Short Game Wizard

He actually got a "by the way" mention in Amanda Balionis' video report last night. She was babbling about Webb Simpson and his bogie free second round and tossed in, "as did DJ Trahan." Nothing about the fact that DJ shot a 29 front nine or a 62 for the round.

I've had at least three balls in S@R's compound over the last 40 years. Even if you don't fly it in directly, one good bounce off Vegas Drive and it's there! BTW, at 5:40am  nine holes is under 1 1/2 hours most mornings. Saturday and Sunday's are a little slower but under 2 hours every time.

I'm trying to keep the butt of the club pointed as close as possible to the toe line, though it usually points a little forward of it in the space between the toe line and the target line. I'm imagining a line running parallel to the target line into infinity both directions from me, so it's not like I'm actually trying to literally keep the butt of the club pointed at my toes. Just trying to get it more vertical, which is helping to get my right arm in a better position, I believe.

It's an attempt at following Don's advice about trying to run the toe-line with the butt of the club. I know (and can clearly see in video) that when I take a real club and swing with a real ball in place that I don't get as vertical as with the laser, but it keeps me from getting too laid off (which I continue to fight from my days as a very flat rotational swinger).

Steve,

Same here for me.  It may be a change Disqus made.  I notice my emails from them changed format as well

The back porch works for me.

Lets hear it for Don Addington. What a performance. I wonder if it is a world record for shooting below you age.

Coach:

    The ONE that I really LOVE is the back pin about 3 feet (or maybe even less) from the back of the green when the green is hard and fast and has a steep slope down to the irrigation pond.  Specially when "course knowledge" is required to know that the pond is there because you can't see the pond from the fairway and it is not marked on the scorecard map.

     Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG

    Amos 

I made an interesting discovery with the swingrite last night. While doing my nightly practice, my left thumb started to hurt a little, so I made a swing with the top of my right hand off of the club. I was at what I thought was my limit on the swingrite and made an effortless click. I lowered the swingrite by one number (which I couldn't get to click before), placed the top of my right hand down lightly onto my thumb and tried again. Click. Amazing, the swingrite just helped me figure out proper grip pressure. What is it going to do next?

Here's one type, but it isn't cheap.
http://www.dwquailgolf.com/tra...
Link to some others at the same site.
http://www.dwquailgolf.com/tra...

Like the late George Younce used to say, "If that doesn't light your fire, your woods wet."
I can't even fathom shooting my age at any point down the road but there is always hope.
Thanks Surge for the video applauding Mr. Addington's accomplishments.

I ended up grabbing a $3 dog toy one at Walgreens to try out. It fits perfectly inside the butt of my weighted practice club (once I took a knife to the end of the grip itself). Since I have no indoor area where I can swing even a 7 iron (I've tested every room in my house, slowly, and hit the ceiling every time), I'll only be able to use it early in the morning or late in the evening. It's not powerful enough to actually be visible when that big light in the sky is turned on. ;-) Still, $3 is better than $30+ for the other choices.

http://golf.about.com/od/golfc...

and http://cottonwoodturf.blogspot...

should give you all you need to know.

That is a great way to describe it. Thanks.

They are absolute idiots at the Golf Channel. They decide who they're going to follow with cameras and that's it. They were(like usual) showing guys that were 3 or 4 off the lead while not showing DJ and a cuople other pros that were around the lead all afternoon. His front 9 29 was amazing. He missed several birdy putts on the back and still shot a course record best 62 aside from what that kid did shooting a life time score of 60. Today they'll will have to show him more if he stays near the lead. Or will they?

Hey guys, speaking about ball marks or not, RF can varify that our muni gets so much traffic the greens can get crusty and hard. A "real" ball mark is unusual. That's why I felt like a pro last week at Snow Mountain(a real cared for golf course) when I hit a nice high 8 iron on to a par three and the ball did'nt move 12 inches from where it landed, 5 feet from the hole. Sometimes it's worth spending that extra dime to play on a course with quality greens. Actually they usually cost $55-65.00 but i found an afternoon tee time for $27.00!! @ Golfnow.com. that's why my goal each week is to play 9 at muni before 8am 2 days a week and at least once at better location for 18. I scout out golfnow for the deals:)

Roger, sounds like great fun. Good luck in the in dividual.

Reminds me of a homeless guy one time outside a bagel shop in Berkeley. We bought an extra bagel and brought it out for him. His response was, "What, no lox?"

That's one of the nice things about my Sky Caddie, it shows, even the blind spot troubles between you and the green.

Your right!....the best is DJ's with Molder and all we see early is Molder!...WTF!..and dont mean wrist to floor Karl!!! 

Steve......

Funny game. Shot 112 last Monday. Only two pars and many bads!

Today back on track with 93!

Phillip

This is where I have the problem.  If you keep the laser on the toe line all the way to the top the club would be over your head.  As we have discussed before, the toe line is the outer edge of the tree where we start up the tree.  As we start the lift, it (the arms) continue to turn the shoulders about 5 or so more degrees which brings the total turn to 70* and it puts the club over the soft part of the shoulder area or roughly 3 to 4 inches from the ear.  This area would be roughly about 4" inside the toe line or is the inside edge of the tree.  My point:  if you are keeping the laser on the toe line all the way to the top I think you have the club in the wrong position at the top and it also mean that the triangle formed by the arms (elbows) is not facing completely to the side but rather more towards your front.  I can also see a problem with the left arm actually coming close to blocking your vision.  Just thoughts.

Truely inspirational. A good reminder to stretch, take vitamins and practice putting and our short game. As my long game is becoming a little more consistent now I will really work on the short game now. A short game wizard is a great goal but it takes lots of work. I plan on puting the time in and getting better.
PMG!

Coach:

   In front and beside -YES --- but mine rarely, if ever, shows anything BEHIND the green.

   Amos

Could not reply to Steve on the blow post so I'm having to reply to myself.

First, if there is an argument going on, it's one sided.  I'm trying to visualize just what Robert is saying and having what I consider to be a discussion with him.  Robert, if you perceived me as being argumentative, I apologize. As for the "problem", I work with a lot of Surge followers that have a total misunderstanding of the "in the mitt and up the tree" and think that it's a move that puts the club over top of their head as if that was the 12 o'clock position.  I was trying to understand just what Robert was saying in his post as to whether the light was pointing to the toe line and running along that line and stayed on that line.  The light could not possibly stay on the toe line throughout the entire swing as the butt of the club at some point does not point to the ground.  So, I was asking for clarification and it's also possible that I did not fully understand just what he was saying since I am trying to draw a picture with only words to do it with.  Was he saying the lite stays running parallel to the toe line, on top of the toe line, or the light stays pointing at the toe line.  It does make a difference.

I looked at your video and you execute the swing well.  I ignored as instructed.

Again, I'm confused as to what you mean about people that never get to the toe line.  I'm thinking back swing and I can't image any one not getting to the toe line on the back swing.  If anything, they go too far inside the toe line.  I think I'm not getting what you're saying again.

Apparently I have intruded on what I should not have and I have obviously provoked you.  I apologize for that as well.  It was certainly not my intention.    I was not even aware that .........never mind, I'll just stay out and pardon the intrusion into the matter.

Glad you had a safe and sucessful trip Booger. Finally got to the range with my new custom clubs. Sweet. Going to take some getting used to new distances and feel.

Round 3 tee times should be posting soon. DJ, because of his low round among those at 9 under, will be in the last group of players tied for 5th, though I'm not sure yet if he'll be paired with Simpson or Van Pelt. They'll almost certainly do split tees for round three, which should put DJ's tee time around 3 Eastern time.

Roger, sounds like great fun. Good luck in the in dividual.

Robert F:

    Have you ever noticed that most "groups" whether religious, social or occupation related are composed of about 90% to maybe 95% "joiners" and less than 10% "active doers" ?

    Amos

will DJ qualify for The Open  if he wins?

I could not have said it better, thank you for being there
lots of respect.
Ron...

True, I hadn't really thought much about that, till now. For me, I rarely ever fly any greens. If I am over, it is generally a short distance due to rolling off the back. 

Hey, they even got a very brief shot of the Surge today in the background. You could tell by the big familiar wide brimmed hat. It was fleeting though.

In response to the physique thing.  I think when you address the ball that the position of toe line and shoulders may be close to correct but once you turn the shoulders it puts that part of the anatomy behind the toe line and in front of the heels.  At least on my body it does.  In any case, thanks for taking the time to respond.  I obviously did not fully understand what you were saying and had a different image other than what is reality. I will not intrude further into what was an already on going converstation that I missed since I hadn't read anything other than just your post on the side.  Won't happen again I can assure you.

I'll bet you've heard, As a dog returneth to it's own vomit, and the washed sow returneth to the wallowing mire, so shall they return to their evil ways. I grew up hearing it repeatedly. Beware the backslider, lest they pull you down with them. Sermon over! Thanks for some child hood Revival memories.

I don't know for a fact, but I am beginning to think that sponsors or agents for the players are paying for airtime and he who pays the most gets the most. I don't know if DJ or any of his sponsors do. It would be interesting to find out what the story is.

It is either that or they don't what everyone to see too much of DJ's swing.

Steve and Robert. No i wish I could tell you i was deviously aiming at S&R's House but no, those are just rare hook/pulls! now if they had thier home on the right side well opps!, I would have the all time record. No more thanks to the swing rite gip change:) i know you still shake your head that it took me 40+ years to figure it out. Better late than never!

Thou hast mine thanks.

Amen

Robert Meade:

    Come play with me at San MArcos, and some other area courses here in the Summer.
It takes either a PERFECTLY hit iron (or a small air hammer) to produce a ball mark on the greens.  It is possibel, because I do see an occasional pitch mark on our greens -- or else 90% of the clientele is very conscientious about fixing them!

     Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG

     Amos