7 handicap golfer shooting 108

[bunkerputt]

I'm curious about your opinion here.  Do you think it's possible to consistently shoot high 70s, change swings, work on things, etc. and a month later shoot 108?

[bmartin461]

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

I'm curious about your opinion here.  Do you think it's possible to consistently shoot high 70s, change swings, work on things, etc. and a month later shoot 108?

Does a one-legged duck swim in a circle?

[RFetters]

no

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

I'm curious about your opinion here.  Do you think it's possible to consistently shoot high 70s, change swings, work on things, etc. and a month later shoot 108?

Anything's possible.

Which would of course mean impossibility is possible....

Hey look, I'm on a merry go round

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

I'm curious about your opinion here.  Do you think it's possible to consistently shoot high 70s, change swings, work on things, etc. and a month later shoot 108?

Depends on why you shot 108. If there were a few lost balls and OB strokes, two 54s is not impossible. If it was a single round spike in your scores, then yeah it's possible. If you're keeping the ball in play and struggling to get around the course, and it happens a few times, then you're not really a 7 right now. You'll have to work to get back there (and beyond) ; )

[case31]

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

I'm curious about your opinion here.  Do you think it's possible to consistently shoot high 70s, change swings, work on things, etc. and a month later shoot 108?

No, that's crazy.  The next thing you're going to ask is if the #1 player in the world could make a few changes to his swing and become unable to hit a driver.

Signed,

T. Woods

[bunkerputt]

Roger.  Tons of power, hit 1 fairway, 280 into the wind.  The rest were OB left, way OB, like 2 fairways OB or more.  Lost 14 balls.  Stuck between trying to release it and trying not to release it...  Golf pretty much sucks right now.  Of the three holes I made par on, I took 5 iron off the tee and followed it up with a 6-iron approach.

[Stretch]

Bad times!

[ejimsmith]

this is why i won't goto an instructor.  i don't want anything about my swing changed, other then practice, practice, practice...

and for me, if i have a poor first couple holes, my head game is over and i'll be lucky to break 90.

[Kieran123]

My girlfriends stepdad is a 5.6 or something.

He shot a 95 last season.

It happens.

[bunkerputt]

A side thread would be:  "If you carried a 4.6 handicap for a few months, but thought you could only go lower by making some changes that would make you a 20 handicap or higher for 6 months, would you do it?"

[rustyredcab]

Change is hard. My instructors suggest staying away from the course when making big changes. Until you have the process of the new swing down, playing on a course puts too much emphasis on the result of the swing. I have not taken their advise to stay away but I did lower my expectations when I made a gig change.

I recall playing in an alternate shot event right after my first golf school. My partner begged me to return to my old swing. I did not and there were many ugly moments. Of course, my old swing did not have me at a 7 either so there would have been some ugly shots if I had not switched. It must be harder for you.

[bunkerputt]

It's pretty tough.  I basically played with compensations and a throwing action for a long time, tried eliminating them, but found that motor patterns are tough to undo.  I thought I had them licked, but think again.  My good shots are way better than they used to be.  Perfect line, perfect trajectory.  In that round on Friday I was playing a par-4, hooked one into the trees left, took a drop from 180 out and hit a 7-iron a little left and long of the pin, too much overdraw.  I rehearsed the wedge drill changes, dropped another ball, visualized the shot shape (baby fade) and came 6 inches from holing it on the fly.  My second shots were always spectacular after rehearsing, but the first ones were either hooked or blocked when I got sick of going left.  The biggest learning curve is learning to create the right amount of lag pressure.  Before I basically had very little at impact and threw the club a lot, particularly with the driver.  Now I've got a lot coming into impact and it's a little mental game to trust it.  When I don't, I flip it and it heads left.  When I do, it's either a spectacular shot, or a mega-slice to the right if I had too much lag pressure.  So my problems are creating too much lag pressure and not trusting it when it's the right amount.

Probably the toughest part is that it's such a lonely road.  People treat you like you've got the plague.  I think comments "Removing compensations makes you instantly better" just serve to create frustration.  Anyway I worked on it some more at the range today and had some decent results with the driver.  Still a lot of left with some right thrown in, but if I take 50% swings and focus on not throwing and rolling through impact, it still gets out there 240 or so and fairly straight with a slight draw.  That's at least a shot I can live with off the tee.  Much nicer than those 180 yard low snap hooks that turn into hot air balloons to the right.

[poser]

I was 1.2 when I started making changes and I have shot mid - high 80s alot this year I mean alot.... My last 3 rounds.  74, 88, 79.

The 88 was weird cause I flushed the ball on the front nine just hit alot of pull draws and put myself in alot of trouble.

[RPMPIRE]

Look at Tiger's progress everytime he changes his swing or swing instructors, especially now. Two years no wins, granted he had his infidelities. It takes time for a swing change to be consistent. Not to mention, you probably have to fight off your old habits from your previous swing.

[mirv]

swing changes are pure hell.  i went to an instructor awhile back who told me three key things that i was doing wrong to cost me consistency and accuracy.  for a solid month after i went to him, i was shooting low 90s where before i had been upper 70s.  finally after four or six weeks, a lightbulb went off and i understood what i needed to do to make those adjustments work, and i'm back into the 70s again - shot 75 and 73 just last week actually.  i think going from 70s to 108 is a pretty extreme case.  gaining 10-12 strokes after a lesson, yeah, that's almost to be expected if you're making some drastic changes.  if i were to guess, i'd say the other strokes are coming from your mind.  you might not have any confidence in the swing and instead of shooting 90, you let it get in your head and 90 turned into 108.  it's easy to let that happen.

[johnclayton1982]

My pro turned my grip stronger and had me work hard on not cutting across the ball on the downswing (much more lateral turn along with shoulder drop).  The good shots are much better.  However, my miss has gone from a slice to a line drive pull hook.  Its hard on course management, and still feels really weird on the course.  I was a 8.2 handicap at my lowest, now creeping back up.  The round after the lesson I shot a 102 as an 8.2 handicap.  Getting better now, but still occasionally spikes (a 91 the other day).

So, yes. :P

[Assassin]

Ya it's totally normal. Not everyone makes a swing change and goes out and nails it. I made a swing change this year and had the same problems, hooking OB off the tee and losing balls. Those strokes add up fast. When I work on my swing on the course, I go by myself alot and I will play 2 balls or hit "do overs" because I am practicing trying to take it to the course.