80 replies to this topic

[Special07]

3rd lesson today. Still stuck on little things on my swing. He says I have a nice natural swing and says he can get me shooting below 90 in no time. But then 3 lessons in and still different little things, something new each time, on my swing and haven't moved on to the other parts of my game yet. Today just hit a pitching wedge most of the lesson trying to get the bottom half of my swing (hips and legs) right and also trying to hit down on the ball rather than before it. I feel it will all come together and there's just lots of little minor adjustments that I never knew of that will take some time getting used to. But I just wonder if we needed 3 lessons to get to where I am now, and if it could have been done in 1 or 2 and looked at other aspects by now as well..

[GPJ_Longdriver]

Special ........ as always we're impatient buggers aren't we? If you think about your lesson with your pitching wedge, the focus is really to get you into the habit of hitting down on the ball. That effects every club from your wedges thru to at least mid irons, so it's critical to get it right and to get that feeling ingrained. Do that and at least half your clubs are going to be a lot better, so it's worth taking the time to really get that feel right. A lot of golfers want a quick fix, they want a lesson, then to go out and shoot par ..... but it just doesn't happen. I reckon what we start to work on today, doesn't really show up until about a month later. What we learn or practice today needs time to get ingrained, to become second nature and something we don't need to consciously think about ..... and that is when the great leaps forward occur. I know from my own experience, that it wasn't until about a month after I dedicated some real time to my putting, that it started to show in the results. So, once you start to hit down and thru without having to think about it ...... your game will really take off, so stick with it. All these "different little things" will slowly come together for you. Hopefully you will have a "before and after" video of your swing, so that you can see down the track, just how far your swing has come (and not just read it on a scorecard).

[Special07]

Special …..... as always we’re impatient buggers aren’t we?

If you think about your lesson with your pitching wedge, the focus is really to get you into the habit of hitting down on the ball.

That effects every club from your wedges thru to at least mid irons, so it’s critical to get it right and to get that feeling ingrained.

Do that and at least half your clubs are going to be a lot better, so it’s worth taking the time to really get that feel right.

A lot of golfers want a quick fix, they want a lesson, then to go out and shoot par ….. but it just doesn’t happen.

I reckon what we start to work on today, doesn’t really show up until about a month later. What we learn or practice today needs time to get ingrained, to become second nature and something we don’t need to consciously think about ….. and that is when the great leaps forward occur.

I know from my own experience, that it wasn’t until about a month after I dedicated some real time to my putting, that it started to show in the results.

So, once you start to hit down and thru without having to think about it …... your game will really take off, so stick with it. All these “different little things” will slowly come together for you.

Hopefully you will have a “before and after” video of your swing, so that you can see down the track, just how far your swing has come (and not just read it on a scorecard).

http://www.golflink.com.au/...
2012 Rotary Ambrose Champions “All Star Team” Member.
LD Wins – Growling Bog, Waterford Valley, Bendigo.
Bacchus Marsh 27 Hole Event winner 2013.
FRANK’S COACH.

Ahh patience.. if only we all had lots of it! Currently my head is spinning with all these small minor adjustments. Remembering to do each every swing is a bloody challenge. Hitting down on the ball and taking the ground after the ball is also a massive challenge for me. Lots of practice a head needed. I don't know how people get good at this game playing as a once off all the time..

[Special07]

So update. Had time off this morning so got 18 holes of practice in. Front 9 was fantastic by my standards I was really happy. Had a 44. Birdy on the par 5 and I missed a few really gettable birdy and par puts. Back 9 wasn't as good I didn't feel anywhere near as good striking it either but was consistent and steady and had a 47 so 91 combined and nearly cracked 90 for the first time. Score wasn't that important to me though I was just happy with how I was going. Iron play was fantastic, really consistent and the confidence was up. Putting an issue. Driver was no good today. I was doing 2 things all day. One was shanking left and straight up. Literally miles in the air and only 100 meters in front of me. And the other was the slice. Basically hit none straight but I still played well enough with the next shot and I didn't hit a bad shot twice in a row all day. Still heaps to work on but I was happy with the iron play today because its probably the best indicator that the adjustments to the swing are working..

[GPJ_Longdriver]

Nice work Special .... getting towards accomplishing a milestone (breaking 90) is always good incentive to take the next step forward. Pick your one weakest area, and spend an hour or two on it, then move on. small focussed incremental improvements, in one area of the game at a time (whichever area crops up), will see you gradually improve. It's much easier than trying to work on lots of different areas at once. In terms of practising for the time poor, when you just can't get out on course regularly ........ do some putting on the lounge room carpet at home ........... grab a club and go have some practice swings in the bigbutt, etc etc, anything that gets a golf club in your hand or in thinking about your game. Lots of ways to practice when not on the course itself.

[GPJ_Longdriver]

One thing on hitting down and getting the ground after the ball ...... make sure that when you have a practice swing that you do take a divot. Then just do the same thing again, only with the ball in the way. Oh, and if Beacy's groundstaff take issue with it ........... well you never heard it from me :-)

[Special07]

One thing on hitting down and getting the ground after the ball …... make sure that when you have a practice swing that you do take a divot.

Then just do the same thing again, only with the ball in the way.

Oh, and if Beacy’s groundstaff take issue with it …........ well you never heard it from me :-)

http://www.golflink.com.au/...
2012 Rotary Ambrose Champions “All Star Team” Member.
LD Wins – Growling Bog, Waterford Valley, Bendigo.
Bacchus Marsh 27 Hole Event winner 2013.
FRANK’S COACH.

I've been attempting to do this, I have definitely improved on taking the right amount of divet (previously often took too much and too far before the ball) and I believe I'm getting closer or more consistent in hitting down on it. Ball striking seems to be a lot cleaner of late anyway..

[Special07]

Played 18 this afternoon after doing the early shift at work. Another very promising performance. Closest I've ever come to breaking 90 and if not for a missed put on the last I would have. Ended with an even 90. 45 and 45. Some really consistent hitting with the irons is where the improvement is coming from atm. Slicing the driver still but today was more of a fade on most shots. Was finding the fairway or just off most of the time but that slice still haunts me. Putting average still, chipping and pitching needs work but its all improving which is due to the fact I have been able to practice a fair bit lately. I didn't play the par 3s great either. Struck the ball well but was getting them short or bad aim pushing them right. Plenty of areas I know I could have done better that could have easily seen me break 90. So very pleased. But I know I can't let my guard down because I can just as easily get close to 100 again next time. Also because I was stuck behind the comp players I played 2 balls and also did extra chipping and putting. I counted the first ball as my score but the 2nd ball would have been close if not better than the first one. Was playing consistent bogey golf.

[The Robinator]

Your journey so far is very similar to mine. I started playing after a long break last October and was off 27 to begin with and very happy if I broke 100. Since then I have dropped my cap to 17. My best so far is 84 off the stick. I too slice my driver and have tried everything and have toned the amount of slice down, but, it is still there, like a bad smell. I have a decent short game and play out of bunkers really well, but, I can't putt for ****. Consistent iron hits and course management got me to 17, but, I think putting is the most important part and now takes up most of my practice time.

[Special07]

Your journey so far is very similar to mine. I started playing after a long break last October and was off 27 to begin with and very happy if I broke 100. Since then I have dropped my cap to 17. My best so far is 84 off the stick. I too slice my driver and have tried everything and have toned the amount of slice down, but, it is still there, like a bad smell. I have a decent short game and play out of bunkers really well, but, I can’t putt for ****. Consistent iron hits and course management got me to 17, but, I think putting is the most important part and now takes up most of my practice time.

sounds like you've made some great progress in a short amount of time! Well done! That gives me good hope! They say practice makes perfect, but in this game if you don't practice the exact right things your wasting a lot of time and forming bad habits. Knowing what your doing right and wrong is the hardest part! I too have tried everything to shake the slice and just as I think I have, it rears its ugly head.

[Special07]

Played 18 with a mate today and wow frustrating but rewarding game at the same time.. I shot a even 100 but far out did I play much better than that. My short game is a huge issue.. I started with a double on the first after being a 10 meters to the right of the green away after 2. Ended thinning the chip and rolled off the green on the other side, chip back up and 2 put. 2nd hole Par 3 I hit the hybrid well right but a clear chip on for the 2nd shot once again thinned it and smashed it to the other side and rolled in the bunker. Sand was wet first one just didn't quite get up and rolled back down, 2nd one out and 2 put. 6 on a par 3.. I then proceeded to play bogey golf and some good golf with very gettable par puts on all of them and missed them all. Also left a birdy put short and missed the par put. Then had another explosion where I got an 8 on a par 4 due to duffed chips and then a 3 put. Then played some more bogey golf and missed some gettable pars. Ended up with a 52 on the front and walked away feeling like I played so much better than that and was really happy with the ball striking but the short game was atrocious.. Back 9 started with a 7 on the 10th par 5. First 2 shots got within 100, smashed the pitch in up on the hill then had the impossible task to chip back down and have it not roll too far.. all down hill went down off the green, chip back up 2 put. Then played some more bogey golf blowing some good par opportunities due to putting or chipping. Had a double bogey on a par 5 where I played well but blew the short game. Highlight of the day was 2nd shot on the 16th an 8 iron 120 out the guys teeing off the next hole watched it all the way and let out an 'ohhhhhh' as I couldn't see up the hill knew that ment it was close.. Walked up and an inch tap in. Finished with a horrible 7 on the last due to a terrible short game once again. chip went too far then the chip back on was too hard due to the hill and rolled off. In short I am happy with the signs.. The ball striking was excellent and if not for some woeful putting and chipping the score could have easily dropped by 10 and that's not an exaggeration. Definitely need to fix some areas but there's some really good signs. Took some info on membership home and very close to signing up. Just waiting on my mate to commit as well as he's under 22 and $335 with that value he'd be stupid not to.

[Special07]

Played 9 tonight and felt like I hit the ball terribly yet got away with a 45... Driver was really good all day and that made the difference I was having a clear 2nd shot every time, which to my surprise based on recent rounds, was aiming them horribly or just hitting them bad either thinning, taking too much ground or slicing.. But due to good driving I was always still close enough to be in with a chance, short game wasn't great again. I pretty much just played bogey golf once again with one double and one par.. Blew some par puts too.. If I can walk away with a 45 and feel like I didn't strike it well at all, I must be improving! Driver felt great today when it hasn't been good lately..

[Special07]

Played 2 games over the weekend and scored 99 both times.. Took me until about the 15th hole of today to realise what I was doing. Was slicing the ball crazy last 2 days and although I could feel my hands opening up a lot when it happened.. I finally realised my swing path was too much outside to inside which was no what I had been practicing.. so when I realised and brought my swing a bit more rounder.. I went par, par par, bogey, bogey to finish. Although still sliced a bit and I can feel when it happens my wrists sort of open up like im playing a cover drive in cricket.. Very frustrating 2 games of that crap and took me so long to realise..Seemed like all that practice I'd be doing had been wasted.. Short game was good though.. Ah well back to the drawing board!!

[Special07]

So after feeling like I was making some real progress after some lessons and lots of practice.. in the last week or so I've been playing like a total dog and nothing feels right and I have no idea why or what I'm doing.. Was at the range tonight and slicing everything including even high irons.. Videod some of my swing but only from the one angle.. Feedback would be great.. as to me it looks ok, all I can really think of is im opening my hands up on impact.. Video with me hitting the driver is currently uploading.

[Special07]

And the driver