The wheels came off

**bunkerputt** · May 29, 2009

Does anyone here struggle with serious consistency issues on a daily basis? I mean toggling back and forth between "nearly everything's pure and straight", to "every single shot bladed, topped, fatted, shanked or sliced"? Yesterday at the range I was the former. Today I was the latter. The only thing I can think is that I worked out last night and my middle back is a little sore today. This seems like it's going to shorten my shoulder turn, which, if my arm swing is the same length will cause me to swing over the line and cause the slice. But I really have no clue. Yesterday I hit 83% of greens. Today, I hit less than 50%. And not a single shot was struck well today. I went through an entire bucket of range balls going for a pin 50 yds out that I was knocking down yesterday. Today, 50% were fat, 30% were shanked, 18% were skulled, and 2% were pull-hooked with a 60* wedge. I checked my finish position and it was different for just about every swing. What the hell? What do you do? Back to the freaking basics, yet again?

**trumps4** · May 29, 2009

That stinks. I know your pain though. Sorry I don't have more meaningful advice.....

**1par2win** · May 29, 2009

If this is an ongoing thing then you should waste anymore time and see your pro. If it's an occasional thing then I wouldn't worry about it too much. Stupid stuff like this happens. For me I'll lose my touch for bunker shots once a year. I'll just wake up one day and boom, it's gone. 10 minutes with the pro and all is right again.

**bunkerputt** · May 29, 2009

If this is an ongoing thing then you should waste anymore time and see your pro. If it's an occasional thing then I wouldn't worry about it too much. Stupid stuff like this happens. For me I'll lose my touch for bunker shots once a year. I'll just wake up one day and boom, it's gone. 10 minutes with the pro and all is right again.

It is definitely an ongoing thing lately. That leads me to think it is some major full-swing flaw that I'm occasionally finding compensation for. I really have no clue what it is exactly, but lately I've been focusing on keeping my right side more firm on my backswing and pressing my left foot into the ground on my transition. That seems to be around the time when most of my troubles started. What's a mixed blessing is that it's given me some really great time to practice my short game. I've gotten my 100-yards and in handicap down to about 3. But my full-swing handicap these days is oscillating between 15 and 25, depending on the day. So I end up scoring like a 12 handicapper. I know I could be a great golfer if I could just get the ball in play off the tee consistently and get it somewhere near the green on my second shot. It feels like my swing is more sound with those recent changes, I'm just not hitting the ball. That either means I'm completely wrong and my swing stinks, or it's mostly correct, and I'm just doing this one stupid thing.

I think you're right that I probably need to see a pro. One thing that makes that tough is that I've spent so much time in self-study with camera work and side-by-side analysis, that I pretty much know what my swing looks like, does, and what my tendencies are. I also think I know enough about "swing-talk" that I could probably BS my way into a golf teaching position and stay there for a while, which is what a lot of teachers have done. I'm almost not up for the challenge of trying to find someone who really understands the golf swing, and who can look at a swing and see immediately what the problem is. Basically, I don't want to end up paying hundreds of dollars to have some guys tell me what I already knew, or have them give me some cliche that they read out of last months golf digest or saw on the golf channel. But I'm willing to try because I definitely need the help. Anyone know some really good pros in Austin?

**1par2win** · May 29, 2009

It is definitely an ongoing thing lately. That leads me to think it is some major full-swing flaw that I'm occasionally finding compensation for. I really have no clue what it is exactly, but lately I've been focusing on keeping my right side more firm on my backswing and pressing my left foot into the ground on my transition. That seems to be around the time when most of my troubles started. What's a mixed blessing is that it's given me some really great time to practice my short game. I've gotten my 100-yards and in handicap down to about 3. But my full-swing handicap these days is oscillating between 15 and 25, depending on the day. So I end up scoring like a 12 handicapper. I know I could be a great golfer if I could just get the ball in play off the tee consistently and get it somewhere near the green on my second shot. It feels like my swing is more sound with those recent changes, I'm just not hitting the ball. That either means I'm completely wrong and my swing stinks, or it's mostly correct, and I'm just doing this one stupid thing.

Ahhh, the dangers of knowing too much!! Just kidding ya! Sounds like you have some knowledge of the swing so I would not recommend a teacher that provides a lot of swing theory. Since your in Austin I would think there would be a few pros down there that subscribe to Penicks philosophy. Might be something to look into. But I will say this about teaching professionals. Don't stick with one just because you are currently working with one. If you don't like the direction your game is going, then find another. I have been fortunate to find 2 that I work well with. The big advantage to having a solid working relationship with a pro is when things go south like you describe you can often diagnose the problem over the phone. They know your swing and know your tendencies. Anyway, my $.02

**chspeed** · May 29, 2009

Even if you know your swing better than anyone, sometimes a second set of eyes is all it takes. Even the pros (teaching pros that is) ask another pro to look at their swings when their swings abandon them.

You know how it is, sometimes we miss the obvious because we're looking in the wrong place. I'd do it anyway.

***iacas*** · May 29, 2009

I know I could be a great golfer if I could just get the ball in play off the tee consistently and get it somewhere near the green on my second shot.

No offense, but that's true of just about everyone. C'mon now!

It feels like my swing is more sound with those recent changes, I'm just not hitting the ball. That either means I'm completely wrong and my swing stinks, or it's mostly correct, and I'm just doing this one stupid thing.

Swing changes don't occur overnight. If they do, it's just a "quick fix" and not a true change. Be wary of quick fixes. They're great during a round if it helps you get home, but beyond that... they don't last.

I think you're right that I probably need to see a pro.

That's the best advice anyone can give and the best thing you can do at this point.

One thing that makes that tough is that I've spent so much time in self-study with camera work and side-by-side analysis, that I pretty much know what my swing looks like, does, and what my tendencies are.

No offense, but that's highly unlikely. You're a 12 handicap.

I thought I knew what I had to work on and I was/am a 3-ish handicap. Turns out that, though I was mostly right, I was going about improving those things the wrong way.

I also think I know enough about "swing-talk" that I could probably BS my way into a golf teaching position and stay there for a while, which is what a lot of teachers have done.

I say this with all due respect: be wary of your own ego, dude. You're a 12 handicap for a reason and, by your own admission, hitting the ball worse than that. Spouting "swing talk" doesn't do anyone any good... You need to take a lesson, be humble, and do what the guy tells you. That starts with picking a good instructor.

I'm almost not up for the challenge of trying to find someone who really understands the golf swing, and who can look at a swing and see immediately what the problem is. Basically, I don't want to end up paying hundreds of dollars to have some guys tell me what I already knew, or have them give me some cliche that they read out of last months golf digest or saw on the golf channel. But I'm willing to try because I definitely need the help. Anyone know some really good pros in Austin?

You're in Austin, TX? My goodness, you've probably got 20 of the world's top 100 teachers within an hour of you and a whole lot of the world's top 500 or 1000 or whatever.

So here's my final advice, again with all due respect: suck up your ego, do your research, find a good teacher, be humble, commit to a series of lessons, and do what the instructor tells you to do.

**divottool** · May 29, 2009

It doesn't even have to be day to day! Yesterday I shot 39.....46! Whats up with that?

Thats golf.

**beachbreak** · May 30, 2009

You may have a swing where if your timing is off, your game goes to hell. A streaky type of player. I have played with friends who were like this. They could be on fire one day and horrid the next. You might need to seek a middle ground whatever that may be for you, i.e., making your swing more compact, being more connected, whatever.

Maybe you never trusted your swing and were always looking to change for the better but in your case, hurt yourself in the process?

Whatever, find a swing you can trust and stick with it, hone it over time.

**iWALK18** · May 30, 2009

yes i know what you are going through... please see my sig "scores this year"

**piper_clap** · May 30, 2009

You may have a swing where if your timing is off, your game goes to hell. A streaky type of player. I have played with friends who were like this. They could be on fire one day and horrid the next. You might need to seek a middle ground whatever that may be for you, i.e., making your swing more compact, being more connected, whatever.

Thats where I am. Since I've played like the last 14 days in a row, and been off and on and off, I'm just going to walk away from the game for a few days and stop thinking about it.

**grantc79** · May 30, 2009

I'm almost not up for the challenge of trying to find someone who really understands the golf swing, and who can look at a swing and see immediately what the problem is. Basically, I don't want to end up paying hundreds of dollars to have some guys tell me what I already knew, or have them give me some cliche that they read out of last months golf digest or saw on the golf channel. But I'm willing to try because I definitely need the help. Anyone know some really good pros in Austin?

Calculate the money spent on new clubs and other random unnecessary golf expenses and that will pay for lessons.

Hell I don't always hit it pure but when I do I know why I did and when I don't I know why I didn't. Complexity is far more bearable than mystery.

**McGolf-Doggie** · May 31, 2009

Saw my pro the other day. He came up with something I hadn't thought of, that helped a great deal, with an inconsistency issue that was creeping in and out without an obvious visible explanation.

Your pro can be an extra set of eyes, and sometimes he's aware of other things you or he can barely "see," but can discern through flight path idiosyncracies. In my experience, well worth it.

**RichF** · May 31, 2009

Does anyone here struggle with serious consistency issues on a daily basis? I mean toggling back and forth between "nearly everything's pure and straight", to "every single shot bladed, topped, fatted, shanked or sliced"? Yesterday at the range I was the former. Today I was the latter. The only thing I can think is that I worked out last night and my middle back is a little sore today. This seems like it's going to shorten my shoulder turn, which, if my arm swing is the same length will cause me to swing over the line and cause the slice. But I really have no clue. Yesterday I hit 83% of greens. Today, I hit less than 50%. And not a single shot was struck well today. I went through an entire bucket of range balls going for a pin 50 yds out that I was knocking down yesterday. Today, 50% were fat, 30% were shanked, 18% were skulled, and 2% were pull-hooked with a 60* wedge. I checked my finish position and it was different for just about every swing. What the hell? What do you do? Back to the freaking basics, yet again?

Your above post perfectly encapsulates the game of golf!

Seriously though, I have days like that, more often than not, but I just put the hours in down the driving-range. I find that if I'm fatting/skulling/topping/mis-hitting with my irons, I take 3-wood and driver and just bomb 20-30 balls with those two clubs. I immediately go back to my irons, and it's as if I can't miss..... at all - everything feels flushed, nice traj/height/feel. It's weird, but it works for me. For a 1st-line of attack on your swing, I'd suggest the following drills: SW/PW > 8-iron > 6-iron > 4-iron > 3-wood > driver, 5-10 balls for each - use a half-swing for every club. If you start mis-hitting, go back to the previous club you were hitting with. Tedious, time-consuming but I'm afraid for golf, it's the hours you put in practicising that pay off...

**bunkerputt** · June 1, 2009

...So here's my final advice, again with all due respect: suck up your ego, do your research, find a good teacher, be humble, commit to a series of lessons, and do what the instructor tells you to do.

Thanks for the post, IACAS. It's all a tough pill to swallow, but I know you're right.

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The wheels came off

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