Kia Ora (Hello) - From a Kiwi Golfer Living in London

[thegolfhackr]

Hi there, my name is Michael but most people call me by my last name, Sage. I'm a New Zealander currently residing in London, UK with my wife. I love my sport, and having played rugby for many years, over the course of many lockdowns last year and with team sport off the cards, I found solace in the game of golf.

Earlier this year, I was consuming a lot of content on YouTube etc. in the hope of getting better. After hours and hours of video, I realised little of the content was resonating. I found it so difficult to relate to as an amateur. I went looking for a golfer who had documented their learning on the path to becoming a better golfer, and struggled to find someone who had shared the challenges and tribulations that inevitably come with becoming a stronger golfer.

After a lot of deliberation and dealing with a lot of discomfort, I decided to start a blog to document my journey in the hope of becoming a scratch golfer by the end of next year. It's a highly ambitious goal, but one worth reaching for - if I can even get down to single figures I will be very happy! In doing so, I hope to reveal the realities of becoming a better golfer - the struggles, the commitment, the practice regimes etc. - so other amateur golfers can take control of their game, and become better golfers too.

It's taken a bit of time to work up the courage to post in here, as I know there are some seriously strong golfers in this community. But if I can absorb even an ounce of the knowledge and experience that sits with so many players within this forum, I'm sure I'll be all the better for it.

If you do get a spare chance, would love to hear what you think of my swing (you can watch a full round of mine on the channel, or some highlights from my very first lesson).

My goal is to provide the information and inspiration that other amateurs need to reach their potential in the game - so once I have built more knowledge of the swing and the game, I will absolutely be back to pass that on to whoever needs it.

Happy golfing team.

- Sage a.k.a The GolfHackr

[pganapathy]

Welcome to the forum Sage.

Good luck with your endeavour.  Look through the forum, there are some people who have tried and documented this.  Try and learn from them, by picking and choosing what you can take to help you.

Ideally, set up a simulator at home with a driving mat/net and depending on budget a golf simulator / launch monitor.  The advantage of doing this is you can practice a lot more to groove your swing since you can hit any time. Also, see if you can get professional lessons to improve your swing and game.

Ultimately you will need to put in the hard work to make this dream a reality no matter how much advice you get.  Look forward to following your journey.

[thegolfhackr]

Thanks very much - I will go digging to see if I can find those others you mentioned that have done the same - I'm sure there will be plenty to learn from.

I do have a hitting net, I think a monitor could be a good investment to start getting some feedback on the quality of strikes though as it's hard to get anything other than general feel/video of the swing. I'm very lucky to have a great coach helping me out.

And not a truer word has been spoken.. nothing will work unless I do! Appreciate the support 👍 and would love to hear any feedback you have at any stage! Take it easy. Sage

[Nave]

Welcome to TST Sage! Looking forward to you sharing your scratch golfer success here!

[thegolfhackr]

Thanks very much, Nave. Got a long road ahead and certainly no huge successes to report in the first few weeks. But if I keep at it then we’ll see where things land. Appreciate the support 👍🏼 

[ncates00]

Best of luck to you. Be sure to start a “my swing” thread if you’d like input from others. We have several golf nerds that have a breadth and depth of golf knowledge that may be useful. Be sure to work on what you need to work on and block the rest out, all the while achieving quality practice. 

[thegolfhackr]

Thanks very much @ncates00- and thanks for the recommendation too. I think that’s a great idea - whereabouts is the best place for one of those threads? The member swings forum?