My Road to Improvement - 7/9/25 new swing video

[iacas]

20 minutes ago, bortass said:

What setup change are you thinking?

 

Guess I should be happy it's consistent. My irons and driver decided to flip flop which aspect of my game is better or worse. I'll go look for some more body driven things to learn from, probably should look at Powershift again. The only drill I am doing is the one you gave Brad and I assume that I should still stick with that one.

The drill applies to the driver too.

 

You can chip some drivers 150 yards with a little exaggerated backswing.

[bortass]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

The drill applies to the driver too.

 

You can chip some drivers 150 yards with a little exaggerated backswing.

Thanks, I'll keep at the drill and try to start paying attention to rotating more versus just using my arms.

[GoGoErky]

4 hours ago, bortass said:

Gotcha, still too much of a squat. I've been trying to pay attention to that when I setup but it's not enough/not there yet.

 

[bortass]

21 hours ago, GoGoErky said:

 

Thanks for sharing that. The first drill really helps me get a better feel for what it should be like.

 

Here's today's video, slow motion, of me trying to do the takeaway drill and rotating more/faster. I still don't think it's perfect but it's better that what I did in the swing videos from the last week.

 

 

[bortass]

A bit better out there today. Only two penalties with driver. Irons were pretty solid and I had a couple penalties because I hit it too good with my 5i. I hit high draws with it for the first time in years and went long into hazards.

 

not a great score because my putting was terrible though and I carded a 9 on 18 after two shots with penalties.

 

[bortass]

More detail and thoughts about what happened on Saturday. Score was not great but May 10th, almost two months ago was the last time I broke 100. My average score was just under 105, so this round was 9 strokes better than what I have been doing.

 

What I felt during the round was a better turn. I wasn't thinking about it and it seemed to be better.

 

Highlights

The bad:

• Putting: I had five three putts, offset by five one putts. The three putts were: twenty-four feet to three feet; Forty-two feet to seven feet short; twenty-four feet to four feet; Thirty feet to twelve feet past the cup on an uphill putt; Twenty-four to three feet. The one putts were all after chips, three inside two feet and I made two from about four feet. There was also a two putt from three feet.
• Short game: I had three holes where I had to chip twice. I sent two chips past the hole and off the green and the other I dubbed and left short.

The good:

• Hit 6/18 greens in regulation.
• Hit #6 in regulation for the first time in my life( bogey because I left the forty-two foot putt seven feet short)
• Approach distance of 100 - 174 yards( partial PW to full 5i), I was -0.5 SG, compared to a 20 HCP, with two penalties! Both penalties were with 5i when I hit it great and over greens into hazards.
• Driving stat: Only two penalties, one with driver and one with 4w. Both were push fades. I stark improvement over the 6 - 8 penalties off the tee.
• Driver: 237 high draw down the middle; 238 high draw down right side; 247 high draw down the middle; 263 high fade with steep downslope in landing area assisting; 238 high baby fade down the middle; 223 high push fade down the right side and 15 yards short of the hole( led to birdie when I chipped over a bunker to four feet and made the putt).

 

     There is a definite change in my ball flight on the course. The last couple of weeks my full irons started to show marked improvement on a few shots. High draws that hit the green and only roll out a few feet. I wish I had video of the two 5i shots that I launched over the green. The shot that gave me the GIR for the first time on #6 was also a 5i( 160 club). I was about 160ish from center in the fairway and hit a high push draw down the right side, 170 yards to the back right of the green. I also had a high push with my 7i(140 club) that went 151 yards and missed long right. Driver really started to show signs of life though I still had a fair number of mediocre shots with a couple bad ones in the mix.

 

   I am really regretting not listening to people five years ago when they told me to practice at home w/o a ball. I can't go back and have to accept the mistake but I am very happy to have seen the light. This drill work is really paying dividends and it is not a big time commitment either.

 

    I still have no expectations for what things will look like next weekend. I am optimistic, for a change, but also a realist. I still expect to have a fair bit of trouble and poor scores for the foreseeable future. I'm just glad to see some flashes of what could be, if I can realize them.

Edited July 21 by bortass

[TheDeanAbides]

I'm glad that you're seeing some changes. What it shows is that perfect isn't necessary when your goals are shooting in the 80s - and you will be able to do that in the future with sustained effective pattern change. 

[bortass]

2 minutes ago, TheDeanAbides said:

I'm glad that you're seeing some changes. What it shows is that perfect isn't necessary when your goals are shooting in the 80s - and you will be able to do that in the future with sustained effective pattern change. 

I hear ya. This is the first time I really feel like I'm making a significant change in my pattern. It's still a long road ahead, and always will be TBH since the biggest drive for me in golf is can I do better? It's pretty much just me versus the course and conditions since I almost never play in any sort of tournament.

[bortass]

Coweta Club, white tees, 70.4/129, 6202 yards per the card. All hole description yardages are from the card. The course winds through a subdivision and every hole has trees on both sides. There are no holes where a miss will just put you on another hole. The course is also hilly. There are a lot of uneven lies out there. Greens are small IMO, have no tiers, and some are in rough shape.

 

It rained pretty heavily Friday evening and the grass was very wet and it was close to normal by #10. I mention it since it would impact roll out.

 

1 – par 4, 300 yards, slight dogleg right, #15 HCP. There is a gully of sorts fronting the tee boxes. The landing area is lower than the tee boxes but wide. There's a dip in the fairway short of the green before it rises back up to the fringe, so short shots may roll back away from the green. One small bunker is front left.

 

My drive is a nice high draw, 248 yards, into the middle of the fairway. I'm about 70ish yards from a right center flag. I try to take some off my partial SW shot and hit a decent shot, 75 yards, to the back right of the green. I'm 21 feet above the hole and send the birdie putt 3 feet long. I make the par putt, 4.

 

2 – par 4, 354 yards, slight dogleg right, #3 HCP. Elevated tee box and fairly wide fairway with no real trouble. Too far right could block you out though. The entire fairway slopes left to right. The green is slightly elevated compared to the fairway and there's another dip between the fairway and green. There is a fairway bunker on the right near the green and another bunker guarding the front right.

 

Another high draw with my driver, 238 yards, into the middle of the fairway. My ball is next to a steeper left to right slope that this fairway has in spots. This makes the ball well below my feet. I have around 130 yards to center and hit my 8i. The steep side slope is what I blame for my ball going low and way right into the right trees.

 

I drop in the right rough and have about 60 yards to center which is where I find the flag when I get to the green. I'm between a pitch and my partial SW shot. I end up catching it a bit thin and I send the ball through the green, 78 yards. I use my 7i and chip to 3 feet and save my double bogey, 6.

 

I'm not thrilled by the outcome of what I consider a great drive, though it wouldn't be the last time it happens. It was a bad break that my ball ends up in one of the 'bad spots' near the middle of the fairway. Another yard or so left or right and I would have had a fairly decent lie. My ball just ended up in a steep section where the fairway drops a couple feet.

 

3 – par 3, 150 yards, #17 HCP. There is a gully/stream bed with stuff growing in it about halfway between the tee and green, so a forced carry. A small bunker is front right. The green is a little lower than the tee boxes.

 

The flag is 140ish per a rangefinder in the group and looks to be left center. I hit a high push draw with my 7i, 134 yards, and end up on the right front of the green. I'm about 24 feet right of the cup and this green slopes right to left, so a downhill putt. The birdie putt is tracking real good and stops about a foot short. Par, 3.

 

4 – par 4, 340 yards, fairly straight hole, #13 HCP. Tees are lower than the fairway landing spot and there is another stream forced carry between tees and fairway. The landing area is very wide but the right side slopes steeply into the woods. The fairway dips again, probably 100 yards short of the green, and rises back up to an elevated green. There are two fairway pot bunkers on the right side where the fairway starts to rise towards the green again.

 

Another real good drive. A high draw down the right side that we see land on top of the ridge, so dew/wet grass killed the rollout, 221 yards. I have about 80 yards to center and take some off my partial SW mid swing... I don't know why I took some off but I did. Contact is decent and it's a high draw, slight pull, but only goes 66 yards and lands short of the green on the left and almost in a bunker.

 

I hit a 20 yard chip with my 7i and it tracks within a foot of the flag but rolls 10 feet past the cup. It's a two putt bogey, 5.

 

I'm kinda bummed with this hole too but reminded myself that bogeys are good and it's another point for the dogfight.

 

5- par 5, 490 yards, another fairly straight hole, #9 HCP. Decent fairway width and the fairway may be a bit higher than the tees. There is a gully with brush short of the green with a small gap on the left side that rises to an elevated green. Behind the green is a slope going up that is covered in very long grass and whatever else will grow. This makes it tricky because short runs the risk of rolling back into the gully and long is very difficult as well.

 

Something is off with this drive. I hit a very solid pull, 231, to the edge of the left trees. I'm okay and a 5i should set me up in a good spot w/o risking the ball going too far and taking the slope into the ditch fronting the green.

 

I mishit it pretty badly and it is a push fade into the right trees, 150 yards. So much for my irons being improved.. I'm under a tree and have a shot to the left of the green but need to keep it low. I use my 9i and punch one a bit too good. The ball takes the correct line and lands left of the green and hops into thick rough behind said green. I find my ball and it'll be below my feet again. I chip with my 7i to 6 feet and make the par putt, 5.

 

I pulled one out there. It kinda offsets what happened on #4.

 

6 – par 4, 404 yards, close to 45* dogleg left, #1 HCP. It's tight off the tee and then opens up in the landing area at the corner of the dogleg. A tee shot of 210+ yards risks going through the fairway and into trees. If you get too close to the outside edge of the fairway, you will not have a shot at the green. The fairway narrows as it drops to another stream, forced carry, around 100 yards short of the green. The fairway rises up to the green and a small set of three bunkers guard the front left.

 

I hit a push fade with my 4w into the right trees but we find my ball in the fairway, 148 yards. I'm over 200 yards out and do not feel good about my 4w off the lie I have. I hit a little SW shot as my layup and the ball rolls out, 77 yards, to a flatter part of the fairway.

 

This leaves me a 5i in and I'm on a slight down slope. I hit it a touch heavy but it's another push fade that hits a large tree on the right about 120 yards away. This saves my ball from going into the woods though. This is kinda my spot on this hole. I have a pitch off wet leaves and on an up slope. Contact is good but I didn't give it enough gas and my ball ends up short of the green.

 

I'm about 20 yards from the hole and chip with my SW because I'm on the steep bank that fronts the green and I do not trust a 7i bump and run. I do pretty good and get my ball just past the hole and to the left. I have a 3 foot putt to save double bogey and I make it, 6.

 

I am not upset at all with a double on this hole. The best score I have ever had has been a bogey and I think that has only happened a couple of times. To put it in perspective, the dogfight had 13 guys this day, and there was only a single par which won a skin.

 

7 – par 5, 514 yards, fairly straight hole but the green is a bit off set to the left, #7 HCP. The fairway goes up to a crest before it starts to drop to the green, so you are teeing off into an upslope. There are a set of fairway bunkers on the left side about 300 yards from the white tees. Being on the left side will block you out from the green or you have to deal with trees. There is a pond to the right of the green. Overall this hole is narrows as it approaches the green.

 

Another pull with my driver, 193 yards, into the left rough under a lone pine tree that sits next to the cart path. I have an okay line and hit a 4Ls shot with my 5i, 176 yards, towards the right side and my ball ends up near the center of the fairway because of the dogleg.

 

I'm above the green with a decent lie. I figure it's a 6i in and I chunk it it badly. It's also a low pull that somehow stays out of the left trees but it only goes 90 yards and is in a swale with thick rough. I hit a good pitch, 55 yards, and miss the green to the back left.

 

I'm just a couple of feet off the putting surface and chip with putter to 4 feet. I make the putt to save my bogey, 6.

 

8 – par 3, 152 yards, elevated green, #11 HCP. There is a forced carry, stream, about halfway to the green. It's really only in play with the tee shot. It then climbs up higher than the tee boxes. Short shots will likely roll backwards away from the green but that's about it.

 

It's 150ish to center and I go with 6i. Another push fade mishit, that lands on the bank short right and it rolls back a few yards, 126 yard shot. I chip with my SW again and get it on the green but 20 feet short of the hole. I have an uphill putt and see one of the guys leave a similar putt short. So I hit my par putt and it stops 4 feet short...

 

Guess I didn't learn. I somehow make the bogey putt though, 4.

 

I tend to be pretty bad putting inside 3-5 feet, actually inside 10 feet and I'm not great, hence my surprise.

 

9 – par 4, 366 yards, straight hole, #5 HCP. The tees are elevated but so is the green. Imagine a U with the green being higher than the tee box. Your tee shot is into the face of the slope rising to the green. It's also very steep just short of the green the green.

 

A solid draw, 229, into the left side of the fairway. The up slope leading to the green is what keeps drives on this hole from going further. The flag is back right and about 100 yards.

 

I take my PW and make a partial swing. I chunk pull it, 72 yards, and miss the green to the left and a bit short. I hit a 36 yard bump and run chip with my 7i and blow it eight feet past the hole. Two putts later I have my bogey, 5.

 

10 – par 4, 390 yards, dogleg right, #4 HCP hole. There is a steep slope to the right at the corner that goes down to a stream, about 270ish yards from the tees and inside 100 from center. The ball will feed right and take the slope if you hit the ball around 210ish off the tee. There's a bunker short right just across the stream and below the green. A small set of bunkers curve around the left side of the green.

 

Not much to say about this hole. Hit a push fade with driver that starts too far right and I have to drop. My 5i into the green is similar and I drop. Long chip and a couple putts later I have a triple bogey, 7.

 

Ouch.

 

11 – par 4, 354 yards, straight hole, uphill the entire way, #8 HCP. There's a forced carry over a stream off the tee. The fairway is wide but slopes to the right. It's entirely uphill and balls that get too close to the right side may take a slope into the trees. There's a bunker about 20 yards short of the front right with another bunker just past it fronting the green.

 

I hit a good draw up the left side, 212 yards. I'm on a rare flat spot and 150ish out. I take my 6i and chunk it, 116 yards, but at least it stopped short of the bunker that guards the front right of the green.

 

I have to go over the bunker and hit a nice pitch that ends up 7 feet past the hole. I make the par putt, 4.

 

12 – par 4, 351 yards, dogleg right, #6 HCP. It's narrow off the tee but opens up as you approach the corner. A couple fairway bunkers guard the outside edge of the corner in the rough, about 220 yards from the white tees. There's more room to miss the green to the left than right.

 

I smoke a high fade over the corner of the dogleg, 247 yards, and I am in the middle of the fairway and about 80 yards from the hole. It's an easy part SW and I hit three inches behind the ball... It goes about 40 yards and I have to pitch on with my SW which gets on but is 18 feet short.

 

I have an uphill par putt and I blow it 6 feet past the hole. I walk away with a double bogey, 6.

 

probably one of the best drives of the day and I screwed up badly the rest of the way. This one bugged me for a bit.

 

13 – par 3, 181 yards, #16 HCP, the tees are very elevated on this hole. Imagine a lopsided U with the green being on the low side. There are a couple bunkers on the left edge of the rough and trees short of the green. A large bunker is front right and a set of four small bunkers curl from three back right to back left of the green.

 

It's 170ish but playing closer to 160. I opt for my 5i since I'm worried my 7w will go long. I hit a high pull, a touch heavy, to the left that only goes 130 yards. I hit a 40 yard pitch to 7 feet and two putt for bogey, 4.

 

14 – par 5, 515, straight hole, #10 HCP. The fairway is more narrow but there's no real trouble outside of the trees on both sides. There are a couple of fairway bunkers about 80ish yards short of the green. There's another bunker front right and a second on the left side towards the back of the green which would catch balls that would otherwise take a slope into the trees.

 

I like this hole and proceed to top my drive 134 yards but it barley makes the fairway on the left edge. It's a great lie and I go with 4w. I hit it off the toe and it's a high push fade into the right trees, luckily it hits one and drops.

 

I try a 4Ls shot with my 5i and thin it. It's a low shot that only goes 109 yards and ends up in a fairway bunker. I get out in one but well short of the green. I chip with my 7i, 40 yards, but that put my ball 24 feet past the hole.

 

I have a downhill bogey putt and leave it 6 feet short. Crap. Luckily I make the next putt, double bogey, 7.

 

The wheels are falling off the bus. I played great on the front and I can't seem to do anything on the back.

 

15 – par 4, 360 yards, straight, #12 HCP. There are a couple of trees on the left side that cut into the fairway short of the green. So a tee shot into the left rough will lead to them being in the mix with your approach shot. This fairway also slopes right to left.

 

I hit another pull, 238 yards, that stops in the left rough just short of the left trees. Long is bad and I have been hitting my partial wedge longer then expected on this hole. I'm over 100 yards out but stick with my PW. I hit it lower than I wanted and miss the green to the right, 117 yard shot.

 

My ball is in the rough and everything slopes right to left, so I'm chipping downhill. I hit it decent with my 7i but it goes 15 feet long. I get the pat putt to 2 feet and come away with a bogey, 5.

 

Still not great but an improvement.

 

16 – par 3, 157 yards, #18 HCP. Elevated tees and a long narrow green. A stream is on the right side by the green and there's a single bunker front left. The green slopes from back left to front right. The flag is 145 yards and closer to the front of the green, so I go with my 6i (150 club). I smoke a high draw at the flag. The ball Drops almost straight down on the green and takes a small hop and stops.

 

A 150 yard shot and my ball had some spin on it because it is about 2 inches right and in front of it's pitch mark. I am 15 feet past the hole. I hit the birdie putt and it looks pretty good. The ball gets to the low side of the cup and somehow drops in for birdie, 2!

 

17 – par 4, 250 yards, straight, #14 HCP. The tees are very elevated. The fairway is narrow and the green is slightly offset to the left. A few bunkers guard short right. Another guards short left. There are mature trees that poke out a bit on the left side near the green. This is a drive-able hole.

 

I smoke a baby draw right at the green. My ball lands between the two bunkers fronting the green, rolls up the back and stops in the fringe above the right bunker. 230 yard drive and I amd past the front of the green on the right side. I hit an 8 yard chip with my 9i that stops about 6 inches left of the hole. Birdie, 3!

 

I don't recall the last time I got two birdies and am not sure if I have ever gotten them back to back. My best ever is 3 birdies in the same round and I've only done that twice in the years I've been playing.

 

18 – par 5, 544 yards, slight dogleg right, #2 HCP. The fairway drops off into a wide gully that you can't see from the tee boxes at the corner. The landing area is wide and there's a small slope on the left side that you can try to bank your tee shot off but anything 220ish yards is likely in that gully. The fairway climbs back up from the gully and the green is the highest point on this hole. A cluster of bunkers are short and left of the green to catch balls that would otherwise take the steep slope into the trees on the left. The main defense on this hole is the length and the gully takes driver out of the mix unless you can carry about 250ish.

 

Boosted by the last two holes, I nail a high draw, 238 yards, down the left side. I'm probably three yards short of the end of the fairway where it leads to a gully, lol.

 

I hit my 4w a bit thin and push it, 168 yards, into the right side of the fairway. I'm about 140ish out, 7i, and chunk it 91 yards... I'm in the fairway with nothing but grass between me and the green. I bump and run my 7i, 44 yards, and 13 feet past the hole. This really is not bad for my skill level. I two putt for bogey, 6.

 

A 44/44, 88. I had to pull 13 points in the dogfight and had 23, lol. My best round in a while and index dropped by 0.7 to 20.0.

 

My next four rounds will cause rounds being used to roll off, in order 90, 98, 89, 94. I expect this will mean my index will likely fluctuate up. I'm also going to be playing in a 3 day/5 round Ryder cup event in two weeks at courses I have never played before. It looks like three of those rounds will be postable, that also plays in to my expectations of the index drifting up.

 

The good news is the swing changes still seem to be having a positive impact. This is two rounds in a row where getting off the tee, while not perfect, did not kill me like it has been. The quality of my good drives has improved as well. My irons are a mixed bag still but I still am seeing more good shots with them than I have in the last few months.

 

I know I was lucky with the two birdies but it felt good to play what I consider solid golf for my skill level. I really hope I can start shooting more scores in the high 80s since that would go a long way in shoring up my impression of my game. Shooting all those high 90/ low 100s has not been good for my personal morale.

 

birdies: 2

pars: 4

bogeys: 7

double bogeys: 4

triple+: 1

 

 

Some stats:

Avg drive: 216 yards

Longest drive: 248 yards

Fairways: 6/14

GIR: 4/18

Avg Approach: 103 yards

Up & down: 4/14

Putts: 30

 

Strokes gained compared to a 20 HCP. 

Overall: +5.2 strokes

driving: +0.9,

Approach: -5.4, did worse than my last 10 rounds average.

Short game: +5.7

Putting: +4.0