The 3 skills and me

[JohnP]

Re: The 3 skills and me

If its any consolation to you miffin, I have had the book a couple of weeks now and I genuinely think it is a superbly simple way of teaching the golfer what is important - to the only thing that matters (the golf ball) I am hitting my irons like never before and I am in danger of playing to single figures but - I too am still struggling with the driver, even with the 3SK knowledge I only hit about 50% of drives where they need to be (on the fairway)

I am not worried or depressed about it, I think I just need more time and practise, as others have said, once you hit the ball on the inside (SK2) you don't want to hit it any other way - keep the faith, keep practising the drills, and it will come!

[miffin]

Re: The 3 skills and me

If its any consolation to you miffin, I have had the book a couple of weeks now and I genuinely think it is a superbly simple way of teaching the golfer what is important - to the only thing that matters (the golf ball) I am hitting my irons like never before and I am in danger of playing to single figures but - I too am still struggling with the driver, even with the 3SK knowledge I only hit about 50% of drives where they need to be (on the fairway)

I am not worried or depressed about it, I think I just need more time and practise, as others have said, once you hit the ball on the inside (SK2) you don't want to hit it any other way - keep the faith, keep practising the drills, and it will come!

Thanks for the encouraging post JohnP. I must say it is a good boost when your iron shots go screaming off! If I could have hit the green with the approach shots Sunday (instead of pulling left) I could have got a much better score. 6 fairways hit from the 12 holes in the comp I suppose was not a total disaster. If I only could of got the irons straight. It is all stop for me now. I did not get to the range yesterday as planned. I had to go up into the attic and twisted my back a bit so no practise for a few days. I am going to try that hitting under the bucket handle thing when I get there, I was too chicken to try that before. Also try to work out where the missing on the left with the irons is coming from.
Thanks again.
Brian

[Ian Hancock]

Re: The 3 skills and me

Hi Brian (Miffin),

You are correct there is a tendancy to pull a few to the left , I to have suffered with this.

One of the skills, the hardest for me was to push the ball out to the right first, it does take time but stick with it, once you learn how to start the ball slightly out right you will gain 20yds instant.

One other tip I have found you must also relax, when fitting the shot............the 3SKs is fine but like any golf shot confidence and relaxation is a must, any tention is fatal.

Hope this helps

Ian.

[miffin]

Re: The 3 skills and me

Hi Ian and thanks. Are you saying that you are still coming a bit from the inside at contact in order to start the ball out to the right or Have I picked that up wrong.
Brian

[bdbl]

Re: The 3 skills and me

I too am still struggling with the driver, even with the 3SK knowledge I only hit about 50% of drives where they need to be (on the fairway)

Getting bored with 3Skills* so just to change the subject slightly and be a little provocative (sorry John for picking your post), hands up who actually believes that drives need to be on the fairway.

I used to believe it and I think most high handicappers strive to achieve it and I suspect it costs us strokes because subconsciously we steer or decelerate or swing slowly or whatever.

I suggest that what we actually want with our driver is the optimum combination between distance and still being in play - obviously we don't want to be in the trees without a shot (or the water) but the rough is fine and I think fairways hit is the most over rated stat in golf.

For example when when Rory Sabbatini won the Colonial in May he only hit half his fairways - mind you he drove an average of 285 yards and averaged 26.5 putts per round , come to that Tiger Woods is ranked around 135 in driving accuracy but is the world's No 1.

*3 Skills " to tell the truth I'm not bored with it. Went to the range yesterday and for the first time started getting a consistent feel for that effortless power with the driver - OK effortless power is relative I wasn't booming the ball over the end fence or anything and I've still to take that relaxed feel to the course but a start is a start.

[miffin]

Re: The 3 skills and me

I felt like that about drives until this summer. For some reason (to make the course tougher) my course decided to let the rough grow to tremendous lengths. Like a foot long. Everyone lost loads of balls and complained. But we got that answer that I have put in brackets. Now the grass is dying off a bit, we are finding loads of balls. You could not play a sensible shot out of that rough as it was that wiry grass.
Brian

[bdbl]

Re: The 3 skills and me

In the words of Mr. Miyaki, "balance is the key".

Punish the badly wayward by heavy rough - the pros especially shouldn't be in a position where 30 yards offline still leaves them a wedge in. But imo the first cut of light rough should be playable - and for club golfers there should be a reasonable width of it.

[BrianW]

Re: The 3 skills and me

Brian,

When you use the basket and rubber tee drill remember to take it real slow with shorter swings. When you start to get the feel of it start with slow shorter swings with a tee and ball then build up to the full swing gradually.

Robin,

The mix between distance and accuracy is fairly complex and will be dependent on the fairway in question. I think the best we can do is work on reducing or eliminating the slice, hook, top, skied, pushed, pulled shots so at least we are fair at keeping the ball straight.

[Ian Hancock]

Re: The 3 skills and me

Hi Ian and thanks. Are you saying that you are still coming a bit from the inside at contact in order to start the ball out to the right or Have I picked that up wrong.
Brian

Hi Brian,

What I mean is when I started to work on 3SKs, I hit a good straight shot without any fade or draw, if any at all it was a slight fade, since the SKs I have hit the ball much more solid and alot further, however my attack wasn't from inside enough to create a draw, and I was starting to rotate as per the book (open and closing clubface) which hit the ball loads better and felt much more powerful but straight then vearing to the left, I am doing better now but I have had to learn to start the ball right of target and then it slightly draws back.............(ON a good shot).

Hope this is clear.

Ian.

[miffin]

Re: The 3 skills and me

Will do, might even take on old driver to start!!!

Brian

[mariner]

Re: The 3 skills and me

I've read the book twice and had three range sessions putting it into practice, and yesterday I took it to the course for the first time.
Firstly, I got three birdies, which for me is a phenomenon (I'm a cautious, short but safe 13 h/c, and usually manage 4-7 GIR and one birdie every 4 rounds or so) and these were a direct result of the length and accuracy of using the 3skills.
BUT - I also hit 4 tee shots OB to the right (my old game was based around NEVER, EVER doing anything like this) and when I did this for the fourth time at the 18th I walked in without finishing so I don't know my score, but I didn't break 90 while I usually average around 83.
I have no problem with skill one, I've never had much of a problem finding the middle of the clubface, but I do have issues with skills 2 and 3.
Attacking the ball from the inside (skill 2) is obviously highly desirable and I have fought against an over-the-top move for 20 years, so though I find it difficult, I know it's the right thing to do.
Skill 3 however, I'm not sure about at all - to produce effortless power the clubface should go from open to closed through the impact zone, fine, but what if you mistime it? How do you NOT mistime it? This is what caused my OBs and it is something I've been trying to take OUT of my game for the last 3 years, giving up length for accuracy with no conscious wrist rolling.
OK I haven't practised it enough yet, but I still can't see how you can make skill 3 consistent.

[bdbl]

Re: The 3 skills and me

Brian,

Robin,

The mix between distance and accuracy is fairly complex and will be dependent on the fairway in question. I think the best we can do is work on reducing or eliminating the slice, hook, top, skied, pushed, pulled shots so at least we are fair at keeping the ball straight.

Brian

I agree. I was being simplistic to create a discussion point.

I will stand by the general premise though, that the club golfer is too hung up about "fairways hit" when they look at their stats.

Assuming that (unlike me, though I'm improving) you can actually get your drive away consistently where would you rather be, Player A) 120yds away in the light rough or Player B 160yds away in the fairway?

Ok I'm exaggerating but I guess Player A will get more birdie attempts whereas Player B will have better fairway hit stats.

Now if we (again not me yet) are "eliminating the slice, hook, top, skied, pushed, pulled shots" because of our 3Skills ball striking then that's one thing but if we are a trying to keep the ball on the fairway then thats another. From personal experience its the tension caused by being too fairway focused that causes a number of poor shots.

[BrianW]

Re: The 3 skills and me

I've read the book twice and had three range sessions putting it into practice, and yesterday I took it to the course for the first time.
Firstly, I got three birdies, which for me is a phenomenon (I'm a cautious, short but safe 13 h/c, and usually manage 4-7 GIR and one birdie every 4 rounds or so) and these were a direct result of the length and accuracy of using the 3skills.
BUT - I also hit 4 tee shots OB to the right (my old game was based around NEVER, EVER doing anything like this) and when I did this for the fourth time at the 18th I walked in without finishing so I don't know my score, but I didn't break 90 while I usually average around 83.
I have no problem with skill one, I've never had much of a problem finding the middle of the clubface, but I do have issues with skills 2 and 3.
Attacking the ball from the inside (skill 2) is obviously highly desirable and I have fought against an over-the-top move for 20 years, so though I find it difficult, I know it's the right thing to do.
Skill 3 however, I'm not sure about at all - to produce effortless power the clubface should go from open to closed through the impact zone, fine, but what if you mistime it? How do you NOT mistime it? This is what caused my OBs and it is something I've been trying to take OUT of my game for the last 3 years, giving up length for accuracy with no conscious wrist rolling.
OK I haven't practised it enough yet, but I still can't see how you can make skill 3 consistent.

Hi Mariner.

It would be a poor golf swing that didn't open and close the clubface through the swing. Just imagine a swing where the wrists stayed exactly square as they are at address? It would be one where you had no real lag and cast the club from the top with a weak hit.

In my opinion skill 3 is getting you to produce a release in the swing which to an extent should happen anyway. It's like throwing a stone, swinging a squash or tennis racquet, you need to rotate the wrists to generate release which will increase the power of the action.

I would imagine you were doing it anyway and now are exaggerating the action, resulting in mishits. Try swinging a club back and forth over and over with your right hand only using a nice steady tempo, let it swing to the top then down and through while making a shoulder turn and hip rotation. You will find that you have to let the face open and close and it will happen all by it's self. Now try the same with your left hand, then tee up some balls and strike them with the same steady tempo. I think you may be surprised with a little practice how well and far you hit them with that easy swing and the clubface turning over.

[BrianW]

Re: The 3 skills and me

Brian

I agree. I was being simplistic to create a discussion point.

I will stand by the general premise though, that the club golfer is too hung up about "fairways hit" when they look at their stats.

Assuming that (unlike me, though I'm improving) you can actually get your drive away consistently where would you rather be, Player A) 120yds away in the light rough or Player B 160yds away in the fairway?

Ok I'm exaggerating but I guess Player A will get more birdie attempts whereas Player B will have better fairway hit stats.

Now if we (again not me yet) are "eliminating the slice, hook, top, skied, pushed, pulled shots" because of our 3Skills ball striking then that's one thing but if we are a trying to keep the ball on the fairway then thats another. From personal experience its the tension caused by being too fairway focused that causes a number of poor shots.

Robin,

I would rather be player B, I think

From personal experience I find that one of the killers with hitting fairways is trying the steer the club and ball down the middle resulting in slices and hooks. I find it best to decide on your shot and really commit to it by swinging on an inside arc that look like it will hit the ball off right but will square up on contact. I do hit the rough, I do get in the trees and water at times but on consideration it is when I have not committed.

[bdbl]

Re: The 3 skills and me

Robin,

I would rather be player B, I think

From personal experience I find that one of the killers with hitting fairways is trying the steer the club and ball down the middle resulting in slices and hooks. I find it best to decide on your shot and really commit to it by swinging on an inside arc that look like it will hit the ball off right but will square up on contact. I do hit the rough, I do get in the trees and water at times but on consideration it is when I have not committed.

Perhaps I should have made it clear that Player A was 120yds from the green not from the tee ?

I suspect we are agreeing here; part of my original point was that it's the attempt to keep the ball on the short grass rather than committing to shot that causes the problems - the other part was that having committed as long as you have a 2nd shot that distance is more important than pure accuracy. As you say though its a trade off depending on how the hole is set up.

Anyway back to 3 Skills.

I came across this the other day - in some ways a typical internet "I was a hacker then I found the secret ... you can play to scratch too" marketing approach - but the "How do you get Club Head Speed" excerpt rings some bells.

http://www.golfswingeureka.com/Golf%...ad%20Speed.pdf