Which move changed your game for good?

[Sierra Magica]

On 3/1/2018 at 12:49 PM, Lihu said:

Interesting, coming from a 7 handicap. I'd guess that things came very gradually for you?

The main problem with golf is that there isn't one single move that makes your game better.

A little over 3 years ago, I made a change that almost magically allowed me to swing consistently 10% faster overnight and faster over time. In retrospect, that was just from getting my sequencing better, because even when I first started I was able to swing fast but only when the stars aligned, the moon was blue, etc. It's still far from perfect, but I feel good after every range session and don't feel like my swing is missing anything anymore. That's about the only "revolutionizing" thing for me, and even then not that revolutionary.

Listened pros. Some of them legends on interviews. They said that they are always picking their brain each other on the range.

some practice together. The kind of thing we don't see on tv often. 

But the hunger for knowledge and improvement drive them to a constant search.

Why don't do the same here.    

[MuniGrit]

The move that got me from the typical slicer to draw/hook the ball was keep my back to the ball as I start down. I don't have that thought anymore but many years ago it worked great.

Edited March 3, 2018 by MuniGrit

[nevets88]

8 minutes ago, Sierra Magica said:

Listened pros. Some of them legends on interviews. They said that they are always picking their brain each other on the range.

some practice together. The kind of thing we don't see on tv often. 

But the hunger for knowledge and improvement drive them to a constant search.

Why don't do the same here.    

It is being done. In the instruction forum and the swing thoughts forum. 

[nevets88]

I think there's a subtlety here. There's changing your swing for good in a major way, and in a slight way. As you get better, the change that will improve your game is incrementally less because you're a better player, there's "less" to improve. 

[colin007]

On 2/28/2018 at 7:12 PM, billchao said:

There is no magic move. Improving your swing is a series of progressions. It's based on whatever your priority piece is.

What the key move was for me five years ago is different than the one I needed last year, which is different than what I'm working on now.

Oh hush with your rational response based on reality...

[billchao]

52 minutes ago, colin007 said:

Oh hush with your rational response based on reality...

Sorry. I'll stop now.

My magic moment came last year when robins nested in my rhododendron. There were three chicks and when they were ready to fly, one wasn't quite up to par with the others. It ended up hopping around on my front lawn and eventually ended up in the street. I had to pick it up and put it back in the nest. That was the day I learned the proper grip pressure and my scores have been trending down ever since 

I'm totally kidding, of course. My neighbor moved the bird. Missed the best free lesson of my life 

[p1n9183]

Besides aligning to the target better... the move that is making me reduce my shot zones in order to be a +handicap is to swing like trying to hit a cut shot while having an inside to outside path.

Before this i feel with my hands that i was trying to hit a draw, this lead to block shots to the rigth and nasty hooks to the left. Normal shots where a push draw.
Now i feel like hitting a fade with my hands but with a full release of them and the ball now flies with a baby draw or straight.
Hooks are out of the ecuation and i still have 1 push shot each round, but the most important i reduced my dispersion with it dramatically while hitting the same distance. 

[JonMA1]

On 3/3/2018 at 12:52 PM, RandallT said:

I thought the point was to see if many of us had similar “aha” moments when we experienced a big breakthrough.

Also interesting to see that we are all so different.

I agree and don't see any harm in this thread. It's just people sharing experiences. Obviously, there are a lot who have experienced some success with one or two thoughts. But nobody is suggesting improvement doesn't come as a result a lot of hard work.

I thought it was interesting to see the "swing to right field" thought mentioned a couple of times. It's something @mvmacsuggested in My Swing thread several years ago and at the time it really helped. Obviously, with my current scores being what they are, it didn't take.

 

On 2/28/2018 at 3:24 PM, NEhomer said:

In my early days I tried to keep the blade square all the way back and through. When I realized that you open it going back and let it close going through the hitting area I immediately began to build a proper swing based upon a proper release.

After reading this post, I started watching tour players' swings on YouTube and they all seem to rotate the club head as you've described. I've also seen "reverse throttle" (as in a motorcycle throttle) mentioned a couple of times here and I wonder if that's the same thing.

[fishgolf]

Reminding myself every time I set up for a shot to focus on swing tempo.  Even a perfect set-up and grip are undermined by poor tempo.  This is especially true when I get in a good groove and start swing a little faster and harder.

[The Recreational Golfer]

Figuring out how to get my hands back to the ball before the clubhead gets there. In addition, and this is not a "move", learning how not to be so quick on the forward swing.

[dchoye]

Random tips that have worked for myself

Greenside bunker . Splash the ball and sand out. Make sure the butt end is pointed away from my body at address. For longer bunker shots that tip doesn’t apply just hit a  normal fat lob shot

Long putt  make sure the butt end is pointed at my belly button the longer the putt  the longer the stroke

Strong left forearm hold for more power  Slide right hand closer together for more precision inside 140 yards

Weak left forearm grip for lobs   Hands further apart for more leaverage over 50 yards 

 

 

[RichWW2]

My big change came when I stopped gripping the club so hard I tore my hands up every round and also when I started swinging with a slow smooth swing instead of trying to smash everything.  Lost about a club distance for each club, but the solid consistent contact has lead to much better scores.

[bfinch137]

On ‎2‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 3:10 PM, jbishop15 said:

I know this article is about one, but I have three! 

The first one was when I started sliding my hips to start my downswing. Went from a very handsy-armsy timing-based player to a much more consistent one almost overnight. 

The second one was when I started turning my shoulders at the start of my backswing. I barely turned 90 degrees and really swung hard with my arms to generate speed. Shoulder turn added speed and made it easier to hit the ball solid.

The third one was when I started cocking my wrists. I'd never done that, not really, and that gave me a ton more power. 

Would you mind adding how long each of these took you to learn and any drills that helped you get them ingrained? If I could get these 3 things down, I could probably take 5 or more strokes off my current scores.

Thanks!

[jbishop15]

24 minutes ago, bfinch137 said:

Would you mind adding how long each of these took you to learn and any drills that helped you get them ingrained? If I could get these 3 things down, I could probably take 5 or more strokes off my current scores.

Thanks!

1 - Sliding Hips

Not very long. It was a pretty easy change; more of a perspective shift than a big mechanical one. The feeling I liked was my lower body separating from my upper body; that is, my hips were ahead of my shoulders. 

2 - Turning Shoulders

This one took about a month, but it something I return to when I'm struggling. Feeling like my left arm is continuously going inward and staying "low" is the feeling I like. 

3 - Cocking Wrists

The hardest one. Took me the better part of a year. I was up-cocking at the start of my backswing for almost eight months, if I recall. A really good way to shortcut this one is to follow the grip thread mvmac put up on here. Putting your grip more in the fingers of your hand will make it cock automatically.

[Moxley]

For me loosening my grip pressure and generally trying to keep my hands passive was far and away the most effective move for eliminating my slice tendency. 

I think the extent to whether a single move can transform your game probably depends on how many swing flaws you have and how embedded they are. If you've played years with a slice and have made compensations for it (alignment, path etc) it might be difficult to realise how game changing a move could be without an instructor who can encourage you when you're doing the right things independent of the outcome of the shot. 

[sheepdog]

A year's hard work on the putting green. Wouldn't leave it till I found satisfaction in something I did. Amazing when you have confidence in making every three footer how your scores go down.

[HJJ003]

Well I wouldn’t say my game has “changed yet”, but honestly I can already tell one of my best moves was a financial one. Purchasing gamegolf is going to be a great way for me to evaluate my stats for what they are and not what I THINK they are or WANT them to be. 

[WUTiger]

Uhh, I moved from the Blue tees up to the White tees?