Learning to Draw, running before you can walk?

[Paul77]

I notice you have GAME Golf, do you analyse your game using the stats at all? I just had a quick look at your profile, and I don't think learning to draw your driver should be your number one concern. Looking at your last round, at Wishaw where you shot 123. You hit 64% of fairways, and looking at your drives you get it out there a decent distance (average of 227 is very good), and hit a decent amount of greens (28% should be shooting around 90 to 95 at worse. However, your putting average 2.72 per hole should be where you're focusing. That's 49 putts, that's a lot of shots. If you could work on your putting, and get it down to say 1.8 per hole, or 32 putts you'd have already gone from shooting 123 to 106, a massive drop.

Also, I'm curious, are the scores on all holes correct? You took a 14 on the first after a drive of 215 in the fairway? Did you actually have 9 shots with either a lob or sand wedge and 5 on the 2nd or did you miss-buzz? If you did take that number of shots with those clubs, your next few lessons should be working exclusively on chipping, pitching and putting. Learning to move the ball both ways with the driver is nice, but your driver isn't stopping you scoring, your short game is. If you fixed that part of your game your scores would absolutely tumble.

On those first two holes at Wishaw, I ended up in bunkers. My aunt was firing all sorts of tips at me without me asking, and I took many shots to come out of them. Second hole I was all over the place still reeling after the utter embarrassment of the first. I tried using my low bounce LW to get out because I didn't have a SW. It was just a dreadful time. Really soft and thick sand, and I had nothing in the bank to hit the shot.

After the round she took me into the practice bunker with her Callaway SW, and after a few duffs, I was coming out nicely. My round at Kirkintilloch lately, I managed to get up and out in one shot which I was happy about. Up until Wishaw, I had never been in a greenside bunker, because the course I used to play on hardly had any. One or two either side of the green but it was bump and run along the fairway type stuff.

She gave me a putter she found in her garage. I had to use that for Wishaw, and it was awful to use. Grip heavy and nothing in the head. An old Mistshubisha thing or something. I now have a Cleveland putter, I'm more comfy with but it's either really fast greens or really slow. Nothing consistent. The pitfalls of not playing in the same place and not being a member of a club I guess.

 

[Dan2501]

Fair enough. Do think a short game lesson would be a massive help (not just for you, but for every high handicapper). You seem to be decent off the tee, and get to the green okay (your GIR percentage is good), but not being able to get out of bunkers is something that will almost certainly crop up again and so a lesson and practice in them would do you the world of good. As for the putter, it's just one of those things. Sometimes you'll putt well, sometimes you'll putt badly, but one thing that you should really start working on is eliminating three-putts. You're not going to do it every round, but you'll be amazed how much of a difference eliminating them will make to your score. Working on learning to draw the ball with your driver will make a very small difference to your scores though, and I'd put that at the bottom of the list in regards to things you should be working on. Learn to score before you learn to draw!

 

[Paul77]

Good advice there Dan cheers.

My plan is to work with the local pro of the course I want to join. Work on consistent striking, and short game. It's small steps. I'm not expecting the world to fall at my feet. I've started using a 6 iron to chip around the greens to get a feel for it, and started to pitch my shots to greens too on the last round. Much better than trying a full wedge shot. 9 iron pitch is way more controlled expecially if there's nothing in front of you.

Just wee things here and there, and build up a catalogue of shots to call on in case they are needed. Sounds like the Draw is one for adding later if it's required. I think for now, like you say, concentrate on the small things that make a bigger difference.

 

[Alex1975]

I say go go go ... learn to play with the ball, its a game after all. It does not have to be your stock shot but then again you dont have to just practice your stock shot.

 

[Dan2501]

Yeah definitely. Concentrate on the things that are going to change your scores for the good. Trying to learn to draw the ball with your driver isn't going to drop your scores, becoming confident inside 50 yards chipping and pitching, and eliminating 3 putts most definitely will. It's not easy, and it might be more fun practising with the driver, but if you want your scores to come down, then you have to focus on the short game. As the saying goes, drive for show, putt for dough.

 

[Paul77]

Followed you on GG. Exciting times in your quest to berak 85. I'd be wetting myself if I was breaking 90. I will one day. Just need to eliminate the stupid wee shots that were a result of zero concentration.

Do you use the GG belt system or the phone app? I find the phone all actually quite a distraction to the round. Good for the rangefinder purposes, but lining up to a putt, you forget to tag it, then your mind is all over the shop.

 

[Alex1975]

Yeah definitely. Concentrate on the things that are going to change your scores for the good. Trying to learn to draw the ball with your driver isn't going to drop your scores, becoming confident inside 50 yards chipping and pitching, and eliminating 3 putts most definitely will. It's not easy, and it might be more fun practising with the driver, but if you want your scores to come down, then you have to focus on the short game. As the saying goes, drive for show, putt for dough.

Unless you are crap at driving and have a reasonable short game... Best to work on what your worst at.

 

[Dan2501]

Followed you on GG. Exciting times in your quest to berak 85. I'd be wetting myself if I was breaking 90. I will one day. Just need to eliminate the stupid wee shots that were a result of zero concentration.

Do you use the GG belt system or the phone app? I find the phone all actually quite a distraction to the round. Good for the rangefinder purposes, but lining up to a putt, you forget to tag it, then your mind is all over the shop.

Cheers mate. Followed back!

It's come all of a sudden for me. End of last year I shot a 92 but it was one of my few sub-100 rounds. I was typically anywhere from 95 to 110. I started taking lessons in Feb this year, and the hard work and practise since then is really starting to pay off. I'd had a few group beginner lessons before this block of lessons, but had no private individual lessons, and they've made a massive difference to my game. Coach thinks my #Break85 goal is silly, and I'll do it easily, he wants me to be breaking 80 this year, which to me just sounds insane. If I did manage that this summer it would mean I'd dropped from shooting 100, to shooting 79 or less in about 6 to 8 months, which is just crazy. It's pretty exciting though, I never imagined I'd improve so much, so quickly. Couldn't recommend getting lessons enough!

I have the device on my belt, not tried the phone app, though I've tried similar apps and never got on with them, too distracting and find it a chore carrying my phone around in my pocket. Love GAME Golf, it's the best piece of tech I've bought for years. Feel lost without it when I don't have it on during a round now, it's become a key part of my pre-shot routine.

Unless you are crap at driving and have a reasonable short game... Best to work on what your worst at.

I was referring to Paul specifically to be fair. In general, I do agree, and that's the beauty of GAME Golf, getting quantifiable evidence to prove your strengths and weaknesses.

 

[JustOne]

Why does every pro seemingly try to get people, specifically new golfers to hit a draw?

Are they just giving people what they want? are they just trying to move them in the opposite direction from their choppy over the top motion?

Because it's the natural way to hit a ball, we swing in a circle so the club approaches the ball slightly on the way down and from the inside..... or we could simply top it.... which lots of people seem pretty skilled at

 

[la_lucha]

Sorry I haven't read the majority of the thread so others may have already pointed, but Peter Finch has done a good video on Youtube recently teaching how to hit a draw.

I have recently gone through a swing change as I was hitting it straight left with an out to in swing. I practiced the same methods as he instructs to go to an in to out swing, thereby giving me the straighter/drawing shot that I was after.

 

[Paul77]

Sorry I haven't read the majority of the thread so others may have already pointed, but Peter Finch has done a good video on Youtube recently teaching how to hit a draw.

I have recently gone through a swing change as I was hitting it straight left with an out to in swing. I practiced the same methods as he instructs to go to an in to out swing, thereby giving me the straighter/drawing shot that I was after.

I'm guilty of watching way too many videos from Peter and Rick to be honest. I have seen their draw vids, and the theory looks sound, but actually putting it down into physical motion is harder I found.

One thing I had trouble with at the range was were to position the ball. The only mats available last night were the ones were you feed the balls in and it pops up on the tee after every shot, so I couldn't move the mat round. It just all felt wrong. Was I standing too close to the ball? How far away do you need to be? All that tends not to get covered too much and after I used a bit of common sense I hit a few well. It all went to pot though after a lapse of concentration. I'm sure a few more trips will have it down.

 

[Alex1975]

Because it's the natural way to hit a ball, we swing in a circle so the club approaches the ball slightly on the way down and from the inside..... or we could simply top it.... which lots of people seem pretty skilled at

 

[Foxholer]

A draw is not all its cracked up to be especially with a 5 club wind left to right

I would think, and it's my experience also, that it's a whole lot better (for a rightee) than a fade/slice in such conditions!

As for the OP's question....Trying to manufacture a draw with the hands/wrists/forearms is fraught with danger! Region3's simple method is far safer! How best to achieve that is often down to some trigger/thought that your Pro is in the best position to identify!

 

[swasterix]

My natural shot is a draw. This is excellent for the driver, longer irons. Not so for the shorter irons. I have a tendency to miss left, as the ball lands on the green and rolls out, spinning to the left.

The pro I am working with is trying to help me to play iron shots with a (slight) fade, as they generally tend to land softer, and roll out less.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

My question to the OP is why? There are clearly more critical changes to be made looking at GG and to be honest a repeatable solid swing is more important at this stage. Once those scores and handicap starts dropping then look at adding some finesse and shaping. I'd definitely be looking at the putting asap, and the short game as well as the long swing. I guess it depends on finding a decent pro you get on with and teaches you in a manner you can understand and can remember. It's not a bad goal to have but I wouldn't think it's a necessity just yet