Going Through Swing Change Is So Difficult

[khalespace]

I started golf 20 years ago casually with only friends and coworkers helping me with my swing. My swing is very inconsistent with most of the problems that many amateurs have, hitting the ball fat and thin and flipping at impact. I finally decided to take lesson and on video my swing looks terrible. No weight shift, backswing too flat, too much movement in right knee and then flipping at impact is confirmed.

The instructor is trying to help me with weight shift, and a backswing that is more steep, left shoulder position pointing at the ball, and left wrist bowed. It feels so unnatural. I have been doing this for 3 weeks and I have a lot of muscle aches but the swing is still inconsistent as I tend to revert back to the old swing. Sometimes there is glimmer of hope and I hit it right with the new swing and the ball goes 20 to 25 yards farther. For example, I usually hit 115 yards with my 9 iron but a few times I hit the ball solidly with the new swing or a hybrid swing and it went 140 yards. I have never hit the ball this far before unless I hit it thin. Last weekend I went to the course and it was a disaster. I was too conscious of the new swing and sometimes my mind went blank on the backswing with so many swing thoughts and I shot 99.

Have you successfully gone through swing change and what would you recommend for me?

[iacas]

1 hour ago, khalespace said:

weight shift, and a backswing that is more steep, left shoulder position pointing at the ball, and left wrist bowed. It feels so unnatural.

In defense of the instructor, it will feel unnatural, because you've never done it before.

In the opposite… you're working on four separate things all at once? Ugh.

I recommend this:

Do not make full swing changes by making full swings at full speed.

[TourSpoon]

First of all, swing changes feel awkward. That's because you are doing something different as Iacas said.  We have all been there or are currently there working on something or another. For me its down to one or maybe two things at a time, but not more than that. And its recognizing that some things are fixes and others are symptoms. My advice is to ask your instructor what is the number one thing you need to nail down first and work on that one thing. The answer may surprise you. In my latest lesson with a new guy he told me that my setup would solve 80% of my issues and he was right. By fixing my setup it got rid of the excessive shift right, which made for a more centered turn, which shortened up my backswing and got me more solid at impact. The point is, ask for that one thing, nail it down, and go from there. 

As far as playing golf, that should never be about playing swing. I dance with the one who I brought and aside from some simple swing thoughts I leave the analysis on the practice tee. 

[DrvFrShow]

6 hours ago, iacas said:

 

Do not make full swing changes by making full swings at full speed.

🤣 This is me. I should write that 500 times.

 

[Piz]

Whenever we, as golfers, have an "Aha!" moment; the tendency is to think we have found another piece of the puzzle.  This ignores what we know about puzzles...that each connection we make reduces the number of pieces left.  The goal is to have fewer and fewer "pieces" left...not to have more and more.  

So...a swing change will work if it leaves one with fewer, rather than more, things to think about.  And the way to do that is by repetition.  We were none of us born with the innate ability to tie our shoes; but we learned how to do so and moved on.  The golf swing is like that; we have to put some things behind us in order to move on.  Many of those things seem mundane, or inconsequential, or awkward...but they are not.  They are steps along the way that each of us must incorporate in our own particular way.

And that means that despite our common goal...the order of assembly is going to vary.  Good luck.  Do not despair.  If it was easy everybody could do it.

[Double Mocha Man]

20 minutes ago, Piz said:

Whenever we, as golfers, have an "Aha!" moment; the tendency is to think we have found another piece of the puzzle.  This ignores what we know about puzzles...that each connection we make reduces the number of pieces left.  The goal is to have fewer and fewer "pieces" left...not to have more and more.  

So...a swing change will work if it leaves one with fewer, rather than more, things to think about.  And the way to do that is by repetition.  We were none of us born with the innate ability to tie our shoes; but we learned how to do so and moved on.  The golf swing is like that; we have to put some things behind us in order to move on.  Many of those things seem mundane, or inconsequential, or awkward...but they are not.  They are steps along the way that each of us must incorporate in our own particular way.

And that means that despite our common goal...the order of assembly is going to vary.  Good luck.  Do not despair.  If it was easy everybody could do it.

Ah Piz... I love those "aha" moments.  I live for them.  But I've had "aha" moments when I realized it was the spark plugs that needed changing... when it was actually a timing belt problem.  I've had 4762 "aha" moments with my golf swing.  And 4762 new swing keys...

[Antneye]

Take the advice being given and do it quickly. I've wasted years thinking there was a quick fix. I've visited a few instructors and they both sucked. One actually told me that with my swing I should easily be able to score and only told me to focus on letting the swing go. What the hell does that even mean? Interview your potential instructors to make sure you are getting what you paid for. I have received better instruction on this site than anywhere else. 

Start a swing thread. Film your swing. Identify the one critical piece you need to work on and stay with it until it's time to move on to the next piece. It sounds to me like your focus should be the takeaway but no one can tell you until we see your swing. 

Dive into the instructional videos on this site. I honestly believe everything anyone needs to shoot in the 80's is in there if used properly. 

I had an aha moment yesterday with my priority piece but I've learned enough to know that I'm a long way from moving on to something else.  You need to stay with it until it is so ingrained in your muscle memory that you no longer have to think about it. 

[RFKFREAK]

12 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

🤣 This is me. I should write that 500 times.

 

+1

[FlyingAce]

I have 2 friends who are going thru swing changes now, both have been playing for decades, both decent golfers and both have the same coach at Golftec.

One of them is really struggling, to a point that it is dangerous to play with him because of his errant shots. If he could connect, they are great but 90% of the time he couldn’t. The problem is he only sees his coach once a month and doesn’t get to play/practice much. It’s been over a year (could be two) and he is still struggling...

My other friend is also struggling but she sees the coach every week and practices/plays every day so the coach can catch her mistakes rather quickly. But I honestly don’t see much difference in her game with a swing change but she feels it is better if she can get it to work.

I have a different coach at Golftec who doesn’t believe in completely changing one’s swing unless something is really wrong...so we work with what I have and got great results. I don’t think I will ever have the patience to change anything about my swing! 

Edited September 17, 2020 by FlyingAce

[khalespace]

Thank you for your responses. I am trying to practice my new backswing and hit into an impact bag 200 to 400 times a day to train my body. Working at home is great for this. I just try 30 swings every hour.

My instructor told me to use only half swing for now but I kept hitting balls with my full swing at the range. It is hard. I think he is right, somehow I am able to hit more solidly and being closer to the new swing with my half swing.

I will try to video my swing and post it in myswing forum. 

Edited September 17, 2020 by khalespace

[iacas]

32 minutes ago, khalespace said:

I will try to video my swing and post it in myswing forum. 

Good.

And work on one thing at a time.