A-HA! Moment?

[goslin23]

For those scratch/low handicappers, was there a specific A-HA! moment in your game or swing that you remember learning?

I've had little ones that got me from the 130's to 110's when I first started, but I haven't had any major improvements in the last few years.

For example, a good A-HA! moment for me would be to learn how to put backspin on the ball. I've yet to feel what it's like to take the divot in front of the ball. If I take a divot, I guarantee the ball just went about 40% of its intended distance and I probably have a sore finger or 2 from hitting it fat.

Or the A-HA! moment of hitting a draw or fade..on purpose!

Discuss...

-=gos=-

[shankapotamus]

For those scratch/low handicappers, was there a specific A-HA! moment in your game or swing that you remember learning?

Not necessarily. If you notice pros take divots. It's the location that matters. Most pros take their divot after the ball, 4 inches to be correct.

[iacas]

Heck no. It's a series of small achievements, hard work, setbacks, comebacks, and dedication.

[golfmentalist]

i love those moments, its like when you discover the golf swing is just so much easier than you thought, and it is

[shankapotamus]

i love those moments, its like when you discover the golf swing is just so much easier than you thought, and it is

Then the golf gods slap you back to reality and you shoot fifteen strokes over your average.

[abris33]

I don't consider myself a low handicapper, but I will say that I have only been playing for a year. Last summer I was shooting in the low 100's high 90's. After a spring of hard work on my golf game(driving range...no actual rounds) I went out for my first round this summer and shot an 89. It's only gotten lower since(I shot a 79 from the tips today). So, for me, there was no A-HA! moment just a lot of work and struggling to get my game more in tune.

[Thaddy]

My A-HA! moment was when I realized a consistent pre-shot routine could help turn a horrible shot into just that...a horrible shot. Not a triple bogey or a terrible round, or even a week of letting the clubs sit in the garage...just a bad shot. My pre-shot routine helps me clear my head and take it one shot at a time, and has lead to extremely consistent golf.

[RC]

This only applies to those who have played a long time (I think.) It was an "Ah ha Moment" when I finally felt how hard one can go left after impact in the modern rotary swing. This will not mean much to some of you, but old timers who used to finish with a high reverse C follow-through and play big draws will know what this means. It was... "Ah ha, the ball is going straight and my back does not hurt now. I don't have to always aim at the far right side of the green anymore."

[cirem22]

Im no low handicap but I have had plenty of ah-ha moments so far. The problem is consistancy. I will cure one issue, have a great swing for a bit then lose it/forget it or create a new issue. I think practicing your ah-ha findings until it becomes natural will help solve this. Perhaps the comment above about a proper pre-swing routine would solve that as well.

[mdvaldosta]

I have them all the time... two steps foward 1.5 steps back.

[DavidFehertysBike]

No. There is no "magic momment" that i can think of. Improvment in golf is very gradual. A swing change i began back in october didnt really take root until a couple of months ago. If i do have an "a-ha" momment, its when i catch myself doing something wrong in my set-up or posture that has been causing poor ballstriking.

[billysandy]

I had a mini a-ha moment a few rounds ago when i realised i was sweeping my iron shots and i was striking it inconsistantly. i started hitting right down into the ball and it worked unbeleivably well for me. infact, i realised halfway thru a round, and after that moment, i made par, birdie (par 3 8iron to 3 feet), par, par. and i ended up shooting 5 over thru back 9.

[Bump-n-MI]

Ah-ha moment for me was realizing that course management was a good thing! A 300 yard tee ball on a 360 yard hole is not necessarily a good thing. I actually starting to hit something other then driver off the tee and getting myself into my scoring clubs ranges.

[Yanks Fan]

Not really a low handicapper but I figured out my transition from the top of my backswing to the start of my down swing was very quick and jerky. So I took a piece from Camilo's swing and now I have a little pause at the top that allows me to gather myself and I'm hitting the purest shots of my life now and lowest scores. Biggest A-HA moment of my short golf life so far.

[laxbballgolf]

It's funny how people try to convince themselves that "A-Ha" moments are for real. How many times do you hear someone midway through a round say "I figured out what I have to do!" as if they aren't going to miss any more shots. It doesn't exactly work that way...

As sort of a related note, I've noticed that some people just need to convince themselves they know what went wrong on a swing, and that it really doesn't even matter so much at all whether they are right or wrong about what happened. I was randomly paired with a guy the other day who would confidently say "I picked my head up" after every shot he missed no matter what really happened. Hit it fat, he picked his head up, hit it thin, same thing, shanked one, same thing, sliced one, same thing, haha. And he would always say it with a sort of content smile, and the analysis absolutely stopped there.

I think it's a psychological thing for some people. Their brains need a cause and effect in order to rest, and it's their way of letting themselves shake off the bad shot and move on to the next one or something. It's kind of funny.

Over time, I think we all come to realize how gradual progress is in golf.

[Zeph]

I've had a lot of Aha-moments in golf. I don't expect to hit it straight forever after such a moment, but I've learned something new to the better of my swing. Golf is very much gradual, but you can't avoid having these small moments where you realize how a certain part of the swing is supposed to work.

You can't have one moment which fix everything, they are made up of smaller ones. I make progress all the time, mostly minor things, but every now and then I learn something bigger.

[flopdarock]

my aha moment was when i realized i had to play 'my' game...
when i used to get paired up with long ballers (my bros included) i would automatically try killing balls... its an ego thing...
now i dont even pay attention to how anyone else is playing and just play within myself no matter how short or long i hit it...

[Garthmo]

Heck no. It's a series of small achievements, hard work, setbacks, comebacks, and dedication.

yep I totaly agree with this.