Another day another way

Played a few rounds since the last post. Went out to Arcadia and played the public course, $15 for 18 holes, I guess public money must make up the difference.  Fairways and tee boxes were ok, greens not so much.

I struck the ball very well. Worked hard on getting my full backswing, getting my chest parallel to my back foot, then rotating aggressively through to impact.  Good straight long ball flight, but my short game let me down.  78 from the tips par 72.

In the skins/nasa games I am doing ok. Winning the match play but not making enough birdies or better for skins.  Gave myself chances but didn't convert the putts.  I think I need to make about 150 feet of putts in a round to score low. Last week the only holed out long putts were to save par.

I really stunk up the first two par three, doubling them both, so through 7 holes I had 5 pars and 2 doubles! 

Physically doing mostly OK. The weight isn't falling off like I wish it would but the waist is getting smaller. Dr. Matt is doing wonders with the back and left side.  I am suffering a re-occurrence of Plantar Faciatis, an inflamation in the bottom of the foot back by the heel. Feels like a very bruised heel.  It is caused from a lack of stretching, so I am stretching it more. I read in a golf magazine that too high of acid content in the system can keep the inflamation from subsiding at night, so they suggest 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every 100 pounds of body weight, it does seem to help. Tastes awful.

Working this week \on completing the forward turn.

Later

A little bit of success

Success is the "Progressive realization of worthwhile personal goals". Success is therefor a process, to be successful means that one is filled with worthwhile progress.  On Sunday I began to feel a bit of that success. My belt is a few notches tighter, so my waist is a few inches smaller, progress! Success!

And my golf score was a few strokes smaller also!  Success!  I played Sunday with Flip, I was just working on staying planted through impact. Like Moe Norman focusing on facing the ball at impact. Solid shots for the most part, a few birdies and a 76 with a ball O.B. not too bad.

The ball O.B. was caused by too much and too early of a hip slide towards the target. Staying centered put a lot of stress on my left knee so Dr. Matt had his work cut out for him on Tuesday. I left his office pain free once again.  He used needles in my right bicep and inside the elbow area to relive the pain in my left knee.  Dramatic results!

From now on I will wear a knee support when I practice and golf.

The following video shows the hip slide, while it is not waaaay out of whack it is enough to cause me to be too far in front of the swing.  Please, any comments would be appreciated

The quest continues

Did play this past Wednesday, saw some positive forward movement in my short game, putting let me down a bit.  Working very hard on getting my right hand moving freely around my left.  Fast hands swinging freely around my body, hard to do when you feel like a 100 years old!

I am getting to the point where I can hit more balls in practice.  Actually a few hundred during the course of a day. Not just short shots but full swings. I guess the little bit of work I am doing with the stretch bands is working. I am going to change my workout time from just before bed-time, to first thing in the morning. I think I have the discipline to get up a half hour earlier.

Till next time

Week 4 or thereabouts

Played this morning, sort of.  Cold windy raining, all around a lousy day for golf. Really only hit 2 or 3 good shots. Maybe a little doubt is creeping in that I can actually get back to scratch.

On the positive side, the weight is still slipping away and my waist line is shrinking.

I am clearly in need of more practice time. This weekend I should get a few hundred swings in on the range, most of my work will be on the mid and short irons.

About 3 1/2 weeks into it

The weather has not been cooperative.  Too cold to golf, at least for me. Too many really nice days in Florida to golf when it's below 45. Did spend a bit of time at the range working on my hand positions at impact and finish. I am trying to get to a position at impact where my trail wrist is still fully cupped backward, creating a downward pressure at the contact point of my trail index finger and thumb pad. Doing this also putts my lead palm in an up-facing position. This to me is what is meant by hitting down on the ball. As I extend my trail arm it is in a downward motion.

Towards the finish position I want to maintain the pressure on the same 2 contact points, most significantly on the upper part of the pointer finger. At finish the back of my trail hand is still bent back. I can see the back of my trail hand through-out the swing, start to finish.

Done correctly I feel pressure on the trail index finger through the entire arc of the swing. The pressure is ALWAYS pushing in the direction the club is moving.

I fully intend to play in the skins and match play game on Wednesday morning, I'll let you know how I do.

Week 2

Lost 10 lbs this week, not too hard, except for the no alcohol part. I don't really miss starches or sugars.

Played in the Skins Game Wednesday morning, 2 skins and won both singles matches, felt pretty good. I could have scored lower but I made a couple of sloppy swings that cost me.  No penalty strokes, but way to many mistakes on what should have been easy shots.

Tee time was 8:20 AM and I lacked the discipline to get to the course early enough to warm up and get a feel for the swing and the greens. Where it really hurts me is on the approach shots and chips for the first few holes.

My swing thoughts for the round were pretty simple "Tic - Toc" which  is the tempo I want to feel, and keeping the trail wrist hinged back. PRESWING thoughts are more complex, because I haven't re-habituated the Natural Golf set-up.  "Weight under the inside of my ankle bones, spine tilt away from the target, shaft pointing to my lead arm pit and shoulders square to the target line. And more!"

Started working out this week. Nothing crazy, using a large workout ball and stretch cords. I do most of the exersizes seated on the ball to maximize balance and steady the core. I do full range movements with a medium resistance band. Also lots of turning movements.  The "Turn Turn" swing coach better be able to turn. My goal is to get to 45 minutes a night of resistance conditioning at a pace that is also cardio. Will add the "body blade" to the workout starting Monday. It has only been a few nights now but I am feeling better already!

first week

Played on New Year's day.  More of a practice session with friends. Targeting was way off, tend to miss to the right. Short game was very irratic, had a tough time getting the ball to stop close to the hole on chips and short pitches, took several holes to get the feel of the "freeze dried" greens. Very hard and very fast.

Sunday hit several 9 irons on the range. At 75 yds my direction was excellent but distance control was off, I was long. At 115 yds the distance control was much better but I was hooking the ball. Discovered I was taking the club too far to the inside on the way back, need to remember to swing down the line, , , up the line.  It worked.

For this project I have decided to play-like-Moe.  Single plane, single axis, Natural Golf.  The basic feel of  "Fold - Unfold" the right arm is coming back. Need to focus on facing the ball at impact.

Weight loss. Not missing the carbs so much, lots of chicken, steamed mussels and clams last night, Thanks Tom and Debbie.  Do miss the alcohol.  Weighed myself and was acutally surprised at the weight I have gained.  40 lbs weight loss is still the 90 day goal. When I shot a video of my swing I expected to look like Moe but not as fat as Moe.

Playing for real tomorrow morning. Skins games and a couple of Nasa matches.  Focus will be rhythm and tempo and facing the ball and impact.