ive just had an ephinany

[Teedub7]

so today i played golf with my dad, and i played like crap, and he told me to go to the range for 2 hours, while he and some buddies played another 9 holes. So i started playing around with my swing, something i was told never to do, and i just started hitting the ball amazing. All i had to do was stand closer to the ball and swing more upright, and i lost my hook and stopped thinning the ball. So next i tried my luck in the sand, instead of opening the face like many do, ive struggle with that, i decided to take my newly bent wedge and just make a normal swing but splash it in the sand. I was hitting the ball within 10 feet everytime, somethign that is unheard of for me. Im not trying to brag, i was just wondering if anyone else has had an experience like this? And does anyone have any driver swing tips?

[Wisconsin Golfer]

I used to slice like crazy. I bought a BIG BERTHA FUSION FT-3 draw 11* driver and it helped alot. Then I took a few lessons and learned that I wasn't transfering my weight to my front foot on my follow through. Well, between the two I am driving straighter and farther than ever. I also switched to using FREAK balls , they have less spin, so I my drive is straighter from that also.

[bflat450]

Well usually not that big, but a lot of times at the range or on the course I'll figure something out really important in my swing which will help me hit the ball a lot better.

[Righty to Lefty]

Most of the things you will learn in golf come from trial and error because that is how the game is learned. You have to teach yourself how it is supposed to FEEL and then ingrain it into muscle memory. It doesn't matter if it is technically correct (ask Jim Furyk) because the only time in the golf swing that all golfer's must look alike is at impact. You have to learn how to move you mechanism to produce the desired results.

[PingGKEN]

I think I had a mini epiphany the other day when I decided to re-tool my swing and find out what works and what doesn't. It seems as though I need to feel like my hands make a counter clockwise motion if you look down the line. I attached a graphic that should explain it. I'm pretty sure my hands aren't really doing this, but this is a totally different feeling for me, resulting in toe shots even! My normal contact position was extreme heel and *cough* shank. (I've literally never hit one on the toe before feeling this motion.)

[beung]

so today i played golf with my dad, and i played like crap, and he told me to go to the range for 2 hours, while he and some buddies played another 9 holes. So i started playing around with my swing, something i was told never to do, and i just started hitting the ball amazing. All i had to do was stand closer to the ball and swing more upright, and i lost my hook and stopped thinning the ball. So next i tried my luck in the sand, instead of opening the face like many do, ive struggle with that, i decided to take my newly bent wedge and just make a normal swing but splash it in the sand. I was hitting the ball within 10 feet everytime, somethign that is unheard of for me. Im not trying to brag, i was just wondering if anyone else has had an experience like this? And does anyone have any driver swing tips?

Two keys to this....

1) Can you repeate it on the course? 2) Can you repeate it again? It's one thing to find something that works, weather it be at the range or on the course but it's another when it works consistent enough that you can call upon it time and time again. There are many times that I have "found" something at the range and tried it on the course and it doesn't work as well or works too well. The whole key is to remember that you never win at golf, you can never be good enough that you can't learn something new or improve on something. Most times my range sessions look awful because I am working on something, typically I am exaggerating certain things to help with my muscle memory. Then near the end of my session I take normal game time swings with a swing thought of whatever I was working on. What did you work on for 2 hours? Seems like a long time to work on your full swing for that long. Be careful not to wear yourself out during practice that you end up practicing bad habits. If I am at the range that long I am usually working on more then just my full swing, I typically only on my full swing for about 30-45 min. The rest is usually on wedges and working on distances.

[BillyG]

I am close. I went to the range during my lunch break and hit a small bucket. I was working on a couple of things that I had read here, thinking about a towel under my right arm pit, and trying to watch the club head hit the ball. About to the last dozen balls, I started getting more consistent distance than before. Still pushing a little, but not too bad. It was enough that I had to come back after work and get a large bucket. I noticed that when I actively kept my right elbow down, left arm straight and watched the ball, it would feel like I'm hitting the ball crappy at the moment of impact. Do you know what I mean? One of those instant "That was crud" thoughts. But, those were actually my best shots. Would that be a case of learning to trust my equipment?

[cwcaesar]

I bought new irons and that helped me figure out that I had been hitting everything off of the toe. I love the feedback of my MP-57's. Now I have really consistent ball flight and contact, and have shaved off 3-5 strokes off my handicap. I guess I might call it a minor epiphany.

[GaijinGolfer]

I had a, "eureka!" moment like that about 2 months ago. I was having issues with hitting a push-slice and one day I decided to look at my grip and found it to be wrong. I rotated my left hand a little more to the left (so that the logo on my glove is pointed at my target) and all of the sudden I started hitting straight shots. Granted, I screw up and shank it or hit a slice with my irons every now and then, but for the most part they are straight.
Now if only I can fix my slice with my woods...

[goblue107501]

I was once playing with a big group and found out after warming up that I was in the last group and it would be about an hour before I started. The course has an excellent practice area with a chipping green. You can hit from a fairway lie or light rough. Next to the green was one of the Titleist mini bags filled with balls. I grabbed the bag and my 60* wedge and figured out how to hit a flop shot. After about a 100 balls I could hit it any way I wanted and now it is a great help with my game.

[Lefty731PM]

So next i tried my luck in the sand, instead of opening the face like many do, ive struggle with that, i decided to take my newly bent wedge and just make a normal swing but splash it in the sand. I was hitting the ball within 10 feet everytime, somethign that is unheard of for me.

I don't really like the sound of this. Bunker shots require a very particular - and particularly easy to learn - technique. It is not a normal swing. Far from it. What you have tried may work for cetain bunker shots, but not most. I would advise you to observe the pros on TV and then, try to copy. After doing this you'll often be happier to be in a bunker than near one. Your way seems to me like a guaranteed way to lose any sense of distance and height control. You won't be happy with inside 10 feet for very long if your game improves.

[Big_M]

I bought new irons and that helped me figure out that I had been hitting everything off of the toe. I love the feedback of my MP-57's. Now I have really consistent ball flight and contact, and have shaved off 3-5 strokes off my handicap. I guess I might call it a minor epiphany.

pretty much the same thing... I used to hit a lot of shots off the toe and not really know it. Now it costs me a few more yards, but my ball-striking has improved tremendously... much tighter swing and am down from an 11 earlier this year. Was about a 16-18 handicap just two years ago.

[jambalaya]

I had one of those golf epiphany's recently. Did a few small changes that improved my ball striking so much that I made a thread about my fantastic golf range session. Was hitting the ball so well I was truly amazed. Took it the course and it continued through 13 holes. Then, as fast as the feeling of exhiliration and mastery of the game came, it was gone.

I have had two range sessions since where I just cannot get that swing back. My driver is pitiful now. I hit weak shots that just clank off the face and vibrate the shaft. I either hit weak pushes or straight pulls. Definitely coming over the top but I think it is more than that now. I made one swing with a driver where no kidding I left a divot in front of the tee and the tee was still in the ground afterwards. I am just making the weirdest contact ever with my driver. The irons have been manageable but the lower the loft the worse the hit. You know, if you swing the club enough times on the range you would think you would hit a really solid shot by accident but I have not been able to hit anything like I did that day.