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My handicap has dropped from 16 start of last year to 9.9-10.0 this year. I had monthly coaching last year - which did help a ton but I always had the feeling deep down they were just applying band aids and temporary fixes to keep me going. My handicap has probably dropped through a combination of those plasters and playing more over the last year rather than any sustainable improvement. Which kind of annoys me that I have somewhat wasted that money but at the same time - I did reach my goal. The more the year went on the more I realised that we weren't really addressing the key issues (which I think I have a good grasp on) - just throwing different feels and different positions around until something that worked temporarily for a month and rinse and repeat. There was even one session where I actively chased another feel just to tick me over an upcoming golf trip - the feel didn't work. I'm no longer getting coaching as it became unaffordable this year due to a severe price hike but truthfully I wasn't really fancying another year of band aids. I've probably exhausted most of the coaches in my area at this point over the last 5 years but it seems to me nobody wants to, or has been able to address the root problems. My main goal was always to get the handicap down to 9/10 range as I knew I was capable and hey I did it. I started this year off pretty hot scoring wise including a personal best round where my timing must have been impeccable as my ball striking was unreal that day. I am now trending in the wrong direction again because my ball striking is genuinely atrocious - it varies from heel to toe, from bottom groove to top groove.  I can manipulate shape by setting up super closed or super open but ask me to hit a straight golf ball it's never going to happen.  As I say, currently a bit of a crossroads with golf and I find myself asking where do I want to go with golf from here - do I want to continue to float around in the low 10's handicap just searching for feels that work for a month or so then begin to fall apart again? Or do I want to seriously explore addressing the root problems with my golf swing and ball striking to take me to that next level? My biggest issue is my ball striking. It's terrible, not to be harsh on myself as I can obviously move the ball around a golf course but until my ball striking seriously improves my scores are never going to drop. And I don't want band aids or temporary fixes - I want to know what is causing the poor ball striking, what is the root cause and what is just a symptom, is it fixable and if so what is that going to take in terms of effort, grind, money etc, am I even physically capable of making a proper golf swing and so on. Many questions which I will hopefully get the answers to. The more I had coaching last year the more I've had lessons over the years I've always had this lingering thought deep down that I don't turn/pivot properly in the backswing and that might be the root cause - but maybe I'm wrong of course.     

I've been Playing Golf for: 5 years My current handicap index or average score is: 10.0 index, I suspect about to jump up a couple shots once good rounds drop off - Average score mid 80's probably My typical ball flight is: Hook but generally everywhere The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: The bad ones Other info in first reply Videos:  Driver DTL Driver Face on   7 iron DTL 7 iron Face on    

In your experience what is the one counterintuitive thing about the golf swing that beginners usually cannot grasp without a professional's help?

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