Practice after lessons....

**TN94z** · May 11, 2009

Well, I went and had my first range session today after my first lesson Friday. I am working on changing my grip a little, slightly straightening my takeaway, and shifting my weight left with my hands leading the club through impact more. Man, I have never hit the ball as bad as I did today. It was terrible. I was hitting fat shots, thin shots, shanks, you name it! Is this the norm for making swing changes? I knew that I wouldn't hit the ball that good while going through the change because I have made changes to my swing in the past....but this is just nasty!

**Wannabe Paper Tiger** · May 11, 2009

I've heard the same. and have the same fear since I will be starting lessons this week. It's apparently due to the fact that 1) you are making changes to something that is ingrained (your old swing) and you are 2) definitely conscious of it which just makes you either overdo things or just have all these thoughts in your head. analogy is like driving a car for the first time v. after having driven a car for a few years already... hope that makes sense and please update on progress...

**TN94z** · May 11, 2009

I was expecting to hit it bad and I know I will have to have patience, but man is it frustrating!!

I am not worried about it because I know that I will eventually get it worked out and will be hitting the ball much better and more consistent....I will just have to skip out on playing any more for a while I guess.

**Eeryck** · May 11, 2009

I am working on changing my grip a little, slightly straightening my takeaway, and shifting my weight left with my hands leading the club through impact more.

This seems like a lot of things at one time.

After my first lesson, I had only one move I was thinking about on a 1/2 swing, I did the same one move with one club for about 3-weeks this winter before moving on to fixing other swing issues. Perhaps, work on the grip at home in the evenings so you don't think about it on the range. Then, focus on straightening take away for a range session. Then, focus on your weight shift for a range session. Finally, working on hands leading the club through impact. Perhaps breaking it up into segements will make the process more managable. Regards, -E

**wannabe** · May 11, 2009

I'm nowhere near your index, but even with my grooved push/slice, after my first few lessons, everything came unhinged.

I assumed the lower one's index, the more swing changes would be easier to incorporate, or would be more 'tweaking'. guess not.

Hang in there, and yeah, I haven't played a round in a couple of months trying to rebuild my confidence on the range. It's so worth it, though -- my new swing is so much better!!

**TN94z** · May 11, 2009

This seems like a lot of things at one time.

Well, that is what I have kind of been doing. I can work on the grip and takeaway at home in the mirror. Then on the range I take half swings to work on the weight shift and impact. Actually my weight shift was okay, it was mainly just my hands through impact. It sounds like a lot of changes but they were actually subtle changes because my position were very close to begin with. This is mainly just tightening things up a bit. The biggest difference is the grip change and takeaway. They feel so different than what I was used to that I think this is making the difference. I went to the range again after work and was hitting it better but I was pulling it so I think I need to concentrate on my lag and weight shift next time.

I'm nowhere near your index, but even with my grooved push/slice, after my first few lessons, everything came unhinged.

My index on here is kind of misleading. I just started posting scores with GHIN so I only have 7 posted, which means they take my lowest single round which was a 75. Once I get 20 in, my index will go up. I am probably around a 5. The changes were very minimal like I said above...I think that I am just consciously thinking about it so much that its making my swing rigid...I don't know. It will work itself out and I will be better after its over...the problem is getting through this down time!

**CarlSpackler** · May 12, 2009

Well, I went and had my first range session today after my first lesson Friday. I am working on changing my grip a little, slightly straightening my takeaway, and shifting my weight left with my hands leading the club through impact more. Man, I have never hit the ball as bad as I did today. It was terrible. I was hitting fat shots, thin shots, shanks, you name it! Is this the norm for making swing changes? I knew that I wouldn't hit the ball that good while going through the change because I have made changes to my swing in the past....but this is just nasty!

My teacher weakened my grip last year, and it felt weird of course. I spent every evening for several weeks practicing gripping the club in my living room just to get accustomed to the feel. I would put a ball on the floor and set up to it with my new grip. I would make slow motion backswings. Once that felt normal to me, I would go to the range and hit small buckets of balls.

**kfowler** · May 12, 2009

I feel your pain. That's why Winter is the best time for swing changes. My experience has been:
1.) Concentrate on only one swing thought at a time. If not for the whole practice session, at least for half.
2.) If it feels odd, you're probably doing it right. I was amazed at how uncomfortable my swing felt during changes. However given the way I was swinging before, I can understand why.

**putput** · May 12, 2009

Like another said i am no were close to your handy cap, but i also went and had a friend who teaches look at my swing and make some adjustments to it. He did wonders for me while i was on the range, i was shooting straighter, hitting it longer, but the best thing was i "knew" when i hit the ball in a general scene what i did with it and where it was going to go.

Well just like you i took this "new found glory" to the golf course with a buddy of mine and i just hacked it. I wasn't having big issues but i found myself over thinking all the steps i had learned and it was throwing my swing off. Finally i had to just get that repetition down and i started to hit it a bit better.

I feel for you brother, i think the more i practice, the more it becomes better muscle memory, the less i will have to keep a hard trained thought on it and more natural my "good" golf swing will become. Keep your chin up, your head down and let em fly.

**billm408** · May 12, 2009

For just this reason, I've generally found better results working on swing changes by not hitting balls, but just swinging the club. Working on training a new move without the (often painful) results getting in the way of what I'm trying to accomplish.

**TN94z** · May 12, 2009

For just this reason, I've generally found better results working on swing changes by

I do it at home quite a bit, but it is hard to see if you are correct at impact at full speed without hitting a ball and seeing the results, ie. divot, trajectory, etc..

**billm408** · May 12, 2009

True- at some point you gotta take it out for a test drive. I know that for me, I'll start focusing on ball flight/impact/direction etc... instead of the swing change and start making adjustments. Usually before I've given myself enough time to incorporate the change fully.

**TN94z** · May 12, 2009

That happens to me too..I know I have not given it enough time. I just assumed I would hit it a little better than I am.

**billm408** · May 12, 2009

My swing coach used to tell me that the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary!

**TN94z** · May 12, 2009

My swing coach used to tell me that the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary!

I like that!!

**wannabe** · May 12, 2009

as i've been working at the range a lot, i've begun to tell myself that all those bad shots on the range are me 'getting it out of my system', or in other words, a shank on the range could've instead been a shank on the course (for that moment in time), so in my world it means one less shank on the course somewhere down the road. helps me get through the rough patches when i'm tweaking.

also, it's good to emphasize what was correct about the shot you hit. "At least it was straight", or "nice trajectory", or "wow, I'm in a good balanced finish".

**TN94z** · May 13, 2009

Well, I hit about 60 SW shots in the backyard today. I focused on grip for a little while, takeaway for a little while, and then on impact. I got the grip and takeaway down pretty much. The first few shots I hit focusing on impact were not good. But the last 30-40 were pretty good. They weren't full because I don't have the room at the house but they were half to 3/4 shots. They were all "clicking" and had small divots (because they weren't full shots). The little practice session felt pretty good. Now I just need to get to the range and work on the full swing and then work my way up the clubs until I get it somewhat in muscle memory. All in all, I think my progress is on track. I don't go back to my teacher for 2 more weeks, so I have plenty of time to hit many balls. I definitely feel better after this afternoon than I did when I made this thread.

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Practice after lessons....

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