Improvement has plateaued

[zero]

Bottom line - how to you break through when your game improvement has plateaud? Lessons, video analysis, books, videos, tech-assistance (swing analyzers i.e. Zepp), etc. My current issue is simply that the same old annoying frustrating things are still a regular occurrence. Getting stuck, super-fat hits, skulling, slice. I have my good days, but don't feel my swing is improving any longer, and that's what I love about the game. Without improvement, it's not fun. Here's where I am in my golf journey, appreciate your experiences. Thank you.

About 4 years ago I got serious and started regular practice and play.

• Practice twice a week for 1.5 hours, chip, putt, full swing
• Play 9 holes at least once per week, sometimes twice
• Watch and read a lot (daily), especially using advice from TST
• Had lessons 3 years ago (game-changer!)
• Read Hogan's 5 Lessons
• Take regular video to check progress (My Swing thread here)

[carpediem4300]

More lessons, the myriad of misses you describe are not a one fix option, Even on my worst round i'll perhaps only have 1 type of shot that is costing me strokes, at the minute its thinning my irons,.......some rounds it will be blocking my driver etc

[CarlSpackler]

5 hours ago, zero said:

Bottom line - how to you break through when your game improvement has plateaud? Lessons, video analysis, books, videos, tech-assistance (swing analyzers i.e. Zepp), etc. My current issue is simply that the same old annoying frustrating things are still a regular occurrence. Getting stuck, super-fat hits, skulling, slice. I have my good days, but don't feel my swing is improving any longer, and that's what I love about the game. Without improvement, it's not fun. Here's where I am in my golf journey, appreciate your experiences. Thank you.

About 4 years ago I got serious and started regular practice and play.

• Practice twice a week for 1.5 hours, chip, putt, full swing
• Play 9 holes at least once per week, sometimes twice
• Watch and read a lot (daily), especially using advice from TST
• Had lessons 3 years ago (game-changer!)
• Read Hogan's 5 Lessons
• Take regular video to check progress (My Swing thread here)

I think you answered your own question. 

[David in FL]

Without maintaining a valid handicap, how do you measure your actual performance and know that you've stopped improving overall?  It's completely normal to have bad days/weeks/even months mixed in with good.  Without the ability to look at an objective measurement over the long term, it's easy to misinterpret your actual progress.

There are also certain handicap thresholds that tend to catch and hold a lot of golfers.  It's not at all unusual to get "stuck" at those thresholds for an extended period of time.  18-20, 10-12, and 5-7 come to mind as big hurdles to break through for most.  And of course, sadly, we all have our own physical/talent limits beyond which we're simply not going to improve much.  If that weren't the case, I'd have been tearing it up on tour a long time ago!  

[DaveP043]

7 hours ago, zero said:

• Practice twice a week for 1.5 hours, chip, putt, full swing
• Play 9 holes at least once per week, sometimes twice
• Watch and read a lot (daily), especially using advice from TST
• Had lessons 3 years ago (game-changer!)
• Read Hogan's 5 Lessons
• Take regular video to check progress (My Swing thread here)

 

1 hour ago, CarlSpackler said:

I think you answered your own question. 

I gotta agree with @CarlSpackler.  You don't talk about specific things your practicing, or what you're trying to accomplish by practicing.  You're reading tips all over, all the time, but you're not getting anything specific to YOU.  You had lessons 3 years ago, but apparently not since.  Your swing thread was inactive for almost all of 2016.  I think its probably time to get some current instruction, figure out what your most important change is right now, and work on that.  

[zero]

2 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

 

I gotta agree with @CarlSpackler.  You don't talk about specific things your practicing, or what you're trying to accomplish by practicing.  You're reading tips all over, all the time, but you're not getting anything specific to YOU.  You had lessons 3 years ago, but apparently not since.  Your swing thread was inactive for almost all of 2016.  I think its probably time to get some current instruction, figure out what your most important change is right now, and work on that.  

100% agree. So... I'm always working on one specific thing. Earlier in the season it was hip rotation and lag. Before that it was plane. Etc. But now I'm not sure what one thing to focus on. Lessons would likely give me that one thing, but then I'd need to go back over and over to get the next thing. I would like a system to always discover what that one thing is, for the rest of my life.

I do have a handicap and track scoring periodically so I can see over all progress. It has just flatlined this season. Last year and the prior year I had measurable gains.

[DaveP043]

Just now, zero said:

 Lessons would likely give me that one thing, but then I'd need to go back over and over to get the next thing. I would like a system to always discover what that one thing is, for the rest of my life.

Welcome to golf!  For every new good habit you learn, or problem that you fix, there will always be another new thing that you SHOULD learn in order to continue to improve.  There's not just one thing that will allow you to continue to improve forever.  There's no magic bullet.

[zero]

1 minute ago, DaveP043 said:

Welcome to golf!  For every new good habit you learn, or problem that you fix, there will always be another new thing that you SHOULD learn in order to continue to improve.  There's not just one thing that will allow you to continue to improve forever.  There's no magic bullet.

Yessir, that's why I'm an addict.  Let me clarify, I'm not looking for a magic bullet, I'm looking for a system, method, process to discover "another new thing that you SHOULD learn in order to continue to improve". Right now I'm not sure what that next thing is...

[DaveP043]

3 minutes ago, zero said:

Yessir, that's why I'm an addict.  Let me clarify, I'm not looking for a magic bullet, I'm looking for a system, method, process to discover "another new thing that you SHOULD learn in order to continue to improve". Right now I'm not sure what that next thing is...

Lessons from a good instructor.  Self-evaluation isn't going to be effective. You mentioned that getting lessons (3 years ago) was a "game-changer".  Its time to change the game again, using the same "system" that you used successfully before.  That system was to use someone else's eyes and expertise to help you go in the right direction.

Even the best instructors don't try to diagnose their own issues, they get help.  I remember @iacas saying he works on his own swing with Dave W.  He has the expertise to evaluate his progress using video, but even he isn't doing this completely on his own.

[klossy]

11 minutes ago, zero said:

Yessir, that's why I'm an addict.  Let me clarify, I'm not looking for a magic bullet, I'm looking for a system, method, process to discover "another new thing that you SHOULD learn in order to continue to improve". Right now I'm not sure what that next thing is...

Not sure if you're tried this already, but check out the 'Tour Tempo' tracks.  It sounds like you have studied and worked on the fundamentals, but your timing gets off, and affects your end result: thins, blocks, etc.

I bought the book (not the best read) on ebay for < $4.00, but it came with the basic tracks for each 'speed' of the golf swing.  I helped me alot with realizing what affected the consistency of my swing, and it's cheaper than a small bucket of range balls.

If you want to simply check it out and not spend anything, you can search Youtube for the intro videos and some of the tracks.

TT Explanation: 

Also, you can find the tracks for free listening on SoundCloud:

 

 

*I'm not endorsing Tour Tempo in any way, nor am I receiving any type of compensation from them.

It simply helped me, and maybe it'll help you.  If anything, it'll give you a good metric on how your tempo compares to some of the most successful golf players today.

[RussUK]

Yep, golf can be a royal pain in the a*se!

One minute you think you have it sussed then it turns round and kicks you in the nuts!

I think we sometimes place too much importance on reaching that elusive level. 

Focusing on one problem area at a time is a good way to do it. A lot of the guys on here have done 5Sk (5 simple keys) which can help to zero in on one thing at a time.

I Personally write a range plan for each session, noting the aims of the session, the priorities and even the number of balls for each part. After the session i write the down the outcomes, what went well and what didnt, do i need to focus more on this or is it good enough for what i need it for.

Bottom line is enjoy it. As soon as you start to get frustrated or annoyed as to why your improvement has stalled then golf becomes a chore.

Who knows, you may be over analyzing things?

[iacas]

10 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

Even the best instructors don't try to diagnose their own issues, they get help.  I remember @iacas saying he works on his own swing with Dave W.  He has the expertise to evaluate his progress using video, but even he isn't doing this completely on his own.

I touch base with him more than most people would imagine, yes.

[zero]

Ok, great. Instruction it is. While I have your attention, I would then ask approx. how frequently you all check-in with yours, if it's always the same person, or if it's on an ad-hoc, as-needed basis. I just don't like the idea of dependency, but I concede that has made the biggest difference by far.

18 minutes ago, klossy said:

Not sure if you're tried this already, but check out the 'Tour Tempo' tracks.  It sounds like you have studied and worked on the fundamentals, but your timing gets off, and affects your end result: thins, blocks, etc.

Thanks, I agree and do *think* my timing/tempo is an issue. However, what I want is way to be *sure* that I'm working on the right things now and in the future.

[Strat-Pack Rick]

sometimes i move up a set of tees so i dont have to swing too aggresive. I call it practice rounds when someone sees me. haha. It helps my confidence alot and my card looks better for sure. Keep grinding, golf is great !!!! Hit Em Good Yall

[zero]

My swing is garbage. Needs a total overhaul. No more incremental improvements!!!

 

Edited November 8, 2016 by zero

[Rainmaker]

Self evaluation is really tough to do - even with a video camera and checking yourself against the 5 keys, etc.  I do a lot more of it than I should because I'm cheap, number one . .and I also have this fairly irrational desire to teach myself, lol.  I do manage to learn things on my own but,man - those lessons are like hitting the turbo button.  If I was plateaud I would definitely go in for a lesson . .in fact that's when I typically do . .which is about once a month . .maybe less often sometimes . .definitely more often other times.       

[mcanadiens]

I've been in the process of proving many of you correct as far as not being able to get far on your own.

It's been five years of trying to put things together on my own. The first three showed slow progress from total rank beginner to where I am now and I've gone absolutely nowhere ever since.. 

[Strat-Pack Rick]

37 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

I've been in the process of proving many of you correct as far as not being able to get far on your own.

It's been five years of trying to put things together on my own. The first three showed slow progress from total rank beginner to where I am now and I've gone absolutely nowhere ever since.. 

Well James Hahn hasnt had a swing lesson from a pro. He learned to play on You Tube videos(supposedly) Having someone holding you accountable for your practice habits and progression such as a teacher is worth everything. Someone to work hard for other than yourself brings the best out of you,for sure