mgranato
New
Last week I'm standing on the rain soaked driving range of possibly the most difficult course in Atlanta one hour before I tee off in a state am qualifier. In an effort not to cover myself with dirt and mud, I top the first 3 half wedges I attempt. I haven't been practicing, can't raise my left arm up past 9:00, and I've got 3 golf balls in my bag.
(The reason for just 3 balls is to put a self-governor on the number of holes I play. There are water hazards in play on 8 of the first 9 holes. If I need more than 3 balls, I don't need to be there, and 9 holes was my over/under for the day. The reason I haven't practiced is because of left shoulder issues. The only reason I'm there is that I missed the $140 refund deadline.)
For better or worse, my entire golf game had always centered around my left arm/shoulder. I line-up off of it. Use it to feel a plane going back. Use it to govern the backswing length. Use it as one of my two sources of tug. Feel like it's my source of speed and power. Feel like it's my source of direction on the downswing. And use it as my primary source of movement in my putting stroke. Basically the only time I don't rely on the left arm/shoulder is when pitching and chipping.
I was never consciously aware of how much I depended on the left arm/shoulder until I could use it. Just how much I depended on it hit me like a shot to the plums as I'm standing there looking at the 3rd topped ball not fly through the air. The 1st hole requires a 200 yard carry off the tee... my confidence is soaring.
I go through a dozen or so panic swings were my only goal is to get one airborne, I try 'em all... NSA, NHA, SD, CoFF, NR, BB, etc, etc. It's all the same, a flinch at the top, a collapse from the flinch, and no feel for where the club is. I just don't have the strength in my left arm/shoulder to make the compensating tugging moves that allow my "normal" movements to sequence and function. All that exacerbated by my other source of tug, the left hip.
(Brian was keen enough to see and correctly diagnose this double edged tug in our last lesson back in March. But unfortunately I haven't been keen enough in implementing the fixes back home. I now believe the reason for that was my over dependance on my left arm/shoulder. I could do things how we worked on them, but under the gun would always revert back to the tugging sequence of arm then hip.)
Back to the panic... I gave Art's "Bumpy Back" a shot. That starts to simmer down the left hip, and a few balls actually get airborne. Now I try the "Keep it Back" part. It starts working better. Now I've got the left hip under control with no tugging, the left arm/shoulder can't tug, I feel no source of power, but I'm actually hitting a few decent shots. The things that I've been working on since March (but haven't been able to implement) are now starting to make sense, and I can actually feel the right sequence. The next few balls get a little better, but time's up.
I walk to the first tee thinking if I can break 85, on this course, this wet, and with 3 balls, given the circumstances, I'd consider the day a success. 75 is probably what it would take to get one of the 22 spots.
Through the first 5 holes I'm 4 over and have 1 ball left.
I finished with an 83. Hit 11 of 14 fairways and 3-putted 6 times inside 30'. I did really well with the lighter clubs off the tee, but as the clubs got heavier I just couldn't manage the added weight very well. The putting was the most disappointing as that's easily the best part of my game. I had to have such a death grip with my left hand that I had zero speed control. It was, however, the most exciting 83 I can remember shooting. What I learned and felt from having to make my body move and sequence in the proper order is something I can't wait to build on. I would never believed it possible for me to play solid shots with good distance without a strong/healthy/dominating left arm/shoulder... no way. The highlight of the round was flying over the green in two from a 262 yard uphill approach on a 622 yard par 5, and making birdie.
The surgery went well. No more tear, got rid of some bone spurs, had some bone-on-bone grinding shaved away, and got rid of some arthritis. Don't know about the recovery time yet, but I plan to rely on the "new" shoulder a lot less going forward.
(The reason for just 3 balls is to put a self-governor on the number of holes I play. There are water hazards in play on 8 of the first 9 holes. If I need more than 3 balls, I don't need to be there, and 9 holes was my over/under for the day. The reason I haven't practiced is because of left shoulder issues. The only reason I'm there is that I missed the $140 refund deadline.)
For better or worse, my entire golf game had always centered around my left arm/shoulder. I line-up off of it. Use it to feel a plane going back. Use it to govern the backswing length. Use it as one of my two sources of tug. Feel like it's my source of speed and power. Feel like it's my source of direction on the downswing. And use it as my primary source of movement in my putting stroke. Basically the only time I don't rely on the left arm/shoulder is when pitching and chipping.
I was never consciously aware of how much I depended on the left arm/shoulder until I could use it. Just how much I depended on it hit me like a shot to the plums as I'm standing there looking at the 3rd topped ball not fly through the air. The 1st hole requires a 200 yard carry off the tee... my confidence is soaring.
I go through a dozen or so panic swings were my only goal is to get one airborne, I try 'em all... NSA, NHA, SD, CoFF, NR, BB, etc, etc. It's all the same, a flinch at the top, a collapse from the flinch, and no feel for where the club is. I just don't have the strength in my left arm/shoulder to make the compensating tugging moves that allow my "normal" movements to sequence and function. All that exacerbated by my other source of tug, the left hip.
(Brian was keen enough to see and correctly diagnose this double edged tug in our last lesson back in March. But unfortunately I haven't been keen enough in implementing the fixes back home. I now believe the reason for that was my over dependance on my left arm/shoulder. I could do things how we worked on them, but under the gun would always revert back to the tugging sequence of arm then hip.)
Back to the panic... I gave Art's "Bumpy Back" a shot. That starts to simmer down the left hip, and a few balls actually get airborne. Now I try the "Keep it Back" part. It starts working better. Now I've got the left hip under control with no tugging, the left arm/shoulder can't tug, I feel no source of power, but I'm actually hitting a few decent shots. The things that I've been working on since March (but haven't been able to implement) are now starting to make sense, and I can actually feel the right sequence. The next few balls get a little better, but time's up.
I walk to the first tee thinking if I can break 85, on this course, this wet, and with 3 balls, given the circumstances, I'd consider the day a success. 75 is probably what it would take to get one of the 22 spots.
Through the first 5 holes I'm 4 over and have 1 ball left.
I finished with an 83. Hit 11 of 14 fairways and 3-putted 6 times inside 30'. I did really well with the lighter clubs off the tee, but as the clubs got heavier I just couldn't manage the added weight very well. The putting was the most disappointing as that's easily the best part of my game. I had to have such a death grip with my left hand that I had zero speed control. It was, however, the most exciting 83 I can remember shooting. What I learned and felt from having to make my body move and sequence in the proper order is something I can't wait to build on. I would never believed it possible for me to play solid shots with good distance without a strong/healthy/dominating left arm/shoulder... no way. The highlight of the round was flying over the green in two from a 262 yard uphill approach on a 622 yard par 5, and making birdie.
The surgery went well. No more tear, got rid of some bone spurs, had some bone-on-bone grinding shaved away, and got rid of some arthritis. Don't know about the recovery time yet, but I plan to rely on the "new" shoulder a lot less going forward.
