2017

OK, now that we've kicked 2016 to the curb we can concentrate on the future, right? Sure.

To update the blog thingy here I thought I'd at least put down on internet paper the fact that I did get new clubs for myself. I am fully decked out new G-series irons, driver and fairway metals. I even bought a new Ping putter since the one I messed with at the store really felt good in my hands. I almost didn't get the putter because of the sentiment I had with the old Ping Anser I've been using for years but I always suspected it was too light. I can always go back to it if I want.

If the weather here will clear up by next weekend I'll try to play as I'm itching to see how the new sticks fare out on the course. I did get to try them when I had another session with the teaching pro but that's just not the same. The biggest change won't be the clubs but this swing improvement I'm trying to incorporate. I've always been a hands player and I know that I use them too much in my swing. I have some pretty good hand-eye coordination (from what I'm told by these pros) so I can get away with it when I play sometimes, but I know I'm losing out on some power and consistency.

So I've been trying to improve my weight shift so that it starts the downswing, allowing my arms to stay back a bit and create some lag and stay behind the ball like one should, but I couldn't figure out why I was having so much trouble with it. I was once known for having an extended pause at the top, which was the time I'd make the shift. I'm wasn't necessarily looking to repeat that but, as one does in the 21st century, I started using Google for stuff. One place led to another, and another, and then after a while it hit me as to why I couldn't stay behind the ball. I wasn't starting there to begin with.

In my ever constant fight to try and align myself properly I ended up getting my head in front of the ball at setup. From there I would either have to sway back or dip my head to get behind it, or do some other move to get into a position to strike the ball, like flip my hands. When I went to try and do that with a club in hand, I also discovered that I was leaning too far forward also, my shoulders were quite a bit in front of my toes, so I could lose my balance also.

After making those adjustments my swing now feels a lot more like the one that the teaching pro has had me rehearse with him directing the swing. I can keep my head in a steady position now while my body rotates around my spine better, especially on the follow thru, after where contact would be. With the crappy weather here lately I haven't been able to hit a ball and see the results as there is so much you can do with a shorter swing, hitting a ball into an oversized bed pillow leaning against a wall. The last thing I want to do is create some holes in the apartment.

So for now, we wait. We'll fiddle with it some more indoors and hope the light comes on a little brighter in the future. But until I can get outside I have to wonder if I've actually made any progress.