Swing Small, Hit Big Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjWMpQOrmbY&feature=player_embedded

Latest Buys

11/17/11

Bridgestone Tour B330-RX - $37.00
FJ Spider Glove - Med Large - $14.00

2012 Goals

Frustrated with the end of the season. Maybe too much golf lately, but swing seemed to fall apart in early November after NC trip and Commonwealth round.

Still spending lots of time surfing the Sand Trap, GolfWRX, PutterZone, Brian Manzella and THP

Goals for 2012:

1 - Shoot in the 80s consistently.
2 - Get GIRs up to 50% on average

3 - Get average putts per round down to below 33

4 - Get down a pre-shot routine

5 - Continue to work on the mental focus (Think Box/Play Box), gotta learn to trust myself.
6 – Work to develop shot shaping capability

7 - Enjoy the greatest game on earth!

How to do it:

Develop a practice strategy

   - Not just random hitting of clubs and avoid simple repetition

Work on my short game > 100 yds
Putting practice 30 mins 3x a week. Work on Putting (In concert with the above)

End of season stats:

16.9 handicap

93.5 scoring avg.

42.9% Fairway

2.02 Putts

23.3% GIR

Recent Stuff

Few rounds lately, but haven't been updating the blog

North Carolina Trip:

11/6/11 – Tobacco Road - 89

11/5/11 – Southern Pines - 90

11/5/11 – The Carolina - 95

11/4/11 – Wood Lake Maples - 86

11/3/11 – Renditions - 97

Home:

10/30/11 – Rock Manor - 88

10/28/11 – Aronomink - 91

Recent Purchases:

Birdie Ball Putting Green

Dozen Bridgestone e7s

Hirzl Glove - L

Pair of Long Pants

Performance Under Shirt

Pullover

Tobacco Road Putter Cover

Ballmark - Tobacco Road and 3 from Aronimink

Round - Applebrook 10/26

Wednesday, Oct 26
Round at Applebrook GCs
Score: 97
Fairways: 8/13
GIR: 1/18
Cost: $0

Swing Thoughts:
#1 - keeping head quiet and UP.
#2 - full swing with a complete follow through
#3 - good tempo and not let swing and arms go quick

Areas of Strength:
Par 5s and shot decision making
Driver - overall consistent. One or two bad drives. One LB due to drive, but mainly challenge of hole and not played properly.
Longer iron play was average. One hybrid attempt was solid.
Short wedge play for chips was solid.

Weaknesses:
Putting - 40 in Total. Lack of feel and speed control (some due to greens being aerated). Caddie mentioned hands get quick and snappy. Need to work on better stroke
Irons - getting stuck and not a good full swing. Trying to much to hit at ball and smack it up there.
Felt very uncomfortable for first 5 holes. Tried out new glove and went back to old one
4Wood was atrocious - three attempts all topped. Caddie mentioned need to move ball up, more flex in knees and wider stance.
Course played long and iron/hybrid game needs to improve

Areas for improvement:
Putting stroke and speed control
Iron swings - full swing. Not getting caught in ground. FOLLOW THROUGH.
How was weight?
Tempo, SMOOTHNESS and minimizing head movement
Better with 4W!!!!!!
Still get quick at times. Focus is fuzzy then.

Range Session - 10/25

Range Session
Balls: 1 Large Bucket - approx 85 balls
Cost: $8

Swing Thoughts:
#1 - more flex in legs - seems to give me an easier ability to get my arms up
#2 - if more flex, back should be more upright, shoulders little back 
#3 - trying to deliver club and body straight through the ball. Shoulder and left thumb
#4 - keeping head quiet and UP.
#5 - feeling in arms and hands when swing is on right path right as start going down

Areas of Strength:
Drives were fairly straight and consistent.
Iron when leaked where a fade.
Felt very good overall and comfortable. 
Most time spent with 5i, Dr, 4W and 4H
Some wedge work at 55-65 yard distances

Weaknesses:
Hands felt like the were going too quick at times. Partially adrenaline. 
Less than 5 topped balls.
When not straight, irons pushed right mostly with a draw with a few pulls.

Areas for improvement:
Relaxing and delivering a focused, good tempo-ed shot.
Keeping focused through entire swing, especially driver.
Isolate feeling in hands of a good position as start downswing. Can def tell the difference when starting bad and almost always leds to a top or pull slice

Range Session - 10/24

Range Session
Balls: 2 Buckets - approx 110 balls
Cost: $8

Swing Thoughts:
#1 - trying to deliver club and body straight through the ball. Shoulder and left thumb
#2 - good grip that feels comfortable
#3 - slightly more flex in legs - seems to give me an easier ability to get my arms up
#4 - keeping head quiet and UP.
#5 - warming up is important
#6 - weight a little more forward on feet (balls) but everything balanced.
#7 - feeling in arms and hands when swing is on right path right as start going down
#8 - a FULL swing

Areas of Strength:
Drives were fairly straight and consistent. Though did have several hook right which would potentially be OB.
Finally able to hit my 4 wood off the deck. Due to slight squatter stance.
KEEPING head still and have body rotate around it.

Weaknesses:
Hands felt like the were going too quick at times
When not straight, irons pushed right mostly with a draw with a few pulls.

Areas for improvement:
Relaxing and delivering a focused, good tempo-ed shot.
Determine if more bend in knees was a fluke.
Not getting too crazy drive.
Keeping focused through entire swing

Sunday, Oct 23

Round at The Golf Course at Glen Mills
Score: 90
Fairways: 4/13
GIR: 6/18
Cost: $0

Swing Thoughts:
#1 - trying to deliver club and body through the ball. Don't just rotate but move square through at impact. Ideas of hands/left thumb returning to same position as started on takeaway
#2 - full swing with a complete follow through
#3 - good tempo and not let swing and arms go quick

Areas of Strength:
Par 5s and shot decision making
Driver - overall consistent. One or two bad drives (#8). But of missed fairways, at least 6 were off by less than 15 feet. Several did leave me with a more difficult lie (i.e. ball above feet).
Longer iron play was good. One hybrid attempt was solid, with more fade than intended.

Weaknesses:
Putting - 40 in Total, but two missed Par/GIRs due to 3 putting. Though did drain two 35+ footers on 10 & 11. Couple birdie chances within 10 feet and failed to convert a single one.
Wedge game - lack of confidence in distance control between 45 - 95 feet. Hit a number fat and short, which on next shot compounded difficulty to get to green well enough to save par, even bogey.
Less than full swing shots.
2 Lost balls on Par 3 than led to triple bogeys. One was a club misjudgment due to wind and other was a pulled 9i from a less than full swing.

Areas for improvement:
Putting
Wedges - 9i and less
Last hole idea: Weight took much on heels. Move more to balls of feet and then can move the face out which perhaps would give body and hands more room to swing (less having to fight in and be unable to make a full follow through).