Hizzle's Golf Corner (for debate and/or advise)

[HizzleRocker]

We'll see how this works. Ask or talk about anything here. Got a problem in your golf game? Ask. I'll give you an idea or two and maybe even some drills. Others chime in and tell if you think I'm right/wrong, or even give ideas of your own. Want to debate or ask about how a putting stroke should be (i.e. straight back and straight through, or on an arc, etc...). Want to debate who the greatest is/was in a particular area of the sport? Throw it out there. I and others will give our opinion.

Basically, it is a good natured but hopefully helpful golf debate section.

Let's hear it!

 

[mrwallace2ku]

I'm fat-n-lazy, have an "over the top" swing when driving the golf ball and the ball always goes short right.

Can you help me Doctor?

 

[HizzleRocker]

I'm fat-n-lazy, have an "over the top" swing when driving the golf ball and the ball always goes short right.

Can you help me Doctor?

I'm assuming a couple of things are true. First, that the bolded part is true (if not then you're just fucking with me). Second, that your ball actually will start off going left, then finish right with a slice. Assuming that, then here we go:

1) You need to start off by setting your hips. By this, I mean set your hips slightly left of the ball and mostly on your left side. Try to keep the weight (LOWER BODY WEIGHT ONLY) on the left side as much as possible.

2) Allow your head to move slightly right during your backswing. Yes, the head can move, and don't let anyone tell you differently. Again, it is of upmost importance that you keep your lower body more centered to left centered while your upper body transfers to the right side.

** The differential between your lower body weight and upper body weight will create a spine angle in your backswing (which I doubt you have right now). This is huge!

3) Make sure you keep your left arm close to your chest during your takeaway. Huge mistake from many golfers is they allow the left are to separate from body during takeaway (which will promote an over the top move coming back). Keep it tight.

4) Just take the club "UP." Do not ever worry about the bullshit you hear of "make your turn, etc.... Just take the club up, with a tight left arm. If your lower body has accomplished #1 and #2 - your turn will be automatic.

5) Simply chase your right hip with your right elbow.


That's it. It sounds like a lot - but it really isn't. 1-3 is all in the takeaway. You work on that move only and you will get better.

**(Disclaimer). If you perfect the above, you very well may come back and say your are hitting it better, more solid, but the ball is still going right. I get it and foresee this. Only difference is your ball will now be starting off straight and then going right vs starting left and then going right. That means you are no longer swinging around your body and your swing plane is better. Then we will need to work on your release. But, 1 thing at at time.

 

[redseat]

about 5-8 times a round on my irons I completely shank my shot to the right and the ball only goes about 4 years match.. It is the worst looking shot you have ever seen, It's so bad I can't even really describe it you would have to actually see it to believe. It randomly happens...

I know my body turns waaaaaaaaaay before my arms but I just don't get how it can shank it the way I do.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

I'm assuming a couple of things are true. First, that the bolded part is true (if not then you're just fucking with me). Second, that your ball actually will start off going left, then finish right with a slice. Assuming that, then here we go:

All right I lied here, I aint fat just lazy, but I needed to see where you were going to take me on the the over the top swing plane I DO HAVE. Definitely will take the club UP in the backswing, left arm straight and tight as you suggest.


Thanks Hizzle

 

[HizzleRocker]

about 5-8 times a round on my irons I completely shank my shot to the right and the ball only goes about 4 years match.. It is the worst looking shot you have ever seen, It's so bad I can't even really describe it you would have to actually see it to believe. It randomly happens...

I know my body turns waaaaaaaaaay before my arms but I just don't get how it can shank it the way I do.

Couple of issue possibly here. First off, I call it the El Hosel (not the dreaded "S" word). Gotta feel for you my man, that shot is the absolute worst feeling in golf. Corrections:

1) You say your body "turns" before your arms. This is not good, obviously. Keep in mind, the first move the body (i.e. lower body) should make is more of a shift vs a turn. Work on actually flat out laterally shifting your hips to the left, into your left side, before you allow them to turn.

2) Work on your release. Almost certain your lower body is turning too early and your hands are holding on for dear life at impact. That means your arms are swinging outward of your early rotating hips, and the club not releasing means your el hosel is getting a direct birdseye view of the golf ball.

** Drill: Start with half/3/4 swings only. Take the club back... Hold it there for 2 seconds at the top (again half to 3/4 at most). Then before the club moves, shift (not rotate) your hips into your left side...... Next, right at the moment your club is about to impact the ball (and this is timing dependent)... flat out release the club head. And I don't mean try to turn it over (don't try to do that). Just release it plain and simple. This is an awful word, but I'll go ahead and say it, it should almost feel like a flip. If your hips are in the right place, and your timing is right at impact, it will be fine.

You will find that you come through impact with much more club head speed as well.

 

[redseat]

Couple of issue possibly here. First off, I call it the El Hosel (not the dreaded "S" word). Gotta feel for you my man, that shot is the absolute worst feeling in golf. Corrections:

1) You say your body "turns" before your arms. This is not good, obviously. Keep in mind, the first move the body (i.e. lower body) should make is more of a shift vs a turn. Work on actually flat out laterally shifting your hips to the left, into your left side, before you allow them to turn.

2) Work on your release. Almost certain your lower body is turning too early and your hands are holding on for dear life at impact. That means your arms are swinging outward of your early rotating hips, and the club not releasing means your el hosel is getting a direct birdseye view of the golf ball.

** Drill: Start with half/3/4 swings only. Take the club back... Hold it there for 2 seconds at the top (again half to 3/4 at most). Then before the club moves, shift (not rotate) your hips into your left side...... Next, right at the moment your club is about to impact the ball (and this is timing dependent)... flat out release the club head. And I don't mean try to turn it over (don't try to do that). Just release it plain and simple. This is an awful word, but I'll go ahead and say it, it should almost feel like a flip. If your hips are in the right place, and your timing is right at impact, it will be fine.

You will find that you come through impact with much more club head speed as well.

Yeah most of the time I can feel my hands lagging behind my body movement, sometimes I can't but I can almost guarantee that's what happens. Granted I only play about 4 rounds of golf all year so I really can't bitch too much since a lot of worse things happen when you play this few rounds.

The drill sounds like a very good idea! I shall have to try that!

It usually happens with my wedges but it does happen a few times with my long irons (which I call only my 6-9) since I really can't hit my 3-5 irons.. Granted again, I don't practice with them.

But yes it is the WORST feeling in the world when you hit said shot. Especially when there are people in front or behind you watching you. It looks so ugly and it makes me feel like a complete idiot!

I was golfing a round with my dad, bro in law and this other dude who was a member at the club and I hit that shot and he was so baffled at how I hit shot like that. I felt like crawling into a hole and dying.

 

[HizzleRocker]

Yeah most of the time I can feel my hands lagging behind my body movement, sometimes I can't but I can almost guarantee that's what happens. Granted I only play about 4 rounds of golf all year so I really can't bitch too much since a lot of worse things happen when you play this few rounds.

The drill sounds like a very good idea! I shall have to try that!

It usually happens with my wedges but it does happen a few times with my long irons (which I call only my 6-9) since I really can't hit my 3-5 irons.. Granted again, I don't practice with them.

One of the reasons baseball players make the worst golfers. They are taught to hang back and turn. In golf you need to shift left first. Many people think the problem is with the arms swinging "around." However, the problem is actually in the lower body, not the upper. The arms are just following the body.

 

[redseat]

One of the reasons baseball players make the worst golfers. They are taught to hang back and turn. In golf you need to shift left first. Many people think the problem is with the arms swinging "around." However, the problem is actually in the lower body, not the upper. The arms are just following the body.

Exactly. Every time I hit a shot way right it is because my lower body shifts first and my hands can't catch up! Sucks... Especially when it happens on a Par 3 and you don't get onto the green and wind up with a bogie or worse.

 

[redseat]

Opinions on HUGE gripped putters or just regular gripped?

 

[HizzleRocker]

Opinions on HUGE gripped putters or just regular gripped?

While I don't play with one, I am still an advocate for the bigger grips. However, there is a MAJOR issue to pay attention to here.

If you are going to get a putter with a big grip, make sure you get one made to have a big grip. Never ever ever ever take your normal putter and just put an oversized grip on it. Why? You take away head weight. Total weight and head weight are 2 totally different things, and head weight in a putter is of utmost importance.

Your putter is designed with a certain head/swing weight. The more weight you add to the top of the putter - the more you take away from the bottom (i.e. swing weight).

1) You buy a putter meant to have such a grip. The Bridgestone putter with the graphite shaft is an excellent version of this, or

2) You order the putter you want, and have them build it with a bit more head weight than normal, to account for the grip weight. Believe it or not, this is simply standard business for the club companies. Most often you can get that putter specially designed with more head weight for the exact same price as one off the shelf. Just don't believe Dicks when they tell you it will be more.... It won't. They just want to sell shit off the shelves.

 

[redseat]

Yeah, I was thinking about upgrading my grips on my putter and maybe an iron or two but certainly my putter. I am wondering if that will help my putting. Granted I can't read a green to save my life so that adds to my crappy putting!

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Hizzle...(Dr. Phil)...actually being serious here....I know I have swing issues like most 10-12 hdcps would have, but mentally I'm stuck in the 80s.

My index has been as low 8.7 (4/5 yrs ago)...the last 2 yrs I've gotten back to playing regularly (3 times a month at least), but the last 2 mos, once a week and I practice about once a week

Play it down and count them all, keep stats, etc....right now I'm posting mostly mid 80s and will throw in a 80 or 81 every so often, but so far yet to break 80 this year. Broke it twice LY...I know some of it is competition...my best buddy loves the game, but struggles to break 90. So lately I've been playing with some other people.

I've even moved up a box (6000 to 6300 yds and most tracks are sloped 125 to 130) I avg..about 250...good drives 270+ which puts me in the 7i or less approach range and allows me to get on or around the par 5s in 2 a lot more. This has yielded more birdies, but also exposed my SG a little.

My question...how much is mental when it comes to breaking scoring barriers?

 

[HizzleRocker]

Hizzle...(Dr. Phil)...actually being serious here....I know I have swing issues like most 10-12 hdcps would have, but mentally I'm stuck in the 80s.

My index has been as low 8.7 (4/5 yrs ago)...the last 2 yrs I've gotten back to playing regularly (3 times a month at least), but the last 2 mos, once a week and I practice about once a week

Play it down and count them all, keep stats, etc....right now I'm posting mostly mid 80s and will throw in a 80 or 81 every so often, but so far yet to break 80 this year. Broke it twice LY...I know some of it is competition...my best buddy loves the game, but struggles to break 90. So lately I've been playing with some other people.

I've even moved up a box (6000 to 6300 yds and most tracks are sloped 125 to 130) I avg..about 250...good drives 270+ which puts me in the 7i or less approach range and allows me to get on or around the par 5s in 2 a lot more.
This has yielded more birdies, but also exposed my SG a little.

My question...how much is mental when it comes to breaking scoring barriers?

Sounds like its 2 things: Mental, and Short Game. I have 2 tips on the mental and one tip on the short game.

Mental:

1) I would actually move back tees for a little bit. Play the course much tougher, and play from there until you feel comfortable shooting the same scores you are shooting right now. If you get to where you play 3 or 4 rounds consecutively and shoot in the 80-85 ish range - then move back up to your tees. The course will feel so much easier, and hopefully your subconscious mind won't accept that your old 81 or 82 is an acceptable score anymore. In other words maybe it will help your comfort zone to a lower number.

2) Fore-warning this is going to be a bit Zen-ish. A mental training trick you can work on simply each night when you go to bed. If mastered (which can take a while) the end result is you start really believing that you control your golf ball. Also, you will find it much easier to start getting into the zone out there once you can do this.

Step 1: Close eyes until you can see purely black. Nothing else. No gray, no flashes of light, etc... Simply see total pitch black and hold that picture. (You'll be surprised how long simply this may take);
Step 2: Allow a white golf ball to come into the picture. Still holding the black background. If at anytime you lose the background - start the whole thing over;
Step 3: Now focus on the golf ball until you can see the dimple pattern. Again still holding the background;
Step 4: Next, see the word Titleist (or whatever brand you want) and the number on the ball. Maintain that focus as you are holding the background, seeing the ball and its dimple pattern, and you have given the ball a name and number;
Step 5: Finally, rotate the golf ball until you can see the name and number on the other side of it. Continue to do this, deciding whether you want to rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise.

Mastering this could take months to even a year. However, you will be surprised at how much easier the mental game becomes, if you have that much control and focus.


Short Game:

Plain and simple, develop touch. Obviously I have no idea what parts of your short game need the most work, but touch helps everywhere. When practicing putting, the worst possible thing you can do is to just sit there and hit a bunch of 4 foot and/or 10 foot putts. Almost worthless. Instead, hit as many of the long crazy breaking putts as you possibly can. If you can find a 50 footer that breaks 8 feet - perfect. Get good at that putt. Hit as many like that as you can, over and over, until they become easy. Now when you go out on the course, you may not have realized it, but you have been developing touch and tempo. If you have perfect tempo on the course you will be surprised at how easy a 5 foot putt really is (even if you haven't been practicing them).

On chipping, same thing. Go to a chip shot where maybe you would normally use a 9 iron for a bump and run. Hit a number of chips with that 9 iron until you feel great with that shot. Next, start hitting the exact same shot - but with an 8 iron. Once you feel great with the 8, move to the 7 iron. Continue hitting the same chip to the same hole location all the way to your 3 or 4 iron. Finish by taking out your hybrid or 5 wood and start putting to that hole location with it.



Hope that helps.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Thanks.

Mental...yeah I might be better served by moving back, then move up...the other exercise is pretty deep...I might need to travel to Colo or WA to make that work...lol!

Shortgame...yeah, sometimes I can pull off the great shot, but I know my iron play is leaving me in some tough spots (short sided) but it's tough to aim away flags...especially left ones.

Last round...not typical score (81 on a par 71), but the way it played out is similar to a lot of mid 80 rounds lately except I don't get U&D at this rate all the time.

Penalties...5 shots lost to par...1 drive OB, resulted in a 2 putt dbl...1 drive in lateral, resulted in a 2 putt bogey, 1 approach in lateral resulted in 2 putt dbl...6 putts.

GIR = 7...5 pars, 1 birdie, 1 3jack bogey so no strokes lost to par on the GIR holes...14 putts

AGIR = 9...6 U&D, one of those a sandy making a 5 footer, but 3 holes did some damage...1 hole in particular..par 3 fried egg lie couldn't get the 2nd shot out, got on in 3, and 3 jacked for a triple...the other two were bad misses where I was happy to get it on and 2 putt for bogey.

End of the day, 34 putts the two 3 putts hurt...I don't normally get 5 penalty strokes, but I don't normally get U&D 6 out of 9 times either.

I'm going to work on the SG...and my misses left with the irons (nearly every green was missed left except one where I tried to hold the face open and of course missed that one right...one guy said I need to move the ball more forward in my stance...thanks again...I'll be out this weekend.

 

[fknhippie]

All I do is hit holes in one. Only taking 18 strokes per game seems like a terrible waste of money. How do I improve my cost per stroke?

 

[R.J. MacReady]

Thanks.

Mental...yeah I might be better served by moving back, then move up...the other exercise is pretty deep...I might need to travel to Colo or WA to make that work...lol!

Shortgame...yeah, sometimes I can pull off the great shot, but I know my iron play is leaving me in some tough spots (short sided) but it's tough to aim away flags...especially left ones.

Last round...not typical score (81 on a par 71), but the way it played out is similar to a lot of mid 80 rounds lately except I don't get U&D at this rate all the time.

Penalties...5 shots lost to par...1 drive OB, resulted in a 2 putt dbl...1 drive in lateral, resulted in a 2 putt bogey, 1 approach in lateral resulted in 2 putt dbl...6 putts.

GIR = 7...5 pars, 1 birdie, 1 3jack bogey so no strokes lost to par on the GIR holes...14 putts

AGIR = 9...6 U&D, one of those a sandy making a 5 footer, but 3 holes did some damage...1 hole in particular..par 3 fried egg lie couldn't get the 2nd shot out, got on in 3, and 3 jacked for a triple...the other two were bad misses where I was happy to get it on and 2 putt for bogey.

End of the day, 34 putts the two 3 putts hurt...I don't normally get 5 penalty strokes, but I don't normally get U&D 6 out of 9 times either.

I'm going to work on the SG...and my misses left with the irons (nearly every green was missed left except one where I tried to hold the face open and of course missed that one right...one guy said I need to move the ball more forward in my stance...thanks again...I'll be out this weekend.

Ya know ....every chance you get you throw your stats in my face.

 

[HizzleRocker]

All I do is hit holes in one. Only taking 18 strokes per game seems like a terrible waste of money. How do I improve my cost per stroke?

Put the rubber putter and the red ball away, and go to a course that requires a tee on the first shot.

 

[HizzleRocker]

Here's one:

List your favorite and least favorite club companies. In other words, if you could only play 1 company (putter, wedges, irons, and woods)...

Best:

Taylor Made
Callaway
** honorable mention: Titleist

Worst:

Nike
Nike
** honorable mention: Cleveland

 

[R.J. MacReady]

Best

Taylor made
Ping

Worst

I will go with the double Nike too.

I also have a putter that was pretty expensive. I bought it about 7 years ago.
I never even heard of it ..just knew I had to have it when it touched my hands.

Kirk Currie Pecos putter ...love that thing.