29 March 2023|Golfing with gratitude
Why does golf have to be so frustrating? Since my last lesson with Sandy, my head has been totally mashed and my game has struggled as I've been questioning my setup and rotation again. Sandy had me try using a distant aim point rather than a close one as he thought it was pushing me right. I think it's the stronger grip and adapting to what currently looks like a closed clubface that is making me subconsciously aim right though. I'm working on my setup routine to make sure the ball is slightly more forward in my stance and my weight distribution is more neutral or biased toward the trail foot (45:55). Sandy's argument is that to deliver the clubface square and compress the ball from here I have to turn better and transfer my weight more effectively to the lead foot. But with a squarer face and hitting the ball a little later the bad shot has become a big hook, the risk of which again makes me want to aim further right. A vicious cycle.
I've had a couple of range sessions and three rounds since that lesson. Effectively getting on to my lead foot and rotating well isn't a new problem, in fact, it's long been an issue. It feels like it's been amplified by this lesson and moving weight more to the trail foot at address. When I really concentrate, slow everything down and focus on rotation then I seem to get there. But on the whole, I've been stuck on the back foot, not compressing the ball, losing distance and hitting high, wafty fades. After playing pretty reasonably well recently, it's pretty frustrating and risks me getting stuck in a doom loop. The more I say I can't do this then the more I can't do it. Self-perpetuating.
In order to get the feel of better rotation I've been trying the step drill and the baseball swing drill and while they help, I'm still struggling to really get through the ball. I don't know if it's become mental or if it's physical. I've been doing a daily stretching routine to try to improve hip and thoracic flexibility for a while now and hopefully that will also help. I do have some arthritis in my right hip but when I did a TPI assessment at Drumoig last year I have good mobility so no excuses. Sandy was of the view that by persisting with the better start position, then my body will have to adapt and find a way to swing better. That doesn't feel very helpful at the moment though.
This rotation issue isn't really new for me though. Michael at Drumoig was trying to improve it last year (with a front leg pre-load), as was Scott Borrowman a few years ago. I know the difference it can make to my strike and distance. But I'm not doing it consistently.
I've become so frustrated with this rotation issue that I've even looked into the stack and tilt method! If I'm being honest, I think I've actually had some decent results with it and think it's a bit like the pre-load thing that Michael was doing with me last year. It's likely why Sandy thought I had too much weight forward though! Maybe I've just gone too extreme with it? It seems logical to me that if I'm struggling to transfer weight from my trail foot to my lead foot then why not pre-load the lead side and reduce the moving parts? I remember Scott Borrowman having me do some exercises where I swung standing on one leg and there was a considerable difference in strike between them. Power comes from my lead leg.
Jumping from one method to another is a recipe for disaster though as I'll always be double guessing myself on the course. I need to commit to one and stick with it. All the instructors I've ever worked with are conventional weight transfer, hands-high kind of guys but none have ever fully unlocked rotation or been able to explain it to me. I've watched some of the Zen Golf videos on YouTube and it looks so simple, but I'm struggling with it. I would love to find a biomechanist or a local teacher who could help me unblock this rotation issue. Help me to understand ground force better and free up my movement.
Right now, it all just feels like a struggle, I'm massively overthinking things and I almost wish I hadn't taken that last lesson. I've not even talked about the impact of the bunker session!
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