Reality check

L.O.F.T

The highlight of my week is to play golf either Saturday or Sunday and depending on the result I can bound into the next week full of optimism at the thoughts of getting my handicap lower and maybe into the unthinkable single digits or I can start Monday looking at the weekends results and contemplating what could have been. This evening its a reality check. Its hard to explain to the Wife why the long face this evening so instead I'll share with those of you on this faceless forum that my golfing dreams and expectations of my ability have been quashed!
Yesterday I played the worst golf Ive ever played! It happens us all im told. What made my yesterday more frustrating was that i had taken a weeks break from the game as I had being playing poorly and envisaged a break would do my game good, as it sometimes does. I play off 10 and whilst not an accomplished player I could get around the course and would always be a valuable four-ball partner and always worth a putt under pressure. So this morning it was off to the range with the range finder and a camera to see if I could identify where I could improve, full of optimism ahead of tomorrows medal. What an eye opener it was. Id always thought that I had a smooth swing with decent fundamentals and decent ability but what I saw after I recorded my time at the range was such an eye opener and a massive let down. Poor posture & hunched over, club at the top of the swing was way over the line and the follow through was like I was falling backwards. My perception of what I had thought was correct was way off and the recording of my swing really made me cringe at the contorted attempted effort to make a pass at the ball. There are so many things incorrect that it feels like I must start again from square one. What makes matters worse is Ive recently had a full session with an accomplished club fitter in the Kildare area and paid allot of money for a new shaft to fit my ''swing'' with my driver and had my lofts and lie's adjusted on the irons (what a joke it would seem this evening).
Some will say that I am more than lucky to be able to play golf every weekend and have nothing more to worry about other than my golf swing and how shi**y it is whilst our country and many families are struggling in these difficult times, and that is a fact I fully appreciate. But this is a golf forum where stories of eagles and cup wins and which ball to use can become a serious full blown debate's and there are many opportunities written here for us all to benefit from the experience's of others.
For me golf really can give you a euphoric buzz and fill you with dreams of being club golfer of the year and securing the Captains Prize or monthly medal but it can make you feel like sh*t and humble you when you least expect it.
My golfing milestone this evening feels like a millstone.

ballyk

Very articulate article there L.O.F.T. Difficult to know where to start. I know where you're coming from though. Went to the range with the camera myself two years ago and it certainly was a revelation. Thought I had a solid enough swing until I saw the video and realised I had a few serious flaws. Got a lesson from a guy with a video analysis package and he sorted out my problems a bit at least. I've been a lot more consistent since as a result of a swing that's a bit more repeatable.

Don't know whether lessons are the solution for you but worth thinking about. On the other hand any time you watch the PGA tour you see guys where the fundamentals of their swings are flawed but they still get the ball in the hole in spite of this so a perfect swing isn't the only way to be successful.

Best of luck with whatever you decide to do anyway.

Mr Titleist

I have a terrible overswing with the driver and fairway woods that I noticed when I brought camera to the range....tis so annoying.....YET I get the ball around....Also got fitted last year for driver and irons and this year played some of the best golf I ever played, started 2010 @ 11.6 and now 9.5

1st place and three 3rds. Tied 2nd for golfer of the year. Had a terrible start last sunday with no score on the 1st hole only to shoot 3 under for the next 12 holes.....Ended up 40pts. Funny game sometimes.

My point being.....(and I have to tell myself this regularly) is that we are amateurs....and never going to be able to emulate what we see on tv....as much as I'd like to....Dont go dismantling your swing coz I aint going to...just rather pick maybe one or two things and sort them.

My only goal for the winter is to shorten my driver swing and intend to work very hard on this ...have a look at the pic.....it looks terrible but "works" most days.

heavyballs

Mr Titleist wrote: »

My point being.....(and I have to tell myself this regularly) is that we are amateurs....and never going to be able to emulate what we see on tv....as much as I'd like to....Dont go dismantling your swing coz I aint going to...just rather pick maybe one or two things and sort them.

QUOTE]

would agree with this,i play off 5,i only ever had 1 lesson,he showed me the video and it looked sheite,but if i got down to 4 at the time i must be doing a lot right,as i havn't the time for lots of practice i decided to leave it
on your swing, surely you're overswing would have caught your eye at the top of the swing

Mr Titleist

heavyballs wrote: »

Mr Titleist wrote: »

My point being.....(and I have to tell myself this regularly) is that we are amateurs....and never going to be able to emulate what we see on tv....as much as I'd like to....Dont go dismantling your swing coz I aint going to...just rather pick maybe one or two things and sort them.

QUOTE]

would agree with this,i play off 5,i only ever had 1 lesson,he showed me the video and it looked sheite,but if i got down to 4 at the time i must be doing a lot right,as i havn't the time for lots of practice i decided to leave it
on your swing, surely you're overswing would have caught your eye at the top of the swing

Yeah at the top of swing I can see clubhead with my left eye....gotta sort it.

DonkeyPokerTour

Mr Titleist wrote: »

My only goal for the winter is to shorten my driver swing and intend to work very hard on this ...have a look at the pic.....it looks terrible but "works" most days.

The biggest problem I see there is not your swing! WTF are you doing wearing jeans on the golf course

Personally I dont care what my swing looks like, or what anyone else's looks like, If you wanna do a happy gilmore on every shot go ahead so long as your not holding everyone up or destroying the course. Yesterday while I was playing I hit a cracking 7iron on a par 3 to 12-14feet, missed the birdie putt and tapped in for a par. A playing parthner hit it into the trees, wedged out and chipped in from 20yards. Its a par as well. It doesn't matter what it looks like!

Same with a swing, a guy I play with hits it about 285-300 consistently with a nice draw, but his swing is all wrong, he loses about 1foot in height during his swing. Not pretty but I'd take it all day long!

Regards
Ian

BUACHAILL

LOFT keep the head up which for all your flaws and bad habits is the hardest thing of the lot to do. Its easy to kick yourself and let it get to you but at the end of the day as others have said we are amateurs. That said look at the professionals some have beautiful technique and flawless swings others have damn ugly swings with a lot of bad habits and flaws but it doesnt get in there way because they have taken what good game they have and become masters at it whilst continually working on their weaker areas, all that said they have the luxury of swing coaches, personal trainers, and a huge team behind them plus having 8-10 hours a day to work on it.

Dont pull your swing apart, if you hit it as you see the shot and are not getting into too much trouble, have no real bad shot ie a hook,pull or slice then dont let it bother you. pick smaller things in it like balance and posture and let it be. I would only suggest changing everything if you cant hit it right at all, when its so erratic you dont know if its a draw fade hook pull etc, all professionals have a preferred/natural shot be it a draw or fade only difference with them and us is they can change it when needed.

I also dont think that a week break is enough, I have played as much golf as anyone this year and while i have dropped a shot I dont think I have achieved as much as I should have, took 3-4 weeks off came back last week and hacked, was in spain then and managed to keep myself away from a course but really got the urge to play when I got home, went out yesterday and shot a 75. think the point I am making is swing is only one factor and while its such and easier game with a great swing and technique its not everything, determination to scrap well, being a proficient putter and keeping mentally strong are all as important.

Write out a few things that you would like to change and work on them one by one, dont worry so much what the camera shows you worry about the flight and control of your ball and when you can be consistant with these things who cares what it looks like.

Keep chin up its a sh.itty game at times but play to have fun with no cares and you will naturally play better.

heavyballs

BUACHAILL wrote: »

but really got the urge to play when I got home, went out yesterday and shot a 75. QUOTE]

was going to say boy,i thought i spotted you in Glenmill yesterday,twas in great nick:D

BUACHAILL

heavyballs wrote: »

BUACHAILL wrote: »

but really got the urge to play when I got home, went out yesterday and shot a 75. QUOTE]

was going to say boy,i thought i spotted you in Glenmill yesterday,twas in great nick:D

Agh me aul mate
Ha your right never said I had a 75 in long golf, I was actually in loughlinstown pitch and putt

L.O.F.T

I appreciate all the above reply's and its great to vent all the negativity that was running around in my mind. Its really prevalent now to me today how important the mind is to this game from reading your replies. I suppose it was just a shell shock to see how my perception of what I thought was correct was scuppered in what I saw after reviewing my filmed swing. I know now I will take the feedback that has been offered above about focusing on the small changes I can realistically make rather than thinking my devotion to the game warrants a full swing overall. I will endeavor to shorten my swing as Mr Titleist is over the winter but I do breath a little easier today knowing that there are no pictures on score cards and that a par is a par no matter how it looks like getting there, a fact I knew, but never really subconsciously believed in. To those of you who know exactly where im coming from, thanks for posting you thoughts. Lets see what the next 6 months bring!

charlieIRL

Ryan Moore has the most awkward looking swing in golf and look where he is?!!

I'm the opposite - I only half or 3/4 swing but I hit it where I want to so have no intention of changing it.

Look what happened Padraig Harrington when he changed his swing as well?

heavyballs

charlieIRL wrote: »

Ryan Moore has the most awkward looking swing in golf and look where he is?!!

I'm the opposite - I only half or 3/4 swing but I hit it where I want to so have no intention of changing it.

Look what happened Padraig Harrington when he changed his swing as well?

there's some weird swings out there,however Moore and Furyk prove that it doesn't matter how you get your club to the top,but from the top down they are both fine,i love to watch Moore,love the rythym in his swing

look at G-Mac,he basically can't hit a fade(well maybe a small one)with his irons,remeber watching Monty years ago in Druids,hitting a shot into the 13th,pin as left as you can get,trouble all to the left,it called for a draw or straight shot all day,not for Monty ,he took it over the water and faded it back,i try to remember this,know your strengths and play to your strengths.

Mr Titleist

DonkeyPokerTour wrote: »

The biggest problem I see there is not your swing! WTF are you doing wearing jeans on the golf course


LOL.....We're not posh down this end......jeans are allowed

Iangolf

L.O.F.T., I am convinced that we sometimes get too into how our swing looks and get down on ourselves if we play a couple of bad shots. Remember you were good enough to get down to 10 so you're better than 85% of golfers out there. Go out to enjoy your golf and play to your stengths.

Being positive really makes a difference, I read one of Bob Rottellas books during the summer, and he talks about believing you will hole chips and bunker shots, since then I get up and down much more, and it's all in the head.

In relation to over swing, I dont see the major problem. I personally have a swing that goes way past horizontal, but I'll normally be closer with wedge from 80 yards in the rough than I will be with a 7 iron from 165 in the fairway. If you can and have consistently kept it in play with the long stick up to now, why change because of a video?

Solarpitch

If you start to think about the mechancis of your swing too much, it gets into your head. Every shot your talking to yourself, checking, making sure your swing plane is correct, are your shoulders turning enough, is the ball too far left in my stance, is my grip too tight? etc etc.. It just goes on.

I like to compare swinging a golf club to picking up a fork When you sit down at the table, your not concentrating on picking up the fork, loading it with food and then maneuvering it to your mouth.. it happens subconsciously.. without thought.. the same as changing a gear when your driving.. you dont think about it.. you just do it.

Might sound stupid but I apply this concept to my swing... the only thing I concentrate on before hitting the ball is picturing it landing on the green. John Daly over swings as do alot of other tour pro's and they made millions doing it.. they found something that works for them. Just because it's not the "best practice" picture perfect golf swing.. that doesnt make it wrong.

PROV2

L.O.F.T., You know what my advice would be! Up to you to see how seriously you take your "reality check".

one ill cat

For what it's worth, I would strongly recommend trying the likes of You Tube before forking out for any more lessons.
You're obv a competent golfer to get your handicap down as low as it is, so you've not lost your game entirely. Spend an hour or so looking at some clips on You Tube, then head to the range, see what you can bed into your swing.
Would recommend trying that a couple of times, then narrow in on what you're still not happy with & concentrate on that, even get a lesson for that specifically if you feel you need one.

In my opinion, other people will never be able to give you a step by step guide. For me, golf is all about confidence, I know what shots/clubs I'm hitting/striking well & know what I need to work on. Obv I have more confidence in some areas other than others & I expect that to always be the case.

I wouldn't be worrying too much about how your swing looks unless you're sure that your style is having a negative impact on the outcome of your swing. Again it may be as simple as looking at a few self help clips online to point you in the right direction.

Clean up what you can, narrow in on what you feel requires further attention & address it at your own pace.

L.O.F.T

PROV2 wrote: »

L.O.F.T., You know what my advice would be!

Touche

Johnny_Fontane

charlieIRL wrote: »

Ryan Moore has the most awkward looking swing in golf and look where he is?!!

I'm the opposite - I only half or 3/4 swing but I hit it where I want to so have no intention of changing it.

Look what happened Padraig Harrington when he changed his swing as well?

Charlie, we share the same name and the same swing, I'm a three quarter swinger aswell. I felt your pain this year loft, had a dreadful year on the course, 13 competitive rounds, 12 0.1's, back to 12.1 now......I took a lesson earlier in the year and it helped initially but then plunged me into chaos. I went through a spell where I was still hitting my 6 irons 170 yet couldnt get the driver out more than 220. Then my putting went for a couple of rounds.

I dont practice much (if at all) so its to be expected. But this year has been very tough, but the last few rounds there has been some good stuff. sprinkled in a few strong back 9's/front 9's, but not quite getting it done for 18 yet.

But its going to happen soon, your game will always come back - sometimes like me, bit by bit but it will happen. Hang in there....

GreeBo

As a current sufferer I would advise against self-diagnosis. I've spent the last 8 weeks "trying things" and its just band aid stuff...yeah you get some good shots and you think you are back on form, but its more luck that skill IMO.

I've gone back to basics for the last 2 rounds, once the club is out of sight (past 3 o clock) I dont think about it. My only thoughts are slow and smooth (I need to swing slow or its catastrophic)
Shot a 75 nett yesterday and couldnt hole a putt so am pretty happy.

So I would say either get a lesson of forget about swing thoughts...the good news is that winter is upon us so you dont need to worry about the 0.1's anymore. Not that I do either...Ive already had my 2 shots back this year

Saturday golf is my sanctuary for the week, I'd started to hate it as I was playing so badly, but that defeats the point of playing. Now I just swing and enjoy and add them up at the end....sometimes with the help of the computer

Mr Titleist

My "overswing" just won me 2nd place in Golfer of the year.......found out results today.......happy days....prize number 5 this year ......Looking forward to many cold winter nights on the range now just to "tidy up" the swing a little bit, but no dramatic changes will be made. Stick with it LOFT.

L.O.F.T

Mr Titleist wrote: »

My "overswing" just won me 2nd place in Golfer of the year.......found out results today.......happy days....prize number 5 this year ......Looking forward to many cold winter nights on the range now just to "tidy up" the swing a little bit, but no dramatic changes will be made. Stick with it LOFT.

Great consistency to come second in Golfer of the year. Thanks for the positive feedback. Here's to a winter of tweaks!

blackwaterfish

You sound like a guy who's mentally drained by golf. take a couple of months off golf, give yourself a reverse-golf holiday.. and give your brain a break. its supposed to be a fun pastime isnt it? ... although thats a concept thats hard to maintain at the best of times!

sorry if this sounds all tuesday with Morrie. I used to play all year round and went thru a period of several months where it was more an unpleasant & nessessary routine.... enjoyment was like a brief moment of flatulence during a prolonged bloated existence. the crux came when i caught myself feeling pretty glum heading to the course one saturday morning, weather was nice, sky was clear, sun was up and it was a crisp dry morning. it occured to me that i felt like a turd, then the penny dropped... i remembered that for so long id leave the house totally energized, bordering on giddyness on mornings like these. loved that nobody was on the road and that id be one of the first off the tee that day. a great great feeling.

simply put, i took about 7 weeks off and the romance was back on. now i take a least a month off twice a year. keeps me focussed over that 6 month period on enjoyment and improvement. doesnt always work but at least the head doesnt get melted anymore with frustration akin to yours.

significantly in that period of rest i do the following twice a day for 15mins : golf flexibility excercises, such as lenghtening the hip flexor muscles. see linky:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CguoTuIpj2o

also, within that 15mins, say 3 times a week, i include some excercises that keep your golf muscles active. see linky:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CguoTuIpj2o

plus i putt on the living room carpet just to keep somekind of feel with that hoor of a short stick.

also, try eating a kit-kat.

PROV2

So L.O.F.T.? What ya do this week to get a step closer to your dream of obtaining a single figure handicap? You certainly got some great advice to keep you busy - watch YouTube, do some stretching, even take a couple of months off! :rolleyes: Or did you do something more constructive - like maybe visit your local golf doctor to take away all your pain, all your hurt. You've spent €100's on new clubs & new shafts & club fittings - all to no avail by your own admission. Why not spend €30 on something more important - L.O.F.T. (& no, i don't mean the angle of the clubface, I mean Y.O.U. - the guy swingin' the damn things). Get a lesson for f**k sake & start playing more enjoyable golf next week - we'd all prefer a happy L.O.F.T.:D posting threads rather than reading the depression:( of your O.P. - there's enough of that out there already, as you correctly mentioned yourself. Do keep us posted on your progress (or otherwise);)

elbows666

I had a look at my swing on camera about 2 years ago and I nearly got sick. Was hitting the ball all over the place for years but was always competitive because of my short game. Decided I really wanted to play in a championship (pipe dream) so I totally rebuilt my swing. A year of pain and then slowly it got better.

Started the process off a handicap of 6.2 and drifted to 10 and now I am down to 5.6 (my lowest ever). Get a series of lessons over the winter and see waht happens. There are no short cuts though if you really want to improve.

alxmorgan

A book I'd recommend (and its not on technique or anything) is "The Inner Game of Golf".
Got it online for about 4 euro 2nd hand and it has a very interesting take on the game.
I was sick of the game and after reading it I enjoy playing a lot more, even when I'm not playing great. Helped give me a great perspective on it.
Basically teaches you to focus on the process not the result and to enjoy that process more.
Give it a try

PROV2

elbows666 wrote: »

now I am down to 5.6 (my lowest ever). Get a series of lessons over the winter and see waht happens. There are no short cuts though if you really want to improve.

Well said Elbows & congrats on 5.6.