Back at it

[AntLockyer]

I stopped playing golf in 2016, I'd been playing with a pretty bad back injury and after 4 rounds of +12, +18, +23 and +16 I had to throw in the towel and gave up my membership. Steroid injections and a bunch of PT stuff did little to ease the pain and with surgery ruled out I gave up on any hopes of playing again.

 

Then one day I did something that made it feel a little better. I carried on doing that everyday and it got to the point where it wasn't agony. Then I went back to doing karate and it improved a little more. To the point that I managed to go and play golf socially a couple of times this year with a friend I'd met since giving up. We had a LOT of fun, used some questionable rules and ended up with equally questionable scores. I was so pleased to be able to a: play again and b: not be ruled by the need to score well and the obsession with my handicap.

 

Fast forward a couple of months and some deep thinking about my empty social life and hobbies after lockdown and I re-applied for golf club membership. My friend happens to be a decent golf coach and after a couple of conversations asked me to send pics and video, a few pointers and I'm hitting the range...EVERYDAY. I've got a 2 hour session with him next week on the trackman and I'm feeling exceptionally positive.

[Ferguson]

Stick with it.  

 

[Kmagnuss]

Happy to hear you're doing better.  Now don't forget the pain, how hard it was to lose... and don't overdo it.

 

-Mag

[Springsteennut]

Good for you. I’ve had my share of health problems the last few years that have kept me away from playing and it always feels good to get back out there. I find I’m not nearly as score obsessed and enjoying my rounds more.

[mshills]

Excellent!  Keep this thread posted with your comeback story!  Check out a thread I started in swing videos for my comeback.  Let's get it done!

[AntLockyer]

Thanks for the encouragement. Been sick the last couple of days. Taken the time to regrip my clubs and look at my old stats. Posting them here so I can compare to where I get to when I start playing again. I'm not going to be looking at these and looking for areas to improve. I'm treating it like I'm starting all over again.

 

[AntLockyer]

Yesterday I had an in person golf lesson, the first one in 7 years. I had received some putting coaching electronically and in the last couple of weeks some full swing stuff too. 

 

I'm in the fortunate position that my very good friend also happens to be a very good golf coach.

 

 

I hit a bunch of balls, he said I've got a good swing and then we talked about misses and where I felt we were on the club face etc. After that we spent about 2 hours in the gym and in the studio, working on some pretty big changes. Changes to my concepts and understanding of the swing, with an aim to get me less steep, less inside and less handsy and timing reliant. 

 

Now I have everything I need to grind the changes out and I'm very excited.

[AntLockyer]

2 months later

 

I've done a lot of practicing, working on new movement patterns and concepts. Hit a lot of balls and a ton of putting mechanics.

 

Some encouraging signs.

15 ft average from 110 yards.

33 ft from 135 (right to left wind definitely needed to be accounted for more).

 

Average distance with the driver is 250, im ever so slightly fearful of the left so am setting up a little open and seeing a little cut. Will see how that plays out in the course.

 

Putting along a yard stick

Managed 11 in a row and then 8 in a row the next attempt. Also 8 in a row with eyes closed.

 

Playing tomorrow. Need to just focus on trying to score and seeing what needs work. Difficult to go with no expectations but I have to be realistic and I know there is a huge difference between what I'm working on and actually playing golf.

 

 

[Zitlow]

Thinking about your swing while you swing slows down your reflexes, it's hard to do but instead of thinking about mechanics focus on the target and feeling the club head.  

[AntLockyer]

Monthly update.

 

Seems like a lot has happened in a short space of time.

Got back into the golf club I used to be a member of. Played 3 rounds to get my WHS handicap and every time it was either really windy (30mph+) or raining, or both. Managed a 91, 95 and 96 which gives me a starting HC or 14.1 (last time it was that high was 2014).

 

I was pretty miserable about it and realised I had some hidden expectation based on a: how much I was practicing and b: how well I'd been doing in practice. Anyway total reset, I'm a 14 handicapper and trying to get lower.

 

My game golf lost my rounds and I've got Arccos for my next round. I managed to remember enough of my round to do my stats from the last one though.

 

 

6 Fairways, 5 greens, 39 putts, 5 - 3 putts, 2 bogeys on par 5s, 8 doubles, and 1 double chip (which was about 2 inches from being a great shot).

 

What's next? I got a bunch of putting training stuff my coach recommended. Been working on my mechanics, start line and other stuff at home and on the practice green. Did Phil Kenyon's 100ft drill today and scored 65ft which seemed decent to me. Also getting distance control on my chipping somewhere near close. I'd practiced a lot with flying a 50 degree wedge in low and it not running much but the bump and run was neglected and was needed in the wind.

 

[SwooshLT]

Just found this thread.......a few questions, how old are you , did you ever have an MRI of the lumbar region? I've dealt with back pain and injuries now for 30yrs and on the shelf as of 3 weeks ago......just checking to see your routine for getting back in the saddle 

@AntLockyer

[AntLockyer]

14 hours ago, SwooshLT said:

Just found this thread.......a few questions, how old are you , did you ever have an MRI of the lumbar region? I've dealt with back pain and injuries now for 30yrs and on the shelf as of 3 weeks ago......just checking to see your routine for getting back in the saddle 

@AntLockyer

Yes, I had several MRI all showed bulging 'degenerative' discs (white areas).

 

What I found works for me is the need to elongate everything around the spine, I don't know what is actually being stretched, muscle, fascia etc. But if I get into positions like child's pose and hold for a long time with very deep breathing it releases tension in that area, sometimes with a click or pop and the pain relief is instant. 

 

As I did more of it, like 10 times a day it got easier to get the relief, and now when I get back in the car at the driving range I can sort of just wiggle around and my back pops and any discomfort goes.

 

Hope that helps, it took weeks of doing this to notice anything, im surprised I carried on with it to be honest but obviously glad I did.

[Nickc]

 

"Got back into the golf club I used to be a member of. Played 3 rounds to get my WHS handicap and every time it was either really windy (30mph+) or raining, or both. Managed a 91, 95 and 96 which gives me a starting HC or 14.1 (last time it was that high was 2014)."

 

Out of interest What is the course rating and slope rate of this course to give you a 14 handicap or is the slope adjusted by the club for the conditions?

Edited April 17, 2022 by Nickc
Typo

[AntLockyer]

8 hours ago, Nickc said:

 

"Got back into the golf club I used to be a member of. Played 3 rounds to get my WHS handicap and every time it was either really windy (30mph+) or raining, or both. Managed a 91, 95 and 96 which gives me a starting HC or 14.1 (last time it was that high was 2014)."

 

Out of interest What is the course rating and slope rate of this course to give you a 14 handicap or is the slope adjusted by the club for the conditions?

72.1 - 133

91 gave me a differential of 16.1, initial index with 3 cards submitted is lowest differential-2

[AntLockyer]

May update. I've been grinding. Had the first round where the wind was single figures rather than the 20mph plus of late.

 

I've messed with equipment a little and put some old MP60s in the bag while I wait for my irons to be built. 

 

Ball striking was good, as backed up by Arccos

 

If im gaining on scratch in any area I'm where I want to be. Driving has been a strength but I struggle with setup, even with a routine I find myself with varying results, usually resulting in a dead straight push and If i try to aim to account for that i hang the face open a bit and push fade. Been focused on alignment with driver this week so hopefully can pay off.

 

My putting has been poor.

I was 3 over for the front 9 with 3, 3 putts. Despite putting hours and hours in my speed control is streaky at best. Back in 2012 I putted looking at the hole. I tried it in practice this week (while doing Scott Fawcett's ladder drill) and the improvement was instant and remarkable. Rather than spend too much time trying to get it to work in 'normal' putting I'm switching.

 

Random practice, 3 putts to different holes ranging from 20 to 45 feet. Essentially world class, so just need to take that to the course now 😁

 

Start of May my index is 13.1

[AntLockyer]

I've started a YouTube channel where I plan to upload practice videos. I do so much of it that I thought it might be of interest or helpful for others.

 

[AntLockyer]

 

[AntLockyer]

Been trying for hours and hours to try and stop being across the line in my swing. I'm really struggling. I drilled it so much yesterday I could barely lift my arms 😂

[hammersia]

On 5/18/2022 at 3:08 PM, AntLockyer said:

 

Your clubs look a bit short, or too flat - how tall are you, are the clubs standard length?

[AntLockyer]

1 hour ago, hammersia said:

Your clubs look a bit short, or too flat - how tall are you, are the clubs standard length?

185cm - 6'1"

 

They are old mizuno standard length so about .25 inch short. With standard Titleist lie angles.

 

I recently got fitted and my new clubs are Titleist standard length and lie.

Edited May 20, 2022 by AntLockyer

[hammersia]

33 minutes ago, AntLockyer said:

185cm - 6'1"

 

They are old mizuno standard length so about .25 inch short. With standard Titleist lie angles.

 

I recently got fitted and my new clubs are Titleist standard length and lie.

Ok, I possibly wouldn't bother practicing with them as they are, they look noticeably wrong and may mess you up. 

Extending the clubs and bending them to match your new ones is relatively easy. 

[rd1959]

I have back problems too and I use an inversion table to stretch my spine.

Edited May 20, 2022 by rd1959

[AntLockyer]

 

 

Amazing how a practice swing and a real swing can look so different. Got a long way to go to try and get more laid off at the top.

[AntLockyer]

 

More hilarious rehearsal not making it into the full swing. Done a bunch more putting practice too. Looking back at my old scores, any good rounds the putter was hot, so I'm definitely capable of it.

Playing again tomorrow, hopefully take the good putting skill into a real game.

This was a 20ft, 40ft and 60ft putt in practice.

[AntLockyer]

Putting has managed to transfer onto the course 

 

 

I know tour greens are tougher than ours but I'm over the moon to only be losing less than 2 strokes to PGA averages.

 

 

[AntLockyer]

Those putting stats came from a win on Saturday.

 

[AntLockyer]

Some mixed results since shooting 85 in the comp at the start of the month

 

The last 2 I've managed to pull myself together and have a half decent back 9. Each time though I've felt really not quite with it on the front. Not sure if it's early starts, inadequate warm up (no range before) or what I eat.

 

The 1st is easy, par should come with no drama.

2nd is a bit harder but if you hit the fairway not too bad. There is a ditch at 270 something that is in play unless into the wind so it does play on my mind and I'm often in the right rough.

3rd is a blind tee shot, usually hit a decent ball there but lost one that looked down the middle last week.

4th is hard to par as it is into the wind usually but really hitting fairway and finding front edge shouldn't be too challenging.

5th is a mess at the moment. New bunkering has totally changed the way the hole looks, really doesn't seem to be anywhere to land it past 200, but it is only 493, so 4 iron, 4 iron, wedge would be safe.

6th very tough par 3

7th fairly straight forward par 5 but again ditch trouble for your second at 360 yards. No issue if you hit the fairway I guess.

 

8 and 9 are ok although I lost me tee ball on 8 this week despite seeing it land in the middle of the fairway!

 

I've typed all this out as I thought it might help either identify some issues or make me realise I just need to get myself thinking a bit clearer on the course as none of these holes are massively difficult.

[AntLockyer]

Typing it out helped a bunch, played decent today

Partial wedge shots down wind on super firm greens need practice. I guess working put a landing yardage short enough is the key.

 

16 I hit a lovely fairway wood onto the green, walked up thinking about my putt, no ball to be found!

[AntLockyer]

2 months on. I now have an index of 8.1 this was achieved through good ball striking, dependable driving and ok putting. Then the driver went cold along with the putter. Interestingly everything else made up for it and I was still getting low 80s and getting cut.

 

Last week I decided the putting needed help. I'd been specifically struggling to get the ball to the hole and my shot pattern was definitely centred short. On 30 footers more than 6ft short wouldn't be a surprise. Our greens are considerably slower than they have been before, you can hear the grain now where they just used to roll forever in previous years.

 

So I got my Visio Mi template out and tried to calibrate 30 ft putts. I hit about 100 of them with the template and that's when I realised, I was good when putting conventionally not when looking at the hole. Looking at the hole had totally sorted my distance control before but now was hurting me on the slow greens. Took it to the course on Saturday and holed some good putts I wouldn't have expected to and only had one that was appreciably short. A few did go 4 feet past but I believe the pattern is closer to the hole now on average.

 

the driver however is still not good or at least not trustable.

 

 

8th I was in a sand filled divot and dumped it short into the trap from there.

9th was a mental error, short sided, poor wedge off a bare lie.

13th big pull into the crap and then tried to hybrid my way out.

16 lost the ability to hit anything longer than 4 iron.

18 see 16.

 

More driver block practice on the way to see if I can string together a decent round.

[AntLockyer]

Long time between updates. My dad died the week after my last one and golf wasn't easy.  A little break and I'm back on it.

 

I've made significant changes to how I putt, all triggered by the Karl Morris and Izzy Justice product - Neural putting. In it they describe some research results that are quite hard to believe, they also mentioned Cam Smith. Not as someone who uses what they describe but because of how his routine differs from most.

 

So of I went absorbing as much Cam Smith putting content as I could. And while watching a replay of some tournament or other the guy mentioned the grip and how natural it was.

 

 

I'd played around trying to get more connection between my hands (Phil Kenyon inspired) but never really got on with it and with only a few days between each round never gave it a fair cracking of the whip.

 

So with some time on my hands I hit my putting mat and set to work on getting comfortable and then working on distance control and the start line. I'm hitting between 100 and 200 putts a day and want to get that number up, but I'm being consistent. 

 

My putting setup now looks like this. Shaft and forearms incline, a narrower stance than before and sternum driven movement. 

 

Out on the course it was a revelation. Distance control is ridiculous now, worst one went 3 feet past on a tricky 30 footer. Not a hint of three putting and really only had 3 putts where I didn't fully utilise my new found skills.

 

The rest of my game was mediocre. It was very cold, too many layers of clothing and chronic under clubbing because I went long on the first.

 

Another thing I got from Karl Morris is writing out your three best shots of each round. So I intend to do that on this thread in the hope it achieves what Dr Morris intends.