How patient do i need to be?

[kid2]

Evening all.....
Im just back from what has to be the worst round that iv ever had in my 4 years of playing to date.....It was only a stableford weekly comp so no real pressure as such.....
26 degrees of heat and a course thats in immaculate condition.....

I had a total meltdown.....Absolutely nothing and i mean nothing went right....I felt like i had no clue as to how to even swing a club.....
Iv managed the hurdle of reaching Category 2 golf...Now officially 12.3...But today i played like a 36 handicapper......

I was fighting stuff the whole way round...... I couldnt get a consistent hit on anything.....

Iv put in a decent amount of work these past few months...Iv had 2 cuts recently and a spate of buffer finishes....But im still not liking the way im playing......
I dont want to go back to my Pro as im mid way through the season and the last thin i want now are more technical thoughts on top of what i already have......

I seem to be trying too hard to get better (IF THERE IS SUCH A THING ) and it seems that im not enjoying the game as i would like.....
Theres no point in telling me just to go out and play and see what happens because when i do this i just completely loose focus......
If im struggling ill always try and finish in the buffer and never throw the towel in...But today i was just atrocious.....
Turned with 14 points and came home with 5..... After our 10th hole i just didnt want to be out there anymore.... I was totally disheartened......

Iv spent the last 6 months changing my swing path and i seem to have this stubborn attitude that ii should be able to do it but everything seems to go straight right on me...... With the exception of my shorter stuff..Say from 7 iron up.... These are dead straight.... But there is no point in being able to hit those straight when im spraying the ball everywhere with the rest of the bag......

Am i being to impatient with myself for wanting to try and reach a 9 or a 10 handicap within the first season after a swing change....
Its getting to the point now where im blaming my gear and im getting itcy feet about more forgiving irons.....

I have the ability, attitude and discipline to keep going but my god as patient a person as i am, this is testing me to the limit....
Am i asking too much of myself as a midhandicap golfer to be able to play to my handicap every week....

 

[pokerjoke]

No-one plays to their handicap every week.
Try and enjoy the game,scores will come when you least expect it to.

 

[ventura]

I wouldn't think too much of today's round, the heat absolutely killed me today, sapped all of my energy.

Playing to handicap each week is probably quiet ambitious too, have read lot's of people saying 3/4 times out of 10 is average.

 

[kid2]

No-one plays to their handicap every week.
Try and enjoy the game,scores will come when you least expect it to.

Its bloody hard though Pal...... Not hard to play to my handicap when im playing well...Thats the easy part....Just playing steady..... Iv went from an out to in swing path and pulling the ball and slicing it at worst....To pull hooking the ball and pushing it....Iv a 2 way miss going and im really not liking it..... It has to be something small... But i cant seem to figure out what it is.....

My Pro had a look at the pushes and said that im straightening my right leg in the backswing....But since trying to ,aintain a little knee bend it seems that im now swinging around myself rather than down the line....... It just feels very unnatural to me to feel like i should be throwing the club after the ball....

 

[fundy]

why do you play golf Kid2? Maybe worth trying to work out the answer to whats not as easy a question as it sounds

 

[GreiginFife]

Having read many of your posts the recurring theme is how much you trh to think about and analyse/change things.
IMO you are over thinking it and complicating it for yourself. Again, IMO there is no need for a mid handicaooer and above to get that technical.
Have an understanding yes, but you seem to put too much pressure on the technical aspects and this is probably whats holding you back.

This is purely my opinion on the subject of technical learning in the game. Too much knowledge and all that.

 

[kid2]

why do you play golf Kid2? Maybe worth trying to work out the answer to whats not as easy a question as it sounds

For me Fundy its a game..... But im very competitive...... If i take something on then i have to give it my all.... Thers no half assed attempts at it...Iv always been like that even when i was playing football..... I played it to be the best i could be at the postition i played.....
I play golf to get as low as i can...... Im only playing 5 years but last november bit the bullit and took 8 lessons over a 6 month period..... I worked my ass off to rid my out to in swing and mybe i expected too much too soon......My Pro told me that i had a good enough swing to get me to a 6 or a 7 handicap and after that he said its all short game.... But the way im swinging feels totally unnatural to me.....
Sorry i went off the beaten track there a little....... I play golf to get better at it.......

 

[pokerjoke]

Its bloody hard though Pal...... Not hard to play to my handicap when im playing well...Thats the easy part....Just playing steady..... Iv went from an out to in swing path and pulling the ball and slicing it at worst....To pull hooking the ball and pushing it....Iv a 2 way miss going and im really not liking it..... It has to be something small... But i cant seem to figure out what it is.....

My Pro had a look at the pushes and said that im straightening my right leg in the backswing....But since trying to ,aintain a little knee bend it seems that im now swinging around myself rather than down the line....... It just feels very unnatural to me to feel like i should be throwing the club after the ball....

I can feel your frustration.
However a full swing change will take time,and sometimes your old swing will rear its ugly head.
Persistence and believing what you are doing with your pro is key.
I know this sounds easier than done,but as few swing thoughts as possible are key.
When all swing thoughts are gone and you just go and play,im sure your handicap will fall.
I myself have been through the changes recently,and I can safely say I have improved no end.
My handicap has dropped,and I feel it will drop further,purely because now my head is clear
of all the swing thoughts..
I now have one where I make sure my left shoulder goes under my chin,this tells
me I have completed my turn,well as far as im going.
Good luck mate,stick in there.

 

[kid2]

Having read many of your posts the recurring theme is how much you trh to think about and analyse/change things.
IMO you are over thinking it and complicating it for yourself. Again, IMO there is no need for a mid handicaooer and above to get that technical.
Have an understanding yes, but you seem to put too much pressure on the technical aspects and this is probably whats holding you back.

This is purely my opinion on the subject of technical learning in the game. Too much knowledge and all that.

I understand your point Pal..... And i agree with you that i get too technical at times...Especially after my rounds...... But if i dont get technical about things....How do i change a swingpath without knowing what to do.....

Its all well and good saying i think too much nut its hard to not think on the course when im supposed to be swinging a certain way.....How do i know that im not just compounding a fault?

 

[kid2]

I can feel your frustration.
However a full swing change will take time,and sometimes your old swing will rear its ugly head.
Persistence and believing what you are doing with your pro is key.
I know this sounds easier than done,but as few swing thoughts as possible are key.
When all swing thoughts are gone and you just go and play,im sure your handicap will fall.
I myself have been through the changes recently,and I can safely say I have improved no end.
My handicap has dropped,and I feel it will drop further,purely because now my head is clear
of all the swing thoughts..
I now have one where I make sure my left shoulder goes under my chin,this tells
me I have completed my turn,well as far as im going.
Good luck mate,stick in there.

Cheers Pal.... And good Luck with yours also..Im too stubborn to give up......... :thup:

 

[fundy]

For me Fundy its a game..... But im very competitive...... If i take something on then i have to give it my all.... Thers no half assed attempts at it...Iv always been like that even when i was playing football..... I played it to be the best i could be at the postition i played.....
I play golf to get as low as i can...... Im only playing 5 years but last november bit the bullit and took 8 lessons over a 6 month period..... I worked my ass off to rid my out to in swing and mybe i expected too much too soon......My Pro told me that i had a good enough swing to get me to a 6 or a 7 handicap and after that he said its all short game.... But the way im swinging feels totally unnatural to me.....
Sorry i went off the beaten track there a little....... I play golf to get better at it.......

really? so you will never achieve your target as you will always want to get a bit better based on your post (if not you would see from your 2 recent cuts that you have got better!)

honest bit of advice is that you need to get a bit of perspective (and enjoyment/fun) into the game or you are going to constantly be fighting a never ending battle that you cant win (and yes im part speaking from experience here)

a step back and reassess what you really want from golf may do you the power of good

 

[kid2]

really? so you will never achieve your target as you will always want to get a bit better based on your post (if not you would see from your 2 recent cuts that you have got better!)

honest bit of advice is that you need to get a bit of perspective (and enjoyment/fun) into the game or you are going to constantly be fighting a never ending battle that you cant win (and yes im part speaking from experience here)

a step back and reassess what you really want from golf may do you the power of good

I understand your view Pal..... But how do you enjoy the game when your not playing well.... I suppose there are the two sides to the coin.... If i start having fun ill play better.....But i need to start playing well to start enjoying myself again....

 

[fundy]

I understand your view Pal..... But how do you enjoy the game when your not playing well.... I suppose there are the two sides to the coin.... If i start having fun ill play better.....But i need to start playing well to start enjoying myself again....

Not saying its easy mate, been through the mill myself at times, but one thing is for certain, if when youre playing badly you put more pressure on yourself and dont find any crumbs of enjoyment then it certainly isnt going to get better.

At the end of the day, golf is leisure time, and you have to be able to find some parts of enjoyment even on the bad days. One tip I was given was to write down the best 5 shots Id hit after a bad round, usually when Id talk about my rounds Id just focus on the bad shots and forget the good ones, giving a distorted view of how bad I had played, making it harder to improve and enjoy. As i say, context/perspective are important imo, different for each of us but critical to find the right context. Maybe try it for your "worst round ever" above, lets hear about a couple of good shots from within

 

[kid2]

Not saying its easy mate, been through the mill myself at times, but one thing is for certain, if when youre playing badly you put more pressure on yourself and dont find any crumbs of enjoyment then it certainly isnt going to get better.

At the end of the day, golf is leisure time, and you have to be able to find some parts of enjoyment even on the bad days. One tip I was given was to write down the best 5 shots Id hit after a bad round, usually when Id talk about my rounds Id just focus on the bad shots and forget the good ones, giving a distorted view of how bad I had played, making it harder to improve and enjoy. As i say, context/perspective are important imo, different for each of us but critical to find the right context. Maybe try it for your "worst round ever" above, lets hear about a couple of good shots from within

Well you've been there done that Pal.... Words of wisdom....... My problem is that i try to perfect everything that i do... Iv always been that way....But i guess that it can put too much pressure on at times.

 

[Evesdad]

Sounds similar to me except different levels. I've worked hard to get rid of the out to in and I'm more in to out. I too seem now to miss on both sides left or right but recently more to the right. I know that for me I'm leaving the face slightly open with the driver and hitting a big push. Stick with it maybe just get the pro to give a quick once over rather than anything major. Maybe something simple.

 

[Foxholer]

YOU ARE OVERTHINKING
Leave the technical stuff on the range

YOU ARE OVERTHINKING
Just hit the shot

YOU ARE OVERTHINKING
Let the swing happen

YOU ARE OVERTHINKING
Lose the tension

YOU ARE OVERTHINKING
Think of the shot not the swing


Somewhere in the above you might detect my thoughts. By the number of threads on this topic, you don't seem very confident about your game and about what you are doing. Having come down in the last 3-4 months after your swing change, there's no need to feel so lost. Go read a Rotella book - they all say pretty much the same thing - and simply play ome Golf!

Do you actually have a target - for this year; in the future? Without one, how can you measure how well you are progressing?

Btw. Get a comparison vid of your swing. With all the 'work' you have been putting in I'm certain it will have changed, so you can move on. If it hasn't changed after all that work, it's not going to, so just live with what you have.

And remember that it's the short game that will save you the most shots! Practice that rather than being obsessed with the long game!

And er, How's your Grip? Stance? Alignment?

 

[JustOne]

Boo Weekly is a pretty good golfer, everyone knows him and likely everyone on the forum would gladly take his swing and his lifestyle/earnings at the drop of a hat.... up until last month he hadn't won on tour for 5 years!!

Imagine not winning a club comp/medal/stableford etc etc until 5 years from now.......

reality check :thup:

 

[GreiginFife]

I understand your point Pal..... And i agree with you that i get too technical at times...Especially after my rounds...... But if i dont get technical about things....How do i change a swingpath without knowing what to do.....

Its all well and good saying i think too much nut its hard to not think on the course when im supposed to be swinging a certain way.....How do i know that im not just compounding a fault?

As I say, having an understanding of the swing path and what you need to do. But getting way too deep on it is not beneficial.
What good is it knowing that you need to move from and out to in swing path if a) it doesn't feel right to you (in which case you are fighting against it straight away) or b) doesn't work for you.

I was talking to a guy at my club who is off 0.2 and asked him what he thought swing mechanics... His reply? "I don't worry about it, I just line it up and hit it".

Analysis is also fine, but after every shot and every round? If you have a fault and want to fix it you have to accept that you need to replicate the fault time and again to really understand it and not try to rush a fix by using the swing path or something technical as an answer.

The above is just my opinion based on playing for 25 years and not really worrying about swing mechanics. I either hit it good or I don't.
The reason, in my opinion, why I'm floating around 11/12 HC is because I simply do not get out there enough (and it was last year when I did manage to start getting out more that I got cut to 11 from 12.6) but changing job did that in for me.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think the OP and I are cut from the same cloth. I want to be the absolute best golfer I can be every time I play and I do get frustrated when I work hard on my game and don't see the results I think the effort deserves. On the course at the moment I am playing 13-14 good holes and chucking in a few bad ones. I can't find an 18 hole round. I am definitely trying to just go out and play with an empty head and enjoy it.

I am still getting lessons and I am still confident as is my pro that I can get to single figures. My short game is still killing me and I am still working on that. I am definitely not having the season I hoped for after the winter work I put in. I am trying to accept that going back up to 11 or 12 isn't actually the end of the world and may actually be a help come the winter. I'm taking stock, regrouping and trying to push on again for the second half of the season.

I love my golf. It may not always come across that way and I do get annoyed if I have a bad day but a few hours later the resolve to try again is back. I had a horror in the 4BBB last week and felt I let my partner down. What can you do but say sorry in the bar and come out next time.

My advice is take the shocker on the chin, continue to work hard and see where the journey takes you. If the swing isn't there with the longer clubs, surely a lesson is the way to go if only for peace of mind you are still on the right path.

 

[kid2]

Thanks for all the reassurance fellas.....
I hold my hands up to being too technical....I have to admit that..... But its my nature...... I cant fix it if i dont know whats broken.....I hate getting 0.1's back which is why i guess im so hard on myself when im not playing well....I think this is all a huge learning curve for me which im sure will stand to me if i ever manage to reach single figures.....
With regards to playing with what i have......
I want to get lower but have been told that i need a swing path change for that.....
I think im more along the journey than what im describing as i have shallowed out my swing a lot.... I can see the results of this in my divots......
Maybe searching for the holy grail of ball flight in the DRAW i might just have to be happy with a fade.....

I just want a consistent shape....I dont really care whether its right to left or left to right..... As long as i have some handle on where its starting and ending up......