Do some people just never get it?

[Raging Beard]

Over last 5 months or so I have had 3 lessons early on and another recently. I play on a course 1-2 times a week and hit the range 3-4 times a week most weeks, it varies of course.

I just don't seem to be getting anywhere!

I just hit the range with a basket of 50 and a 7 iron, trying to practive what I was taught from last lesson. It was bad. No real good strikes, many awful ones, 4 hit the right wall of my bay.

Some days I feel like what is the point lol, perhaps some people just do not have the motor function required! I am due to play tomorrow and almost felt like calling can cancelling... I can't strike a ball on the range now so what chance to I have on the course?!

Right rage, whinge and moan over. Of course I will soldier on.

 

My golfing journey http://www.ragingbeard.com 

[iacas]

8 minutes ago, Raging Beard said:

Over last 5 months or so I have had 3 lessons early on and another recently. I play on a course 1-2 times a week and hit the range 3-4 times a week most weeks, it varies of course.

I just don't seem to be getting anywhere!

I just hit the range with a basket of 50 and a 7 iron, trying to practive what I was taught from last lesson. It was bad. No real good strikes, many awful ones, 4 hit the right wall of my bay.

Either:

• You lack athletic talent/ability.
• Your instructor sucks.

Could be a bit of both, but I'm leaning toward the latter.

https://thesandtrap.com/forums/forum/13-member-swings/

Post your swing there. Or look at http://evolvr.com/.

[Raging Beard]

Lol sadly I'd assume the first, at least with regard to new instructor. He's a respected club head professional of many years, but I have only seen him 1 hour and that was the hour long assessment not a full on lesson, so I will see how it goes.

The first one was fairly long, a coach of only a few years and I don't think as enthusiastic.

[WUTiger]

With the basket of 50:

1. With your 7 iron, hit a few chip shots just to loosen up your body and get the feel. Have proper address position.

2. Next, put down some alignment sticks. Hit six half-swing punches, focusing on alignment and body turn. Go through your full pre-shot routine. After each shot, look at where on the face you made impact.

3. Then, hit six full shots, still with alignment sticks. Go through your full pre-shot routine. After each shot, look at where on the face you made impact.

4. Now, take a drink of water and relax. Make notes on your total experience. What went right, what went wrong. At what point did things go wrong.

This may give your instructor something to work with next time.

Note: machine-gunning 50 balls won't help your game much.

[RandallT]

Welcome to the site, @Raging Beard! Love your blog. I was drawn to this site because I've enjoyed sharing my golf journey and reading lots of others. 

Just a humble suggestion from a guy who has been here a few years: you might browse the blogs on this site here: https://thesandtrap.com/blogs/ (also found under Browse/Blogs in the navigation bar above. You'll see others who are doing something similar. Some are discussing their journey, some random thoughts on golf, some about creative writing (!), and some a mix of everything.

I noticed you just started your blog on WordPress, and you don't have any comments yet. Over time, you might generate a following. But right here, you've got a built-in audience. Guaranteed audience, guaranteed comments, guaranteed camaraderie. 

Feel free to ignore this, of course! Just a humble suggestion, but what you are doing there is absolutely perfect for this site, and I know for sure you'd have others chiming in to your story, as your style fits the overall style here quite nicely.

Cheers. -Randy

[Raging Beard]

WUTiger thank you for the tips. I like to think I don't machine gun them off as much as I used to, but certainly will give your tips ago and not just go straight in for the kill so to speak!

RandallT cheers for that, I will definitely have a look and maybe copy over to the blogs here too :)

[Piz]

Golf is a life-long pursuit.  Finding YOUR swing is an elusive quest; fraught, as it is, by advice at every turn.  Although it makes sense to seek guidance; all suggestions will not prove applicable in the long run.  Sorting the wheat from the chaff is part of the process.  That there is no perfect path to success is both an ordinary observation and a source of hope...or despair.  It's each individuals choice.  None of us can reasonably aspire to become the next Jack Nicklaus or the next Jimi Hendrix; but neither of those guys were trying to become the next anyone else...they followed their heads and hearts.  You can be the best anything you are capable of becoming.  Where that achievement ranks, on the great cosmic scoreboard, is entirely up to you.  

[gregsandiego]

3 hours ago, Raging Beard said:

cancelling... I can't strike a ball on the range now so what chance to I have on the course?!

Right rage, whinge and moan over. Of course I will soldier on.

 

My golfing journey http://www.ragingbeard.com 

I can relate some. I practice a lot. Mostly I hit solid but under pressure it's a totally different story. And it scares me how bad I can hit if I try.

I guess I agree. You and I will never get it - become pros that its.  Good thing we don't do this for a living huh?

[CCC]

As I've said before, Golf is not a game of instant gratification. Just listen to the professionals talk about how they struggle day to day to hit the ball to their satisfaction.

Relax. Playing golf (to your satisfaction) is not a sprint - it is a very long marathon.

[Piz]

.Ets the tryin bit then innit?  We dinna know what tryin is till it rears it's ugly heed.    

[boogielicious]

11 hours ago, Raging Beard said:

Lol sadly I'd assume the first, at least with regard to new instructor. He's a respected club head professional of many years, but I have only seen him 1 hour and that was the hour long assessment not a full on lesson, so I will see how it goes.

The first one was fairly long, a coach of only a few years and I don't think as enthusiastic.

It could also be the way you practice. Just hitting balls full speed may not help. Check out the thread below and film your swing so you can see the changes happening.

 

[mcanadiens]

12 hours ago, Raging Beard said:

Some days I feel like what is the point lol, perhaps some people just do not have the motor function required!

I've thought the same thing many times about myself. Not really having the cash for proper lessons and golf itself at the same time, my instruction has been mainly through books and web sites like this, leaving me to try to figure out what the heck I'm actually doing. So it's been slow and that make's my lack of general athleticism and coordination a pretty easy scapegoat. 

The boys make some points about specific practice and not "trying to hard". Still not sure my own practice is specific enough, but the bit about relaxing is huge. Keep expectations in check. Focus on the swing and find ways to relax.

[RH31]

Yes. Some people never get it.

There was a very nice guy at our old CC who tried and tried. Took lesson after lesson from our very competent and compassionate pro. The guy really wanted to be a golfer, heck he lived adjacent to the clubhouse! Finally one day the pro said "xxxxx, the best advice I can give you is take 2 weeks off and quit. You will never be a golfer." So, the guy would just come over and have drinks with us after we played. He never picked up a club again.

I'd suspect many many many people try to take up golf and get frustrated with the difficulty and give up. Nothing to be ashamed of, it's the hardest game by far!

[MrDC]

I say BS, anyone can do it, but for an adult it can take years to learn how to just be decent at golf, yes years. And if that adult is not athletic or lacking good motor functions those years can get longer.

5 months? how long have you been playing? 5 months is nothing for a new golfer, you should not be expecting much, try working with just 1-2 clubs consistently, don't bounce around the bag.

Also don't go listening to those that say they started a year ago and are playing to a good HC, it's either total BS (most likely) or they played golf when they were younger.

Golf is all about the hard, love that part of the game, don't let it beat you, because if you stick with it and learn after spending years on it you will be rewarded and it feels very, very good.

Edited December 6, 2016 by MrDC

[shanksalot]

I think people watch TV and see how easy it is for the pros and when they try it get frustrated pretty fast. Plus they expect to play like the really good players they may get paired with when out on the course. The only thing I would say to someone just starting out is don't get serious about the game for at least the first year. Just go out and enjoy playing with people and keep up, don't slow them down. If after the first year you think you may want to take the game seriously then go take a lesson. Just remember not every teaching pro will be good for you. Everyone learns in a different way. If after a few lessons you are not making progress it may not be you it may be that the Pro's way of teaching does not work for you. Golf is a game for a lifetime not many sports can be played when you are in your 70's or older. So hang in there and enjoy the ride. 

Edited December 6, 2016 by shanksalot

[Raging Beard]

Thank you all for chiming in :) great to be new here but get a response from so many already!

So after my awful time at the range yesterday, with great trepidation I stepped up to the first tee at Lavender Park... and played my best round ever!!!!

It's a 9 hole course so played twice. Each 9 is par 28, I scored 39 and 34, for a total of 73, which is +17.

I'm sure to many that doesn't sound great but I am very happy with it. It included 5 pars and a birdie!!!

I was in the bunkers 5 times, but did pretty well to get out of them too.


Also re. the range, I do usually take and hit other clubs. I was only using the 7 iron alone last couple times due to only focusing on my posture at address really. But yes in future I will be back to swapping between clubs and not rapid firing off one club.

I did notice today that I generally pulled my shots, which costed me bunker time. But they went straight!

Edited December 6, 2016 by Raging Beard
spelling

[70sSanO]

Congrats on your round.

Actually, imho, you are playing the right course for you as you can just hit easy more controlled shots and not try to push the yardage.

Not practicing as much may also help you to just go out there and have fun.  As has been mention on here, keep it simple and focus on one thing at a time.

This may not be sound swing advice, but if this is the course you are going to play, learn how to score on this course.  It doesn't alway have to be pretty.

Decades ago I'd occasionally play with old codgers who just knew how to score at their home course.  They would bump and run on a number of holes, rarely be in trouble, and at the end of the day their score would kill my pseudo Johnny Miller swing score.

John

[shanksalot]

Playing on that type of course is fun and will help you with your iron play. Keep it up and don't get too caught up in your scoring. That will put a lot of pressure on you and right now I think it is more important to just go out and enjoy yourself.