I just don't "get it". What to try next.

[Artimas]

Thanks to all for the advice.

Just some follow up. I'm 56 and have been trying to play golf for about 20 years. I have been sidelined by injuries during that time, once for 2 years, and once for 1 year.

I've used about 4 different instructors, each for a long stretch at a time. I've changed because the instructors either retired or (one) died. One recent instructor I've had is good, but he goes to Florida for the winter and I can't keep  up with him after he leaves. I've also gone to golf schools twice. Never paid much attention to magazines or books. I've been videotaped several times. I've spent thousands on lessons and schools over the years. I have decent super game improvement equipment and play forgiving 2 piece balls. I've been told that I have a fundamentally good swing, and on tape my main flaw is what I'll call my weight transition during the down swing, but I also have consistency problems.

I have a hard time reproducing good swings. If I leave the club face open, or make a poor transition, or another flaw, I can't feel it compared to a good swing, and don't know if I'm reproducing the same swing. Thus I can't fix it and my shots are very erratic. Sometimes I'll have a really good day with a lot of good shots, and then it'll all go to hell my next round. I'm "best" with short irons and worst with longer clubs, as I suspect most are.

Things just came to a head after my incredibly bad round on Saturday and I became massively frustrated and disappointed.

I think for me the best thing to do at this point is to try and find a good local instructor. I've been down that road, but I think that is what will help me the most. I'll ask around for references and see what happens.

I could use some advice on how to practice well between lessons. What can I do to try and better feel my swing and get more consisitent?

Thanks to all. The replies are truly appreciated.

[robinoso]

I can relate to what you originally posted.  I also battle inconsistent shots. I will hit a wonderful shot followed by a chunk multiple times and it drives me bonkers.  Or I "play" the course and lay up and my final approach is a shank leaving me wondering if I should have just tried the original shot in my mind.

/rant on.

At the same time, it sounds like you are getting rushed by the people you play with.  I know you can't just up and find new people easily, but that would whip my ass if I was getting pressured to hurry.  I get not spending forever looking for a ball, but give me a minute...especially if nobody is behind me.  It's not the $, it's the principle of finishing MY hole.

/rant off.

I also get frustrated.  Here is what made it fun for me.  I stopped caring.  I focused on what I did right and that is it.  If I hit a trash shot, so be it...hit the next one great!  It's hard to stay confident when you are frustrated no doubt, but it's hard to play good golf when you are pissed off.

Relax.  Stay Positive.  Pray it doesn't rain.

[RyderJ]

This should be in some type of "Golf Bible" lol...

Originally Posted by robinoso

Relax.  Stay Positive.  Pray it doesn't rain.

[Topper]

I think my previous post was off the mark.  You've been golfing for a while and it's likely I'm still hoping to have a day that's as good as your bad day.

[nevets88]

I think with regard to practice, it helps to practice on real grass. Check your divots, where on the face contact was made. I rarely ever see people look at the clubface consistently. Ballflight tells alot, but the clubface is an extra measuring point. You can kind of see divots on mats. I try and focus on the clubhead at the point of contact. For me it's a bit distracting though.

You see many people at ranges fire a fusillade of shots, one after another without thinking. They're done with a bucket before I get halfway through mine. I just try and reflect after every shot what I feel, why what happened, happened.

I also play a variety of shots with the same club, short swing, short easy swing, short aggressive swing, 3/4 easy, etc...

Too bad people don't play the speed they do when they practice, we'd have 3 1/2 hour rounds.

[inthehole]

I'm pretty much in your boat, but just started playing last year.      Rather that go to the range, I found a local county field that nobody uses & hit a few hundred wedge and chip shots at least twice a week (nothing over 100 yards - taking full and half swings with all the wedges, and of course many chip shots from under 20 yards -amazing how hard those short shots are to become consistent).    Most of my points are lost in the short game & driver.     If you can find a place to work on your short game, I think you'll improve.      Driver, I've been hitting those foam practice balls - don't have to walk 200 yards & try to find real balls somewhere out in a field - plus, they magnify your slice, so you know when you really screw one up.      Lastly, and most importantly, work on a slow, smooth swing.   Forget about distance at the stage we're at.      I've learned the distance my clubs hit with my easy swing - and I'm doing fine now.     Actually beating the guys who hit way longer than me by being on the fairway ... it's a much more enjoyable game playing a little shorter and smarter, but from the fairway instead of the rough... lied, actually the most important thing is keep your eye on the ball - we're so focused on watching as soon as contact is made where the ball is going, we often look away from the ball - actually LOOK at the ball until contact is made & you can still pick up the ball flight.

[Artimas]

Originally Posted by Topper

I think my previous post was off the mark.  You've been golfing for a while and it's likely I'm still hoping to have a day that's as good as your bad day.

I sincerely doubt that.

My last round was .........132. 67+65.

Boy, that was hard to post. I told you I was embarrassed.

[evan01]

Mr. Artimas, the biggest problem facing poor golfers is grip and stance. Having said that I am sure your are ok in that catagory. Tempo is next many high handicapers swing very fast or hard (muscle). Start with a gap wedge 48*-50* you need to hit these clubs slow and smoooooth. If you are hitting them 75-100 yards and feel comfortable pick up the 8 iron ,hit a few balls if you are smooth after 10 balls go to a 7 iron. Key here is if you loose the tempo go back to the gap wedge regain your smoooth tempo and start over. The again big key is slow smooooth tempo ie Freddy Couples.  I know he is a pro but it works. Let me know how it works. Works for me. Good Luck and be patient is is a great game.

[nevets88]

I think the biggest problem for most golfers is low point of the swing in front of the ball. Grip, stance, alignment and posture are important, but you can use all variations of them and still hit the ball well.

The first fundamental of golf IMHO is to hit the ball first, divot in front of the ball, hands ahead of the clubface/ball at impact, hands extended after impact.

Once you achieve this correctly, everything falls into place, pitching, chipping, driving, etc...

The problem is figuring out to do this.

[Open-Faced Club Sandwedge]

For instance, if I miss a drive on a big pull-slice, I know that I swung significantly out-to-in, because I understand the ball flight laws.  If I swung significantly out-to-in, it's usually because I turned my shoulders open from the transition, throwing the club outside and shifting my swing plane to an out-to-in one. I've had enough video analysis and professional advice to know that.  If I turned my shoulders to start the transition, I know it's because I didn't start the transition with the right move of the left knee, and ensuing hip slide, which have the effect of getting me into the swing without bad shoulder movement, and help me to drop the club into the slot during transition.

So the next swing I make sure to lead the transition with my left knee, to get the hips ahead of the shoulders, and to feel like I'm swinging through with closed shoulders.

I don't really think anybody diagnoses what's going wrong in their swing by feel.  Knowledge of ball flight, the golf swing, and your particular habits/triggers, is the only way to build constructively from the results of your swings.

-Andrew

Quote:

Originally Posted by Artimas

I have a hard time reproducing good swings. If I leave the club face open, or make a poor transition, or another flaw, I can't feel it compared to a good swing, and don't know if I'm reproducing the same swing. Thus I can't fix it and my shots are very erratic.

[AmazingWhacker]

I was in the same boat as you for sure.  After over 1 year of going to the range 2-3 times per week, taking 12 lessons from a local pro and watching and reading every golf tip I could find, I was totally unable to hit the ball.  Period.  If I hit 100 drives on the range, you can bet that all 100 would be slices and none would go past 125 yards (except maybe some rolling skullers).

Many others in this thread have mentioned the importance of finding a good instructor . .but I was not able to do so.  When it came to the golf swing, I just "didn't get it".

What helped me was the Youtube videos (and eventually I bought the dvd) of Shawn Clement.  For whatever reason I was able to understand his instruction and it got me hitting the ball pretty decently.  His "Perpetual Motion Drill" is what turned on the lights for me and, once I realized it was helping, I stopped reading tips and filtered out all other sources of instruction and just worked on his drills.

It only took about a month to see dramatic improvements.  I still stink at golf but I walk up to the tee box without the impending sense of doom that comes with knowing you are about to hit it OB or worse.  I know Shawn has been mentioned a lot in this forum and some might agree or not with his methods but, as far as I can tell, the best instruction is that which you can understand so if nothing else is working for you then you might as well give it a shot.

Good luck!