Took a lesson last night....

[ChiChiIsMe]

.....for the first time in at least 20 years.

A little background on my swing: I'm big outside-in, thus producing L-R ball action from mild fade to pronounced slice. It's always been that way for me, and I've just lived with it.

Well I decided it was time to fix my swing once and for all, so that is what I'm going to do this off-season. One lesson a week, and absolutely no rounds until at least our x-mas trip to Fla, but I may go without hitting the course till spring.

What I learned last night:

Besides going outside-in I was too vertical. I took the club more straight back, very high and slammed it down towards the ball. Choppy would be a good word.

So he had me work on my takeway, keeping it low, and really snapping the wrists back right away. He also wants me really rolling my wrists at impact and extend onthe follow-through. Nothing so far above the waist.

By the end of 30 minutes I was actually hooking the ball. I couldn't believe it.

My left wrist is very sore today, being used in ways I've never used it, and certain back muscles are good and stiff today as well.

My plan is to hit the range daily and work on exactly what I was taught last night, until next weeks lesson. I'll update this thread then.

[josef]

nice.. keep us updated.. i'm putting off taking lessons for a bit so i try to gather as much info from good sources as possible..

[ChiChiIsMe]

  ChiChiIsMe said:

My left wrist is very sore today,

So I just got back from the range working on this new swing path and it's pretty cool. My left wrist hurts like a sum-b.... ;)

Anybody have any exercises they would care to share to strengthen the wrists? I've been rolling them all day to work the stiffness.

[TourSpoon]

It's nice to see someone working on their swing and taking lessons instead of buying new clubs to try to fix what ails them. Good luck on the changes, they will pay off.

[Norm66]

Congrats, lessons helped me immeasurably, I hope they do you too. Do be careful though not to overdo with your sore wrists. There's a fine line between sore and injured.

Josef- I too tried to put off taking lessons thinking I could figure it out for myself. I was on the right track, but a few lessons from a pro really got my game going. Everybody that puts off lessons and finally gets some says "Why did I wait so long?" or some variation on that. Do it, you'll like the results.

[sonicblue]

"You have to make corrections in your game a little bit at a time. It's like taking your medicine. A few aspirin will probably cure what ails you, but the whole bottle might just kill you." - Harvey Penick

[josef]

  Norm66 said:

Josef- I too tried to put off taking lessons thinking I could figure it out for myself. I was on the right track, but a few lessons from a pro really got my game going. Everybody that puts off lessons and finally gets some says "Why did I wait so long?" or some variation on that. Do it, you'll like the results.

yeah, that's kind of the vibe I've been getting.. Once I get a little more consistent with my ball striking, i think i may look into lessons early next year.. i know it would help.. thanks for the advice.. i've taken up other sports (basketball, tennis, racquetball, etc.) fine but golf is so much more complex..

annyways, back to the OP..

[ChiChiIsMe]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. Just going to the range has helped the stiffness/soreness in my wrists.

I'm really looking forward to working on my swing this off-season and have committed to doing so slowly. Just getting to the range everyday has been helpful, but unlike the past where I'd go and work my way through the bag, I'm going out with a 6i and working specifically on take-away and follow-through and the results thus far have me encouraged.

I am really glad I decided to do this without going out and playing a round so the bad-habits won't creep back in too fast.

[ChiChiIsMe]

Lesson # 2 last night. Worked mainly on pivot.

Before, I really didn't piviot or come around because of my verticle swing plane. It was more of a sway. He has me working really small on the swing. Turning at the hips and rolling my right ankle and right knee into my left knee, which is flexing back. I hope I described that right. It feels really weird, but I think this was another really good session that is helping to break me of my old swing and groove me into a more circular swing plane. Now we'll see how much I remember @ the range the next 7 days .

[cwo2lt]

Good for you ChiChi. I've worked one club at the range a few times as well just to get my swing down. Seems to have helped me.

About your question on wrist exercises, get a small dumbell - 2 or 3 lbs. Place you arm palm up on your thigh. Do 10-15 curls using just your wrist, flip your hand over and do the same thing raising your hand up. That will strengthen your forearm and wrist.

You can also get a tennis ball or something like it and squeeze it to build hand , wrist and forearm strength.

[questforscratch]

Good decision to take lessons. I put them off for a long time thinking I could get to scratch golf myself. Very difficult. After my lessons I dropped 5 points. My natural swing faded the ball and after the lessons I started drawing it. Much better to have a slight draw than a fade! Just keep in mind that you will get worse before you get better but it will pay off in the end.

[Quinn07]

Starting last winter one of our local teaching pros moved his range indoors. I decided to take three lessons over the winter and it helped my game this summer dramatically. You can't see the flight of your ball, so I find that when working on new things you aren't concerned with the result as much as you are the swing change. Once I saw my swing on screen I picked up right away on some of my flaws. What you see in your head is often very different from what you are actually doing.

I am all for taking lessons. GOOD LUCK with your progress.

[N.V.M.]

  ChiChiIsMe said:

Anybody have any exercises they would care to share to strengthen the wrists? I've been rolling them all day to work the stiffness.

lol, now you know why they sell copper/magnetic wristbands in golf shops.

[crazy_horst]

  questforscratch said:

Much better to have a slight draw than a fade!

You'd better mention that to Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, John Daly, etc., because they all hit the cut :)

A fade is an easier shot to control. But anyway, I am embarking on the same journey as ChiChi. Time to get rid of this outside-in nonsense and get myself a real golf swing. Started on Sunday, hit balls Monday and yesterday, and yesterday hit 95% draws - i.e. swing inside-out, which was great. Going to see a renowned teacher here on Saturday, hopefully he can help me on my way. Good luck, ChiChi, I'm right there with you.

[mtrevors]

I'll tell you what, I took your approach by keeping off the course for a while until I fixed my slice. I went to the local Dick's and got a 3 lesson package for $110... The instructor was very personable and we did tweak my alignment and generate a repeatable preshot routine that I was comfortable with. I felt my $110 was well spent but I left with a slice.... So, I turned to Netflix and Mr. Leadbetter. After watching his Leadbetter Interactive DVD Series I found my problem was I was bending my wrist at the top of the back swing (my wrist and back of my arm was at about 90*) so I concentrated on that for a couple weeks..... Presto, slice eliminated (ok, maybe not totally, but only 2/10 are slices ).

I'm definitely glad I got the personal touch of the lessons, but there's no substituing for a world class instructor, even if the lessons are targetted towards the masses. All it took was a couple hours in front of the TV, followed by several more in front of a mirror watching my backswing.

[N.V.M.]

i have the new 5 dvd set of Leadbetters, finding it very helpful.

[ChiChiIsMe]

Thats for all the encouragement guys.

Took lesson #3 last week. We worked the Driver, adding to everything from the previous lessons.

The big thing he is trying to instill in my is the proper swing-plane. I'm still coming in too high most of the time, but at-least now I know when I'm doing it, so I know what to work on.

I'm pleased thus far.