Stick or twist

plumber77

Just wondering has anyone here had any success with significant swing changes; especially interested in the golfers aged 40 and up. Is it a case of leave well enough alone as a 10 handicapper or try improve. Would love to hear some experiences; good or bad.

backspin.

It depends really on how good or bad your current swing is. It it is rife with faults then maybe go for the change. Its a lot of work to change a swing. Id advise videoing yourself often. Its the only way to know if you are still carrying out the swing changes.

Btw i did a lot of work on my swing down the years and never got to single figures. I only got there when i stopped working on my swing. But i had groved a decent enough swing by then. Still have some faults though. Particularly taking the club back too much on the inside.

tommypepper

plumber77 wrote: »

Just wondering has anyone here had any success with significant swing changes; especially interested in the golfers aged 40 and up. Is it a case of leave well enough alone as a 10 handicapper or try improve. Would love to hear some experiences; good or bad.

Not everyone can consistently implement changes without constant supervision.

I believe that genuinely talented golfers have better kinesthetic ability to learn a new swing and id guess even they might take a half season of focused effort to be successful.

There are probably more effective ways of shaving strokes than making swing changes. I met a 4 hc recently who had been off 12 for many seasons before he made a breakthrough. He said he didnt change his swing, he just started playing more golf with low handicappers and learned by watching how they played the course and each situation.

backspin.

What type of changes are you thinking on?

FixdePitchmark

Yes a few years ago I gave it a real go for about 18 months - I would have a good bit of time that most guys that age wouldn't. I had a very deeply engraved self-taught swing. There was so much in the timing of my swing and all a bit long, fast and wild. Went to, in total, 4 different coaches about 15 lessons. It was a serious effort. So you'd have to be honest and ask have you the time , money, genuine determination - say even 6/7 hours a week to put in ? Can you work on your game 4/5 times a week ? If big changes needed ?

By the way 18 months sounds long - but there were phases when improvements were seen after weeks - you can get quick results then go backwards for a while. Then you go back to the same golfer - then you change again and it may stick. A funny process. The body/mind has incredible memory of movement and the big battle is stopping your previous errors coming back in.

If you don't have time to work with the changes - or are willing to accept becoming a poor golfer and stick at it over 1000s of balls a week. It is going to be unrealistic to make big changes.

I was going for dramatic changes - so maybe you will be a bit more straightforward and only minor things like , stance, grip , posture - these can be quick changes that make big improvements. So going for a lesson I consider an NCT on the basics. Very strange things come in.

You are off 10 so a good golfer - but to go backwards for a second. The real way to improve in golf - is to understand your weakness.

Most golfers , myself included . Are head in sand and a bit delusional. They will spend hours at the stuff they like doing and will run away from the areas they are weak at. Do you know why you are off 10 - seems a daft question , but to answer that takes a real honest 360 study of yourself.

1) Have you done all your stats ? And know what is wrong with your game.
2) Do you have all your distances and GPS and Laser right
3) Do you have a good putting game - how much do you genuinely work on this - at home , on course , on practice green (genuinely)
4) Is your short game good
5) How is your course management
6) Are you mentally strong / weak - have you worked on this
7) Is your equipment right for you
8) Are you fit - is your approach to the game good and concentration maintained in round


If you look at the short game area in the club - almost always empty. Kids enjoying it maybe.
You can go to a range on the same day and full - golfers love banging balls. But not many will stand over say 100 in a row - 4 foot putts. Yes I'm serious 100 in a row.

Banging balls at a range - becomes a hobby and costly . You have to ask yourself - am I in good shape for this. If you have a decent swing speed and are 40 + you will get injuries. At certain times - the range is doing you more harm than good - there are no mats on a golf course.


I think I will go against what you hear a lot of golfers say.

- " your swing is your swing" -
" look at pro x, y and z, you don't need a perfect swing"
" All in short game"
" Putting is most important part of game"

There is a hint of truth in all above - but there is a reality and another level of golf when you are trying to hit say 12 greens in regulation. You need a good fundamental action and you need that action that casues the big miss in you game gone - that OOB ball , that lost ball every 5/6 holes , that big pull or slice. When they are in your game - you are just a random day from a 75 to a 95.

So what am I trying to say.

At our age there are so many easy gains from 1 to 8 above.
Have you checked your basics are right - these are easy gains (grip posture alignment)
What do you want to do in the game - do you genuinely have the time and determination ? If yes Twist
If not stick - but so many other enjoyable easy ways to improve.

Best of luck.

I made so many errors and took a very very long time with massive effort - but delighted I did it and found out what level I could get to. Had days on a course I will never forget. But it has to be for you - becasue no one cares if you are a 10 or a 5.

plumber77

Lot of sense spoke right Fix. My main problems are a very poor shoulder turn and weight transfer. Tend to fold my arms pretty quick on the backswing which causes me to get very steep. Works fine from say wedges down to 6 iron. After that spin really has a negative effect on distance and control.
Honestly I wouldn't think it's the biggest weakness in my game; but I would like to have a drive that has some roll out. Mine tend to hit and stick or even spin back out of its pitch mark sometimes.
As you say there is probably other changes I could make. I'm a pretty fit/flexible 40+; but defo room for improvement in the short game as well.

FixdePitchmark

plumber77 wrote: »

Lot of sense spoke right Fix. My main problems are a very poor shoulder turn and weight transfer. Tend to fold my arms pretty quick on the backswing which causes me to get very steep. Works fine from say wedges down to 6 iron. After that spin really has a negative effect on distance and control.
Honestly I wouldn't think it's the biggest weakness in my game; but I would like to have a drive that has some roll out. Mine tend to hit and stick or even spin back out of its pitch mark sometimes.
As you say there is probably other changes I could make. I'm a pretty fit/flexible 40+; but defo room for improvement in the short game as well.

What sort of distance on drive.

Have you got fitted for the driver ?

Another thing you will hear is distance is not improtant - a load of rubbish if you are trying to hit greens.

plumber77

Yeah got fitted in foregolf for the driver. Not much has changed as a result. That day in foregolf it was telling me I was carrying 230 and rolling out to 250. That never translated to the golf course though. I suppose if the swing is that steep; equipment can't compensate.

FixdePitchmark

plumber77 wrote: »

Yeah got fitted in foregolf for the driver. Not much has changed as a result. That day in foregolf it was telling me I was carrying 230 and rolling out to 250. That never translated to the golf course though. I suppose if the swing is that steep; equipment can't compensate.

Do you use a GPS ?
Laser etc.

If your shorter than that on course - it will be a struggle to get close on any lower index par 4. Sort of explainging why you are at say 10.

On your course - what would you be hitting in to say index - 5/6/7/8/9/10

Like my own course - I have to it it perfect twice to reach index 1 and 2.

plumber77

Id say the 230 would translate to the golf course; defo not the 20 yards roll. Usually hitting 5/6 iron into the low indexes. Use a garmin S20.

FixdePitchmark

plumber77 wrote: »

Id say the 230 would translate to the golf course; defo not the 20 yards roll. Usually hitting 5/6 iron into the low indexes. Use a garmin S20.

It doesn't sound horrendous so - but not ideal.

It sounds like you have a high fade ?

Nothing wrong with playing a fade - but if high and weak turning to a slice. It is going to be hard to convert them extra holes into GIR. Are you losing a few holes right - lost /OOB ?

I'd say it is worth going to a pro - and see how much is involved - it could just be something very simple - or a total reshape - worth fiding out.

plumber77

No it's never so bad that I'll really be losing holes. Just hard to keep it in play when the wind blows. Really struggle to hit woods and hybrids too so don't even have them in the bag.

death1234567

The way to make swing changes is to do drills, a lot of drills. Keep doing them over and over and then your brain will do the rest. For example if you have a slice then go to a pro and get some drills that exaggerate an in to out swing path. Do them as often as you can. Then when you are out on the course do the drill once or twice as your practice swing and then forgot you know anything about drills or swing changes and just hit the ball. You muscle memory will slowly change over time to correct your issue. It won't be perfect of course and it takes a lot of practice time but it's the only proper way to do it IMO. The probelm for most people is finding 30 minutes every day to do drills, it's boring as hell and doing 2 hours one day a week isn't the same as doing 20-30 minutes everyday. Your brain forgets fast if you not repeating it often.

;TDLR: Practice.

RoadRunner

death1234567 wrote: »

drills, a lot of drills.

Sorry, couldn't resist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv0m1B-5p3E&feature=youtu.be&t=404

mike12

Twist, good time of the year to do it thru the winter.
Your faults sound fixable with a huge swing change as they are in the back swing.
If you get the club going back correctly it could be a quick fix.

I'm the same age have around a 112mph swing speed.
Have always been getting lessons, always slip back to coming a bit over the top.
Went to a new Pro this year and have gone from 13 to 9.
Eoin Gibbons is his name would recommend him, always has lots of drills which are great.

A drill I do is swing flat out along the garden wall, stops u coming over the top fairly quickly. Good way of edging the grass as well.

benny79

mike12 wrote: »

Eoin Gibbons is his name would recommend him, always has lots of drills which are great.

I went to him for a year+ didnt improve hc wise, nice fella I think I had every training aid at the time that he said would help.. But I think you learn a little something with every Pro some work for you and some dont.

redzerdrog

I know a guy in his mid to late 60s that decided last year to change from cack handed to a regular grip. He pretty much went the full year struggling to break 20 points but he has started to play better again and he thinks the change was worth it

plumber77

Ive got 2 lessons recently, focus is on grip, shoulder turn and weight shift. If nothing else I think it helps me understand what I should be doing. Enjoy the drills so will plug away over the winter months and see what it brings. Happy enough with the grip change already.