Am I the only one this ha happened to?

[CHood77]

I started playing golf in September last year, just for fun. I don't take it seriously, and play maybe 1 or 2 times a week. I've joined my local 9 hole course (a nice, varied par36) so I can play as much as I like, and I've been really enjoying it. I've had no lessons yet, and when I started I went round in 70 ish. Over the winter I've just kept on playing, hoping that by now, I'd be half decent, and wouldn't embarrass myself in the light of day.

A few weeks back I went round in my best so far, 47, but generally I was going round in 49-53 consistently. I was more than happy with this, and thinking about taking a lesson.

One of my customers at work asked if I'd take him onto my usual course to show him around, which I was happy to do. I went out with him, quite happy, very relaxed and had a bad round. I know that everyone has bad rounds, and I've had them before, and just treat them as practice. I went round in about 65, which I shrugged off as a bad round. I put it down to him. He was trying to teach me. Every time I lined up he was telling me to move my feet, hands, head etc. I decided early on that I would ignore him. The inevitable bad round ensued. Fine.

The thing is, I've played twice since then, and it's like I've never played before!! I mean this morning I went round in 68! I really feel like he's destroyed my enthusiasm for the game. I was really enjoying myself, and now it feels like a chore.

Has anyone got any advice, or have they experienced the same?

 

[bladeplayer]

Hasnt happened to me personaly but ive seen & heard of it happening , witnessed it first hand one evening last year , went out to play a few holes , there were a couple of lads i knew heading out, they asked did i wana join them i said why not .. one guy was a beginner & the "expert" (used loosey) showing him knew less ..

Was hard to witness i tell ya , the guy learning had no fun what so ever .. after about 3 holes of hacking , he asked me , what do you think i should try .. (snooker was nearly my answer).. i told him to hit an iron off the tee that he knew he could hit well, , then the same iron again & see how it went .. as he started to hit the ball better his confidence grew a bit & he hit a few of the other clubs a bit better aswell ..

was chating with him in the carpark after & he told me his mate (even tho his intentions wee good) was draining the bit of fun he was getting out of the game .. i advised him to get few basic lessons off our pro & he would enjoy it again ,

 

[Monty_Brown]

If someone is asking for help on this site, and I think that I can help a bit based on my knowledge, I will offer advice, albeit with a caveat that I may be talking cobblers.

However, I NEVER try to sort people's swings out on the course. It doesn't work, and it destroys their game.

Even if someone asks for advice, I might, at a push, tell them to think about tempo or rhythm. Telling people how to set up, where to get the club etc is just silly. "Swing with what you bring" is a good maxim for golf.

The guys who try to "coach" high handicappers on the course are usually doing it to massage their own egos, and almost invariably spout crap.

"Keep your head down" is the classic line you get from these guys....

 

[Rooter]

even my pro says, no point trying anything new or changing mid game. his favorite saying is "swung what you brung" and i kind of agree.... practice and changes are for the practice area and range...

 

[CHood77]

"keep your head down" was one of his most frequently used gems.

I'm gutted. I was really enjoying myself. No doubt I was doing everything I shouldn't, but it was fun at least!

 

[GreiginFife]

I will generally never offer advice unsolicited when I'm out on the course. Occasionally a mate will ask what I think they are doing right/wrong and if I know I will offer my thoughts with that same caveat of MB that it may be total tosh.
I would never dream of just telling someone that I think they are doing things wrong, mainly as I am a firm believer that there is no right and wrong in golf and it's about what works for you.

 

[nickd499]

Have gone through very similar things, started late october an was going around a 9 hole course in simlar scores (par was 31 i ranged from 38-46 quite regularly) and thought i was a bit of a golfing god. Then for the next few weeks everything went down hill and i guess i was kidding myself a bit and realised after a while my swing wasn't going to work in the long run, had 3 lessons sorted the basics, then by the end had me working on a few more things. A fair amount of practice followed and i'm slowly getting back to these scores. If you do go the lesson route prepared to get worse before you get better but also prepare to get completely hooked on everything golf! If you don't want to get too serious stick to what you feel has worked don't listen to no one and enjoy

 

[nufc86]

seen this last week as it goes, was a young boy 11/12 with his dad. dad had no clubs just the boy, everything the boy did the dad would tell him what to do. stood and watched him while we waiting for play to move on. do this, do that don't do this. the boy not long finished from school and got that to come home to, plus it was boiling. just wanted to fire a ball right at his dads head. worst bit was his dad didn't even carry his clubs lol absolute hell

 

[Yerman]

Never take or give lessons when playing, to quote Sam Torrance "If you don't take it with you you won't find it out there". Have lessons, play golf and know the difference.

 

[chrisd]

It isn't alays so .... I went out as a 4 ball last Saturday, and one of the lads had never played before. Knowing that I was a regular player he said that he would welcome any advice I could give. I kept it all very simple and didn't overload him and on a course that had been hollow tined that week where we all struggled to putt, he shot 117.

Given that he didn't know how to get out of bunkers and putting was almost impossible I would say that was a cracking score on a full size, par 70 course.

He was happy with the help and I let him use a few of my clubs as his woods were older than Tiger himself, and I know that he plans to take up the game seriously as a result.

 

[Foxholer]

Never take or give lessons when playing, to quote Sam Torrance "If you don't take it with you you won't find it out there". Have lessons, play golf and know the difference.

+1!

On course lessons are worth what you pay - so the free ones are worth...?

Only 'advice' I ever give is the observations that 'you seem to be rushing the backswing' or 'swinging a bit smoother might help'.