Guru,

I have been taking lessons from my club pro for about five months now and in that time I’ve seen him about 4-5 times and playing pretty much every week. My instructor has taught me to make contact with the ball first and take a divot after contact. I have noticed some improvements in my game however my handicap remains at 25? It seems that on most holes there is still that one bad shot that seems to ruin any chance of playing to my goal of bogey golf. Apart from a lot of practice, is there anything I can do on course to help get rid of the one bad shot on almost every hole? Hopefully there is, as a 85-90 looks better than a test century!

learn how to chip n put mate…..n no matter how many bad shots u hit u have 2 lost shots i reckon….

Piesfan

I can understand where you are coming from. I have been having lessons for 12 months and reduced my handicap from 19.3 to 15.1. But don’t think I have played a consitent round the whole time. If my driver is working the irons are crap, if the irons are working the putting is crap. At the moment the irons and putting are good but every drive is an awful duck hook. The big difference I notice is where as before if one part of game is off it is not a train wreck I am sure that the another parrt of the game will get me over the line whereas before it was a disaster zone.

I am still doing the drills and things are becoming a little more natural. Hpoefully both of us will have the confidence to string it all toegther and A grade here we come. Best of luck

Steve

Piesfan,

Six month plateau is normal.

You are at the stage now that results should show. Be patient in the knowledge that your plan will work and your pro knows what he is talking about.

No result in two months—change both. Your plan should be so simple that it can’t fail.

What worries me is you are talking to us instead of your pro. Your success depends mainly with you communication level with your pro.

Kick him up the arse and see what he says. He can handle it. Tell him what you told us. Exactly. He will appreciate the honesty.

Go with the Darts advice. There are times when the knowledge takes time to get from head to hands. That pace cannot be forced.

But make sure there is a plan in place and get it mapped out with your pro so you can measure progress in means other than just the scores at times.

I’ll throw the word mental in there too. i have a mate who plays off 23 (recently 26) and the idea of dropping his handicap mortifies him because he is scared to “not to well” in terms of making 36pts. I play off 17 now and for the first time am forced to make par on a hole to get my 2 pts. When I look at it that way, it can be a daunting thought to drop my handicap further. However, all I need to do is save 1 stroke in the round to make up, and if I drop another stroke.. then all I have to do is save one more. To me, playing good golf has nothing to do with one’s handicap.. it is the journey that you can reflect on long after the years have taken away your ability to swing a club, so enjoy where your personal journey will take you. You might try taking a lesson from another coach and see what he says too (if my rant didn’t do anything for you ;-) )

@ Pies fan,

Like going to a doctor, if you’re not happy get a second opinion but don’t disregard what youve been shown. It can be like ‘Horses for courses’ or you maynot agree with what the pro tells you. They all have their ways of showing ppl how to play the game you just have to take the parts that are revelant to you and add them into your own game. BUT THEIR FUNDAMENTALS are always spot on.

Guys, if we did not chuck in the odd bad shot, and my bad shots are very odd, then there would be no need for lessons – period.

Golf is a long haul pastime at which we may become adequate if we are lucky, respectable if we are diligent in our search for knowledge and disciplined in our practise, and proficient if we are blessed.

We have a sporting chance at adequacy, an outside chance of respectability and a slim, to none, chance at proficiency.

Perhaps I should quit golf and take up philosophy.

I don’t have a teacher at the moment, but have been working through the golf lessons here.

Prior to that I used to play mediocre golf very consistently shooting 86 – 90 every week, but as I started changing my swing I started shooting anything between 88 and 100. Frustrating to say the least, and the mental pressure started to build up.

I made a resolution to stop worrying about my scores and just enjoy my golf, which has taken a lot of the anxiety out of my round. Always Be Cool. And last week I shot 78 (+6) despite a couple of triples on the back nine. I don’t expect to shoot that every week, but it was nice to finally see a return on my efforts.

Bottom line is that a good round may be just around the corner. If your swing is improving, it may just be a matter of playing within yourself, playing more conservatively off the tee and aiming away from trouble when approaching the green.

Always stick with the program – don’t let your new changes break down just because you are playing in a comp.

PS: Have you done any tracking about where you are losing your shots? I found that really useful as immediate perceptions can be misleading… I sit down after every round and work out which category of shots was costing me – I found I was losing lots of strokes with misdirected shots off the tee, so I focussed on making a more controlled swing with my 3 wood and driver, rather than trying to belt it. Keeping the ball in play takes pressure off everything else.

We have a sporting chance at adequacy, an outside chance of respectability and a slim, to none, chance at proficiency.

Perhaps I should quit golf and take up philosophy.

Didn’t some one say: Golf is like Life, whatever you do on the Golf course mmicks Life…. at large.

I really appreciate all your feedback and will take it on board. I’m more than happy with my instructor, as he has tought me how to use my clubs as intended and my ball strike, when right, is as better as it’s ever been. I actually played today and shot a 93 (51 & 42). I haven’t shot a 42 in a long time! So, Steve and Dart, maybe things are coming along ok, I may just be a little impatient. I also played yesterday and spoke to my pro too. I mentioned that we should have a refresher.

PS – The 42 today included an 8 on the last, Doh! I was +3 on the back nine going in to the 18th.

Piesfan

Sounds like it is coming together and you are continuing with your caoch. 3 over for 8 holes is great. All the work is paying off, keep up with the drills and that handicap is going to get cut big time.

I am continuing with my drills 15 mins very night. 37 pts this week with a course waterlooged from a major tropical low and only hit 2 fairways. But hit some absolutley pure iron shots, worth the coaching and drills just feel the senstation of hitting the ball properly

Steve

Piesfan

Sounds like it is coming together and you are continuing with your caoch. 3 over for 8 holes is great. All the work is paying off, keep up with the drills and that handicap is going to get cut big time.

I am continuing with my drills 15 mins very night. 37 pts this week with a course waterlooged from a major tropical low and only hit 2 fairways. But hit some absolutley pure iron shots, worth the coaching and drills just feel the senstation of hitting the ball properly

Steve

How did you hit 37points in that swamp. I,ve got webbed feet from all the paddling.

Pom

I know where you are coming from. I think I must have been channelling some divine intervention probably as with the amount of water in my golf shoes I spent the last 14 holes walking on water, the miracles might have translated to my irons as they certainly saved my butt.

But one of playin partners had 38 pts, at least it was easy to work out where the ball landed just look for the spalsh on or off the fairway.

Steve

Better make the most of it. It could be a while before the course is playable again. I.m off to Sydney to find some better weather. (I HOPE).

With the way the rains hamerring down out there at the moment your probably right. Best of luck in Sydney, where are you going to be based. When we lived there used to play Bankstown alot but also used to like to get out to Liverpool and Cabramatta.

Rather damp Isn,t it, Getting heavier too.Staying in Five Dock , Going to try Concord on a weekday . Couple of other possibles.Then back to Brisbane for the long weekend for a round somewhere with the son in law & maybe a round with a couple of forum members

Piesfan, keep at it. As a few have suggested, talk to your pro and tell him you thought you’d have seen results by now.

In saying that, if you are hitting it good in practice, you just have to get out of your own way and let the good score happen on the course.

Pies fan I feel your pain too.

I had lessons earlier this year and I got down to 14 (from 17) before going back to 15 and now I’m stuck there. Long term goal is to get to 10. Short term is 13.

My teacher (who was brilliant by the way) left for China and so I decided to work on what he told me until I get to 13 then I’ll look for someone else.

I find most of my shots are left on the green or nearby, so at the moment I’m working on chipping and htting at least 300 putts per week inside 10ft. Maybe get a couple of short games lessons. I had a bunker lesson, which was money really well spent.

On Saturday I was all square after the round. I three-putted the last three greens, all from outside 25 feet, so was looking for a noose walking off 18. Should have finished 3 up.

If I can be 13 by the end of the year I’ll be happy.

Stick at it. For 99.99% of us, golf is a journey, not a destination. Exception: T.Woods

Stick to your guns mate, it will all come together (as it did in your last round). Keep persisting and focus in on your weaknesses in your practice, sessions, so when it comes to play day, you will be confident and will trust yourself….

I have been having lots of lessons in the past 3 months.

I went from shooting 100-110 to 85-90.

It was alot of work at the range (at least 5 times a week) and playing 3 times a week.

The biggest cut to my score was learning to putt and chip well.
turning 3 putts into 2 putts or sometimes 1 putts.
up and downs to save par (from bunkers or chipping/pitching)

Now, if only I can tee off well, I think I can break 80!

That’s the Challenge in this game: getting all cylinders to fire in Sync.

and more often than not they don’t (at least for mid- high markers).

If the Drive is off, scrambling is the name of the game.

Hope things will turn around for you…

I have been having lots of lessons in the past 3 months.

I went from shooting 100-110 to 85-90.

It was alot of work at the range (at least 5 times a week) and playing 3 times a week.

The biggest cut to my score was learning to putt and chip well.
turning 3 putts into 2 putts or sometimes 1 putts.
up and downs to save par (from bunkers or chipping/pitching)

Now, if only I can tee off well, I think I can break 80!

Click on Golf School and read the article Sick of Hacking?

Wonderful.

Most golfers reach a scoring plateau and then never improve, despite continued practice and lessons. Golf is an athletic endeavor, and you will only go as far as your athletic ability will take you. Most golfers, when they reach a plateau, will change instructors or methods and rarely see an improvement. I think that getting an honest assessment of one’s physical state is part of the improvement process. Most golfers are too heavy, too inflexible, and too weak to play good golf. Luckily, however, all these things are fixable with the right kind of program. I think that a golf-specific exercise regimen is a necessity for long term improvement (as well as injury prevention).