Getting through a tough round

Some days you struggle with your swing. It happens. Today, my Saguto golfer buddy Brandon Wall and I had a chance to play his home course and it was that kind of day for me.

I still shot 78 (on a track I have never seen) even though I was not hitting the ball as I usually do and I had 3 3 putts.

Lesson: understanding the grid is essential to making adjustments and still scoring ok.

I have two swing problems that creep into my swing. The most common problem is getting too far inside out. That is a terrible position because I can hit blocks and big hooks. This tends to happen when I am playing a lot of golf.

The other tendency, the one that tends to pop up when I haven’t been playing, is exactly the opposite, I get too low and inside on the backswing and then swing “over the top”. This was today’s pattern. Please note, when I say over the top, I am saying my downswing is over the top of my backswing (that doesn’t mean I am swinging outside in).

Since I know my swing, I can use the grid to make compensations and still score reasonably well.

When I get too far inside out, I weaken the grip and move the ball much more forward in my stance. This neutralizes the inside out path and I play a little push fade.

When I am getting over it, I open my stance and move the ball way back in my stance. Because I am trying to swing so far right, even when over the top, I still come from inside to hit the ball so I play a little draw.

The grid rules all and if you use it correctly, it can make getting through a round possible.

In the next few weeks Brandon and I will get to the range when he comes to my home course.

It was a great day on the track with my new Saguto golf buddy. We had heat index of 108 today and still got in 27 holes.

Oh, yes. I dressed so that he couldn’t lose me on the course.