Category: Practice

How to maximize your practice time

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Backyard Golf: Practical Tips and Tech Solutions

Setting Up a Cost-Effective Golf Practice Area at Home

Where you can find most of Strolan’s blood sweat and tears.

Welcome to another engaging episode of the Holy Duffer Podcast! Today, we’re diving deep into the practicalities and benefits of creating a backyard golf practice area. Hosts Mark and Strolan lay out the essentials for setting up various budget-friendly golf simulators, mats, and nets, including their personal setups, costing from $1,400 to $3,000. Their discussion also highlights useful tech solutions and the importance of tracking metrics to improve your golf game.

Why Build a Backyard Golf Practice Area?

Mark and Strolan kick things off by discussing the fundamental reasons for having a practice area at home. According to Mark, having a space where you can spend even 10-15 minutes practicing daily can significantly enhance your golf skills. He emphasizes that practicing consistently at home with the right setup can provide more value than an hour-long session at the range once a week.

Key Benefits:
– Convenience: Practicing at home provides the flexibility to practice whenever you have a few spare moments.
– Cost-Effectiveness: While initial setup may come with a price, ongoing savings on range fees and travel make it worth the investment.
– Immediate Feedback: With the right tools, you can get immediate feedback on your swing, ball speed, and other crucial metrics.

Basic Components of a Backyard Setup

1. Mat and Net:
For those just starting, a basic setup includes a golf mat and a net. Strolan mentions he bought a $50 used range mat and a $165 holy grail hitting insert to mimic real turf conditions. This allows you to replicate the feel of a real course in your backyard.

2. Launch Monitor:
A crucial element to up your game is a launch monitor. Mark emphasizes that devices like Skytrak or the MLM 2 Pro provide valuable swing data, ball speed, and distance metrics. Even a basic radar monitor like the Swing Caddy, which tracks club speed, ball speed, and estimated carry, can give helpful insights.

Setting Up on Different Budgets

Strolan’s Setup ($1,400):
–Cimarron Masters Golf Net 10 x 10 x 10: A robust net that can handle all kinds of mishits. This system allows Strolan to practice without worrying about damaging the surrounding property, or himself!
– Holy Grail Hitting Strip: Adds realism to practice sessions.
– Rapsodo MLM2 Pro: Provides essential data like swing speed and carry distance, helping track improvement over time.

Can someone clean that man’s club!

**Mark’s Setup ($3,000)**:
– **Customized Structure**: Utilizing aluminum tubing covered with a tarp, Mark’s structure is designed to maximize functionality within limited space.
– **Skytrack+ Launch Monitor**: An accurate and space-efficient solution that doesn’t require marked balls, making it convenient and user-friendly.
– **Additional Netting**: To prevent incidents and ensure safety.

The Importance of Technology in Improvement

Both hosts place strong emphasis on the role of technology in improving your golf skills. Launch monitors like Skytrak and MLM 2 Pro offer extensive data, helping you understand and analyze every aspect of your game. These tools allow for:
– Real-Time Feedback: Immediate analysis of each shot helps in making quick adjustments.
– Simulation of Real Courses: Play on simulated versions of famous courses for a varied practice routine.
– Metrics Tracking: Keep track of your club speed, ball speed, carry distance, and other vital statistics.

Mark shares his experience of leveraging a Skytrak monitor to enhance his game by focusing on out-of-position shots and shaping shots effectively. He underlines the benefit of these tech solutions, which give detailed insights that traditional range training often misses.

Avoiding Indoor Swing Syndrome

Practicing indoors or in a confined space can sometimes lead to “indoor swing syndrome,” where golfers alter their swings due to constrained space. Strolan and Mark underline this issue while discussing the need for proper setup to allow free swings without fear. Both hosts emphasize the necessity of a well-constructed enclosure to practice without any mental hindrance effectively.

Conclusion

Establishing a backyard golf setup can be one of the best investments for any golf enthusiast. Regardless of your budget, the initial outlay can lead to long-term improvements and enjoyment. From basic mats and nets to sophisticated launch monitors, technology has made it easier than ever to bring the golf course home. So, grab your gear, set up your backyard practice area, and watch your game improve!

Until next time, Mark, Strolan, and the Holy Duffer Podcast team will see you on the green!

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Unlocking a Better Golf Swing with the Orange Whip

Hello, everyone! Strolan here from the Holy Duffer Podcast, and today I’m thrilled to delve into one of my favorite golf training aids—the Orange Whip. It’s been a game-changer in my golf practice, and I’m excited to share my experience with you all.

A little context: a few years back, I embarked on a journey to correct my lifelong slice and generally improve my golf swing. This journey led me to the Orange Whip, a tool acclaimed by many and one I’d seen often at golf events, like the Hoag Classic. It’s popular among both amateur and professional golfers, and for good reason.

First off, the basics. The Orange Whip is a swing trainer designed to enhance your golf swing by creating a natural and balanced tempo. Its design comprises a weighted orange ball attached to a flexible shaft, with a counterweight at the end. This unique setup actively promotes a smooth, rhythmic, and fundamentally sound golf swing.

From the moment I started using the Orange Whip, the impact was noticeable. I originally began incorporating it into my warm-ups after seeing my brother use it routinely. Warming up with it at the range and even on the first tee made a remarkable difference in my early-round performance. My swings felt steadier and more powerful right from the get-go.

One of the key benefits I found with the Orange Whip is its ability to enforce a proper swing plane and timing. Swinging it at about 60% of your regular swing speed helps develop a wider swing arc, emphasizing hip and torso rotation rather than relying solely on arm movement. This is crucial because a swing that’s too arm-dependent can lead to all sorts of mishits and consistency issues.

Another plus is its feedback mechanism. When used incorrectly—say, if you try to cast the club or use an over-the-top action—the Orange Whip simply won’t perform as intended. It forces you to adjust and align your swing path naturally. This feedback is instantaneous and incredibly effective for making quick adjustments.

I also appreciate its versatility. The Orange Whip isn’t just for warming up. It’s a fantastic tool for off-season training, helping maintain your swing mechanics and physical fitness related to golf. Since it’s portable, I often take a few swings in my backyard when I’m not at the range or course, just to keep my feel for the swing intact.

The developers of the Orange Whip, Jim Hackenberg, and his team have expanded their lineup to include variants like the Orange Whip for short game and putting, developed in partnership with Stan Utley, a renowned short game coach. Knowing the expertise that goes into these products increases my confidence in their effectiveness.

Moreover, the Orange Whip is customizable. You can choose different colors and grips to match your style or preference, which is a fun bonus. Though I discovered this feature a little too late (I would have loved one in ‘Packers green and gold’), it’s something potential buyers might appreciate.

In an ideal world, I would have integrated the Orange Whip into my training regime much earlier, particularly during my swing change process. Its fundamental reinforcement of the correct swing plane and rhythm would have likely accelerated my progress and solidified the changes more robustly.

In conclusion, if you’re looking to improve your golf swing, the Orange Whip is a tool you should definitely consider. It provides a practical, enjoyable, and effective way to hone your swing mechanics and build a more consistent, powerful game. Check it out at the official Orange Whip website and see how it can transform your golf experience.

And remember, I’ll see you on the green!

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Power Speed and Distance

Why is it that Pro golfers hit an iron longer than some average golfers hit a driver? The obvious answer is that they are more flexible and stronger, but they also compress the ball, and you can too.

All golfers hinge and unhinge the wrists in the golf swing. The difference is that better golfers unload over the front leg and average golfers do so over the trail leg.

To get this pro power transfer feeling we are gonna do a variation on the cross handed drill. take your orange whip (if you don’t have one stop what your doing and get one) or a long club in your lead hand and and low so there is room for your trail hand at the top (we will add it once you get the feel with the lead hand). Now just let the club hang at your side and start to hinge the club and release it out toward the target. start small and keep increasing the length and speed of this one handed swing.

Now that you have the hang of this one handed move stop and return to your start position for the drill. Without moving the club, grip the club with your trail hand above your lead hand. With the cross hand grip, start the lead hand drill and let the trail hand passively follow. you will have to pivot to get your trail hand to follow the lead hand swing without interrupting the flow of your release. Once you are able to go fluidly back and through, start to add speed with the trail hand. Continue this drill until you feel this front leg power transfer is ingrained.

With the new power transfer feeling still fresh pick up a club and hit a ball or two. You should see immediate improvements in contact and distance, but don’t be discouraged if you regress after a few bombs, this kind of swing rewiring takes time to replace the old move.

Just keep doing this drill and your swing will thank you.

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Let The Putting Games Begin

Putting is the great equalizer. Bomber or hacker we all have to find that hole. The two biggest problems with dropping putts are hitting putts on line and pressure.

First, answer the question of whether you can hit a putt online to a target. Setup a straight putt of a few feet with a small ball marker as your target. Grab your putter and while looking at your target aim it. When you are comfortable that the face should be aimed directly at the target look down and see if it looks like it is pointed at the target. It will most likely look open or closed to your line. This depends on the variance in your binocular vision.

Now hold the putter in place and move your stance until the face looks like it is online with the target. This may mean an open or closed stance with the ball forward or back or maybe you just need to be closer or farther away. There is no right answer for everybody. Just play with the different ways to set up the putt until you see the same thing looking at the ball as when you look at the target.

Once you get comfortable with your aim and stance you should be able to make at least one out of three on any putt of 10 feet or less. If you are still having trouble with this you are most likely too caught up in mechanics and are not letting your natural athletic ability help you hit your target. Focus on a target, be it intermediate or not, and just focus on hitting the ball at or through that point and nothing else. Once you can consistently make one out of 3 you are ready to add some pressure.

The big reason that most of us have trouble taking our game from the range or putting green to the course is that we do not practice with pressure. To add pressure you need to have a competitive outcome to the shot/putt. With putting I like to make up games that reward good habits under pressure.

My current favorite is to take 3 balls and count makes as birdies and missing all three as a bogey. For added pressure, all putts must be long enough to have gone in if they were online also, any putt that is not a grip or less from the hole must be made to collect a birdy otherwise a bogey is added to the card.

This game can be played alone or with someone else. If it is just you on the green, play at least 10 holes and to win you have to be at least 1 down. If at any time during a game you reach 10 over you have lost and must start over. when competing against someone the lowest score wins. Play this game with the pressure of not leaving the practice area until you have won a game and see how good your skills are.

Like every other shot in golf having confidence in how to make the ball move where you want it to and then reacting to the target under pressure is what lowers scores.

 

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Speed Before Impact

Speed and contact. That is all the ball cares about. The golf swing can be broken down into power accumulation, speed, and contact/delivery.

Power accumulation

is what the backswing is for. The golfer must make space for speed by coiling around the back leg.

Speed

The primary swing speed factory of the body is the arms and hands. The lower body, torso, and shoulders add speed but are primarily used for delivering that speed to the ball. A golfer creates the bulk of her swing speed by extending the arms and snapping the wrist.

This may be done passively or actively. I prefer to actively extend the arms as it creates more speed than the passive method. If you don’t believe me, just go outside and start throwing a ball sidearm again. Try the passive method — let the rotation extend the arms — and then try actively extending the arm and see which one goes farther.

Contact

Almost every swing fault can be traced to trying to use the arms to create contact instead of speed.

The purpose of the lower body, torso, and shoulders is to contact the ball, not primarily speed. While speed is created by all these muscles, the biggest mistake that golfers make is trying to get all the speed with the big muscles.  Moving the body into a solid contact position is what you are after with the body.

Take a look at the picture of Jeff Flagg — World Long Drive champion — above. Pay particular attention to frames 2, 3, and 4. You may not be flexible enough to get anywhere near his position in frame one, but every golfer should be able to get the rest of these swing positions. Notice in frame 4 how when his lag is gone his right hand is in line with his right pectoral muscle.

Jeff has maxed out his club speed over his right side several inches from the static hand position of his setup.  To compensate for the delivery of speed behind the starting position of the hands, the lower body, torso, and shoulders have moved the hands forward and down to crush the ball. Every good swing has this in common.

To get the feel of this speed and contact take a club and flip in so you are holding the clubhead side in your throwing hand. Start making some sidearm throws focusing on the arm speed and moving your body as little as possible. Then once you have this feel start adding body rotation. To make sure you are maxing out your impact put a club or alignment stick down in the middle of your stance. Focus on maxing your extension out past this line. Once you are consistently whipping the club past this impact line, start making a descending throw with your arms keeping your body motion the same. Now add your other hand and get both arms synced up.