N8theGr8_1988

When I say "open" I'm talking in relation to the target. In my many hours of driver practice recently I've figured out 3 key factors that cause my swing to break down (usually happens when I get in a hurry or if I start trying too hard to nail the ball.) Grip strength/angle of wrists, squaring my clubface in relation to target (perpendicular seems to be best,) and getting an in-to-out swing path. Usually if my grip and clubface are correct the only way I'll slice one is if I'm coming down too steep on the ball. This causes the meat of the club to "miss" the ball to the inside, causing a glancing blow which sends my shot careening from right to left (remember I'm a lefty.) When all 3 of these factors are dead on, I'm hitting solid, straight drives that carry 245-250 on average. A select few get out closer to 260. Those tend to be when I get a full hip rotation on the backswing which allows me to uncoil on the downswing. If I concentrate too much on the big core rotation, a lot of times that's when I'll end up inadvertently coming more over the top causing the slice. Not sure if that's the right way to put it, but that's what I've gathered on my own from my mechanics in relation to the shot.

Disclaimer: lengthy post ahead... I'm a lefty who struggles with slice, especially on driver. So much so that my last round the driver only made it out of the bag on holes 1 & 18 (with dismal results) and I had more success driving straight on more drives with a 3 wood out to about 215 yds. It was so bad that I'd considered giving up the game before I've even gotten started good. I'm aware that most slice stems from having an open clubface at impact, so this morning I made it a personal mission to fix this issue at any cost. What I settled on was a combination of a stronger grip position (I was gripping with the "V" shape in my hand pointed at the wrong shoulder, which was giving me little to no stability through the backswing) and positioning my hands farther forward of the ball. Now I've seen a LOT of instructional videos that say this is a terrible thing when hitting driver. It's more of an iron/wedge position. However, ball placement remains just inside my forward foot, as with all driver shots. The first thing I notice is that at address, my clubface is perfectly square to the ball/target line. With this combo of ball placement/grip/hand positioning the difference in my ball flight is night and day. I started by hitting plastic practice balls because they do give a pretty accurate depiction of flight without the distance. The balls were flying so straight that I got a couple of sleeves of my Laddies out and gave it a go (empty farm land adjacent to my lot that I have permission to hit on.) I didn't have a lot of time this morning to drill, but every one of the 6 balls flew straight, with one even having a slight draw! I was ecstatic because prior I've never been able to hit consecutive straight drives. Ever. I'm just wondering if hands forward on driver is so bad, then why is it the only position that I'm able to hit good shots? Just curious if anyone can answer this? On another note, I'm skipping my round this weekend for a much needed range session to test my driver swing again, and to tune up with my iron play.

That's pretty similar to what I've got. For me, it's whatever works!

I refer to a mixed/mismatch group of any instrument as a "jellybean" set (it's a drummer's term.) Being new to golf and not financially able to splurge on a nice, new set of clubs to break into the game, I've opted to go the 2nd hand route and try to build me a setup. Started out with a cheap Precise 15 club rig and have since ditched the terrible driver for a Nike VR 9.5 with a Fubuki stiff shaft and also replaced the stock wedges with used 52/56 Vokeys. I still keep the Precise PW because at 100 yards it's my most consistent shot maker. Oddly enough, I've really gotten into a groove with the cheap mallet putter and prefer it over my Ping Scottsdale TR Anser 2 (although I keep the Ping in my bag as a backup.) Next on the upgrade list are the irons, which I plan on getting as a set that includes at least a 6-9 with a 5 being a plus but not required. The hybrid 24* included with the Precise set is one that I'd like to hit more, but only after some extensive range practice. I like the 3 wood, but wouldn't mind upgrading it as well. I have 5 and 7 woods, but they don't see daylight at the course yet because I go straight from a 3W to a 6 or 7 iron. I also have an original Big Bertha 9* driver that is about the size of today's 3W. Great distance with that club but I slice the daylights out of it. Anyway, enough rambling about my humble sticks. Anyone else have a jellybean style setup? What do you use? I'm curious!

Set foot on a course for the first time this morning for 9 holes with a childhood friend I haven't seen in a long time. He's an avid golfer with a 10 handicap, so I felt like I was in good company. Wasn't pleased with my play off the tee, but my short game kept me alive. Took more drops than I'd have liked and ended up shooting a 66 through 9. Highlights were a chip-in bogey from just beyond the fringe and holing a 20+ ft put on a right breaking slope to end the 9th hole. A 66 on 9 is certainly nothing to write home about, but I know after making some nice short chips and putts that I'm hooked on this game.

Nothing happened, I'm just always intrigued by those who can do more with less...That and a lot of people tend to have a core group of clubs that they can rely on, and this is a "just for fun/what if" type of thread.

Newbie Here, so 2018 is my first year of having golf goals. With my schedule, my goals will consist of: 1) Driving range once per week 2) Get a full round in at least 2x a month 3) Work on pitching, chipping, & putting 2x per week 4) Figure out my handicap and working to lower it as I learn the strengths and weaknesses of my game 5) Slowly work on upgrading my equipment, even if it means one piece at a time 6) Gain a network of golfing buddies to hit the links and grab a cold one with

Yeah there are a lot of good courses in and around Montgomery. Depending on how much you want to spend on a round, the better courses offer a real challenge even to seasoned golfers and are breathtaking to look at. I'm not quite ready for those yet, but I'm making it a point to "get ready." That's a new perspective for me, and I may give that a go. I would love to be better at hitting my metal woods. Tbh, I thought I might struggle with my middle and short irons, but they might be my most consistent choices. PW is a short range must for me right now, as I can be extremely accurate with it from 90-110 yds depending on the stroke I use.

So, being new to the game (hooked after a trip to the range and my very first round, which I posted a hard earned 95,) I've realized that although I have a full bag of 14 clubs, I really only generally rely on 4 (three not counting my putter) for consistency at this stage. I know full well that as my game improves, the need to pull others for those specialty shots will come more often. Just for conversation's sake, if you were down to 4 sticks in your bag, what would they be and why? Feel free to add exact model if you like... My 4 Club Bag: Precise XT420 Set (2nd Hand and cheap, but I'm consistent with them) • 460cc, 12*, 48" driver (excellent distance) • XT420 Cavity Back 7 Iron (controlled, straight, medium range shots) • XT420 Cavity Back PW (anything near 100yds from the hole, very accurate, high pitching) • XT420 Counterweight Putter (alignment aid, more comfortable to my grip and stance than my Ping Scottsdale TR Anser 2.) *disclaimer* Despite the laughs at this meager collection, I play really consistent shots with them. My Achilles heel is the driver. I can hit for distance, but about 60% of the time, I will draw one off the fairway into heavy rough or out of play completely. When they do fly straight it's a beautiful sight out to 250+. Hoping to fix the flaw that's most likely in my swing mechanics.

I want to build a reliable game. A reliable, COMPLETE, game. I realize that it's about putting in the hours and learning the stroke mechanics of each phase of play, and I look forward to that challenge. I'm going to be a hobbyist, of course, but I'm about the most competitive guy I know an if I'm going to put in the time and effort of learning this game I want to be able to win against other club level players. I do not just want to be the guy who shows up to hang out with the fellas on the course, kicking back on the cart and tossing back Michelob. I want to compete, to be in the conversation at some point. That might sound a little funny to some, but it's how I'm wired. Went to a true range for the first time today (I've been working on pitching, chipping, and putting lately.) I was a little surprised to see that I was launching the ball much further out there than I'd originally guessed. The range at Emerald Mountain Golf Club in Wetumpka, Alabama is 263 yards to the very back end, past the last flag (according to the attending pro.) After I've worked on flexing my forward knee and getting more of my hips into the swing since my last video, (which of course, allowed a more complete backswing than my previous one which was almost completely arms alone,) I was driving balls out to the end flag and beyond (260-265 yds.) I'd have had a lot more in that range if I had been able to keep most of them straight. I guess I'm apt to draw the ball more often than not. I can play the natural draw to a degree by adjusting my stance alignment at address, but I would much rather be able to consistently hit my driver straight. Irons and wedges, although not always straight, tend to have a more direct path to my target. I have to admit though, that hitting a pitching wedge from 80-100 yds has become addicting. I was able to easily land my ball within 5-6 yds of the 100 yd flag multiple times and loved watching the ball pitch high and fly straight. At $9 for 100 range balls and that range being open to the public at any hour, I feel like I've found a great place to hone my strokes that's just a short drive from my home. All in all a great experience there.

What I'm getting at, is should I continue working on solidifying my swing mechanics expecting the desired results with my current driver, or would I benefit from a stiffer shaft? Feels like it flexes a little too much and that it could be affecting the consistency of my shots. I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but I'd like to know if I'm beating a dead horse with my current equipment, or it it matters at all at this point.

So I'm as "green as grass in Ireland," in the game of golf and I posted a less than flattering video clip in the Member Swings forum. Since receiving some A1 advice, I've worked on establishing a center pivot, as well as finding other things that help me consistently drive near 200 yds, instead of one in 5 or 6. Things such as getting a good shaft angle at address, setting up behind the ball, teeing the ball a little higher, and attacking it on the upswing with an inside-out swing path. My consistency has gotten better, but I obviously still need to fine tune my movements and get repetitions in. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to make a few more videos from different perspectives and keep posting to my swing thread. When I mis-hit now, I feel like it's because of over rotation on my backswing (getting greedy after I hit a few straight near the top of my current range.) I feel like I'm close to "clicking," because when it all falls in order I'm able to launch the ball high while still getting what feels like max distance with my beginner's driver (12* loft, lot of flex in the shaft.) With a range finder I found my ball at rest 207 yds from the tee this afternoon. No extra distance as it landed it just died right there. No idea about clubhead speed, as I have no way of clocking it right now. I feel like the loft of the club is good for me at this stage, but maybe a slightly stiffer shaft would benefit my drives. Any input? Should I continue to work hard on just the swing mechanics for now, or would it have an immediate impact if I went to a better driver? In any case, it does feel good to be making progress. I'm of the mindset that if you want something, you do what's necessary to make it yours, but through the years I've realized that it's foolish to try and achieve a difficult feat by yourself if you have the best resources at your fingertips. That's why I love these forums and the infinite wealth of knowledge that the members are willing to share.

Studied the vids and took the instructions, and while I may not be hitting a ton further, consistently better ball striking is a MAJOR indicator that I'm developing a better, more consistent swing. More videos to come soon.

Thanks for the resources! I can definitely point out a major problem to correct after learning (and seeing) what I'm doing wrong. As I improve on my mechanics I'll try to post updated videos.

I've been Playing Golf for: a week My current handicap index or average score is: not sure? My typical ball flight is: fairly straight with some leftward hooking on average. 1/5 shots are mis-hits when I try to go full on my backswing to swing "big." The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: inconsistent striking with full backswing. Disclaimer: I'm brand spanking new to golf and have been doing a little reading along with watching some instructional vids online. Videos: