Playing proper golf whilst trying to change your swing

[timd77]

As mentioned on the ‘I had a lesson today’ thread, I’m committed to practicing more over the winter to implement some changes I’ll be going through during lessons. Intention is to go to the range at least once a week, twice of if I can. First lesson yesterday and I’m trying to remove an over the top swing, so it’s totally different.

I play actual golf every weekend with a bunch of lads, always in some sort of comp and they’re always qualifiers unless the course gets really bad. It’s a social thing as well as playing golf. I’d like to carry on doing that, but naturally I’m a bit concerned that my handicap will take a big hit if my range swing takes longer to transfer to the on course swing! We have a lot of OOB and trees!

What’s everyone else’s experience of this kind of scenario? Did you stop playing competitive golf whilst going through changes? Did you find that you went back to your old swing on the course and kept your range swing separate until you were ready to take it out on the course?

 

[Neilds]

In my (higher handicap) opinion, you cannot have 2 swings on the go at the same time. You need to try and do the new swing at all times or it will never become your 'usual' swing. If you just revert to type on the course, you will just waste a lot of the lessons and the range time. Your handicap won't go up that much, despite what a lot of people on here like to think - a shot or 2 at most.

 

[Orikoru]

Feel free to refer to any of my 'played today' posts from 2024. I had a lesson near the start of that year, changed my posture, swing path, everything. Played horrendously for the entire year. I only entered about 5 or 6 comps, but you have to play a certain amount at mine or else you're not eligible to win future comps. I completely despaired of my game several times, but I stuck with it and tried to make sure I never went back to my old set-up. Before long that became obsolete anyway - like, I was in a place where I'd almost forgotten the old set-up anyway and it wouldn't have worked anymore - I just hadn't fully grasped the new set-up either. I think we can call it a transitional period.

Ultimately my handicap went as high as 16.9 at the start of this year (having started in the mid-14s when I had the lesson), but this year it all clicked and I've now got down to 11.9. So I don't regret it, but it was really hard mentally to play crap for over a year while I tried to figure it out. I think it needed doing as my posture was very hunched over, arms reaching and disconnected from the body, and swing very much out to in, so I never would've improved any further without changing it all.

 

[Billysboots]

In my (higher handicap) opinion, you cannot have 2 swings on the go at the same time. You need to try and do the new swing at all times or it will never become your 'usual' swing. If you just revert to type on the course, you will just waste a lot of the lessons and the range time. Your handicap won't go up that much, despite what a lot of people on here like to think - a shot or 2 at most.

Agreed. So much is about muscle memory, and constantly reverting to an old swing will mean that you will continue to do that, especially when under pressure. You will simply revert to type.

I had a real problem with an overswing for a long time, and the only way I could rid myself of it for good was to take what I was doing on the range out onto the course.

Short term pain for long term gain.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

It’s already been said in the replies before but do not revert to the old swing to play no matter what you score. You’ll end up with a mush mash of both and wasting your time and money.

You’ll end have to trust the process and practice everything you’ve learnt as often as you can and no matter what happens in the course keep repeating what the you and the pro are putting in place. It will likely get rough for a while but sticking with it you’ll come out the other side in a much better place.

 

[timd77]

Feel free to refer to any of my 'played today' posts from 2024. I had a lesson near the start of that year, changed my posture, swing path, everything. Played horrendously for the entire year. I only entered about 5 or 6 comps, but you have to play a certain amount at mine or else you're not eligible to win future comps. I completely despaired of my game several times, but I stuck with it and tried to make sure I never went back to my old set-up. Before long that became obsolete anyway - like, I was in a place where I'd almost forgotten the old set-up anyway and it wouldn't have worked anymore - I just hadn't fully grasped the new set-up either. I think we can call it a transitional period.

Ultimately my handicap went as high as 16.9 at the start of this year (having started in the mid-14s when I had the lesson), but this year it all clicked and I've now got down to 11.9. So I don't regret it, but it was really hard mentally to play crap for over a year while I tried to figure it out. I think it needed doing as my posture was very hunched over, arms reaching and disconnected from the body, and swing very much out to in, so I never would've improved any further without changing it all.

What you’ve said is basically where I’m at, so thanks for that. Currently 14ish, would like to get down to 10/11 in the next couple of years.

Interesting to read the replies, and it’s what I thought really. I’ll be avoiding medals and pairs comps for the foreseeable, certainly until I’ve got an idea in which direction the balls tends to go!

 

[Depreston]

What you’ve said is basically where I’m at, so thanks for that. Currently 14ish, would like to get down to 10/11 in the next couple of years.

Interesting to read the replies, and it’s what I thought really. I’ll be avoiding medals and pairs comps for the foreseeable, certainly until I’ve got an idea in which direction the balls tends to go!

What’s the over the top fix you’ve been given

Love swing change threads

 

[timd77]

It’s a combination of things really. He wants me to swing from the inside, the contraption he used was a long stick coming up at about 45° next to me which I had to swing under. If I can as over the top I’d hit it. I’ve had a look online at similar set ups I can use to replicate it, using an alignment stick and a ball basket, or the gate drill.

The other thing was about keeping my head behind the ball. The before video, my head was all over the shop. He got me to turn my head slightly to my right and look at the ball mainly through my left eye, pull my right shoulder back a bit and focus on keeping my head behind the ball.

I know this is just the beginning, no doubt I’ll see him again in 3-4 weeks with more questions than I already had! He said he wanted to keep the first session simple rather than sending me away with too many changes.

I’ll post updates anyway.

Here’s his summary of what we did, my before and after…

https://www.golfsthegame.com/viewvideo.php?ID=334355&Verify=32ABE7E8

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

During my changing my swing (and three years in and still working on it) I kept and have kept playing. I was given a routine for every shot to help - but it has been tough, and I’ve had some terrible scores along the way. But so what. I needed the little bit of trying things out on the course..for real…plus I needed the pressure of comp to really test how things were going. I am getting there,

 

[Burnsey]

During my changing my swing (and three years in and still working on it) I kept and have kept playing. I was given a routine for every shot to help - but it has been tough, and I’ve had some terrible scores along the way. But so what. I needed the little bit of trying things out on the course..for real…plus I needed the pressure of comp to really test how things were going. I am getting there,

Same as me, but not over that period.

I just haven't had time to play more than once, sometimes twice a week and zero practice, so I take my lessons to the course.

Yes, i sometimes backtrack if things are going really bad, but overall it is working for me.

 

[Sid Rixon IV]

My recent experience can't be unique.
After a very long period of being totally comfortable on the tee with my driver, and getting "Wow" s from partners I inexplicably start falling apart and spent about a dozen games topping the ball and watching it slither along the ground. It was soul destroying. I took a lesson from our Pro who has coached me in the past and I got basically deconstructed.
Nothing improved on the tee for many more games and everyone could "see what I was doing wrong" though they all had a different view. I was convinced it was over.
I decided "Give up or play through it" and chose the latter.
Then, still disregarding the lesson, I hit a corker, then another. I could never articulate it but I knew, getting ready to drive, "my" swing was back and as good as ever.
I've gone through the same agony with chipping. Shank after shank for several games, play on, gone.
All in my head.

 

[timd77]

First practice session complete. I think it went well. Tried to just focus on swinging around my body. The driving range mats have the swing arc painted on them, and so I was trying to follow the lines (probably just a thought than actually doing it). I also had the stick set up I mentioned, didn’t hit it once, which is a good sign, shows I wasn’t hitting out to in.

Filmed most shots and watched them back. The over the top move was definitely much less noticeable. When I filmed face on, my head seemed to be behind the ball a lot longer.

Although I went without any expectations on hitting nice shots or worrying where they went, the pleasing thing was that I didn’t hit any ‘card wrecker’ type shots, which gives me a bit of confidence to take it to the course. I probably only hit 2-3 balls to the right, which is unusual for me. The rest were straight or with a slight draw, bad ones were pulls. Nice height on the majority of shots, which again isn’t like me.

Driver was probably my worst club, a bit too much height on them and I also bottomed out early on a couple. But no card wreckers.

All in all, a good start. I actually enjoyed it, I normally can’t stand the driving range, but having a plan and focusing on the changes really helped. I was there 2 hours but it felt like 30 mins!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

First practice session complete. I think it went well. Tried to just focus on swinging around my body. The driving range mats have the swing arc painted on them, and so I was trying to follow the lines (probably just a thought than actually doing it). I also had the stick set up I mentioned, didn’t hit it once, which is a good sign, shows I wasn’t hitting out to in.

Filmed most shots and watched them back. The over the top move was definitely much less noticeable. When I filmed face on, my head seemed to be behind the ball a lot longer.

Although I went without any expectations on hitting nice shots or worrying where they went, the pleasing thing was that I didn’t hit any ‘card wrecker’ type shots, which gives me a bit of confidence to take it to the course. I probably only hit 2-3 balls to the right, which is unusual for me. The rest were straight or with a slight draw, bad ones were pulls. Nice height on the majority of shots, which again isn’t like me.

Driver was probably my worst club, a bit too much height on them and I also bottomed out early on a couple. But no card wreckers.

All in all, a good start. I actually enjoyed it, I normally can’t stand the driving range, but having a plan and focusing on the changes really helped. I was there 2 hours but it felt like 30 mins!

When I am on the course - playing or practicing - every shot I decide what shot I am going to try and play; I then try and make it happen as I can do on the range or chipping ground. But I don't allow myself to be deceived by what might appear (to myself or another watching) as a really good shot if it wasn't the shot I was trying to play. If it matters I'll accept it of course, but I won't pretend to myself that I meant it and I'll try and work out what I did wrong - or didn't do as I had intended.

 

[garyinderry]

Good luck with the swing changes. Never worry about your scores for the winter. Its time to think about how good your game can be when you tee it up next spring. The real golf starts again.

You were very steep on your old move. Getting more from the inside will definitely get you more solid hits.

If you have a few weeks now till your next lesson. You could get ahead and work on improving your arm structure and width.
Here's a fairly simple drill from monte which will allow you to feel a better top of the back swing position.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[timd77]

Good luck with the swing changes. Never worry about your scores for the winter. Its time to think about how good your game can be when you tee it up next spring. The real golf starts again.

You were very steep on your old move. Getting more from the inside will definitely get you more solid hits.

If you have a few weeks now till your next lesson. You could get ahead and work on improving your arm structure and width.
Here's a fairly simple drill from monte which will allow you to feel a better top of the back swing position.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Thanks, I’ll give that a try. I know I’m very narrow aren’t I, during the back swing and follow through. I’ve previously had a swing thought of ‘wide takeaway’ in the past but it’s easier said than done!

 

[garyinderry]

Thanks, I’ll give that a try. I know I’m very narrow aren’t I, during the back swing and follow through. I’ve previously had a swing thought of ‘wide takeaway’ in the past but it’s easier said than done!

There was a distinct lack of width and depth on the original swing. Made things very difficult to swing from the inside.
On the new swing you do get deeper but as you can see still a bit narrow.

That drill above will let you feel a better position at the top. You will feel its so much easier to even hit from a static position at the top.

Best of luck. Look forward to seeing your swing improvement

 

[timd77]

Some shorts clips of my swing from yesterday’s session, hopefully they work. Can definitely see an improvement but still plenty to do!

 

[ntommo]

My opinion for what its worth is you still have to be playing golf on the course. Its fine doing the practice on the range as long as its meaningful however I've always found the course a totally different matter. How many times have you been to the range and end up thinking I've got this only to score 20 points the next day in a comp. Go to the range, try and drill it in but still play at weekends in comps. I wouldn't let the increase if any bother you its just part of the process. In general it usually gets worse before it gets better

 

[timd77]

My opinion for what its worth is you still have to be playing golf on the course. Its fine doing the practice on the range as long as its meaningful however I've always found the course a totally different matter. How many times have you been to the range and end up thinking I've got this only to score 20 points the next day in a comp. Go to the range, try and drill it in but still play at weekends in comps. I wouldn't let the increase if any bother you its just part of the process. In general it usually gets worse before it gets better

Yeh, I’ve come to that conclusion now. There’s just that fear factor isn’t there, the swing feels really alien to me at the minute and I’m expecting hosel rockets, air shots and all sorts to creep in! I’ve got a comp on Saturday and then next weekend is just a knock so if I can get through Saturday relatively unharmed, next weekend should be a bit less pressurised.

 

[timd77]

Stableford comp today. I think I mainly took the new swing with me, hard to tell for sure without someone recording my swing! Felt that some worked and some didn’t. Seemed to hit a lot of fat shots, really fat, and so I need to work on my low point. I’m guessing this has come from me trying to keep my head behind the ball as much as possible, so maybe I’m not turning back through enough?

It’s a strange feeling stood over the ball, not knowing where it’s going to go, where to aim etc.

Something I hadn’t thought of was that it’s one thing trying to groove a new swing on a flat range mat in perfect conditions, but something entirely different off slopes, out off rough and soft lies! I’d got to a point where I knew what my old swing would give me in most situations, now I feel like I’m starting again.

Scored 30 points, which I’d be ok with most weeks, not embarrassing, so I’m quite pleased with that really. That said, I feel I was scrambling quite a lot and didn’t really give any putts away.

More work needed!