23 feet 4 from the pin, sittings left to beat it, and one fix for the fat shots. The board closes Sunday, 9 pm ET.
Personalized per entrant
Good morning, Sam
23′ 4″
from the pin, last night.
20 to 40 ft
Desert Stadium · 163 yd · par 3
On the green. Now, those fat shots.
You played Desert Stadium last night: three shots at a 163-yard par 3. Your best one stopped 23 feet 4 from the pin. That’s on the green and in the 20 to 40 ft band, and you’ve got sittings left to beat it.
When you entered, I asked what you’re working on. You said fat shots: ground first, ball second. So that’s what this email is about. One fix.
Carry
153 yd
On your best one. The pin was 163.
Offline
3 yd right
Right of the flag. All three went right.
Club
6 iron
What you pulled. I’d have pulled it too.
Sittings
1 played
You’ve got more. Only your best counts.
Short and right, in the game, is club and aim. The game can’t see your swing, and I won’t pretend it can. Your answer told me where to start.
This is a fat shot.
A student sent me this swing last month. Same miss as yours. Three frames: what I saw, what it cost him, then the one fix. Orange is what I see.
Frame 01 · Address
00:00:00:14
What Nate saw
Frame one, address. The hands sit even with the ball and the shaft is straight up. With a 6 iron I want the hands at the lead thigh. On its own it’s small. It’s where the rest starts.
−2 yd
what it cost
What it leads to
Pressure that starts on the trail side and stays there.
Frame 02 · Top
00:00:01:02
What Nate saw
Frame two, the top. The hips slid toward the trail foot instead of turning. Now the pressure is on the outside of that foot, and it has a long way to get back before impact.
−4 yd
what it cost
What it leads to
Not enough time to get to the lead foot.
Frame 03 · Impact
00:00:01:09
Tap to swap the telestrator
What Nate saw
Frame three, impact. The head’s still behind the ball, the pressure never reached the lead foot, and the club bottoms out two inches behind the ball. Ground first, ball second. That’s the fat shot.
−12 yd
what it cost
The fix
Pressure into the lead foot before the arms start down. Get there first and the low point moves ahead of the ball on its own. Ball first, then ground.
+12 yd
what it gets back
The full swing
Five frames, address to finish, locked camera. The telestrator stays on. Watch the hips slide at the top, the low point sit behind the ball, and the finish hang back on the trail side.
A student with your miss · 5 frames · loop
● 240 fps source
Your one fix
Pressure first, then the arms.
Most fat shots aren’t a hands problem. They’re a pressure problem. The club bottoms out near wherever your pressure is, so if it stays on the trail foot, the low point stays back with it. Move the pressure and the low point follows.
Here’s the drill I’d give you this week. It takes ten minutes.
01
Lay a line
A strip of tape on a mat, or a chalk line on grass. Ball right on the line.
02
Ten brushes, no ball
Half swings. Brush the ground on the target side of the line. Get into the lead foot before the arms come down.
03
Ten balls
Same swing, ball on the line. Count how many brush marks start behind it. That’s your number for the week.
Ten balls a day until Thursday. On Thursday I’ll send you the next piece.
Want this on your own swing?
Send me 10 seconds.
The fix above is the one most fat swings need. Yours might need a different one, and I’d rather look than guess.
Send me 10 seconds of your swing, face-on, by reply, and I’ll send back one fix within 48 hours.
01
Face-on
Phone at hip height, square to your belt buckle, the whole swing in frame.
02
Ten seconds
One swing is plenty. Make it a 6 iron, since that’s what Desert Stadium asks for.
03
By reply
Hit reply and attach the video. I watch every one myself.
Reply with your swing
Nate Okonkwo
FLUSH · Scottsdale, AZ
Desert Stadium · the board
Where you sit
You, 23′ 4″
Inside 10 ft
10 to 20 ft
20 to 40 ft
Outside 40 ft
Closest so far
5′ 8″
Your group · 20 to 40 ft
birdie.ron Mesa
21′ 7″
jwhit Chandler
22′ 10″
You Sam · Monday night
23′ 4″
ella.v Denver
24′ 1″
cwright22 Austin
26′ 5″
You’ve played one sitting, and you’ve got more. Only your best shot counts, and 10 to 20 ft is one good strike away. The board closes Sunday at 9 pm ET. Closest to the pin wins a free seat in FLUSH 6.
Play Desert Stadium again
Three shots, about a minute
Free · 412 in so far
powered by
Pressure first. Send me the swing. The board closes Sunday, 9 pm ET.
Nate Okonkwo · FLUSH · Scottsdale, AZ
You’re getting this because you entered Nate’s closest to the pin at Desert Stadium on Heckler with this address. A few emails this week about what you’re working on, then the weekly, Ten Balls.
