Practice time yesterday
 

Got a new putting stroke over the winter, went out, and putted exceptionally (putting is tradionally the weakest part of my game). What I've done is held my left wrist firm, it used to be somewhat soft to flow along with my stroke. But putting went well yesterday, and i think the firm wrist keeps the club online longer.

Work with my 58 on pitches and flops and hit those exceptionally. Worked with my 9 on chips and did very well.

The strongest part of my game is sand shots, I've just always been great at them. Couldn't get one damn ball out of the bunker yesterday, and i'm not joking. I skulled a few, hit a bunch fat. I'm pretty sure I used the same sand stroke I always have, open stance, creating bounce, 3 inches behind the ball, full swing. That was weird. The sand felt so damn heavy, like as soon as my club hit it, the club stopped.

On to the full swing game. high wedges-9 iron: awesome. Driver-3 wood: awesome. Rest of the irons... decent when i wasn't shanking them. the shank is the worst feeling in golf. Finally last year when my swing was straight and consistent, i feel like this will be a good year, and then the shanks show up.

My former strengths are strengths (chipping, pitching, wood game, short irons)
My former weaknesses are strengths (putting)
My former strengths are weaknesses (sand game)
My former weaknesses are weaknesses (mid iron shanks - yes, i've struggled with this before... not in about 5 years, but I've dealt with it before.) I do feel like i figured out why i was doing it though. I was rotating back on my right shoulder (turning my body closer to the ball) and turning through on my spine, making me closer to the ball. At the end of the practice i didn't shank one for about 15 shots, but still, when you have the fear of the shank, that's a terrible place to be in golf.

I can't putt for shit. My friends call me Happy Gilmore.

One time in a college tourney I shot an 87 with 43 putts. Think about where i'd be with even a 36 putt round... let alone a 30-32 putt round.

Yup. That switched me back from the left hand low grip to the regular grip.

That's pretty bad. I was never that bad.

Pretty much. And don't get me started on me in pressure putt situations. However, that new putting stroke i've got worked extremely well on sunday.

That sounds good. I might have to try it. Everyone I play with keeps trying to teach me their own personal grip, and it gets unbearable, although it prolly couldn't hurt to test out some new grips.