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This is a tad long, but I just wanted to spew about what I've learned in the last couple of months about this sport.
I'm a softball player at heart (15 years worth plus baseball all my childhood life) and that's what I do best. I'm trying golf and I know that baseball/softball and golf swings typically don't work well together, but I find I can make it work for me.
I've played 3 rounds of golf in the last 6 weeks or so and been to the range about 6-7 times (I'm a golf newbie). I've been fighting a slice since I started this gig and I've not been able to hit my irons. So, naturally I look online and read about how to grip, how to stand, where to put the ball, etc. and end up completely wrecking my swing. What started as 250+ yard drives with a fade/slice turn into 125 yard drives burning along the ground. I was now hooking and topping the ball and generally not hitting well. Plus, I end up hurting my wrist pretty good with this new grip (trying to do things I wasn't meant to do I guess)
Fast forward to today. Go back to my original grip first. Basically gripping it like a bat (knocking knuckles aligned) but move the thumbs a bit. Then I realize during the previous outing, for whatever reason, I was trying to turn my wrists at impact. This was killing my left wrist and my distance/accuracy. This time, I just focused on sweeping the ball off the tee. Ahhh. Back to my long, fading drives. Then I try something new. I start putting my hands ahead of the club face. Straight drives follow. A lot of them.
Then I get out an 8 iron. A club I've never been able to hit (irons in general really). So, I think about what is helping my drives. I decide to set my hands a little further out in front of the club head. Hallelujah! I get this elusive "descending blow" everyone talks about. Great height and good distance for me (about 115 yards). Grab higher irons with the same technique and by George, I think I can get the hang of this.
I tried to work on something else but I seem to screw it up every time which is weight transfer from right leg to left. What I end up going back to is my softball swing. I end up with at least 50% of my weight on my right (back) leg, if not more. I know most of this goes against typical golf instruction, but it works for me and I think I'm going to hang with it a while.
I'm a softball player at heart (15 years worth plus baseball all my childhood life) and that's what I do best. I'm trying golf and I know that baseball/softball and golf swings typically don't work well together, but I find I can make it work for me.
I've played 3 rounds of golf in the last 6 weeks or so and been to the range about 6-7 times (I'm a golf newbie). I've been fighting a slice since I started this gig and I've not been able to hit my irons. So, naturally I look online and read about how to grip, how to stand, where to put the ball, etc. and end up completely wrecking my swing. What started as 250+ yard drives with a fade/slice turn into 125 yard drives burning along the ground. I was now hooking and topping the ball and generally not hitting well. Plus, I end up hurting my wrist pretty good with this new grip (trying to do things I wasn't meant to do I guess)
Fast forward to today. Go back to my original grip first. Basically gripping it like a bat (knocking knuckles aligned) but move the thumbs a bit. Then I realize during the previous outing, for whatever reason, I was trying to turn my wrists at impact. This was killing my left wrist and my distance/accuracy. This time, I just focused on sweeping the ball off the tee. Ahhh. Back to my long, fading drives. Then I try something new. I start putting my hands ahead of the club face. Straight drives follow. A lot of them.
Then I get out an 8 iron. A club I've never been able to hit (irons in general really). So, I think about what is helping my drives. I decide to set my hands a little further out in front of the club head. Hallelujah! I get this elusive "descending blow" everyone talks about. Great height and good distance for me (about 115 yards). Grab higher irons with the same technique and by George, I think I can get the hang of this.
I tried to work on something else but I seem to screw it up every time which is weight transfer from right leg to left. What I end up going back to is my softball swing. I end up with at least 50% of my weight on my right (back) leg, if not more. I know most of this goes against typical golf instruction, but it works for me and I think I'm going to hang with it a while.
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