Top High Handicapper Mistake

[iacas]

I'm surprised with some comments here. How is not hitting solid a mistake? Isn't not hitting solid a result of mistakes?

Sure. But it's a result of typically two mistakes:

a) weight not far enough forward b) didn't keep the flying wedge Those two things (probably in that order) are the #1 problems for high handicappers. I couldn't decide which was first, so I combined them into a single thing.

If you say not hitting solid is a mistake, then I will top that. #1 mistake among high handicappers is not scoring low. As you can see, this line of thoughts is not helpful.

Sure it is. The average high handicapper should work on his ballstriking first and foremost. Look at the other answers people are giving in this thread - tempo, course management, short game... blah blah blah. The list goes on. I've yet to meet a high handicapper who hits the ball solidly.

So no, your line of thought isn't helpful at all, but mine is. The high handicapper can work on improving his ball striking. He can't really work on "lowering his score" - they're two different categories.

If we restrict to causes rather than symptoms, then I think the #1 mistake is that we don't know who we are.

Nah. What kind of thinking is that? I don't know my limits but that's because I'm still improving.

I would say grip and not aligning properly. Or even picking out a target to align off of to begin with. Alignment is something i continually struggle with.

Nah. Not even close. High handicappers line up almost as well as low handicappers. Their grips are often pretty good too.

Again, Bobby Clampett says it too - the low point of a golfer's swing directly correlates to their handicap to a startlingly high tolerance. That's the answer - low point of the swing (and thus, again, solid contact).

[saevel25]

b) didn't keep the flying wedge

What does this mean, its not in your list of terms you use?

Thanks

[Shanks A Million]

What does this mean, its not in your list of terms you use?

Flying wedge = hands in front of ball, shaft leaning forward. Basically, if you draw a line from the left shoulder to the ball, and then a line down the left arm and the club shaft, you'll have a triangle.

Sure it is. The average high handicapper should work on his ballstriking first and foremost. Look at the other answers people are giving in this thread - tempo, course management, short game... blah blah blah. The list goes on. I've yet to meet a high handicapper who hits the ball solidly.

^ This. Too many amateurs assume their handicap is from lack of short game. Bull. A 15 handicap is a 15 handicap because they don't hit it solidly.

Remember the video iacas put up of a student, and lots of people were guessing that he was near scratch? His hands were nowhere near far enough ahead of the ball at impact. You show me a scratch golfer, and I'll show you hands ahead of the ball, you show me a 15 handicap, and I'll show you hands over or behind it. As I've said before, I have yet to meet anyone with a truly solid swing that was more than a 5 or 6 handicap. Short game means something, but it's related to long game more than most people realize. The short game shots are still performed with hands leading the ball, or flying wedge, and if the person does that in his full swing, odds are he'll do it in his chipping stroke.

I'm surprised with some comments here. How is not hitting solid a mistake? Isn't not hitting solid a result of mistakes? If you say not hitting solid is a mistake, then I will top that. #1 mistake among high handicappers is not scoring low. As you can see, this line of thoughts is not helpful.

It is a mistake, but not something we mean as an intentional one. Hitting the ball solidly is more important than swinging hard. When I learned that, I went a long way to dropping my handicap. I played for the first 19 years flailing at the ball, and the last 1 year trying to compress it. The difference is astounding.

[iacas]

What does this mean, its not in your list of terms you use?

I've added it now.

http://thesandtrap.com/forum/threads...e-Flying-Wedge If you flip, the radius gets longer and the club will either plow into the ground or, sensing that, the player will lift and likely hit the ball thin.

Flying wedge = hands in front of ball, shaft leaning forward. Basically, if you draw a line from the left shoulder to the ball, and then a line down the left arm and the club shaft, you'll have a triangle.

Not quite (and I assume you didn't mean left shoulder to the ball). The hands simply stay ahead of the clubhead. It helps to maintain your flat left wrist (which can re-cock but shouldn't cup on the follow-through).

[acegolfer]

Sure. But it's a result of typically two mistakes:

I completely agree 100% on these. These are the real mistakes that we make that cause not hitting solid.

[Shanks A Million]

Not quite (and I assume you didn't mean left shoulder to the ball). The hands simply stay ahead of the clubhead. It helps to maintain your flat left wrist (which can re-cock but shouldn't cup on the follow-through).

Well, it's not really much of a triangle, I'll admit that, but I saw it drawn out like this:

[acegolfer]

It is a mistake, but not something we mean as an intentional one. Hitting the ball solidly is more important than swinging hard. When I learned that, I went a long way to dropping my handicap. I played for the first 19 years flailing at the ball, and the last 1 year trying to compress it. The difference is astounding.

I'm sorry, if I was misleading.

What I was trying to say was "your number 1 mistake is not hitting the ball solid. you need to hit solid" is not going to help an average golfer at all. A good instructor should be able to diagnose the causes and prescribe what to work on for each individual. I completely agree that high handicappers including me don't hit the ball solid. The problem is that most of us don't know WHY and HOW to hit solid.

[spmurph]

I voted other because I feel the #1 problem is club face control. If you can learn to fix the face then you won't need the compensations, such as coming over-the-top.

[Shanks A Million]

I voted other because I feel the #1 problem is club face control. If you can learn to fix the face then you won't need the compensations, such as coming over-the-top.

As has been pointed out, most higher handicappers have the face nearly square, and often closed at impact. The face is usually not a problem. I'll say this again, when I was having problems with a snap hook, I posted videos at swing academy. Many of the responses pointed out that my clubface was open at impact. They all assumed I was a slicer. Not the case, my ball started right, and hooked. The face is rarely a big deal. My problem was my club path, it was too severely in to out. Most higher handicappers are the opposite.

[spmurph]

As has been pointed out, most higher handicappers have the face nearly square, and often closed at impact. The face is usually not a problem. I'll say this again, when I was having problems with a snap hook, I posted videos at swing academy. Many of the responses pointed out that my clubface was open at impact. They all assumed I was a slicer. Not the case, my ball started right, and hooked. The face is rarely a big deal. My problem was my club path, it was too severely in to out. Most higher handicappers are the opposite.

Really? What was your handicap when you had that probelm? I don't have stats but I'm willing to bet at least 75% of poor golfers fight the slice. Slice=open face.

[saevel25]

The misses for good players are pushes or hooks
The misses for poor players, Pulls and slices, occasional pull hook

Thats a generalization, i am suprised that your a 36 with a push or hook.

[Shanks A Million]

Really? What was your handicap when you had that probelm? I don't have stats but I'm willing to bet at least 75% of poor golfers fight the slice. Slice=open face.

Nope, slice is not an open club face. Of course, you can continue to believe it, just like the legions of fools who can't fix their slices no matter how many draw biased clubs they buy, or how hard they try to close the face. The slice is most often hit with a closed club face, not an open one. The path is the issue.

The misses for good players are pushes or hooks

I find most people who say they have a problem with a hook have a pull hook, and don't understand the proper ballpath. The ball will appear to take off well out to the right when hit straight, and most high handicappers don't realize that. I aim my feet at about 11 o'clock, and swing toward 1 o'clock, and the ball goes to 12 o'clock.

[Harmonious]

Nope, slice is not an open club face. Of course, you can continue to believe it, just like the legions of fools who can't fix their slices no matter how many draw biased clubs they buy, or how hard they try to close the face.

HUH? explain this, please.

[iacas]

Slice=open face.

Nope. Not for most (95% of golfers). Most slice the ball due to the path.

HUH? explain this, please.

He's saying that most people hit a pull-slice, which is correct and adds to the comment of mine right here two lines up. Closed = relative to the target.

[Fourputt]

Course Management!

I have to agree with this. High handicappers worst problems tend to be more mental than physical.

One of the most costly errors that I see all the time is being short sided, then trying to hit the perfect pitch/chip instead of making absolutely certain that they get the ball on the green. Usually results in a decelerated chili dip and then they are facing the same shot again, only 2 feet closer. Being honest with themselves about their inability to make a shot is the first step to improvement.

[cshutchinson]

This thread is depressing. I understand my high handicap is caused by my out to in swing. And, you guys seem to know it as well. The problem, for the life of me, is how to fix it. After visits to one top 50 instructor at 120 an hour twice, and many, many visits to my local pro at the club (at least 10 in the last 12 weeks) , I am still chasing the elusive in to out swing path. I have tried it all. My ball striking sucks and every now and then I get lucky. The lucky shots keep me trying, but I really don't know where to proceed from this point of non-progression.

I am going up to Erie this weekend to Golf Evolution. Maybe the instruction there will help.

[acegolfer]

This thread is depressing. I understand my high handicap is caused by my out to in swing. And, you guys seem to know it as well. The problem, for the life of me, is how to fix it. After visits to one top 50 instructor at 120 an hour twice, and many, many visits to my local pro at the club (at least 10 in the last 12 weeks) , I am still chasing the elusive in to out swing path. I have tried it all. My ball striking sucks and every now and then I get lucky. The lucky shots keep me trying, but I really don't know where to proceed from this point of non-progression.

I agree with the depressing part. This thread doesn't address how to fix the faults. You need to look up somewhere else.

It's apparent that you are working hard. But I heard that golf is not for everyone. How athletic are you? Do or did you play any other sports? Some people don't have enough hand-eye coordination to play golf. I'm not suggesting you are. You didn't give enough information about yourself. I saw that golf is not for everyone.

[Fourputt]

With the proper instruction, anyone should be able to get rid of an out to in swing path. Sometimes the problem is simply finding the right instructor.

Most beginners start out with the same problem. Some find a solution, others just learn to live with it. I know a guy who has the worst slice I ever saw in an 11 handicapper. But he knows how to play it, and he hits the ball the same almost every time. He combines it with a pretty good short game and he gets by ok.