My mistake

[HTL]

Hi folks, hope we are all well and enjoying the wonderful weather!

I want to tell you a story about me being an idiot. My old flat mate form Uni phoned about 3 weeks ago and agreed to have a round of golf when he came down to watch the rugby (come on Wales!) so in anticipation of this I dedicated all my time down the range hitting different shots etc and had a course of lessons forgetting to actually go out and play an actual round, where as he just sat on his arse and played 2 rounds on the weekend before.

By the time the day came around I was nervous and almost scared of hitting my first drive as I was out of my comfort zone at the range, my game followed this with me slicing shouts and almost losing my voice shouting FORE all the time!

The par was 36 over 9 holes, I did it in 55!!!!! Luckily for me the rugby was soon to kick off so we called it a day and headed for the 19th.

Im gutted but even more determined to go out and implement my practise onto the course.

 

[MVP]

Hi folks, hope we are all well and enjoying the wonderful weather!

I want to tell you a story about me being an idiot. My old flat mate form Uni phoned about 3 weeks ago and agreed to have a round of golf when he came down to watch the rugby (come on Wales!) so in anticipation of this I dedicated all my time down the range hitting different shots etc and had a course of lessons forgetting to actually go out and play an actual round, where as he just sat on his arse and played 2 rounds on the weekend before.

By the time the day came around I was nervous and almost scared of hitting my first drive as I was out of my comfort zone at the range, my game followed this with me slicing shouts and almost losing my voice shouting FORE all the time!

The par was 36 over 9 holes, I did it in 55!!!!! Luckily for me the rugby was soon to kick off so we called it a day and headed for the 19th.

Im gutted but even more determined to go out and implement my practise onto the course.

If i have a lesson i wanna get at least 3 range sessions under my belt before i go play.
Most the guys at my club dont go to the range at all and they all have 15 to5 handicaps etc, it seems that the crap players including my self at the mo are the only ones that use the range .

 

[mikest]

i have lessons from time to time and i feel it helps a lot if you have the same person teaching you all the time who knows your game. if ive had a lesson i would, as MVP, said go back to the range a couple of times before i played a round. before every round i try and hit at least 50 balls at the range, i go through my pre shot routine every shot and just concentrate on tempo, get my mind used to what im going to do on the course. I dont even care if i dont hit the ball particularly well as all im concentrating on is tempo and going through the motions. I'll then go and hit around 10-20 mid length puts and then off to the first tee.

the difference in my game if ive been to the range before hand to that when i havent is massive. i know loads of players who tell me how well they played the back 9 compared the the front and how they "need a few holes to get going".

for me i just need to get warmed up and my body used to the mechanics of the golf swing before doing it where it really matters.

 

[MVP]

i have lessons from time to time and i feel it helps a lot if you have the same person teaching you all the time who knows your game. if ive had a lesson i would, as MVP, said go back to the range a couple of times before i played a round. before every round i try and hit at least 50 balls at the range, i go through my pre shot routine every shot and just concentrate on tempo, get my mind used to what im going to do on the course. I dont even care if i dont hit the ball particularly well as all im concentrating on is tempo and going through the motions. I'll then go and hit around 10-20 mid length puts and then off to the first tee.

the difference in my game if ive been to the range before hand to that when i havent is massive. i know loads of players who tell me how well they played the back 9 compared the the front and how they "need a few holes to get going".

for me i just need to get warmed up and my body used to the mechanics of the golf swing before doing it where it really matters.

Most of the time i play im teeing of 7.45 and dont have much time at all to do the warming up bit although thats what id like to do.

 

[clubchamp07]

MVP thats very interesting about the higher handicapers using the range more often than the lower guy's. It's the same at our range. Anytime I'm down the range (not very often)it's always guys who want to be lower. I really think that they are thinking to much about the swing. The low handicapers that I know are always practising around the chipping green or the putting green. I personally practise more short game than I do the long shot's. Just thought I would point that out.

Mikest, there are more times I play the front 9 better than the back, I'd love to know how this is? I really think it's hunger, then after the front 9 I relax to much and things go pear shape.
I went through a few months a few years back that I couldn't put 2 9's together. Thankfully I'm over that now.
Our competition's start next Monday, cant wait.

 

[mikest]

yeah if its that early then i suppose you have to just go and chance your luck, next to my clubs first tee box like a lot of clubs there is a driving net, so i would always try and hit a few in there first.

If im just getting out of the car and straight to the tee then i remember the best golf tip ive ever been told "alexander coduggan" (dunno about the spelling), i say this whilst doing my two practice swings with the back-swing taking up the 3 syllabulls of the first word alex-an-der, and the codduggan bit for the weight transfer through the ball, i find this word is perfect for my timing and saying this in my head is a quick way for me to tell if my tempo is about right.

I would do this as a kid playing off 28 and I do it now from time to time playing off 5 and I still dont think Ive been told anything as helpful.

 

[mikest]

Mikest, there are more times I play the front 9 better than the back, I'd love to know how this is? I really think it's hunger, then after the front 9 I relax to much and things go pear shape.
I went through a few months a few years back that I couldn't put 2 9's together. Thankfully I'm over that now.
Our competition's start next Monday, cant wait.

i think you might be right, there is the hunger/interest thing and also there is tiredness. a lot of players get tired during the back-nine and the game inevitably suffers. I suppose its why we love the game so much, there is never one answer to the question where golfs concearned!

 

[MVP]

In relation to what your saying Mikest My teaching pro says to me half my basket on technique and the other half should be on tempo. roughly anyway.

 

[mikest]

well the pro's know best, and its excellent advice. how many times do you hit a big slice and think "god how fast did i swing that" tempo is one of the first things to go when I'm playing poorly so thats why I'm so focused on it when I practice.

where is your home course MVP?

 

[MVP]

Fawkham Valley its near the London club In Kent. Its a nice 9 hole course best thing about it is the way the club is run and the good members. ive been there 2 months now and havent met 1 awkard prat if you know what i mean.

 

[mikest]

yeah I know exactly what you mean. I wasnt sure if you lived abroad somewhere on your location below your picture and was gonna say how jealous I am! I'm a member at Brass Castle golf club in Middlesbrough, its a bit of a funny place and if I wasn't a junior there I would have went somewhere else by now, a lot of snobbery and old farts there who seem more interested in telling you to smarten up than to enjoy a game of golf.

Im getting withdrawl symptoms now with all this golf talk, cant wait to get back on the course now!

 

[Gasp]

Yeah my tempo definately dictates my swing. It's almost as though I have to give myself the time to swing properly, if that makes any sense.
As to the range thing, no offence to the higher handicappers, but so often you see guys on the range whacking balls, one after another, and actually all they are doing is ingraining faults. Quality practise, not quantity is the waychword.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I totally agree with all the comments particlarly those concerning golf lessons and in-building the swing. I know that if I hit a bucket straight after a lesson a fair majority will be pure, long high and straight.

However if I go down the next day even though I am working on the same things it will take a lot longer to get into the routine and start hitting balls well.

A lot of this has to do with over emphasising technique for sub-conscious swing thoughts and it is the same on the front 9 when you play. You have those moments waiting on the first where you tell yourself to hit a good one and then as you are over the ball you are thinking so hard about getting it straight and away that you forget to actually swing the club.

Its the same as you start the round. You are so busy chasing a score and trying not to make any howlers that you forget to let you golfing brain take over. You know the swing is in there (you've just paid £30 quid for the lesson to prove it!) and have hit the practice balls but you just don't let it happen.

As for not hitting balls because you tee off early, it is just an excuse as far as I'm concerned. I always have a tube of 20 balls with me when I get to the club. Even in a worse case scenarioa I'll hit some chip shots just to get a feel of the ball on the club and the body use to swinging a club. If I was tight for time etc I'd try and hit 5 wedges, 5 8 irons, 5 5 irons and maybe 5 3woods/drivers. THat should take no more than 15 minutes.

 

[mikest]

yeah i know what you mean, thats why i say the name in my head from time to time like i mentioned. For me its the first thing that goes when Im not playing well.

I agree about the practice, although for me I trust my technique and its just a case of ironing out the small creases, getting the body warmed up so for me i like to hit quite a few balls concentrating on tempo. If i was a high handicapper I would definately agree that hitting ball after ball isnt the way to improve but it would still probably give you more chance hitting a decent one on the first tee than not hitting any.

If that makes sense??

 

[Gasp]

I have to warm up before I play, not only to relax the muscles, or lack of them, but this is when I find my tempo for the day. I can then, hopefully take it to the course.

 

[theeaglehunter]

I really should warm up more before I play, whenever I have warmed up I play much better for the whole round, and it certainly prevents me from shooting a terrible front 9 which is then recovered with a good back 9 which is usually the case for me. I just get to the club and am eager to get onto the course so give the range a miss. As for the practice part, I have recently decided that I am going to strongly limit my range sessions and spend more time on the practice green instead. I have been guilty to many times of just standing there after say twenty carefully played shots, complete with pre shot routine and resolving to just wacking ball after ball. And I know myself this is the wrong thing to do as when I'm doing this my shots are bceoming poorer and poorer. I'm therfore going to try and hit about 50 shots with full concentration on the range and then move to the practice green which I enjoy more and therfore am able to concentrate on more.

Hopefully the results will speak for themselves

 

[pjaz]

Lesson's used to mess my game up until I became confident in what I was trying to apply - too much thinking while trying to hit the ball, is this right, is that right, is my takeaway too steep/shallow, is my club face square at impact - aarrgghhhh, its enough to send you insane .

 

[RGuk]

htl.....you are a silly billy!!

After a lesson i.m.o. you'll play worse before you play better. If you have to play (at all) before things are ingrained, go and hit lots of balls either trying to include whatever you learned or go back to your old style, then re-work on the lesson stuff next time out.

 

[RGuk]

Obviously most people down the range are going to be ****** ***p. No prizes, Sherlock.... the same could be said for golf courses as well!!!

That doesn't mean to say that there won't be the odd one lurking around the bays (like a shark ready to destroy the confidence of anyone looking!)

At the range the other day, there was me (12) some geezer from my club (14?) the prodigy wonder-kid that is some sort of assistant in the pro shop (knocked it round mine in 65 recently), the teaching pro at the range (scratch), his lesson guy (about 156,0000!) and some *** with the world's biggest slice. Average handicap about 10 (excluding Mr. "I might sky this one into the lights on the roof").

Most good players are more into chipping/short game/putting but there is proof that even good players like to sort out their long game every now and then.

Whoever noted that the crap players just ingrain their habits making them even worse is bang on.
There were two guys not so far from my bay the other day, agreeing with each other on the quality of their draws....both of them were slicing the hell out of it!!

 

[mikest]

well im off five, (very nearly 4) and I'm on the driving range around 3-4 times a week depending on time, and I always hit balls before a round. I suppose its just what works for the individual, when you get down to single figures most would say its all about the short game so thats why a lot of people place emphasis on the chipping and putting. One practice session a week will be spent on the chipping green next to the range for me.