[ananciguinter]

That is awesome Sean! I would not kick yourself aboot the short course A 71 is a 71. I like what you said about using the big muscles instead of your arms. That had to feel strange at first.

[VipInoLo]

In the spirit of KellyBo's and Old Gray's thread about lessons I thought I'd post this.

I played 18 with my pro today (we walked and carried, which will make my cardiologist happy). It was in the high 30's and sunny. We've been working on getting me to use my big muscles in the golf swing (I've been an arm swinger), and staying connected throughout. It's been a difficult transition for me...as everything in golf seems to be when I make a big change. I've been seeing positive results. I'm hitting the ball a bit further, straighter, and more solid. He says my misses are better too. I feel I have a long way to go as the transition in the down swing still feels a bit alien, but I go to the range 5 to 6 days a week and work hard at it. I can really feel the difference when I stay connected and use those big muscles. He thinks I can still get 30 to 40 more yards out of my drives (not that I'm very long to begin with). I'll take another lesson when I feel somewhat comfortable with this portion of the swing. He says my short game is fairly solid and he's impressed with my putting.

I shot a one over 71 today (par 70) on a very shortened course (temporary winter tees), and even eagled a hole. It doesn't feel legitimate because it was so short, but perhaps I'm being a bit hard on myself. :-)

I'm going to keep working very hard at this, and hitting the range regularly and playing as long as the snow stays away.

[JacksHH]

Very well done! I always love a round with my teacher now and then as well. Good stuff!

[Stovegeothnon]

Nice work Sean, its tough to commit to change when it comes to your swing, so kudos to you for following through and working so hard at it.

[PRengine]

very[/B] shortened course (temporary winter tees), and even eagled a hole. It doesn't feel legitimate because it was so short, but perhaps I'm being a bit hard on myself. :-)

I'm going to keep working very hard at this, and hitting the range regularly and playing as long as the snow stays away.

Pfft, it's legit! The ball found the hole, didn't it? I call it legit. Congrats man. It's a tough game to master and it sounds like you're on your way.

[VipInoLo]

Nice work Sean, its tough to commit to change when it comes to your swing, so kudos to you for following through and working so hard at it.

Thanks Ripper. I'm committed to it. Or, it will commit me. heehee

Good for you Sean! I love how he has you working on staying connected. If you watched Steve Stricker any at all in the tournament last weekend, he is the King of a one piece staying connected kind of guy. Great round by the way and looking forward to your progress!

Thanks Bill. It's amazing how disconnected I was. It's amazing how something so simple can be so difficult!

I like that you get the opportunity to walk 18 with your pro, lots of time for you to pick his brain and for him to give you small pointers he may not think of in a riding lesson. On course lessons are the best IMO. Keep up the good work and keep us posted on your progress.

It was a great walk DD and a very pleasant day. I really enjoyed the on course lesson. As you suggested, there is a lot more to discuss. Thanks!

Thats solid buddy, I like that you practice a lot to achieve your goal. Many people think lessons fix a swing, which it does, but lessons + practice fix a swing. Good luck on the journey

Thanks One-T! A lot of practice my friend...a lot!

[CarrieSexy]

Congrats, there is nothing more rewarding than positive feedback from your pro during a swing change.

[mvjvz]

Congrats Sean, that's legit no matter which way you slice it! Keep working at it, hope to hear some more progress from you again soon!

[VipInoLo]

Sean, I know your game, sounds like it's in even better shape than it was when we played together last summer. You've always hit the ball pretty straight and I know that you're really good around the greens. It's commendable that you took a swing that was already pretty good and went to work on improving it. I bet that you'll be a single-digit handicap when our golf season really starts instead of playing right now on winter rules.

If you don't mind sharing, what are some of the drills that you've been working on to stay connected in your swing? As you know, I'm a bit of an arm swinger as well. I'd love to get a more connected swing to become more consistent.

Thanks Amol, I appreciate it! You already hit the ball pretty far, and have a solid all around game, and a great Morgan Cup record (3-0)!

As to a drill to stay connected he has me hit 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock shots with a wedge up to 7-iron. I can really feel my arms stay welded to my body on my backswing and downswing. If it helps, you can take a towel, put a knot on each end and put it one knot on the outside of your left arm and the other knot on the outside of your right arm. The idea is not to let the towel fall as you do this drill. If the towel falls than you are becoming disconnected. This also prevents you taking the club back with your hands and retains the triangle in your takeaway. I hope this makes sense. :-)

I'll spend two hours or so on the range and spend the first 45 minutes just doing this until I take a full swing. Then I'll take full swings, and spend the last 15 or 20 minutes back to the 9 to 3. I'm trying to ingrain the feel of staying connected. It feels...different. haha

[Dr. Shon Thomson]

Sean, thanks for the input. My coach has also told me to work on the 9-to-3 drill, I just have a really hard time stopping the club at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock! I also don't hit the ball all that well when doing the drill, I hope that it gets better as the winter goes along.

Amol, I have one other than the 9 to 3 if you're interested.

Kevin