A Euerka moment?

[Tashyboy]

Took young grandson up to the club today and we bladdered 60 balls down the range. He hit about 40.

I took my clubs but did not really have much of an idea what club I would use, mainly wanting to keep an eye on him.

walking up the range there were two other guys and one of them bleaddered his drive straight down the middle and it flew. I thought sod it I will try something that I have struggled massively with.

Young grandson starts bladdering his balls 7 yds, so I got out my driver.

Now for those that have heard me whinge about my distance have heard this before. but if I hit it 170 before it hit the deck then I am happy. I think one/more of the problems is that 1, I don't "cock" my wrists. 2, I don't rotate my body so I end up all arms. Anyway first drive backswing, wrist cock and it just flew. The hang time was just fantastic for me. bUt I felt my arms collapse a bit on the back swing. So slowed it down did a fuller back swing and bang. It just flew, even the sound off the clubface sounded differant. I hit about 15 drives and everyone flew. It was the most consistent I have hit 15 balls. All through cocking my wrists. Looking forward to tomorrow.

 

[selwood90]

Had a lesson on this myself today wrist set/lag and it sure does make a difference. Takes some getting used to but when you hit the sweet spot they sure do fly! Was an all arms man previous to this myself, what a difference in an hour. Good luck for tomorow!

 

[williamalex1]

Took young grandson up to the club today and we bladdered 60 balls down the range. He hit about 40.

I took my clubs but did not really have much of an idea what club I would use, mainly wanting to keep an eye on him.

walking up the range there were two other guys and one of them bleaddered his drive straight down the middle and it flew. I thought sod it I will try something that I have struggled massively with.

Young grandson starts bladdering his balls 7 yds, so I got out my driver.

Now for those that have heard me whinge about my distance have heard this before. but if I hit it 170 before it hit the deck then I am happy. I think one/more of the problems is that 1, I don't "cock" my wrists. 2, I don't rotate my body so I end up all arms. Anyway first drive backswing, wrist cock and it just flew. The hang time was just fantastic for me. bUt I felt my arms collapse a bit on the back swing. So slowed it down did a fuller back swing and bang. It just flew, even the sound off the clubface sounded differant. I hit about 15 drives and everyone flew. It was the most consistent I have hit 15 balls. All through cocking my wrists. Looking forward to tomorrow.

It only works when grandkids are watching.:rofl:

 

[Tashyboy]

Had a lesson on this myself today wrist set/lag and it sure does make a difference. Takes some getting used to but when you hit the sweet spot they sure do fly! Was an all arms man previous to this myself, what a difference in an hour. Good luck for tomorow!

What I cannot get my head around is I have tried this before and ended up bladdering it everywhere and I mean everywhere. don't know if it is the fuller swing or what, but will give it a go tomorrow.

 

[Tashyboy]

It only works when grandkids are watching.:rofl:

Thats me caddy sorted for tomorrow then. If he plays like he eats cheesy chips in the 19th he will be playing off scratch by the time he is 10. 😁

 

[Matty6]

Similar thing happened to me over the Christmas break. I made a slight adjustment to my grip and really concerntrated on clearing my hips through my swing. I spent around 3 hours at the range focusing on nothing else. Boy did it make a difference. Much more distance, control, confidence and arrow straight. I really struggled at first to adjust to the new grip but it started to feel more natural by the end. Such small tweaks but they make all the difference.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

My son got me to flick my wrists on drives, probably doing the same thing you are now doing but I perhaps am not describing it very well. He saw it on a Mark Crossfield video and thought it would work with my stiff swing. He introduced it to me in September and I had very little to lose by trying it. It took a bit of getting used to but I now hit it longer, straighter and more consistently than before. Still not forum distances but enough for me. Funny how you come across these moments.

 

[WWG]

Took young grandson up to the club today and we bladdered 60 balls down the range. He hit about 40.

I took my clubs but did not really have much of an idea what club I would use, mainly wanting to keep an eye on him.

walking up the range there were two other guys and one of them bleaddered his drive straight down the middle and it flew. I thought sod it I will try something that I have struggled massively with.

Young grandson starts bladdering his balls 7 yds, so I got out my driver.

Now for those that have heard me whinge about my distance have heard this before. but if I hit it 170 before it hit the deck then I am happy. I think one/more of the problems is that 1, I don't "cock" my wrists. 2, I don't rotate my body so I end up all arms. Anyway first drive backswing, wrist cock and it just flew. The hang time was just fantastic for me. bUt I felt my arms collapse a bit on the back swing. So slowed it down did a fuller back swing and bang. It just flew, even the sound off the clubface sounded differant. I hit about 15 drives and everyone flew. It was the most consistent I have hit 15 balls. All through cocking my wrists. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Hi, I have only been playing 4 months, and have my 1st official handicap of 28, which I am nearly playing to. Considering I am 58 and the course is soggy, I don't suppose it is really that bad. I have had some lessons, and because I managed to retire early, I have managed to get a fair bit of practice in. That said, I have struggled with my fairway shots quite a lot, and am still topping the ball more than I would like. My Euerka moment came the other day. I have found that if you find something in a swing that feels totally un -natural, more often than not it works. I have found that if I stand with my back straight and my shoulders pushed back, but with my knees slightly bent, I am hitting the ball further and straighter. I have also reduced the amount I am topping the ball.

At my age, and with my limited expectations, I have decided that I need to find what works for me, rather than to be the text book golfer. The top ten golfers in world all have different strokes, so does that mean nine of them are wrong ?

 

[TheDoctor]

I think we all have those eureka moments throughout our golfing lives, the hardest part can be realising what you suddenly did so that you can repeat it!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

@WWG - Remember that your handicap is an indication of how well you can score - and the way handicapping works it'll be your 'stretch normal'. Your 'normal/average' normal will often be 3-4 shots worse than your handicap (say 32-33pts stableford scoring). When I score 32-33 pts I see that that as playing to my 'handicap ability'

 

[WWG]

I think we all have those eureka moments throughout our golfing lives, the hardest part can be realising what you suddenly did so that you can repeat it!

============

Of course, and your so right. So many times I think I have found the answer to a problem, only to try it the next day and fall flat on my face. Playing golf isn't about slowly getting better, it's about two steps forward and one step back. I also believe that having a stable temperament and realistic expectations is essential. Enjoying the walk, the company, the 19th tee, is essential. but playing well is a bonus.

 

[User 105]

I was messing with trying to get a bit more lag over Christmas. I'm not a short hitter but wouldn't mind a few extra yards.

I found the same as you. It worked well when I slowed my swing down and held onto the lag more. Seemed to go miles with little effort. But I couldn't do it consistently enough, if my turn speeded up to my normal speed then I'd hit a big push slice right because I couldn't square the face up in time.

There's definitely something there worth working on but need to do it consistently for me to want to take it to the course. Especially as over the past couple of months I've finally got my driver behaving itself.

 

[WWG]

@WWG - Remember that your handicap is an indication of how well you can score - and the way handicapping works it'll be your 'stretch normal'. Your 'normal/average' normal will often be 3-4 shots worse than your handicap (say 32-33pts stableford scoring). When I score 32-33 pts I see that that as playing to my 'handicap ability'

Thanks, I didn't know that, I thought 28 would be an average , rather than a stretch. Mt Stableford points are normally that of what you have quoted. You have made me feel a bit better, CHEERS

 

[selwood90]

@westy I found exactly the same thing, by doing this whole lag thing my ball striking and direction have suffered quite a lot. But I have only been at it a day or 2, it's one of the biggest changes to make to an amateurs swing apparently. Especially when you didn't learn this way in first place. But I'm gonna stick with it for the foreseeable future and hope it all clicks into place!

 

[User 105]

@westy I found exactly the same thing, by doing this whole lag thing my ball striking and direction have suffered quite a lot. But I have only been at it a day or 2, it's one of the biggest changes to make to an amateurs swing apparently. Especially when you didn't learn this way in first place. But I'm gonna stick with it for the foreseeable future and hope it all clicks into place!

I'm in two minds about this at the moment. I can definitely see the benefit if you can do this consistently.

Problem is at the moment I'm playing some of my best golf. I've worked hard with my pro last year to stabilise my swing and get some consistency back and now I'm regularly shooting under my handicap again. I haven't done that, or even come close to doing that, in probably 18 months.

So I don't want to change too much right now and this feels like on of those things that could set me back for a while until it beds in.

 

[KenL]

What I cannot get my head around is I have tried this before and ended up bladdering it everywhere and I mean everywhere. don't know if it is the fuller swing or what, but will give it a go tomorrow.

Eh! What is bladdering? Never heard of a golf shot described that way.

i thought a bladder was a part of my body that stored p@sh, or perhaps a name for a cheap leather football in the 70s.

 

[Tashyboy]

Bladdering it means spraying it everywhere and no where. In a golfing sense that it.

I have read for years drive for show putt for dough, club head speed, 3 X 7 irons at 150 means your on the green in three ( on a par four) most people playing off 21 cannot hit a 7 iron 150 yd. none of that applied to me.

But hitting the driver the other day and today in atrocious weather worked for me, yup that's me saying that but even my PPs noticed that. but here's my problem.
if the new drive/ swing works for me, and there's no reason for me to say it won't. When do I start to try it when hitting irons and fairway woods ?

 

[Tashyboy]

Bladdering it means spraying it everywhere and no where. In a golfing sense that it.

I have read for years drive for show putt for dough, club head speed, 3 X 7 irons at 150 means your on the green in three ( on a par four) most people playing off 21 cannot hit a 7 iron 150 yd. none of that applied to me.

But hitting the driver the other day and today in atrocious weather worked for me, yup that's me saying that but even my PPs noticed that. but here's my problem.
if the new drive/ swing works for me, and there's no reason for me to say it won't. When do I start to try it when hitting irons and fairway woods ?

Ah Ken a proper leather football from the 70's, the good old days when I used to break my toes kicking them in winter unless it had ten layers of Dublin on it. 😁

 

[KenL]

Ah! With you now.

i try to follow the rule "when it's breezy - swing it easy".

A full shot spins more so into the wind it spins up up and away. Best to keep a smooth tempo and concentrate on hitting it out of the middle of the club. If it's a "2 club wind", take 3 or 4 more and swing smoothly. I often hit a 5 iron 120 yards into a stiff wind at my links course. Still not easy but more chance of hitting the green than with a full 7 or 8 iron.

ps Try Dubbin on your golf shoes, keeps them supple and water proof!

 

[3565]

Bladdering it means spraying it everywhere and no where. In a golfing sense that it.

I have read for years drive for show putt for dough, club head speed, 3 X 7 irons at 150 means your on the green in three ( on a par four) most people playing off 21 cannot hit a 7 iron 150 yd. none of that applied to me.

But hitting the driver the other day and today in atrocious weather worked for me, yup that's me saying that but even my PPs noticed that. but here's my problem.
if the new drive/ swing works for me, and there's no reason for me to say it won't. When do I start to try it when hitting irons and fairway woods ?

Seems a bizarre statement? In that you swing it like you do for your driver, (probably the hardest club to use when making swing changes) and getting results yet swing it different with the rest of your clubs?

If I make swing changes then I hit dozens of balls with a more lofted club 7/8i to ingrain the change and confidence before trying less lofted clubs, cos of a swing change and using less loft it could end up demoralising you. So really you've answered your own question, if it's working with your driver...............