TomM1026

Yea that's basically it. Now I'm trying to keep my eyes on the ball and keep my upper body aiming down the target line at impact. It works when I don't cast my release early and come in too steep or when my hips and and upper body spin out early. I also have to work hard to keep my right foot on the ground until after I've hit the ball.

Hey all, I've been working on my swing mechanics on the range. Recently I've been mostly focused on improving my impact position (posting up, weight shift to left, keeping right heel down, shoulders level, left hand release, lag etc.) I used to break down my right leg, push through, stand up in my stance etc. Bad habits. I felt like I was making better contact but everything was going left. Not a hook but just aimed left. After a bit of reflection I realized I was basically pulling off of the ball through impact with my hips AND my head which I think was pulling my hands through in that direction as well. The head movement was key and it's something I've had as a bad habit. When I look back at all of my swing videos, you can see my eyes following the club down range (head rotating to the left) through impact instead of well after impact. Anyway, I decided on one key thought which was, keep your eyes parallel to the target line and don't move your eyes until after the ball is struck. Keeping my eyes parallel made it so much easier to bring my hands through on plane. Since I was already making good contact, I found that this really straightened out my shots and I hit nearly 10 solid mid irons in a row on the range. Hoping to solidify this habit in the coming sessions. Alignment really is everything. Anyone else had a similar experience or offer any refinements to my thoughts? Cheers!

Absolutely. I think when I posted originally this was truly what I meant. I don't bemoan anybody's right to golf if they are keeping up a reasonable pace and aren't doing anything ridiculous. I played behind a walking twosome yesterday who were pretty poor golfers but kept up a really crisp rate of play and were really polite. Those of us who are here talking about this stuff are the "golfers". Ultimately, no matter what our current skill level or level of dedication/available attention to improvement, it's the difference in mindset between saying "I play golf" to saying "I am a golfer."

I've been playing a lot on my local executive course because I can play as many holes as I want for 15 dollars. I tend to see two kinds of golfers out there: 1.) Super casual golfers who are just out there to smack the ball around. 2.) Serious golfers who are on a mission to improve. I tend to identify with the second group. The thing is, it has nothing to do with your current ability level. It has everything to do with mindset. I consider myself a student of the game even though I am a mid/high handicapper. I want swing results but I want to know WHY I got those results. I am not just going to guess at my swing faults and think my way to lower scores. I am in it for the long haul and know that if I am strategic and consistent, I will continue to improve every season. Does anyone else feel that there are too many golfers out there that are just kind of going through the motions because it's the thing to do with their buddies?

Absolutely agree. Last year was the first season I got serious about video feedback. I remember watching my swing and thinking, "Oh God is THAT what I look like??" Self diagnosis through feel alone can only get you so far. Now that I am learning more about the movements of the swing, it is easier to look at a video and diagnose what I am doing because the video does not lie. On the flip side, it's fun to see improvements on video because you have proof that you have successfully implemented some changes. Side note: as a musicians I know how easy it is to avoid that kind of feedback, i.e. I hate recording myself.

Great responses. I'm enjoying this although I agree that I wouldn't really change anything about the journey because that's how we truly learn. There's a reason golf is hard and yet we all still cling to it. Big takeaways: 1.) Getting instruction early is important but finding the right teacher is more important and somewhat difficult 2.) Going it alone is even more difficult 3.) When in doubt, always go with a simpler swing. 4.) There are some important movements we tend to overlook, mainly torso rotation. I agree with all of this. I find I can hit the ball nearly as far with a crisp compact swing that allows me to stay balanced rather than a big overswing that feels way harder and is more likely to miss. That's when my arms get too involved and big problems show up. Also, torso rotation is like the biggest thing I am working on right now. The cool thing is, I can work on this in the mirror without a club, just trying to focus on spine angle and feeling the right muscle groups activating.

Wow, that sounds like a great teacher. I'm a music teacher by day so I know about standard versus tailored instruction and how much more benefit there can be for the student. I especially understand the point of only giving as much information as is necessary to avoid confusion or overwhelm. Easier said than done from a teacher stand point so you've got a good situation it seems. Good luck on your quest to break 80!

I came from a similar experience except I shunned the idea of taking lessons. I had a chip on my shoulder about teaching myself. I got better on my own but it's only recently where I feel confident that my efforts are going to turn into tangible improvements. It took me 8 years to realize the value of investing in instruction. I don't have a face to face instructor, but I do belong to an online community where real instructors provide feedback on swings and everything is accompanied by useful drills and swing instruction. So you take lessons now? How has that helped? What makes your teacher now a better fit?

Hey everyone, I've been reflecting on my golf journey and was just curious, what are some of those things you know now that you wished you could have figured out as a beginner? For me, it's knowing the importance of getting in front of the camera and having knowledgeable people look at my swing. I also wish I knew how much focused practice I could have done at home without hitting balls, saving time on money on the range/course. What would you say? Cheers, Tom

Hello everyone, Excited to be here. A little backstory: I've been a self taught golfer for almost 10 years. I have played sporadically in that time. I live in Pennsylvania and have been a student and now a full time teacher in all of that time so my season is generally pretty short (2 months usually). I barely played at all while I was in college (5 years). Now I am out to reclaim my golf game. Last summer I made some strides and finally saw myself shooting some 80's scores. This summer I hope to build on that. Looking forward to contributing to this community. Cheers, Tom.