Paul Goydos Shoots 59!

...and I don't think anyone really noticed. It's too bad really, because it happened in the Quad Cities, and he doesn't look good on camera, and he probably won't win the tournament anyways, which nobody really cares about to begin with because the Open Championship is next week, etc. It's the PGA Tour's version of a tree falling in the woods, I think, and I'm pretty sure no one was there to hear it. Sure, the John Deere Classic gets a solid number of dedicated fans to show up every year, but it's really flying under the radar by modern media standards. Hell, lots of people still dismiss golf news because they don't believe its a sport. It's silly and sad, all at the same time. I guess I hope he does it again today--then maybe we'll get Sportcenter's attention.

Things Are Heating Up

Not only is the weather getting warmer, but so is my game. And it's all coming together in the Garage Golf Swing Laboratory, just like I planned. The set-up is simple, forearms together and left thumb-pad "high". The right leg anchors the take-away and the shoulders start the swing. The left shoulder "tilts" as the spine stays upright and the acceleration through the ball is "pushed" by the right forefinger. The last three fingers of the left hand turn down through the ball as the weight lands high and hard on the left leg. But even more important, I think I've come up with a warm-up routine that will take this from the GGSL to the course. I take 10 practice swings with a weighted 8-iron, then hit 10 chip shots with a 5-iron, feeling the shot on the aforementioned right forefinger. And then lastly, I hit 10 balls full-on with the 5-iron. I can't wait to try it out!

Putting, Putting, And Yet Even More Putting

As is often the case, the more time you spend concentrating on your ball-striking the more your short game (and especially your putting) is going to suffer. As both of you, my readers, know by now I've been spending an awful lot of time working on my ball-striking. And I'd like to say that I'm finally starting to reap the rewards of that work, but it might be a bit premature for that declaration. Regardless, my putting has definitely been suffering as a result. I even went an entire round putting left-hand low last weekend, something I haven't done in over two years. And what is ultimately a confidence thing has started to creep into my actual stroke. I'm having a hard time taking the putter back with any sort of conviction and its really starting to show. So.....I've been working on a few things the last few days. 1) I'm trying to clear my mind over the ball by asking myself "Where am I?" and then answering "In the hole over there..." and visualizing the bottom of the cup. 2) I'm trying to keep my grip pressure as light as possible. I've found there's much less twisting and pulling/pushing of putts when my grip pressure is the lightest. And 3) I'm trying to take the putter back with my shoulders and just rock them forward as I make my stroke through the ball. Again, we'll see how this all plays out as the proof will be in my scores. Stay tuned...

Yet Another Revelation!

"The Fix" with Michael Breed on the Golf Channel Monday nights is oftentimes just an annoying rant, as far as I'm concerned. But he said something the other night about the position of the clubface at the top of the backswing that really stuck with me. He was talking about the position of the left wrist and how it needs to be flat for a golfer to make a really good pass at the golf ball. I figured out (somewhat on my own?) that to get to that position without manipulating the hands too late in the swing you need to turn the left wrist downward in the takeaway. I'm not sure if this technique would hold water with some of golf's greatest teachers but I'm finding its allowed me to return the clubface in a much square(r) position at impact. It's shank-proofing the swing, sure, but it can also produce a nasty duck-hook if you don't swing down and through the ball "out to right field", if that makes any sense? With a limited amount of research I have found this to also be a very effective technique out of the greenside bunkers as well. With a face open at address and a swing executed along the open stance-line that is universally recommended, too many bunker shots seem to squirt out weakly to the right. Closing the face during the takeaway gets the club back into the sand with that ultra-pleasing "thump" sound and seems likely to continue to softly splash the ball (and the sand) onto the putting surface.

More Learning About the Golf Swing

I've learned a few important things about the golf swing in the last few weeks that I'd like to share them in the blogosphere. The first came from, of all places, a recent episode of the Golf Channel's "Haney Project: Ray Romano". In this particular piece, Hank was explaining to Ray how his takeaway was too much to the inside, making it impossible for him to do anything other then come over the top in his downswing. Sound familiar? Yeah, so I decided to add what feels like a little loop in my backswing. Drag it straight back with quiet hands and arms and drop it inside, essentially. The second nugget came from another mainstream media source, none other then Golf Digest. There was a short blurb with Butch Harmon where he talked about how shots that are left out to the right generally are the result of the golfer's hips spinning out too fast in the downswing. Guess what? Since I left my winter home in the Garage Golf Swing Laboratory, I've noticed that a lot of my shots are being left out to the right. Bingo--quit spinning the hips out so fast, Einstein. And lastly, I've gone back to a stiff shaft in my driver, and it's an old driver at that. I can't stand the look and feel of swinging a 460cc head anymore (never could, actually) so I'm using my old Titleist 905S and loving it! I can even hit a tight draw with it, that bounces and rolls, if you believe it? Maybe there's hope for me yet.

There Are No Arms in the Downswing

That's it. That's the key--take the arms out of the downswing and you'll be fine. Drag the club back with relaxed hands and arms a little to the outside, then feel the right elbow land in the right hip, unwind quickly while firing the right leg and watch with delight as the ball soars far and true. Easy game, huh? A word of caution, though: the shank is the cousin to the fade so be careful when trying to swing this way. A lack of commitment will most-definitely produce the dreaded hosel rocket, so as Lee Trevino once said "Aim left, swing right, and walk straight ahead."

GOLF!

I played golf yesterday, my first (9-hole) round of the season and definitely the earliest I've ever played here in Minnesota. I took an 'X' on the first hole, tripled the second hole and then finally, and mercifully, made par on my third hole. Looks like all that practicing in the garage over the winter was officially a waste of time! :) For some reason I felt really stiff the whole time and I even stretched out before going to the course. It was 36-degrees, I guess, and playing with other people is always a bit more anxious of a "golf experience". Oh well, I'm still excited for Kansas City next weekend. I just hope by Sunday I've got a little more pop in my swing. I think I have the tools to hit the ball better in my mental golf bag--I just need to LET GO TO GAIN CONTROL of my game. Easier said then done, for sure...