sssam

Thanks - any advice on how to go about it?

Making some progress since the depths of the desperate times in which I first started this thread. The above tips have certainly helped, swing plane is steeper and I try to focus on hitting the inside of the ball. I've had a couple of medal rounds in which I've played fairly well which have seen my handicap come down to 17, but there's still a long way to go. The outrageous slice seems to be a thing of the past on the whole, but I still tend to hit a fade, rather than the draw I'd like to see. The frustrating thing being I line up for a few shots anticipating a draw, then proceed to fade it into the trees right. So I say OK, fades it is, aim left, and of course proceed to hit a lovely light draw... So consistency is still a challenge. I thikn a big part of my problem now is still over-swinging at the top, wrists cock too far (I blame years of trying to emulate John Daly in my teens) and I then come back on a steeper plane. Anyhow, I finally got some video , the driver and 8 iron being taken on the same day a couple of weeks ago, the 5 iron today. In shortening the swing and trying to reduce wrist cock I'm now struggling with tempo... Now just need to get out there and hit lots of balls, if only I had the time.... For those who don't want to follow the link above... Any help, advice or pointers greatly appreciated! Thanks, Sam

So I'm a 17 handicapper, coming down fairly quickly having just started golfing again the last 4 months after a 20 year layoff with the occasional game here and there. Had a few lessons from the pro at my club (Simon Perks at Chiltern forest - he took these videos) and making some progress. Still overswinging a bit at the top of my swing and coming down on a steeper plane, causing outside to in path with typical misses being a fade/slice or stright pull. Any other feedback or tips greatly appreciated!

Spoke about this with the pro at my course recently (this is in the UK bear in mind - may be different in the US) and apparently it's pretty straightforward. Anyone with a handicap of 4 or less can become a member of PGA. Just fill out the forms, relinquish your amateur status and away you go.

I suspect it's anyone who's an accredited PGA pro, whether touring or teaching. Possibly ex-tour pros (no matter how briefly) also use it?

Thanks Machine - and congrats on a great score! I had a lesson yesterday, and conversely to what I had thought, he diagnosed that I am on too shallow a plane on my backswing, and I then come 'over the top' and come outside to in. The tip was to try to go back on a steeper plane (left arm across chest as you suggest Logan) then come back on the same or slightly flatter plane. The other tip, with much the same effect as your 'hitting the back corner' was to actually try to hit it right. 'Hit it in to the trees right' he said (but with my new backswing plane) sure enough this made me try to attack the ball inside to out and I hit a draw. So now it's 'hit the ball to 1 o'clock' but I like the mental imagery of the back corner, will give that a try. Anyhow, we seem to be getting there!

Agree with GFD - if I'm 10-15 yards I'd rarely use a wedge unless I really need to stop it fast or go over something.

My grandfather was a very good golfer (played off four) and my father (grandad's son-in-law) took it up I suppose mostly to appease him. Anyhow, I had cut-down clubs in my hand probably from about age six, and started playing properly at about 12. I played regularly through to about 17, then essentially stopped once I went to uni. Mountain bikes took over and that has been my primary passion for the past 20 years. A few months ago I had a round with some friends and enjoyed it a lot, so thought I ought to start playing more regularly. It's a nice escape from bikes (I still ride a lot and my business is bikes (www.singularcycles.com if you've any interest) so it's great to get a few hours which are entirely non bike related. I'm slowly getting back into it, scores and handicap are coming down, though I know I can play a lot better. The struggle at the moment is to stop it taking over my life entirely....

Yep - that was the diagnosis in my lesson today. I am breaking my left arm at the top of the swing then starting down on an outside in line. He said the first 3/4 of my backswing was very good, all on plane and looking good, just need to keep my left arm straight and concentrate on coming back on the same plane. Had 9 holes after the lesson and was getting there, even hit a couple of draws, but I think it's something which is going to take a bit of time to change. He took some video which he said he'll send me so I'll post it up once I have it. Thanks for the pointers!

Breaking 80 in your first year of regular golf I would say is a very good achievement and a strong sign of good things to come if you stick at it. In the UK we have much the same system as in Oz (I am Australian though live here), there are whites which are used for competitions, yellows which are for non-competition play, and red for the ladies. However the differential between the whites and the yellows is rarely massive, 50 metres (or even yards) would be the biggest difference you'd see and that would only be on a hole or two fro most courses. Even if you are playing off the yellows I would say it's still a very good sign to break 80 in your first year of golf. Quote: Just getting a text or phone call that pisses me off ruins the round for me because I start taking my frustrations out on the ball and lose all tempo. My home course doesn't allow mobile phones and I turn it off as a matter of course elsewhere. I play golf to try to get away from the stresses of everyday life, nothing worse than having a nice round interrupted by a ringing phone - whether it's yours or someone else's.

I've been doing much the same I'm afraid.... Started golfing again about 3 months ago. Decided my old Hogan Apex's needed replacing, got a scorching deal through a friend on some new Cleveland CG1 Tours. No sooner had they arrived than I got some second hand Miuras - also a screaming deal and I think these are keepers especially now I've had them fitted for lie and loft. Drivers have also come and gone, first a Cobra something, then a Titleist 907 D2 which was nice but shaft is too soft, then a Nakashima with Aldila XS shaft which may be too stiff, now I've got a Mizuno MP001 on the way because I hit a playing partner's last week and it went like a rocket, that was only £16 though.... Beautiful pair of Epon 3 and 5 woods, Titleist 906 FW, Hogan hybrid. Then there's been a few wedges, putters, and shedloads of lake balls.... Anyhow, there is a grand plan and I think the end is in sight; sheeeit, thinking about this makes me think it has all been a bit mad....

I'd never really thought there might be another way of viewing it - fairly obvious I would have said and what I've always been taught. In any case a nice refresher and perhaps sheds a different light on some of the above? My drives initially go (in general....) where I aim them, but will take a bend to the right - which would suggest general alignment and club delivery is OK, but the path is outside to in. Didn't manage to get to the range yesterday, but have been taking some practice swings in the garden and I think I'm doing a couple of the things mentioned above - 1. getting my head in front of the ball and cutting across, 2. swinging on too steep a plane. I think there is possibly also a 3., an overly cupped left wrist at top of backswing, which again makes me tend to swing outside in and get too wristy through impact. Well - some things to think about anyhow - we'll see what the pro says :-)

A few things to think about. I will try to get down the range this evening for some experimenting and will aim to get some video. Thanks for all the tips so far, will let you know how I get on. Cheers, Sam

It's a thought - and possibly a good one. As I'm pretty tall (6'3") I tend to have a fairly steep plane anyhow. I will try to get some video done at the range. Any thoughts on the likelihood of shaft stiffness being a factor?

I've only recently got back in to golf after having been quite avid in my teen years. I was down to 16 at 16, and basically stopped for the past 20 years. I recently started playing again, joined a local club and have been playing at least 9 holes or going to the range at least 3 days a week. I was given a 19 handicap after I got my 3 cards in, which I was confident would come down quickly. I'm fairly tall, strong, and can hit the ball a long way. Iron play has been on the whole very good, short game is improving. However I'm having huge trouble off the tee, to the extent where I can't make the most of the other parts of my game which are pretty solid. I have been using a regular flex driver which when I got it right went well, but was erratic. Often big slices, but also the occasional duck hook and generally hitting them very low. Due to having a pretty quick swing, I thought perhaps I could do with a stiffer shafted driver - my irons have stiff shafts and I hit them well - straight and strong generally with a slight fade. My thinking was that if I'm swinging too fast for it, the clubface stays open, I cut across the ball and there's the big slice. So on to ebay I go and buy an x-stiff shafted driver. Now maybe this was a step too far but I thought it was a step in the right direction. Played with it the first time today and I was driving worse than ever. No duck hooks, but savage uncontrollable slices. Did everything I could to try to hit a draw (or even hook), right elbow in, strengthen grip, nothing worked. One banana after another. So maybe my theory about the shaft stiffness was wrong, or maybe there's something else with the club which gives me this horrible hook. Or maybe there's something in the way I'm swinging my driver (fairway woods are even fine) which is creating the slice... Anyhow, any advice, tips or pointers greatly appreciated - I'm at a bit of a loss at the moment. I've got a lesson with the club pro on friday which I hope might shed some light but now I'm just frustrated and looking for an instant online fix - any pointers greatly appreciated!

Many thanks for that Glock - a great help! I will let you know how I get on. I guess they are the same series of irons, but I've just got a couple of wedges which are more of a straight blade design.

I've bought heads (Nakashima NX-1), shafts (true temper wedge) and some grips for my first try at some clubfitting. I've fitted a number of grips before and read a couple of guides to club shafting, so I'm confident it's fairly straightforward. However if any of the seasoned sandtrap fitting pros have any hints, tips or things to watch out for I'd be most appreciative of any advice. Thanks, Sam

Just downloaded BBGPS on my phone and it looks pretty good. Set up my home course info and will give it a proper try tomorrow. The tee to green distances are not quite right, I guess it measures in a straight line and doesn't take into account elevation change or any curve to the hole. However my main aim is to try and get accurate distances to the pin. Just a quick question on the rules for this kind of thing. My understanding is that it's against R&A; rules to use a device to measure distance during competition rounds - I suppose that would apply here? So I can just use it in practice and work out my yardages from there?

I would say you are breaking your right arm on the back swing and your left is not straightening on the follow through. Both of these things will lead to the club wandering off line and give inconsistent shots.

That was exactly my thought on reading the post - the Nicklaus adage - always start out hitting it as far as you can then you can work on accuracy later. But if we are talking about a 20 yard difference in 7 iron for an established player, then of course you are better off keeping ti straight - that is why we have different clubs.

To be honest if you are just starting out you are probably going to see very little difference between something like a SoLo or NXT and a ProV1/x, let alone the difference between V1 and V1x. You are going to lose a few so I'd recommend buying lake balls rather than shelling out on brand new pro level balls at >£2 a ball.

see, I call golf etiquette things like not casting a shadow on your partner's line, taking the flag if you're closest to the hole, standing still while someone's hitting the ball. The above examples are beyond simple 'etiquette' and into the realms of just plain rudeness!

Quote: Handicap allows for a competitive match in a situation where the disparity in skill levels of the players would otherwise prevent having a competitive match. I agree completely - the handicap system is one of the things that makes golf such a wonderful game. I can go and have a good match with a scratch golfer, or equally an outright hacker, and we can all have an enjoyable game. This is really unique in any sport with which I've done - people of largely disparate skill levels can all play together happily.

Either try playing a couple of balls a hole (maybe more around the green if it's a quiet course), or perhaps see if you can find an open grassy area near you (playing fields etc) where you can get some more constructive practice in. On course practice is definitely your best bet though.

I had been using a set of '90 Hogan Apex blades which hit very nicely when you get them right. Just switched to a nice set of Miuras though and the difference is huge....