Feels
I have had a great week despite not managing to get a full round in due to the weather!
I am feeling particularly secure, sitting in the muddy water with myself. I feel as patient as ever while remaining optimistic about positive change. Improvement is slow but heading in the right direction and exploring new resources around practice (Practice Thinkers Podcast and Free Games Depot) has reignited the practice flame within me.
I have around 10 weeks to get in as many rounds as I can and then I can reflect and take stock of my position. It is crazy to think that will be 52 weeks of writing up my journey and sharing it with you all! What a pleasure it has been so far, thank you for all of the support!
By the way, I've added a "Buy Me a Coffee" link if you feel generous and want to support my writing endeavours. I love sipping coffee while penning down my thoughts, whether at cosy coffee shops or just pondering over a cup at home.
Practice
A nice practice session this week working on a couple of things. Initially, I spent some time monitoring strike at various speeds. For example;
I hit 3 shots at (what I felt was) 30%, 3 shots at 50%, 70%, 90% and full.
Strike remains mostly centred with a slight heely bias, particularly at higher speeds.
I then hit 15 balls working on my weight shift and trail leg, focussing on ‘banking the foot’. This is the most challenging thing that I have worked on so far, following the sessions with Ryan. I have managed to work on and integrate the flatter lead wrist and a stronger club face in the takeaway and at the top.
The struggle continues but spending time working on the trail foot and movement at home, with no ball will benefit me in the long run.
Finally, I moved on to my wedge game and spent some time working on my routine for a ‘draw’ shot that launched quite low (video above). I identified 3 targets at 50y, 75y and 100y and alternated through different clubs, trying to hit a push draw to target, going through my full routine each time.
I used the strategies given to me by Ryan, during my previous lesson block. My feeling when I managed to hit the shot successfully was;
Weight around 70% on the lead side
Turn in to trail heel
Wrist flat
Right shoulder ‘down’
I really struggled with this during lessons but sticking with it has gotten me to a point where I am comfortable using that shot on course. (I basically hit a pull-draw during lessons.)
This shot was 75y and started slightly right of the target (the blue and white stick) and drew back nicely.
Play
No round this week after some torrential rain.
Statistics
I checked out some statistics looking at recent trends from the last 10 rounds. I am really pleased with it overall and must plan in some driver swings, working on strike in the hope of rediscovering the driving groove.
The approach play chart is now looking a little more healthy, with obvious improvements to make on the short miss. I am still coming up short 28% of the time, with very few misses as ‘long’. My GIR has improved by around 15% from my starting point and I still feel like there is low-hanging fruit with club selection and strike when hitting approach shots.
And finally, the chart below shows my recent issues with the driver. Many around the 40y dispersion but as you can see, far too many outside of that, hence the decline in over SG performance off the tee.
Reflective Questions
What are your current optimism levels?
What has been the most difficult swing change you have made?
Do you have specific ‘feels’ for certain shots?