How did your improvement curve go??

[Jack Lee]

Hard to word that topic line to make sense, but here is my question.

Have you found that as you work on part of your game the rest suffers?

For example: I have been working with a pro on my irons and short game. I have been at the range two times a week or so for the last month hitting my drills and working on incorporating the new changes into my swing. I spend the first part of every session hitting half wedge shots and short pitches to try to stick the swing path and such into my muscle memory. Result: my irons and short game are coming around but I can't seem to hit my woods worth a flat darn. My favorite clubs in the bag used to be my hybrid and three wood, but I can't seem to hit a clean shot with them to save my life now.

Can I expect to continue to drive myself nuts like this as I learn?

How hard was it (if you have) to overcome this sort of issue?

Thanks for your time!
Jack Lee

[JetFan1983]

Have you found that as you work on part of your game the rest suffers?

Of course. This is standard for everyone at a mid to highish handicap. Essentially, the swing is the same for every club, but obviously the subtle differences can have a massive affect on your results. Going from a choked down, three quarter pitching wedge that you're trying to knock down to a teed up driver off your left heel will cause problems for any player who doesn't get out to practice or play often. We all have to take these lumps, so don't worry, you and I are no different.

Also, you're incorporating new changes into your swing and that can take some time. I know that a quality instructor should have their student hitting better shots within 30 minutes or so, but as far as making those changes lasting, that can take time (with some natural frustration).

Can I expect to continue to drive myself nuts like this as I learn?

If you're human, you can expect to be frustrated at times while playing golf over the course of your life. But as long as you spend the time away from the course reading about golf theory, you should be okay. More importantly, if you have a buffet of good drills to go to while on the range, that will also help your overall ball striking with any club.

In the end, we're all frustrated with some aspect of our golf game. Keep working hard, keep studying, and keep practicing with a purpose. Clearly I'm not a scratch golfer, but hopefully this response was mildly helpful.

[CG031]

It's pretty much been on the downward trend since I've started golfing five years ago. Started out as a beginner, obviously, and played to a 30 handicap my first year, 2nd year went to about a 25, 3rd year I really started to get better got to about about a 15-20 in that range, consistently about a 10 but broke into single digits towards the end of last year and now this year I'm at my lowest ever a 5.0 index.

The past month or so I've leveled off though. I haven't taken a lesson with my current teacher (who I've only been to twice since we started three months ago, and have already seen dramatic improvements) in about a month and a half, so I've kind of leveled off right now and am consistenly shooting 78 to 80 on my home course almost everytime out with the occasional 76 or so mixed in there and the occasional 81 or 82. But almost all my rounds this past month have been 78 to 80.

[andef]

Well I started in October 08 at 54. Went down to 30 in April 09 and got to as low as 13.1 in July 09. Got back after summer holidays at 13.5 and finished the year at 12.9. So far this year, I've gone down to 8.7.
I think ur statement is right. I've always noticed that the weakest part of my game is putting and it's also what I practice the least. As an example, I spend about 2/3 of the time I spend on the range afterwards to practice putting. Short game is my strongest area as it's what I practice the most, I just love hitting flop shots and shipping chip shots.

[double_j]

Golf is frustration - it's the inherent nature of the game. You'll notice that your long and short clubs very rarely click at the same time but every once in a while you'll have a round that makes you remember why you play this game. It's just one of those things...

[The Road Dog]

Hi Jack, as you get further into the game you may find that your practice should be more equally spent on the various types of shots you need. I mean a portion of the time should be spent on chipping, pitching and putting, then irons play, finally the woods. I don't think it is very productive for a beginner to focus exclusively on one or two types of shots unless you are having a problem with those. Also you didn't mention if you are playing regularly. Your course play should determine your practice regimen not some static schedule. I

[uttexas]

Unless you have really good instruction, you will not steadily improve. There will be misteps and years of plateu if you are working on the wrong things (my experience).

[WUTiger]

May I suggest two things?

* Get your tee shots in the fairway. If your teeshots always leave you 10 yards past the ladies' tees or deep in the trees, it's hard to play well. Might consider taking a lesson if this bothers you. Both times I broke 90 this summer, I put most of my tee shots in the fairway. Also, you don't have to hit the ball 300 yards - just get your second shot from the sunshine. And, on days when you practice your driver, hit a few short irons to warm up and go quickly to the long stick. Driver shots are the most tiring golf shot you hit, so get this done early on while you're still fresh. (This tip comes from a Div. II golf coach in Oklahoma)

* Work on your short game (maybe you've heard this before... ). Besides helping you score, the chip shot quarter-swing and the pitch shot half-swing help develop good contact with the ball. If you hit the chips and pitches solidly, this will transfer to building your full sling.

[mdbuschsr]

My improvement curve is like the waves of the ocean. Some times I absolutely KILL it (think crest). Some time I get killed (think trough). To date, I have yet to see two crests without a trough in there... Fun game huh?

[2bGood]

I find that every so often I find something and improve allot. I also find every so often I lose something and take a big step back. Of course working on your game doesn't mean you play better, often the swing changes take a long time to settle in and you play worse well you are making them.

[nevets88]

I found that the more forward I got my low point of the swing, the better I got and the short game depended on this as well. I don't think my short game (less putting) would have improved had I not learned to stop flipping.

I think it takes time to keep track of all those positions and paths in your head or instinctively or howerever it works. You get to a point where you know where your knees, hips, arms, hands, shoulders are and how they flow in relation to the swing. Plus a feel for where the shaft is and where the clubface is pointing. Once you start figuring that out, it gets easier.

[alexio3108]

Anyone else also find that during a round, If off the tee you're struggling, your short game magically picks up and vice versa?

I'll either: drive into trees, punch out and hit a miraculous wedge shot for an easy par.. or ... hit the fairway, hit the green, then 3 putt from twenty foot.

Such a mental game..

[The Recreational Golfer]

My game was like Whack-a-Mole until I found out how to practice each particular shot so that I can maintain it at an acceptable standard. Now everything is pretty steady. I have the shots; I just need to become a better player.

[DavidFehertysBike]

No, i haven't found that if one part of my game improves, that others suffer. I dont really have a frame of reference with improvement curve vs handicap, but for me, my improvement in the game was rapid in the first 2 years. I broke par in the middle of my second or third year. Im still getting better with the game, but since my first few years, the improvements have been subtle and slow.

[bwdial]

No, i haven't found that if one part of my game improves, that others suffer. I dont really have a frame of reference with improvement curve vs handicap, but for me, my improvement in the game was rapid in the first 2 years. I broke par in the middle of my second or third year. Im still getting better with the game, but since my first few years, the improvements have been subtle and slow.

I've noticed that with most good players. Must be nice. :p

When I first started playing, I noticed that one part of the game would get better, while another would suffer, but as I've progressed, that tendency has disappeared. Now that I'm taking my game a bit more seriously, and practicing every evening, I can see a real improvement across the board.

[DavidFehertysBike]

I've noticed that with most good players. Must be nice. :p

Yeah. If you practice regularly, you get better without really noticing. Its kind of like a slow trickle.

[NI4NI]

Two points in this thread that really resonate with me are the crest and trough (wave) analogy, and the taking the shots you have to become a better "player". I've been troughing it for a while, and suddenly the crests have been coming in: quality shots are now coming out of what I like to call my "Golf Pez Shot Dispenser" (sometimes I don't know what shot will come out of my swing). Once I get comfortable with my swing, then I'll need to become more of a player, which to me means better course management (Playing smarter for better overall score making). It will be a rough but fun next few years...