Should I quit? Serious question

[Sincraft]

At 39, I still happy to break 100. Ok, no I'm not. But that's a good day.
My courses are short, but challenging. Many hills, blind shots, changing conditions etc.

Excuses aside.
Backstory : at 22? I started golfing with my brother. Baseball bat grip. Finally started working with a left arm straight approach on backswing, and felt the club twisting in my hands during the backswing. Was able to consistently hit mid to upper 90s.

About 4 or 5 years ago, I was sick of this. I took 2 lessons. First lesson I was hitting my 7 iron 165 yards straight. 2nd lesson, couldn't get it back. Instructor was watching a woman near me. Skipped 3rd.

In the past 4 or 5 years, I've only gotten to get out about 8 times per season. I changed my grip and am still struggling with it.

I'm still shooting a 100. Should I give up? I took another lesson recently and it really screwed me up.

I picked up a NIKE SUMO 2 sq 5900 with a Proto vs 65 stiff shaft used, and was hitting it like a dream. Shot a 92 (42 front nine) at a tough course.

The next outing the club head flew off on my downswing.

is this (insert your higher power here)'s way of saying STOP you fool STOP!

Serious. I could easily spend the money on ...insert expensive hobby here that requires no skill!...

I recently picked up snowboarding (yes I know Im 39) and love it. So there is my winter hobby.

Now what?

in case you read this far, and are mildly amused at my crying shame of a golf experience...please, read further.

Grip. I've changed this about 3 times. Right now it appears I have a good grip. Two golf instructors (one just watching me) and another I paid for a lesson $100 for the hour, said my grip was fine. But I noticed that both my pinky and my ring finger are overlaping on my left hand (im righty). When I just try to put my pinky on my hand, it hurts..bending it wierd. This can't be right. Ok now it appears my grip needs help!

Stance. Apparently I'm standing too close to the ball. When I tried to move further out using several techniques to ensure I'm far or close enough away, I've started now shanking the ball. AND NO, I AM NOT HITTING THE HOSEL!!!! AHHHH! I can't stop shanking the ball now. I'm at my wits end. I can literally stand 45 degrees away from target and hit a fairly straight shot down the fairway...not joking. I have one guy telling me lean on toes and that will predicate the distance of the club, then shift back to balls of feet, another guy telling me weight should be towards the back of my feet.

When I was just hacking away before taking this all serious and trying to learn the 'proper' way of doing things to get better, I was able to hit my wedge pretty well. I picked up a used set of Calloway x-16's and they seem pretty good, but it did not include a SW. Now I have this big giant nike slingshot that is either skying the ball too much or I end up topping it. My old sandwedge was so reliable. But it was really really old. So i tossed it! I wore out the bottom I used it so much. I was really good with that thing, it saved my butt. Now for the life of me I can't really hit this SW, and it has started to affect my PW shots too! I'm shanking and slicing with this puppy.

Sadly, I'm able to actually hit my long irons and drives with a slight slice or fade, sometimes even straight. But the shorter the irons, the worse I'm getting. I'm hitting a PW up to 7 iron the same distance, when it goes straight.

I'm just doing very very bad and see no advancement. In the past 2 years, I'm trying to get out as much as I can, at least once every 2 weeks. That 'should' end up being 12 rounds of golf. If I could do better, I would get out more.

And my range efforts are no better. I feel like I am ingraining bad learning when I goto the range. The only thing the range has done for me is taught me how to hit my driver over the fence.

That's all I have going for me, I can hit my driver about 275 yards on the fly...couple bounces later and the range is losing balls when I use my driver. Especially when my sumo2 5900 was working alive :( (RIP!)

So, I'm not sure what to do. I tried an expensive lesson with a local pro for $100 for the hour. No video, no analysis, just a guy telling me what was right or wrong. He did tell me I had a nice swing. But how can that be when I SUCK so bad.

I really love this game. During peak summer months, I watch the golf channel constantly, I read stuff online, I dream about that perfect shot off the tee in the middle of the fairway, followed by that perfect 9 iron shot 5' from the hole. And I love the 19th hole fun afterwards.

It's a great game, but maybe just not for me? Maybe I'll buy a boat?

suggestions please? should I keep trying for lessons elsewhere until I find the right pro? I've had 3 so far and they really seem to put me back.
I've tried videoing myself, but I can't really tell what is going on. I think I get tired and dont think straight at the range.

Should I try getting fitted for the 'right clubs' at Golfsmith (are they reputable? )

Sorry for the length of my battlecry, but I need help bad. I can't live off of semi decent drives alone (and that too will die soon!)

Oh yea, forgot to mention,I can't get rid of my slice either, when I try to adjust, I just duck it or severely hook.

[Zalfor]

golf is a game where you don't have to be good to enjoy.

just have fun. its not about being tiger woods. so no, don't give up.

[out_in_30]

if you enjoy playing.. dont quit. if you feel that it is a burden to go out and play, then maybe you should question what it is you are doing out on the golf course if you are in fact miserable out there.. but if its something you enjoy then no, you should stick with it.

[Sincraft]

I enjoy planning to play, reading about playing, watching golf, and even golfing itself to some degree. It's after the game that remorse and a bit of 'what did I just waste all that time and money for' sets in..
AND...

about 2 hours later, I can't wait to go again.

Sickness?

[Sucka27]

I read the first sentence and skipped the rest because the answer is pretty simple. Are you capable of having fun when you play? After the round are you happy you played (even when you stink up the joint)? If you don't like playing golf, you should quit. If you have fun, even when you play terrible, keep playing.

Personally, even when I shoot a terrible score, I'm having a way better time than if I had decided to do something else.

Edit: Ok, ok, I went back and read the whole thing. One of my regular playing partners has been playing for over 7 years and is still a 30+ handicap. He loves playing, gets pissed off a lot, and has a great time. He would pass up a lot in life if he quit, even though he sucks.

As far as other golfers looking at you goes, we really don't care if you suck. Just suck fast. After all, you may think you're the worst golfer out there, but I can absolutely guarantee you're not.

[halcon]

If it is sickness, I'm infected! I shot way over my handicap today, lost some money with my friends, but I can wait to get back to the course!. Bottom line is, I think everyone in golf had experience what you are living today; try to relax and enjoy your good shots, laugh about the bad ones and forget them, and go back to the range and hit a lot of easy shots, build some confidence.

PS. My buddies wouldn't believe I am writing this, specially after today's crappy round, filled with flying clubs and loud profanity... Maybe one day I will be able to apply my own wisdom

[max power]

8 times a season in not enough play and/or practice to improve. If you have a good time keep at it, if you want to get better you'll need to play about once a week during your golf season, and hit the range every so often.

[alomar123]

8 times a season in not enough play and/or practice to improve. If you have a good time keep at it, if you want to get better you'll need to play about once a week during your golf season, and hit the range every so often.

Agree,Ive been golfing for 1 year and I play about 8 rounds a week(I hate winters). You get what you put into it. I love golf too much to play so little and I have a feeling you do too. It is easy to get busy, but if you want to get better you need to find time, either meaning giving up some sleep, or watever. Good luck, and its not too late to get better.

[ronaldkuntoro]

Don't worry too much about your score. That's the secret. One time I didn't care too much about the score and I scored a 87 after a hard time scoring above 100s.

My advice just go out and play and enjoy the moment.

[alf174]

8 rounds / year is not enough to improve on. I know quite a few people that play 8 rounds a month and are quite content shooting around 100.

[Tugglife2]

If you read this forum, watch the Golf Channel, watch some YouTube vidoes, film your swing and post it on this forum, you WILL improve. It might take some time but if you keep practicing/playing you will eventually see the results. I say this because to me it seems like you aren't enjoying the game unless you are seeing improvement in your game. That's natural. I'm a competitive person and am the same way. I still stink but enjoy the game even when I play like crap and shoot 110 because I know that one bad round does not mean I'm not improving.

[Valleygolfer]

You remind of when I discus losing weight with fat people. They try a diet for a week or two citing a excuse late that it didn't work for me. The plain and simple of it is that it takes effort and consistency to improve, duh.

Many people do not have the ability to shoot under 100, so if you can't enjoy this in your current state or have enough patience to take lessons to heart, I would move on.

I try to practice at home 30 minutes nightly whether it is hitting off my range mat, chipping into a bucket/target or practicing my putting stroke if I do not get to play. Plus I go to the range before I play and sometimes I spend 2-3 hours there just working on things and I still shoot mid to lower 90's.

[pup]

This always makes me feel a little better about my game.

[newtogolf]

There are some things you do in life cause you have to, some you do because it's good for you and some you do because it's fun or you enjoy it. If you're lucky, everything you do falls into all three categories. Golf unless you're a pro is something that you should enjoy, if you're not then move on. If you do enjoy it, then maybe you need to work harder at getting better or lower your expectations so it doesn't frustrate you as much.

I played last week on a course for the first time after taking 4 lessons, and practicing 4-5 times a week. I was hitting everything great except my driver, so I left it home so it wouldn't even tempt me. I thought I set realistic expectations of shooting 40 over par (tough course). I was pumped, anxious and ready to play. I got to the course, went to the range (grass, not mats) to warm up, grabbed my trusty 7i (I hit consistently 150 yds off the range mats) and proceeded to chunk every ball I hit with it. I chuckled to myself, cause I read on here how much easier mats are to hit off of than real grass, you guys were right!

I got to the first hole (par 4) and sliced the first tee shot with my 3w, skulled my second shot with my hybrid for about 50 yards, 3rd shot created a moon crater in the fairway (I fixed it) with my 5i that tweaked my back from impact, finally hit a decent 7i onto the green with my 4th shot, and 4 putted the hole. By the end of the first 9 holes, my head was pounding from the sun beating on it, my back was killing me, and I was playing far worse than I could have ever imagined. The back 9 holes went even worse as my back was really messing up my swing mechanics.....I got home, took some aspirin, cleaned my clubs and all I could think about was going out to play again. Sick huh?

Life's too short to not enjoy doing things we should be.

[TourSpoon]

If you have to ask and write a whole epistle, then it is at least time to take a break and enjoy something that you like to do. It sounds like you want to enjoy golf, and you do everything golf related that makes sense, and that it doesn't equate to the game you want to have. I just came back from a lay-off and found it refreshing. I played a few times to get the rust knocked off and then I took some serious lessons from an old timer because I wasn't satisfied with how I was playing. I have seen him 6 times and have 2 more scheduled and can see progress being made (down from 8.5 to 7.0) in 8 weeks (or about 10 rounds which is significant). This time, because my time is limited, I decided that I was going to make the investment in finding an instructor that can teach me to feel the club, learn my swing, and not break the bank. So far so good. Good luck!

[Dr. Griefo]

A bad day on the golf course is better than a great day at work.

[wrx_junki]

Really doubt you are going to quit. Playing golf once a week is not enough to improve your game. The game requires a lot of feel and muscle memory for me and it goes to shit if I don't play for 2 weeks. The range can only help you so much.

If you hit 275 yards with range balls and a slice/fade. Start hitting a draw and you'll be another TST member who flies it 300 yards.

[sean_miller]

At 39, I still happy to break 100. Ok, no I'm not. But that's a good day.

If you've been at this for 17 years, can carry the ball 275 yards with the driver (holy $%^), and still can't break 100, then it might be time to find the summer equivalent of snowboarding - biking, or maybe pick up a long board and check out some of the local running trails. Basically, either find your suckage comfort zone or move on to a different time and money wating hobby.