P-Town Golfer

thanks guys...actually what I have found out from a friend of mine and myself actually is that my swing was too long for one...meaning when my shoulders stopped turning my arms kept going causing a bunch of wasted motion so my body was getting well ahead of my hands causing pulls and hooks...I shortened up my swing (or so it felt like) and was hitting the ball a ton better...the other thing was my driver swing was way to flat and I couldnt really get a feeling for getting to not to be flat so any tips on getting my swing not to be so flat? Thanks Again!!

thanks for the help guys I will def. try out the tips...I'm just so use to my weak grip and when I come down into the impact zone my hands rotate back to my old weak grip causing the face to close and then its a big hook or pull hook so if I can keep my wrist cocked longer I think I hit it straighter...this is so hard to do

So my grip was really weak and I have made it strong in the past couple of days and I have noticed a big difference. I have already gained probably 10 yards (when I hit it straight). Now my problem is that 70% of my shots are left of my target and about 95% of those shots also have a draw on it causing it to go more left. So that tells me I'm hitting the outside part of the ball with a closed club face. The reason I am doing that is because of my old swing and my old grip which I'm trying to get rid of. So that leaves us with 30%. With that 30% I would say I hit 20% straight and the other 10% I hit a block (which is kinda okay right now imo) So with all that said I need to start hitting the inside part of ball and in order to do that I need to start my downswing more on plane or I need to feel like its really inside. But that leads us into my question. I need some help/tip on how to get my downswing started on plane or inside...I have been trying to just let my hands drop at the top and then swing through and that seems to help but when I try hit it a little harder it goes out the window...also its a lot easier to do with my shorter clubs but when I get to about my 6 iron I starting pulling it more again. So any tips or drills on how to get the club started down the correct path or even feel like its coming inside would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

So true So true haha

I like what imtomtomim is saying. I say get the ball on the green as soon as possible and have it roll to the hole instead of trying to flying just short of the hole and having it check up. Its much easier and you get more consistent if you just practice your bump and runs. Try it will different clubs like P wedge 52o and just experiment with different ones. But some things I will check for is play the ball toward your back foot, set you hands just slightly ahead of the ball at address, have more weight on your left side (for right handed golfers) than your right (like 60-40), and then just swing your club like a putt and keep your hands ahead and do flip it. Doing these things will result in solid contact and hitting down on the ball. You will get some spin doing this because you are hitting down on the golf ball.

thanks for the replies guys I appreciate them. As far as what you all have said, that is another thing I'm trying to work on is to try and stay still and now my swing seems so much more compact because I was actually raising up and little before since I was lifting the club up, then I was dipping back down to try and get back in position so I will try and continue staying still and keeping my head still. Also I will def. try to slow my swing down today when I go to the practice tees and then if i'm hitting it good I'll try and speed it up Thanks again guys

So I'm going through a few changes right now. Basically I was lifting the club with my arms and I didn't have much wrist hinge and I wasn't hitting it as far as I thought I could nor was my contact with the ball very consistent. So I had my local pro look at my swing for a brief minute because he was busy but he noticed right away what I was doing and told me I needed more wrist hinge and showed me what I needed to do. Now I'm really practicing what he told me and it works really well when I do it right because now I have more power, my ball is going farther, the ball flight is more penetrating, and my divots are more consistently ahead of the ball. But like I said, when I do it right. Now my miss hits are either thin shots or shots on the toe and I did a little reading myself and had one my buddies who is a good player look at my swing again and he said those misses were actually good misses and the reason why is that I have a whole lot more shaft lean now than before and my heads are ahead of the ball at impact and thats why most of my misses are either thin or on the toe or both. So does that sound about right? And that leads me into my swing thoughts I'm trying to work on now too and want some opinions maybe if these are good swing thoughts to work on at the range or maybe give me some other swing thoughts to work on. Takeaway -Make sure I hinge my wrists and don't "lift" with my arms Downswing -Feel my weight shift to my left side -Feel as if I'm driving my hands at the ball -And make sure I keep turning through the shot as I'm driving my hands toward the ball (clearing my hips) I would love to hear some peoples thoughts or opinions on this. Thank You.

I need help too so I would love to hear some peoples tips, thoughts, pre shot routines, etc

Seems a little to much to think about if you ask me....but I do like the thought of making your right arm straight...makes you release and get extension it seems like

Lots of flooding here in Western Kentucky....the flood gates are up on the Ohio River...and more rain in the forecast this week...its actually raining right now

I See. Thanks.

sorry for the double post there is a storm going through and the internet went out for a moment, but you can practice chipping and stuff without a green, just lay an empty bucket down or anything and try landing it in that spot and just get a feel

My guess would be to have a strong grip and to literally feel like the club is lagging behind your body, but I dont do that because mainly I just can't and its not something I'm trying to do. I have a weak grip and I just let the club release I dont try to hold it or anything and I still hit the ball first then make a divot, but not 4 inches ahead of the ball, thats crazy

well if your trying to break 90 you might want to concentrate on your short game and course management...your seem capable of getting it up to the green in a couple of shots...but for a player trying to break 90 I would really work on the short game and try to not 3 putt...work on lag putting...also be smart out there, examples: if there is trouble right and a whole other fairway to the left then aim left and try to hit it up the left side, or if you get into trouble just deal with and pitch out or what ever you need to do and go on, dont try and hit the miracle shot. Also don't be embarrassed to hit an iron or wood off the tee. If you can get up and down for par just a couple of times a round and only have one (maybe two) three parts then I bet you will break 90 this year. As far as the swing goes...your stance looks a little wide, maybe try an narrow it up a little, also it looks like you kind of sway backwards and then back forward, try and stay still, meaning just turn back and turn through keeping your head still, and make sure you follow all the way through (narrowing your stance may help with that)

well if your trying to break 90 you might want to concentrate on your short game and course management...your seem capable of getting it up to the green in a couple of shots...but for a player trying to break 90 I would really work on the short game and try to not 3 putt...work on lag putting...also be smart out there, examples: if there is trouble right and a whole other fairway to the left then aim left and try to hit it up the left side, or if you get into trouble just deal with and pitch out or what ever you need to do and go on, dont try and hit the miracle shot. Also don't be embarrassed to hit an iron or wood off the tee. If you can get up and down for par just a couple of times a round and only have one (maybe two) three parts then I bet you will break 90 this year. As far as the swing goes...your stance looks a little wide, maybe try an narrow it up a little, also it looks like you kind of sway backwards and then back forward, try and stay still, meaning just turn back and turn through keeping your head still, and make sure you follow all the way through (narrowing your stance may help with that)

I don't even know my true handicap and I just learned some new golf lingo from this thread haha. But I normally hover around low 80's ...break 80 on good days...but lets say I normally shoot an 82 and par for the course is 72...does that make me a 10 handicap (basically) I know you have to play so many rounds and take course slope and rating into account to get your handicap but I'm just trying to guesstimate

I guess it has to do with how long you keep your wrist cocked or how long you lag the club and get your hands in front of the ball

I was playing with a friend of mine once that was a beginner and he hit his drive by a tree and then on his second shot he hit the tree and it came back and hit him, he then hit his third shot somewhere (not counting the penalty haha) and on his fourth shot he holed it like 130-150 yards out haha

I wouldn't think about to much. I would try to make sure to keep your posture and your head steady (not still) meaning it does not go up or down and it does not move left or right but it can swivel left and right. Sounds like maybe your getting your weight on your back side and getting stuck there. I would imagine a pole or stick or whatever running down the center of my body and just turning on that pole. There should be no lateral movement in the golf swing until after you hit the ball. Well there might be some lateral movement but it is very very little. Just trying to help, hopefully it will. Good Luck

Well when I start pushing or even slicing the ball I try to make sure I keep my posture and my head behind the ball and that I don't move toward my target until after I hit the ball. Check your stance and see if it is open. Check your shoulders to see if they are open. Maybe close your shoulders a little at address. Check to see if you are following through with your shots (belt buckle facing your target at the finish) swing through the ball and not at it. Also sometimes it might be the opposite of what you think. For example maybe try to purposely hit a slice or come over the top or try to take the club straight back on your takeaway. Sometimes when I get a bad habit going and I don't know what I'm doing I will try to purposely hit that shot and sometimes the results are different and can kind of find out what your doing. Good Luck

I'm in no way an instructor or anything but a few things I noticed are: you seem to cock your wrists right at the beginning of the takeaway (good or bad I don't know just saying), another thing is your posture, maybe try to straighten out your back a little more if you can, your head seems to be a little hunched over and it looks maybe your to close to the ball and your standing up right, maybe try to stick your butt out a little more and straighten up the back.You look like your a tall guy so your clubs might be a little to short for you? Last thing, make sure you keep your posture through out the whole swing, it looked like to me when your started your downswing and right before impact you pulled off the ball a little bit so try and keep that head down and maintain that posture. Do you hit the ball off the toe? Like I said I'm just trying to point out some things maybe you or others could also look at. Just trying to help : ) Good Luck

I use a 58 for the most just around the greens but like others have said and this is what I try to do anyway. Put more weight on your front side (left foot for a right handed golfer), play the more in the middle or even towards your back foot a little, forward press a little meaning set your hands a little ahead of the ball (this is just what I do so I feel like I really hit down on the ball), also make sure to hit down on the ball and don't try to help it up at all. But I say one of the main things is to just relax and think positive.Before you hit the shot just relax your body and take a nice smooth swing and imagine the shot before you hit it and tell yourself you can do it. Good Luck.

Thanks for welcome and Thanks for the reply. Well when I say release its something I think about sometimes, especially if I just push/blocked a shot. And I normally think about it with my longer clubs, like my driver. Its not that I cast or anything its just I feel sometimes I get a little late with my upper body, so I guess in my mind if I think about releasing that club head right at impact then I will hit it straight. I guess while I'm on the subject I'll tell you how I learned to play golf and I guess why I think the way I do. I played baseball all my life basically and got into golf my junior year in H.S. I think it was and I took my baseball swing and applied what I learned from that into my golf swing. For example in baseball (lets say a pitch right down the middle of the plate) if you hit the ball to right field then you are late hitting the ball. The ball has traveled to far and you didn't hit it out in front of you. Now I take that and apply it to my golf swing, for example if I push/block a shot then I know I was late getting the club head to the ball or my upper body was lagging behind. So I try to make sure I hit the ball out in front of me to send it down the middle (or in baseball to center field). If that makes sense to you. Now that has kinda brought me to asking this question. If I had a stronger grip then I could hit it a little later and hit it straight (in theory) since with a stronger grip your club face is closed. That kind of leads to the next part about distance, like I said above when I try to swing a little harder sometimes my upper body or my club seems to lag and there it goes to the right (or try to correct and duck hook it) but if I was to have a stronger grip then I could maybe swing a little harder and not have to worry so much about being late and having to release that club head. I mean its not a bad thing because I'll take accuracy over distance any day but I feel like I kind of try to stay in control to hit it straight but in doing so I don't get as much distance, I just kind would like to maybe try some things on the practice tee and see if I would like it. And you wanted to know how far I hit it. Well I can hit a 7 iron about 150 yards normally and +- 10 yards for each club above and below that. But I'm really not certain about how far I hit the driver. I guess it all depends on the conditions. And another reason I would like a little more distance is that I am playing at a new club and it is a lot longer than where I use to play at. Instead of Driver - 9 iron its more like Driver - 4 iron. About the balls, I use Pro V1 and the reason for that is the course I played at was shorter and it had bermuda (sp?) greens so I would get really really hard in the summer time and the extra spin helped a lot, especially around the greens. Now I tried a Pro V1x the other day and I got to say I might be buying me a dozen of those because I swear I was hitting a lot farther than the Pro V1s. But maybe the conditions where a little better, I need to try another one next time I play. The conditions right now are bad, really its just wet. Its sad when you hit a driver and get up to your ball and it actually hit, made a big divot, and spun backwards a few inches haha. So that is making the course long too. But this isnt really a huge concern because I'm fairly happy (who is ever happy haha) with how I hit the ball now but if I can tinker around with my grip and swing and start hitting it farther I will. Like they say "Drive for show, Putt for dough" and thats my main thing I need to work on is getting up and down and making those putt or I should say being more consistent haha Thanks so much for the reply though, if you have any more questions about what I'm talking or anything please let me know

When I first started playing golf I naturally had a weak grip when I picked up the golf club and that is the way I have been swinging for the past 5 years or so. I guess I have gotten pretty good with using a weak grip but I think one of the key moves in my swing is that I must "release" the club and I must keep my head still or even think about keeping it behind the ball but I usually make pretty good contact, ball first. So what I'm getting at is that if I try to swing a little harder sometimes then my release is a little late and I push/block it out to the right. Or so I think that is the problem. Now I have tried a stronger grip at the driving range a few times and most of the time I will hook the hell out of it, probably because I am so use to releasing the club with my weak grip. To my question I guess: Should I try a stronger grip with my irons so I can possibly hit it a bit farther and work my way up to the woods and driver? (keeping the driver with my normal weak grip for now) Also I just feel like I should be hitting the ball a lot farther than I do. I mean I know I'm capable I just have to find it. Using a Pro V1 probably doesnt help much either haha. One more thing...It seems people with a weak grip seem to be a little more accurate but a little less distance and people with a stronger grip seem to have more distance but can be a little less accurate Thanks, hopefully I can get some good information on things

Hey everyone I just joined and I got a few questions I'm gonna post soon and hopefully learn a few things while I'm here.