What One Thing Changed Your Game the Most?

[mcanadiens]

Probably the biggest single thing was when I lost the ability to balance on my left foot.

That happened over the winter last year.

 

[arturo28mx]

In the last couple of weeks my biggest improvement in years came after learning to swing down "on plane". My back swing was "on plane" but then my downswing was terrible. Now I'm hitting the ball better than ever (distance and consistency).

[Piz]

Going to the driving range every day.  After a year, or so, I found myself in a place I had never been...or imagined being.

[snapfade]

4 hours ago, mcanadiens said:

Probably the biggest single thing was when I lost the ability to balance on my left foot.

That happened over the winter last year.

 

Did you get injured?

 

14 minutes ago, Piz said:

Going to the driving range every day.  After a year, or so, I found myself in a place I had never been...or imagined being.

Where did you wind up?

[saevel25]

Realizing that Erik @iacas, is right 😜

In seriousness, it’s getting out of my own way and not trying to do 100 things at once. 

[mcanadiens]

23 hours ago, snapfade said:

Did you get injured?

Not any one single memorable way. Bottom line is when I drop weight on my left foot (front foot) I'm losing my balance front or backwards. Never just sorted itself over last year, so it's been harder than it used to.

[snapfade]

50 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

Not any one single memorable way. Bottom line is when I drop weight on my left foot (front foot) I'm losing my balance front or backwards. Never just sorted itself over last year, so it's been harder than it used to.

That doesnt sound good, did you get it looked at? Or is it a golf specific thing? Hope you get it worked out.

[3jacker]

Single biggest impact was a lesson I got when I was about 20.  

Like many kids that age that are decent players, my in-to-out move was over-exaggerated.  I had a full, flexible turn, then dropped by hands so far inside that I would occasionally struggle with big, high blocks out to the right.  My instructor, and rightly so, helped me with staying on plane.  Part of that lesson involved a more level turn of the shoulders, versus dropping the right shoulder.  Well, I took that and it helped but then I moved, started a job, and for whatever reason just focused on that well beyond when I had "fixed" the issue and it has since turned into tendency to use too much upper body rotation and an OTT move that I struggle with to this day, hitting the occasional vile pullish fade and repugnant toe-ish short iron.  The fix for it now feels like an arms swing, but it's not.  I took way to much of a good thing way too far. 

And now I live with the shame.

[pganapathy]

To date, the two best sports I play are golf and tennis.  For both, I got lessons and then started playing.  And more so, when I was young.  Nothing beats good lessons when you are young to groove a game

[Groucho Valentine]

I guess being able to afford to actually play golf regularly was a game changer...

[tehuti]

Most recent was for chipping motion. I need to have an "a-ha" moment for hitting fairways and hybrids - soon!

[Zesty]

On 2/7/2020 at 12:58 PM, snapfade said:

I watched a handful of videos on that, and once I understood what was going on I see some merit to it. Hows it working out for you?

Sorry I missed this earlier. I've been doing it for six years now and I don't think I will ever stop.

[Bonvivant]

For me, so far it has to be a strong mind that can put any bad shot behind me. I haven't been playing seriously for a long time, and I have always had a fairly happy-go-lucky attitude with most of my endeavors, but bad golf shots used to drive me mad. Now, when I chunk a pitch or strike a ball "hosel adjacent" it doesn't faze me one bit. I enjoy the game so much more with this trait, and I think it might be the most important point of the game, not just for me but for everybody.

If you are struggling with something, being able to let it go and just attempt your best golf shot with the best mindset/attitude in the moment will make you more happy and you will most likely (not always) play better. I suppose it has something to do with confidence, and the rest of it is blissful ignorance. No matter how bad I am at golf, I can always "know" that my next shot will be great.

A fun example from my Wednesday round playing a par 56 executive. 200 yard par 3 playing with vintage (60s) clubs. First shot, potentially in what would be water but is drained at the moment (still hazard). Decided to play a second off the tee as 3 and did it again. Dropped by the hazard hitting 5 and put it over the green. Chunked a short pitch to leave myself off the green by 10 feet yet again. 50ish foot chip in for 7. Every shot I had my mind on the task at hand, but I executed 4 of them poorly and one of them perfectly. I didn't give up on the hole, pick up the ball, or do anything of the sort. I know that a 7 on a par 3 doesn't sound like a strong point or a-ha moment, but when you are chipping in it always feels amazing and inspires you.

[mcanadiens]

6 hours ago, Bonvivant said:

A fun example from my Wednesday round playing a par 56 executive. 200 yard par 3 playing with vintage (60s) clubs

Falcon #16?

 

[Bonvivant]

Just now, mcanadiens said:

Falcon #16?

 

Yup. Hit 1W perssimon twice into the pond. Thought the first one landed on the little island on the right but it didn't

[inthecup]

A game changer for me was to swing at 80% not 100 or 100+.  I found that I can actually hit the ball further and certainly a lot more accurately.  The center of the club face is a very powerful thing!  I have access to a Foresight GC2 launch monitor with the HMT (head measurement) add on.  I am more aware of my swing dynamics than most people.  The consistency of a nice smooth swing is a game changer.  I also have learned that a hard swing is not necessarily a fast swing.

[70sSanO]

I am really too old to have an a-ha moment, but I did.  I have struggled my whole life trying to keep my downswing from going outside.  A few months ago I began in earnest on getting to my left side.  That helped putting me in a better position, but my real a-ha moment was when I started to slow down my upper body and let my hips clear.

At first it felt like I was waiting an eternity to initiate my downswing, even though in reality it was probably just a split second.  But all of a sudden I thought, where did all that space for my downswing come from.  And why am I able to have a balanced finish.  It was a, "Wow, look at this."

I have to keep on myself to maintain that tempo, especially on the course, when it is easy to speed things up.  But for the first time, I think I actually understand.

John

[GolfLug]

On 3/7/2020 at 1:31 AM, Bonvivant said:

A fun example from my Wednesday round playing a par 56 executive. 200 yard par 3 playing with vintage (60s) clubs. First shot, potentially in what would be water but is drained at the moment (still hazard). Decided to play a second off the tee as 3 and did it again. Dropped by the hazard hitting 5 and put it over the green. Chunked a short pitch to leave myself off the green by 10 feet yet again. 50ish foot chip in for 7. Every shot I had my mind on the task at hand, but I executed 4 of them poorly and one of them perfectly. I didn't give up on the hole, pick up the ball, or do anything of the sort. I know that a 7 on a par 3 doesn't sound like a strong point or a-ha moment, but when you are chipping in it always feels amazing and inspires you.

Mind over matter... Well done. You can't will yourself into shooting a lower score, but keeping things in perspective is a greater victory.