James the Hogan Fan

So I have a homemade swing that I have always swung, with which I have managed to get to mid-single digits cap-wise. But I want to change it. The swing is flawed: takeaway a bit inside and shallow, and at transition I make a hunching move with my shoulders, bringing the club over the top something akin to chopping wood with an ax. (I could probably find a video, but I don't know if that is necessary for this thread.) The result is a path typically 3-6° out to in, which leads to either power-sapping cuts/slices or screaming off-the-planet pull-hooks. (I speculate that as a taller person growing up the hunch move developed from a fear of not being able to reach/hit the ball... And when working on this on the lesson tee, I do struggle to make any kind of contact...) Anyway, I've had a couple lessons that focused on altering positions and takeaway, and standing taller through the swing. And with dry swings I can make it happen. If I am Carl Spacklering dandelions I can get the path I want. But the second a ball is down there, my body snaps to autopilot and says "no, we've hit golf balls this way for 20 years." And regardless of thoughts, the swing is indistinguishable from whatever I usually do. How do I enact the change? Is it a matter of thousands of low-speed, small swings to reprogram the process? (Pro's recommendation) Or does anyone have anything else to try? It's frustrating enough I have half the mind to buy LH clubs, just because there'd be nothing to deprogram there. PS: bonus points for tips on how to put up with the fact that when I am trying to work on this, I can barely hit the ball so playing rounds is incredibly depressing...

Picked this up for the whopping total of 4 dollars the other day. I just need to find a strip of red vinyl to replace the band around the lip where it is fraying, and determine how to remove what can only be described as "goo" which may have been someone's licorice snack in the Clinton administration from the pocket. (And buy an appropriate umbrella for the umbrella holder)

Those are in a presentation box as a numbered limited edition. I mean US Mint proof coin sets can be spent down at the 7-11, but to me those are almost the definition of ornaments.

The whole Wilson 8802 think kind of drives me nuts, because Wilson is still extant and still makes 8802's in some variation or another. I realize there are so-called "originals" that are more valuable than others, but really if it's made by Wilson and has an 8802 stamp on it somewhere, technically it's "original", isn't it?

I like HMB from San Jose because either before or after you can drive on 17 and 1 via Santa Cruz and take in the scenery on what is an absolutely stunning drive. The Ocean Course on 8/5 is $130 after 3PM ($190 during the day)... It's a bit steep but a better deal than $225 at Harding Park. As a Mid-Am caliber player (good luck in the qualy, OP!) I think he would find Presidio interesting and fun (and cheaper and frankly better than Harding Park), and I forgot to mention Wente Vineyards as an upscale option (that had a Nationwide tour event for awhile) which epitomizes modern, Northern California golf (something of Callippe's big brother), but all of these are a class below Pasatiempo, if the OP's budget allows.

Where are you coming from, Mr. Jones? If you're coming from or have a lot of experience with California, I'd give different recommendations than if you're coming from Timbuktu... Assuming goaliedad hasn't provided a full itinerary for you already... Honorable non-Pasatiempo places to play include, but are not limited to: Half Moon Bay San Juan Oaks Callippe Preserve Presidio Harding Park Coyote Creek Cinnabar Hills

In my opinion Bryson struggles at places where being out of position actually has consequences. Augusta's trees between holes and bordering the course are so tall you can't simply hack it back over them. At a British Open venue he is at the mercy of the tall grass lottery. At Oakmont the combo of rough and greens was actually enough to overwhelm his style. His Winged Foot win involved a ton of "blast it down, hack it out", even from 2 fairways over... I think his Pinehurst win was partially to do with the waste areas preventing his ball from rolling deep enough into the trees to not have a shot. I think at Augusta he has tried reining it in of late and his results have dramatically improved, but something about the wide open looking spaces of the links courses make him go bomb and blast into the fescue.

I've noticed if I overswing I can get a straight pull, emphasis on straight, that's more left rough than left trees. I have had swings where I have thought "that should have been the 150 yard hooking knuckleball" which launch as that 230 yard mildly offline left pull.. this shaft seems pretty duck-hook proof, at least for me. (And I am a 102-103 speed player)

Maybe get friendly with the staff at Chabot and use the par-3 course as your short game practice center? Playing multiball and just kinda killing time out there while staying out of everyone's way? I know it's not exactly the same. It's a pity, before Fremont was allowed to waste away into garbage, it would have had 90% of what you were looking for...