Newbie Questions.....I have a few random ones

[jcro]

I have played 5 rounds of golf in my life and all this year. I really caught the golf bug when I was dragged to a driving range and was out driving a family friend who shoots in the mid 80s. He told me that most people who have never held a club before do not drive a ball over 275 yards so I figured I had some undiscovered talent.

Are these scores good for a first time golfer?

1.136

2.133

3.122

4.118

5.108

I kept an accurate score when I was playing as I wanted to see if I was getting better. This included playing it where it was, no dropping it so I had a better shot or mulligans. I am fiercely competitive and wanted to see what I could do.

My next question is how accurate are the golf simulators?

I decided to try one to see what my driver club speed was and average drive( as well as my max were)

I was clocked at 103mph with an average of 264 yards.....now I was really confused by my max drive though....I was clocked at 94.7mph and 302yards....how is this possible?

My last question(s) is about my shafts....do I require a stiff shaft or a regular? What will the shaft do for my distance and accuracy? Does it really matter for a new golfer?

[jcro]

Sorry if this post was in the wrong area of the forums

[Unforgiven93]

I would say those are pretty good scores for someone brand new, assuming you counting all the penalty strokes correctly.

Golf simulators vary in accuracy, but I'm assuming you were using a decent one in a golf store?  They are usually pretty accurate at places like that.

Club head speed isn't directly proportional to distance/ball speed.  If you hit it outside of the sweet spot but have an extra 5mph club head speed, it still won't go as far.

If your average club head speed was 103, and you weren't swinging super hard to try to hit it far, I'm pretty sure that would be a stiff shaft.  You could play with regular, but stiff would probably be recommended.  I think they usually say 95+ is stiff and 110+ is x-stiff.  Having a stiff shaft won't increase distance as far as I know, it is mostly for accuracy purposes.

[tomvk77]

Did you hit all the shots with the same driver and shaft??

a regular shaft will get a higher clubhead speed because of shaft flex

a stiffer shaft wil bent less so get less speed.

Swingspeed is just a part of distance,

you should look at launch angle and clubface angle.

if your clubface is closed you will get a draw, a draw is like

a topspin shot in tennis, it will speed up after it hits the ground,

so it will get more roll. do you hit fade or slice that is like the slice ball at tennis,

it will stop faster.

your launch angle is the degree the ball goes of the clubface,

if you have a driver with 10.5 loft your launch angle should normaly just little

higher that is if your clubface is square at impact.

Hope you will brake 100 soon.

take care

[iacas]

Originally Posted by tomvk77

Did you hit all the shots with the same driver and shaft??

a regular shaft will get a higher clubhead speed because of shaft flex

a stiffer shaft wil bent less so get less speed.

That's not really true at all.

[deasy55]

Those scores are very good for a beginner. I still have my first round scorecard, I shot 132. I was able to break 80 within 2.5 years.

You also seem to be progressing faster than I was (I certainly wasn't shooting 108 in my 5th round).

Keep it up

[DaSportsGuy]

My first round was a little over two years ago and I shot a 61 for 9 holes so probably around 120 for 18. Now I'm shooting anywhere from 80-88 on a given day.

[jcro]

Originally Posted by tomvk77

Did you hit all the shots with the same driver and shaft??

a regular shaft will get a higher clubhead speed because of shaft flex

a stiffer shaft wil bent less so get less speed.

Swingspeed is just a part of distance,

you should look at launch angle and clubface angle.

if your clubface is closed you will get a draw, a draw is like

a topspin shot in tennis, it will speed up after it hits the ground,

so it will get more roll. do you hit fade or slice that is like the slice ball at tennis,

it will stop faster.

your launch angle is the degree the ball goes of the clubface,

if you have a driver with 10.5 loft your launch angle should normaly just little

higher that is if your clubface is square at impact.

Hope you will brake 100 soon.

take care

All of the shots hit were with the same driver. It is a 10.5deg tnt 460cc with a graffalloy blue reg shaft....felt like I just wrote something in another language there lol...

I actually just had my first golf lesson last night and learned so much in a hour. I was told I was a upper body ball striker and was shown how to use my whole body to get more power and accuracy. I never knew hitting a little white ball was so technical...shoulder turns, hip swing, fallow through....I just walked up and tried to beat the piss out the ball....I cant wait to work on this to see how it improves my game.

[turtleback]

My first round I shot 101.

Of course that was for 9 holes.  LOL

[jcro]

Wow, I just went to the driving range at lunch and must have hit at least 200 balls....those lessons really screwed me up. I tried doing what the pro taught me yesterday and it felt so weird. I used to hit my irons flush and straight but my driver has always been all over now after the lessons its like I am 100 times worse. Prior to my lessons everything seemed so much simpler, now after my lessons there is so much to think about, ball placement, grip, stance, backswing, wrist hinge, hip turn, shoulder turn....please tell me I will get this soon! On the other hand the one out of 20 I did hit flush felt great and effortless but I do not feel as powerful as before. Sigh....

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by jcro

Wow, I just went to the driving range at lunch and must have hit at least 200 balls....those lessons really screwed me up. I tried doing what the pro taught me yesterday and it felt so weird. I used to hit my irons flush and straight but my driver has always been all over now after the lessons its like I am 100 times worse. Prior to my lessons everything seemed so much simpler, now after my lessons there is so much to think about, ball placement, grip, stance, backswing, wrist hinge, hip turn, shoulder turn....please tell me I will get this soon! On the other hand the one out of 20 I did hit flush felt great and effortless but I do not feel as powerful as before. Sigh....

When  started out in golf at about age 13 I never had a lesson and was completely self taught.  Over the years I got to where I could break 90 on occasion.  Then I went to a week-long golf school and they were horrified at my swing (slight exaggeration - I had a huge sway and a bad grip) and took it part and put it back together again.  By the end of the week I couldn't break 100.  The new thoughts were conflicting with the old muscle memory.  But then the season ended.  And I moved to California.  And after a month or 2 realized I could play even though it was January.  And when I did I found that the old muscle memory was gone and I could play according to the new swing thoughts more easily.  And I ended up quite a bit better than I had been before the golf school.

Sometimes you have to take a step or two backwards to be able to move forward.

[garrettdennert]

turtleback, well said.  Sometimes you do have to take a step or two back to go forwards, and like you said it stems from practicing improper techniques, getting it engrained in your muscle memory, and being unable to reverse it.  I started playing when I was real young too and was completely self-taught, save for my father showing me how to hold the club.  As a competitive golfer in high school we'd get different lessons for free from our golf pro, but it never seemed to work for me.  I've always been better at teaching myself, reading books and formulating my own opinions on how to take the information and implement it.  I find this saves a lot of money too, considering lessons cost 100s of dollars and a book can cost what?  Up to 15 or 20?  The main thing is that whatever new thing you learn, you PRACTICE IT.  You can't just sit back and expect what you learned two weeks ago will somehow flesh itself out on the course the next time.  Sorry... rambled again.

Garrett

[jcro]

I get what you both have said and agree to a point. My only problem now is golf was enjoyable 3 days ago and not so much right now. I went to the driving range a lunch (35 min ago) and did not really enjoy myself. I felt like everything that was shown to me in one hour by the golf "pro" was hurried and perhaps a way to ensure I make another appointment.....I do understand the basics to which were shown to me but do not understand why I cannot hit the ball like I did prior to the lessons. My irons were hit with power and way better accuracy then after my lessons. My woods was long but all over the place prior to my lessons. Now, everything is weak and anywhere but straight. I tend to hit the ground prior to the ball, when I do connect its weak. Do you guys suggest another lesson or two with a new pro or go back to the same one? Or perhaps like the Garrett said....just read books and learn. I am a pretty athletic guy 6'2 200lb and played every sport I ever tried pretty well, its frustrating to drive the ball maybe 200 yards from averaging a minimum of 250 prior to my lessons. I have hit the ball into the 300 yard net at my local driving range, I know its in me to do it constant. I just thought this lesson would show me how to unlock the power I feel like I have and learn how to be accurate. I now feel like that lady from the Happy Gilmore movie who was driving the ball 3 feet and the pro "chubbs" was saying "thats good, its all in the hips".....I am leaning towards another lesson and new pro to be honest...

suggestions?