Fear factor

[mcanadiens]

So with duck weather and a few hours free, I went to the range and am facing the proverbial home truth.

My normal on-course swing is chopped down. For awhile I've figured I need to do this to better the odds of making decent contact with the ball. Now, I realize that it really is simply to mitigate the damage of my mishits.

With the place nearly deserted, I focused on 1) steady head, 2) keeping the left hand solid through impact and 3) making as full a shoulder turn as possible. I hit some tremendous shots for my standards. I also hit some of the most spectacularly awful pulls and slices ever. In the past, a sliced tee shot might drop 175 yards out in the right rough and one hit on the screws would go 210. When I hit well today, it was 240-250. When I sliced, it would have been in the next fairway over or worse.

Maybe I ought to just wear the range out and sort through some of this. Just hope the owner gets those heating lamps running before too long.

Anyone else battle this sort of fear factor as they were coming up?

[boogielicious]

Yes.  It is kind of a right brain, left brain issue.  If we practice well, we do it without letting extraneous thoughts creep into our head.  When my mind is racing, I have a lot of difficulty focusing and I get erratic.

[mcanadiens]

This thread didn't get much traction but I figured I'd update it anyway.

After a handful of range session, I tried my fuller swing out on the course this weekend. Predictably enough, my yardage went up with every club longer than 8I. Unscientifically, I believe my actual rate of mishits wasn't much more than usual. However, the destructiveness of the mishits was much greater.

The same slice that would plop down in the right rough at 180, screams into the next fairway over. The pull that flirts with trees, now tries to impregnate them. On the other hand, if I square it up, the 1W is nearly 250 yards instead of the 200-210 range. That means real birdie chances instead of just chasing par.

Oddly, the scores I ended up carding weren't much different from what I usually do. I figure its largely a timing issue. Hopefully, more range work (hope those heaters come on line) will do the trick.

[Ernest Jones]

This thread didn't get much traction but I figured I'd update it anyway.

After a handful of range session, I tried my fuller swing out on the course this weekend. Predictably enough, my yardage went up with every club longer than 8I. Unscientifically, I believe my actual rate of mishits wasn't much more than usual. However, the destructiveness of the mishits was much greater.

The same slice that would plop down in the right rough at 180, screams into the next fairway over. The pull that flirts with trees, now tries to impregnate them. On the other hand, if I square it up, the 1W is nearly 250 yards instead of the 200-210 range. That means real birdie chances instead of just chasing par.

Oddly, the scores I ended up carding weren't much different from what I usually do. I figure its largely a timing issue. Hopefully, more range work (hope those heaters come on line) will do the trick.

Are you taking lessons from anyone or just trying to "find it in the dirt?"  I don't know many people who have built good, solid, repeatable swings with good ball flight by "wearing the range out". It's not impossible and some have done it, but you'll improve SO much faster with a good coach if you can find one.

[mcanadiens]

Are you taking lessons from anyone or just trying to "find it in the dirt?"  I don't know many people who have built good, solid, repeatable swings with good ball flight by "wearing the range out". It's not impossible and some have done it, but you'll improve SO much faster with a good coach if you can find one.

No chance. I've got enough in the budget to either play golf or take lessons. Not both.

No doubt it's taking a bit longer than I'd like, but I've made some progress.

[Ernest Jones]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ernest Jones

Are you taking lessons from anyone or just trying to "find it in the dirt?"  I don't know many people who have built good, solid, repeatable swings with good ball flight by "wearing the range out". It's not impossible and some have done it, but you'll improve SO much faster with a good coach if you can find one.

No chance. I've got enough in the budget to either play golf or take lessons. Not both.

No doubt it's taking a bit longer than I'd like, but I've made some progress.

Swing Thread?

[mcanadiens]

Yeah. I've been thinking that Swing Thread would be good. I'm sure I can find someone with the fancy phones to video my swing.

I just got to ask.

[Ernest Jones]

Yeah. I've been thinking that Swing Thread would be good. I'm sure I can find someone with the fancy phones to video my swing.

I just got to ask.

Just make sure you get video worth looking at. Steady camera (preferably on a tripod of sorts) and properly positioned in relation to your body.

[colin007]

Where's the blog that shows proper camera placement?

[iacas]

Where's the blog that shows proper camera placement?

http://thesandtrap.com/b/playing_tips/filming_your_swing

[colin007]

http://thesandtrap.com/b/playing_tips/filming_your_swing

Thanks Broseph

[Ernest Jones]

Where's the blog that shows proper camera placement?

http://thesandtrap.com/b/playing_tips/filming_your_swing

Thanks Broseph

Thanks, I was looking for that when I posted but got pulled away to finish making dinner so just hit submit.

[natureboy]

Experienced the same thing and still working on it. Everything is more relaxed on the range. No time pressure, no score pressure, lots of room. It's easier to just let the swing happen and be tension-free.

Try logging some practice rounds with the mindset of 'this is to get comfortable & doesn't really count'. Don't even keep score. Hit second balls if no one is waiting or the pace of play is dead slow. Use cheap balls & swing freely from the tee. Hit provisionals on balls that might be hard to find as extra practice and to keep moving along without stress of searching for wayward shots under time pressure.

The biggest issue for me was that on the course I tensed my arms and forearms a lot in an attempt to control or steer the ball toward the target / away from trouble. Once I started hitting some good shots that resembled my range game, I started relaxing and trusting my swing more on the course.

[colin007]

Experienced the same thing and still working on it. Everything is more relaxed on the range. No time pressure, no score pressure, lots of room. It's easier to just let the swing happen and be tension-free.

Try logging some practice rounds with the mindset of 'this is to get comfortable & doesn't really count'. Don't even keep score. Hit second balls if no one is waiting or the pace of play is dead slow. Use cheap balls & swing freely from the tee. Hit provisionals on balls that might be hard to find as extra practice and to keep moving along without stress of searching for wayward shots under time pressure.

The biggest issue for me was that on the course I tensed my arms and forearms a lot in an attempt to control or steer the ball toward the target / away from trouble. Once I started hitting some good shots that resembled my range game, I started relaxing and trusting my swing more on the course.

@natureboy hey another Albany member here!

you want a firm grip but relaxed wrists and forearms.

[mcanadiens]

Try logging some practice rounds with the mindset of 'this is to get comfortable & doesn't really count'. Don't even keep score. Hit second balls if no one is waiting or the pace of play is dead slow. Use cheap balls & swing freely from the tee. Hit provisionals on balls that might be hard to find as extra practice and to keep moving along without stress of searching for wayward shots under time pressure.

Supposing the weather can get back up over 40, this is the time of year for that. Below 40 my body shuts down. Anything between 40-50 and I'll have the course pretty much to myself and can two-ball it.

Speaking of cheap balls, if it can stay dry for a week or so, I'll be in good shape. My home course is on a well field when the hazards drain out, it's practice balls for months.

[natureboy]

@natureboy hey another Albany member here!

you want a firm grip but relaxed wrists and forearms.

Fortunately, I am mostly over that tendency.