills in different settings makes a big difference when you try and execute on the course.

>

>

>

> Good luck OP!

 

Strong strong post thanks!

[JAMH03]

> @ebrasmus21 said:

> Some thoughts after playing today.

>

> * Pured a few Drives. Pured a long iron into a par 5. Pured a couple of wedges. Distances were up on the good shots. This is because I'm able to use my legs to generate power now.

>

> * Hit plenty of bad shots.

>

> * Really inconsistent ball striking. During my lesson the ball striking was so good. Today playing not so much

>

> * I think the ball striking has to do with my grip pressure and my take away. I need to figure out a consistent grip-pressure that works for me and I need to stop pulling with my right hand in the take away.

>

> * My hamnstrings are so tight. I played basketball my entire life and I've know that my hamstrings are tight for many many years. From my lesson I know I'm in the right setup position because my hamstrings are on fire. Need to get more flexible in this area.

>

> * Gonna take reps to get this

>

> * Practicing my grip and my setup right now watching the Olympics.

>

>

>

>

>

>

> P.S.

>

>

>

> I want to give a special shout out to Dan Drake (prolific poster here). Dan, I saw, posted in several threads regarding keeping track of strokes gained and using a strokes gained spreadsheet. I'm a perfect stranger to Dan but I sent him a PM to ask if he could send me his spreadsheet and walk me through its use. Let me say this - Dan is passionate about being a PGA Professional. He doesn't know me, yet he called me this morning [FL --> CA] because he wanted to make sure I was 100% comfortable using his spreadsheet and understanding in its capabilities. He explained how using the spreadsheet can help facilitate practicing in an efficient manner and gave me examples from his personal game. The ability to connect with Dan and his willingness to help a stranger are EXACTLY what makes this site great. Thank you Dan.

>

>

>

> I'll be practicing as much as I can this week. Hitting balls, focusing on my setup and especially my grip and takeaway. Today the pure shots felt effortless but it's far from consistent at this point. Reps and practice all this week.

 

@"Dan Drake" awesome!

 

I too have a question about strokes gained. What's the easiest way to use them to decide on a practice plan?

[JAMH03]

> @ebrasmus21 said:

> Wanted to post a down the line comparison from today and last summer. Just from making the setup changes I've added distance and height to my shots. I've actually never hit the ball higher than I am right now. It's a very noticeable difference in trajectory.

>

>

>

> Played 18 today and struggled. It's so easy to fall back into my bad habits that I'm actually glad I played just to show myself how much work I have to do and how much I have to commit and be focused on exactly what I'm doing. It requires a lot of concentration right now. That being said I hit some absolute gems today and that feels great.

>

> * Summer of 2017:

>

> *

>

> * Today:

>

>

>

>

>

>

> I want to keep posting videos of my swing to see how it changes over time. I can see some things that I'd like to improve upon and change but I'm going to follow my what my instructor says and only work on things as they are discussed and introduced to me. At this point in time Cindy only wants me to work on my setup and balance.

 

I know you're 2 years in the "future" but here I can see where she maybe trying to get your swing to go I think she is trying to get you to rotate down and through and she wants to make sure you can do that by having your chest pointing at the ball to start. So that when you gain the flexibility in your hamstrings and insert the power from your glutes you'll be further ahead! Like Rory below.

Nice start!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JAMH03]

> @ebrasmus21 said:

> These are a couple of quick videos that I shot after trying some of what Mike recommended for me. Got through the ball much better! Also, there might be a little hump left in there but it is much much smaller.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> The rotaion drill is just about getting into a kind of pre-impact position and then opening the body to get through the ball.

 

Those swings look better to my (useless) eyetest but I think you've got to talk to Cindy to make sure you're on the same page you don't want to be stuck in-between teachers or possibly skipping steps I think a good teacher like her has every reason to respect a hard working student like yourself.

 

Nice improvement here though well done!

[JAMH03]

> @ebrasmus21 said:

>

@ebrasmus21

Dude you're right there that's so good!

[JAMH03]

> @ebrasmus21 said:

> Club Championship, my first match is tomorrow morning. It's match play. Right now I'm playing to an 8 and my opponent is playing to a 9.

>

>

>

> My experience with match play is limited - any advice on strategy?

 

Make pars. Give yourself chances to make pars. Expect your opponent to hit some great shots. Putt like you're trying to get laid.

[JAMH03]

> @ebrasmus21 said:

> Played in the club championship which was my first ever *real* tournament. I played in the flight that all the single digits that didn’t qualify for the scratch flight play in.

>

>

>

> My first match was won on the 21st hole. My opponent hit the ball much better than I did but I scrambled my a** off and putted out of my mind. I was down 2 on the 16th tee but won 16 and 17 with birdies; putting can be a great equalizer in match play. I legitimately made 150’ worth of putts. I didn’t keep track of my strokes gained but on the greens I was probably a legit +3 or +4 SG putting.

>

>

>

> In general, it was an entirely different world. I was nervous and anxious and grinding out all my shots. It was a level of focus I’ve never had on the course before.

>

>

>

> The second match was lost on the 21st hole. Again, my opponent hit the ball much better than I did but I was scrambling and again making putts. The match played out almost exactly as I had imagined. I knew my opponent and I knew his game. He’s a skilled ball striker and a poor putter. Just as I thought, on the front 9 he was ball striking the **** out of me. Scrambling and putting kept it close.

>

>

>

> Eventually I was 3 down with 6 holes to play. I made a couple of birdies – he made a bogey on our 17th and the match is all square on 18. Now I’m really nervous.

>

>

>

> 18 is a par 5. We both hit our drives in the fairway. He hooks his 3 wood behind a tree short of the green. I have a lie in the fairway that’s dodgy at best; completely bare lie. Between the lie and my nerves I decided to chip a 3 wood down by the green and did exactly that.

>

> Somehow my opponent makes par from being stymied behind the tree. Meanwhile I have a 10 footer to win which I blew by the hole. Made the 5 footer coming back to go to 19.

>

>

>

> On 19 I have another birdie put to win of roughly 10 feet. I spent probably 2 minutes trying to read the putt and I just couldn’t get a feel for the read. I’m a fast player so for me to spend two minutes reading a putt means I’m in 100% grind mode. Both par the hole.

>

>

>

> 20th both in the fairway. Both hit to 20’ in basically the exact same spot on the green. I was out – hit a good putt but missed. Unfortunately, I gave the exact read to my opponent and he drained it. That was my stroke hole so we move on to the 21st.

>

>

>

> I hit a series of bad shots and lost to a bogey on the 21st. It was a great match, lost to a nice person and a good golfer. The guys I played against have been members of my club for a while and I’ve only been a member at my club for a year so between who I beat in the first round and how well I played in the second round people noticed. The guy I lost to is a bit older than I am but he was a very competitive golfer in his day. The dude is no slouch and I took him to the 21st from being 3 down in my first club championship. To many on here this might sound silly but this represents a big step forward in my game and confidence.

>

>

>

> The tournament did a lot for my confidence and it was a classic example of “never give up”. I thought I’d be nervous and I was. Totally new experience for me and completely worth it. To anyone else out there that has never played in a tournament or a club championship I’d highly recommend it. You just might learn some new things about yourself.

 

What a great match! Best most exciting part to me is you EARNED that level of play by busting your tail practicing, your short game, long game in a series and systematic fashion. Well played!

[ebrasmus21]

> @JAMH03 said:

> > @ebrasmus21 said:

> > Played in the club championship which was my first ever *real* tournament. I played in the flight that all the single digits that didn’t qualify for the scratch flight play in.

> >

> >

> >

> > My first match was won on the 21st hole. My opponent hit the ball much better than I did but I scrambled my a** off and putted out of my mind. I was down 2 on the 16th tee but won 16 and 17 with birdies; putting can be a great equalizer in match play. I legitimately made 150’ worth of putts. I didn’t keep track of my strokes gained but on the greens I was probably a legit +3 or +4 SG putting.

> >

> >

> >

> > In general, it was an entirely different world. I was nervous and anxious and grinding out all my shots. It was a level of focus I’ve never had on the course before.

> >

> >

> >

> > The second match was lost on the 21st hole. Again, my opponent hit the ball much better than I did but I was scrambling and again making putts. The match played out almost exactly as I had imagined. I knew my opponent and I knew his game. He’s a skilled ball striker and a poor putter. Just as I thought, on the front 9 he was ball striking the **** out of me. Scrambling and putting kept it close.

> >

> >

> >

> > Eventually I was 3 down with 6 holes to play. I made a couple of birdies – he made a bogey on our 17th and the match is all square on 18. Now I’m really nervous.

> >

> >

> >

> > 18 is a par 5. We both hit our drives in the fairway. He hooks his 3 wood behind a tree short of the green. I have a lie in the fairway that’s dodgy at best; completely bare lie. Between the lie and my nerves I decided to chip a 3 wood down by the green and did exactly that.

> >

> > Somehow my opponent makes par from being stymied behind the tree. Meanwhile I have a 10 footer to win which I blew by the hole. Made the 5 footer coming back to go to 19.

> >

> >

> >

> > On 19 I have another birdie put to win of roughly 10 feet. I spent probably 2 minutes trying to read the putt and I just couldn’t get a feel for the read. I’m a fast player so for me to spend two minutes reading a putt means I’m in 100% grind mode. Both par the hole.

> >

> >

> >

> > 20th both in the fairway. Both hit to 20’ in basically the exact same spot on the green. I was out – hit a good putt but missed. Unfortunately, I gave the exact read to my opponent and he drained it. That was my stroke hole so we move on to the 21st.

> >

> >

> >

> > I hit a series of bad shots and lost to a bogey on the 21st. It was a great match, lost to a nice person and a good golfer. The guys I played against have been members of my club for a while and I’ve only been a member at my club for a year so between who I beat in the first round and how well I played in the second round people noticed. The guy I lost to is a bit older than I am but he was a very competitive golfer in his day. The dude is no slouch and I took him to the 21st from being 3 down in my first club championship. To many on here this might sound silly but this represents a big step forward in my game and confidence.

> >

> >

> >

> > The tournament did a lot for my confidence and it was a classic example of “never give up”. I thought I’d be nervous and I was. Totally new experience for me and completely worth it. To anyone else out there that has never played in a tournament or a club championship I’d highly recommend it. You just might learn some new things about yourself.

>

> What a great match! Best most exciting part to me is you EARNED that level of play by busting your tail practicing, your short game, long game in a series and systematic fashion. Well played!

 

@JAMH03

 

Thanks for checking out the thread. You’re still about 12 months behind present day but I hope you enjoy the read :)

 

Good recommendation on the books as well.

[JAMH03]

> @ebrasmus21 said:

> glk wrote:

>

>

>

> Yes slo mo works. And yes take your time hitting balls. I do not hit many full shots when i practice. My focus right now is on transition and release. So I do things

>

> like standing on that little roll of tape to help with the feel of the downhill move. Then I can hit some full shots getting that similar feel. But I've spent more time recently

>

> on getting in the delivery position - the club somewhere between p5-p6 - and then hitting from there - more rotating without actively using the arms - slowly then fast - then getting into that position, stopping and taking it back to the top and swinging. I work on being relaxed and having my wrists in good position - the ole motorcycle move thingee - that move from delivery through impact is just to fast in a full swing for me to work on training what I want my arms/wrists to be doing. I haven't hit anything longer than a 5i on the range this year.

>

>

>

> It'll take me an 30 minutes to hit about 30 balls. I have rehearsals between swings - don't want to just rake another over. I mix in short game swings too since for me it's

>

> a different swing mechanic where I want to "cast" at the ball - so I do some 30, 40, 60 yard pitch shots then back to delivery drills, etc. sometime I do the 3 club drill,

>

> choose 3 clubs,say pw, 6i, 3w and hit 3 balls in a row never hitting the same club twice. Ditto short game stuff at the area at my club. And in putting I just work on

>

> putts of 50 foot or so (hit one out there and then get the next 2 right beside the first), then the clock drill mainly inside 5 foot or so. Might do some gate drills or putt over a dime about a foot or two in front of me. I usually don't putt for more than 15-20 minutes. Actually in 90 minutes I go through all three areas - swing for about 30-40 minutes, short game for another 30-40 and then 20 minutes putting. I'm lucky that my club has great practice facilities which are not in high demand.

>

>

>

> I practice a lot at home in front of the mirror etc. Have some indoor golf balls that I can chip/pitch in my garage. So I usually only go to the range once a week and spend that 90 minutes. I also typically just walk up to the first tee after a little bit of a warmup via stretches etc. I might hit a few very short chips to get the feel of contact and maybe some putts since it's on the way to the tee.

>

>

>

> Point is mix it up in how you practice but focus on the area(s) you are looking to improve. And don't just hit full swings (but you've heard this from Monte, I'm sure).

>

>

>

> Sorry for the long winded reply.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> No need to apologize - it's good getting different perspectives on practicing. I'm only 7 months into practicing golf so I'm still learning how to wisely use the limited time I have. These are good ideas. I already do what you do regarding putting and short game but I need to be smarter about how I practice my full-swing.

 

"No need to apologize - it's good getting different perspectives on practicing. I'm only 7 months into practicing golf so I'm still learning how to wisely use the limited time I have. These are good ideas. I already do what you do regarding putting and short game but I need to be smarter about how I practice my full-swing."

 

Ha I knew we were headed here!

@ebrasmus21 but thats not the the important part. The important part here is that you've made the decision, paid the price in your time, efforts, travel, and forgoing other things that you could've done to earn your improvement if golf and understanding of how to best use your time. Once again well done!

[JAMH03]

> @ebrasmus21 said:

> jonsnow wrote:

>

>

> ebrasmus21 wrote:

>

>

> PepsiDuck wrote:

>

>

>

> Do you all have your course itinerary lined up? Or are you just winging it?

>

>

>

> One of my big golf regrets is not making that road trip when I lived out in Monterey.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Old Mac tomorrow

>

> Pacific and Trails Saturday

>

> Dunes on Sunday

>

>

>

> Punchbowl and preserve will be mixed in probably tomorrow and Sunday as well.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Wow, I envy you. Enjoy & post pictures for the rest of us.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> This is a bucket-list trip for me. I’ll do my best to get some good pics and vids.

>

>

>

> Goal is to have as much fun as possible. Bonus will be to post a couple scores in the 70s

 

I wouldn't worry about scores... Just match play 4 ball probs be the most fun.

[Dan Drake]

> @JAMH03 said:

> @"Dan Drake" awesome!

>

> I too have a question about strokes gained. What's the easiest way to use them to decide on a practice plan?

 

JAMH03,

 

Great question! Keeping your strokes gained stats is amazing for a couple of REALLY important reasons (seriously, if you are wanting to improve, these two points are massive):

 

1. You get a very clear and (almost) perfectly objective picture of your game and what your strengths and weaknesses are. This is vital, because we often view our own games through tinted lenses, so to speak. For instance, before I kept my stats, I thought I was a pitiful lag putter from 40' or so. Once I started to keep my stats back, I noticed very quickly that not only was I not a pitiful lag putter, but quite the opposite, I am a very good lag putter! This knowledge then even improved my lag putting even more, now being armed with the most important part of putting well, confidence! If I didn't keep my strokes gained stats, I would have NEVER figured this out and would be forever mired in the misery of standing over long putts thinking about how bad I am a hitting those length putts.

 

2. You will finally be able to clearly see where your best Return On Investment will be for your practice time (& bag setup). Getting this ROI as high as possible simply isn't possible without keeping stats this way. I have a full time job (admittedly at a golf course!), a wife who owns a business, a 10 year old son, and a good number of family that live close. Time isn't something that I have tons of, but there are small pockets of 15 min or 30 min here or there. And in those pockets, I know exactly what to go work on! For instance, I simply don't practice long (40'+) lag putts any more. I'll roll one or two before a round just to get the basic speed, but that's it. I don't face enough of them (on average), and I'm good enough already that there just isn't much juice left to squeeze, so to speak. There's no ROI or strokes to be gained there. I also rarely practice short putts at the course. I do that at home on a little putting mat, from 3' - 8' during the evenings. I don't practice true "chip" shots very often either, because I don't get them often enough to worry about (<20% of my short game shots are what I would define as a true chip shot). I hit 80% of my short game shots with a pitching type of setup & motion, so instead, I practice the heck out of that! I practice bunker play enough to be able to get out, 15' is fine by me. The time needed to become an elite bunker player just isn't worth it to me, as I'm only in 1 bunker per round (29 bunker shots in 26 rounds last year). I would need to improve my bunker play so drastically just to save partial strokes over the course of a year that it isn't even worth it to me. I spend about 15min/month in the practice bunker just making sure I can get it out. Once I can do that from a couple of different lies, that's it, I'm done with bunker practice for the month!

 

Getting data that will allow you to do these steps is vital. On average, I play less than 1 round every two weeks, so I have to keep my game sharp as efficiently as possible. I know my strengths and weakness and what I'm working on AND if it's actually improving what I want to improve (this is MASSIVE as well)!!!

 

Here's a quick example: A guy three putts a couple of holes during a round and goes to the putting green to work on his putting for an hour. Seems logical and an efficient use of his time to improve his game, right? But, what he doesn't realize is that from 60', a 6' leave is actually just below tour average. His lag putting that day was fine and since he is only going to make about 50% from 6', his short putting wasn't too bad that day either. The question is, how did he hit it to 60' multiple times in a round? Bad shot off the tee? Good shots off the tee, but bad club choices and decision? Bad iron shots? He doesn't REALLY know, so he spend an hour working on his lag putting, and MAYBE now his AVERAGE leave is improved to 5'11" and he makes 51% of those vs. 5'11" putts! That is just a terrible ROI (if he even gets it that much better)!

 

Or, he can know that he had to play defensively with his approach shots because he was in bad positions off the tee which was directly due to poor club selection/shot planning and he can go sit down with Google Earth for 10 minutes and figure out a better way to get off the tee on those couple of holes. Now he's improved his game in 1/6th of the time and by much larger partial strokes and will see a difference on the scorecard.

 

And that is the only place that truly matters!

[JAMH03]

"today was probably the most fun I’ve ever had golfing. "

 

 

 

 

 

> @"Dan Drake" said:

> > @JAMH03 said:

> > @"Dan Drake" awesome!

> >

> > I too have a question about strokes gained. What's the easiest way to use them to decide on a practice plan?

>

> JAMH03,

>

> Great question! Keeping your strokes gained stats is amazing for a couple of REALLY important reasons (seriously, if you are wanting to improve, these two points are massive):

>

> 1. You get a very clear and (almost) perfectly objective picture of your game and what your strengths and weaknesses are. This is vital, because we often view our own games through tinted lenses, so to speak. For instance, before I kept my stats, I thought I was a pitiful lag putter from 40' or so. Once I started to keep my stats back, I noticed very quickly that not only was I not a pitiful lag putter, but quite the opposite, I am a very good lag putter! This knowledge then even improved my lag putting even more, now being armed with the most important part of putting well, confidence! If I didn't keep my strokes gained stats, I would have NEVER figured this out and would be forever mired in the misery of standing over long putts thinking about how bad I am a hitting those length putts.

>

> 2. You will finally be able to clearly see where your best Return On Investment will be for your practice time (& bag setup). Getting this ROI as high as possible simply isn't possible without keeping stats this way. I have a full time job (admittedly at a golf course!), a wife who owns a business, a 10 year old son, and a good number of family that live close. Time isn't something that I have tons of, but there are small pockets of 15 min or 30 min here or there. And in those pockets, I know exactly what to go work on! For instance, I simply don't practice long (40'+) lag putts any more. I'll roll one or two before a round just to get the basic speed, but that's it. I don't face enough of them (on average), and I'm good enough already that there just isn't much juice left to squeeze, so to speak. There's no ROI or strokes to be gained there. I also rarely practice short putts at the course. I do that at home on a little putting mat, from 3' - 8' during the evenings. I don't practice true "chip" shots very often either, because I don't get them often enough to worry about (<20% of my short game shots are what I would define as a true chip shot). I hit 80% of my short game shots with a pitching type of setup & motion, so instead, I practice the heck out of that! I practice bunker play enough to be able to get out, 15' is fine by me. The time needed to become an elite bunker player just isn't worth it to me, as I'm only in 1 bunker per round (29 bunker shots in 26 rounds last year). I would need to improve my bunker play so drastically just to save partial strokes over the course of a year that it isn't even worth it to me. I spend about 15min/month in the practice bunker just making sure I can get it out. Once I can do that from a couple of different lies, that's it, I'm done with bunker practice for the month!

>

> Getting data that will allow you to do these steps is vital. On average, I play less than 1 round every two weeks, so I have to keep my game sharp as efficiently as possible. I know my strengths and weakness and what I'm working on AND if it's actually improving what I want to improve (this is MASSIVE as well)!!!

>

> Here's a quick example: A guy three putts a couple of holes during a round and goes to the putting green to work on his putting for an hour. Seems logical and an efficient use of his time to improve his game, right? But, what he doesn't realize is that from 60', a 6' leave is actually just below tour average. His lag putting that day was fine and since he is only going to make about 50% from 6', his short putting wasn't too bad that day either. The question is, how did he hit it to 60' multiple times in a round? Bad shot off the tee? Good shots off the tee, but bad club choices and decision? Bad iron shots? He doesn't REALLY know, so he spend an hour working on his lag putting, and MAYBE now his AVERAGE leave is improved to 5'11" and he makes 51% of those vs. 5'11" putts! That is just a terrible ROI (if he even gets it that much better)!

>

> Or, he can know that he had to play defensively with his approach shots because he was in bad positions off the tee which was directly due to poor club selection/shot planning and he can go sit down with Google Earth for 10 minutes and figure out a better way to get off the tee on those couple of holes. Now he's improved his game in 1/6th of the time and by much larger partial strokes and will see a difference on the scorecard.

>

> And that is the only place that truly matters!

 

Is there an icon for LOVE! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question so thoroughly! What I'll do to SHOW my appreciation is to try to work this into my efforts to improve. Thank you again.

[JAMH03]

> @ebrasmus21 said:

> eagle1997 wrote:

>

>

>

> At least you’re being honest with yourself, and by extension, with us. Anyone who says they havent been there is likely either a liar or a savant.

>

>

>

> Keep grinding.

>

>

>

> Golf can reward each of us in so many ways much more profound than just our daily score. Often, the lesson only comes into focus when we reflect on past deeds with perspective and clarity.

>

>

>

> Best of luck in your journey.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Well said, thank you. I suppose venting frustration is good if for no other reason than to be honest with one’s self.

 

@ebrasmus21

 

1 dude sorry to comment so many damn times on your post but this is so entertaining for me.

 

2 Give yourself credit you've taken on this goal and owned it good bad weird and otherwise, so even though you've been gifted some things, SS etc, you've chosen to push yourself. Really brave and industrious for real. Well done!

 

 

[BB28403]

> @ebrasmus21 said:

> > @JAMH03 said:

> > > @ebrasmus21 said:

> > > Played in the club championship which was my first ever *real* tournament. I played in the flight that all the single digits that didn’t qualify for the scratch flight play in.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > My first match was won on the 21st hole. My opponent hit the ball much better than I did but I scrambled my a** off and putted out of my mind. I was down 2 on the 16th tee but won 16 and 17 with birdies; putting can be a great equalizer in match play. I legitimately made 150’ worth of putts. I didn’t keep track of my strokes gained but on the greens I was probably a legit +3 or +4 SG putting.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > In general, it was an entirely different world. I was nervous and anxious and grinding out all my shots. It was a level of focus I’ve never had on the course before.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > The second match was lost on the 21st hole. Again, my opponent hit the ball much better than I did but I was scrambling and again making putts. The match played out almost exactly as I had imagined. I knew my opponent and I knew his game. He’s a skilled ball striker and a poor putter. Just as I thought, on the front 9 he was ball striking the **** out of me. Scrambling and putting kept it close.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Eventually I was 3 down with 6 holes to play. I made a couple of birdies – he made a bogey on our 17th and the match is all square on 18. Now I’m really nervous.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > 18 is a par 5. We both hit our drives in the fairway. He hooks his 3 wood behind a tree short of the green. I have a lie in the fairway that’s dodgy at best; completely bare lie. Between the lie and my nerves I decided to chip a 3 wood down by the green and did exactly that.

> > >

> > > Somehow my opponent makes par from being stymied behind the tree. Meanwhile I have a 10 footer to win which I blew by the hole. Made the 5 footer coming back to go to 19.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > On 19 I have another birdie put to win of roughly 10 feet. I spent probably 2 minutes trying to read the putt and I just couldn’t get a feel for the read. I’m a fast player so for me to spend two minutes reading a putt means I’m in 100% grind mode. Both par the hole.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > 20th both in the fairway. Both hit to 20’ in basically the exact same spot on the green. I was out – hit a good putt but missed. Unfortunately, I gave the exact read to my opponent and he drained it. That was my stroke hole so we move on to the 21st.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > I hit a series of bad shots and lost to a bogey on the 21st. It was a great match, lost to a nice person and a good golfer. The guys I played against have been members of my club for a while and I’ve only been a member at my club for a year so between who I beat in the first round and how well I played in the second round people noticed. The guy I lost to is a bit older than I am but he was a very competitive golfer in his day. The dude is no slouch and I took him to the 21st from being 3 down in my first club championship. To many on here this might sound silly but this represents a big step forward in my game and confidence.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > The tournament did a lot for my confidence and it was a classic example of “never give up”. I thought I’d be nervous and I was. Totally new experience for me and completely worth it. To anyone else out there that has never played in a tournament or a club championship I’d highly recommend it. You just might learn some new things about yourself.

> >

> > What a great match! Best most exciting part to me is you EARNED that level of play by busting your tail practicing, your short game, long game in a series and systematic fashion. Well played!

>

> @JAMH03

>

> Thanks for checking out the thread. You’re still about 12 months behind present day but I hope you enjoy the read :)

>

> Good recommendation on the books as well.

 

I read his replies and just thought WTF?! yeah he’s a bit behind! Haha.

It’s saul good though, forums are setup funny.

[ebrasmus21]

> @JAMH03 said:

> > @ebrasmus21 said:

> > eagle1997 wrote:

> >

> >

> >

> > At least you’re being honest with yourself, and by extension, with us. Anyone who says they havent been there is likely either a liar or a savant.

> >

> >

> >

> > Keep grinding.

> >

> >

> >

> > Golf can reward each of us in so many ways much more profound than just our daily score. Often, the lesson only comes into focus when we reflect on past deeds with perspective and clarity.

> >

> >

> >

> > Best of luck in your journey.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Well said, thank you. I suppose venting frustration is good if for no other reason than to be honest with one’s self.

>

> @ebrasmus21

>

> 1 dude sorry to comment so many **** times on your post but this is so entertaining for me.

>

> 2 Give yourself credit you've taken on this goal and owned it good bad weird and otherwise, so even though you've been gifted some things, SS etc, you've chosen to push yourself. Really brave and industrious for real. Well done!

>

>

 

Thank you, brah. Glad you’re enjoying the read.

[JAMH03]

 

 

>

**_> Ego: I don’t know what to do with ego. Should ego be conquered or should ego be protected?_**

>

 

I think you're doing fine.

 

FWIW Pia Nilsson and Bob Rotella both have very useful info on the differences between practice and play.

 

Not sure where the most distilled down versions are but I absolutely know they've benefited me especially compared to my friends in terms of how to gear up for competition and also how to improve with block practice.

 

Might be a good time to talk about Fred Shoemakers extraordinary golf as well sounds like we are getting into the touchy feely parts of the process.

 

Maybe someone else knows where in this case I only know what.

 

 

 

 

[JAMH03]

> @ebrasmus21 said:

>

 

Whoa Jeez! Getting there!

[BB28403]

> @JAMH03 said:

>

>

> >

> **_> Ego: I don’t know what to do with ego. Should ego be conquered or should ego be protected?_**

> >

>

> I think you're doing fine.

>

> FWIW Pia Nilsson and Bob Rotella both have very useful info on the differences between practice and play.

>

> Not sure where the most distilled down versions are but I absolutely know they've benefited me especially compared to my friends in terms of how to gear up for competition and also how to improve with block practice.

>

> Might be a good time to talk about Fred Shoemakers extraordinary golf as well sounds like we are getting into the touchy feely parts of the process.

>

> Maybe someone else knows where in this case I only know what.

>

>

>

>

>

 

Can I get a bobby knight chair throw please?

[Hawkeye77]

Ebrasmus? Ebrasmus?

 

You seem to have been hijacked - hope all is well, lol.

[ebrasmus21]

Qualifier update:

 

I shot 79 today. Somehow I was able to qualify for the championship flight with that score.

 

Today was full-on 100% grind mode. Didn’t make a single birdie but had good looks on holes 3, 4, 5, 6, 15 and 18.

 

Scrambled my a** off and got up and down from a few spots I had no right getting up and down from.

 

Hit some truly awful drives today and paid the price.

 

All in all, I don’t think I could have played much worse so I taking the positive out of the fact that i can play poorly and grind out a 79. Now it’s on to match play.

[JAMH03]

> @MonteScheinblum said:

> I hope those reading the thread learn from this.

>

>

>

> There was elation, desperation, confusion and ending in celebration.

>

>

>

> Improvement is not linear, you can only make it point in the right direction and not deviate during the valleys in the curve as long as the trend is up.

 

Thank you Monte we really appreciate you. Before I started posting here I got to see you play in the long beach open on youtube. Also a couple of instructional videos I really liked how you carried yourself. As an aside I thought your short putting really stood out :smile:

[Hawkeye77]

> @ebrasmus21 said:

> Qualifier update:

>

> I shot 79 today. Somehow I was able to qualify for the championship flight with that score.

>

> Today was full-on 100% grind mode. Didn’t make a single birdie but had good looks on holes 3, 4, 5, 6, 15 and 18.

>

> Scrambled my **** off and got up and down from a few spots I had no right getting up and down from.

>

> Hit some truly awful drives today and paid the price.

>

> All in all, I don’t think I could have played much worse so I taking the positive out of the fact that i can play poorly and grind out a 79. Now it’s on to match play.

 

Awesome!

[deadsolid...shank]

> @ebrasmus21 said:

> Qualifier update:

>

> I shot 79 today. Somehow I was able to qualify for the championship flight with that score.

>

> Today was full-on 100% grind mode. Didn’t make a single birdie but had good looks on holes 3, 4, 5, 6, 15 and 18.

>

> Scrambled my **** off and got up and down from a few spots I had no right getting up and down from.

>

> Hit some truly awful drives today and paid the price.

>

> All in all, I don’t think I could have played much worse so I taking the positive out of the fact that i can play poorly and grind out a 79. Now it’s on to match play.

 

Well done saving the round.