Rykymus

I want a fairway. Mainly because we have all that space behind us, and we need to do something besides having weeds and wild flowers. That, and my short game typically sucks.

So, we just bought a house on 1.17 acres. The house and yard are about in the middle, and the lot is about 45 yards wide across the back. (A little wider at the street) I have about 50 yards from the back edge of the pool to the tall trees that line the back fence to work with. My wife likes the idea of having a nice grass fairway down the middle of the area. (She would plant fruit trees on either side.) There is a planter along the backside of the pool that is slightly off-center of the yard that we plan to rip-up (it has poison ivy growing init.) I thought I would put my teeing area there. (Probably half grass/half hitting mat, for when the grass needs a break). I'm not sure if I should do a real putting green, or an astro-turf one. I don't mind taking care of it, as I would get a ton of enjoyment out of it. (I work at home, so I like to go out and hit some balls a few times per day, at least.) I may even put a sand trap or two. If it matters, this is in the DFW area. I'll probably string a catch-net in the trees along the back, just to be safe. I think I could do it and make it pretty well hidden in the trees. Not sure how much any of this would cost. It will definitely be a lot of work and take some time, but the idea of being able to walk out my back door, chip 10-20 balls to the putting green 40 yards away, and then walking out and putting them all in, then going back to work...dreams. Any ideas or words of wisdom would be appreciated.

Took a lesson last Tuesday. WOW. What a fantastic experience that was! While I can't say that I'm suddenly incredibly better, there is a big difference. Turns out, my swing path was way to vertical. This was causing two problems. First, if I happened to lean down a bit on my swing, it would create a very steep angle into the ground. Such deep "chunks" probably psych'd me out and made me somewhat apprehensive about digging in so deep, hence the frequent "topping" of the ball. The second problem the vertical swing path was causing was that because of it I wasn't getting enough hip rotation, and what I was getting wasn't really translating into any additional power. My instructor stuck a tee in the ground, leaving only half an inch sticking out of the ground, and had me swing more horizontally, bringing the club head around high and behind my head, instead of around and up over my head. No ball. My goal was to always tap the tee. After a half dozen swings or so, I started tapping the tee consistently, so he had me hit some balls. Out of about 20 shots, I only had 2 or 3 tops, and the rest were long, straight, and felt considerably easier and more natural than anything I can remember hitting well in the past. I'm still struggling to always interact with the ground, but now I know what I was doing wrong. For now, I stopped hitting balls into my practice net, and just swing at a tee sticking out of the ground. My next day at the range 2 days later, while still not perfect, was a lot better. I feel like I'm on the road to recovery. I plan on practicing this new swing path regularly, and going back to for another lesson at the end of the month, and then every other week after that, until I get where I want to be. Ya'll were right. Take a lesson.

You are 100% correct. That's why I went ahead and signed up for a lesson with Jake Sandusky at Watters Creek a week from today. I'd go sooner, but we have thunderstorms coming in for the next few days. I'm probably going to buy a package of 5 lessons, and go at least once a week.

I like the extra grip I get with the glove. I feel like I can hold the club just a tad more loosely with a glove on. But on hot days, I rotate between three gloves. Otherwise the glove gets too wet from sweat to be of any value. I have a velcro strip on my bag where I stick them so they can dry out. I don't use them on wedges or putter. Pretty much anything I'm hitting at least 100 yards I'll use a glove. Oh, and I use it for everything at the range, and with my net in my backyard. Otherwise, I'll get blisters from hitting so much.

I think I may already be doing just that. I'm trying to keep a triangle between both arms and my chest, and make my rotation happen with shoulders and hips. After watching more video, I noticed that as soon as my right arm gets to the point that it must bend, that's when I instinctively stop my rotation and start my down swing. I'm going to need to develop a bit more rotation because I'm only reaching about 75 - 80 degrees, but that will come. Main thing I'm looking for is consistent strikes and straight ball flight. Getting into trouble because of inconsistencies is what keeps my scores in the 110-120 range. And I don't seem to be suffering from any distance loss with the much shorter swing. (I was literally touching my left shoulder with my club on my back swing before.)

Update: Had my wife video my swing with her iPhone and found that while my body was still and my rotation was good, I was bending the hell out of my left arm on my back swing. Started concentrating on keeping it straight, and my ball striking became a lot more consistent. (Maybe that is what I was doing right that magical day.) Keeping my arm straight also kept me from bringing my club too far back. Ball is going further and straighter, without so much pull. Of course, it will probably all fall apart again tomorrow.

Back at it yesterday. Decided to change my grip and stop interlacing my right pinkie and left index fingers, as it seems my left index finger is always sore, and it hurts a bit at the strike. I was surprised that it didn't seem to feel weird, and didn't really change anything that much. In fact, I think I may be releasing better. But I still have a pull I need to work out. Got creative and found a spot in our tiny backyard where I could put up my net. I like hitting into the net (with foam balls) as I'm not trying to kill it, and therefore I'm slowing down and just swinging.

I hope you're all happy. My groove didn't follow me back to the range the next time. Oddly enough, I was hitting stuff with a greater variety of "bad" than ever before. Fat, thin, topped, shanked, hooked and sliced. Out of 100 balls, I probably only had 10 good contacts. Yeah, I tempted the golf goods something fierce, didn't I. Maybe I need to watch all those videos again before going to the range each time.

Same way I figured out my own BBQ sauce. Look for the common denominators, and if someone gives contrary advice, see if they have a good explanation as to why. Then experiment. I fully expect that my next day at the range, I'll be shanking stuff all over the place. But at least now I know what I'm supposed to be doing, and can identify what I did wrong when I screw up.

It took me a while, but today, I finally found my groove. I have yet to take a lesson. I have been watching tons of You Tube videos and reading articles and forums. In particular, I like Mark Crossfield, Golf with Aimee, the lady from More Pars Golf, and Paul Wilson Golf. Today, a few changes brought me swing in to a groove that worked on every club. Not only that, the contact felt unbelievable good, and ball flight was perfect. And for the first time, I had proper distance gaps between each club. Heck, I was even able to nail my hybrid and my fairway woods! Although I'm sure everyone is different, this is what did it for me. 1. More shoulder and hip rotation, and less arms. 2. Smoother take-away with better tempo 3. A more neutral grip (I was way to strong, because I had been trying to correct a slice) 4. Remembering to set a bit of lag at the beginning of my downswing 5. Allowing my club head to "swing" instead of trying to push it through with my arms 6. Seeing the arc that my hands are tracing, and bring that arc smoothly all the way around After about 20 swings, all of them hitting correctly, it just started to happen naturally. I still had a few fat shots, and a few shanks, but with each of them I immediately knew what I had done wrong and made sure to correct it. Out of probably 150 balls, I'd say at least 130 of them felt terrific. I was even jumping around the bag at the end, instead of ending with just the driver. (I usually start with wedges and work my way through the bag up to the driver.) I finally understand "how" to hit. Now I just have to work that groove into muscle memory, so that I don't have to think about it, and can then start learning how to "shape" my shots when I need to. Love this game.

I have yet to take a lesson. However, I have watched a ton of You Tube videos, and read dozens of articles, and forum posts here. It's not instruction, but it's definitely not figuring it all out on my own. Even if all you do is watch other people at the range swing, or watched some professionals swing on TV, you're still not figuring it out on your own. It took me about 6 months to finally get to the point where I was hitting consistently. It didn't happen until I had garnered enough knowledge about the "science and mechanics" of the swing and the body to be able to understand what was working and why, and what wasn't working and why. And I had to "unlearn" several bad habits that developed through trial and error trying to fix my swing (like using a stronger grip to fix a slice instead of fixing my out to in swing path.) Had I taken at least one lesson from a good teacher (and by "good", I mean someone who explains "why" and doesn't just tell you to do something) I probably would've spent a lot less time (and money) working on my swing, and would have played more actual golf instead. Trial and error can work, but your chances of success are far less, and it will take you longer.

The course where I live (and play) requires the use of carts, but encourages (not limits to) keeping them on the paths. As much as possible, I try to leave the cart on the path and walk to the ball. If someone is on my heels, I let them play through. (I play alone 99.9% of the time.) Walking always loosens up my back. I also get a lot of massages.

You can strike down on the ball without taking a divot. The divot itself doesn't equal striking down, it's the result OF striking down, and perhaps more so than necessary. I generally brush the grass just past the ball when I purposefully strike down a tad. If and when I take a divot, it's almost unnoticeable. Yet, (most of the time) I get the results that I'm looking for. I have no doubt that taking a bigger divot would be the result if I tried to hit down even more, but if I'm getting the appropriate distances (for me and my goals), isn't that enough?

Your post isn't nuts, just inaccurate, and based on a lot of observations that are yours and yours alone. Many of the skills you listed fit the logic you are offering. But I think you're overlooking a very important element. You can't fix what you're doing wrong if you don't know what it is you're doing wrong. A golf swing has so many elements and nuances to it that it is almost impossible to isolate every single one of them, and only adjust one nuance at a time and do everything else the same way over and over while you adjust that one element of your swing. (If you could, you wouldn't have any problems with your golf swing to begin with.) I too am one who is generally better self-taught. I find that many instructors (not just in golf) are either unwilling or unable to teach you the "why" of what you do, and just tell you that you "must" do it a certain way to be correct. (And we all know there are many ways to skin a cat.) While I agree that you must practice to get better, sometimes, having a trained eye to help identify what you are doing wrong, and offering ways in which you might fix the problem can be quite helpful. It's not for everyone, but you're dead wrong if you think it doesn't work for anyone.

So, I played a little when I was in my late 20s (30 yrs ago) and started up again last summer. Spent a lot of time on the range, the chipping and putting greens, and playing mostly par 3 - 9 hole courses. That was back in CA. I moved to DFW in November (into a home on a golf course, no less) and finally got around to getting back out on the greens a month or so ago. I'm going to the driving range 5 days a week, hitting about 120+ balls, and I always end with about 30 mins of chipping (and some from the bunker), and 30 mins of putting. I played a full 18 holes for the first time in 30 yrs a couple weeks ago, and shot a 115. (Hence the additional time at the range) With the help of Google, You Tube, and this forum, I'm learning the mechanics and the science of golf, but I've got a problem: I don't like taking divots. I know, I'm supposed to, and I can if I need to. I just don't like the feeling of taking divots. I prefer being a picker. I can't really explain it. I just don't like taking divots. Now, I'm not looking to become a great golfer, although I do want to be decent. When I was young, I never shot better than 105. I'd like to be in the 90s at least. I just do it for fun, and for the fresh air and exercise. I'm getting pretty consistent and straight with my shots, through all my clubs. (Although I still struggle to hit consistently with my hybrid and my 3 wood, but it's getting better.) I cured my driver slice, and I'm starting to get even gaps between my irons. I've considered taking a few lessons, but I fear that the instructor is going to insist that I take divots, and I don't want to. I've had bad experiences with instructors in other disciplines, who only seem to be able to teach the way they were taught, be it right or wrong. So, isn't it possible to play decent golf without taking divots? Inquiring minds want to know.

2014 Honda Ridgeline. I keep my Clicgear cart, shoes, and all my other goodies in the trunk in the bed, locked up. Clubs get put into the back seat when I go play. Otherwise, they are in my office inside the house. I'm not driving around with $2k of clubs in my truck, nor leaving them locked up in the garage or truck, due to changes in heat and such.

I played off and on about 25 years ago, nothing series, then started playing again last summer (about 9 months ago). Spent a lot of time at the range, and played the muni 9-hole par 3 course at least 3 times per week. Then we moved to DFW area and now live on a golf course. (Nice view of the 14th fairway from our backyard.) Didn't play for about 5 months, then started going to the range again a few weeks ago. Decided to dive in and play all 18 holes. (Yeah, I'm pretty sore today.) Shot a 115, which as I remember from years ago, was good for me. And I only lost 3 balls! (All cheap used balls.) I noticed that my shot control began suffering around the 13th hole. Probably should stick to 9-holes until I'm in better shape. I'm getting a lot of good tips from this thread.

I'm with ya on this one, downbylaw11. I'm very new to this game, and I'm amazed at how much of it is mental. My approach has been to gather all the information I can, experiment, and just find what works for me and my golf goals. There will always be people who tell you you're doing something wrong. Sometimes they're right, and sometimes they're not. There really is no universal right and wrong, there is only what works for you. Take the advice that feels right to you, and disregard the rest. It's advice that was given to me long ago (on an entirely different subject) and is universally applicable. I would never post a video of my swing unless I was looking for help to try and find a fault that I was not able to figure out. As you pointed out, you're looking to solve a mental issue. Stick to that.

Hit a large bucket this morning at the range. (Off the grass) I've only been about 50% constant getting good strikes, and I've always been more of a picker, never taking more than a trim off the grass. When I miss, it's usually thin, topping the ball, or hitting slightly below its equator. I tried the trick of focusing on a spot 1 inch ahead of the ball, instead of on the ball itself, and I immediately went to hitting solid, well-controlled, average distance shots (with about 80% power) at least 90% of the time, and with every club in my bag! I'm here to tell you, that trick really works!

I never think about hitting the ball. I am always thinking about my swing. I literally run through a checklist just before my swing, reminding myself of key elements of my swing that I often screw up. At the end of the checklist, I state how much power I'm going to apply as a percentage of maximum, and then I take my swing. If I think about hitting the ball, I'll surely screw it up. Most importantly, I do things exactly the same, whether I'm at home hitting foam balls into a net, on the range, or on the course. It calms me down and keeps me focused. Sure enough, every time I fail to do this, my strike sucks and so does my shot.

I usually play in the morning, before it gets hot. Of course, everything is still pretty wet. Today, I went in the mid afternoon, even though the temps were in the 90s. I figured the afternoon breeze would make it comfortable, and I was right. Surprisingly, I played my best round yet, shaving 6 strokes off my average score and scored 2 strokes lower than my best score ever. And I didn't even hit any warmup balls. Just paid my money, stretched a bit, and went to work. Everything was nice and dry as well, and I had the whole course to myself. Shot par on the first two holes, then bogey'd the rest. Even had 4 G.I.R.s. I also took a ten minute break after every third hole, but I don't think that was what made the difference. I think I'm more awake, and my body is more warmed up in the mid afternoon. I'm sticking to playing in the afternoons from now on!

I write for a living, so I have to spend hours per day at a keyboard. (A very ergonomic one, I might add.) I'm also playing a 9-hole par 3 every other morning. When I switched from hitting foam balls to hitting real ones into my net at home, my hands began to hurt within a few days. (I hit at least 100+ balls a day, in batches of 20 each session.) Ice and a couple days rest fixed it, and I stopped hitting real balls at home. Because I cannot afford downtime from writing, I have chosen to be a picker rather than a digger, in order to decrease the likelihood of stressing my hands/wrists. The decision will likely decrease my chances of playing to my potential, but I'm okay with that, as the reason I started playing was to get more exercise doing something that I enjoy and can likely do for the rest of my life. (Ice hockey is rough on an old man's body.)

I'm having a similar experience on a fairly regular basis. I just started playing a couple months ago, and am restricting myself to the 9-hole par 3 course nearby. (Which I'm playing at least 4 times per week.) I generally play well for the first 6 holes, shooting mostly 3s and 4s, but then I start to fall apart around the 7th hole, shooting 5s, 6s, and 7s. I know it's not the holes, because I have shot well on each of them at least once before. (Just not all in the same round!) I'm properly fueled and hydrated, and I don't really feel fatigued. (Although it is usually in the 90s by then.) My brother suggested that I switch to Gatorade, which I'll try, but I have my doubts. I honestly wish I could play the course backwards a couple times, just to see if it's fatigue or just a mental issue. I'm surprised at how much of a mental game golf really is.