We just keep coming back

[Rowen]

Apologies if this is in the wrong section.

Just thought I'd share this with you

So I been an avid reader of this site for a while now and while I have made almost no contribution to it in term of posting etc, just don’t think my personal game is up speed as yet to comment on others.

Some background into my experience with the game: I started playing about 18-24 months ago and I have recently come down to a 16. But my performance has not been consistent, especially my iron play, I always had to lean my putting and play around the greens to shoot a decent score.

It hasn’t got any better recently (about a month) either, the dreaded shank has come into play and anything from 60 – 100 odd meters out and I can almost guarantee I would get a pearl of a shank. I’ve even notice that the shank is starting to creep into my short irons.

Strange even, I almost know what I doing wrong, it seems to be a combinations of coming over the top, swinging to the inside, my practice swings all seem prefect, from takeaway to follow through, but just cant seem to replicate the swing once the ball is in front my me, given I assume my practice swing feel right – I seeing a pro tonight.

I’ve read / made notes / I’ve even made a list of drills that I read of this forum and taken it to the range, in desperation I try the tilt and stack, hoping it with provide quick results and a perfect round the next day and with no disc credit to any method, I’ve realized that there is no quick fix, it almost like doing an apprenticeship before you are able to perform consistently.

I played yesterday and had a round where I felt like digging myself into a bunker and coming out once everyone had gone home, shot 97

I go to the range at least twice a week and instead of just hitting balls, I try and work on what I’ve read, I watch other people etc. Hasn’t helped much, got a stage in my game yesterday where I actually didn’t want to play this awesome sport anymore.

But hey! It just keeps on calling us back doesn’t it!

The point of my point, to all the guys struggling, hang in there, it WILL get better. I will try and get some footage of my swing posted and feedback tomorrow from my lesson tonight.

[McGolf-Doggie]

Just a suggestion, get ye to some grassy place where you can make divots and/or brush the grass with your stroke. Side of a school playing field or something. (Crab grass and plantains you hate in your own back yard.)

Mark a spot with a tee just inside the heel of your club at address for reference, but not so close to the club that you'd hit it.

Do your takeaway and swing back through with a full swing ( but DON'T use a ball.)

Then see where your swing (without a ball) actually cuts the grass or makes a divot.

Sure you may ruin a few tees in the process of trial and error, but you might discover your swing is bottoming out further outside of where you set up. Further from that tee. (If your club is swinging just an inch out it'll cause hosel shots.)

Repeat ad infinitum in new spots with grass remaining until you have a better idea of where your swing path really is in relation to your setup.

I tend to hit a littl more toward the inside part of the face (rather than toward the toe) as it is, so not much margin for error.

It may be that where you address the ball is inside of your actual swing path by an inch or so. Some impact tap can also help diagnose your contact tendencies.

Happens to me from time to time, and I have to make sure I am religious with watching where my practice swing is passing over the grass/mat/ground so I know how far to step in toward the ball for the real stroke.

Be sure your practice swings are real replicas of your real swing, not half-azzed, or you won't get a true picture of how far you are extending out with your full swing.

You could also experiment with tees outside the swing path, to see if you are hitting them by accident.
When I have the sha**s, my pro uses a water filled gatorade bottle outside my swing path, but I don't like that as I sometimes whack it hard (and it can mess with my head big time).

Creature of habit.

[Blades4me]

Rowen

When the game starts to make me crazy, (b/c many times I think I am better than I really am), and I'm not scoring well, I'll take a week or 2 off and regain some prespective. Just a suggestion.

[ks8829]

Whenever I have problems with my swing or need confidence in my ball striking I go to a grassy field and work on my chipping and pitch shots with my wedges.

1) first goal is to make solid contact with the ball. This is usually when I focus on my take away/backswing direction and angle of my take away.

You can practice with your feet together and hit wedge shots if you sway you'll lose your balance and is a good drill to try. remember the main focus at first is to make solid contact and this is confirmed with the feel and click sound when you make the proper contact.

2) club position, I like to make sure that on my take away when the club is at hip level that the shaft is down the line to your target, the toe is pointing up and the shaft is parallal to the ground. after contact the shaft is again down the line and the toe is pointing up in the opposite direction since you just hit the ball.

If you practice this simple move with a shag bag of balls you will consistently begin to make solid contact.

3) Distance control and direction will finish up this drill.

You can slowly move up to 3/4 swing and full swing always going back to shorter swings if you stop making solid contact.

it works for me.

[allin]

Your going to a pro so that should help. I would add you are seeking information from a lot of sources. I would consider limiting how much information you take in. If you are able to identify the manner in which you learn best emphasize that learning style. Are you a visual learner, do you need to have someone physically place you in the correct positions, some people need frequent short practice sessions, some benefit from less frequent longer sessions or by trial an error on the course. Trying to hit the same shot repeatedly doesn't work for me, when I chip I will hit every shot to a different spot, or hit to the same spot using three different shots, most people I see will try to hit many shots, sometimes a shag bags worth exactly the same way to the same spot. Finding the practice method that works for your can really speed your improvement.