Natural or Technical?

Atticus_Finch

Atticus_Finch

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Would you describe yourself as a natural golfer or a technical one?
By that I mean I have never had a lesson and to be honest I don't think much about my swing and as I've stated in a previous post, I don't practise much either. So I reckon that I've managed to get down to 11 just by playing. Whether I would improve dramatically with lessons and learning about my swing remains to be seen. I don't like thinking about it too much to be honest.
I've played with category 1 players and have seen both sides. I've played with guys who basically whack the ball round the course like it's the easiest thing in the world and I've also played with guys who you can see checking and analyzing their grip/stance before every shot they take. Obviously going over and over in their head everything they worked on at their last lesson.
So, the question is... Which one are you?

PS. I would like to make it clear that I don't regard myself as a natural born golfer, because I'm far from that.
 
I would say natural, I have had lessons but on posts such as "to the left" I find the jargon boring and like a foreign language.

Because of this my pro has taught me to copy things he demonstrates. We don't go into technicalities as I find them tedious.

Strange as when It comes to cars I am bang into intricacies.
 
Natural here too, ive always hit a long ball with a draw, I had a few lessons to sort my medium irons as I could miss a 40 yard wide green from 160 yards 9/10 times, now I like to think those odds are a little better.
Ive recorded my swing on several occasions and analysed them to a certain extent, usually 'thats swinging a little beyond my normal' or 'thats a pretty dreadful finish to that swing' sometimes I even manage a 'actually thats not a bad swing'. I never start the good old techy thoughts regarding planes etc. I just want to hit the ball and feel comfortable doing it.
 
I had five lessons as a nine year old at Sandown Park one week during the summer holidays which taught the basics (grip, stance etc). After that I was pretty much left to my own devices as a junior etc and managed to get down to single figures.

Most of that was because I was playing for six weeks every summer (36 holes plus) plus every weekend throughout the year so my swing was pretty honed. It was good enough for me to get down to single figures and become the an assistant at Wimbledon Common.

I then stopped aged 22 and didn't start again until I was in my late 20's early 30's. My swing bore no resemblance to that lazy youthful swing of my childhood but it was still functional. I fell out of love with the game in my mid 30's and only really took it up again when I was given the chance to join Royal Ascot last year.

I had a number of lessons, and my swing has been remodelled from a very high action a al Furyk but with a reverse pivot into a much shorter and more rounded swing. From June to December my handicap dropped from 20 to 13 and I won three stablefords, a medal and had a number of other top 3 finishes.

I am certainly not technical in having to know what angle my wrist is at x position or how many degrees to rotate etc. My pro has given me three key positions and we work on feeling the positions as opposed to swinging by numbers.

I guess that means I have gone from natural to technical but I feel it has been a comfortable and natural progression as I get back into golf and aim for single figures. My swing is repeatable and when I get problems I know it can only be a matter of a few key set ups that are out of synch so it is easily fixed
 
I went to my pro with a natural swing which he has morphed with technicalities im all for science and facts and figures so its all made sense to me. you need to learn technical stuff and the naturalness in yourself will help you learn the technical stuff quicker!

Golbaldey gook
 
to be honest I think everyone is more natural up until they reach a handicap of 5 and below, this is where the real intricate technicalities come into play, as from this stage it is preodminantly the only way to improve. However that is not to say that some golfers can not reach low figures by natural ability, as some people (i.e tour players) are born with great swings. But certainly there is only so far you can go before you have to consider technicalities.

As for myself im purely natural at the moment, I try and replicate what I see others do. I did originally have a single lesson which merely taught me about stane,grip etc, but this I do naturally now so don't really consider it technical.
 
I think I've got more technical as I've gotten older and better. Like Homer I played to a fair standerd as a junior, got down to 8, then gave up the game for 12 years. Took it up again when I was thirty, then got addicted. I like knowing the technical side of the swing. If something's going wrong I can tell why it is, even though I may not be able to do anything about it. The golf swing, though technical, when performed properly is I believe a thing of beauty. So though technical, I strive for artistry.
 
Definately a natural golfer, walk up, size the shot up and just hit the ball.
I'm still fairly new to golf (in terms of being a member at a club) and loving it. I can think of nothing worse at the moment than going to a pro for lessons, having him assasinate my swing and taking all of the enjoyment back out of my game! (I went for a few lessons after I joined my club 2 and a half years ago and can honesty say it nearly made me stop)
I want to imagine shots in my head and feel my way around the course, not plot a graph on a grid.....
 
I'd still be on 28 if it weren't for lessons.

It might not look much like a trained swing, (I have little talent!) but it's not my creation at all, 100% the work of a pga pro.

Dave
 
you walk up to the ball, think I want it to go there but to do that I actually have to stand this way, then hit it that way, oh and I can't look at where I want it to go - nope, it's definitely not natural.
 
I think I've got more technical as I've gotten older and better. Like Homer I played to a fair standerd as a junior, got down to 8, then gave up the game for 12 years. Took it up again when I was thirty, then got addicted. I like knowing the technical side of the swing. If something's going wrong I can tell why it is, even though I may not be able to do anything about it.
Click to expand...

B%$*$y hell gasp

Almost the same story as me, got down to 7 gave up for 10 years.

Except i have gone the other way and play of 12. Now think i have got too technical and rely less on feel
 
100% technical - took up the game to late to be anything else. I'm a sucker for lessons (one every 3 weeks) and tips / drills from GM magazine.

If I was natural i would never have improved. When I started I couldn't hit a wood and struggled with anything below a 6i.

After 2 years, i've dropped from a 24 to 16 and am trying to get to 10 by then end of next Summer. . . .fingers crossed
 
Would not say I was a natural but I have yet to have a lesson.

Had a couple of pointers given to me about my grip but thats about the height of it.

Things seems to be going well at the moment so I am reluctant to allow a pro to see me / try to rebuild me!
 
Would have say I was a natural as I have only ever had one lesson, this will prob change as I have booked a block of lesson's with the pro.
 
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