What if lessons don't help?

[GolfJunkieSr]

Re: What if lessons don't help?

The slice is a swing flaw there's no doubt about that and i agree that relaxing and slowing down will help straighten out the shot, i also believe that one must understand what causes a slice

I have to agree that a slice is caused by a swing flaw, and/or loss of control. An open club face to path the club head is taking, or cutting across the ball are usually the culprits. It is my opinion that that the hands, and arms control the club head through impact. If there is not enough strength in those parts of the body, it would be hard to control the club head through impact. Proper golf muscle structure in all parts of the body, will allow control, while achieving distance with out the need to over swing. Leg strength should not be forgotten either.

As far as golf muscles are concerned, they as a group enhance flexibility, and technique, which means a golfer can swing easy, and still generate acceptable distances, while swinging with control. GJS.

[maryanne]

Re: What if lessons don't help?

You are probably trying to hard.
Check out Andrew Mowatt"s 1st timer lessons with Zara and Lawleigh
www.bogeystobirdies.com.au/DVD

[james.welsh]

Re: What if lessons don't help?

Stick with the instruction. Sometimes it seems counter-intuitive. Also do HIS drills so you can go back and show results. If you mix with other drills from a magazine etc it might make matters worse.

[rharris06]

Re: What if lessons don't help?

jeeze, this poor man probably has about 100 different thoughts in his head now.

Just flamin play and have fun!

[kglade]

Re: What if lessons don't help?

Thanks, everyone, for all the good posts. I have a lot to think about.
In two days, I will play golf for the first time on a "real" golf course. My swing will be what it is. I will make it my goal to have fun.

In the last few days I have improved my swing quite a bit. I have been doing the drills my instructor recommended. The single biggest help was his suggestion that I use a wooded wedge (he gave me one) under my right heel to keep my weight from shifting too far back which causes me to sway backwards. Also helpful was the advice to bring the club back slower and not try to kill the ball.

I played again the par 3 course and while my score was not good, I was happy with how I played. Not too many bad shots, mostly midjudged shots - hit a little too far or too short, or to the left or right. Had a few of the classics like a pitch from the rough that went about 2 feet and stayed in the rough because I hit under the ball. My putting was not great either but the greens there are very very fast (artificial turf). Even got par on one hole because I put it on the green from the tee. I also had two other tee shots bounce on the green and roll off, although one I never found so I think it bounced into the woods. These are the challenges I expected and can enjoy because I can try something to improve and have confidence that whatever I try will have some effect, unlike before when no matter what I tried I got a big slice or a ground ball.

I have been experimenting with all the advice I've gotten here but it is too much for one week.

I will clear my head and play golf to have fun.

Thanks, again, and keep posting as you think of more advice. I really do appreciate it.

Ken

[BasilFawlty]

Re: What if lessons don't help?

I have had 3 lessons, with different instructors, over the last 5 years or so. They have all told me to hold the club differently, stand differently, swing differently. When they do it, the ball is struck sweetly. When I do it, it's hit and miss. Im not sure what to do anymore, when all is going ok during a round, it's fine, but if the wheels fall off then im chopping and changing between what the instructors have told me, and it's a deperate bid to try and get something to work.

I am now dubious about going back to a pro, even another completely differfent one, as no doubt they would teach me another whole new way!

[BrianW]

Re: What if lessons don't help?

I have had 3 lessons, with different instructors, over the last 5 years or so. They have all told me to hold the club differently, stand differently, swing differently. When they do it, the ball is struck sweetly. When I do it, it's hit and miss. Im not sure what to do anymore, when all is going ok during a round, it's fine, but if the wheels fall off then im chopping and changing between what the instructors have told me, and it's a deperate bid to try and get something to work.

I am now dubious about going back to a pro, even another completely differfent one, as no doubt they would teach me another whole new way!

I would respectfully suggest that three lessons with different instructors over 5 years is not nearly enough to make any difference to your golf.

You must be prepared to give it a go and have at least a series of six lessons from the Pro. When I started playing golf I had around 80 in the first year, after many years I still have a lesson around once a month.

[Robert O' Keeffe]

Re: What if lessons don't help?

Hi Ken,

Been there, done that. You are filling your head with too many possibilities and options. The more you think about the problem the worse it will get.Eight weeks playing golf is like asking a new born baby to talk. You need to decide on one issue and that is persist with the lessons. and even with taking a few lessons, dont expect magic results immediately. This game is recognised as being the hardest in the world to learn. when you get to understand the basics such as grip posture stance etc you will be well on the road to improvement. After this you will become confident enough to go a stage further and work on distance and direction. "Feel" and timing are other points which will happen for you through practice. So keep going and persist at the lessons. It is definitely the first step to an enjoyable game.

Cheers,
Robert

[phatttty]

Re: What if lessons don't help?

First and foremost, don't give up. Everyone goes through ups and downs in this game. There have been many times I thought about giving up, and I am so incredibly glad I never did.

The instructor may have a bigger picture that's hard for you to see. Have you asked him? "What is it you see in my swing? Where are we trying to go?" It's hard because sometimes it's a long journey and unless someone gives you a map, the trip may be frustrating. In other words, he may have specific reasons for everything he's doing with you, but he just might not have told him.

Or he may stink, it's hard to say. Talk to the guy and get a sense of what he's trying to do.

One thing is for sure, if you're 6'4, standard length and lie clubs will definitely not work for you. You will have to learn to make corrections in your swing to make up for the short length and the too-flat lies. A lie that is too flat will only accentuate your slice: because of your height, the toe of the club is likely lower than the heel, which only helps you hit the ball right.

How long have you been playing? The more information you can provide, the more people can suggest things.

I think you can never read too much about the game. You CAN, however, get too many ideas in your head.

This book is, for my money, the best $10 I ever spent on my golf game:

http://www.amazon.com/Harvey-Penicks...e=UTF8&s=books

No matter what the condition of your game, this book will give you some fantastic insights into the game and the fundamentals of the swing. It's also easy to read, completely non-technical, and very enjoyable.

There's my 1.5 cents. More will follow from others I'm sure.

Which book is Mr3856 referring to? That link is outdated and I searched @ amazon for harvey pennick and came up with several results, thanks.

[jpmonkey69]

Re: What if lessons don't help?

Which book is Mr3856 referring to? That link is outdated and I searched @ amazon for harvey pennick and came up with several results, thanks.

I'd assume it's "The little red book"

it's got a lot of tips, quite a good read.

I'd suggest something like David Ledbetters Fundamentals of Hogan as a first book if you're starting out.

[phatttty]

Re: What if lessons don't help?

Actually I started out 2 years ago and I wanted to focus on the short game mainly so I bought the short game bible. Unfortunately that is probably the worst part of my game. I really like pelz's books but I dont really have the time to practice to implement them. I use what I can. But living in an apartment It's not so convenient for me to practice his system as much as I would like.

[kglade]

Re: What if lessons don't help?

FWIW, I clicked on the amazon book link and it worked. The book is indeed
Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings from a Lifetime of Golf (Paperback)

I enjoy it very much and have read it about 4 times in the last 6 months.

Ken

As the one who started this thread I thought I should give an update.

I played twice on *real* golf courses last October. Both were best ball formats. I enjoyed myself on the first one and was pleased with how I played. The second time was a disaster -- I played poorly, let my frustration get the best of me and was ready to quit the game. Fortunately I got some encouragement from friends and have stuck with it. I immersed myself in golf for the past few months -- golf magazines, books, videos, putting practice (the boomerang) and am getting some perspective on the game. I played a few more times on par 3 courses and was pleased with my game.

I played a full 18 hole course recently and was not happy with my game. I guess this is how it will go -- up and down.

I took a lesson from a different pro and liked her teaching style and advice. Unfortunately, she is not local for me so I will only be able to get a lesson from her once or twice a year.

While at the driving range today I ran into my old instructor. He watched me for a few minutes and gave me a free mini lesson. I tried what he said and it made a small improvement in the pitching I was practicing. Maybe there is hope for me and for lessons after all.

[phatttty]

Re: What if lessons don't help?

Yeah I am the same. I like playing my par 3 course, I shot a 68 at it this weekend. Then feeling confident, I went out the next day to a brand new course (for me) and just sucked. Granted I was sorta egged into playing from the back tees by the group I was playing with (low handicappers and course regulars). I will never again let people influence me into playing from tees I am just not good enough for again. It's a whole different ball game going to usually picking from a 7-pw for a 2nd shot on a par 4 to 3-6 iron.

[m16thereligion]

Re: What if lessons don't help?

Even if you've kept your lessons up and you're off scratch in ten years time, you'll still be moaning about your swing.

Golf's not a game you can master in a lifetime, never mind a couple of months.

[ilang]

Re: What if lessons don't help?

Hi,
You say you are very tall,well there are certain faults attached to tall golfers.One of them is, they try to get back to the ball too quick from the top of the swing.If you watch tall pros their swings are noticeably more slower and smoother.Also a tall player has to concentrate on coming into the ball on a wider shallower swing plane, and try to maintain that through the ball along the target line.
Another very important thing as with smaller golfers as well, is the lie of the clubs.
Like they say in Hollywood "If you have the talent and the ambition you cannot fail".so practice it is.