Draw,fade......just straight please!!!!

[ademac]

Before I start I just want to say that I dont think I am a goood golfer or good at shaping the ball!

I went to the range today as have been having trouble with my irons lately. My main problem is that I've been hooking the ball, which is a whole new problem for me as I normally fade/slice the ball!

So after a few hooks and a couple of draws I decided to grip the club as I use to (minimal difference in my eyes) and also start my take away as I use to. As soon as I changed I was hitting a more controlled fade and the odd slice.

I decided to try and find some middle ground between the two grips/take-aways to try and hit the ball straight but it just wasnt happening!
I was taking a ball and on command either hitting it left or right, not in a very controlled way but on 9/10 shots I could say which shape the ball would have.
After a bit more trial and error it was clear to me that I could hit the fade with a lot more control and more consistently so I will be using my "old swing" next time out on the course.
I just wish I could hit the bloody thing straight!!

 

[Region3]

Is the new grip/swing something a pro has had you change? If so I'd stick with it. The more basics you have right the less compensations the swing has to make and therefore your pro would have more chance of fixing it.

 

[ademac]

Well heres the thing, I have recently been to see a new pro who changed my grip a bit and got me moving my body more thru the swing but my old pro had previously changed my grip to the "fade grip" if you like?
I realise that I will have moved my hands since my old pro changed them as its inevitable but my new pro has given me a different right hand grip.
So I guess both grips have been shown to me by pro's, one draws the ball and the other fades it!

 

[HickoryShaft]

I am feeling your pain at the moment also.

Lesson yesterday and the Pro broke it to me that my grip needed changing to straighten up the slices / fade shots that are my occasional (sometimes frequent!!) poor shot .

Felt completely alien but I persevered. Went to the range in the evening and tried my hardest to get it groved in but struggled so decide to change it back to my 'old grip' then to my horror found I was stuck.

Can't hit it with either now!!

Back to the range later today to try and get one or the other working!!

Frightening stuff - went from playing my personnal best to not being able to keep anything straight at all. I know I need to persevere but its hard thinking I will be out on the course tomorrow and not knowing if I will be able to hit the ball!

 

[Region3]

I'm not having a dig, but it amazes me how many people pay somebody for advice then ignore it.

The only way is to stick with it and it <u>will</u> get better, unless you have good reason to believe that they're no good as a teacher, but they don't give PGA qualifications out with corn flakes packets.

 

[HickoryShaft]

I'm not having a dig, but it amazes me how many people pay somebody for advice then ignore it.

The only way is to stick with it and it <u>will</u> get better, unless you have good reason to believe that they're no good as a teacher, but they don't give PGA qualifications out with corn flakes packets.

Fair point - I knew I should be carrying on but wanted a 'get out of jail ' option to play tomorrow then press on with the change at the range.

As it is, I hit the range tonite and worked on the new grip through all the clubs and it is really coming together. No slices to be seen - drawing the ball a fair bit and the odd hook but straigher overall I would say. Back tomorrow morning before I play for a bucket or 2 to get it working better (I hope) , then will test drive it.

Still nervous though

 

[Tommo21]

Stop trying to hit the ball straight and you'll start playing better golf.

 

[ademac]

I dont think I have ignored a pro's advice necessarily as my first pro changed my grip and I perservered religiously to the extent that my scores rocketed but then really did start paying off and I was shooting pb's and playing my best golf. But since my new pro has changed my grip from my first pro it is making me hit the ball very differently!
I fully accept that a pro has earned his status and is fully qualified ti teach me but maybe pro's see different things in pupils, after all they aren't robots.
I also am now thinking that hitting it straight isn't the be all and end all of golf and will be using my first taught grip as it is more reliable.
Interesting subject I think in the way different pro's teach, one is late twenties the other mid forties, I wonder if this makes much difference in teaching technique? Just thinking out loud really!

 

[Piece]

Before I start I just want to say that I dont think I am a goood golfer or good at shaping the ball!

I went to the range today as have been having trouble with my irons lately. My main problem is that I've been hooking the ball, which is a whole new problem for me as I normally fade/slice the ball!

So after a few hooks and a couple of draws I decided to grip the club as I use to (minimal difference in my eyes) and also start my take away as I use to. As soon as I changed I was hitting a more controlled fade and the odd slice.

I decided to try and find some middle ground between the two grips/take-aways to try and hit the ball straight but it just wasnt happening!
I was taking a ball and on command either hitting it left or right, not in a very controlled way but on 9/10 shots I could say which shape the ball would have.
After a bit more trial and error it was clear to me that I could hit the fade with a lot more control and more consistently so I will be using my "old swing" next time out on the course.
I just wish I could hit the bloody thing straight!!

Is that you Bubba?!