The challenges I have lie in a few different areas. I have an inside-out swing, so I hit a lot of hosel shots and break clubs. I broke about 6 clubs in the first 8-10 weeks. I'm a hitter, not a swinger. I took lessons at a local range consistently from March of last year through about July or August. Through the first half of the season I saw good progess improving my swing and learning in general. When I wasn't doing a lesson I would try to get to the range to hit balls on my own at least one time in a 7 day period.
Come around June, I felt I was ready to take the next step. I went out and played a round in a work golf league. It was brutal, I played horridly and felt totally uncomfortable on the course. I was a big hold up even in just playing 9 holes. It really messed me up mentally and when I went back to lessons, I had regressed. I kept at it though and I made some progress again, though from that point in my progress wasn't and smooth and consistent as it had been before.
As the 2012 season wound down, I was struggling. I was really working on the basics of the swing again and making grip adjustments, which I had moved passed earlier. As my frustration and disappointment with full swing stuff grew I turned my attention to the short game. Problem there was I again had consistent mechanical errors, if you make the same mistake enough times, it's not a mistake anymore it's permanent. When trying to play the chip and run, I would give up on the swing because I didn't want to skull the ball across the green. If you hit that shot properly and let your wedge do it's job, you can't really do that. It's a mental issue.
In the early fall I lost my job and couldn't continue with my golf endeavors as I had to save as much money as I possibly could. It was a mixed bag of a year. It was however, the most dedicated I've been to learning the game and improving. I stuck with it for about 4-5 months and that's FAR more than I ever had before. I did learn a lot, but being on the course is still very stressful and frustrating. That's why I asked, what are more realistic, attainable goals? How do you play on a course and have fun, when all you're going to do is struggle. Making double par, isn't fun. Not to me. At the same time, I don't want to give up. I don't want to give in, but I have to overcome these things to enjoy the game. Or, I just whack balls on the range and leave it at that, but that's lame.
