Erik’s Blog: Board Shorts and Business Suits

Well I played twice in the last week and didn’t shoot that well either time out. When I had originally got the book Swing Machine Golf I practiced the form a lot and reread the book over and over again. Within the first two months of having the book I lowered my score into the mid to low 40’s. Since then I haven’t been practicing the positions, nor reading the book and it shows. I am back up in the low 50’s and my swing is ugly.

The good news though is that I am back on it and really thinking about my swing during the round. After 8 or 9 holes I have been able to figure out my swing flaws and try and fix the. Unfortunately I have only been playing twilight and getting in 10 or 11 holes.

Read How to read the score card to learn how I keep score and how it can help you.

Ko’olau Golf Course Oahu, Hawaii Rating - 71.7 Slope - 138 - Sunday November 13 2005 -

Now to my defense Ko’olau is the toughest course in the nation. Also it’s getting into rainy season and the course is a bit wet. But excuses aside, my swing was not good. As you can tell by the picture on the first post in this category my swing was all off. I was reverse pivoting and coming into the ball dipping my shoulder. Unfortunately I was able to correct it on my fairway woods and driver. However, my putting was way off as well. Anytime you four putt let along four putt two times things are going to be bad. Just have to focus more while I am on the course.

Mililani Golf Course Oahu, Hawaii - Rating 69.5 - Slope 121 - November 20, 2005

Don’t Crash your Helicopter

First time at Mililani Golf Course. Walked twilight. Nice course, relatively flat with generous fairways that I wasn’t able to hit all that often. I was coming down on the ball a lot and couldn’t figure out my problem until the 7th hole. In the book I am using to become a scratch golfer Swing Machine Golf Paul Wilson talks about not letting your helicopter crash. What he means is this. When you address the ball in the proper position your shoulders are on almost the same plane, think of them as being on a table. When you take your back swing, drawing the club back with only your left arm and not rotating your hips your shoulders should be on that same table, not tilted at all.

Now once the club is straight back you begin your shoulder rotation. What I was having the tendency to do and what I see a lot of other golfers do is dip their left shoulder while they bring the club up and over their head. This is completely wrong and is what I have been doing the last 4 or 5 rounds out causing my reverse pivot, outside inside swing path, and hitting fat. Instead at three quarters back the club shaft should now be on the same line that it was at address. What this does is make sure your shoulders stay on that level table and doesn’t allow your left shoulder to dip. Once I figured this out my ball striking improved dramatically the last 4 holes I played.

To remember this on the course just think of there being helicopter blades on your shoulder extending out to the sides. Now when you take your back swing don’t let the blades hit the ground!

Hope that helps some of you out. Keep practicing.