I play between 45 and 63 holes per week (2.5 to 3.5 rounds). I am lucky in that my Fiance plays and we belong to a private club. We will often play at least one weekday late afternoon round which only takes 3 hours for us to walk 18. I will also once a week play 9 holes before going to work. I will tee off at 6:30am and be off the course by 8:00am

As for my practice, I always make time for it during the "warmer" months. Of my ten hours of practice time, 2-3 hours of that time is spent at the crack of dawn on 3 weekday mornings before work.

When I pratice, that is all that I do. My cell phone is off and I rarely kibitz with anyone else. I am very focused and I try not to get off track from my practice routine by shooting the breeze with someone for 10 or 15 minutes.

If I only had 3-5 hours per week, I would do the same drills, I would just do less reps. Less practice time would not change my focus at all. I would still spend 75-80 percent of my time on putting, chipping, pitching, and wedge play.

Short game and wedge work has been so valuable in my improvement process. I love my pitching drill to the cones. Some days I try and fly every shot real high and land it directly on the cone. Some days I fly every shot real low and try and land it 5-10 feet in front of the cone.

I keep a clipboard with me with my pratice log on it. I am always marking down my results and trying as hard as I can to improve on my performances for each drill. That has also made a HUGE difference in my game. I have seen so many guys hit a few really poor shots on the range and then stripe two or three in a row and think they are doing good. I try and be extremely target focused on every shot I hit during practice. I mark and record my progress. When I hit a bad shot - it is recorded as such. Each one. There is NO fooling myself that I am getting better when I am clearly not improving. Logging your practice as much as I do will undoubtedly show you whether or not you are improving. It will also show you what areas you are not improving with.

If someone followed my routine strictly for 3 months they would know exactly where they stood with their game.

If you throw into the mix getting instruction from someone like Lynne, you will be well on your way to low single digit golf.

You be rigth, do wish it was the arrow but it is indeed the archer (although I have overcome that problem in the left wrist:eyes: )

Stickner . . . You are my golf hero man! Your dedication and discipline are to be admired. There is wanting to do and actually doing. You rock.

I don't have as much time to devote but I plan to follow your path beginning TODAY. I will report my progress.

Does your fiance's mom look any good?

I try and do a little of both. That is what I use the video for. When I am using video and reviewing swings (which I do for a small portion of swings nearly every time out), I am very mechanical based.

But the vast majority of the time I am simply working on making the ball fly a certain way to its intended target. I try not to get 100% focused on the mechanics. About the only thing I do often that may be categorized as "mechanical", would be the verification of my stance and posture prior to hitting a golf shot. A laptop and camera are absolutely INVALUABE TOOLS for me!!!

If someone doesn't want to spend the cash on a decent laptop, they could get a small portable DVD player in the $130 range that would allow them to hook their camera up to it. That would work just as well.

You call it dedication and discipline (which I appreciate), some call it obsession and anal retentiveness!!!

My Fiance's mom is a very beautiful, sophisticated, but married woman :(

I firmly believe that anyone can be a low single-digit player if they work at it.

If people can't better following your formula the better check their pulse.

If it's any help, do what I do.. play long par-4's as par-5's and hope to get away with just a chip and a putt. Apply the same technique to long par-3'
s and long par-5's too. At my level I don't count GIR's as important data on my personal score sheet.

Stickner, I'm currently between a 5-7 handicap, with a typical range of 76-83. I am not nearly as structured as you are regarding practice, however, have recently noticed that I'm not getting nearly enough birdies to reach my goal of par. I love your short game practice techniques and I must get better with the wedges. There is nothing more frustrating then missing greens from 150yds in, or leaving yourself putts over 20 feet when your inside a 100.

I think your approach of hitting wedges to get more birdie opportunities, and chipping and pitching to save par, is definitely the way to go, if your swing is relatively solid. Thanks for the routine.

I will also tell everyone that pre-shot routine and knowing your strengths and weakness's are critical. When I get out of routine bad shots occur much more frequently. I utilize a routine that Ben Doyle demonstrated at Woodmont that has been greatly helpful. Also trying to play smarter. I have stopped shooting at pins and play to the known. I use to kill myself by firing at pins, ball goes a little long and falls of a cliff, as opposed to playing a bit short and having a longer putt. I use to make so many stupid decisions I would just dummy my way out of a decent score.

The short game is where it's at in my opinion. Whether you want to go low, or are trying salvage a poor ball-striking round, the short game must be working.

Tball88 smart post brah. I read a few things this weekend that make a lot of sense in this regard. If you are a handicap player you should step on the tee saying, what do I have to do RIGHT NOW to make PAR on this hole. If that means hitting 5 wood of the tee or playing to the fat of the green so be it.

Another thing in Pia's book was "It's not about hitting spectacular shots. It's about not hitting spetacularly BAD shots."

What's the routine you learned?

Not to mention it helps out your alignments . . . you are STILL my golf hero!

12 Piece, First of all, I'm a hitter, very right arm dominent.

My setup routine is to first of all determine where I want to be on my approach shot, which will in turn determine where I need to put my tee shot. Do I want a flat lie 170 out versus a downhill lie 140 out. I then determine my ball flight, draw versus fade, which will determine how closed or open the face is at setup. After that it is all Ben Doyle's routine

If you're right handed, reverse if left

Align your right foot to the ball. Ground the club with only your right hand. Bring your left heel to even with your pre-established right foot(toe out slightly on the left foot, both heels will be touching). Place your left hand on the club and then step back the appropriate distance with your right foot. Short step for wedges, longer step for mid-irons, and even wider for woods. Two waggles and fire. Basically Ben teaches a single ball position, just wider stance for longer clubs.

I can't tell you how many times Ben would make me start over when I would get ready to hit the ball. But it paid off and is automatic for me at setup. Takes a lot of the thinking out of it..

Cool . . . I figured this was the dealie. Yoda showed me this too and it is HUGE. It is essentially an ALIGNMENT procedure relative to the Left Shoulder i.e. locating Low Point. The farther back you move your right foot the farther back the Left Shoulder moves. And thus Low Point moves with it.

This procedure has made a BIG TIME difference in my ball flight.

Thank you Yoda and Ben and Tball for posting it.

That's how I do er too.

The Not-So-Single Ball Position
 

It is a single Ball position as related to the Left Heel, but as the Stance widens, the Ball position changes relative to the Left Shoulder (and hence, the Low Point of the Stroke). So, in reality, the Ball Location is changing in relation to the orbiting Clubhead.

Essentially, the further to the right the Right Foot is placed, i.e., the wider the Stance, the further Down Plane the Ball is effectively positioned. Conversely, the further to the Left the Right Foot is placed, i.e., the narrower the Stance, the more Up Plane the Ball is positioned.

Very true very true very true.

And a very important point.

It's only consistent in relation to the left heel.

A bit off topic, but regarding the static ball location with respect to the left heel:

So adjusting the stance width can adjust the low point relationship to the static ball position?

It does appear that a wider stance could result in the low point to actually be located behind the ball?

I am assuming that when their is a lateral hip movement, the distance traveled is to some extent in relationship to the stance width?

Ya....you do the Address routine as per the Ben Doyle videos....and however far to your right you step with your right foot....well- you'll see how far back your left shoulder moves with it.

Narrow stance moves the shoulder more forward...it's just like moving the ball back.....but it's still of the left heel....always off the left heel.

Ball Position help
 

Video’d myself the other day and noticed I’m playing the ball far too far back in my stance. Problem is I was making a nice ball turf contact ! So over time my unconscious self has cheated and moved the ball back until I can take the divot I wanted.

Went to the field last night to work on this left heel position using the Ben Doyle routine described above. Lots of divot before ball, no divot shots and high shots.

Any suggestions for what I need to work on (drills etc) so I can take a divot ahead of this new forward ball position?

Aiming point? Lateral move?

(I’m building a hitting pattern).

Thank you

You got it . . . Aiming Point forward . . . Shift hips foward.

Brian Manzella has a good drill you may want to try . . . remove the ball. Set up in the "Doyle Ball Position Procedure" as you have done. Take a divot on your practice swing. Now continue swinging and making the same divot longer in the direction of the target until you can't anymore.

Another one . . . there is actually a video out here on this one. Head to the bunker. Draw a line perpendicular to your plane line. This will be your "ball position" line. With no ball make divots on the left side of the line.

Remember your frame of reference isn't necessarily the ball . . . OBLITERATE THE PLANE LINE. Down and through the Aiming Point. Take the Lag ALL THE WAY DOWN to both arms straight.

Just curious if anyone has institued my anal practice routine and if it has helped them out? Also I would love some feedback on how people think I can improve my routine.

Stickner,
My email is zipforlife@netscape.net.
I would like a cppy of the Excel practice log.
Thank you,
UPP

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=2986

Matt, use a wall and take some slow practice swings. Your club should not hit the wall on the backswing or the start of the downswing. Get this feel and then hit some shots.

Stickner,

I have not put your practice routine into play because it is a little too rigid for me. I practice for 3-4 hours about 6 days a week so time isn't the issue. I think I will put a few drills in though, as I believe that would be the best way for me to start.

Matt

P.S. How's your game coming along?

I think this thread should be resurrected as a new season is upon us (or is closing in for some of us).