5 Top Reasons You DON'T Get Better at Golf - Crossfield

[nevets88]

Executive summary - equipment will fix it, perfect practice, love the draw, not enough variation, TMI. Guilty of the last one.

 

[saevel25]

15 minutes ago, nevets88 said:

Executive summary - equipment will fix it, perfect practice, love the draw, not enough variation, TMI. Guilty of the last one.

Not a bad list. 

It's something similar inline with what Erik had me do in stop practicing so much and just go play a lot of golf. 

At a certain point your swing is what it is. You need to just figure out a way to get around the course. 

 

[Rainmaker]

I think 3 of those - equipment, love the draw and TMI come from a fundamental lack of understanding of certain parts of the golf swing.  We don't understand why we're slicing it (or whatever) so we get desperate in our search for answers . .new equipment, too many videos on youtube, infatuation with the draw . .because it's a measurable demonstration of at least getting a few things right (when you are only able to hit a slice). . .etc. 

That doesn't help solve the problem just like Mark's enjoyable video doesn't really help solve anything, either.  Probably the fastest way to go about fixing it would be a whole bunch of lessons.  Other than that . .we're headed to the range to try some new irons and that sweet tip on how to hit a draw, lol. I don't see what other choice there is . .

3 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Not a bad list. 

It's something similar inline with what Erik had me do in stop practicing so much and just go play a lot of golf. 

At a certain point your swing is what it is. You need to just figure out a way to get around the course. 

 

Says the 5 to the 20 and 30 . . .

I believe you are correct but, until you get to a certain point, it's not really an option.  Or at least it's very hard to feel like it is.

[GangGreen]

I'm definitely guilty of chasing the draw, although, it is something that my instructor wants me to work on.  It's something I seem to be able to do well on the range but it doesn't hold up consistently on the course (to one of his other points) with my longer clubs, especially the driver.

[Rainmaker]

6 hours ago, GangGreen said:

I'm definitely guilty of chasing the draw, although, it is something that my instructor wants me to work on.  It's something I seem to be able to do well on the range but it doesn't hold up consistently on the course (to one of his other points) with my longer clubs, especially the driver.

FWIW - I say don't quit chasing the draw until you can do it with all your clubs . .and a true draw, that moves to right of target and then draws back to center.  Keep chasing the draw!  Then, when you can hit one really well . .start chasing the fade.  But not the old, unintentional fade. 

[DrvFrShow]

And physical issues. Back gets sore and stiff, then early extension starts so I can hit the damned ball and it goes all over the place. Playing a round of golf = 400 mg ibuprofen 30 mins before the round and at the turn hot dog + 400 mg ibuprofen just to make it through 18.

[RFKFREAK]

I think Mark's great.

As for the list, as it relates to me:

• Equipment will fix it - I've used the same equipment for years but would love new equipment but realize that at best, it would only help me drop a few strokes
• Perfect practice - Def not me.  I only hit points in videos that my Evolvr instructor tells me to work on.
• Love the draw - This is natural for me so not an issue.
• Not enough variation - Guilty.  I usually just hit off flat lies and have been known to machine gun balls at the range.
• TMI - I like this and try different things I might see to try and fix stuff.  I liken this to information that I use when @iacas and @mvmac drop some knowledge. 

I pretty much suck because I don't practice enough nor is it always good, slow, productive, change the picture practice.  Sometimes I'm a machine gun at the range.

[DrvFrShow]

Yes, Mark's list is pretty good.

1) It's not the arrow it's the archer. Mostly true. Then I did two things during the mild months at the range... worked on hinge and hold and discovered a 64 degree PM Grind wedge. I learned how to flight wedges. Now I'm good from 100 yds and in. 

2) Perfect practice - I'm not worrying about that perfect backswing and hitting that perfect position. It could take me 10 years to get it right. I might not have 10 years. Have fun. I'm more worried about impact position, and what I need to work on to get there - flexibility - stretching - and pain management.

3) Love the draw - but I hate the hook. I'd love to hit a fade on purpose with my irons. 

4) Not enough variation - problem is I don't have enough money to play enough rounds per week. Hitting balls at the range does only so much. It's off a flat lie... and a mat... or tee. I can switch up my clubs like I'm playing the course, but it's still a flat lie.

5) TMI - I get this. Too much information. I know enough about golf to be dangerous. 

Most of us who play this game don't practice enough. We didn't start playing young enough. And some of us don't have the money to take weekly lessons 6 months out of the year, hit 500 balls a day and play 4 rounds of golf a week. Or the time. 

So we live with lowered expectations. I'm a 90s golfer. 

[Rainmaker]

I agree with Mark's list . .I don't know if I would say it's "the" top 5 or that knowing them will really change anything for anybody.  They are good ones . .except I really have a problem with "love the draw", lol.

If you are a slicer, you have to "love the draw" until at least you stop slicing.  That's not really "chasing the draw", that's learning how not to slice.  I feel like his advice could be misinterpreted.  Or maybe he really means don't bother fixing your slice, in which case I have to respectfully disagree.       

[70sSanO]

When I find a good set I usually don't make a change unless I need to based on a physical change.

I usually hit a fade and probably an odd duck because I'd rather hit straight or a fade.  Never became infatuated with a draw.

I will say that lack of variation and more constant repetition on the range is an issue.

But one thing that was not brought up that I think should be number 1 is course management.  Bad tee shot produces an over swing make-up shot that produces a go for a miracle shot.  Poor shot selection around the greens.  Trying to chip on a horrible chipping day instead of using a putter on a smooth off the fringe.  Players don't score because they can't step back and make the right decision to stop the flood of poor shots.

John

 

Edited May 15, 2016 by 70sSanO

[boogielicious]

15 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

And physical issues. Back gets sore and stiff, then early extension starts so I can hit the damned ball and it goes all over the place. Playing a round of golf = 400 mg ibuprofen 30 mins before the round and at the turn hot dog + 400 mg ibuprofen just to make it through 18.

This happened to me Thursday. It was a painfully slow round and my mid back tightened up, which is unusual. I really struggled with coming over the top from the 5th hole on. 

[Valleygolfer]

10 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

I agree with Mark's list . .I don't know if I would say it's "the" top 5 or that knowing them will really change anything for anybody.  They are good ones . .except I really have a problem with "love the draw", lol.

If you are a slicer, you have to "love the draw" until at least you stop slicing.  That's not really "chasing the draw", that's learning how not to slice.  I feel like his advice could be misinterpreted.  Or maybe he really means don't bother fixing your slice, in which case I have to respectfully disagree.       

You can stop slicing without drawing the ball. Natural slicers take to a fade better than crossing over to a draw shot.

[Rainmaker]

2 hours ago, Valleygolfer said:

You can stop slicing without drawing the ball. Natural slicers take to a fade better than crossing over to a draw shot.

Being able to and choosing to always hit it are 2 things, maybe?  I could certainly be wrong but if somebody told me they used to slice really bad and they now have a great fade but they can not hit a draw . .I will be doubtful . . .but possibly wrong. 

[saevel25]

3 hours ago, Valleygolfer said:

You can stop slicing without drawing the ball. Natural slicers take to a fade better than crossing over to a draw shot.

Well it is an easier transition since a slice is typically an more extreme version of the fade. 

I think it's easier to hit draws with irons and fades with the driver. That is just my game :) 

1 hour ago, Rainmaker said:

Being able to and choosing to always hit it are 2 things, maybe?  I could certainly be wrong but if somebody told me they used to slice really bad and they now have a great fade but they can not hit a draw . .I will be doubtful . . .but possibly wrong. 

That probably means they have a slight inward path at impact. Lets say -3 degrees inward. To get you a draw you need to move 6 degrees outward to get to around +3. To get to a slice you probably need to go -4 more inward. Since the swing mechanics for a fade are similar but less extreme than a slice, it's probably easier to just hit a slice versus a draw. 

There are some people who hit a push fade. In that regard it would be easier to hit a draw and the likelihood of hitting a slice is very slim. 

[Rainmaker]

I just watched Bubba hit a huge slice at The Players and it didn't look anything like "my slice".   I went to the youtubes and found a clip of him hitting a 300+ yard fade.

 

He doesn't come over the top at all.  But if a player can hit draws with his irons but not his woods . .or the short irons draw better than the longer ones . .I would think they are probably coming over the top to make a slice . .maybe not so much as a huge slicer and probably with better clubface manipulation as the huge slicer. 

Whatever Bubba is doing here to hit a fade is not even in my playbook.  For me to hit a fade is like "shaking hands with the Devil", lol. 

[DrvFrShow]

What Bubba is doing is using an open stance with his club face square to target. He's young and extremely flexible. 

I got a couple of great videos of my swing on Friday, but for some stupid reason I can't download them due to a "file in use" error, otherwise I'd share them. I learned the type of early extension I'm doing. I'm dropping my right shoulder on my downswing which causes the hip thrust - wide arc to narrow. In the caddie view when my arm is parallel the driver has a 90 degree angle to it. It's not a huge hip thrust, just bad enough to mess up everything.

Now this doesn't matter with my short irons because I'm not making the wide arc with them, and I'm making an earlier wrist set. But with my long irons and driver, that wrist set doesn't happen until late. The mishits cause loss of distance and accuracy. 

I saw a couple of fixes for this and will try them at the range tomorrow when it's not raining. One is to stand a little more upright to begin with. I think I'm sitting down too much in my set up. And this one:

 

[GangGreen]

On 5/14/2016 at 9:53 PM, Rainmaker said:

FWIW - I say don't quit chasing the draw until you can do it with all your clubs . .and a true draw, that moves to right of target and then draws back to center.  Keep chasing the draw!  Then, when you can hit one really well . .start chasing the fade.  But not the old, unintentional fade. 

Agreed, I feel like even if it never becomes my "natural" shot, I think the fundamentals I'm learning have and will continue to help me improve my overall ball striking.