Getting lessons?

Hey everyone,

I've been reading the forum for awhile now, and finally had a reason to post.

As of late, everything about my game feels just off.  Starting with the Driver, I have a nasty slice right now.  I've always played a fade, but over the past few months, it's no longer something I'm okay with.

When I do my normal swing, I aim hard left, and the ball ends up slicing 20-30 yards to the right.  This usually means deep rough, or woods.  This happens regardless of me swinging 100% or 50%.  It's to the point where I no longer even feel comfortable swinging the driver.  My setup feels awkward and I'm no longer comfortable even swinging the club. I would guess that I'm losing a good 50 yards when using my driver due to the spin on the ball.

My irons were usually a strong point of my game, but aren't as solid lately.  I used to hit them straight as an arrow, but now they're slicing too, not nearly as bad as my Driver though.  On average, the ball fades 5-15 yards with my irons.  So that's not terrible, but still not what I'm looking for.

One thing that does bother me is my contact with the irons.  I usually play the ball up a little more than usual in my stance for all my clubs.  If i try to play my 7 iron, for example, more centered in my stance, I don't make good contact and I usually top the ball, or hit it very fat.

If I play the ball more forward, I make good contact the majority of the time, and my distances are pretty consistent.  The downfall is that, most of the time, I think i'm hitting behind the ball, and if I do get a mishit, I swing the club under the ball, and lose nearly all my distance.  As in about 100 yards on a 4 iron.  So I don't think I'm hitting down on the ball as much as I'd like.

My other woods are somewhere between my irons and woods.  A draw that is usually okay.  But I either top the ball, or slice it when I get a mishit.

This leads me to my question:

I'm thinking about taking a few lessons.  I have never taken traditional lessons before.  Everything I've learned to date has been through my dad, or random experimentation at the range.  I know there are lots of variables with lessons, but what should I expect?

Breaking down my swing and grip, and starting all over?  Fixing what's wrong and just going from there?  Should I tip the pro when i'm done, or just pay for the lesson itself?

Sorry for the wall of text, I just got back from the range and had a lot on my mind!

For what it's worth, I usually shoot in the mid to upper 80's.  Lately I've been shooting mid to upper 90's.  Early this year, I shot my all time best score of an 82, and I'd like to go back to that!

I tried making a few videos of my swing, but I couldn't really get a good angle with the range being so full, and not having someone go with me to hold my phone.

I'd appreciate any insight some of you might have!

1st. Wayyy too much detail in your post.

2nd. Hitting in the 90s? You definitely don't hit the ball correctly. You probably have countless swing flaws.

3rd. You need a lesson (if you ever want to get better).

Lessons! Not just 1 lesson. Consistent, weekly all year long lessons....til you "get it"

Hey ElTangerine

Sounds like you might benefit from having a pro look at your swing, especially if you're feeling completely lost.  As far as what to expect with lessons, it can vary.  Look around for some instructors in your area that are recommended.  Typically they will have various lesson options that range from a basic 30 minutes, to up to several sessions.  Some may include video analysis which can be really helpful.  The extent of the "intervention" needed will depend on what is going on with your swing.  It may be a simple matter of changing your setup, or giving you a new swing thought that makes sense.  There may be issues with your posture, movement, or casting in your downswing.  At any rate, it sounds like what you need is to have an instructor take a look and give you some things to work on.

Good luck and keep us posted on how things go.

Sounds to me that you're moving your upper body toward the target during your downswing.  That could explain why you like to play the ball forward in your stance.  Folks that slide toward the target often don't get the club square at impact which can cause a slice.  Have someone watch you when you swing to see if your head is moving on the downswing.  You should be playing the ball near the middle of your stance with your irons.  Of course it could be your grip.  A week grip causes a slice for most of us.  Try turning both hands clockwise on the grip about 10 degrees or more.  Then there is always the common "over the top" swing fault.  Probably half the people that play this game have that problem.  I don't have any fix for it.

Did someone say lessons would be good?  I like his advice better than mine.

So I'm definitely doing a few lessons.  I called a couple of places today, and I'm just waiting to hear back on availability from some of the pros.

Hopefully in a few weeks I'll be able to post back and say I had several moments of clarity, and now everything feels much better!  Definitely going into it with an open mind and hoping for the best.

Thanks for all the advice.  Some of the specific stuff you guys mentioned, as far as what may be causing issues, definitely made sense in my head.

Don't do lessons weekly that is a waste of money every 2 weeks is enough time for you to digest what your being taught. I would try and book a few single llessons with 3 different pros and then pick the one you feel like you "connect" with the best this is real important. I know it sounds like your spending a little bit of money on this but in the long run it will save money and make your improvement more rapid.

Thanks Onesome.  I was planning on trying out a few different pros.  I figured seeing who I clicked with would definitely be good.  Plus I would get a few different opinions on my swing instead of just one.

For the time being, I'll just be setting up one lesson at a time and go from there.

That is really good advice.