So Here's My Dilemma

I have worked very hard on my handicap (as everybody does) and I have managed to get down to 11.3. I just recently really got in the groove and had three consecutive rounds in the high 70's and was probably heading for single digits. I was at the range a couple of weeks ago hitting balls while my daughter was having her weekly lesson, her coach (ex LPGA) came over and said I was too flat on my backswing and need to get a little steeper in my swing.

I have tried to adjust, but in doing so, I have lost my swing and am all over the place and almost struggle to break 90.

I have decided to go completely back to basics and get my old swing back.

I usually post all my scores, regardless, but I have not posted anything for the last couple of weeks (about 4-5 rounds) because I feel if I do and then get back to my old groove, and my handicap has shot up to say a 14 I would get verbally slaughtered by my club etc for being a sandbagger, and we have the club championship coming up in March.

I know some people would say post everything, but I think this is only a temporary brain fart and I should be back to normal very soon.

I am very proud of where I have got with my game/handicap, and to be honest, I suppose there is a little bit of vanity there!

Your comments please!!!!

Don't change horses midstream, and having a steep swing leads to fat shots. It's great to get it working, and you generate height and spin, but steep swings can get out of whack easily. It's possible to be too steep, but not many are too shallow. If you hit it consistently and a respectable distance, be thankful. You could try taking some time off, or just practice putting and short game a lot for a while, that will probably allow your full swing to return to your tendency a bit.

Also, feel free to be skeptical of an unsolicited comment from a pro at the range, no matter the instructor. If he knows your game, then buy a lesson and work in depth with him before the tourney. But if he's just throwing advice out there, don't make any major changes. And don't get stuck with a swing change right during a tourney. You'll either have to overthink it and force the change, or you'll retain parts of your old ways and you won't be consistent, especially under pressure.

I wouldn't go changing your swing with out the help of a video camera, mirror, or professional. I mean a professional who can get you to feel what its like to get into a better position. Those who just offer one line remarks are not worth your time, and do more damage then harm. They basically left you to your own to figure it out, and that is a tough thing to do in golf, is to work out your swing on your own.

I would go back to the flatter swing, and if you feel like steeper will get you to the next level were you want to be, then find a golf pro, especially one that does video.

I agree with the others - go back to your old swing and think long and hard if you want to make changes. If you do, find a good instructor that uses video and can explain both *what* you need to change and *why* that change will be beneficial to you. Too many teachers out there that want you to change to fit their model instead of tailoring the swing to you.

As far as posting you rounds, I'd wait until you swing comes back to normal. Personally I'd play less golf and practice a bit more to get my old groove back. Take a few days off and you might find your old swing comes back on it's own.

Good luck

I've been looking into swing theory pretty hard recently, and got some great help from a couple of the pro's who blog on Sandtrap.  I won't steal their tips, but just to say that there seem to be some key choices that you need to make:  hitting or swinging, one or two plane.  I will let them join in with pointers on these choices, rather than try and give you my version of their explanations.

The key seems to be to pick a style (in my case: one plane, swinging) and focus on executing that style as good as you can.    The other key is to NOT incorporate tips without first checking to see that they are compatible with the basic pattern that you are working with.

It might be that the "steeper" tip for you was a mis match for your basic pattern, regardless of whether or not you realised that you had a basic pattern.

I had 5 lessons with one pro and all we talked about was getting the hands as far up and away on the backswing as I could get.  Total disaster for me.  As soon as I switched pro's my first change was to get flatter again.

Finally, when I lose my game with tips that don't work, I find that the best way to get my game back is to take a 2 week break.  After 2 weeks, you lose your feel and swing thoughts and then your basic instincts come back and you go back to the way you normally play.  For me, a break is better than beating balls when my game goes.

Hope you find it soon.

It serves you right.........just for living in SW Florida. (12 month golf season)

As others say about changing your swing from one-off comment at the range.  Especially since you've been on a great downward score trajectory.  I generally subscribe to the theory that if you're scores are getting better, then just keep practicing hard with the current swing.  If you plateau at a place you're not comfortable plateauing, then consider a serious swing change, but even then working on your own from some random one-off range comment is no good!

On the posting scores thing, I wouldn't worry too much about it either way.  If you post the scores it's sort of lucky happenstance sandbagging that'll let you win some club tourneys.  If you don't post them then you don't have to see your handicap go up and don't have to feel bad or take shit about getting a sort of cheap advantage over your club competitors (if the doldrums do turn out to be temporary).  I don't think you're in the wrong either way.

If you're trying to play well, post your scores. That is the only way a handicap is fair for all. The top ten score thing will take care of some of your temporary bad spell. I know your intent is good, but nothing sniffs of a sandbagger more that I guy who has not recorded rounds you know he has played.

Never trust a woman. Especially with your golf swing.

In golf, never give unsolicited advice and never take it.

How about playing only par 3 "executive" courses while you groove your old swing back? If the course doesn't have a slope and rating, I don't think there's a way to post the score for handicapping, is there?

You might not get to use the long clubs as much as you would like, but this at least would keep you from the question about whether or not you should post the scores.

Confirm this with somebody who knows the rules better than I before implementing!

The other thing to keep in mind is that the handicap only uses the best 10 rounds of the previous 20. So if your "best" were pretty recent, that gives you a few rounds to play without changing your handicap.

If you need a vanity cap to stroke your ego, enjoy it.

Everyone else will enjoy taking your cash.

Why do you regret omitting posting a 132?  The USGA handicap system will throw that score out anyway (I'm basing this off of your 7.x handicap).

Two to three years ago, I was self taught down to an unofficial H.I. of 9-10. Had just started getting serious about competitive golf, hence my first full swing lessons at Golf Tec (disastrous--almost quit). Didn't feel right not posting, considering I had just started posting scores for an official H.I.

Thanks Guys, sorry for the delay in getting back to you all, it just went crazy down here with all the snow birds arriving (I own a property managament co.).

I have decided to take the whole of Feb off from golf, it is going to be really tough as I see golfers going by the back of my house every day. I will probably get out and maybe putt a little but no full swings until March. The club championship is the last weekend of March, so hopefully my old swing will drop straight back in.

I had a similar thing a few years ago, my wife got me a three day all inclusive trip to the Nick Faldo Golf Institute in Orlando. Aparently I was a perfect one plane swing playing off a 15 hcp. They tried to change me to a two plane swing (like Nick) which completely screwed me up, I couldn't break 100. I walked away from the game completely for two months and it was my daughters coach, the same one that said I was too flat that got me back into the game.

I will post my scores, I still have the cards, it will probably put my hcp up a couple of points, but it will give me more incentive to get back to 11 or lower.

Ouch.....I can understand where you are coming from, but I'd rather play my way out of a slump.    I've been there before........believe me.   I've played my way into countless slumps and it usually boils down to a slight ball position/setup change to get me back on track.   When that light-bulb clicks-on and you have an "AH HAA" moment.....it's priceless and you will learn something from the slump.

(as opposed to hoping to forget by putting the clubs down)

My 2 cents:

dig it out of the dirt to figure out why your game hit the skids.   You'll become a better player for it......

I wish you the best!!

i agree with this.  i had the same problem:  i got myself down into the 10's and could feel single digits coming.  i felt i knew where my weakness was and started reading and working on a swing change to fix it (i thought my grip too strong and causing occasional hooks).  i didn't like the change at all, but kept at it at the range, figuring i'd get the hang of it.   my scores went up, and yep, my ego got the best of me and i didn't want to start posting those high scores as i didn't want my handicap to go up, only for it to drop again once i got the hang of my changes.   but here i am, almost 2 months later, and i've gotten more comfortable now, but not back to where i was.   *and* i'm getting my a** kicked at my tourneys and my typical 4-some bettings because i'm shooting way above my handicap.   i'm even a bit embarassed because i feel like i can't say i'm a 10 when i'm playing like a 20.  i should've posted those scores to let my handicap correct itself...