Feels
I have experienced a mix of emotions over the past two weeks. Despite that, my enjoyment and passion for the project remain unwavering. However, I am beginning to question the idea of setting specific targets and the notion of building progress "brick by brick." Given my current practice and play volume, it proves challenging to make substantial and lasting changes to my technique. Since I'm committed to the long term, it might be more suitable to frame my practice and play around "enjoyment" while regularly monitoring my progress for the rest of the summer; focusing on slight technical changes and building skills.
By the way, I've added a "Buy Me a Coffee" link if you'd like to support my writing endeavours (which I usually do in coffee shops or while contemplating a cup of coffee).
Practice
Only one practice session this last fortnight.
Technical
Tour ball takeaway drill (face parallel to spine angle)
3 rehearsals with no ball then hit a shot x 12
Skills
Face Strike x 18 balls total
Face spray - moving strike intentionally from heel to toe. I also tried to hit it lower and higher up the face this week too, which I was very poor at but it shows there are skills to be developed with low point
Low Point
Towel drill x 12
Random
Shots to targets using clubs through the bag (monitoring 'miss') with remaining balls
Miss was evenly dispersed between left and right, with a couple on the short side.
Lessons
This was my last lesson of the previous round, which I hadn’t posted. The focus was on the backswing and a little on the transition. Using a Tour Ball between the arms gave me a feeling of being a little more connected and certainly improved my overly ‘flat’, arms stuck behind me, swing. One caveat though, this was of me rehearsing the move and not hitting balls. It looked very different when the ball was there to be struck. The rest of the videos in the lesson series is linked below.
Play
A couple of practice rounds this last fortnight. I played one round with a focus on my routine, which I enjoyed and struck it OK. I decided to incentivise it to enable me to keep a score and return to the practice and compare the scores over time;
+1 Hyper-specific target selected
+1 Pre-shot routine full swing
+1 Pre-shot routine on the green (2-2-2)
-1 point for an approach shot short of the green
I finished with -5 for short shots despite having a focus here, which shows that strike and club selection are still in need of work and future focus.
One thing I've noticed is that I tend to start off strongly, with solid ball striking and performance. However, after a poor shot or hole, it affects my game, and other aspects suffer as a result. While I understand this is common, it's interesting to keep an eye on this trend. It's not a matter of giving up or lacking determination; it might simply require some selective forgetting.
Below, you'll find a summary of my statistics from the last three rounds. I'm pleased to see an improvement in my approach play compared to previous stats checks (-3.4 for the previous 10-round average), considering the amount of practice I've put into it. However, there is still some low-hanging fruit for me to address.
Reflective Questions
Are you framing your golf in a way that aligns with your expectations, duration of practice and targets?
Do you tend to start well or finish well?
What part of your game tends to remain consistent?