Running 2021 Golf Thread

That’s my next set of irons.

 

The range I switched to has Trackman, makes practice much more enjoyable and engaging. My swing speed is up to 127 mph (from 95 this past spring) with a long drive of 225. Add five to ten yards each for cold weather, range balls and old driver, and I'll be pushing 260 yards in 2022!

 

Played 27 holes
80-36.
4th time played since Labor Day.
Drank a bunch of hole in one beer.
Had a blast.

 

That’s strong! Good stuff.

 

I went to my buddy’s club last week and instead of a range (lack of space) they set up indoor Trackman bays to warm up.

First time ever seeing my numbers. Driver SS is only 92 but with a smash factor of 1.47 got a decent ball speed of 135 plus I hit it pretty Square so no side spin at all. Unfortunately too much backspin, need to get that done. I’m not sure I want to try to swing faster, that kills me every time.

 

I tried something new with driver, because my hands are always ahead of my torso at contact. Instead of addressing the ball square, I keep my lead foot aligned with the ball, but dropped my trail foot back and at nearly a right angle to the ball. I get a nearly 270 degree windup on my backswing and have a much freer swing and can really lay into the ball. I had more 200+ yard drives and 120 mph+ swings. Even mishits with the single plane swing roll out 185-200. Yes, I should fix my swing but this works for now.

 

Interesting. One of the things teaching pros suggest for older golfers is the opposite, more of an "open stance," in order to get the hips through the ball. My big problem is I get too much sway if I move my lower body. So even though most of my power is generated from the waist up, I still have enough flexibility to hit it pretty far. Even with swings where my backswing never went above my shoulder the past month or so, I was still outhitting the rest of the guys in my foursome -- which gives me some hope that I can repeat a reasonably powerful swing as I age. Putting is a completely different issue.

 

As far as biomechanics are concerned, the lead side should remain closed as a brake for the pelvis, then arms and wrists to release against through the swing, then the hips open up after release.

Since I broke my driver, I've had to make due and swing harder with a 25-year-old TaylorMade driver with smaller head to get the same results, so it's messed up my timing. My altered stance is a patch on that. I'll have to re-adjust when I buy a new driver in the spring.

 

I find as I get older, I’m becoming less and less concerned with how far I hit it off the tee. I still get it out there 275 or so with my Nike driver and it’s fairly straight so I’m fine with that. In my 20’s, I was swinging a 6.5 degreee Titleist driver with a XX Stiff Shaft. That club went forever, and never got more than 20 feet off the ground.
This will be my last year with my Callaway irons. Had these X-14’s for 10+ years now, and I’m getting the PXG irons this spring.

 

From my fellow amateur hackers, best off-course exercises for making getting through the ball/hip release more of an instinctual movement? If there's anything I struggle with, it's a) staying down on the ball during the backswing and b) forcing a hip turn for clean contact. A huge reason why I'm still a damn 30 even though I work for a golf association.

(Also, if you aspire to play lots of golf, don't work for a golf association, lol.)

 

Stay down on the ball is like my number one swing thought. Doesn't mean I do it consistently, but I think about it consistently.

 

When I finally saw my swing on Trackman, it was like a horror film. Coming out on the backswing and then lunging back down at the ball. Just trying to find a way away from the course to make staying down through the swing feel like a more natural movement. I also know I grip the club way too hard. Bad habits formed over 20 years are really hard to break. Ugh.