This entire time since my last post, I've been working hard on my short game. So many things I've been trying to get back my short game, and it's definitely been a frustrating challenge. I've tried slowing down my rhythm so I'm not so quick, then the next day I worked on rotating my clubface open on the backswing and holding it through impact so I wouldn't release it as much, then I worked on keeping my right shoulder higher and even more weight on my left side so I wouldn't chunk it, then I tried to make sure I was rotating my chest through to the target, etc. It's one of those things where I try something new for the day, think I've found it, then the next day I try it out, and it doesn't work. Then I'm forced to try something new.
Currently, I've widened my stance a little more, & I'm standing more square to the target. The idea behind this is so I wouldn't rotate around my body so much and make my chipping swing more like my full swing where even though it's still on an arc, it's a little more linear. I noticed a couple days ago when I recorded my swing on my camera, that my backswing was too far in the inside and then I would swing out after impact. I don't mind the shallow impact, but I felt that if I'm not on plane on my backswing, I lose the club on the downswing. I strengthened my left hand grip with advice by Dong for my full swing, so I decided to do that as well for my short game so that would help me feel "cupped" and keep the club more on plane rather than sucking back inside. As of yesterday, I feel like these changes of keeping it more simple and linear are working, and I will continue to explore it today.
Full Swing
My full swing is getting really good. I think the last post I mentioned that I was trying to feel steep going back to keep the club from getting laid off, then a "stomping" feeling in the ball of my left foot to feel the lateral transfer of weight to my left side so then I could drop the club in the inside. Well as I mentioned briefly in the previous paragraph, Dong has me strengthening my left hand grip so I would be able to cup my left wrist easier. My left hand grip was super weak from the previous year of me not wanting the ball to go left. But now, as I continue to work on cupping my wrist, that would have caused me to fight shots from going right with the weak grip. Now, not only is it easier to feel that cupped feeling, my swing, and my shots are right on target. I was looking at my swing with my friend's high speed Casio cameras (up to 1000fps) and my swing is looking great. More on plane going back and more shallow coming down.
Putting
I've been working hard on the putting, and out on the course, I'm making putts again. I haven't shot over par since playing with Chris from the proshop and the two Cactus Tour girls, Kyla & Allie. Honestly, nothing was going right for me that day.
But recently, I was with the usual crew of Dong, Michael, and Dirk and we were all hitting putts with a ball that has the line all around the circumference of the golf ball. If the ball is struck any less than pure, the ball's line doesn't roll tight or it oscillates. I found out by using Dong's putter which has grooves and about 1-2* of loft, the ball's line would roll tighter than my Scotty Cameron.
What ended up happening was that Dong took my Cameron to the golf ball washer and bent it down a few degrees. It was the coolest thing ever. He said that you can also do lie angles too. After he bent it, my putts were rolling tighter. He also suggested that I probably could get a better roll from my putts if I stopped "popping" my stroke. I experimented with that yesterday, and I feel like he may be right, but I had trouble releasing the putter with a slower feeling stroke like that. I'll continue to mess around with it.
Equipment
I've been using Mike's Taylormade R9 driver now, and I'm striping it way past all of the guys by at least 15 yards on the average. It's such a ridiculous driver. I did buy a Nike Victory Red 9.5 Driver and had my Diamana Whiteboard 83g X reshafted into the head. Unfortunately, I don't feel that it's as good of a set up so I ended up purchasing a Fujikura Motore F1 shaft (the same shaft that is in the R9) and the driver should be ready by today. So I can't wait to try that and see if the Nike works for me.
I also ordered a 58* wedge with 12* bounce and then had the bounce grinded down. I ordered that because Titleist is backordered on the 58* with 8* bounce until May 14th. The new wedge & new grooves is pretty sick. Honestly, the old 58* I was using was beat up to the point where it performed just like my new wedge with grooves that are less sharp & a smaller pitch and depth. I feel like I'm able to spin it still versus the complaints by Dong & Mike (I feel like they just chunk it sort of rather than having clean contact and that's why they're not spinning the ball as much as they would like).
Tournaments
I have my first one next week! I really hope to peak at the right time because it has been a few months since my last event. This is what really sucks by having no sponsor; I don't get into any playing rhythm and if a person plays poorly, then it will be a while for them to play again.
