Giving Thanks, Golf Blog Style

The Richie3Jack blog just wanted to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving. For myself, I have a lot to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for my health.

I'm thankful for being able to get back into this great game that I took an 8-year layoff from.

I'm thankful for the technology that allows me a forum to speak my mind and thoughts on the game of golf and use my creativity to develop something that many people can enjoy.

And I'm very thankful for my blog readers, the greatest readership a blog could ask for.

One of the things that people ask me about frequently are the differences in the game, particularly from a competitive standpoint, in today's game compared to my 'heyday' back in the 90's.

Well, I happen to think that the game is A LOT MORE 'user friendly' and just better for the golfer all around.

I remember back only 10 years ago the game had:

- Basically one good golf competitive golf ball (Titleist)
- Limited and flawed equipment fitting.
- Poor quality of many OEM equipment.
- Basically two steel shaft irons to chose from (True Temper and Rifle)
- Shoddy graphite shafts.
- 99% of instruction was your standard 'pop' instruction.
- Non-existent putter fitting.
- Limited Golf Fitness expertise.
- Poor Soft Spike Design
- Virtually non-existent range finders and GPS.
- Low Quality Launch Monitors
- Non-existent green reading instruction.

Most of these things I've mentioned have made a 180* turnaround. Are there still some major problems with the game? Absolutely. But there's a helluva lot more good than bad being brought to the table. The main questions are preventing the bad becoming too big of a problem and learning from past mistakes.

Still, when I look at things it's a shear pleasure to know that I can go on the internet and check out various Web sites for great information on the golf swing. Understanding something complex like 'The Golfing Machine' or 'D-Plane' can be answered by checking out a few Web sites. The golf swing is much less vague. Something like reading greens is no longer a complete mystery and 'black art' now with AimPoint Golf. And if I want the latest information on equipment there are plenty of sites that help me find the information I'm looking for and finding a place where I can get the very best in equipment. And there's always Ebay if you are looking for something cheap.

In golf, there's almost an endless amount of things to be thankful for these days.

Case in point, let's take a look at my golf swing. Here's some older videos from January and February this year of my swing.





Now, let's take a look at my swing that I filmed Wednesday.



Big difference and much improved ballstriking to boot.

But, to keep up with the theme of golfing thankfulness. I'm looking to continue to improve and after speaking to Steve Sieracki at Dana Dahlquist's forum, I think we may have discovered how to cure one of my biggest issues.

As I mentioned in previous updated swing posts, I wanted to solve two big issues:

1. Stop releasing the #3 PA too early and out of sequence (going 4-1-2-3)

2. Stop getting my head from tilting down and away from the target in downswing.

Sieracki proposes that my issue is the right knee and how it 'kicks out' towards the ball on the downswing. Very noticeable in this pic.


As opposed to a straighter left leg from other golfers like Hogan.



All stuff that ten years ago I probably would've been caught in the cloud of mystery as to why my game isn't where I want it. Now, that's not a problem.

Anyway, I will work on it and do some 'lab work' and see with what I come up with and post it on this blog.









3JACK