Desperately searchiing for consistency this season, your opinions?

[andyh]

I can relate to your problem. I have the iron game of a 15 handicapper and a short game of a scratch handicapper. what seems to have made it worse for me is that my old instructor has been trying to get my hands higher at the top of my backswing which really does not suite me. i just cannot get through to the inside on the way down.

through trial and error i have found that a flat swing works for me. out of curiosity i went to see the other instructor in my area who works with a camera and computer, showing swing plane etc. his opinion was opposite to the other instructor and this really suits my swing. so i feel much more comfortable working on my swing with him. anyway this last week i have had x2, 1 hour lessons working on positions through the swing and trying to eliminate my quick transition, where i end up "pouncing at the ball" (as the instructor put it) and stuffing the club into the dirt which is my nemesis. feels much better so far but of course taking it to the course is the next step. i will persevere with this guy and hope my consistency comes.

have to say i have the same feelings of frustration and annoyance as poster. when u know you can strike pure irons but then stuff the club into the dirt, it really bugs me. i feel like i am better than that now. i have been playing at 4-6 handicap for a year or so now and i know that to drop this i need to improve my iron play.

good luck in figuring it out.

[soon_tourpro]

check out tour tempo, that will teach you tempo and rhytm.
consistency comes from doing the same rythm again and again.
you either go faster or slower, that is the difference.

[sean_miller]

BTW. I hit the ball solid. Rarely chunk it etc so it's just the left/right that's my problem. I seem to be able to hit the same spot on the ground well

Grip (and your actual grips) could be a problem, but a lot of things could be your problem. Once you start playing army golf, you have no idea where to start the ball. You have to figure out where the ball's gonna go. I know that sounds like a no brainer, but that's because it is.

Here are some things I did when I suffered through some army golf. 1.) go see a professional and make sure you have the right clubs / shafts. If you have consistent tempo (not saying you do or don't) but the ball is spraying, you may have the wrong shaft. Not rocket science. I didn't go to a pro - I did the trial and error thing for a couple seasons. I could have saved some time and money. 20:20 hindsight. 2.) Take a couple lessons, especially when you're swinging well - a snapshot of your game, and a reminder of the things you want to keep doing, is just as valuable as a record of things not to do when the swing is garbage. 2a.) look at your grip (and grips). If they're worn you could be putting a kung fu monkey grip on the club - not condusive to a relaxed swing - tension in the wrong muscles has a domino effect. Personally I went to a weaker grip than I'd had for years which is more natural for me. I felt more in control of the clubface. 3.) Be honest about your fitness level. One season my game was inconsistent because I wasn't in shape. I'd become a fat slob over the winter (busy at work so no skating or any other winter activities) and by about the 14th hole I couldn't get my body into all the proper positions for a sound swing - sound familiar?

[CalBoomer]

A little more than a year ago, my driving was a mess, totally erratic. For me the solution was two-fold. Most important was finding the correct swing plane and using it consistently. Too flat a plane leads to hooking. Too vertical a plane leads to slicing. So, if you pay no attention to your swing plane, you may randomly hit it right or left which is disastrous. I try to keep my swing plane through my shoulder line and use a mirror to keep tabs on it (a lot simpler than using a camera). The second key was to learn the concepts of the power fade. The term "power fade" is a bit of a misnomer since the techniques are directed at controlling hooking while still hitting the ball as hard as possible with an inside-out swing. The result is usually a slight fade, a slight draw, or straight. Now I am almost never off the fairway. Off to work on my short game. Good luck.