Chasing Improvement

Practice
#84

I think you have to log chips, pitches and bunker shots and note down length of shot and proximity to isolate the short game motion from putting component in the up and down stat

I did this for a bit, but have stopped and am focusing on logging all approach shots.

I only have the patience to log general stats and then very specific detail of one other phase of the game (approach, short game, putting)

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#85

One other way which would be a bit simpler would be to track how many short game shots you hit, how many end up inside 10 ft, and how many end up stiff.

Sort of a poor mans strokes gained could be derived from those simple numbers

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#86

Speaking of playing in wind.

Full disclosure: I’m abysmal playing in wind (which can be a bit of a detriment here in TX!)

Question: I’ve noticed that not all downwind shots get assisted either. Seems occasionally my shots apex, then fall like rocks, sometimes shorter than without wind. I’d assumed I hit poor shots, but I’m not sure. Anybody else?

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#87

Yes with a strong quartering wind it almost seems like i can hit shots with top spin (i don’t hit the ball very high)

Very tough for me to stop these on the green

I assume this isnt optimal!

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#88

Wind is funny… in your face and it lifts the ball up and kills distance… behind you and it keeps the ball down and doesn’t help as much.

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#89

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Currently just working on my path and getting to the inside… hammering the nail.

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#90
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#91

This last week or so, I took the time to try to get a sense, based on 2020 performance, where there are opportunities to sharpen things up a bit in 2021. Here we go.

I “analyzed”, in a crude form, data from my last 20 rounds of 2020 from my Grint inputs. I hit the biggies, such as score, GIR’s and putts. There were no distance measures such as yards covered/to hole or feet to hole. Like I said pretty crude. I then separated the data into relative performance for the first 10 rounds (Set 1) and the second 10 rounds (Set 2). No gory details, just the state of the state:

  • @Jon is right! I reduced my double bogeys by two and almost eliminated my triple bogeys between Set 1 and Set 2 and improved my score by 1.2 strokes.
  • Part of my pre-round mantra has been “no 3-putts…’. I had six 3-putts in 360 holes, so that’s not an issue. Three of the six were on one hole, so I need to address that.
  • Other part has been “no double bogeys…”. I had 27 (7.5%) of them. Most of those can be attributed to Driver misfires (in one, out two, hitting three…).
  • Otherwise driving not an apparent issue; I hit 70% of fairways, while averaging probably 225-240. However, distance is getting to be an issue with me. Something else to be addressed.
  • Now the play gets ugly. I had a GIR of only 25% (4.5). Scrambling was only 35%.
  • Iron play improved a bit in last month, but overall, still pretty dismal. Which, to me, explains why GIR/scrambling numbers were so bad.
  • Putting was pretty ‘meh’. I averaged 1.66/green on scrambles and 1.91/green on GIR. Clearly, quality of contact => proximity to hole had something to do with this, but putting still needs to sharpen.

Now that I have both vaccine jabs, I’m looking forward to getting in some golf dome time. The first “play date” with my friends is set for this Thursday. It’ll be a perfect opportunity to work on tempo, rhythm and impact quality (left-right, up-down). I’m really looking forward to it. It will also be a good opportunity to work on speed drills.

So, based on some assumptions:

  • If I eliminate double/triple bogeys and “replace” them with bogey and sporadic par, I expect to cut 1.15 strokes per round.
  • If I can add another 4 GIRs to a total of +8, I expect to reduce 3.0 strokes per round.

If I can accomplish the above, my average can drift down to mid-high 70s. A lot of work to do, so I’d better get busy.

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#92

Driver misfires and not enough greens… very similar to my game!

Good news is these are both “full swing motion” so they should improve together!

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#93

Yes, that is good news. :wink:

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#94

Some notes on where I am with some practice and rounds under my belt:

  1. I’m actively working on shoulder mobility and flexibility… mine is awful and it means I can’t physically swing with an inside path. Not a huge deal, but I’d like to be able to consistently draw the ball long term.

  2. My iron play has always been a strength… it’s terrible right now. The one place I haven’t focused any energy… hoping it recovers quickly!

  3. Work put into my putting has paid off… I’m very excited.

  4. I like Decade and need to pay for a full subscription.

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#95

Somewhat ditto on shoulders- they aren’t for shit. I’ve dialed back strength training and have focused on flexibility and range of motion. I’ve drawn the ball for over two decades. If my “new” shape is fade, then fine; that was my original shape 47 years ago.

Same here with irons. Last season was a relative disaster. I made some adjustments and I think it’s moved from piss poor to not that bad. I am eager for this season.

Because my iron game was so piss poor last season, out of self defense, I developed a passable short game. If my irons come into form this year, I could actually live with my game.

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#96

Finally had an outdoor lesson today… I was chasing my swing on my own and running in the wrong direction.

I had gotten really inside and was really turning my shoulders and basically putting myself into a terrible position in my backswing… no idea how I got there…

My coach got me back to where I need to be, I can feel my swing and hopefully things are good tomorrow!

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#97

Shockingly, the day after a lesson I left a lot of strokes on the course… did hit a hellacious seed.

I’m happy where my swing is headed, just need to put in the work

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#98

Obviously we all want to swing like Freddie… but his takeaway is exactly what I’m working on… it’s funny, I don’t go down YouTube rabbit holes or try to mimic other peoples swings… and I’m not going to copy Freddie (I wish I could) but watching his swing has definitely given me some focus on what I’m trying to do with my swing…