Practicing Without Trackman
- Thread starter ekennedy
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I would love to see a practice area with progressively taller intermediate targets that matched the trajectory of a golf shot.
Its pretty eye-opening how monitoring each clubs starting direction (and not just the outcome of the shot) can have a positive impact on your golf swing and ultimately in your ability to manage your game.
Its pretty eye-opening how monitoring each clubs starting direction (and not just the outcome of the shot) can have a positive impact on your golf swing and ultimately in your ability to manage your game.
Steve Greffen
New
I agree for sure. This off-season I have been using my Trackman and hitting into a net indoors. You can see where the ball contacts the net 10 feet away and how much this affects the ball-flight and how the more accurate hitters are hitting the same spot everytime. Was thinking the exact same about encorporating a target in front on the range outside during the season. Good find!
Steve
Steve
Steve,
I've been preaching this to my students for a while now. If you can control your initial ball flight then you have good clubface control.
Good players have pretty consistent face to path ratios through the bag. If you get a consistent shot shape, then aim your body accordingly.
Golf is pass/fail if you ask me. The ball is either working toward the target or away from it.
I've been preaching this to my students for a while now. If you can control your initial ball flight then you have good clubface control.
Good players have pretty consistent face to path ratios through the bag. If you get a consistent shot shape, then aim your body accordingly.
Golf is pass/fail if you ask me. The ball is either working toward the target or away from it.
mgranato
New
Have you seen how Fowler practices starting direction? A little different take on the same theme...
He takes two of the alignment sticks (like Cink is using) and puts them in the ground creating a "goal post" a yard or two in front of where he's hitting. You adjust the gap between the posts based on your ability to hit the ball through on your starting line, always try to reduce the width of the post by the end of the session. For indoor practice, you could set up a PVC/foam noodle rig and safely do the same thing. It certainly does focus the time spent hitting balls.
I suggest practicing it at different distances. You will be amazed at how much of an optical illusion it becomes the further away you put it.
If you can't tell which side it's missing, have a friend watch.
My take? You will quickly find out why the best players in the world aim left, sometimes significantly left.
Erik_K
New
I agree, Eric. Initial starting direction is not discussed enough. Good players control the face and if you can't start the ball where you want, it's not a shock that you miss a lot of fairways, find yourself on the wrong side of the green, find trouble you intended to miss, etc.
I think if you can start the ball where you want and then understand the D-plane and how the face is oriented to the path for a desired shot, you are well on your way to playing better.
Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
Pros don't want their horizontal launch to be any more than a degree off target
Put an alignment stick about 15 feet in front of me for about 20 swings with a 5 iron until it got too crowded with guys next to me. Hit the stick twice, but was consistently missing the stick to the left. Consistent with my left to left misses, but in an effort to try and hit the stick, I would slice when weakening my grip or try not to roll as much. Such a fine adjustment. And couldn't tell the ball flight when I hit the stick.
Spktho-
Two things...are you absolutely sure the ball missed left of the stake and didn't just finish left?
Unless you've shifted your alignment way left, true left to left misses are pretty rare. I generally don't prescribe grip changes unless its absolutely necessary.
Try putting a tee in the ground 6 inches right of the stake and one 6 inches left. Aim the face at the tee on the right and swing at the tee on the left trying to miss the stake on the left. You should see a different flight.
Just looking myself, no I'm not 100% sure most missed left. So I'm thinking of using the Fowler variation plus putting a stick in the middle, so there will be 3 sticks about 2 inches apart while having my target through the middle stick. That way it may be easier to tell which side the miss is on and do as you suggest if the miss is truly to the left.
On a side, I'm using a Callaway Razr fit driver and hit it best on the open setting and with the largest weight in the toe and the smallest weight in the heel, so that may translate something about my swing?
Thanks for the advice EK. When doing what I said above, I indeed was missing consistently left of the sticks. The range picker kid, who is an excellent player, was wondering what I was doing, so I told him it was my poor man's Trackman and had him watch a few shots to check where they were missing.
I know I have posted it here before, but I had slipped into being lazy with the arm swing into and through impact letting the face close too early. Your advice was an excellent reminder for me and when I did keep the arm swing moving left into and through impact, I was then consistently in between the outer sticks and hitting the middle stick a few times. I ended up moving the outside sticks about six inches apart and then one stick in the middle. This is the best practice drill, but as I'm evidence of a trained eye is sometimes needed for good corrections.
I know I have posted it here before, but I had slipped into being lazy with the arm swing into and through impact letting the face close too early. Your advice was an excellent reminder for me and when I did keep the arm swing moving left into and through impact, I was then consistently in between the outer sticks and hitting the middle stick a few times. I ended up moving the outside sticks about six inches apart and then one stick in the middle. This is the best practice drill, but as I'm evidence of a trained eye is sometimes needed for good corrections.
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