greatgolfahead

I finally broke 90 twice recently. 88 and 89. It felt like a lot of work in terms of staying focused to get the distance, choose the correct club, and feel the distance/swing, especially on approach shots. Two things that stood out that have helped me to break 90 and make better contact is to release my left arm during impact, and the other is to setup, and then position the ball half a club face further away. I had the tendency to stand too close to the ball and this created an akward position. By standing further from the ball, I could allow myself to release outwards and not feel too cramped in. Also related to my release, I had to learn to swing faster. What I thought was "normal" was actually slow. 9 irons were carrying 110 yards, 8 iron carried 125 yards. While maintaining balance, a fuller and faster swing allows me to carry an 8 iron 155 yards. At any rate, each person is going to swing at different pace; what I've learned is that it feels more effortless if I swing "faster" rather than try to control the pace and sequence. This tendency to control the pace and face is probably why I generally do well around the green, but took longer to find my full swing.

Since that day of shanking the ball one after another, I have modified my ball position to be half a club face further away from me. This feels better. If the shanks come back, I can always switch to a draw or cut setup. I like to have options.

Touche, this game will present surprises and mistakes. It's inevitable. Through practice and coaching I have developed a routine, and on days I'm hitting it straight or cutting it, I do have other options to shape the ball. The more tools (skills) you have at your disposable, the more adaptable you can be to the conditions.

That's a fantastic idea. I already have a smartphone mount on my tripod so that I don't have to carry a camcorder to the course. I figure i can just say out loud the outcome of the shot and review the footage. I think this is also going to help me incredibly with seeing what I'm doing compared to what I think/feel that I'm doing in the swing. I agree. I'm going to google more on this concept of "cool down". It was so strange. My mind was like, "let's do it", while my body was doing something different. Six months ago, I would been rather upset to make such horrendous mistakes before a round, but I've gotten control of my ego through mentality shifts-mainly, it's about recognizing that golf is difficult and that the game is about mistakes according to Tiger Woods.

Lost Swing phenomena. In preparation for 18 holes yesterday, I hit the gym in the morning with a light 30 min workout (not something I normally do-I usually don't workout right before golf) and then headed to a range near my house where I struck the ball well and shaped it (fade, cut, draw) according to my setup and intentions. All was well. I then drove to the course about an hour away. I say this because, perhaps, the time between the warm-up and starting the round, my body got tense. Arriving at the course, I hit the practice green, and did well to start the ball on line--no issues CHECK. On the range though, I kept shanking the ball with my irons even when my setup and swing felt like my normal cut/straight shot. I checked my alignment with sticks, but it was fine. It was the strangest thing. The swing felt right but shank, shank, shank over and over Driving was fine. At any rate, the round started, and after a few holes of not striking the ball well with my irons, I resorted to a setup that would play a fade. The rest of the round went much better. So my question is, what in the world happened to my swing? I was fine at the range just 2 hours before and then suddenly I "lost it". (it would nice to a caddy/friend with me at the course to make quick corrections)

thanks for the tip- I'm going to use a song in my head to get into rhythm, and I particularly like "Man in the Mirror" sung by Michael Jackson.

Speaking of missing, I missed the green on the left side yesterday, and it made me think how sticking to a fade shot is better than pushing it way out to the right as a right-handed golfer. I've tried to draw the ball before only to push out to the right towards OB. With that said, a fade certainly has it's advantages for more of the course for a right-handed golfer. My fade also also lands softer compared to my draw, but could different for other golfers with different angles of impact.

I've read in child development books that the middle school age is a good time to put kids into sports because their motor skills are more developed. With that understanding, I don't pressure my son into becoming Tiger Woods at 9.

Thanks for sharing, so if you played on average once a week from the age of 5 to 14 then, as an adult, I should be able to improve on a progressive rate given that I have a car to get to the course, money to expend, developed muscles, and the ability to play more often because I don't have homework to complete. In reflecting on last week's 9 hole score, I can see that I've become competent at ball striking compared to months ago. I was at +3 after 4 holes and then my ego got in the way chose a risky tee shot over just getting it in play. I had two blow holes because I tried something new. I understand course management concepts, but applying it consistently still needs work.

Oh Wise One, I hope to one day know what it's like to shoot near scratch. I'd like to hear more; did you pick up golf one day and realized that you shot in the 80s and 90s without formal training, and then shot scratch after spending a few years to train? What was your journey like to progress to 2.8?

I find it astonishing how anyone can shoot close to scratch, especially, kid golfers. My son plays in the 9 year old division of U.S. Kids and he shoots in the high 40s, There are kids shooting 35s and 36s. At this age, I focus on keeping it fun and spirited and don't force a certain score on him--maybe twice that I really wanted him to shoot a low score. In a good round of golf for me I typically do well to have a good pre shot routine off the tee. Around the fringe, I assess the lie before I chip because I've been known to get caught up in the high grass.

Great job on the steady progress! Keep it up and enjoy the process as much as the outdoors and social part of the game. That's advice for myself also. I too, have goals to get better, mainly drive the ball with more control. I am also working on an attitude that recognizes that REALITY is different from the IDEAL shot I envision each time, and I must accept that I cannot control everything. With repetition and practice though I do see an improvement in shot making. Improvement is possible, but perfection? I don't think so.

I also have hybrids and use them when I can. Probably the greatest invention for golf; you can contact almost anywhere on the face of a wood/hybrid and still flight the ball

From my experience and observations, I think that a good shot is highly correlated to what occurs in the pre-shot routine, and anything post 30 seconds, IMO, is unnecessary and has no return on investment. I've seen golfers become statues and stare at the ball for what seems like a long time, only to mishit the ball. We can't hypnotize the ball into getting in the hole; our muscles need active guidance to produce what we envision--I guess what we might call "muscle memory/rehearsal" in the pre-shot routine. Different lies requires know-how and practice--no way to think your way into good ball striking. On a different note, I blew up on the first two holes today, a bad drive on the first and poor contact on the 2nd shot of the 2nd hole, BUT I can say with confidence that I committed to all the shots and knew what I wanted to do, except I just didn't make good contact. In other words, if I planned well, then it brings satisfaction.

I picked up golf from my brother-in-law 8 years ago and have been playing on a regular basis since then. I think that , like a lot of people new to golf, we accepted advice from fellow golfers and experimented with different setups, grips, etc. I gradually found what works well for me to produce a consistent shot flight and make contact.but it wasn't until early this summer that I was lucky to find a coach that helped me to play better golf. I say lucky, because I've come across lots of advice before, paid and unpaid, but this particular coach was able to quickly identify that my pre-shot routine was causing a lot of inconsistencies. He noticed that I was doing something different before every shot. He emphasized that a lot of golfers can strike the ball, but their pre-shot routine costs them a lot of strokes because they fail to properly aim their swing and club face. It made immediate sense. Pro-golfers have a consistent pre-shot routine, so should we. By having a routine of visualization and aim, I could then train my body to repeat the shots so to speak. I've been able to legitimately shoot in the 90s, no gimmes and mulligans, in the last 6 rounds just with a solid pre-shot routine. I still top balls or hit fat on occasion, but in general my overall game is better. My pre-shot routine: 1. Tee up the ball 2. Practice swing behind the ball, and visualize the ball flight and shape. Most of the time it's one gentle practice swing to visualize what I want the outcome to be 3. Get to the ball, aim the club face, look down target line, setup the feet, look down target line again, and swing. Key take-aways are to NOT glue your eyes to the ball and become rigid. Be fluid and look up to the target. Once you advance to the third step, it shouldn't take you more than 10 seconds to hit the ball. My next goal is to figure out how to shoot in the 80s. Will the skills that got me to shooting in the 90s get me to the 80s? Best of training and success!

I recently stopped forcing myself to make shots that I haven't solidified as well as concocting creative shots, and somehow thinking that I can pull it off like Tiger Woods. I've been able to score so much better by using the tools that I have such as my short game and mid irons. With that said, I would divide the holes into manageable distances. For example, a 500 yard Par 5 divided into 3 shots is a mere 166 yard shot each to get on the green. Whether or not I can get on the green in regulation doesn't matter to me because I can also count on my wedges to get me close to the pin for a birdie or par. To sum it up, a strategy for the entire hole, the big picture that is, has lowered my score and has allowed to play each shot with more confidence.

I'm a right handed golfer and will loosen my right hand on the downswing on occasion; I know when this happens because I'll shank the ball and look down to see that club face has rotated open. This seems like an odd problem, but I'm sure our experts on Sand Trap have experience with this issue. Do you have any drills to help with this problem? Thank you,

I'm a better golfer than a year ago because of the several sessions of coaching, regular course play, and getting a mat, net, and Rmotion setup in my garage. Overall, I recognize that these resources have helped me to dial into my more graceful and in-sequence swing, however, I'm still just inches away from a less than ideal shot every time.

I've been striking the ball very well lately after a series of practice sessions to get my upper body aligned correctly. I tended to ground the club before the ball, but now that I've adjusted my body to have a slight spine tilt to the right it seems that I make great contact and get better loft on the ball. My tee and fairways have improved because of this change, and am shooting bogeys and the occasional double bogey. I still struggle with estimating the amount power that's needed to putt. I either over shoot or under putt, sometimes significantly. Do you have any tips for putting?

FrivolouslyWasted, Are you drinking on the course? That could affect your performance. Seriously though, if only we could measure and account for everything when we have a blow up hole. I think that our bodies and minds go in and out during a game. We may think we are fine, but our back and legs have become more tense, which affects our swing. Some tips to try are to practice purposeful breathing and relaxation between shots, stay hydrated, eat a snack. Did you change your strategy on the blow up holes? I'm working on discipling myself to play the same and not get overly confident at times and go for the green on two.

Hi Dornenglanz, I commend your passion to improve your game and to get back to basics. I'm on the same path as you to consistently break 100. I've played several sports growing up, and most were at the competitive level that required extensive training and coaching. What I've learned through the years is that getting back to the basics is the key to getting better. From my observation and own experience, generally, when a person picks up a new sport and gets the basic down they start to deviate from the "basics" and experiment with techniques that are unnatural to the sport and physics and to their own personality. On the latter, I make better shots around the green and on approaches because these shots require less power and more grace and finesse--that's how I envision them. In contrast, I use to try to hit the ball harder off the tee or from the fairway. I eventually learned that if I played every shot with the same grace and natural swing then I would make less mistakes, which turned out to be true. If your personality and natural tendency is one of "power", then go for it. My point is that we have to find our own game and grace and not try to mimic the swings of Tiger Woods or other players we watch. There are as many swings as their are players. My golf coach told me this quote that has helped my game. "Golf is not an easy game, but is a game of ease." To me, that quote gives me impressions of a graceful swing; a natural swing that I can execute instinctly as if I'm walking or kicking a ball. The moment we become too technical and think about the shot in the moment of shot it no longer becomes instinctive and natural. To your point, we often have to get back to basics. Here are some things you can check on your own and to think about: - on your irons, is the toe of the club pointing up at address? If it's not, then it's easier to ground the club during the downswing (check out MeandMyGolf's video titled "How your golf irons should sit") - get back to basic with your setup, is your club and your upper body at a right angle? Is your weight distributed to the ball of your feet and on the inside at address? - Consider finding a more graceful swing. A swing that you can produce everytime without thinking about it provided that it gives you good ball contact. Ultimately, your score card will determine what works best for you, so don't be timid about making small adjustments until you get dialed into YOUR natural game.

My son and I have been playing golf for several years now. He played in his middle school team last year and has had coaching before. Overall, he has experience with the game and is improving. Lately though, we've been debating the merits of his "aggressively" fast swing off the tee box. Believe me, any reasonable person that has played golf can see that his swing is faster than most players. To my son, he feels it's "his swing" and his goal is to hit it far of course, but I tell him it's too fast because I've seen how his fast swing causes more bad shots compared to his more graceful swing. I try to explain that you're tempo should be consistent from club and that distances are determined by club selection, and that he's better off with a more graceful swing. On approach shots and around the green, he's very smooth and graceful. With that said, I don't understand why he decides to change his tempo from the tee box. I've never pressured him into hitting farther from the tee box. I believe it's because his friends hit farther with their clubs, and so he's trying to work on his distances. He hasn't hit puberty yet, but once he does, I think he will gain some natural strengths. How else can I help my son be content with a more graceful swing?

I've been able to improve my game in the last year. Besides scoring better, I feel that my pace and tempo are not artificial and are in harmony with my own personality. And when I don't score as well as I had hoped, I'm still very satisfied that overall my level of consistency and club selection has improved.

I started playing golf about 5 years ago, but began to play on a regular basis in the last year. Through attentive practice and watching the techniques of better players I've learned a great deal to help my own game. One thing that resonates with me is that I perform the best when my game is in harmony with my personality. My personality is more of a state of calm and relaxed. When I tune my swing and tempo to be like my state of mind, things just seem nature and fall into place. However, when I try to play a more aggressive game in the attempt to hit the ball harder or force a shot, it just doesn't feel right, and more often than I don't score as well. I like say to myself, "Golf is not an easy game, but it is a game of ease."