mind. blown.

I'll spare even myself and anyone else any sort of harsh language about if I had started this game a long time ago or had a good coach to start with but neither happened... just taking a moment to acknowledge the pain and... we're moving on.

Onward and to lower scoring that is.  Nice strong streak continues on the course but really what I can attribute it to is when I'm on the course.... I'm playing and nothing else.  Pre-shot routine, set-up, aim, fire.  Move on with life.  It may not look like that always because I have my share of "oh Calhoun" moments and the occasional happy dance but it really has been good not having swing thoughts in my head on the course.  Ya' all do you and if no less than five swing thoughts must be in your head but really you have one but then you talk about five like my favorite golfer/boyfriend ever does that's cool, it's just not working for me. 

Lesson today was epic.  All my drill practice over the last two weeks paid off and it's been further broken apart this week.  Two things are happening here - one, we're working on swing path and the two, working on really closing that club face down through impact and rotating right over left.   First the latter.

Drill 1 - hold right hand OVER left hand and do small swings noticing that the right hand controls the roll but no the grip.  My hitting balls left per Kris is really because I'm gripping the club too tightly (TENSION) or I'm not rotating my shoulders all the way and therefore the top of my backswing doesn't put me in a good position for the swing path. That leads us to..

Drill 2 - right foot back to close the shoulders a lot (I think about my right shoulder before I hit my driver always and this is just a very exaggerated version of this) which forces the path to come from left to right.  I think I really thought about dropping and then coming around but that is NOT what is happening - you're actually just really swinging down from the top of the backswing with a full shoulder rotation and around - it makes it a lot easier to release the hands when you do this too.  She moved the club for me last we met but I already had too much in my brain - this week it clicked.  If your shoulders are not rotated all the way though... this doesn't work.  the top of the swing starts more parallel to the target line and you cannot come in to out... it's really hard and really why my swing isn't where it needs to be.  I just have to trust it... and practice.

I'm going to be doing a lot of that this week - focus will be on full rotation of the shoulders which I am forgetting and a LOOSE grip!  For the love of god Amanda shake the tension.

First tournament this week - no expectations except a fun round!!
x

hurt and back but with a new drill

I hurt my shoulder - more than likely doing yoga which was really probably a back injury coupled with a nice bout of tennis elbow.  Needless to say yet another summer where I am crippled from my favorite game.  No matter... a few weeks off plus going on vacation now I'm back at it.  New workouts and a new drill!   I've been playing well in spite of all of this - while injured I shot a 94 from the red tees at Strawberry Farms and last week shot a 97 from the white tees at Skylinks.  Not a bad showing, especially my game at Skylinks.  I did putt out of my mind so that's not a bad shout.

Back swing is looking pretty good after all my practice there and now the focus is really trying not to come outside in and instead inside out.  I really hate this bumping the hips idea... everyone always says it and I think it' a load of garbage, how are you supposed to think about bumping the hips and not f up your swing?  At any rate, it clearly must work (or not) for people so that's why you keep hearing it.  I on the other hand have the Lyda Ko drill.  If it's good enough for one of the easiest looking, most lovely swings on the LPGA then it's good enough for me.  I've been having easy success with it using my short irons but working my six iron with it has been a little tougher but I think will be well worth it.

With split hands taking the club back to a half swing still making sure to rotate the shoulders fully.  The takeaway remains unchanged - straight back with loose hands/no tension in the arms.  While the back swing remains arms free swinging, the down swing does too - first dropping the arms THEN rotating the body - the right arm is lower than the left arm while rotating though the ball.  The mental thought is to hit the ball with the "closed" toe of the club which promotes rotation though impact.  I tend to rotate my shoulders first causing an outside to in motion and keep the club face open after impact which almost always promotes ball flight to the right.  Wish me luck as I work on this for the next couple months!  The good news is today is the 15th and my handicap has come down to a 24 :)