Advice for beginner

[TheNatural]

The blow up holes always involve topping my drives for a massive 50yd to the ladies tee or into a hazard. 2 months ago I had a 85 going into the 13 th hole on a 139 slope course with 73 rating. 12th was the signature par3 water hole, 7 iron fade onto the green and 2 putt, 1st time after playing this hole 20 times for a par.(5's usually) I was so cocky on 14(i could drive this green on a best drive) I hit into the woods, then I worm burned, finished with a 9. The next 5 holes my score went back to 101 for the finish, due to worm burns.

[uttexas]

Welcome to the wonderful world of golf. You are clearly enjoying the game, and that is the most important thing. Very few (even talented athletes in other sports have tribulations with golf) are natural golfers. Getting better will most likely take time and patience. Try not to get frustrated or angry. Always be positive and enjoy every second on the range or golf course. Here are some keys to improving (I tried to do this chronologically)

1. Get clubs (first set should be relatively inexpensive) that fit your body and natural ball striking tendencies (your height, impact lie angle, etc)
2. Get a lesson on grip, stance, and other fundamentals
3. Practice the short game (140 yards and in) including bunkers 50% of the time.
4. Practice putting 25% and long game 25%
5. With all golf shots, it is tempo, tempo, tempo.
6. Putting is 95% feel/mental and 5% technique.
7. Buy a "heavy 8 iron" with the "perfect grip"--this is like $20 at Wmart or Academy Sports. IMO, the single best swing enhancer. It works on tempo, muscle control, and flexibility
8. Do NOT get a subscription to GDigest, etc, this will confuse you.
9. Do buy John Jacobs "practical golf" from Amazon or wherever. This is the best book for the beginning golfer for the long game. Read it several times
10. Do buy Tom Watson's "Getting up and down" 40 yards and in best very short game book--read it several times. Read it again and again. Keep it in the "office"
11. Do buy Dave Pelz Short Game Bible. Read it once or twice. His book is overlong and the key points could have been made in one chapter. However, he is an engineer, so his book contains pages and pages of statistical fluff.

12. Enjoy the game. Enjoy every second out there.

Have fun

[Dub]

2 very short phrases that will be worth a billion bucks...

Very true....get both....anything else is a waste of your time and potential talent. I'm a big guy, too, at 6'5" and large framed. I used to crank it off the tee too....back in my 20's.....knee, back, shoulder, wrist pains (none were golf induced) have left me shorter hitting but just searching for control. Length is great to have....but control is where the money will be. Even the long drivers have to keep it on the "grid". Being tall may mean you'll need longer clubs....be careful not to get them too whippy as that will frustrate your control. You'll get there....but get help first. Don't waste limited time trying to do something that a pro can show you in just a few range sessions.

my 3 simple advise to you:

That video was interesting....smooth tempo and good positions. It's real easy to see how close you actually want to stand to the ball.....too many guys reach a mile out there to address the ball. I never understood why.

[TheNatural]

Well I went to the golfsmith and without testing i was told by a pro im at 110ish. i am going to an super stiff shaft

[wedge player]

Well I went to the golfsmith and without testing i was told by a pro im at 110ish. i am going to an super stiff shaft

just a stiff shaft should be fine im well above you 110 swing speed had 104 wen i first started and i use stiff flex 9.5 degree drivers

[TheNatural]

how far do you drive?

I am testing tonite with a 48inch x

[Quinn07]

I find it hard to just be able to tell you that since you swing 110 MPH that you need a certain type of shaft. Your best bet would be get fitted for your swing right now. Different shafts are going to have different stiffness. Just my 2 cents. My speed is 104 and I swing stiff in some shafts and regular in others.

[TheNatural]

well last nite i got tested and was average 115 with a 120 top speed. the pro put me on an 48 inch X, and says since i have not hit a range or played in 3 weeks its possible that may increase during summer when i am loose. and he said my grip needs work and is robbing me of ss.

[flopdarock]

time to join a long ball league

[deerhunter61]

It aint how far...it is how many. You would do yourself a lot of good by working from the green back.

Where is the pin located on the green....so what side of the fairway do I need to hit the ball in order to have the best angle for a quality approach. Next would be to look at the distance of the hole....if the hole is 370 yards. Take a club off the tee that you can hit consistently and hit it to a distance that you can most consistently make a good shot with. Example. If you are playing a 370 yards hole and you hit your PW 130 yards then what do you have in your bag that you can consistently hit about 240 yards. Then hit it...right down the middle, or to the right side of the fairway or the left side of the fairway. Course management is the key. If you can play this way you will take a lot of headaches out of the game and it will allow you to relaz and make the kind of shots required to score better...and that means you have more fun!

I will try

[TheNatural]

I just want to be able to use my driver,,,soon as i get the call that its ready, i think im off to play..Ill even try to slow my swing down!. I do utilize course management when I must. Doglegs, hazards. One hazard is a 270 carry on my fav course. the tee is elevated a good bit, but unless your drive carries 250 every time its not worth it, so i 6 iron to the front of the hazard and pw to green. My pop and I have cleared it but when you land in fairway on the other side of a pond, you can plug easily. My fav club is my 60* so if I can start hitting drives 275 minimum then the fairway irons require less swing and more accuracy and within 110 i will use a 60* with decent accuracy, it got me my first eagle...

[Jcp907]

TheNatural,

I am in a similar boat. 6'4" 255 lbs. 37 yrs old, so probably don't coil as much as you. My swing speed with a driver has been in the mid 120s a few times and averages around 110 on the times that I have been on the machine. The ball carries for me. Because there seem to be so many people on here that doubt yardages, or I must not be measuring properly, etc. I won't get into the numbers, but our driver numbers are probably similar. That is before lessons. After my first lessons, my instructor has had me stop my lower body from moving, change my grip (mine was overly strong to keep the ball from slicing), my address position, and backswing so far. This all drastically effects the downswing, which effects the lie angle necessary. With this said, get at least one lesson and practive that lesson for the grip and backswing before getting fitted. I suspect 2 inches longer is too long unless your arms are short. Mine are 1 inch longer, and I might trim them a little. Mine are 4 degrees up on the lie angle, but I might go down to 3 up...we will see.

With that said, I want to recommend:
One or two lessons
A fitting
More lessons

This won't affect the driver choice, but will your short game, which is where you can pick up improvements.

Jay

[TheNatural]

TheNatural,

I still play basketball and have plenty of mobility for a bigman, mostly play point guard unless theres someone with a better handle, I have found the more you keep to sports like that the more felxible you stay as you get older. I have the strongest grip most have seen, rght hand is almost UNDER the grip. It really freaks people out. After your lessons how did it affect your drive distance?

[Jcp907]

Distance seems to be about 10% shorter. Once honed, I don't think I will be giving up much distance at all. Actually, I know my average drive should be significantly better than it is now. Even if my longest drive of the day is 50 yds short of what it could have been, I will take it as I won't be offline as bad, or as often.

I may not have mentioned it, but these lessons have helped big time.

Jay

[uttexas]

I am 6'4.5'' 245 (before lunch). When I was a bit younger, I had a very long, loose back swing, and very high swing speed. I hit everything hard. I would hit my SW 150 yards. After shortening things up a bit, I don't hit the ball as far, but with much more accuracy. My current average speed with the driver is 114mph for a controlled (85% effort, smooth tempo) drive. I play stiff staffs. Wouldn't go X-stiff, unless you are in you mid twenties or younger and plan on going 100% on every drive.

I'll still go 100% every now and then and usually on 18th tee.

[TheNatural]

115 was my average swing speed and my pro is fitting me with x on driver only. a friend said he trained w butch harmon, im sure my mechanics make him sick, the 48 inch shaft is one reason why im going x

[st0wgolf08]

I just want to be able to use my driver,,,soon as i get the call that its ready, i think im off to play..Ill even try to slow my swing down!. I do utilize course management when I must. Doglegs, hazards. One hazard is a 270 carry on my fav course. the tee is elevated a good bit, but unless your drive carries 250 every time its not worth it, so i 6 iron to the front of the hazard and pw to green. My pop and I have cleared it but when you land in fairway on the other side of a pond, you can plug easily. My fav club is my 60* so if I can start hitting drives 275 minimum then the fairway irons require less swing and more accuracy and within 110 i will use a 60* with decent accuracy, it got me my first eagle...

Something is seriously wrong with how much your delofting the club. No one I've ever heard of hits the 60 with a normal trajectory 110. You either hit your 60 1 foot off the ground, or your swing is horrible. You need to work on your consistency. And what is with the course management when you have to? You always should use course management!!!!!!!

[Jcp907]

I am 6'4.5'' 245 (before lunch). When I was a bit younger, I had a very long, loose back swing, and very high swing speed. I hit everything hard. I would hit my SW 150 yards. After shortening things up a bit, I don't hit the ball as far, but with much more accuracy. My current average speed with the driver is 114mph for a controlled (85% effort, smooth tempo) drive. I play stiff staffs. Wouldn't go X-stiff, unless you are in you mid twenties or younger and plan on going 100% on every drive.

I had and occassionally still have the same problem with being overly long on my backswing. When I am overly long I also reverse pivot. I believe that this was the cause of my occassional topping of the ball, among many other issues. Jay