Is simplicity in the swing under-rated?

[pacheco52]

I ask that question as a complete newbie to the sport.

Golf is a sport I love and have watched from afar for many-a-year while always promising myself I would give it a bash.  Well now the bashing has started and I have felt overwhelmed by the absolute deluge of information available online, and through other channels, from 'experts'.

A lesson with a tour pro has led to me getting my stance and posture sorted and now I have the mere problem of battling against inconsistency throughout my whole game - as you might expect from a 28 handicapper.

I have stepped up to the ball in the past with literally 10 things spinning through my head - maintain posture; stay 'over' the ball; straight take-away; hinge earlier/later; slow down my swing; turn the hands over; follow through; hold the pose etc etc.  Having all these thoughts going through one's head is bound to lead to something breaking down somewhere and is likely that this will be the cause of a fat/thin shot (or in my case, missing the ball altogether).

A few nights ago I felt something that worked for me.  I was having major trouble with Driver/3W/5W to a point where I just wouldn't take them out of my bag.  I decided to give it a go.  I thought about the swing and what was the most important thing that I needed to do to get that ball off the tee.  I have the posture down (I believe) so I decided that I needed to have my hands a bit higher and start my takeaway correctly, while staying over the ball.  Nothing else - get rid of all the other noise.

Now I am a golfer who is massively inconsistent with the Driver (a range session is embarrassing) and I hit every single ball away from the tee.  Sure there was the odd ball that went too low and out wide into the trees but by the end of my round I was nailing the ball straight about 260 yards.  I'm trying not to speak too soon but I think I may have stumbled across something.

I have now tried to incorporate the same simplicity into my iron play, while remembering to try and turn my hands over (as advised by the tutor) and, though I can still get it all wrong, consistency no longer seems a pipe dream.

I am new to the sport but I believe (in my year or so playing) that we can create our own problems by trying to make things too technical.

Keeping it simple may be the best way forward.

Good luck everyone.

[saevel25]

First welcome to The SandTrap

Keeping it simple may be the best way forward.

Good luck everyone.

Simple is good, check out these related threads ;)

Hope you stick around and contribute to other threads.

[Hatchman]

A few nights ago I felt something that worked for me.  I was having major trouble with Driver/3W/5W to a point where I just wouldn't take them out of my bag.  I decided to give it a go.  I thought about the swing and what was the most important thing that I needed to do to get that ball off the tee.  I have the posture down (I believe) so I decided that I needed to have my hands a bit higher and start my takeaway correctly, while staying over the ball.  Nothing else - get rid of all the other noise. Now I am a golfer who is massively inconsistent with the Driver (a range session is embarrassing) and I hit every single ball away from the tee.  Sure there was the odd ball that went too low and out wide into the trees but by the end of my round I was nailing the ball straight about 260 yards.  I'm trying not to speak too soon but I think I may have stumbled across something.

Very interested. Tell me a little more about your minor changes that got you straighter and out to about 260. I could use a few extra yards. Thanks.

[Grumpter]

That is a simplicity in swing thoughts rather than simplicity in the swing. I usually tell people you get one swing thought (while you are swinging). Too many swing thoughts lead to a lot of thinking and a lot less doing IMO.

[kpaulhus]

Check out 5sk.com.

Doesnt get much more simple than that.

[Patch]

I like simple. I have  three things I keep working on, which I feel are as simple as I can get......for my game.  #1 is my grip that controls the club head/face angle  in my swing. It hardly ever changes unless I get complacent with it, and have to find it again.  #2 is my one piece take away which gets my club head/face in the proper position at the top of my swing. It helps with other parts of my swing, but the proper position  at the top is what I am usually looking for.    #3  is my club head path into the ball.  If I have all three of those ideas working well during a round of golf, I will score well. Score well as long as my putter and I  are seeing eye to eye.

Yep, simple is good, and I also think it helps with consistency.

[JoeMal]

OP; as a newbie as well I also find myself inundated with information out there.  When I'm hitting golf balls, it's very easy to overthink it and you spend so much time worrying about each little mechanic that they all fall apart.  Jack of all trades, master of none if you will.  If I slow down and relax, I almost immediately notice a difference in my game.

[Duff McGee]

A lot of times, people think they are doing something when they are not. Like they hear "keep your head steady" and think "I am!" until they see themselves on video. But yeah I am completely self taught and most weekend warrior hackers would be really happy with my game. So you can get to "adequate" by just trial and error but I'm not sure if you can ever become elite without working on flaws in the swing.

[mvmac]

A lot of times, people think they are doing something when they are not. Like they hear "keep your head steady" and think "I am!" until they see themselves on video.

Right, feel ain't feel.

They also "try" too many things and then abandon them when they "stop working".