Week 31 Update

It's August already?!

Welcome Players! I’m entering a new phase of my Project, one that sees practice become a more refined act and a lot more emphasis on playing and specific skills. It feels good to get this far, but there’s still much further to go.

Contents:

• Training Week in Review

• Habit Tracker

• Training Log

• Skill Practice

• Golf Performance

• Wrap-Up

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Training Week in Review

After a missing package fiasco with FedEx (fedex sucks), I finally got my putting mat!

I used it a lot this weekend, but unfortunately it still hasn’t unrolled all the way flat yet so I’m still trying to work out the kinks in set up.

Other than that I got a range session in and a practice round in, so it was a good week! Hopefully I’ll get this putting mat sorted soon so I can ramp up the putting practice and start to eliminate those 3-putts.

Let’s get into this week.

Habit Tracker

Having a putting mat that you can analyze the roll of the ball is huge. Feedback from just striking the ball doesn’t do nearly as much as the feedback from seeing which direction and how the ball rolls after contact.

I can tell my touch is already getting much better and I look forward to getting more use of it.

Training Log

• Resistance Train (Gym): 2

• Conditioning (Road Bike): 1

Another week of double-workouts and 1 ride.

It’s mostly just due to my current work schedule. I’ve got more morning clients that I had in the past months so that is obviously priority.

It’s only safe to cycle in Miami in the early mornings, both because of road traffic and the heat in the summer, so I’m not risking it by leaving later in the day. If this is the way my schedule plays out that’s still fine with me.

Skill Practice

Was able to get another good range session in this week.

I’m hitting my irons very consistently which is great. It allows me to spend more time working on my driver which I have good days and bad days.

My faults are a lot different now.

I no longer have a problem closing the club-face so my misses are sharp hooks from not releasing my hands.

My swing needs to be a lot more fluid now because I can’t “over-control” it by trying to command the club, this is the stiffness that causes me to come across the ball with the face closed and hook it.

I figured out during this range session that if I’m hooking it I’m going into impact with my hands way to tight.

Overall the best realization I have is that now when I go to the range to practice I’m working on something very specific to my game - not just trying to add reps and develop feel.

The last two weeks I’ve had two particular goals:

1. distance control on my pitch shots

2. driving consistency

I’ve been able to go to the range with these specific issues in mind which makes for a much more intentional practice.

It’s also more stimulating and fun because I’ve got a concrete goal with expected results that I can shoot for!

Golf Performance

I didn’t play an on-the-books round this week, but was able to play 16ish holes as a practice round.

My friend and I were originally supposed to play 9, but I decided to keep playing and he went off to the range to practice.

It wasn’t a very good practice round - I didn’t warm-up, no practice shots, and just never developed a rhythm.

But these rounds allow me to work on my course management and strategical decision making which I know is going to matter a lot when counted rounds come into play.

Wrap-Up

Overall things are starting to take form in a way I’m happy about.

No - I’m not shooting significantly lower yet. But my swing and game has completely transformed.

I’m just going to continue to stick to the plan and keep moving forward!