Need some re-assurance!

[Dragonsrock]

Guys,

I am a 15 handicap and my game is not consistent, historically my long game has been my strength, but 7 weeks ago, it left me and it has not come back

I spent some time on the range with no success, so I took the plunge and bought a lesson package, 6x1hr lesson and 1x2hr playing lesson (9 holes) and I am committed to seeing these thru and trying what I am taught. I have had lessons with this pro before on putting and pitching with good success and I like his style.

In the first lesson, he video tapped my swing and played it back explaining what he thought to be the issue, it sounded pretty logical and reasonable and he gave me instruction on how we were going to fix it. A couple of small changes (grip and wrist cock) and we are away.

I went to the range twice, then played 18 holes and back to the range today and I am miserable, I have never hit the ball so bad with my driver, everything is a duck hook, no way its in play, its terrifying. I called the pro and he said, its ok, trust him it will get better...

Anyone had this experience where you go from being a fair player to a disaster? And is there a way back, right now, I am very close to taking up angling, I could not play golf if I continue to play like this.

I believe the only way I will improve is swing changes, but I just did not know it will be this bad...everything goes left and the driver is scarey left, has anyone been here and gotten better? I am not concerned if I have to have another 20 lessons, as long as it gets better, my concern is will it?

Any positive feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

[Smiffy]

Having lessons always messes you up to start with.
You stand on the tee where once upon a time you had no thoughts in your head other than to smack it up the arse and get it down the fairway.
Now your thoughts are different. You've got things to think about that the pro has told you. You're not sure of where the ball is going to go, you're not even sure of your swing anymore.
I guarantee it will get better.
You are just experiencing the storm before the calm.

[unoiron]

I tried to self-teach myself for ten years. The best I could do was low 80s with a rare round in the 70s. I'm not sure why I resisted taking lessons for so long. Sheer stubbornness or stupidity. Anyways, once you find a good pro who strikes it pure, my advice is this:

Do anything he/she says. Don't question it. Don't fight it. Don't get frustrated and start reverting back to your "old" swing or trying some new tip you read in a magazine. In fact, stop reading or watching anything instructional until you've ingrained your new mechanics. You're going to ask yourself, "Can this be right? Is this guy some kind of kook? Is he just messing with me?" Maybe, but just keep doing it with the thought in mind that whatever you were doing before sure as hell wasn't working.

Then start hitting it pure.

[GamerJG]

Guys,

dave, don't panic or give up. everybody goes through this at some point. i think your confidence is just shaken and getting lessons have put alot of thoughts in your head at once. if you paid for all the lessons then finish them and take the points that help and integrate them with what works for you. i have never taken a lesson and the reason is i know my swing better than anyone else pro or otherwise. i compare it to the great baseball hitter who is in a slump and everyone is trying to give him tips to get out of it. he then is so filled with different thoughts and lack of confidence that he tries too hard and can't get out of it. at that point, you just have to get back to basics, grip, setup, alignment, etc. then you get back to what you were doing before. keep it simple and don't put too much pressure on yourself. you'll figure it out in no time. good luck.

[unoiron]

dave, don't panic or give up. everybody goes through this at some point. i think your confidence is just shaken and getting lessons have put alot of thoughts in your head at once. if you paid for all the lessons then finish them and take the points that help and integrate them with what works for you.

What do you mean by "know" your swing? Don't you really only know a 12 handicap swing?

[GamerJG]

What do you mean by "know" your swing? Don't you really only know a 12 handicap swing?

i'm a 12 after playing for 3 months after not playing for 5 yrs. i have a swing method thats works for me that i've been using for a month. after getting some rounds in i should be down to about an 8 or so soon. i've never had a lesson and i know how my swing works and how to correct it without video or someone analyzing it. i only have time to practice once a week and play 2-3 times a month if i'm lucky. since the change i've shot 40, 43, 40, 37 for 9 holes when before it was high 40's sometimes higher. who do you listen to for advice? someone who's not on the pga tour or even the nationwide tour i'd assume? i respect teaching pros but they are not for everyone.

[chspeed]

dave, don't panic or give up. everybody goes through this at some point. i think your confidence is just shaken and getting lessons have put alot of thoughts in your head at once. if you paid for all the lessons then finish them and take the points that help and integrate them with what works for you. i have never taken a lesson and the reason is i know my swing better than anyone else pro or otherwise. i compare it to the great baseball hitter who is in a slump and everyone is trying to give him tips to get out of it. he then is so filled with different thoughts and lack of confidence that he tries too hard and can't get out of it. at that point, you just have to get back to basics, grip, setup, alignment, etc. then you get back to what you were doing before. keep it simple and don't put too much pressure on yourself. you'll figure it out in no time. good luck.

No offense, but as someone who's only played golf for 3 months and never taken a lesson, I don't think you know much about golf instruction. You also, don't know anything about baseball instruction. Professional players have batting coaches who are always helping them - and they'll try anything to get out of a slump. Yes, there is the danger of over-thinking, but most golfers need instruction to reach their potential.

i'm a 12 after playing for 3 months after not playing for 5 yrs. i have a swing method thats works for me that i've been using for a month. after getting some rounds in i should be down to about an 8 or so soon. i've never had a lesson and i know how my swing works and how to correct it without video or someone analyzing it. i only have time to practice once a week and play 2-3 times a month if i'm lucky. since the change i've shot 40, 43, 40, 37 for 9 holes when before it was high 40's sometimes higher. who do you listen to for advice? someone who's not on the pga tour or even the nationwide tour i'd assume? i respect teaching pros but they are not for everyone.

From you comments, I don't think you respect teaching pros at all. Down to an 8 hcp in three months? You must be very talented.

[GamerJG]

From you comments, I don't think you respect teaching pros at all. Down to an 8 hcp in three months? You must be very talented.[/QUOTE]

don't get me wrong i'm not claiming to be a know-it-all about golf and i respect your comments. my personal way of learning is probably unorthodox. i do get golf instruction but in a different way. i played golf when i was about 17 til i was 22 with limited rounds and practice. due to life's responsibility(relationship, work, etc.) i didn't play again until this year, i'm 34 now. i'm the type of learner who reads golf magazines, online tips, watches the golf channel alot, etc. i came across an e-book about a month ago or so that clicked for me and i immediately went down about 10 strokes per 18 while only playing or practicing a limited amount of time. i don't have the amount of full rounds in to accurately calculate my handicap but i now shoot around 78 to 82. my point about instruction from lessons was that maybe they can fill your head up with too many thoughts at once which can destroy the swing and confidence for some people. i'm sure millions benefit from lessons.

[jharrell]

From you comments, I don't think you respect teaching pros at all. Down to an 8 hcp in three months? You must be very talented.

I hate to get off topic, but your story is similar to mine. Some people are simply more self motivated than others. I simply cannot justify buying lessons for myself before my own learning plateaus. I have only been golfing for 5 months and consistently see improvement in different facets of my game. I prefer to learn through reading and analyzing professional gameplay. I've gone from shooting in the low 100s to the 78-83 range in the timespan of only a few months. While I certainly run the risk of developing poor habits, I enjoy the challenge of identifying those habits and 'tweaking' them to improve my score on the course. If I reach a point in my game where I am not seeing improvements, I will find a pro I feel can take my game to the next level. I only post this because I assume few here will agree with your learning method. As for the topic starter, it sounds like you have lost confidence in your swing. Are you having issues with your irons as well, or is it strictly with your driver?

[unoiron]

i'm a 12 after playing for 3 months after not playing for 5 yrs. i have a swing method thats works for me that i've been using for a month. after getting some rounds in i should be down to about an 8 or so soon. i've never had a lesson and i know how my swing works and how to correct it without video or someone analyzing it. i only have time to practice once a week and play 2-3 times a month if i'm lucky. since the change i've shot 40, 43, 40, 37 for 9 holes when before it was high 40's sometimes higher. who do you listen to for advice? someone who's not on the pga tour or even the nationwide tour i'd assume? i respect teaching pros but they are not for everyone.

The one thing I've learned is that what I think I'm doing is not necessarily what I'm actually doing. I've also learned that consistent instruction is incredibly important. Cobbling bits a pieces together from various magazine articles - written by different instructors with different swing theories - can really mess you up. I'm through with struggling; a teaching pro was definitely the way to go for me. We'll see who gets down to scratch faster!

[GamerJG]

I hate to get off topic, but your story is similar to mine. Some people are simply more self motivated than others. I simply cannot justify buying lessons for myself before my own learning plateaus. I have only been golfing for 5 months and consistently see improvement in different facets of my game. I prefer to learn through reading and analyzing professional gameplay. I've gone from shooting in the low 100s to the 78-83 range in the timespan of only a few months. While I certainly run the risk of developing poor habits, I enjoy the challenge of identifying those habits and 'tweaking' them to improve my score on the course. If I reach a point in my game where I am not seeing improvements, I will find a pro I feel can take my game to the next level. I only post this because I assume few here will agree with your learning method.

exactly, there are different types of learners and we are pretty much the same. my whole reason for coming on this forum is to pick up tips that may help my game and also share some of my knowledge that can help others. i also enjoy talking "shop" so to speak with others like me who love golf. i was away from the game for so long that i want to absorb everything i can and share it with other golfers. i think it's fun. i'm not on here to come across as a know-it-all or i'm better or worse than anyone else. it's not a competition. golf should be fun.

[GamerJG]

The one thing I've learned is that what I think I'm doing is not necessarily what I'm actually doing. I've also learned that consistent instruction is incredibly important. Cobbling bits a pieces together from various magazine articles - written by different instructors with different swing theories - can really mess you up. I'm through with struggling; a teaching pro was definitely the way to go for me. We'll see who gets down to scratch faster!

thats what works for you, all the better to you, i hope you get to scratch and continue to enjoy the game, that's what it's all about. like jharrell said we are different types of learners. what works for me is that i have ONE theory and i stick to it because it works. if something goes awry, i pinpoint it and fix it. i'm technical in my learning but i'm a feel player once i step on a golf course. remember it's not you against me or anyone else. it's you against the golf course so you worry about that lol.

[Dragonsrock]

Just an update, more range time and played again today...very bad front nine, but came home in 43...so a lil to smile about!!!