Big Question
How many mistakes are you inducing in practice to learn from? (Dr. Izzy Justice)
Feels
My feeling this week is one of caution.
After three months of working my Ryan Mouque, I have decided to take a break. The decision is partly financial and partly developmental. This next month of practice and play will be key to seeing how much I have learned and how I can cope without constant feedback. It is a test and one I am approaching with caution. It feels like the end of an era but a new beginning and more opportunities to learn.
Practice and Lessons
My final lesson with Ryan. I have no doubt in my mind that I will return to have more ‘unlimited months’ of lessons on the Skillest App, sooner rather than later. It has only been three months but I have learned so much in that short time. Most of that learning has been about my swing tendencies and what compensations I am making in my movement patterns. I have a series of drills that will form my technical blocks within my practice sessions. Finally, I have a permanent record of my lessons, which will allow me to return to them for reference.
Keep your eye out for a review of my online lesson experience, in the next 10 days.
The lesson highlights the issue I have experienced since starting to add new movements into the swing. The wrist reverts to type and I get the shaft steep in the downswing. My weight is then on my toes and I stand up to close the club face.
Practice session 1
Technical
Set up and draw strategies
Lead wrist x 15 (5 half, 5 3/4, 5 full)
Differential
Start line drill (right) (over alignment stick) x 10
Random
50/70/90y targets with SW, GW, C (full routine) x 18
Practice session 2
Technical
Lead wrist exaggerations x 10
Differential
Draw - Fade (5 of each alternate)
Game
Decade 50-90y Combine (20 balls) 55.7 points
2 very different practice sessions this week. Practice session 1 was one of my worst in a long time. My Strike was poor, my concentration was poor and I struggled to remain on task. It got my head down a little and learning from the last time this happened, I made sure I did not panic and that I did not start trying to ‘fix’ things.
Session 2 was the opposite, my attention in particular, was excellent and I remained on task throughout. I stuck to my plan. My strike was much improved. For the first time since trying the draws and fades, I succeeded in getting the shape on each shot. I find it challenging to hit target with the draw but the fade felt easy and natural.
I made a slight improvement in my wedge score using the Decade app and the combine for 50-90y. My start line was very good, with only short and long the majority of misses.
Play
Another solid round overall with one birdie and one double bogey. My iron play was average and I hit a lot of heavy iron shots, including with my wedges. From my most recent lesson, it is clear to see that I can get steep and I need to practice and develop a feel for when I experience this on the course, without getting technical.
My driver was working well and the drive on the first hole made it to the bottom of the hill 356y total (estimated 80y of roll down the hill). I hit a nice 7i pin high and 2-putted for the birdie.
My double came after a poor, hooky drive into the out-of-bounds area. I hit 5 or 6 excellent drives before that and it highlighted the need for absolute concentration on every shot. It reminded me that a bad shot can come at any time. I found it increased my focus for the rest of the round.
Reflective questions
How long do you stick with one idea in your golf improvement journey?
How do you ensure you remain ‘on task’ when practising?
Can you use a bad shot in a positive way?
How do the skillest lessons work? Is your entire lesson on video looking down the line or face on etc. or do you send videos and then discuss them over a zoom call?
I have a coach that fixes me every time I go but offers little solutions to getting better long term. I need to go more the skillest route but haven’t yet