Newbie Golfer

During my last round, was not able to get many chips close to the hole.  I’ve been so focused on ball-striking improvement, that I hadn’t practiced chipping for several weeks, and it showed in my scoring.  So back to chipping practice…

I’ve decided to approach this like putting, in the sense of making distance control the number 1 priority.  Chipping to within 4 feet everytime will do wonders for my score.  My basic chipping setup is: 56 degree wedge, ball in center of stance, weight 60% on front foot.  After some practice, I’ve roughly calibrated chip distance to swing length.  For level terrain, and chipping from the fringe or light rough, the angle of the shaft in the backswing is:

7 yards, 15 degree backswing

15 yards, 45 degree backswing

20 yards, 90 degree backswing

My swing thoughts are: SMOOTH TEMPO, SOLID BASE.  These help me accelerate through impact and make solid contact. 

For deeper rough, I move the ball back, open the clubface, swing out to in, with longer swing angle.  E.g. for ball covered in rough:

15 yards, 90 degree backswing

Will put my calibrated chipping into play next round, wish me luck.

Best Regards,

NG

Just a note that I was hitting very solid wedges on the range today.  Crisp ball contact, great trajectory, and on-target.  Was able to hit knockdowns, draws and fades.

The only thing I did differently was to focus on not moving my head relative to the ball, until well after contact.  Neither raising nor dipping, not left to right sway.  My swing thought is “SOLID BASE”. 

This is also working well with my longer clubs (4H and 5W), especially combined with one other thought: “SMOOTH TEMPO”.   I’m hitting some very solid power fades off the turf, using just these two swing thoughts.

Can’t wait to put it in play…

Best Regards,

NG

In a previous post, I talked about my common miss.  This is a “blocked” shot, straight right, which I chalked up to fatigue and not rotating all the way to my left side after impact.

In a subsequent round, most of my shots were going straight right, despite not being tired, and focusing strongly on rotating all the way left!  Turns out that I was trying too hard…when rotating left too aggressively, my hands get trapped behind my body, and the shot can only go right!   After relaxing a bit on the back nine, my shots improved a lot. 

Worked on this on the range as well…with a good setup, I simply need to  turn back and through smoothly.  My main swing thought is to keep my head steady.  This keeps me coiling and not swaying, leading to very solid shots; and if I hit fat or thin, at least the ball goes straight.

The lesson here is that golf is a game of balance;  it’s easy to overdo something and get the opposite effect…

Best Regards,

NG

On the range today, hit a nice simulated round of 9 holes, mostly very solid and straight or slightly fading.

Afterwards, decided to hit several more balls with 4 hybrid and 5 wood to groove my swing. Towards the end of the bucket, mostly of the balls were going straight right or slicing a bit.

I realized that this was due to fatigue setting in. What happens is that I stop rotating all the way onto my left side, with belt buckle facing or left of the target. Instead when I’m tired, I tend to hang back a bit on my right side, and stop rotation with my buckle facing several degrees right of the target.

Just wanted to document that tendency so I can be more aware next time.

Best Regards,
NG

Was hitting 4 hybrids and 5 woods at the range today, quite solid. This was using my favorite power fade swing. The key to hitting it solid today was ball position.

The divot occurs directly beneath the hands at impact. With 4 hybrid, I’m trying to hit down on the ball and create a divot a few inches in front. With the ball position 1 to 1 1/2 balls forward of center, my hands are nicely forward of the ball.

With 5 wood, I’m trying to catch the ball right at the bottom of the swing arc. So I line my hands up with the ball, which puts the ball position about 2 balls forward of center.

Trying experimenting with ball position to see its effect on impact.

Best Regards,
NG

Was practicing the power fade at the range today. Just wanted to note a few things to work on:

1) Extend the club back along the foot line, then turn to the top. Stay relaxed while doing this.

2) Keep eyes on the ball during backswing and impact, making sure spine angle doesn’t change.

Also want to experiment with hitting the ball higher. To do this:

3) Tilt spine a little, away from the target.

Thinking of increased backswing width helps hit more solid shots with the longer clubs, six iron and longer.

Best Regards,
NG

Been practicing bunker shots again. Have not done so for a while, since I’ve been focusing on ball-striking, chipping and putting. So sand shots are currently the weakest part of my game. After a couple bunker sessions, I’ve found a setup that works for me:

1) Aim at target, to establish target line.

2) Temporarily setup square to target, with ball just off the left heel.

3) Rotate clubhead open, then re-grip. Amount of rotation depends on how quickly the ball needs to get up. For a 4-5 foot bunker lip, about 30 degrees open works for me.

4) After re-gripping, rotate whole body and club, until the clubface is once again square to the target. The body / foot line will then be open to the target.

5) Very important: make sure the hande points at your navel. This results in your hands being behind the clubhead, unlike your typical iron shot. You want them there because your divot needs to start behind the ball, as you will throw a cushion of sand out of the bunker; the ball rides on this cushion. Having your hands in front of the ball would result in ball first contact, and a fast moving ball that will bury in the bunker lip or fly the green completely.

6) Grip lightly in the fingers.

7) Very important: swing out to in, along the foot line, cutting across the target line with an open clubface. Swinging along the target line will result in hitting too far behind the ball, and you will scoop sand over it or move it a few inches.

(8) Swing to a full finish.

I’m looking forward to mastering this shot once and for all; will let you know how it goes.

Best Regards,
NG

Over the last few sessions, I’ve changed my driving range routine.

I usually don’t have time to warm up on the range before starting a round. I also don’t really want to hit a lot of balls, because then I start tinkering with the swing, and I’m not target focused when I hit the course. So for the last few rounds, I’ve simply streched a swung clubs slowly at the first tee to get warmed up.

The problem with this is that my first few swings lack confidence.

On the range, I was typically starting with wedges and working my way up to woods. I’ve now started range practice exactly like starting a round, i.e. some slow swings to warm up (without hitting balls), then tee off with a wood. Then simulate a round with approach shot, chip, tee off again, etc.

Lo and behold, I’m able to hit a decent tee shot with the first swing! Have been having some good range sessions using this sequence. Now I have the confidence needed for my next round…

Best regards,
NG