Ball Striking Quest - Papageorgio Winter Program

Practice
#1

This post is inspired by:



The first post was someone saying the content on this forum was really falling off a cliff… and then he mentioned my round / stat thread :laughing: :laughing:

The second post is related to intentional practice and connecting intentional practice to handicap improvement. This one got the wheels spinning.

These two threads along with some cogitation around my own game has led me to the following roadmap to take the next step in my game.

Assumptions

  • The single most important part of your game is your long game motion. This encompasses 1) driving the golf ball 2) approach shots 3) wedge shots of 60+ yards. For the majority of golfers, improving ball striking is where the most improvement is available (this may generate some discussion :slight_smile:)
  • Skill development leads to self organization and mechanical improvement (courtesy of @Adamyounggolf)

The Plan

  • 45 minute range session 1-2 times per week
  • Focus will be on skill games. I will record my scores on the skill games and log in excel
  • I will rotate through the skill games but I hope to play each game 2+ times per month
  • I will track NGIR during my rounds (Near Green In Regulation = within ten paces of the green, not in a bunker or hazard)

Hypothesis

  • I expect to see my scores on the practice games improve, which I expect to have a material effect on my NGIR stats
  • If NGIR goes up, I know scores will come down

Other Notes

  • I will also be focusing on my fitness during this time. My main focus is to get in better shape and to actually DO THE PRACTICE SESSIONS… the most important stat is actually getting to the range 1x per week and getting a club in my hand at home 1-2x per week. If I feel healthy at the end of this and actually practice that will be a victory even if the handicap doesn’t move

  • I will post all my skill challenge scores and my golf rounds, NGIR and putts at the end of each month

  • Drills

    • Will’s range challenge
    • Powder the face (center face contact)
    • Double gate drill
    • Play 9 holes on the range (points awarded for Fairways and GIR’s, points subtracted for severe misses)

  • Home

    • Stretching and core strength
    • Impact bag
    • Mirror work
    • Orange Whip

My guiding principle: short term in golf = 6 months

12 Likes
#2

That’s quite a plan! That Swing Caddy should provide some great feedback too. Make sure to get some good short game pitching/chipping work inside of 50 yds as well. This has been some of the best practice for me, not only in developing touch, but also helped me strike the ball more consistently throughout the bag.

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#3

I like your plan! I am considering doing something myself this winter. I have only been working out 1-3 times a week and plan on ramping that back up. Eating better and drinking less are part of the plan as well although once golf stops so does my beer consumption for the most part. I have a bit of plan for golf related practice, but I need to get more specific there. I have some drills for putting and I’ll definitely be following those again as I did that last winter and it helped. My driver was pretty good this year, but my irons and wedges went from a strength to a weakness so I need to figure that out. I think I can work on ballstriking with my net and a launch monitor (need to decide on one), but not sure how much chipping or pitching I can work on. I think if I can improve my fitness and my irons and wedges though that will be a huge gain.

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#4

Yes. Lots of skills can be honed in with 3/4 wedge

Strike
Center of face
Shallow vs steep
Low spinner vs high floater

I think the theme is “skill development”. The practice challenges are a way to quantify whether those are going the correct direction

In summary I want to:

  • hit it in the center of the face more often
  • hit start line more often
  • play a consistent shape

That should all lead to more greens and lower scores

2 Likes
#5

Glad that I could provide you with some inspiration. Sounds like a good plan you have that would actually be fun to try.

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#6

The proverbial boot in the a**

It was inspiration to generate better content out of my practice and playing stats

Going to keep detailed notes and post once per month in this new thread as opposed to stats for every round

@Gisclairj probably going to post scores in the other “tell me about your round” thread

Less detail than before, detail will live here

2 Likes
#7

This is great! Keep us updated with your progress

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#8

Results oriented practice with a focus on process! The perfect plan.

I’m still hoping on simulators at my club… and the ability to fully swing a club!

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#9

@Adamyounggolf has good stuff for home drills. Most of it is about controlling low point. I think fitness, mirror work and impact bag work is the best stuff you can do at home without a simulator

I personally do not like hitting into a net without feedback (aka simulator). I feel like stretching, core strength, orange whip or impact bag is a better use of my time. I am also spoiled and do not really have an off season in Texas so range is an option 50 weeks per year.

1 Like
#10

Looks like a great plan.

There’s a lot of stuff that you can do in winter that wouldn’t necessarily be a great idea in the middle of the season - such as any movement changes you wish to make and ingrain.
Other than that, it’s a great time to build skill via variability/differential practice drills.

I focus all of my players’ practices around quantifying and improving the 3 major skills

  • Ground contact

  • Face Contact

  • Face direction

I’m fortunate that, with a GCquad, I can get accurate data on all of these parameters. We can look at averages and standard deviations (and ranges) of face contact and direction. I set games that push their skill boundaries - such as hitting different parts of the face in 10mm increments, or even as low as 3mm increments (for good players). Or presenting the face in certain directions with certain windows (such as presenting it 4 degrees open with 1 degree either side being acceptable).

With the above types of games, players develop incredible awareness, feel and control.

We then move more towards contextual practice as the new season approaches (targets, outcome games, pressure/partners etc).

To be honest, just swinging a club 5 mins a day in the back garden is a huge help over winter’s compared to starting completely from scratch next season.

4 Likes
#11

I found that different hitting drills with the net helped me. I will stand feet together or on my left leg and hit balls with the L to L swing just working towards center contact. I tend to overswing so I work on tempo and shortening my backswing as well. It definitely made a difference in my last winter golf trip. I didn’t score all that well, but I really hit the ball great for a guy that didn’t play golf for over 3 months before the trip. I plan on adding a launch monitor for this winter; maybe a Mevo+.

1 Like
#12

I’m cheering you on! Glad you’re taking fitness seriously also, keep that back healthy! I really like that “play 9 holes on the range” idea, good focus idea! I always have time for the range, at least when it’s open.

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#13

This thread is really interesting. I wonder if there should be a "personal journal / program " section or something similar where people can write their own journey towards improvement and see how others are doing it. I have my own goals and hypothesis to improve my own game. The cool thing about golf is that there are so many facets to it, and many ways to make yourself a better player.

4 Likes
#14

I’ll probably revive my monthly goal thread I started on another forum in January… it was a lot of fun and a good place for encouragement and self tracking…

Weirdly, I feel guilty moving it here this year, even if I’ve abandoned the other forum for the most part.

3 Likes
#15

I will have to reshuffle priorities, played yesterday and my sciatica is on fire today. Hobbling around.

Ball striking quest may be on hold for 4-6 weeks. Going to go to PT and get an assessment done by a trainer. Hoping to spend a month on mobility and core strength and get back to feeling 90% plus physically.

Not playing or practicing at full speed until I get improvement in how the back and hips feel.

Putting and mirror work, stretching and core strength : (

3 Likes
#16

Get healthy! Sucks not being able to swing full…

#17

ugh sorry to hear that, get better!

#18

Thanks. It’s time to get this fixed. Can’t build a skyscraper on a marsh!

#19

Hate that for you! Get better quick and become a lights out putter!

#20

It’s interesting how back pain can radiate into the hip! I first thought I had sciatica but turned out to be a cartilage tear. Not pleasant!

Epidural did wonders, though.