Guess Who Got Two Pars?

That’d be me! I even threw in three bogies for good measure.

Played 18 with another couple from the neighborhood, rocking a towel tucked under my trail arm to stop me from coming over the top. Ridiculous? Yes. Effective? You betcha. I was cruising at double bogey until hole 6, when I made the mistake of asking my husband to take a video. That was all it took for my swing to go full clown show. Cue three straight double-par disasters.

But here’s the thing—when your score’s in the gutter, you stop caring. Enter my 3-wood, which usually just collects dust. I started taking swings I’d normally be too scared to try, and don’t you know, by the back nine, I was actually making contact. Not just any contact… good contact. Sometimes anyway. Suddenly, I was six over through seven holes. Amazing!

Then I made the classic rookie mistake. I looked at the scorecard. And poof! 17 and 18 were tragic. Eight strokes over between them. ☹️ Still, I shot 50 on the back—the best I’ve ever done! Turns out, being able to hit the ball 100 yards down the fairway makes a difference. Who knew? (Spoiler: Me. I knew.)

As for my lessons, I’m practicing what the pro told me. Still bad at it. My Orange Whip Wedge swings? Beautiful. My practice swings? Smooth. The moment there’s a ball? Pure chaos. Yesterday at the range, in a fit of frustration, I thought, “What if I just close my eyes while I swing?” So I did.

And don’t you know, I’ve never hit my 6-iron better.

What. Is. Wrong. With. Me?!

I pondered that for a while then uploaded a few screenshots of that awful swing (👆🏻) to AI. It had a few thoughts.

Why the Lead Shoulder Might Be Jerking Up:

1. Overuse of the Upper Body – If you’re initiating your downswing with your shoulders instead of your lower body, it can cause you to lift up prematurely.
2. Lack of Proper Weight Shift – If your weight isn’t transferring fully to your lead side, your body may compensate by pulling up. (Stupid weight shift)
3. Early Extension – If your hips move toward the ball, your upper body might pull back and up to maintain balance.
4. Trying to Lift the Ball – If you subconsciously try to help the ball into the air, you might be pulling your lead shoulder up.

Fixing It:

✅ Feel Like You Stay in the Shot Longer

• Focus on keeping your lead shoulder moving down and through the shot rather than up.
• A great drill: Pump Drill – Make practice swings where you pause just before impact, ensuring your lead shoulder stays level, then swing through.

✅ Use Your Lower Body More Effectively

• Feel like you start your downswing by shifting your weight to your front foot before rotating through. (Stupid weight shift)

Potential Adjustments to Improve Stability & Consistency:

1️⃣ Posture Refinement – It looks like your upper body might be bending a little too much from the waist rather than keeping a more upright chest with a slight tilt. Try this:

• Stand tall, then hinge from the hips while keeping your chest up.
• Imagine you’re balancing a tray on your back – this helps prevent too much rounding.

2️⃣ Grip & Arm Extension – Your arms look slightly “reaching” toward the ball.

• Let your arms hang naturally so you’re not overextending.
• A good test: Let your arms dangle, then grip the club without pushing them out too far.

3️⃣ Weight Distribution – Make sure you’re balanced evenly between your feet and not too much on your toes.

• A simple check: If someone nudged you from behind, you should feel stable and not fall forward.