Do we make golf more complicated than it needs to be?

[MattM]

Different people will enjoy doing the same thing in different ways.

One player may enjoy the technical aspect of the game and analyse clubs, balls, swings, etc to the n[SUP]th[/SUP] degree. Another player will enjoy just going out and hitting a ball without a second thought for technique etc. Both players may score exactly the same, enjoy the same level of banter and both be able to say they enjoyed a round. One approach isn’t any better than the other - depending on the individual.

The “hit it, find it” player might say that the other player took the fun out of the game because they took it too seriously or got too technical, but to the other guy that IS the fun of the game.

Where there would be a problem is when the player who naturally wants to be “hit it, find it” player gets too caught up in a technical / serious approach to the game. In this case I’d agree the fun will go out of the game,and there will be parallysis by analysis because the player is doing something against their natural instincts.

A lot of the players I play with think I take the 'analysis' side too seriously, but since joining our golf society when returning to the game I've dropped 12 shots off my handicap, am still called a bandit and have been in the top 3 in every competition we've played. And yes, I've enjoyed it .

The best player in our society though is a "hit it find it" guy!

 

[davidy233]

This topic helped me a lot today - I've been practicing a lot recently and think I had got too mechanical - went to the range this morning and just swung the club without any real thought - was great fun and the stuff I've worked on was largely there anyway as I've ingrained most of it - went out for nine holes afterwards and hit it pretty well.

 

[Ian_S]

To the OP's question, I'd say a conditional yes.

We probably do make it more complicated than we need in general. But, if you're the kind who can get to a low handicap by playing 'hit it, find it' golf then you are one of the lucky few who that works for. Likely you are the right height/proportions for standard loft & lie clubs to fit. Your natural swing is probably pretty close to a good golf swing, as opposed to a hitting action many have and you probably have good flexibility. For you, golf comes very naturally.

Do I sound jealous? Yes, very probably and indeed I am. I wish golf came so naturally to me. But unfortunately I have to get into a very unnatural position to use standard clubs. No doubt many others do too. So we probably do make it complicated, but don't judge us for it. It's the only way we can make this game work for us.

 

[the_coach]

There are two completely different sides to this.

You playing golf on a course, you're out to shoot the lowest score you can.

Works best when you get out of you own way and function on your routine to assist that goal stops the restless mind interferring, also on one shot at time, stay with a relaxed focus & in the present moment.
You visualize the shot you want to play in a positive way, you may have one feel thought.
Find your target line use to routine to settle in to address then just pull the trigger & hit the shot.

On misery hill, the practice ground, short game range, putting green or the driving range you better be there with a purpose a proper plan to work through to get the improvement you're trying to achieve.

If not you might as well not be there because just bashing balls with no thought of what you are trying to achieve, will do exactly that, help you achieve nothing.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Undoubtedly yes!

There is no reason to complicate the golf swing. A lot of people like to 'talk the talk' and think having all the knowledge makes them a better player but in most cases it just clutters up the mind and leads to confusion and doubt.

Get the fundamentals right then just swing the club back and through. It's not exactly rocket science.