LimeTree

Ok, I am dutifully reporting back with some findings. Despite proto's admonition above, I decided to order a pair of the Bonobos golf pants in "athletic" fit, which they describe as having a "roomier seat and thigh." That sounds like exactly what I need. And, indeed, I got them yesterday and they are the best fitting of the pants I've tried. So even though I'm not at all "in shape like Rory," these athletic fit pants work pretty well for me. The Haggar ones are decent too, and I'll probably keep them. They're a bit more traditional in appearance, more like dress slacks. I like having both options.

Oh geez! Lose weight??? I can't believe I never thought of that I picked up a pair of the Haggar Cool 18 (flat front) from Kohl's tonight. They're not perfect, but better than what I had before. It seems like they have a new line. It said "new" and they're "Cool 18 Pro" so I'm not sure if it's the exact same thing. But I'll give them a shot.

I'm skeptical of pleats, but I'll go check those out. Thanks!

I normally wear shorts when I golf, but the weather lately had me shopping for pants today, and I'm having a heck of a time finding ones that fit. I'm not the slimmest or most athletic guy in the world, but I'm not huge. I'm about 5'10, 210 pounds. All the pants I've found that fit in the waist have pockets that flare out. I assume it's because my rear end or hips are too big (though they don't really feel tight). It seems like all these flat front pants are made for skinny dudes. Anyone else in the same boat? Are there any brands/models of pants that you've found to fit reasonably off the rack? I know I can get some tailored, but I'd rather avoid that if I can (especially given how rarely I wear long pants).

I bought some recently when I saw it in a shop. I'm not sure if I just got a bad batch, but it's kind of "lumpy" and doesn't rub in easily. I only used it once and then shoved it to the back of my cabinet. I usually use Super Goop which has always worked well for me.

Oh. I wasn't aware I supposed to choose one or the other...

Ah, cool, I'll check that out! I actually went to Tijeras Creek for the first time a couple of weekends ago, with the intention of trying out the range, but it was so busy that there were half a dozen people standing around waiting for spots, so I left. My only hesitation with doing a clinic is that I'm trying not to get too much conflicting instruction - I find that every instructor I talk to has a different way of doing things and explaining things, which throws me off, so I'm attempting to stick with one person for a while. But this sounds like it might be casual enough that it's not a huge deal. Yeah, I'm at least beyond the point where I regularly whiff. The only time it has happened recently was once when I was trying a totally different way of swinging, and once when I got distracted by the guy behind me at the range. So I make contact pretty much every time, but I still top it somewhat often, and when I do make solid contact, it usually doesn't go nearly as far as it should. I'm improving, but far from confident...

@Golfingdad I'm in Coto (so Southeast OC). Any of the rest of you down this way? Any recommendations on Par 3 courses? I haven't seen many around. Someone recommended Newport Beach as a good place to start out, but I haven't tried it yet.

Heh, ok, I'm not actually friendless. But I am without local friends who play golf. My few friends who are into golf live in other states, and none of my friends here show any interest. So, until I manage to build up a group of golfing acquaintances, that leaves me to play by myself (or paired with strangers). But as a very early beginner, I don't have a lot of confidence, so playing with people I don't know isn't really exciting. I know I need to get over it, and get out there and play as often as I can, not just when I'm visiting friends out of town. But it's easier said than done. Were any of you in a similar situation when you started? What advice can you give me? Should I try to seek out courses that have more "casual" players? (Not even really sure how to identify those.) Go at times that I know won't be busy? (I don't think that exists around here, and I work so weekdays are out). I'm considering joining my local club, but it's expensive and I'd kind of like to wait until I'm at least slightly better before committing to that.

Seems odd to me that the Kickstarter page claims they're located in "Soquel, CA," and their twitter account says they're in "United States," but one of the rewards includes "travel for 3 days to Seoul." The domain is registered to someone in Korea, and the site is hosted in Korea. I have nothing against Korea, but I'm very suspicious of businesses that attempt to hide where they're actually located.

Thanks for all of the replies, perspective, and encouragement. Since I posted, my practice sessions have been great. Not meaning that I'm hitting the ball perfectly every time, but now that I'm taking my time and going in with a more specific goal, it helps me set my expectations and see progress better. I can definitely tell that I'm improving, even if it's a bit of a roller coaster. Right now my main problem is that between my work schedule and my instructor's limited availability, I haven't been able to get a lesson for a few weeks. Even though video helps, I feel like I'm at a stage where I need immediate feedback and correction. So I think I might try to find another instructor who is easier to get sessions with (though I'm a little hesitant because I like my current instructor, and it might be hard to find someone else I click with so well)...

I think the "slow" aspect of the '5 "S"s" is actually going to be key for me. My instructor has mentioned going slow, but didn't really emphasize it or explain it the way that thread does. A lot of the problem I have when I'm practicing on my own (vs. taking a lesson) is knowing what I'm actually doing. Short of taking a video of every swing (I do take videos sometimes, but it's hard at a crowded range), even if I feel like I'm taking a "slow" swing, I don't have the self-awareness to tell if I'm actually moving the way I'm supposed to be. When my instructor watches me, it's easy for him to make little tweaks, but when I'm by myself I just can't. That often leads me to worry that even if I'm trying to practice a very specific and simple thing, I could be doing it wrong and not even knowing... Hopefully slowing way down will help with that.

Thanks mvmac. I'm reading through those threads now. Great stuff, and definitely helpful. I think I'm probably better off than a lot of people I see at the range in that I'm not just aimlessly swinging and trying to hit the ball - I'm working on specific stuff my instructor has helped me identify. But I have a ton of room for improvement, especially around making sure the stuff I'm focusing on is specific enough, and it's also becoming clear to me that I need to simplify it more.

To clarify, I meant throw in the towel for the day . As in, is there any point at continuing to practice that day if it's gone way off the rails. Obviously I'm not giving up on the game because of one bad practice.....

My first post on this forum was over two years ago, when I planned to really put in the effort to learn golf. Then my work got crazy, I got busy, and never really stuck with it. Now I'm dedicating myself to it, though. I'm taking lessons regularly, and practicing as much as I can (right now that's 3-4 days a week). I'm still terrible, but I'm at least seeing steady progress. Most days. But what happened yesterday really got me down. I went to the range after work, started practicing, and I felt like I had never swung a club before. Really. I was shanking, missing the ball completely, and doing every other embarassing thing I did the first time I ever tried hitting a ball. I don't know what happened to me. I gave up half way through my bucket and went home, because I felt like I wasn't making any progress - if anything, I was reinforcing whatever bad stuff was causing these problems. I'm curious how those of you who are more experienced deal with stuff like this. I'm sure most of you don't have days this bad, but everyone has an off day here and there. Do you keep going if it's bad and not getting better, or do you go home and come back another day?

Hi everyone. I've been reading here a while, but I just joined to post. I'm a super, mega beginner (read: I'm terrible), but I hope to learn quickly! I am wondering if anyone has recommendations for a nice but laid back driving range in South Orange County (CA). I want some place that I can go during lunch (I work in south Irvine) and not have to worry about dress code, etc. I usually wear jeans and a polo or a dress shirt to work, but Oak Creek has a "no denim" rule I believe (which is fine, and I don't wear denim on the course, but I also don't want to wear golf clothes to work every day). Any suggestions?