I hate golf ---- long

[uttexas]

I've been playing golf since 1990 and immediately loved the sport. I first played 18 with my high school girlfriend's father (5'6") I used a borrowed set of his fitted Lynx clubs for a year (I'm 6'5'') First year at UT, I started playing golf with a member of the Texas state champion golf team (he played on Harrison Frazer's team). He would regularly shoot in the low 70s while I shot in the mid 90s.

I learned the game from him and by reading everything. By the end of college I was shooting mid 80s. Over the next ten years, I whittled strokes off my game, and at my peak, was shooting in the high 70s. My former state champion friend was best man at my wedding, and he was getting worse while I was improving. Over the past five years, I have the edge on him 6 wins to 3. However, he has won the last two in a row. I noticed improvements in his swing, when he started taking lessons again.

My weakness has always been my short game, so I've been focusing on that, but after seeing his improvement after full swing lessons, I decided last week to take my first full swing lesson/video/computer analysis. The instructor said most of my angles were great except for excessive stooping/slouching at address (also made a subtle grip change and wrist cock change).

I played today (it rained all week so no practice) and shot about a 125 with my "new stance and grip" I did not have fun. This was the first time I did not have fun on the course. I am almost depressed about it. I almost feel cheated. I play golf for fun, not to someday break 70.

I am going to stick with the new grip/stance/wrist cock for now and continue with the lessons ( I purchased ten for $54 per lesson). But I will regret this if it takes away from my enjoyment of the game. Please share any similar experiences.

[uttexas]

To add. I topped and toed everything today (I think due to my more upright posture--less slouching). However, when I did hit the ball flush (about 10% of the time), it was extremely pure (more so than I'm used to)

[Zeph]

You always run the risk of playing terrible after a lesson. Especially if you take it directly to the course.

My tip on this is to take a lesson, then hit balls on the range for a long time. After hitting on the range some time with the new setup and grip, take another lesson and let the instructor watch while you hit a bucket of balls. He will see if you are doing it right, and correcting you if not. You could also just ask him on the course one day if he could take a look at 5-10 shots free of charge.

If you used to play consistently in the 70's, a stance and grip change can throw your game off. Your body wants to do something else, but your mind is set to implement the changes. Changing the grip if you are fairly consistent with the direction is a challenge. You'll have to learn a new feel and get comfortable with it.

Having someone watch you on the range, or at least from time to time, knowing what to look for, can be very helpful.
I know the feeling of making a change and how the game goes down the drain. There is always the chance of the instructor being wrong, but in most cases I believe they are correct.

So, spend lots of time on the range to get used to the new stuff and get yourself checked regularly. Making changes and going directly to the course rarely work out well. The body need time to get the new feel. On the course you got so many things to think about, learning new habits are even harder than on the range.

[denver_nuggs_15]

In my experience, lessons will make your game suffer for a bit, but in time they will ultimately help. In the past week, I've changed my stance and my takeaway (I was too flat). Pretty big changes IMO. For a while (about a week), it felt uncomfortable and strange. I was also making bad contact off the toe. Now, after just hitting about 70 balls today with my irons, I'm feeling good again. Just give it time is all I'm saying. Good luck.

[RC]

I feel for your frustrations. But do not feel your situation is isolated -- there are very few swing changes that can be made successfully in a short time frame for anyone who already has an imprinted swing. Small changes, maybe so, but even these lead to changes in other places in your swing.

So, you are left with a choice... lots of time on the range or going with what you have always done. I've made one major swing change that actually worked --in decades of golf. It took a year to actually become reliable, but it was worth it.

Before getting jumped about the value of lessons, I am firmly on the side of having a good teacher work with your swing. I want to know as much as I can about the swing and what I should be doing. But I also know that going on the golf course with the idea of using something totally new is going to be a bad day... if not the first day, then the second day -- your game will fall apart most likely. It takes time and practice.

This is just my opinion, and to let you know someone else has had the same kind of experience... it can be humbling.

A thought you might find useful is to really come to know your swing when you hit a good shot. Afterall, your good shots must be fairly playable. So, try to do what you do on your good shots and eliminate the breakdowns and bad shots. Sometimes that is easier than a complete swing overhaul. The overhaul is called for if you don't make any good shots, or very few of them. If you can make reliable solid contact, you can play reasonable golf.

[iacas]

You've got to bake in a lesson on the range before you go to the course or you may as well just throw your money down the drain.

Very few players have the ability to treat the course as a range.

[flopdarock]

it always gets worse before it gets better

[soloredd]

Why change your swing? If you play for fun, what does it matter how your angles are or how your wrist is cocked? Your scores, from your post, suggest you were doing fine and could have just focused on the short game aspects (maybe try different strategies?).

One of my best friends who I play with once a week has been decreasing his scores into the high 80s over the past 4 months. About 3 weeks ago he wanted to change his swing to incorporate a longer backswing because someone told him it was too short. He ended up slicing everything...bad. Shot a 104. He asked after the round what was wrong and I cordially said "Nothing is wrong. Your old swing is fine." Next day we played and he used his old, self-taught swing and shot an 84.

I think we fall into the media's grasp by not staying true to ourselves. My grandfather used the same swing for years, tweaking little bits here and there as his body aged but nothing drastic. He was an 8 handicap. He never bothered with the "swing of the month" articles or whatever else - he was out to enjoy the game.

I will say, if you play for a fair amount of time and simply have been unable to at least enjoy your rounds or simply cannot get a consistent swing, lessons are good.

[squaddie]

it always gets worse before it gets better

I experienced this aspect of golf lessons today, as I went to the range right after my lesson and hit the worst 30 swings in months after trying to follow the instructor's suggestions. Most of my strikes at the range were close to or on the hosel of my irons. Earlier in the day the instructor recommended to me to shorten my backswing, as I was raising my arms up too much at the top of the swing after the shoulder turn. Oddly enough I found during the lesson that I was bringing the club back on plane during the downswing and hitting the ball square, even though my arms were not in synch with my shoulders. I had found a way to grove my downswing, and now that grove was broken after I tried the backswing correction. The experience was depressing, but not the instructor's fault. I'll hit the range tomorrow to see if I can determine the source of the problem, then schedule another lesson to affirm the solution, or see if he can figure out what else is messed up.

[thr33]

I too feel your pain. When I started incorporating changes in my swing my game suffered, and found myself losing to a friend who's handicap was like 7 strokes higher than mine. I went from shooting low-mid 80's to shooting low to mid 90's. After getting more accustomed to the changes, my handicap dropped and my friend hasn't beaten me since. Just give it some time because I'm sure it'll pay off. Best of luck to you! :)

[misty_mountainhop]

Don't give up on it.

As other posters have said, practice, practice and then just for good luck, practice some more. It takes some time for your brain/body to assimilate some changes and grip changes always feel bad to begin with.

[uttexas]

I appreciate all the feedback. Went to the range in the afternoon (my wife was kind and understanding......and also wanted me out of the house due to my excessive gumpiness)

It's still drizzling (rained all week), so they disappointingly had mats out, but hitting the range is helping. This is going to be a process. After the round yesterday morning, my biggest fear was that I had been Barkleyed, as in Charles Barkley)

However, after about 7 shots on the range with irons/15 shots with hybrids/10 with the driver/10 with the 3 wood, I was hitting the ball purely with the "new" swing. I still don't have distance control or feel with the "new" swing, but I am getting used to it.

I then worked on my short game for an hour.

My back aches this morning

[flopdarock]

good to hear it... sucks about the frustration...
kinda like what my brother went thru... he was about the same hcp as me... went thru a major swing change... played a few rounds without breaking a hundred... then something clicked and he's now a mid to high single digit hcp

[Sandy Sammy]

I'm here for you uttexas.

My handicap has been getting progressively better after lessons, just had a lesson about lagging the club, went on the course after and just shot god knows what, couldn't keep the ball from going to the right, lost 9 balls (out of bounds fields to the right), only played 15 holes .

I spent last night watching the Shaun Clement you tube videos (lagging for dummies or something), I don't think i'm using my hips enough .

I'll be back .

[jambalaya]

Sounds like you are more serious about your golf than you care to admit. But yeah, lessons will screw up your game for a bit. If you wanted immediate improvement you should have done a lot of work on your short game.

[uttexas]

You are correct, the quickest way to lower scores is short game practice. I am now over the shock of shooting such a high number (haven't shot a number like that since my first year of playing golf. I literally topped and toed shot after shot, hitting multiple shots out of bounds, refusing to go back to my old reliable swing. I am committed to the changes and will take my medicine. The payoff for the lessons will take longer than hoped. I had no idea that making small changes suddenly (without practicing them) could be so disasterous. I am now inspired to shoot lower scores, but without losing sight of the short game. I hit the range on Saturday three hours after the round (practiced new full swing for 30 minutes and short game for one hour).

Thanks for all the feedback

[uttexas]

and yes, I am coming to terms with how serious I am about improving my game (I have 434 posts and started a package of ten lessons)