Amnonongus

I have gotten to where I am based on self education and the help of scratch golfers i've met. Forums like this are precisely HOW I became the golfer I am. Understanding ball flight laws and really what makes the ball do whatever it's doing on any shot imo is half of what you need to be a good golfer. The rest is engraining the execution of it into your muscle memory. Please, do me a favor, and don't reply to this topic again, cipher.

You people are completely misunderstanding what I'm saying. I'm going START competing in these events coming up in the next few months. I don't expect to win. I expect to get crushed. But being around those kinds of players and getting tournement legs under me is what I need. I don't understand what is so hard to believe. And Thank you, MEFree, for something constructive. You could say it's Rickie-esk, but he gets to the top before it gets flat. Mine almost starts flattening out before I even get there. Almost like the club starts slotting before I'm even at the top...and this is with me feeling like i'm turning fully and pausing at the transition. Know what I mean? Again, i'll get the video up soon.

I'm just trying to fill people in on the situation. The only person trolling is you. I'd venture to say that there are quite a few people in the world whom, if they put in the amount of time I have, would be great golfers as well. It has nothing to do with "boasting about how awesome I am". Quite the contrary. I'm a good golfer, but won't get to where I want to if I don't get over the hump that i've been at for a few months. If you were to go to one of the nicest public courses in your area and make 18-20 6 footers 5 times in a row before you could go home every night, you'd be a hell of a putter too. I was under the impression that this was a forum for intellectual discussion, so if we could keep it at that, I'd appreciate it.

I have a few questions for everyone, but first i'm going to give you a (hopefully) quick synopsis of my golf journey thus far... I'm a 5'10 now only 165 pound dude originally from Jersey, now living in LA. I've always been a gifted athlete first; competition and a thirst for perfection have been in my blood since I could walk. I've played almost every sport imaginable at a high level, including my #1 passion for 24 years, basketball, at a division 1 level. Last summer, (exactly 1 year ago today), I played golf with my father, who is a nut for the game, but not the best golfer in the world. His attempts at getting me to play since I was 5 were null and void. But I went out with him because I knew he'd enjoy it....and it somewhat hooked me. Now I was still playing basketball upwards to 5 hours a day, in some of the most competitive leagues I could join in LA, and pick up games whereever...but I broke my elbow playing one day, and mentally aged 100 years. Basketball was only going to wear my body down, and god forbid something happened to one of my knees. So I quit, and commited myself to playing golf. Within 8 weeks I was back swinging a club again, gingerly, but well enough to make progess. A long story short, I've been out EVERY SINGLE day for at least 4-5 hours (it would be way more if I didnt' have to work !). I thankfully found a good group of great golfers to guide my game, and today, exactly 1 year after I started playing, I am a 0 handicap, and in recent weeks have been shooting under par 1/4 rounds. Anywhere from 70-76s. My game is seriously coming into form thanks in part to the athletic ability I was gifted with, but mostly is a product of how patience i've been and the endless hours I have grinded away in the last year. I'm starting to compete on mini tours, and in PGA qualifiers, but I feel like I'm really stuck at a certain point. My short game is lights out, and my putting is absolutely at a tour level. My wedges are dead on point and my irons are solid. I could not warm up at all and have them lights out in one swing. I've developed a swing with these clubs that isn't timing based, so it's locked in on a day to day basis (of course this isn't to say I don't hit bad shots...it's just a very strong point of my game). What isn't locked in is my driver. There are days when I drive the ball better then anyone on the planet could, but other days when it's just not there. I step up to the tee and feel a little lost. I'm long as hell, hit a ball or two well over 320 a round, and when I hit fairways, I'll average about 305-310 per drive. Length isn't my issue. It was something I was obsessed with when I first started but quickly got over it. What I really need is a swing with my driver that is LOCKED IN...and not timing based. Unforunately when you swing the club 115 MPH it's tough to be really consistent, but I'm delusional enough to believe that there isn't a fairway I should ever miss. I feel like with my length and how solid my irons are, if the ball is in the fairway all day, just go home, you're done. Write the check right there. Finally to the questions... I'm the in mirror constantly, working on perfect posture and hitting perfect positions on the backswing. I know what it feels like to take it back on plane. But when I get out there, the swing is way flatter on the way back then it feels like it is. I'm almost positive it's a byproduct of my overactive hips, which is way I hit the ball so far (damn all that fast twitch muscle training from basketball). They fire so quickly that is flattens out the club and slots it before the backswing is even completed. I feel like this is a huge source of my inconsistent days with my driver. I want so badly for my positions to be impeccable, as I know this is the source of consistency, I just am a little lost as to what to do. I know postiing a video is obvisouly the most impoortant thing at this point, and it will be up later tonight. I just wanted to get this post out there, mostly venting, but when I get the video up we can get to the technical stuff. Thanks, Amno