Week 30 Update
Welcome Players! It’s been a few weeks since I went to the driving range (thanks Miami summer’s), but this week I was able to get out for a practice session and filming my swing was a treat! It’s awesome to see the changes and how it looks vs. just feeling. This weeks update goes into more.
Contents:
Training Week in Review
Habit Tracker
Training Log
Skill Practice
Golf Performance
Wrap-Up
Training Week in Review
One of those weeks where everything is a blur.
2 workouts, 1 ride, a range session, and a round of golf. And it still didn’t feel like I had enough time to do all the things I wanted!
It was a good week on paper (except for the round), and that’s all I can ask for.
Ever since hitting the 6 month mark I’ve been continuously surprised by my comfortability with the golf club and on the golf course. I feel so much more in-tune with what I’m doing and why.
I’m thinking more strategically, having less swing thoughts, am hitting the ball way better (wait till you see the updated practice video 👀).
I’m playing better, and scoring better sometimes, but still struggle with consistency and a unforced errors.
I’ve made some changes to try and combat these, so let’s see how they work out for me in the next few months. On to this week!
Habit Tracker
Monday nothing per usual, range session Wednesday and round Friday. Playing on Friday was a bit awkward for my schedule since I try and leave 3 days between RT sessions and 2 days between cycling rides, so although I was a bit jumbled I RT on sunday this week.
My home practice (especially putting) has taken a significant drop-off. For a good reason though!
I finally pulled the trigger on ordering a putting mat to improve my practice at home.
After 3-putting 5 times on Friday I was fed up with losing strokes on the putting greens on easy, makable putts.
So I ordered a putting green which will be here in a few days and I will be back to the grindstone.
Training Log
Resistance Train (Gym): 2
Conditioning (Road Bike): 1
Playing golf on Friday meant I rode the bike on Saturday and lifted on Sunday, not the usual schedule and felt a bit awkward but whatever it takes to stay on top of training and preparation.
Skill Practice
Ok! First range session in almost a month and boy did it feel good.
I’ll let the video speak for itself, but my ball-striking is night and day from the beginning of the year.
I also am really starting to develop a groove with my driver and have a comfortable feel for shallowing out my swing plane and getting a draw-flight pattern on the ball.
I still need to work on driving consistency and dispersion but for now it feels good to have hook-misses instead of slice-misses.
And I’m hitting my irons as pure as I ever have.
Golf Performance
The good news stops at the range session for the week, because Friday’s round at Normandy Shores wasn’t pretty.
A promising 45 on the front was blown up with a 55 on the back, thanks to a quad and 4 triples. Penalty shots, 3-putts, chunked chips, you name it I threw it away.
My tee accuracy on Grint doesn’t look great, but my misses of fairway are still in good position to hit an approach shot. Had more GIR than my average which was good and even a couple par saves.
Penalty shots killed me on the back-nine, in addition to 3-putts.
I’m also starting to have a problem with 30-80 yard pitch shots. I end up getting very steep and hitting it extremely fat sending the ball nowhere.
I think this is because I’ve spent so much time chipping to my couch at home that I don’t have a feel for the distance control on those < 100yd pitches. So on my backswing it feels like I’m taking a huge back turn (compared to couch chipping) and then I get nervous I’ll fly it and decelerate the club on the downswing getting off-position and chunking it.
Hitting off mats at the range doesn’t help, so I need to find a range or facility that I can hit off grass and practice these short range wedge shots to build my confidence back up. That would make a huge difference in my score and potentially drop a few strokes from those errors.
Wrap-Up
I’m starting to get a lot more focused on scoring and trying to intentionally place less value in the training aspect which is admittedly tough for me (I do like training).
Range time and playing golf have to become the clear priorities if I’m going to expect to shoot low this year and my actions need to reflect that.
On the course, I’m making way too many errors leading to inflated scores.
Too many three-putts, to many penalty shots (water/OOB), and too many approach shots < 100yds that were mis-hit or had poor contact.
My focus in the short term is playing smart and eliminating unforced errors as I practice to improve putting and striking.
Progress is still coming!