The Golfchick

That chick blabbing about anything golf related.

Tag: golf practice

HomeStriker Training Golf Ball Review

November 16, 2012 / / 2 Comments

I received my HomeStriker Training Golf Ball in the mail, and was immediately confused by the contents of the package. I was under the impression that I would receive a state of the art, space age interpretation of a golf ball that mimicked the feel and flight characteristics of a real golf ball. Then, I open the package and find a brand new Nike golf ball, with what appears to be a handkerchief superglued to it. Two things immediately occurred to me when seeing this… #1 – why in the world would someone attempt to super glue a handkerchief to a golf ball, and #2 – the miniscule amount of physics that I do understand says that this handkerchief will slow the golf ball at an incredible rate after being struck with a golf club.

The day I received this package, it was about 35 degrees, cloudy, and windy. But, I was determined to smack this concoction around, and immediately grabbed a 6 iron and went to my back yard. I tossed the HomeStriker on the ground, and scared to death about my neighbors windows, took a half swing at the device. A pure strike, with about half effort, resulted in a well struck golf ball with realistic feel that traveled roughly 15 yards. I chased the ball down (not a lot of work) and gave it another half whack…. another 15 yards, but those 15 yards were the result of a normally 90 yard swing. Still scared, but with a renewed curiosity, I decided to take a full swing at this contraption. Still not fully trusting it, I went to my front yard, where I paced off 30 yards from the street to myself, having been told that 30 yards is the flight limit of this practice aid. Thankfully I waited until an unsuspecting car passed, as a full lash at the HomeStriker resulted in a 40 yard launch of the handkerchief adorned golf ball. After retrieving the ball from the street, greeting my across the street neighbor, and thanking my well written home owners insurance policy that I didn’t hit any passing cars, I realized that the test shot was considerably downwind. The 40 yard shot was the absolute limit of my power, and the feedback from striking a real golf ball was refreshing.

After taking a few more swings, I began to evaluate this practice device. My initial reaction, and the reaction that I was going to stick with, wasn’t a great one for the HomeStriker. I have unlimited access to a practice facility, and the ability to hit practice balls at most hours of the day. Sure, it was great that the practice ball had the feel characteristics of a real golf ball, but it has nothing close to the performance characteristics. I can’t practice a draw, fade, hook, cut, low, high, etc etc shot with it. It seemed like a novelty at the time, with no real benefit to someone like me, who’s lucky enough to have unlimited access to practice facilities. So, after a few strikes, I gave up on the device and tossed it in my golf bag and forgot about it.

Some background on me, I love the game of golf, I love everything about it, except for the individuals that like to play golf in the mornings. I love the game, I love my friends, but I also love to sleep. However, in the interest of being able to play with my friends, I sacrifice some sleep on the weekends and play golf with my buddies on early morning weekends. If the tee time is 8:00am, there’s a good chance that the other 3 guys in my group will have teed off already as I show up on the first tee at 8:02, tired, hungover, and in no condition to be making a full driver swing on the 470 yard par 4 first hole of my club.

As much as I hate waking up early, I hate the “breakfast ball” even more. If you’re so concerned about hitting a good one off the first tee that you want a mulligan of the 1st tee, show up early enough to warm up on the range. I’m neither concerned enough about hitting a good ball off the first tee, nor do I really want to show up in time to warm up. I assume bogey on the 1st hole that early in the morning, and figure that extra few minutes of sleep will probably help me make birdie on the 2nd hole to get back to even par as much as it will allow me to make a par 4 on the 1st hole. I love sleep.

The weekend after testing the HomeStriker and tossing it into the black hole that is my non-tournament bag, I happened to show up to the course a few minutes prior to tee time. As my faithful bartender was making me a Baileys and coffee (it was october after all) I had a few minutes to kill, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to head to the range to hit 2 warm up balls, and practice putting at that hour of the morning seemed ridiculous. I dug into my bag to find a tee, and came out with a handful of HomeStriker. The proverbial lightbulb went off in my head (granted it was early and cold, so the lightbulb wasn’t as bright as it should be, but in any event it was a lightbulb). I’m too lazy to head to the range to hit 2 warmup shots, but I hate watching my fellow competitors hit 2 off the first tee. Well, I’ve got a “golf ball” that no matter how hard I hit it, will only go 40 yards, which I can tee up and launch off our practice green, retrieve and hit back towards the original spot. Anyone that’s ever attempted this knows, that no matter how much you take “warm up” swings, if you’re not hitting a real golf ball it just isn’t the same. So, I tossed down the HomeStriker, and gave it a few whacks. This device immediately solved my issues. I don’t have to take the time to hit 2 or 3 range balls prior to my early morning round, and I don’t have to wake up 5 minutes earlier to facilitate that warm up. I can do some basic “1st tee stretches,” tee it up, and hit a few warmup shots prior to my 1st tee shot.

If this was prior to an actual tournament, I’d head to the range to warm up, hit different shot shapes, heights, clubs, distances, you name it. But this is my weekend fun play, I’m not going to take the time to do my proper warm up. The HomeStriker allows me a few swings, hitting a real golf ball, prior to my round. The golf ball is retrievable, reusable, and I don’t have to worry about breaking neighboring windows or bombarding fellow golfers with an errant warmup shot.

So, what is my opinion of the HomeStriker Training Golf Ball? In all honesty, I don’t see it as a “training golf ball”. A training aid, to me, allows someone to see shot shapes, heights and distances and allows the golfer to learn what each particular swing does to the golf ball. The HomeStriker, no matter how much I tried, won’t hook, draw, cut, or slice. I believe a true training aid needs to let the player see and experience those shots and the swing variations that create them. But, do I think the HomeStriker has value in the golfing world? Absolutely. It has proven to be an invaluable warmup tool in my previously contracted and neglected weekend off-season warmup routine. To this point, nothing can replace the experience of striking a real golf ball prior to a round, whether it be a full warmup session on the range, or a few quick hits on a HomeStriker Training Golf Ball. With the proper expectations going into a HomeStriker Training Golf Ball purchase, I believe it has a place in the game.

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Breakthrough at the Range. We All Have ’em. Swing Progress.

March 31, 2012 / / 6 Comments

I often have “breakthroughs” on the range. Don’t we all? Today was one of those days. This one had me feeling kinda brilliant. No, I mean more than when we just find a new trigger that works or “discover” a better tempo or tiny move that makes all the difference. This was more “scientific” in nature.

This type of situation can probably only happen with a physical problem like I was having. Recently, I experienced a strange problem a few times which was particularly frustrating and baffling.  I even asked my favorite golf pro about it and got no resolution (apparently it’s useful to actually SEE the swing). What was happening was, I’d be going along fine (thankfully it had only happened during practice) and all of a sudden, my irons started freaking out, spitting balls out to the right in that S-word fashion or worm burning or I was topping it. The only consistent thing about the results was the ugliness. Every swing. No matter how I slowed it down or shortened my swing to get it back. So maddening!

Each time, I felt my club turn in my hands and saw it finish completely rotated forward in my grip. I’ve had grip and hand problems before, but these times were not pain related, nor was I having those pesky hand spasms (thankfully that has not happened lately – knock on wood). So I’d give it a good death grip and STILL the club would turn, twisting my glove all up and looking disgusting at the finish! I couldn’t stand it!

Always Gets Worse Before it Gets Better

I got good and mad and, knowing from experience this was a problem exclusive to my irons, I “hammer timed” a bunch of 3 woods and drivers for some good old fashioned anger management. I’m a huge fan of range therapy. It’s so soothing to watch that ball fly long and far after POUNDING it. Unnngh! (Also works for my alter ego, The Gun Chick, on a different range). Aaannnyway…

It occurred to me that since I’ve been working on a flatter swing with my long sticks but not my irons, maybe that had something to do with the problem only happening there. Then I thought of a bunch of other tips I’d heard on certain problems (including but not limited to mine) and my problem just kept getting worse.

I got so frustrated, I resorted to erasing all ideas, tips, etc., and trying to come up with my own idea, somehow.

The Breakthrough Aha Moment

I looked at my hands on the club in the finishing position and thought “how did that happen?” So I decided to reverse engineer the problem. I slowly moved the club back and forth, trying to figure what could possibly cause it to end up in that position in my hands, what kind of impact, and what position. I experimented. Not this, not that… until I had the impact. And what could cause that kind of fucked up impact? Backing up from there in the same kind of experiment, I realized that could only happen if I brought the club over the top (no, I wasn’t trying to emulate Tiger’s latest practice swing, so poop if you were thinking that). Once I had that, I was able to make the necessary adjustments and get my swing back to working condition. Instantly. What a relief!

I’ve been working very hard – pretty much on my own – on the rest of my swing changes and it’s finally starting to feel pretty comfortable despite some snags like this. I could trace the roots of the mental process that caused this particular problem but that might cause me to put those bad ideas back in my head. Sorry I am unwilling to do that for your benefit at this point. That’s also the reason I haven’t shared as much about my swing and game progress with you as I probably should have. It has been much more of a painful struggle than I ever thought it would be, and sharing that only leads to multiple external opinions/distractions that only make it harder. I even had to stop reading tips and magazines and listening to “experts” no matter their esteem or size of audience. I occasionally seek out specific ideas and try to implement where I can, but for the most part, they only serve to derail me.

It definitely got waaaayyyy worse before it got better. Actually, it hasn’t gotten better from before I began the process of changing just yet, but it’s finally starting to get better from the total breakdown that occurred when I really embraced the process and stopped reverting to my old swing. I am hopeful. And I think I might be close to officially Christening my new swing with a name of its own.

What’s your latest breakthrough? Where did it come from? Does help help?

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When Will The Golf Chick Break 80? Pool Announcement and Progress Report

July 21, 2011 / / 8 Comments

As my golf swing continues to progress, I started the pool about when I will break 80 over on my Golf Chick Facebook page last week and people are getting their votes in. There is an over/under for the less adventuresome but some people are also naming specific dates. I’ll tell you something – there will likely be a prize or two and it will be a lot harder to choose a winner from people who only picked over or under. Just saying. Wagering amongst one another is up to you and the laws that govern you (does that cover my ass?).

People who read this blog regularly will have an advantage because you’ll know the progress I’m making. Scores I’m shooting, how practice is going, how dedicated I am (or not) day to day, week to week, how I’m feeling about it all, etc. Some people are choosing the “over” in the pool, which I perceive as an underestimation of me – one I look forward to proving wrong. Perhaps they’re doing it on purpose to motivate me, but if you haven’t voted and are considering the same – here’s another clue: I’m plenty motivated now. That grenade has been jumped on. Pick a more winning date.

Golf Chick Break 80 pool

A couple people have chosen their own birthdays as my break 80 date, which I think is fantastic. I wish I could give that birthday gift – the first one is next week though! Zoinks! Plus, I should tell you potential pool participants that while I do manage to play during the week at times, I’m much more likely to play on weekends. By the way, if you don’t use Facebook, feel free to make your pick here in the comments of this post. If you are dropping by my FB page to make your pick, I’d love it if you would click its “like” button if you haven’t yet!

Quick answers and summary of progress: People have asked me on Facebook and Twitter about my progress. All my golf and swing progress is documented here on my blog. Quick review to date – best score before swing change: 82. Best score since swing change: 86, however that was too soon and I don’t feel it was my authentic new swing. I played 5 rounds with a flawed new swing and am now back to only practicing to get it more ingrained and it’s feeling better already (details below). I’m playing a scramble charity event this Friday (July 22) and plan to continue to grind away at the range after that. I will throw in a round from time to time to keep practice interesting. As I mentioned earlier, weekends are far more likely for such rounds to occur but some weekdays are possible.

Golf Swing Progress Update:

I had three amazing practice sessions the last three nights. I focused only on my irons and really had them working well. Getting back to the fundamentals after so many days on the course really made a difference and I was able to focus on how what I should be doing and feeling rather than the outcome of each shot on a course. I was striking the ball very well and more consistently than ever. Not just since I got my new swing but EVER. Which, according to Jay Lim, my swing coach, (and perhaps every other instructor) is precisely the objective. Consistent repeat-ability. I’m getting there and it feels amazing.

Golf Tip – From the Horse’s Mouth – Am to Am Translation

I’m sure it has been spoken and written countless times but something occurred to me on the range the past couple days that really made a difference for me and felt like a breakthrough. One of my weaknesses Jay has been coaching me on is how I lead with the hands or arms instead of the shoulders on the backswing. He keeps telling me the shoulders need to start the swing. If he explained why I don’t recall but the reason I just figured out on my own is that it makes it 10 times easier to keep my left arm straight(er) and control the steepness of my swing plane. Jay usually speaks my language very well, which is important in a student/swing coach relationship, but whatever he said or I read about consistency and leading with the shoulders did not really click for me until I came to this revelation two days ago and reinforced last night and tonight. I share it with you now in the hopes it might do the same for someone else. To put it the way it made sense in MY head: lead, almost push back, with the front shoulder to keep the arm “connected” in the swing. If I lead with my hands or club, the shoulders have a hard time keeping up and it’s almost impossible not to bend my left elbow. If I turn my shoulders first, it practically keeps itself straight! Then if I keep my plane (which I’m doing better by keeping my right knee bent), it’s much easier to contact the ball consistently because my arm doesn’t have to “figure out” where to go. It has already been there.

Romance in the Air

I am falling in love with my new golf swing so I need to name it now more than ever. You know, before I start calling it some cutesy name like “Cupcake” instead of a fierce name like a honey badger deserves. I’m considering Chuck, or Norris (not both – I can’t see myself loving Chuck Norris but he could be my swing’s namesake). I am so excited. I seriously cannot stop thinking about my swing and when I’ll be able to spend more time with it. It feels like new love. For a golf nerd. If you read this far, I bet you know just how I feel. Admit it.

UPDATE: I DID IT! July 11, 2015.

Took me long enough, but I finally broke 80! I shot 78 at Falcon Ridge golf course from the maroon tees (4440 yards). I normally play the gold tees there but we played with another couple and I decided to step up and play the forward tees since the woman was playing there and the guys were split, so rather than stop at four sets of tees… you know how that goes. Anyway, even though it’s exceptionally short, it’s still a challenging course and you have to make the shots. So it counts! 😛

78 scorecard

 

Then, less than a week later we went back and I played the gold tees (5279 – still short, but with a 124 slope that’s my spot). After breaking 80 from the forward tees, breaking 80 from here was my next goal. Guess what? NAILED IT! Shot a smooth 77 for a new personal best!

77 scorecard

Haven’t seen the 70’s again since, but my new goal is to break 80 at any other golf course. Then just try to keep it in the 70’s.

I’ve always been pretty chill on the golf course because, well, I’m “not good enough to get mad.” But now that I’ve seen and felt the 70’s, I find myself feeling more frustrated out there when I don’t play well. Maybe I need to look into meditation.

~May they all roll true.

Swing Juice, Aiming Fluid, Driver Lube?

June 29, 2011 / / 1 Comment

Some people only play golf while consuming adult beverages. Others never “drink and drive” on the golf course for various reasons. Personally, I go both ways. It kind of depends on how competitive I want to be – and whether or not I need some ‘lube” for my nerves. If I’m just playing a casual round with friends or family, there are usually plenty of libations to keep us all good and loose.

swing juice on golf driving range

There are plenty of cute nicknames for what to call an on-course adult beverage , (I’ve heard a bunch but a popular one in my circle is “aiming fluid”), but by far the one I hear most is “swing juice.” Well it turns out there is actually an officially named GOLF DRINK by that name. Swing Juice is an energy drink that was developed by a passionate golfer like us! It contains lots of vitamins and supplements that help boost energy & focus for better performance on the course. Here is the list of ingredients and their benefits.

I actually tried the stuff years ago when the creator sent me a sample. I may or may not have blogged about it them but I sure am now. I am connected with Swing Juice on Twitter and saw a recent tweet from them that included cocktail recipe concoctions and – naturally – wanted to get my hands on those recipes. They sent me some more Swing Juice, but despite several requests have neglected to send the list of recipes. That’s okay, though, I’ve some experience and even though my recipes aren’t as fancy as theirs looked (mine generally lack creativity and are rushed together with two ingredients – booze and Swing Juice), they do the trick and are quite delish. The pic above is from a hot day of practice on the range when all I wanted and needed was straight up Swing Juice. And I LOVE the lemonade flavor.

Later that day on the golf course, I added a little tequila to another bottle of lemonade Swing Juice.

Tonight, I’m enjoying some vodka with the yummy Pomegranate Berry Swing Juice.

You really can’t go wrong, straight or spiked. I highly recommend the stuff. As you may know, I’ve been practicing a lot lately (daily) and it may or may not be a coincidence but I can actually say I’ve had better success on the range – and more fun – when I have hydrated with Swing Juice, and I plan to continue. Cheers!

What do you call YOUR on-course beverage?

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