Discipline In my set up

[joey_longoria]

Hi,

I am a young golfer been playing about 3 years, 12 handicap. 

I feel like I know more about the golf swing than people think but a lot of the time it doesn’t show in my game. I have had great rounds where I really feel the correct motions of the swing and have great clubface control, just shot an 81 with 3 birdies Sunday.

I played 9 holes today (Wednesday) and had trouble keeping the ball relatively straight let alone making decent contact. Not being hard on myself, shanked many shots OB.

To get to the point, does this sound like a common problem as simple as my setup? Are their drills I can do to discipline myself to maintain the correct set up at address? My golf game is night and day and I believe it’s because when I am set up incorrect I have no chance at making a good first move correct? It feels like I’ve never swung a club. Maybe I just need confirmation on my own thoughts.

Thanks

[mdl]

If you want swing advice, it's best to start a My Swing thread, post some video.  Many golfers have problems with inconsistency in setup, and some setup work could definitely help.  But I'd be pretty shocked if setup is honestly the reason you have some days you can't keep even make good contact.  Us mediocre amateurs tend to be mediocre with up and down results because our swings themselves are consistently mediocre.

But again, the best way to get help is to post a My Swing thread.  You can search for the thread that gives instructions how to post video correctly to be able to get good advice (which will be very helpful if you post correctly filmed videos!)

[Groucho Valentine]

As far as set up and alignment goes, practice it with the same attention you'd give your full swing. When youre working at the range, go through your entire pre shot and swing routine every time. Reset and repeat after every swing. Don't just drop another ball from the bag and hit right away. Its ok to exaggerate it in practice. That should help engrain it and you'll get to a point where its instinct. 

[billchao]

10 hours ago, joey_longoria said:

Hi,

I am a young golfer been playing about 3 years, 12 handicap. 

I feel like I know more about the golf swing than people think but a lot of the time it doesn’t show in my game. I have had great rounds where I really feel the correct motions of the swing and have great clubface control, just shot an 81 with 3 birdies Sunday.

I played 9 holes today (Wednesday) and had trouble keeping the ball relatively straight let alone making decent contact. Not being hard on myself, shanked many shots OB.

To get to the point, does this sound like a common problem as simple as my setup? Are their drills I can do to discipline myself to maintain the correct set up at address? My golf game is night and day and I believe it’s because when I am set up incorrect I have no chance at making a good first move correct? It feels like I’ve never swung a club. Maybe I just need confirmation on my own thoughts.

Thanks

Sounds like you're looking for a quick fix. Yes, a poor setup can adversely affect the swing, but it's probably not the reason you went from shooting 81 to shanking many shots. Start a swing thread with good video and we can see what's going on.

Plus, it's likely that you set up to the ball the exact same way every time, barring some lie changes like the ball above/below your feet, up/down hill, etc.

[Patch]

It could very well be an address/set up issue causing your shanks. Or it could be that, and a few other issues. 

You could google the various causes of shanking. Then compare those cause to your swing, and see if you are duplicating some of them. 

Then again, just leaving your clubs alone for a day or two could solve the problem. Kind of like a 24 hour virus. 

[joey_longoria]

8 hours ago, billchao said:

Sounds like you're looking for a quick fix. Yes, a poor setup can adversely affect the swing, but it's probably not the reason you went from shooting 81 to shanking many shots. Start a swing thread with good video and we can see what's going on.

Plus, it's likely that you set up to the ball the exact same way every time, barring some lie changes like the ball above/below your feet, up/down hill, etc.

I’m not looking for a quick fix that’s the last thing I want. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand the physics of the golf swing and it’s hard to understand how some days I can make a great move at the ball and others I can’t feel any of the correct positions. What I’m thinking is that when I am set up correctly I am able to make a good first move away from the ball and the rest comes naturally.