Thread Tools

Display Modes

**DennisM** · 11-21-2006, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fitz-uk

How hard do you think it will be to alter your swing enough to achieve this consistently?

I don't know. I haven't hit any balls or played for 4 weeks now because of the elbow. It feels better as time passes, so I figure next weekend to be OK to grab some balls on the range with the pro and get an idea of this swing change. He says he will measure me and watch my current swing to suggest a set of club specs, much like the Edwin Watts people did some time ago. I am going to guess if I need to be more up and down, he'll probably suggest something one or two degrees upright. No way to know until after I've eaten too much turkey and worn myself out playing with my grandkids.

**DennisM** · 11-28-2006, 02:30 PM

Fast Forward to current time...

2006 Big Bertha irons, steel shafts, 1 degree upright.

They arrived today. Is it a bad omen that it's raining outside?

The wrist is fine and the elbow isn't bothering me enough to care. I'm going out this weekend to hit balls in anger and maybe even play. Stress at work being what it is, I should be 10 yards longer with every club if I just picture the Board of Director's faces on the ball...

**fitz-uk** · 11-28-2006, 03:11 PM

Just remember to take a club off for each approach shot then Dennis

Lets hope they make enough difference to your game so that you can play a lot more.

**DennisM** · 11-28-2006, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fitz-uk

Lets hope they make enough difference to your game so that you can play a lot more.

From your mouth to God's ears...

**DennisM** · 12-01-2006, 10:13 PM

About 7:30 AM tomorrow morning, I'm going to step onto the driving range at Calusa Country Club and find out how this is going to work. While I've only been able to demo my swing for the pro by hitting a few balls with my old clubs, I got a brief overview from him about what he wants me to do. The warm up tomorrow morning has to be a matter of me reminding myself to swing smoothly, not hard. With range balls, there won't be much opportunity to get a true idea how far I'll hit the new clubs, but if I just make good contact and keep it in play during the round, I'll be happy.

srothfuss · 12-01-2006, 11:45 PM

Good luck!

"drive for show & putt for dough"

**DennisM** · 12-02-2006, 06:25 PM

The new clubs are fine, but after 4-5 weeks off, the body is not. I hit balls before the round, but didn't really feel stretched out and still made inconsistant passes at it all day. The last six holes, things fell into place a bit and I made some easier pars.

The point is, what I did poorly, I can't clame the clubs for. What I did well, I'll give the clubs credit for working as advertised.

**DennisM** · 12-12-2006, 11:45 PM

I'm still having trouble putting a consistant swing on the ball. My lesson this afternoon had more to do with ball position, opening up and slightly narrowing my stance to accelerate my follow through. Since we moved the ball forward a bit, I started hitting all sorts of creative shanks, tops, bladed worm burners and otherwise lovely shots that would help sell a lot of scotch whiskey to the drinking crowd.

Part of the result I don't know if I like with these very offset clubs is that I seem to pull or otherwise start left on a lot of shots. Opening the stance only seemed to increase the frequency of that. All I've been taught about aligning the feet, hips and shoulders is contrary to what I'm being told now, but with the reasoning that at my age and with my stomach, (2" of which has recently disappeared), this is the easiest way to make a smooth pass through the ball, do as little damage as possible to the body and still maintain reasonable distance.

I hit a few shots with the pro's Callaway X-Tour 5 iron and felt I kept it online a bit better. It certainly reminded me how nice a forged club feels. It's been a long time. For a pro club, I wish I'd looked at them instead of jumping straight into the Berthas... Oh well...

Anyway, the elbows aren't bothering me too much, or at least not so much that ibuprofen can't take care of it. The main things is, I'm playing golf again!

**DennisM** · 12-21-2006, 03:35 PM

I had my second lesson last night and I played 9 holes this morning, albeit on an executive course, (two par 4's and the rest par 3's)...

I am not hitting it well at all with the long irons in my set of Big Berthas. I just can't get used to that offset.

I'm so frustrated I even changed my avatar. That's my 8 month old grandson Zack, otherwise known as "Chunk"...

He loves me whether I can hit a 3 iron or not!

**fitz-uk** · 12-22-2006, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DennisM

He loves me whether I can hit a 3 iron or not!

Reason enough to learn that new swing Dennis

I wouldnt put too much pressure on yourself, you have been hitting a golf ball with the same swing for years and now you are trying to change that totally. Its not the easiest thing in the world to do as your body will subconsciously revert back to your old swing. Take some time and a hell of a lot of patience, it will be worth it in the long run.