Anyone been in the same boat ?

Danny dyers double

Was just wondering was i on my own here , basically iv been playing Golf 16 months now and would play à round à week and most wednesdays i would get to the driving range .

Up untill about 5 weeks ago i was playing to a 26 HC ,scoring between 32-38 points and enjoying the game . But last few weeks Its like iv gone right back to beginning , i mean just cant hit the Ball out of my way , tonight i went the range and from 100 balls i must of hit 80 along the ground to my left side , i felt like crying to be honest because i love the sport but recently Its breaking my heart .

I will go for a lesson this week cause iv tried everything and people i play with say i think too much and i over analyse things but Its only cause i wanna improve in the sport .

One thing iv noticed lately but cant seem to stop doing it is im flipping my wrists on downswing causeing à closed club face .ie every shot goinglleft .

Was just wondering has anybody went trough the same troubles as myself and how you got trough it ??

Brewster

Stick with it. We have all been there, I'm off 22 and couldn't hit it out of my way all summer. Couple of 120 rounds included! Spent a few sessions on range when on holidays and slowly I got my confidence back and scores improved, 32, 37 etc.. Shot 43 points on Sunday to win competition and was cut to 19.5. It can be done. Patience patience patience. I didn't take any lessons but just worked through it myself. Incidentally my wrists were breaking down before impact too i reckon. I just focus on keeping them firm through ball and I've improved immensely. Good luck.

stockdam

Get a lesson.

Also learn to let your arms "go for the ride" and stop trying to "hit" the ball. Flipping the wrists often is a result of a desire to "hit" the ball and to try to hit too hard. Use a nice smooth swing where the hands do nothing but just hold onto the club. Let the ball get in the way of a smooth swing and don't try to murder it.

Senna

Lesson is definitely the answer, a good pro will probably pick out the problem after one swing.
But if you are going to the range, Google reverse pivot. Might not be the problem, but I went through a faze of thinning the ball (low and left), and it helped me enormously.

Danny dyers double

Thanks for the replys lads really appreciated .

allybhoy

This happens \ happened to me regularly when i stop playing for a while (3-4weeks) my brain seems to forget how to play and it takes me a while to get back to swinging properly. Maybe its because im a leftie and play right handed or maybe its just that im not a natural golfer.

During this time, i cant hit any other club apart from a wedge or a 9iron, any other club i either bone or hook left. Like others have said going to a pro will sort this. My pro diagnosed my issue and made me try and swing on the inside and getting me to try and fade the ball on my downswing which works but you might have a completely differnt swing pattern etc.

Its frustrating as it feels like im starting from scratch and learning how to play all over again and it takes me either a couple of trips to the range or a round or two i shake it off.

John Divney

My answer to this is always .get a high speed camera'.

It's worth more than any set of clubs . You can be playing well with glaring technique errors, thinking you are swinging well. But they always catch you up.

Instant playback of face on and down the line swings bring a laser like focus on where to improve, rather than just swinging away without feedback, yes the ball can be travelling well, but that can come from practising a lot, masking bad form.

Seve OB

I'm playing golf 25 years, play off 12 and at the moment am going through exactly the same as you. I have even tried to play cute golf with an iron off the tee, lay it up with the second etc..... invariably leading to numerous shanks, tops, duffs and almost tears........

I love the game and every time I play at the moment, really think I'd be better off giving it up.. but of course I can't!! I love it to much... even the bad stuff

So don't feel to bad, this happens to us all, and you have the grá for it so stick with it and I think the only cure is a lesson...

I need one, and will be getting one in the not to distant future.(once my man gets back from his holidays... can't come quick enough)

spacecoyote

OP, I'm not suffering with this problem at the mo, but I'm already looking at planning my sessions with a pro for when the qualifying season finishes up.

A lot of people I've come across that are new to the game say "i wanna get myself comfortable with my swing before I start taking lessons." To me this is back to front. You're relatively new to the game & having swing problems. Get yourself down to a local pro & get them to take a look at your swing. I would pretty much guarantee that in one lesson they'll be able to pick out the flaw that's there.

Panrich

John Divney wrote: »

My answer to this is always .get a high speed camera'.

It's worth more than any set of clubs . You can be playing well with glaring technique errors, thinking you are swinging well. But they always catch you up.

Instant playback of face on and down the line swings bring a laser like focus on where to improve, rather than just swinging away without feedback, yes the ball can be travelling well, but that can come from practising a lot, masking bad form.

Do you have any recommendations on make/model or what to look for? I know that fps is important but outside of that..... it's a bit of a minefield. Would a dedicated camcorder be best?

John Divney

Panrich wrote: »

Do you have any recommendations on make/model or what to look for? I know that fps is important but outside of that..... it's a bit of a minefield. Would a dedicated camcorder be best?

The main thing is that is has manual shutter options, this is very rare.

I would recommend the Casio FH100, which has manual shutter, has 120fps,/240/420 and 100fps, the image size and quality reduces as the fpas goes higher. Has a large LCD screen and is the size of a normal digital camera.

The only problem is they are discontinued and desirable. They come up on ebay quite often though, but you need to get lucky with price, probably will be around 200 or more euros.

Older Casio models are bigger, EX fh 20, EX fh 25, and EX F1.

These go for a bomb now, and I think the fh100 is as good, if not better in pocket camera size.and you can edit video in seconds on the lcd screen, so you just have swings, not the setup and waggles and all that malarky.

Panrich

John Divney wrote: »

The main thing is that is has manual shutter options, this is very rare.

I would recommend the Casio FH100, which has manual shutter, has 120fps,/240/420 and 100fps, the image size and quality reduces as the fpas goes higher. Has a large LCD screen and is the size of a normal digital camera.

The only problem is they are discontinued and desirable. They come up on ebay quite often though, but you need to get lucky with price, probably will be around 200 or more euros.

Older Casio models are bigger, EX fh 20, EX fh 25, and EX F1.

These go for a bomb now, and I think the fh100 is as good, if not better in pocket camera size.and you can edit video in seconds on the lcd screen, so you just have swings, not the setup and waggles and all that malarky.

Thank you. Sounds like manufacturers are missing a trick as golfers usually have disposable income and there is a market to be filled.

John Divney

Panrich wrote: »

Thank you. Sounds like manufacturers are missing a trick as golfers usually have disposable income and there is a market to be filled.

You're welcome.

I can't get my head round it, as tennis coaches use them too, but the maths must add up for Casio to drop it, but they have a load of cameras.

They have a new camera with 'golf analysis' stuff on it, bit doesn't even have manual shutter, so they aren't arsed it seems.

bustercherry

John Divney wrote: »

You're welcome.

I can't get my head round it, as tennis coaches use them too, but the maths must add up for Casio to drop it, but they have a load of cameras.

They have a new camera with 'golf analysis' stuff on it, bit doesn't even have manual shutter, so they aren't arsed it seems.

That's the key. Unless you actually know how to analyse the footage, it's a complete waste of money and time.

John Divney

bustercherry wrote: »

That's the key. Unless you actually know how to analyse the footage, it's a complete waste of money and time.

You certainly don't need to be qualified to analyse your golf swing, just what type of swing you have/want, what the correct positions are for that swing, errors are glaringly obvious to anyone who does a bit of research.

Unless you have a coach at every range session, you are the only one who can improve your swing, and that means a basic understanding of your swing.

The reaon a camera is vital is thinking what you are doing, with the best knowledge in the world, and seeing it, is a different ball game. Having the best caoch in the world can't change that.

GreeBo

John Divney wrote: »

You certainly don't need to be qualified to analyse your golf swing, just what type of swing you have/want, what the correct positions are for that swing, errors are glaringly obvious to anyone who does a bit of research.

Unless you have a coach at every range session, you are the only one who can improve your swing, and that means a basic understanding of your swing.

The reaon a camera is vital is thinking what you are doing, with the best knowledge in the world, and seeing it, is a different ball game. Having the best caoch in the world can't change that.

I find looking at my divot and the ball tells me pretty much everything I need to know about my swing, assuming my setup is correct, for that I use a mirror.

Danny dyers double

Thanks again for the advice lads , i will be booking à lesson for early next week because i cant seem to slove the issue on my own .

Im out tomorrow morning to play and all ill be concentrating on is swinging with my arms and trying to just keep my hands,wrists in place trough swing .

John Divney

GreeBo wrote: »

I find looking at my divot and the ball tells me pretty much everything I need to know about my swing, assuming my setup is correct, for that I use a mirror.

I always took a divot after the ball, and when I started to video my swing, was shocked at how the forward shaft lean I thought was causing the nice divot, was actually a straight shaft.

Also the plane was not nearly as flat as I thought it was. Didn't get over as much on my right side like I thought i was doing

Divot is indication of a clean strike of ball before turf and the ball can be struck sweetly with a poor swing, but how can divot tell you about your hips, lateral movement, overswing, swaying, reverse pivot, standing up out of the shot, no spine tilt, lack of lag angles, shaft angle at impact etc etc

Gin77

The problem with cameras is that there 2D and depending on what the position of the camera is you will see completely different swings.
For example looking down the line. Assume you made a perfect swing. If the cam is inline with the ball, your takeaway looks like its gone behind and off plane.

I look at my takeaway depending on wheather I want a draw or fade or straight. Then confirm with the flight and divot. Theres a lot of gimics out there be careful what you invest in, there usually not all they're cracked up to be.

John Divney

Indeed, a wrong camera angle is a waste of time, the correct one is easy to set up.

Also, most people don't have a clue how their swing looks, as a visual aid, seeing your correct swing in your mind as one, rather than a series of swingthoughts, can only be a considerable advantage.

Something that gives objective feedback, the unvarnished truth, cannot be a gimmick, just a tool, to be used correctly or incorrectly. Same for a set of golf clubs, they won't improve you, they are tools.

Gin77

John Divney wrote: »

Indeed, a wrong camera angle is a waste of time, the correct one is easy to set up.

Also, most people don't have a clue how their swing looks, as a visual aid, seeing your correct swing in your mind as one, rather than a series of swingthoughts, can only be a considerable advantage.

Something that gives objective feedback, the unvarnished truth, cannot be a gimmick, just a tool, to be used correctly or incorrectly. Same for a set of golf clubs, they won't improve you, they are tools.

http://www.foresightsports.com/
Why not buy one of these only €5k even a few people club together.
My game went to pot just like that months after I had a series of lessons. My next lesson highlighted the problem. I was not staying connected in the swing. It was a new one on me but now I know about it, I know when it happens and can fix it.
I think some people go to the range and hit 100 balls and make themselves worse.

GreeBo

John Divney wrote: »

I always took a divot after the ball, and when I started to video my swing, was shocked at how the forward shaft lean I thought was causing the nice divot, was actually a straight shaft.

Also the plane was not nearly as flat as I thought it was. Didn't get over as much on my right side like I thought i was doing

Divot is indication of a clean strike of ball before turf and the ball can be struck sweetly with a poor swing, but how can divot tell you about your hips, lateral movement, overswing, swaying, reverse pivot, standing up out of the shot, no spine tilt, lack of lag angles, shaft angle at impact etc etc

I'm not sure why I would care what my hips, spine, liver or big toe are doing if I'm striking the ball sweetly?

The game is about your score, not about the beauty of your swing.
If the ball is going where I want it to go and is being struck properly, I couldnt give a fiddlers what it looks like. I've seen too many nice swings that result in the ball going all over the place.

whizbang

Some of us don't strike the ball sweetly every time.
By that I mean: if the flight, direction and distance are not what was expected, then its not sweet.
generally I find this contributes to poor scores.

To correct this, ultimately, to improve my score, I would like to know why i did not strike it sweetly.
ergo video.

John Divney

GreeBo wrote: »

I'm not sure why I would care what my hips, spine, liver or big toe are doing if I'm striking the ball sweetly?

The game is about your score, not about the beauty of your swing.
If the ball is going where I want it to go and is being struck properly, I couldnt give a fiddlers what it looks like. I've seen too many nice swings that result in the ball going all over the place.

Because if you struck the ball sweetly as much as you wanted you would be off scratch.

Good player get bad habits, and compensate, then breakdown, then practice etc etc

Cutting out the bs waste of time practice, is a no brainer, as I don't get that much time to practice. Looking good is no concern of mine either, doing the correct thins for what I am intending to do, is very important to me though, when I'm not it effects consitency, and I can only verify my errors by video, as I only have two eyse on my head.

The amount of things that can screw you up is almost infinite, and I really don't agree with the idea of just focusing on the good in your swing, when the bad is what stops you going out and hitting 14 fairways, and all GIR's.

Just m 2 cents, I doubt any pro would say it wasn;t a great tool though.

scrubber72

I am done. Finished. Outta here. Not taking a couple of weeks off. Not going for lessons. Not reading doctor bobs books. Done. I hate this game.








Just gonna wait and see what missus by me for Christmas.

spacecoyote

John Divney wrote: »

Divot is indication of a clean strike of ball before turf and the ball can be struck sweetly with a poor swing, but how can divot tell you about your hips, lateral movement, overswing, swaying, reverse pivot, standing up out of the shot, no spine tilt, lack of lag angles, shaft angle at impact etc etc

Jesus, if I spent my time trying to think of that many variables I'd never manage to hit a ball.

I'm all for having an understanding of your swing but this just seems like overkill

John Divney

spacecoyote wrote: »

Jesus, if I spent my time trying to think of that many variables I'd never manage to hit a ball.

I'm all for having an understanding of your swing but this just seems like overkill

I'm just giving examples. you wouldn't think of anything except areas that needed work, for better ball striking. Why spend an hour on the range and not get some visual feedback. It's fine for a pro to video you and tell you what's wrong, but not for yourself to learn and identify your own swing?

Say for example you come over the top, you can hit it well 60-75% of the time. A camera can tell you instantly if you are steep or shallow, and you can work precisely to change the OTT movement,

Mister Sifter

Have you considered buying a new set of clubs?

OilBeefHooked2

Mister Sifter wrote: »

Have you considered buying a new set of clubs?

+1
preferably a driver.

Gin77

Golf is played on a golf course not a range. You would a bit silly bringing a camera around with you analyzing each shot.
I know thats not what you guys meant but what are you going to do when you hit a bad shot in a round?
Golf is a game of feel.

Danny dyers double

Just a quick update , Went for a round on Saturday but ended up going after 12 holes .

Head is wrecked as i seem to be getting worse each round . Ill book my lesson for Thursday or Friday but i really cant see it been of much use as i do know what im doing wrong and as much as iv tried for the last 6 weeks i cant put it right .

spacecoyote

Danny dyers double wrote: »

Just a quick update , Went for a round on Saturday but ended up going after 12 holes .

Head is wrecked as i seem to be getting worse each round . Ill book my lesson for Thursday or Friday but i really cant see it been of much use as i do know what im doing wrong and as much as iv tried for the last 6 weeks i cant put it right .

Give the lessons a chance though anyway, you may know what you're doing wrong, but if that's the case a pro will definitely know & it's their job to correct faults in swings

Danny dyers double

spacecoyote wrote: »

Give the lessons a chance though anyway, you may know what you're doing wrong, but if that's the case a pro will definitely know & it's their job to correct faults in swings

Ill definitly go to him alright , Its do or die for me at this stage .

Was on you tube and came across a video about casting the club and it gives à few drills on how to advoid this , very interested

Danny dyers double

Went for my lesson tonight and it was the best 30 euro iv ever spent . As i explained to the pro my issues he said it seems like à grip issue .

I didnt think it was as last year i was shown how to grip by à different pro .Anyway i hit à few shots to warm up well scuffed à few to be honest .

He asked to see my grip and said my right hand grip was bad ie crease between tumb and index was pointing way behind my body and not towards my right shoulder.

So arfter been shown right way i hit à few shouts , Now this new grip felt wierd , strange , horrible the lot BUT i started to hit straight shots that went in the air .

My distance was not great but it started to improve towards end of the session . I just chuffed to get to the bottom of my 5 weeks from hell . For the first time in awhile im dying to get back out to the course .

Thanks for all replys guys much appricated

spacecoyote

Had the same issue with grip starting out myself.

It does feel awkward for a while (i knew I was holding the club right if it felt wrong )

But stick with it & it'll eventually become natural. Things like keeping a golf club in your bedroom & just picking it up & practicing the grip will speed up that process

Fair play for taking the right approach & best of luck with it!

Danny dyers double

spacecoyote wrote: »

Had the same issue with grip starting out myself.

It does feel awkward for a while (i knew I was holding the club right if it felt wrong )

But stick with it & it'll eventually become natural. Things like keeping a golf club in your bedroom & just picking it up & practicing the grip will speed up that process

Fair play for taking the right approach & best of luck with it!

Yeah im home since six and every half hour im out to the kitchen with à club just to grip it . Ill make it work as i did it with hurley grip to proper grip and that felt alot stranger to get the hang of .

Iv a week of work from today so hope to get around to Grange Caste 7 hole course most days and put the work , I love the game but really taught about selling the clubs :-):-)

Gin77

I remember when I changed my grip after a lesson. I lost all distance pitching wedge went about 80 yds if I was lucky. I stuck at it though as I knew if I didn't I would never improve much. Kept telling myself it will get worse before it gets better, and slowly the muscles in my hand started developing and I started getting my power back. So stick with it, as its worth every bad shot you'll hit for the next month or so.
I also bought a swing trainer with the moulded grip and a weight at the end. It will help your hands feels comfortable.

Danny dyers double

The Pro did recommend à swing tranier . Are thèse available from all golf stores and roughly how much ? Cheers

Gin77

Think they're 20euro

scrubber72

So for the last few months my golf has gotten progressively worse. Firstly my putting which was quite good (averaging 26-30 per round) has disappeared and i fear it so much that i think i could easily 3 putt every green.
Then my driving which was never a strong point has gotten so bad that i look like losing 6 balls a round off the tee. I switched to fairway woods but that was also so bad that i had to leave them out of my bag. I have had a lesson recently and that just made me want to cry. Never was so disappointed in a lesson and genuinely feel its time to quit.

But i can't.

Is there a 12 step plan to either help me give up and stay away or i am only going to fall deeper into golfing depression?
Has anyone come though this and stayed in love with the game?
Taking a month off at the moment and its killing me.

alxmorgan

scrubber72 wrote: »

So for the last few months my golf has gotten progressively worse. Firstly my putting which was quite good (averaging 26-30 per round) has disappeared and i fear it so much that i think i could easily 3 putt every green.
Then my driving which was never a strong point has gotten so bad that i look like losing 6 balls a round off the tee. I switched to fairway woods but that was also so bad that i had to leave them out of my bag. I have had a lesson recently and that just made me want to cry. Never was so disappointed in a lesson and genuinely feel its time to quit.

But i can't.

Is there a 12 step plan to either help me give up and stay away or i am only going to fall deeper into golfing depression?
Has anyone come though this and stayed in love with the game?
Taking a month off at the moment and its killing me.

I've been through it yes. Went back to fundamentals when it happened. Grip, posture, alignment, takeaway etc etc

What happened in the lesson ?

scrubber72

he changed my grip as i was too strong and changed my takeaway too as i was to far on the outside. my pull hooks are now massive slices.

alxmorgan

scrubber72 wrote: »

he changed my grip as i was too strong and changed my takeaway too as i was to far on the outside. my pull hooks are now massive slices.

Ok well assuming your ball starts straight and curves right - your club face is on target. This means it's a path issue. I have recently tried to solve a bout of the rights myself by closing my stance a touch (club face still square to target) and swinging along my toe line. This promotes a rightward path which with a squre clubface should produce a draw.

But on the lesson - you went from one extreme to the other. Maybe try and soften your grip slightly...somewhere in between the two ?