Golfers of RedsZone (aka War Stories from the Rough)

[Homer Bailey]

Originally Posted by Screwball

I hadn't played since the middle of July, but with this incredible weather we've been having the last few days I had to find a chance to get out, so today was the day. I went and played 18 at Beckett Ridge, and it was amazing. I started out bogey, double bogey, double bogey -- 5 over after 3, which, given my 4 month layoff, is about what I expected. But then out of nowhere I knocked one tight on the short 140 yd. par-3 4th and rolled in the birdie putt.

I'm not sure how, but everything came flooding back after that. My drives were finding the short stuff (and rolling forever on the rock hard fairways), my irons were as solid as I've ever hit 'em, and I was inexplicably rolling in 15-footers like I knew what I was doing. I never do that, not even when I was playing a lot. I birdied 7, 8, and 9 for four birdies on the front, and tacked on another on 17 for five birdies on the day. All in all, even after that nasty bogey-double-double start, I fired a 2-over 74. How I did that I have no idea; it still feels surreal.

I usually try not to shamelessly brag like this, but I had to tell my story to somebody (my dog doesn't care much for golf ). Besides, I was wondering if one of you guys (Redhook, SunDeck, Homer, somebody else?) could explain it? I mean, I could all but guarantee if I teed it up tomorrow at a comparable course I wouldn't crack 85. Yet today, after not touching a club for months, every facet of my game from the 4th hole onward was as good as it's ever been. Absolutely ridiculous.

To try and explain a golf score would be a fools errand.

I often ask myself, do I feel any different on the first tee on days that I shoot 72 and days that I shoot 88? What causes great days, and what causes terrible days?

Ever have days where you feel like you absolutely blew a hole away, yet you have a 6 footer for bogey, and you make it? Every have holes where you feel like you did nothing wrong, and you have a 20 footer for a double bogey?

Golf remains the biggest mind-tease of anything I've ever come across. I've played basketball games in front of thousands of people, and have been more nervous standing over golf shots in front of a group of 3 people. It's the dumbest, stupidest, biggest waste of time, effort, money, and spirit in the world. And it's still the best game in the world.

[Homer Bailey]

Just booked a trip to Monterrey in May. Going to try to play Pebble, but no promises there. I've gotta start saving money up for that.

I'm playing in Minneapolis the next weekend, and supposedely playing at Hazeltine for my buddy's wedding. Then the next weekend I'm headed for a 3 day golf trip in Myrtle Beach with 12 buddies.

Can it be golf season already?

[Buckeye33]

So what are the chances any courses are going to allow play on Thursday? It's suppose to be 50+ tomorrow and 60+ on Thursday here in Columbus so a buddy and I were hoping to walk 9 holes at least on Thursday.

[Redhook]

Originally Posted by Buckeye33

So what are the chances any courses are going to allow play on Thursday? It's suppose to be 50+ tomorrow and 60+ on Thursday here in Columbus so a buddy and I were hoping to walk 9 holes at least on Thursday.

My course, Sharon Woods, opened yesterday down here in Cincinnati. 3 of the holes still have some snow on the greens so we're not a full 18-hole course yet, but it's way better than nothing. I played 6 holes yesterday and 14 today. It was great to get out. We're hoping to have all the holes open tomorrow or Thursday.

Hopefully, some course will be open for you in Columbus. With the temperatures, I don't think you'll have too much of a problem finding a place.

[Redhook]

Originally Posted by Homer Bailey

Just booked a trip to Monterrey in May. Going to try to play Pebble, but no promises there. I've gotta start saving money up for that.

I'm playing in Minneapolis the next weekend, and supposedely playing at Hazeltine for my buddy's wedding. Then the next weekend I'm headed for a 3 day golf trip in Myrtle Beach with 12 buddies.

Can it be golf season already?

That's quite the schedule. Monterrey/Carmel may be the best place in the US, and one of the best places in the world. It's unreal. It's so beautiful it takes your breath away. You have mountains, the ocean, redwoods, etc. It's just amazing, and I haven't even mentioned the courses.

My wife and I honeymooned there, but didn't play any golf. If you can afford it, you have to play Pebble just once. I will someday. The other courses are awesome too and a little less expensive. Spyglass is awesome and just around the corner. A course you can't get on, but is phenomenal is Cypress Point. Super exclusive with the best back-to-back par 3's in the world, #15 and #16. The cool part is you drive thru the course on 17-mile drive on your way from Monterrey to Pebble Beach. I parked the car in a small lot, ran up the road, and snuck onto the 15th hole and saw the most amazing thing I've ever seen in golf, the 15th hole and the 16th in the background. Breathtaking.

I played Hazeltine years ago. Good course. Tough. Very tough actually. A little overrated IMO. It's not the most memorable course and there isn't much of a wow factor which I come to expect from Top 100 courses.

Make sure you spend as much time as you can in Monterrey. Everyday there is like heaven.

[Redhook]

Crazy story to share....

My former college teammate (Miami University) and roommate, Tee McCabe (former Nationwide Tour member), was playing a round of golf in Florida a few weeks back and sent a message to Facebook via his phone that he made his 1st double-eagle ever on the 5th hole by holing a 3 wood on a par 5. Pretty cool, right? I thought so. Well, as impressive as that was, he somehow made his 2nd double-eagle 3 holes later. No lie. 2 double-eagles in 4 holes. Guinness called him and said he's the 2nd golfer ever to record two double-eagles in the same round. Unreal. I still can't believe it.

If you're curious, Tee made 4 2's on the front 9 that day leading to a 12-under score of 60, new course record. He was playing with 3 others to verify all this. Recently, this story was printed in GolfWeek.

[Homer Bailey]

Originally Posted by Redhook

That's quite the schedule. Monterrey/Carmel may be the best place in the US, and one of the best places in the world. It's unreal. It's so beautiful it takes your breath away. You have mountains, the ocean, redwoods, etc. It's just amazing, and I haven't even mentioned the courses.

My wife and I honeymooned there, but didn't play any golf. If you can afford it, you have to play Pebble just once. I will someday. The other courses are awesome too and a little less expensive. Spyglass is awesome and just around the corner. A course you can't get on, but is phenomenal is Cypress Point. Super exclusive with the best back-to-back par 3's in the world, #15 and #16. The cool part is you drive thru the course on 17-mile drive on your way from Monterrey to Pebble Beach. I parked the car in a small lot, ran up the road, and snuck onto the 15th hole and saw the most amazing thing I've ever seen in golf, the 15th hole and the 16th in the background. Breathtaking.

I played Hazeltine years ago. Good course. Tough. Very tough actually. A little overrated IMO. It's not the most memorable course and there isn't much of a wow factor which I come to expect from Top 100 courses.

Make sure you spend as much time as you can in Monterrey. Everyday there is like heaven.

I was lucky enough to be at Pebble this last year for Friday of the U.S. Open. You couldn't be more right about the area. It feels almost like you are on a different planet out there.

I'm setting aside $150 a month in case my Dad wants to play Pebble. He's already played it before, so there is a solid chance he won't want to, but I'm not going to let the cost get in the way for me. I have to do it, just once.

We checked out Cypress Point when we were up there in June. Absolutely incredible. Got some good pictures of the lone Cypress.

Originally Posted by Redhook

Crazy story to share....

My former college teammate (Miami University) and roommate, Tee McCabe (former Nationwide Tour member), was playing a round of golf in Florida a few weeks back and sent a message to Facebook via his phone that he made his 1st double-eagle ever on the 5th hole by holing a 3 wood on a par 5. Pretty cool, right? I thought so. Well, as impressive as that was, he somehow made his 2nd double-eagle 3 holes later. No lie. 2 double-eagles in 4 holes. Guinness called him and said he's the 2nd golfer ever to record two double-eagles in the same round. Unreal. I still can't believe it.

If you're curious, Tee made 4 2's on the front 9 that day leading to a 12-under score of 60, new course record. He was playing with 3 others to verify all this. Recently, this story was printed in GolfWeek.

That's an amazing story. I'm a fellow Redhawk alum as well. We'll have to tee it up some time if you are ever in the Chicago area.

[Homer Bailey]

Also, Redhook, I'm thinking about revamping my swing a bit once I can start hitting some balls again. Do you mind taking a look at these videos and shooting me your brief thoughts?

YouTube - Chris Driver DTL 210FPS 11-21-10

YouTube - Chris 1 210fps 11 21 10

My main problem is inconsistency with my irons, especially about 7 iron and up. I HATE my position at the top (super shut) and feel like I'm not separating my arms far enough away from my body. I also never realized how much I choke up on the club.

I don't like to complicate things, I usually just use one or two swing thoughts, so if you don't mind throwing me a thought or two, I'd appreciate it.

[Redhook]

Originally Posted by Homer Bailey

Also, Redhook, I'm thinking about revamping my swing a bit once I can start hitting some balls again. Do you mind taking a look at these videos and shooting me your brief thoughts?

My main problem is inconsistency with my irons, especially about 7 iron and up. I HATE my position at the top (super shut) and feel like I'm not separating my arms far enough away from my body. I also never realized how much I choke up on the club.

I don't like to complicate things, I usually just use one or two swing thoughts, so if you don't mind throwing me a thought or two, I'd appreciate it.

Very good swing. I do agree with your mini-assessment of your swing. Before I answer your questions, I have a couple for you.

What are you looking for in your ball flight? Do you want to hit a draw or cut?

When you hit a poor shot, what does it typically do? Low hooks? High soft cuts occasionally? Do you hit fat or thin shots at all?

Thanks

[Homer Bailey]

Originally Posted by Redhook

Very good swing. I do agree with your mini-assessment of your swing. Before I answer your questions, I have a couple for you.

What are you looking for in your ball flight? Do you want to hit a draw or cut?

When you hit a poor shot, what does it typically do? Low hooks? High soft cuts occasionally? Do you hit fat or thin shots at all?

Thanks

Thanks Hook.

My ideal ball flight is a slight draw, but recently I'm either hitting a push that just never comes back, or I hit a pull hook. I don't typically hit it fat or thin. I stopped keeping track of a handicap, but when I did, I was around a 2. I'm closer to a 4 now, but even that might be a bit low.

In looking at my swing, I also should mention that I think I need more of a pause at the top. I did a little split screen analysis of my swing comparing to Dustin Johnson's, as we have similar body types, and noticed how much better his separation from his body is, and how much more he pauses at the top.

[Redhook]

Originally Posted by Homer Bailey

Thanks Hook.

My ideal ball flight is a slight draw, but recently I'm either hitting a push that just never comes back, or I hit a pull hook. I don't typically hit it fat or thin. I stopped keeping track of a handicap, but when I did, I was around a 2. I'm closer to a 4 now, but even that might be a bit low.

In looking at my swing, I also should mention that I think I need more of a pause at the top. I did a little split screen analysis of my swing comparing to Dustin Johnson's, as we have similar body types, and noticed how much better his separation from his body is, and how much more he pauses at the top.

Fortunately, I found a couple face-on vidoes of you as well which helps with my analysis of your swing.

Once again, your swing is very good. Let's start with 2 changes and then go from there. These changes will help you immediately and long-term. Once you get comfortable with them, you can move on to something else, if needed.

Change #1: Change your setup. Currently, or at least in the videos, you are leaning into your left side at address with your ball position too far forward in your stance. Big no-no. This causes your shoulders to be open and a steep downswing. It also causes you to add extra tilt on the downswing. Open shoulders can cause you to swing across the ball, hence the pulls and the steep swing can cause a myriad of poor shots.

Here's what to do: check your setup in a mirror. Try to get your ball position about a ball or two inside your left heel. And look for your weight distribution to be about 50/50. From down-the-line, try to make sure your shoulders are square to your target line (parallel to your toes, hips, and target line). This square, balanced setup will help you alot!

Change #2: Hinge your wrists much sooner on your backswing. Currently, you're too much of a one-piece backswing. This limits your power and allows the club to get behind you. Ideally, you'd like to keep the club out in front of your hands throughout the swing. This limits rerouting in the swing.

Here's what to do: Practice hinging your wrists/club early or sooner. Think of it this way: when your club shaft is parallel to the ground, it should also be parallel to your toe line, AND the clubface should be as high as your hands. When your clubhead is as high as your hands, the shaft is pointing 30 degrees to the right. From here, you're "stuck".

Drill: practice a pre-set drill. Take your stance. Keeping your hands in the same place, hinge the club 90 degrees so it's parallel to the ground and along your toe line.....make sure your hands are in the place as they were in address (this forms a 90 angle between your left arm and the shaft). This should feel different for you. After getting into this position, make a full swing. Rehearse this a few times, and eventually hit balls doing this.

This is a pretty common drill, one you may have seen or even done before. Suzanne Petterson and Ryan Moore have played tour events doing this during competition. I'm not recommending playing this way, but I am recommending a much sooner hinging of the club to get you more on plane.

Additionally, this will give you a wider look at the top of your swing instead of it looking like your hands are close to your head, more similar to DJ.

A great drill for you to slow down your transition is to pause for 3 seconds at the time and then hit the ball. This forces you to start the swing from the ground up and smooths out your transition.

To summarize: 1) perfect your setup by checking it in a mirror, 2) hinge the clubhead up much sooner, and 3) practice the pause drill

Hopefully, this helps. I think it will. I look forward to hearing back from you in April and May after you had a chance to practice some of this. Good luck!

[Redhook]

Played some holes after work at Sharon Woods today. On #11 today, I hit a 3 hybrid on the green about 15 feet left of the hole. Wanting to compare the distance to the hybrid with my brand new 3 iron, I hit a 2nd shot with the 3 iron. Well, long story short, I holed the 2nd shot. A 2nd shot ace! I had a witness too. Pretty cool, but would've been a lot cooler if that first shot didn't happen.

BTW, I had my 4th ever ace on that same hole last July. Apparently, that hole likes me.

[Homer Bailey]

Hook, can't thank you enough man. I'm going to go hit some balls tomorrow, and will practice a few of these things. If they don't work, I'm suing you.

[Homer Bailey]

I worked on some of those thoughts last night, and had some mixed results. I filmed a couple swings, but the quality is pretty terrible, so I'm not going to bother uploading.

Question I have for you hook.... I worked on hinging my wrist a lot earlier, and got the club in line with my feet at the 90 degree, parallel position, but I noted my club face was still pretty shut. Is this a big deal? Should I be working on trying to make sure that club face is square at that point?

It's hard to tell my position at the top in these videos, as I filmed them myself, but I feel like I was much closer to square last night than the videos above.

[Redhook]

Originally Posted by Homer Bailey

I worked on some of those thoughts last night, and had some mixed results. I filmed a couple swings, but the quality is pretty terrible, so I'm not going to bother uploading.

Question I have for you hook.... I worked on hinging my wrist a lot earlier, and got the club in line with my feet at the 90 degree, parallel position, but I noted my club face was still pretty shut. Is this a big deal? Should I be working on trying to make sure that club face is square at that point?

It's hard to tell my position at the top in these videos, as I filmed them myself, but I feel like I was much closer to square last night than the videos above.

A shut clubface may not be a big deal for some, but for you, it can be (btw, it's not that far off). Here's why: At the top of your backswing, ideally, you'd like to have the clubface, back of your left wrist, and left forearm all on the same plane. Currently, your left wrist and clubface are a little closed compared to your left forearm. This leads to inconsistency.

From this position you're misses will go in two directions: 1) you make a nice release, but the ball starts a little left and keep going left, or 2) you feel/know it's going left, so you hold on for dear life and block it right. Getting that clubface a little more open/square will allow you to let it go easier.

Now, that being said, there are some great golfers who play with a so-called closed clubface. Zach Johnson and David Duval come to mind. The difference, however, in their swings is they release/clear the body really well and really soon so the clubhead never passes their body. I wouldn't recommend this for you.

Working on this move, hinging the wrists sooner, is exceptionally boring and tedious. I don't like working on it myself. When I took lessons at the Leadbetter Academy, this is all I worked on and it drove me crazy. I would highly recommend trying not to become too obsessed with it. Just try to get the clubface a little higher sooner and a little more open (think "hands in, club up"). Gradually improve this position over the next month. The full change doesn't need to occur immediately. Also, never think about this when you're playing. Keep your on-course thoughts simple and target-related.

Keep working on setting up more balanced and square which will also help that backswing. After a little while of practicing this, I will give you a drill to get your consistent draw back.