I have been working on better impact conditions all winter. I'm limited to dome work till spring, but it is paying off. The differences have come mainly from focusing on the 3 imperatives. Brian's how-to articles have been a big help. He has a way of explaining things that make learning his method much easier than most.
For the record, last summer I was down to a 5.5 hcp. Good tee game, reliable short game and fairly solid putting. My biggest weakness has been inconsistent iron play. To put it plainly, I want to become a good iron player.
The article that has worked wonders for me is "Never slice again". In particular, the twist away method of taking the club back. Really simplified the entire back swing, which has always been a problem for me.
As I've experimented with the different movements, I generally try to test the limits to see what works best for me. I'm curious by nature and like to see what can and can't be done. The past couple of weekends have been showing real signs of progress. Video is showing hands ahead at impact, flat left wrist, improved plane line and much, much less throwaway.
What bothers me is some real physical discomfort that has shown up after some of my experimenting. Focusing on the twist-away move Brian demonstrates is what I believe is causing it. This past Saturday and Sunday evening I was working mainly on the twist-away move. I was experimenting with how much twist and how it affected my ball flight. I was going beyond a flat left wrist at the top of backswing. I had an arch, or bow. Nothing that hurt at the time. No discomfort at all. I never even thought I was close to pushing my limits.
When twisting away to a bowed left wrist, I was hitting the ball like I never have before. Very little effort and mashing the ball. I could hear the "crack" at impact echo in the dome. It was probably the best contact I have ever made with my irons. Period. The balls were drilling into the back of the dome, lower than they ever have before. There were low snappers as I was just beginning to get used to the feel, but the good ones were better than good. I was obviously bringing my ball flight way down from what it was. That's exactly what I wanted to do. Saturday night's practice session was quite possibly my best ever.
Sunday I went back for more. On the first couple of swings, while still focusing on over doing the twist-away move, I felt a twinge in my left wrist. I hit a bunch of chips to warm up and then didn't feel it again all night. I went on to have another excellent practice session. Crisp contact, descending blow and a nice boring trajectory. I was pinching the hell out of the ball. Couldn't have been happier with the results. Again, I had several low snappers, but I expected that seeing as how much I was bowing my wrist.
Today I wake up and my left hand thumb is totally numb. Serious pins and needles shooting up my left wrist. I'm having a hard time typing this. If I try to bow my wrist at all I send pins and needles up my left arm.
I thought back to my grip. I know that didn't cause it. I've always had a light grip pressure. So I know I wasn't crushing my left thumb with a death grip from my right. Both hands were fairly loose and relaxed. In fact, I recall my best shots happening when I had what felt like totally dead hands. That's when I was really lagging the club behind and mashing it.
Has anyone here experienced this before? I never have. Not even during some of those all-day-long mid-summer practice sessions. Now after just two evenings of focusing on one move, 24 hrs. later and my left thumb is still numb. I know it's a pinched nerve or something like that.
For the record, last summer I was down to a 5.5 hcp. Good tee game, reliable short game and fairly solid putting. My biggest weakness has been inconsistent iron play. To put it plainly, I want to become a good iron player.
The article that has worked wonders for me is "Never slice again". In particular, the twist away method of taking the club back. Really simplified the entire back swing, which has always been a problem for me.
As I've experimented with the different movements, I generally try to test the limits to see what works best for me. I'm curious by nature and like to see what can and can't be done. The past couple of weekends have been showing real signs of progress. Video is showing hands ahead at impact, flat left wrist, improved plane line and much, much less throwaway.
What bothers me is some real physical discomfort that has shown up after some of my experimenting. Focusing on the twist-away move Brian demonstrates is what I believe is causing it. This past Saturday and Sunday evening I was working mainly on the twist-away move. I was experimenting with how much twist and how it affected my ball flight. I was going beyond a flat left wrist at the top of backswing. I had an arch, or bow. Nothing that hurt at the time. No discomfort at all. I never even thought I was close to pushing my limits.
When twisting away to a bowed left wrist, I was hitting the ball like I never have before. Very little effort and mashing the ball. I could hear the "crack" at impact echo in the dome. It was probably the best contact I have ever made with my irons. Period. The balls were drilling into the back of the dome, lower than they ever have before. There were low snappers as I was just beginning to get used to the feel, but the good ones were better than good. I was obviously bringing my ball flight way down from what it was. That's exactly what I wanted to do. Saturday night's practice session was quite possibly my best ever.
Sunday I went back for more. On the first couple of swings, while still focusing on over doing the twist-away move, I felt a twinge in my left wrist. I hit a bunch of chips to warm up and then didn't feel it again all night. I went on to have another excellent practice session. Crisp contact, descending blow and a nice boring trajectory. I was pinching the hell out of the ball. Couldn't have been happier with the results. Again, I had several low snappers, but I expected that seeing as how much I was bowing my wrist.
Today I wake up and my left hand thumb is totally numb. Serious pins and needles shooting up my left wrist. I'm having a hard time typing this. If I try to bow my wrist at all I send pins and needles up my left arm.
I thought back to my grip. I know that didn't cause it. I've always had a light grip pressure. So I know I wasn't crushing my left thumb with a death grip from my right. Both hands were fairly loose and relaxed. In fact, I recall my best shots happening when I had what felt like totally dead hands. That's when I was really lagging the club behind and mashing it.
Has anyone here experienced this before? I never have. Not even during some of those all-day-long mid-summer practice sessions. Now after just two evenings of focusing on one move, 24 hrs. later and my left thumb is still numb. I know it's a pinched nerve or something like that.