Huge breakthrough

I went back and re-read the stack n tilt book. Several pieces really came together for me as I read.

The biggest aha moment was related to the grid. I am going to tell you a story that will circle around to my aha moment.

Background: I have always been able to work the ball both directions, even though I prefer to hit a draw. I dislike hitting a fade, but I can do it. One recent example illustrates my fear perfectly.

Playing a long par 5, my drive was in the usual spot in the right rough (OB left so miss has to be on the right side). I have a tree blocking the shot, so, I can hit a fade toward OB (fading back to fairway), or I can basically hit it to the right and hook it back, hitting dead into the tree line.

Smart play: take less club and hit a safe shot toward OB, with a club that can’t reach and fade it…leaving a long approach from the fairway.

Fear: Even if I hit the smart shot, what if I double-cross hook it OB?

DECISION: I hit the hook up the right side because after all, trees are mostly air and with a 3 iron rope, I am in prime position.

The results aren’t important, but the decision making says a lot about how much I hate hitting the fade. It also speaks to the fact, when trying to hit a shot, fade or draw, I can always double cross…and hit the shape I didn’t want to hit. I have always feared the janitor, the big sweeping hook. Even though I don’t hit it often. In fact over the last few years as my handicap has dropped, I hit a much straighter ball…still, As a bi-product of my fear, if I am hitting the draw, I typically don’t line up to the right center of the fairway, instead, I choose to start it at the rough. Straight shot, rough. Double-gross fade, rough. Perfect shot fairway.

This thought process was good at some point in my golf learning/scoring experience because I can eliminate a big number. After all, most likely when you lose a ball, it’s a double bogey or worse. If I keep it in play, I can always scramble for a par or take a bogey at worse. I tell you this story to get back to my aha moment. In the stack n tilt book, they talk about the ball flight rules and it’s basically about the grid. But one thing they used the “shot cone” to match the intended flight.

The picture of the shot cone really clicked.

I realized, I have reached a point where I have to eliminate the double cross shot, period. It’s unacceptable that I line up where a straight shot puts me in the rough.

Right then, I resigned myself to slowing down my swing and making damn sure that 99.9% of my shots approach from approximately a 5degree in-to-out path.

Longer story there, can get into it later if anyone is interested. Anyway, I know my cone and ideal shot pattern is 5 degree in-to-out. I know the outside limit of my cone is 12 degree in-to-out. However, if my focus isn’t on hitting straight shots, but instead starting every shot into that cone…then there is virtually 0 chance I will double cross fade.

Lesson learned: I can dial back speed (short-term). Instead put all focus on hitting shots thst start in the cone and in the worst case I hit a straight block and I can pick an alignment that makes a straight shot fine (fairway or green). But if I am focused on a cone with a swing path of in-to-out 5-12 degrees, its going to turn back toward the intended target 90+ percent of the time.

I took my new found belief to golf simulator league tonight. Never tried to overswing…focus was always to hit a shot that started in the cone, period. In 36 holes, I was -1, +1 (with a triple bogey), -3, -3. Scores were not the most important thing (as I can always chip and putt). The way I controlled the ball flight, however, made the game more enjoyable than any other time I have played.

Thought I would share this nugget from the book.