Running 2021 Golf Thread

The appeal of the single plane swing is that it takes the feel out of the swing. Know the conditions, how you hit each club ( I write the yardage on the clubhead), commit to it, then point and shoot.

Works much better for me without doubts at the top of the backswing.

 

That was from last year's Masters practice round. Odd time to post that.

 

Sometimes you want to knock a few yards off, sometimes you want to flight it lower. Sometimes more spin with a wedge, sometimes less. All these, plus fades and draws are elements that I consider feel and I wouldn’t want to play golf without it.

 

Single-plane manages all that through ball position and stance width. You want a little less distance then choke down on the club but swing the same. Lower flight? Close the stance to move the ball slightly back in address, to de-loft the club. Single plane teaches straight shots that maximize biomechanics for accuracy and distance, why fade or draw when you can consistently hit a target area? Only the pros hit 90 degree hooks. The modern distance game doesn't teach how to shape your shots.

Now the short game is a bit different with open club face, sand shots, putting, etc., but the premise still teaches a system for chips -- ball position, stance, target area, 7 o'clock takeback, 9 o'clock takeback, whatever.

At the range the other day an older teaching pro came up to me and asked if I'd heard of Moe Norman and the single-plane swing. I said I did and he replied he knew that, "because of the way you were pipelining your shots". In six months I've put on 30-40 yards off the tee and my scoring clubs -- driver, irons and wedges -- mostly get better each time I play. The #1 rated handicap hole on my course is a 210 yard par-3 to a tiered green. I've parred or bogeyed it the past four times I've played, because I can thread the needle between the bunkers that bracket the front of the green. Now, I feel like I am competitive on every tee box. It's a great feeling.

 

Just a brief clarification: In the single-plane swing (or any swing really) your address should always 'feel' right.

 

Got out to play today, wore five layers (until it got to 70 degrees in north Jersey). Had a terrible warm-up on the range with the driver, so naturally that was my best club on the course. Had four pars including two in a row -- been awhile since doing that -- a couple of birdie attempts along with four bogies, and a lot of two-putt holes. I am completely sold on Bryson's locked-arms putting stroke. I also had several nice swings on hanging lies, which are extra tough because you can't practice them.

I have been hampered for several weeks by a middle back strain, and it was affecting my game -- until I gulped down some Advil. Interestingly tonight it feels much better overall. But my partners still thought I was rushing. Hey, if you're gonna hit a bad shot, then get it over as quickly as possible...

 

I got the urologist's approval to SLOWLY begin to add some more stretching and twisting now that my incisions from the prostate surgery have all but healed. My clubs are still in the pro shop, awaiting the new grips that are lost in the supply chain, but I do have my wedges.

There's a tee time at 9:30 a.m. if I want it. Depends on weather. It'll warm up into the 50s by the back nine but the wind is still pretty gusty right now. (We're up watching the lunar eclipse, because I'm a science geek.)

 

Been posted a million times on a million sites. Try to keep up.

 

That's about as kept up on golf as I get.

 

Played a November round for the first time, a few greens in the shade were frozen below the surface. This made for some interesting approach landings and much hilarity. Not a great round to close out the year, but did hit some quality shots, which is always the goal. My partner carded an 85, his best, including a 200-plus yard 4 hybrid to the green, then a 15-foot putt that banked off another ball and into the cup for an eagle! Sometimes you'd rather be lucky and good.

I watched some Bobby Jones instructional videos from 1931 and visited the range in mild weather today. Of modest build, Jones generated power with a backswing beyond 270 degrees. As I am slender, and focused on taking a full backswing and am certain I hit my longest drive ever on level ground, crappy range ball and all. I was definitely overall more consistent at 200 yards and longer, feeling like I wasn't trying to swing hard and letting the left arm do the work. Better to try and emulate Jones rather than, say, Jon Rahm, an athletic freak who has a short backswing.

 

Dude, you're not my age. If I tried a 270 degree backswing, I'd be on my way to Mass. General before the follow-through.