Making huge swing changes

[chrisd]

Just another point of view after reading people posting about big swing changes!

You've got a decent swing, maybe a little quirky or ugly etc, but it works for you. You can knock it round in close to single figures on an average day and the swing you have is repeatable and you can't generally either slice it (or hook it) because of the mechanics you've ingrained .

So, do you do a Faldo, Montgomery, Tiger etc and set about remodelling a swing that works for you pretty well, to a different swing that will work for you, maybe, after a lot of anguish during the change process. Every swing has its merits but they also have their problems when not performed well, so, eventually after lots of hard, painful work you changed a pretty functional swing that cocks up when you don't get it right to another swing that cocks up when you don't get it right.

So, is your swing that bad, or your chipping and putting that good, that keeping your old (but working) swing and devoting your energy to the short game, not going to give better and longer term results

I only ask after my pro said that he could change my functional swing and save me maybe a shot or two per round but if I chipped and putted better I could save enough to be high single figures quite easily. That's not to say my short game was really poor.

 

[USER1999]

If you change your swing to one that is technically better, but then get nervy when it matters, was it worth it?
I never used to be nervous playing comps. Then I changed my swing, and during the changes suffered from a certain anxiety, due to not being quite sure how it would all work. Now I'm happy with my swing, but can't get rid of the nerves. It's not been a good swap really!

Not sure I would bother, if I had the choice to do it all over again.

 

[Hacker Khan]

If we are talking about an amateur that plays for fun then leave it as it is all day long. If your swing is functional, repeatable and it means you enjoy the game then why would you change it? You will fluctuate a shot or two each round on complete and utter luck, so why bother potentially ruining what you have for just that?

 

[MashieNiblick]

The likes of Faldo, Tiger etc are looking to make changes that will take them from being incredible golfers to being slightly more incredible golfers because that marginal improvement might make a difference to winning a Major or not. They have coaches on hand and can hit hundreds of balls day in day out to ingrain the new swing and it still doesn't necessarily work for them.

I think the answer is practice your short game, with maybe the occasional lesson just to ensure your basic swing mechanics are sound or to address a specific issue.

 

[One Planer]

Good thread Chris :thup:

When I first started my lessons it was because the only shots I could hit semi-consistently was either a shank or a pull.

After about 18 months solid work with my pro, I've gone from a pull fader to a push drawer.

My swing is quirky at best. Very flat, strong(....Ish) grip, little throw at the top, but I still manage to get to the ball from the inside.

The main reason I now work with my pro is to fine tune the work he has already done.

In essence I'm still working on my swing, but only to fine tune what I have. Not to make my good shots any better, but to make my bad shots less poor.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Two things I've learned from my swing changes this year.

Firstly, it can make a huge improvement in your game. No doubt my changes have taken me to another level and when it's working well I'm much improved.

But, yes, even now after playing with it for almost a full season it still isn't always reliable under pressure and when it goes "off" confidence quickly follows. Right now my good golf is better than ever but my bad golf is much worse than before I started changing things. This weekend, I played great on Saturday (moderate pressure) but then had a complete car crash of a round yesterday (high pressure) - very frustrating.

I don't regret making the changes but still need to work on it to improve consistency.

 

[TheCaddie]

It's all about risk reward, but I would suggest chipping and putting is where you will save the most shots every day of the week if you are hitting fairways regularly. You can also tweak short game techniques easier than big full swing changes, so you shouldn't get a huge 1 step backwards feeling.

For me, I am just really not great with my woods or driver atm, and I have no consistency, so that's where I am getting a lesson tomorrow. I will take whatever advice is thrown at me, but as soon as I start hitting those fairways consistently, then I will keep with that swing, and start working super hard on the short game (which is actually doing quite well for me atm).

 

[Canary_Yellow]

It really depends on what your goals are I think.

I don't really harbour any ambition of being a category 1 golfer, primarily because I will never have the time to play enough golf to get there.

So for me, realistically, the best I will get to (and I might not get there) will be high single figures.

To get to that level, I don't think it's necesary to be able to do anything other than hit the ball straight. For me, a swing that enabled me to be sure I'd hit it straight all the time, never slice or hook, would be sufficient. With a tidy short game high single figures is within my grasp.

I'm still striving for that solidity, although I'm moving in the right direction.

 

[robbo]

Interesting thread Chris and something I've been thinking about myself the last few weeks...

The short answer is I'd take a quirky, repeatable swing with a decent short game over a pretty swing and poor short game any day. You would probably say I did for years! Having just returned to playing golf after a long break it was very tempting to start changing the swing - especially when the game seemed harder than I remembered. But after a couple of months of trying to change the swing I've now just gone back to playing the old, slightly quirky, way and the long game is improving and I don't have ten swing thoughts in my mind on the tee. The short game needs some work but as your pro pointed out this is where a lot of the shots are saved and is definitely the difference between where my game is now and where it was 7 years ago.

 

[Piece]

I made a large change to my swing several years ago. I also updated my clubs through professional fitting. It took lots of practice, lessons and time (18 months) to be comfortable with the changes. There's no doubt my good golf now is better than it was.

 

[chrisd]

Some great answers!

I haven't asked the question for myself as I've now "found" my swing and, if I don't change anything in the long /medium shots, on a good day I'm fine for my age and level of fitness. I really posted as there are regular postings of decent golfers completely changing things to achieve different flights etc from their current one and getting downhearted due to the lack of confidence in the new swings

Personally, I now just hit much fewer balls at the range and am working on chipping/pitching much more than before. I plan to sort my streaky putting out too

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I have had some lessons this year and made some pretty big changes: grip change, swing path is less in to out, and a short stop at the top (not quite so long as Matsuyama). I did it because I was so inconsistent. It may be great one day but terrible the next.

It has taken a lot of getting used to, and am basically looking at this season as a bit of a write off. But I am hitting the ball more consistently well, just need to get some scores to follow the ball striking.

I think that it will be worth it in the end, hopefully after a good winter of practice and better strength from the gym work I'll be a newer/better golfer next year.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Some great answers!

I haven't asked the question for myself as I've now "found" my swing and, if I don't change anything in the long /medium shots, on a good day I'm fine for my age and level of fitness. I really posted as there are regular postings of decent golfers completely changing things to achieve different flights etc from their current one and getting downhearted due to the lack of confidence in the new swings

Personally, I now just hit much fewer balls at the range and am working on chipping/pitching much more than before. I plan to sort my streaky putting out too

If you can hit every club in the bag reasonably well and consistently then, yes, playing with that and sharpening the short game sounds like a great way to go. I had to make changes because I was very inconsistent with mid irons and just awful with long irons. Wasn't an issue on my short home course but was killing me on longer courses.

I guess it comes down to knowing your strengths and weaknesses and making changes accordingly...

 

[garyinderry]

I recently found a video of my swing from 2011. I was off around 15 at the time.

The exact same swing DNA is present today but just a few things tightened up. It is far from textbook, ugly, not the most powerful but can get the ball around reasonably well.

To move from 12 to singles it is simply about getting up and down more.

 

[RollinThunder]

My swing was pretty much moulded by myself, by using a practice net and my camera phone, as well as instructional videos on YouTube. In my first lesson with a pro, he was shocked at how technically good my swing was, and was very surprised that I hadn't had any lessons before, which was an excellent compliment!

He had me standing slightly further away from the ball, with more focus on ball positioning, and getting out of the habit of not releasing the club properly, which he blamed on cricket. We didn't really have any major swing changes, just to focus on things such as a more in-out swing path, to get rid of slices and pulls, although I admit that I've slipped back into this after a year's absence from golf.

If you don't have a textbook swing, like most people, but still hit the ball well and can go round in a good score, then why change it. I unwittingly built a pretty textbook swing from the start, but I still have problems to address.

 

[tsped83]

If we are talking about an amateur that plays for fun then leave it as it is all day long. If your swing is functional, repeatable and it means you enjoy the game then why would you change it? You will fluctuate a shot or two each round on complete and utter luck, so why bother potentially ruining what you have for just that?

Exactly this. Who has a consistent swing to change anyway??

 

[chrisd]

T

If you can hit every club in the bag reasonably well and consistently then, yes, playing with that and sharpening the short game sounds like a great way to go. I had to make changes because I was very inconsistent with mid irons and just awful with long irons. Wasn't an issue on my short home course but was killing me on longer courses.

I guess it comes down to knowing your strengths and weaknesses and making changes accordingly...

I guess at your level Karen, that your "just awful" is someone else's "I'm really happy with that" though. To get that low I'm assuming your short game is, at the worst, very competent and therefore working say, on long irons may give better returns

 

[Hacker Khan]

T

I guess at your level Karen, that your "just awful" is someone else's "I'm really happy with that" though. To get that low I'm assuming your short game is, at the worst, very competent and therefore working say, on long irons may give better returns

As with all these things, it's all relative. It always amuses me when I read posts like the one on here from JamesR who is saying he was terrible one day, needs to start posting some scores and he will be a better/newer golfer next year. But he plays off 6! Christ, I've been known to be 6 over on one hole. Walk a mile in my shoes my son, and I'll show you what terrible inconsistency looks like

 

[chrisd]

T

As with all these things, it's all relative. It always amuses me when I read posts like the one on here from JamesR who is saying he was terrible one day, needs to start posting some scores and he will be a better/newer golfer next year. But he plays off 6! Christ, I've been known to be 6 over on one hole. Walk a mile in my shoes my son, and I'll show you what terrible inconsistency looks like

But isn't that just the beauty of the game?

We are, pretty much all, wanting to improve. I saw a video clip the other day where Phil Mickleson asked Dave Peltz to save him one quarter of a shot on his short game per round!!

 

[Slab]

I'd say if you've a repeatable swing that's hook/slice free and of reasonable distance and the player isn't off single figures then they're not spending enough time on the short game practice area/putting green

I'd leave the swing alone and try to be one of those guys with a wicked short game they talk about at the bar