Week in Swings: Half Swings, Mental Swings, and a Decent Drive

Tuesday-ish
Started the week feeling like I hadn’t made much progress lately. Still no consistent contact. Still no consistent anything, really. But I tried not to spiral. Not completely anyway. Played 9 holes with a couple of girlfriends and shot a 57. Not great, but not the worst. Everything felt… weird though. Standing taller wasn’t the panacea I had hoped for. Mostly it just made me feel like I was trying to golf while impersonating a coat rack.

Midweek Mood
Talked to Golf Buddy again because my on-course commentary leaks out of my face more than I want. The post-round feedback I keep getting is “you’re too hard on yourself.” So I’m trying to find the humor during the round, not just after. Easier said than done.

Went to the range a couple of times. Started with half swings and actually stuck with them. Still trying to whip the club in my swing-swing like I do in my practice swing. But that ball… it really is a problem. Golf Pro suggested putting a tee 6″ in front of the ball and focusing on that instead of the swing-stopping round thing, and it worked. It worked great. Definitely better than closing my eyes. (I think Brian might’ve mentioned that once too? Unclear. My brain is basically a swing thought junk drawer at this point.) I think Facebook realized my reverse spine tilt was creeping back in too, because this reel on how to fix it magically appeared in my feed. That was a good reminder drill.

Saturday

Played 18 with friends and decided to shut my brain off as much as possible (thanks, Golf Buddy!) Just kept my focus a few inches in front of the ball, stuck (mostly) with half swings, and let everything blur out. It worked better than I expected. My drives were meh, but I did have one that went about 150 yards, straight, and felt great. You know how it is. There’s always that one shot that keeps you coming back.

Looking Ahead
I’ve got four days to practice before I play again. Golf Pro helped me put together a practice guide. The plan is to stay in half-swing mode, ignore the godforsaken ball, and re-focus on my short game. I’m feeling much better than I did at the start of the week, thanks for asking. Still inconsistent, still learning—but I’ve got a new, simpler plan. And a practice swing that’s starting to show up for the real thing. Occasionally. Maybe. Sometimes.