Reaching Par

Archive for the ‘Progress Report’ Category

In doing some research a while ago I ran across a study that essentially said that what helped people enjoy golf the most was solid ball contact. Well, that generally makes sense – we all keep coming back to the game because we crushed that one drive or smoked that long iron or something like that. So, in the name of solid ball contact manufacturers have put out game improvement clubs to to help people hit more solid golf shots and thus keep coming back to the game and spending more money. In fact, I can remember the Ping Eye 2s when they first came out and their crazy looking offset next to my Arnold Palmer blades.   But, have the manufacturers perpetuated bad swings?  Maybe…

If having an easy to hit club helps people really enjoy the game then I’m all about it.  But, if it keeps you from developing a proper swing then probably not the best thing. With that in mind, I’ve been debating about switching up my equipment to force me to be better at striking the ball solidly.  And, I’m starting to think about how to incorporate that into my semi-regular practice on the net downstairs.  Maybe its as simple as tracking the number of times I hit the ball with solid contact and seeing if I get better over time.

For more thoughts on club playability and how to measure it, Ralph Maltby at the GolfWorks.com has done some absolutely fantastic work, especially to the engineering mind. Oh, and he’s measured all of the other name brand clubs – so most of those “this will so help your game get better” clubs more often than not are “we have to hype this club, but it really won’t help your game…”

Check out this wealth of knowledge – The Maltby Playability Factor

- http://www.ralphmaltby.com/system/assets/398/2011MPFIronHead_additions.pdf

Saw a great article talking some more about the Mike Austin swing theory and it clarified some things for me.  I saw the article through DJ Watt’s website and it can be found here.  The author, Jerry Crowell clarified a couple of key points for me that are helping me progress.  He explains very well the “Compound Pivot” which deals with the action of the lower body relative to the swing center.  And he explains very well the idea of “counter-rotation” or action of the wrists on take away through the swing.  Check it out, its a great read – and the skeleton suit is way cool.

Armed with clarifications from the article I went downstairs and started toying around with the swing a bit.  I couldn’t hit anything at first, but once I loosened up I started to connect and hit the ball cleanly and with power.  I’m experimenting with firing the hips through a little more rapidly so as not to let me hands get out and front and hook the ball.  Need to hit a range pretty soon and see what’s really happening with ball flight.

At the onset of this little project I decided I would try to use as much information available to me out on the net.  My previous post indicated some of the things I had tried and been tempted to try.  Well, this go around I decided to do some more searching and ran across a pretty serious current of thought about Mike Austin – the guy that holds the world record for longest drive in PGA competition.  Read an article about it here.  I found several sites on Austin and as I began to dig into it a little bit more I got more and more intrigued by what I was reading.  3 things stood out:

Simplicity – Mike Austin’s swing theories provide a foundation for a swing that is easier for an amateur (read “hacker” in my case) t0 maintain.  See this clip from a guy named John Marshall who is a long drive competitor and teacher down in Georgia.

He seems like a sweetheart of a guy, but the comment that got me was when he said it was an easier swing for an amateur to maintain.  BINGO!

The next intriguing bit of info about the Austin Swing was the Throw release and wrist motion. In concert with the way the club is taken back and the way the body moves in the Austin swing your wrists do not have to turn over at the right instant of contact.  Jaacob Bowden was a name that came up in the search and he has a great video that describes what I’m talking about.

Okay, so I don’t really dig the spin the meatballs analogy, but the idea of having the club perpendicular to the swing path longer made sense to me.  And the fact that I have trouble rolling my wrists over at impact made it easier to consider a different approach.

The third thing was the idea of using your body to create club head speed.  DJ Watt’s site  is dedicated to the theory and mechanics of this notion.

These things, and of course the siren song of a reaching par and hitting long straight drives have me completely revamping my swing.  So now I’m digging into the Mike Austin swing and trying to emulate some of his principles.   I spent tonight working on the  Compound Pivot which is effectively demonstrated in this video by Dan Shauger, another Mike Austin preacher.

Yesterday  I played a full round of 18 keeping my own score for the first time in a very very long time.  I counted every shot – lost balls, water hazards, duffs, everything.  And, it was… interesting to say the least.  But, now I finally have a benchmark score to measure my improvement, and it wasn’t all bad.  Perhaps the best part – it was free.  I finagled my way into a free round with a buddy who had won a free foursome in a tournament.    I even managed to get back home around the same time I would have from work – bonus!

Positives:
- I started with a string of 3 pars.  My first shot of the day was a drive that split the fairway about 290.
- I drove the ball fairly well, not exceptionally long ( nothing over 300). But for one or two exceptions I poked it out there pretty good
- I had one chip in (for bogey…D’oh). Planted a pitch within a foot for birdie. I made some pretty decent putts.

Negatives:
- I was inconsistent in general.  Fat, thin, duffs and I generally missed the ball quite a bit.  So iron play was pretty bad.
- 100 yards in was pathetic.  Again, fat, thin, poor distance control.

So much to work on to cut a full 20 strokes out of the round, but there were some glimmers of hope considering I haven’t played a full round in so long.  I could tell a difference from my practice on the net – so that’s a good sign, but man is there a long way to go.

Swing Progress:

I saw some very encouraging signs for sure.  My typical shot pattern was to miss straight right with a block or a push.  That didn’t happen this time around, and I didn’t miss very much to the right.  However, I did get that little duck hook that every one talks about being the propensity for this new swing.  I think it is grip related as I still struggle with my wrist position and cocking the wrists etc.   I am looking forward to some literature that is due out in the fall from DJ Watts and the MCS. In the meantime I need some more time on the mat and the range for sure.