Today was a lot of fun as there were 25-35 mph wind gusts because of Hurricane Zeta. The gusts were so strong that my chips were drawing about 10 yards. It did feel great as the wind was cooling for a downswing day at PKU.
Patrick first started with the backswing. We are slowly but surely getting the right shoulder and right side to be passive and soft. Now, when taking the club away, I can feel my right shoulder being low. I need to continue to keep my right side soft by keeping my right lat soft. I have the habit of tensing it and helping it lift the club about 2/3s of the way through the backswing. If I don’t tense it, it really feels like my shoulders are flattening which in turn flattens the swing. The feel is the back side of my right lat needs to be soft and passive. I also need to feel as if my right shoulder is extremely soft.
Patrick explained that the club and shaft angle is created by the hinging of the left wrist rather than the lifting of the right shoulder. This will take some work but I need to keep everything on the right side soft and weak during the backswing.
On the downswing, Patrick wants me to go very slow with my practice swing. After getting my right hip back to level, I am to drive with the lower right obliques. I then drive all the way through impact with my right side. I have a habit of stopping and using my arms right before impact. This causes me to throw my arms at the ball and hit it extremely high. Patrick explained that my right shoulder and right lat will determine the trajectory. The longer I can keep my right shoulder soft and low through the ball, the more piercing trajectory I will have. If I pull up my right shoulder and throw my hands at the ball, I hit it sky high. This is not good; especially in the wind.
Because I am hitting the ball so high right now, I was hitting about a 30 yards draw with my approach wedge in the winds today. It was actually funny to watch it. Over time, I will be able to hit more piercing shots that can stay under the wind.
After my lesson, I played 9 holes in the wind. There was absolutely no one out there and I enjoyed every second of the walk. Lots and lots of pars with a nice high, high draw. This was also the first time I played with my new range finder. The game is much easier when you have a clue as to how far the pin is. I am glad I can take a nine hole walk and enjoy myself these days.
UPDATE: It is late May 2021 and I am still learning many things about the golf swing. I have learned the importance of the crease on the right side and increasing the crease and only turning with the upper thoracic. For many, many months I wanted to turn with my lower right side and that should remain stable and even resist.
