UnfairWay

I'm going to Faro with a mate in October, anyone know of any good resorts to recommend? Not too punishing please! I'm a very low standard (as in, don't even have a handicap) - so wide fairways preferred! We are looking to stay on site, so need a decent but reasonably priced hotel as well. All suggestions appreciated. We've already discounted Vale do Lobo which is supposedly very nice, as they have a maximum handicap stipulation.

IT looks good, I'll be getting a paper copy. Some books don't really translate to Kindle, especially if there are lots of graphics and diagrams so totally understand.

Do you still use a driver made of wood as well? Guess I'll get the paper version then ...

Is there a Kindle version?

I am a beginner, so this thread is a goldmine. Keep it up, please!

Anyone watch the men's rugby yesterday? Didn't catch it myself, but if anyone wants to see a great Olympic underdog story, Japan beating NZ would be right up there.

Thanks, at work so can't watch it right now but will give it a try.

I used to swear by ibuprofen, unfortunately I can't take it anymore because I have minor kidney problems - turns out ibuprofen is seriously bad for your kidneys, I had no idea until I was taken into hospital. I will try paracetamol which I also find effective. Thanks for your help. I really hope age isn't a major factor at 31! Unfamiliarity with the mechanics may be though, as @DaveP043 suggested. as for my exercise - yes I am desk-based, but I am generally sporty, play rugby in the winter. Saying that, I have been on a lay-off following an injury and haven't been to the gym for a while so could be contributing.

Do you play any other sports? Like you I am a late starter, so don't have a very repeatable swing (yet!). I have however played rugby and cricket since I was young, so both the techniques and psychological approaches of those two sports come much more naturally. Without boring you with details about sports you probably don't care about, I find it useful to channel certain familiar situations - situations where I am confident, even arrogant, because I know exactly what to do from years of rugby/cricket. Putting myself in that confident headspace gives me confidence in my golf swing which I haven't yet earned in its own right, if that makes sense.

Appreciate your response - especially that you remember a bit about me despite only having a few posts. "Serious amount of time" certainly doesn't mean 2-3 hours - the absolute max would be 100 balls, probably around an hour, maybe slightly more but not by much. Totally agree that productivity of practice drops as you go past a certain time, I am careful to avoid going past that point - often leaving the last few balls if I don't feel it's worth it at this point. On the other hand, it does sometimes take a long time and a lot of terrible shots before something suddenly "clicks", so I also look to make sure I persevere even if it feels unproductive. It's a fine balance. Your description of the swing sounds (hopefully) like what I'm doing. It also makes sense that driving would cause more pain, as the hips-faster-than-shoulders movement is more exaggerated. So maybe it is just a case of sticking it out, always stopping practice when it hurts. Also worth mentioning that the pain is always gone within an hour of stopping, not to return until I swing a club again. Just on what you said about "machine-gunning" - I actually find that approach can be useful to me if a cerebral approach isn't causing any progress. It is possible to overthink so thinking about the shot is doing more harm than good, I find that sometimes rapidly smacking a few balls one after the other bang bang bang bang bang can help instinct to kick in and help make a breakthrough. Worst case scenario, it lets off some frustration and I can take a breath, and go back to swinging thoughtfully with a clear head.

Had a similar thing, although with all irons not just the long ones, worked on it at the range yesterday. Keeping my right arm as straight as possible through the swing really helped me.

If I spend any serious amount of time at the range, I get a really painful lower back - this is especially bad if I'm using the driver. I have never particularly suffered from back problems in other areas of my life. What might be causing this? I have two theories myself: 1) Poor technique. Possibly I have a tendency to "hunch" rather than bending from the hips. It can feel better if I remember this and stick my backside out more in my address. 2) Wrong size clubs. I am tall at 6'3" and have a beginners set of clubs I bought off the rack, standard size. Is it possible that they are too short for me and putting pressure on my back? Any suggestions or advice?

Nice story! Also can't remember my first par, but my first birdie I do - it was only last year. On the longest hole on a par 3 course near me (only about 150 yards. Hit my tee shot nice and straight if slightly short, to just short of the green then chipped in from about 15 feet (at a guess). I remember mine too, don't expect she does though! Like my first Birdie, I've had better / more impressive ones since.

It's easy to say "forget that shot and move on to the next one" but it's a lot less easy to do it in reality. Telling yourself to do it doesn't necessarily achieve that. So the question is, how do you move on? Personally - the fact that I am not a very good golfer really helps. I've been playing just over a year, I always tell myself I went into this knowing it's a bloody difficult game and I cannot expect not to hit poor shots or I will never enjoy or get anything out of it. I appreciate others on the forum expect more from themselves and/or are playing at higher stakes, so this doesn't work for everyone! i have played various other sports at more competitive levels for most of my life though, so I do know a little bit about coping with pressure and recovering from mistakes etc. One thing I always try and do is go back to basics, just focus on the technique and muscle memory. This has two advantages, a) hopefully ensuring a correct technical action (in golf, the swing); and b) more importantly, it gives you something to focus on 100%, which blocks out all distractions for those few seconds - including the last poor shot. Often, I simply pick one aspect of the action (something I regularly have trouble with) and focus entirely on that thing. May not work for everyone, but works pretty well for me across various sports.