Joe,
I have been told to chart my shots, but that seems like too much work. I need a simpler way to check my progress. Which things make the most sense to chart and which are those that do not matter so much and therefore are not worth charting?
Statman

Hello Statman,
I cannot believe that is really your name, but anyway it fits your question, I bet you are an accountant, right? My method is different because I only want to identify areas that I need to work on the most. I use 7 categories. When I count fairways hit, I also include a good drive that ends up in light rough with a good lie and a clear shot at the green (purists count that as a missed fairway). On the other hand, I do not count a poor drive that happens to end up in the fairway with no chance of hitting the green (purists count it as a fairway hit). For hitting greens in regulation, I include good shots that happen to end up on the fringe to allow a reasonable putt (purists count it as a missed green). On the other hand, I do not count a mediocre shot that ends up on the wrong end of a kidney shaped green where there is no chance to 2-putt (purists count it as a green hit). For counting putts, I include putts from the fringe (purists do not). After all, it is still a normal putt, not like a British Open roller from 20 yards out. In counting up and downs, I do not include the Texas Wedge, or putts from the fringe (purists do) because to me it is not a chip shot. In counting penalties, I include chipping out from behind trees, or other recovery shots where hitting the green is not possible (purists do not), because that amounts to the same thing really, and it makes me think about course management. I count mechanical errors that cost a stroke. Sometimes it does not cost a stroke, like a thinned shot traveling almost as far as a decent shot. I count mental errors if they cost me a stroke, like picking the wrong club and then realizing too late that I did not account for wind or elevation change or the type of lie. Keeping track of these things gives me a better idea of where to spend my practice time.
Joe

Joe,
My question has to do with the triangle and all swings. Due to limited shoulder/upper body flexibility, my back hand tends to separate (pull away) from the grip on the back swing. This pulling away, reduces the connection of the triangle, as I tend to only feel like I'm swinging with my front arm/ shoulder. It feels like I lose the connection of the back shoulder when I swing down. It's like trying to hit a baseball one handed, much harder. When I swing my arms, with no club, I can really feel the connection of shoulders/arms moving as one. Any ideas, I figure I can't be the only one with this problem.Thanks.
Larry

Hi Larry,
Here are some things to try. First the grip. There are 3 commonly acceptable ways to grip the club. Interlock, Overlap, and Ten Finger. Whichever one you are using, try the other two and use the grip that gives you the best results. If you find no improvement there, perhaps you are trying too hard to maintain the triangle since you said you already have limited flexibility. The triangle works best for those who have a lot of flexibility, so just use the triangle for the first part of your backswing takeaway, then get to the top of your backswing like Vijay Singh with your elbows not too far apart, which means the back elbow must fold down. In other words, if you try to maintain the triangle too long, you may end up with a flying elbow, which could result in your back hand separating. I hope this helps, good luck to you.
Joe