Am I improving?!?!

[TheCaddie]

So, I went round today in 109....

I have had 4 lessons, and overall my swing is much better. That being said, I really struggled with my 2nd iron shot off the deck on the longer holes. Partly due to the weather, and partly due to the fact I am not clean striking the ball in these conditions. I tend to hit the ground which I know would be fine in summer, but really isn't in winter.

I had 6 bogeys, and 6 double bogeys, and then a couple of bad holes (two 8s and a 9).

Normally I get that score, but hack around with consistent 6, 7, 8s the entire way round....

I feel like I am getting better, but then I more or less shot the same score I normally do.

Based on the above.... would you say I am getting better or not? Any advice?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Early days and wet winter conditions will always find out a less than perfect strike. How much work have you done at the range since the lessons? What caused the bad scores (lost ball, three off the tee etc?). Bogey golf (even the odd double depending on your handicap) isn't the end of the world and if you treated every hole as a par 5 it'll be a score of 90. If you make par or better on a par 3 and shorter par 4's can then be offset against the longer par 4's and the par 5's where you may struggle make par

It's hard to quantify. I thought I hit the ball better in 2014 without getting any significant handicap cuts as like you I managed to chuck a bad hole or two in to take my score into the buffer or just miss it and get 0.1 back. Ball striking wise it was much better and so I think I made progress even if the scores and handicap progression didn't always back that up. It's how you see your own game

 

[Tiger man]

Early days and wet winter conditions will always find out a less than perfect strike. How much work have you done at the range since the lessons? What caused the bad scores (lost ball, three off the tee etc?). Bogey golf (even the odd double depending on your handicap) isn't the end of the world and if you treated every hole as a par 5 it'll be a score of 90. If you make par or better on a par 3 and shorter par 4's can then be offset against the longer par 4's and the par 5's where you may struggle make par

It's hard to quantify. I thought I hit the ball better in 2014 without getting any significant handicap cuts as like you I managed to chuck a bad hole or two in to take my score into the buffer or just miss it and get 0.1 back. Ball striking wise it was much better and so I think I made progress even if the scores and handicap progression didn't always back that up. It's how you see your own game

Very good point, scores are important but improving your game can take a while to translate to the score card so don't be too worried it will come in time.

 

[TheCaddie]

Early days and wet winter conditions will always find out a less than perfect strike. How much work have you done at the range since the lessons? What caused the bad scores (lost ball, three off the tee etc?). Bogey golf (even the odd double depending on your handicap) isn't the end of the world and if you treated every hole as a par 5 it'll be a score of 90. If you make par or better on a par 3 and shorter par 4's can then be offset against the longer par 4's and the par 5's where you may struggle make par

It's hard to quantify. I thought I hit the ball better in 2014 without getting any significant handicap cuts as like you I managed to chuck a bad hole or two in to take my score into the buffer or just miss it and get 0.1 back. Ball striking wise it was much better and so I think I made progress even if the scores and handicap progression didn't always back that up. It's how you see your own game

Been working a LOT at the range between lessons, and off the deck I have been doing very well. I know a mat is a different animal to rain soaked mud though.

The good holes were way better than I normally do, so guess I just need to be positive with that. It's hard though, as I really felt I played quite well, but my score suggested otherwise.i struggle to commit to 18 holes every single week at the moment, and today just made me think that improvement on score could be a long way off. Maybe I am just over thinking it though?

 

[G1BB0]

for me it depends on your perspective.

If YOU feel its improving and your playing better then don't worry about what others think.

If not then keep going until you do feel that way

 

[TheCaddie]

One of the lads I played with said the good shots were much better than normal, so that's something to take away I guess....

 

[power fade]

Have gone through similiar to you - expect most golfers have. There are times when you feel you are hitting the ball pure, but perhaps your score doesn't reflect that.

There will other times the scores are good but you may well feel you didn't play great - golf is like that.

For me I try and get good contact out the middle and accept the result. I know if I am striking the ball well the scores will come at some point.

Keep working away, 4 lessons is nothing. You will break 100 in the better weather no sweat.
Best wishes

 

[the_coach]

to get a solid strike on the ball have a look at a video of your swing from front on.

if you have an app that you can draw lines on draw a vertical line up from the back of the ball. check yourself against these pics here - take a real close look at where the lines bisect the images. if you don't have an app just hold a transparent straight rule straight up from the back of the ball you can then view the vid & freeze it to see how your own positions stack up against these images.

at address (pic 1) notice where the hands & club shaft are in relation to the 90º line & how the left edge of the face is on the line -so head behind line.

notice at top of swing (pic 2) the head is pretty much in the same location, but the hips & upper body has turned/rotated (neither have moved laterally - swayed - away from target) - in relation to the line the upper body is still behind the line.

notice (pic 3) that the weight at transition has gone into the left foot with the arms & right shoulder moving downwards (not out) so the head is still behind the line with the upper body turning (not moved laterally left ahead of the line) & the hips are rotating left.

notice (pic 4) the key to pre-impact - weight is left with the hips cleared & crucially important to a good strike - the head remains behind the line still pretty much in the same location but real important the left arm & hands are now in front of the line & the right arm & hand have retained their angles so the club is being delivered with a forwards leaning shaft - so ball first ground second.
in this swing the club contacted the ground an good inch or so after the ball.

keep up the lessons - don't forget your learning a bunch of different things - lessons & range work your learning 'golf swing motion' & the keys to solid striking, then after that there's learning about the game of golf itself when you step out on the course.

 

[garyinderry]

One of the lads I played with said the good shots were much better than normal, so that's something to take away I guess....

When your really bad shots start getting not as bad you will definitely be improving. Its not so much the good shots that make a round but the bad shots that make or break it.

 

[TheCaddie]

When your really bad shots start getting not as bad you will definitely be improving. Its not so much the good shots that make a round but the bad shots that make or break it.

Fair point.... Think I need to focus on ball striking in these conditions. It was my 2nd /3rd iron shots that killed me.

 

[TheCaddie]

View attachment 13757View attachment 13758View attachment 13759View attachment 13760

to get a solid strike on the ball have a look at a video of your swing from front on.

if you have an app that you can draw lines on draw a vertical line up from the back of the ball. check yourself against these pics here - take a real close look at where the lines bisect the images. if you don't have an app just hold a transparent straight rule straight up from the back of the ball you can then view the vid & freeze it to see how your own positions stack up against these images.

at address (pic 1) notice where the hands & club shaft are in relation to the 90º line & how the left edge of the face is on the line -so head behind line.

notice at top of swing (pic 2) the head is pretty much in the same location, but the hips & upper body has turned/rotated (neither have moved laterally - swayed - away from target) - in relation to the line the upper body is still behind the line.

notice (pic 3) that the weight at transition has gone into the left foot with the arms & right shoulder moving downwards (not out) so the head is still behind the line with the upper body turning (not moved laterally left ahead of the line) & the hips are rotating left.

notice (pic 4) the key to pre-impact - weight is left with the hips cleared & crucially important to a good strike - the head remains behind the line still pretty much in the same location but real important the left arm & hands are now in front of the line & the right arm & hand have retained their angles so the club is being delivered with a forwards leaning shaft - so ball first ground second.
in this swing the club contacted the ground an good inch or so after the ball.

keep up the lessons - don't forget your learning a bunch of different things - lessons & range work your learning 'golf swing motion' & the keys to solid striking, then after that there's learning about the game of golf itself when you step out on the course.

Thanks! Really useful. Sometimes there is just so much to think about it's tough. Was so focused on my swing that I'd learnt in lessons that I probably didn't focus on ball position, or at least try and remedy that.

 

[Darren24]

Leave at least a month between lessons so you can focus on the last lesson instead of having loads of things at once. I'm at the same place as you and find this helps. Like what has been mentioned before you notice the difference in the bad shots. When there are fewer or not as bad as they use to be you know there has been an improvement. For a few rounds things may be up and down but then it will slowly come on. Good luck pal