My Swing (FireDragon76)

[Phil McGleno]

Oh my buddy-Youre something else. @iacas and @mvmac -You should restrict yourselves from this thread so you are not tempted to help this clown.-In fact what can I do to get restricted so I dont have to claw at my eyes and pull my hair out reading this nonsense?

[Lihu]

Who is KyleAnthony?

Yeah, I still whiff, though it seems to be getting less and less.  A month ago I couldn't hit a ball off the ground most of the time, it had to be teed up.  I'm seeing progress, although it seems painfully slow.

My dad has been playing golf for decades and occasionally misses the ball altogether, although it's rare.

A dude who keeps arguing with people who are trying to help him . He has lots of potential, because he could hit the ball a long way, and had a lot less swing flaws than you currently do.

Lihu said my swing wasn't even a golf swing.  Well, then there needs to be an explanation how the ball got from the ground to over 150 yards away without having a "golf swing".     I accepted when I started out that I probably would need to have a less-than-ideal golf swing- definitely not swinging like a pro.  I'm not in my 20's anymore, never been good at baseball, softball, or tennis, and I deal with chronic pain the majority of the days in the past few years.  So I accepted that realistically I'd need golf instruction and swing methods that would suit me as an individual.

I'm middle aged and I just learned this last year to hit my 37 degree blade iron (a 1965 loft 7i) almost that far. I can hit at least 10 balls in a row almost that far and within 20 yards side to side and 5 yards distance variation. Just did it this morning. I only had one off center by 18 yards and short 10 yards out of 12 shots.

The golf swing is a controlled and powerful swing that allows you to make consistent contact with a ball so that you can make more greens in regulation.

In non-golfing terms, I usually can get close to a green from 375 to 385 yards in two shots pretty consistently. That's what I just spent the last year of hard work and LISTENING to my instructors on this site and learning how to do this. It's pretty easy, really. Just stop arguing with people who know better.

BTW, there is no point in comparing yourself with Moe Norman, Greg Norman or any other PGA golfer. You first need to learn to make a proper golf swing. Expect that this will take some time to do.

[Hammer 4]

The bottom line here is....Your being given all this Great advice on how you can improve, yet, you seem NOT to want to listen, or maybe you don't believe what Erik, Mike, and others have offered. It's like butting heads with a bull, you know you can't win, and in your case, this seems to be the situation for some unknown reason. Also, even though you can't seem to grasp all this info. you post questions on other golf topic's...why..?

What they say WORKS...all you have to do is follow their advice, and in due time, your swing will improve..simple as that.

[FireDragon76]

I decided tonight I'm going to go get lessons from a pro, I've reached a point I don't think I can keeping working at this on my own.     It might be a waste of money but its starting to feel like just going to a driving range and beating on golf balls isn't leading my swing to improving fast enough to justify the expense.   I live in apartment and I can't practice indoors and I don't have any friends that play golf, either... so I think lessons are the way to go (I miss when I could just go out into my back yard and hit on a swing trainer whenever I felt lie it).   The local driving range has a pro who gives lessons for 60 dollars and while that is a lot of money, it's probably just a cost I have to lump if I want to play golf.  Plus, interacting with a pro face to face will be a good way to look at my physical limitations, and if he or she is good good, they can work with them.

I also plan to schedule a check up with my doctor and ask for a physical therapist's referral to check me over.  Since I started playing golf I've been dealing with back pain and my shoulders have been popping and clicking more so it would probably be a good idea to have medical advice before I mess something up.

I would still be interested in learning the Moe Norman swing but the Orlando Graves Academy only offers lessons as part of a two day package costing 600 dollars, which seems a bit steep to me.  What do you think?  I have an older book by Natural Golf but the swing has been tweaked since the book was written.    I've tried to implement the swing and I think I have parts of it but something is blocking my progress.  It could just be that apartment living doesn't agree with being a good golfer, I'm sure if I had a room big enough to practice in front of a mirror, it would be easier.  Feeling isn't reality and part of the problem is translating what I see and read into stuff I do.  Or, it could be there is something wrong with my shoulders, or maybe I just need to do more drills with a coach.

I appreciate the advice that has been given.  I'm an adult living with autism and you have to understanding I don't think the way you do and I understand even less of what is called the meta-language of neurotyical communication.  The assumptions about the unwrittens rules of language and etiquette that most "ordinary" people take for granted.  I've always felt I was born on the wrong planet;  I'm a Vulcan trapped in a human body, and I question everything, that's just what I do (I don't go to church anymore either, just because I can't take things at face value and go with the flow... but that's another topic altogether.  Basically, I'm not a joiner and I resist herds).  For many years I lived a solitary existence with myself but that's just part of being autistic (the only time I really felt bad about it were the few times people pressured me to be otherwise), so I don't completely understand the unwritten rules about how you all think or your expectations about what is normal.   I'm not a dick to be around in real life, though sometimes conversations can be awkward.

[Ernest Jones]

I decided tonight I'm going to go get lessons from a pro, I've reached a point I don't think I can keeping working at this on my own.     It might be a waste of money but its starting to feel like just going to a driving range and beating on golf balls isn't leading my swing to improving fast enough to justify the expense.   I live in apartment and I can't practice indoors and I don't have any friends that play golf, either... so I think lessons are the way to go (I miss when I could just go out into my back yard and hit on a swing trainer whenever I felt lie it).   The local driving range has a pro who gives lessons for 60 dollars and while that is a lot of money, it's probably just a cost I have to lump if I want to play golf.  Plus, interacting with a pro face to face will be a good way to look at my physical limitations, and if he or she is good good, they can work with them.  I also plan to schedule a check up with my doctor and ask for a physical therapist's referral to check me over.  Since I started playing golf I've been dealing with back pain and my shoulders have been popping and clicking more so it would probably be a good idea to have medical advice before I mess something up. I would still be interested in learning the Moe Norman swing but the Orlando Graves Academy only offers lessons as part of a two day package costing 600 dollars, which seems a bit steep to me.  What do you think?  I have an older book by Natural Golf but the swing has been tweaked since the book was written.    I've tried to implement the swing and I think I have parts of it but something is blocking my progress.  It could just be that apartment living doesn't agree with being a good golfer, I'm sure if I had a room big enough to practice in front of a mirror, it would be easier.  Feeling isn't reality and part of the problem is translating what I see and read into stuff I do.  Or, it could be there is something wrong with my shoulders, or maybe I just need to do more drills with a coach. I appreciate the advice that has been given.  I'm an adult living with autism and you have to understanding I don't think the way you do and I understand even less of what is called the meta-language of neurotyical communication.  The assumptions about the unwrittens rules of language and etiquette that most "ordinary" people take for granted.  I've always felt I was born on the wrong planet;  I'm a Vulcan trapped in a human body, and I question everything, that's just what I do (I don't go to church anymore either, just because I can't take things at face value and go with the flow... but that's another topic altogether.  Basically, I'm not a joiner and I resist herds).  For many years I lived a solitary existence with myself but that's just part of being autistic (the only time I really felt bad about it were the few times people pressured me to be otherwise), so I don't completely understand the unwritten rules about how you all think or your expectations about what is normal.   I'm not a dick to be around in real life, though sometimes conversations can be awkward.

Best of luck and I wish you well. Feel free to check in with us periodically as you work with your pro. I hope you luck into finding a good pro but I'm willing to bet a box of donuts that the pro you find won't be anywhere near as good as the people that have tried to help you on this site. In any case, best of luck and God speed. :-)

[mmoan2]

I decided tonight I'm going to go get lessons from a pro, I've reached a point I don't think I can keeping working at this on my own.     It might be a waste of money but its starting to feel like just going to a driving range and beating on golf balls isn't leading my swing to improving fast enough to justify the expense.   I live in apartment and I can't practice indoors and I don't have any friends that play golf, either... so I think lessons are the way to go (I miss when I could just go out into my back yard and hit on a swing trainer whenever I felt lie it).   The local driving range has a pro who gives lessons for 60 dollars and while that is a lot of money, it's probably just a cost I have to lump if I want to play golf.  Plus, interacting with a pro face to face will be a good way to look at my physical limitations, and if he or she is good good, they can work with them.

I also plan to schedule a check up with my doctor and ask for a physical therapist's referral to check me over.  Since I started playing golf I've been dealing with back pain and my shoulders have been popping and clicking more so it would probably be a good idea to have medical advice before I mess something up.

I would still be interested in learning the Moe Norman swing but the Orlando Graves Academy only offers lessons as part of a two day package costing 600 dollars, which seems a bit steep to me.  What do you think?  I have an older book by Natural Golf but the swing has been tweaked since the book was written.    I've tried to implement the swing and I think I have parts of it but something is blocking my progress.  It could just be that apartment living doesn't agree with being a good golfer, I'm sure if I had a room big enough to practice in front of a mirror, it would be easier.  Feeling isn't reality and part of the problem is translating what I see and read into stuff I do.  Or, it could be there is something wrong with my shoulders, or maybe I just need to do more drills with a coach.

I appreciate the advice that has been given.  I'm an adult living with autism and you have to understanding I don't think the way you do and I understand even less of what is called the meta-language of neurotyical communication.  The assumptions about the unwrittens rules of language and etiquette that most "ordinary" people take for granted.  I've always felt I was born on the wrong planet;  I'm a Vulcan trapped in a human body, and I question everything, that's just what I do (I don't go to church anymore either, just because I can't take things at face value and go with the flow... but that's another topic altogether.  Basically, I'm not a joiner and I resist herds).  For many years I lived a solitary existence with myself but that's just part of being autistic (the only time I really felt bad about it were the few times people pressured me to be otherwise), so I don't completely understand the unwritten rules about how you all think or your expectations about what is normal.   I'm not a dick to be around in real life, though sometimes conversations can be awkward.

As I've read through this thread, a quote came to me that I think you would be best served to remember - "Free your mind and the rest will follow." If you simply stopped worrying about a Moe Norman Swing, or Bo and Luke Duke swing, or Ben Hogan swing, or Babba Booie Golf Academy, or Duffy MacDougal swing plane trainer, etc. and followed what Mike and Erik and others preached here with a blank slate mind free from objections, you would be better served than going to a pro for $60 a lesson. You seem like you've led the kind of life where trust is not high on your list, which is understandable. Fortunately, you don't need to make the PGA Tour, you just need to get better at a leisure activity to enjoy it more. Modest needs for sure! Ask yourself this - would it be a big deal if you just committed to 4 months of training yourself using this resource? The worst you have to lose is being the same at golf as you were 4 months ago. Plus, you would've saved a couple hundred bucks in the process. I say this because I kinda understand your situation, I think. I love golf, but my financial resources right now are low. If I spent $300 on a series of 5 lessons (which would be the minimum I recommend to make any improvement at all, and that's stretching it), I'd probably have to sacrifice playing golf to pay for my lessons. Evolvr and The Sand Trap is $40 a month for 3-4 video lessons. Pretty doable.

Anyway, as others have said, good luck and enjoy!

[FireDragon76]

Today I worked on using a golf club grip next to my head during the swing to try to reduce head movement- I did that for about eight or ten swings into a ball.  At first it threw off my swing a lot.  I felt like I was twisting up a bit more.

The past two days I've been trying out a new swing to see how it felt. Dave Seeman has a youtube channel with a lot of free advice, and the swing looked easy, not too much twisting.  He also keeps it simple and some of the things he says make really good swing thoughts.

I seemed to be hitting better today than I usually do, the shots were fairly straight for the most part.  I did have some trouble topping the ball when hitting off the ground.

One thing that really helped when I was swinging clubs was to visualize the swing path, that helped me move between clubs:  yesterday I had a horrible time starting out on a pitching wedge and going to a driver.  I also tried to be more conscious of swinging through the ball with an easy swing and getting my arms away from my body and making a better follow-through.  Starting out at the chipping green also seemed to help, as well as taking breaks after hitting a few balls (as I've read that the muscle fibers involved in the golf swing get tired very quickly).  Nevertheless, after hitting a bucket of 70 balls my body was left achy, though it felt nice to hit with the range's graphite shafted, oversized 5 iron- much less vibration and I could just feel the clubhead easier than swinging with a heavy steel shaft.

[kalaz]

I seemed to be hitting better today than I usually do, the shots were fairly straight for the most part.  I did have some trouble topping the ball when hitting off the ground.

I can see you put lot of effort/thought into your practice. I would like to know how you progress over time. I wonder:

1. Do you practice off the matt or grass?
2. Whats your 7 iron shot distance?
3. Can you measure % of balls you can hit well, meaning that it goes your distance (2) +-20 meters and +- 20 meters to the lateraly?

[Phil McGleno]

You need to minimize your head movement by making your shoulders work properly not just by 'not twisting'.-You know, the stuff everyone here has tried to get you to understand since you started this thread................[quote name="FireDragon76" url="/t/77970/my-swing-firedragon76/54#post_1077886"]Today I worked on using a golf club grip next to my head during the swing to try to reduce head movement- I did that for about eight or ten swings into a ball.  At first it threw off my swing a lot.  I felt like I was twisting up a bit more.[/quote] You cannot be helped-You think the answer is to keep finding new swing methods and then to do those, even though you still whiff and you are nowhere near implementing the prior swing method. [quote name="FireDragon76" url="/t/77970/my-swing-firedragon76/54#post_1077886"]The past two days I've been trying out a new swing to see how it felt. Dave Seeman has a youtube channel with a lot of free advice, and the swing looked easy, not too much twisting.  He also keeps it simple and some of the things he says make really good swing thoughts.[/quote] Sorry to hear about your difficulties with your conditions but you are NOT making it easier on yourself hopping around from thing to thing looking for a magic bullet.-They do not exist.

[FireDragon76]

I can see you put lot of effort/thought into your practice. I would like to know how you progress over time. I wonder:

Do you practice off the matt or grass?

Whats your 7 iron shot distance?

Can you measure % of balls you can hit well, meaning that it goes your distance (2) +-20 meters and +- 20 meters to the lateraly?

Measure?  No.  I could guess, but it's just a guess.  Yesterday I believe I was hitting 8/10 shots fairly well, but when they were bad, they were very bad.

Off the grass stuff I practice is just setup with a club in front of a mirror and maybe a few drills where I practice a short takeaway.  No full swings even in slow motion, my apartment is too small.    I do practice putting and a little chipping in the hallway using soft practice balls and a basket.

Most of the time I'm walking down to the driving range which is about 3/4 a mile away and I only carry one club, usually my chipping wedge and I borrow whatever else they have on hand.   Usually I borrow an old steel driver or a 5 iron.   I don't know the exact distance I'm hitting, right now I'm more focused on getting what feels like good distance and trying to minimize the misses.  I believe the secret is to not get discouraged and to not try to hit too hard to get the distance.   Yesterday I was really focused on easy swings, and at first they didn't go very far, but with each swing they started going longer and longer as I grooved the swings.

Practicing in front of a camera seems difficult.  Most of the time I've tried to record my swing, things get worse.

I think I'm going to add in some daily tempo training, just go outside my apartment into the grass and swing a golf club, focusing on getting a smooth swing.  My goal is to get my backswing slower and my swing speed up.  Right now its around 75mph with a 5 iron.

I got some things called flatballs, they are thin little disks, supposed to help you learn to not to make fat or thin shots.   I've only used them a few times.  They skim around like hockey pucks on short grass.   Probably better for indoor use, if I had the space.  At a driving range, I use them around the space on the chipping green.

[jclark]

I honestly feel that if you made an effort to address what had been suggested in this thread (many times) you would actually see an improvement in your swing. Or keep jumping from swing to swing and get absolutely nowhere. Dude, you honestly cannot get any worse by trying our suggestions. If you just try what we are saying I promise you will get better and maybe see the light! Good luck buddy. P.S. Are you a troll?

[kalaz]

Measure?  No.  I could guess, but it's just a guess.  Yesterday I believe I was hitting 8/10 shots fairly well,

I think I'm going to add in some daily tempo training, just go outside my apartment into the grass and swing a golf club, focusing on getting a smooth swing.  My goal is to get my backswing slower and my swing speed up.  Right now its around 75mph with a 5 iron.

Wow, 80% chance of hitting straight 75mph swing means about 140 yards straight shot most of the time

With these stats I guess you will be 10-20 handicaper as soon as you hit the golf course. Keep up the good work!

[FireDragon76]

140-150 sounds about right, and I've had others tell me that's about how far I'm hitting.  I need to get that consistency every day, though.

I'm using a gadget called a SyncaSwing to record my swing speed.  It grips onto the shaft of the club.  It also records information about tempo.  Half the time I can't get it to work, though- I believe it has a bad internal battery contact.  So I take a screwdriver and end up fiddling with it.  I don't use it all the time, just a few times to chart my progress.  My swing speed used to be 55-60 mph.

[Lihu]

Wow, 80% chance of hitting straight 75mph swing means about 140 yards straight shot most of the time With these stats I guess you will be 10-20 handicaper as soon as you hit the golf course. Keep up the good work!

Probably at or above 16 would most likely be the best hc for that distance. No way can someone hitting that short on an approach be a 10 hc. A 10 would typically par almost half the holes or better. For reference, I'm a 13-14 handicap, and hit my 7i (37 degree club) about 143 yards average on the course which means off any lie in wintertime 45F wet ground conditions. To get to 10 and/or sub-10 will probably take another 5-10 yards with that club and the ability to hit some iron or hybrid 200 yards.

[Ernest Jones]

I honestly feel that if you made an effort to address what had been suggested in this thread (many times) you would actually see an improvement in your swing. Or keep jumping from swing to swing and get absolutely nowhere. Dude, you honestly cannot get any worse by trying our suggestions. If you just try what we are saying I promise you will get better and maybe see the light! Good luck buddy.

At the risk of wasting precious keystrokes...I agree.

[billchao]

Sorry to hear about your difficulties with your conditions but you are NOT making it easier on yourself hopping around from thing to thing looking for a magic bullet.-They do not exist.

I'm with Phil on this one, @FireDragon76 . You can't just try one swing method or another to see if it works for you. You're doing those methods and yourself a great disservice. In all likelihood, you're swinging the club the exact same way you've always been swinging, just thinking about doing things differently each time.

In order to make tangible changes to your swing, you have to make a concerted effort to change. That takes time and practice.

[FireDragon76]

I'd like to be able to get a little better than double bogey on average, that's my goal.  I don't see myself playing 18 hole rounds... so probably I should be aiming for a score below 50.  I believe I can do that in a year, depending on how much I can play this winter.  I also would like to get a USGA handicap, but I'm not sure it can be done only playing 9 holes.   I'd be curious to know.

[Lihu]

I'd like to be able to get a little better than double bogey on average, that's my goal.  I don't see myself playing 18 hole rounds... so probably I should be aiming for a score below 50.  I believe I can do that in a year, depending on how much I can play this winter.  I also would like to get a USGA handicap, but I'm not sure it can be done only playing 9 holes.   I'd be curious to know.

You can get a handicap based upon 9 holes. I only found out this year. USGA has ratings for front and back on most courses. Your goal seems realistic, but still will take some work. Keep posting your swings as you progress. Good luck. :-)