Self diagnosis - can you do it

[Maninblack4612]

I've always believed that a good coach should explain why he's telling you to do something & what the club is doing in terms of swingpath & face angle when you hit a bad shot.

As some of you may know, I'm an adherent of Jim Hardy, founder of Plane Truth Golf.

Yesterday, playing with Lord T, I had a nightmare, missing in both directions, but mostly left. Last night, half watching the television I was going over in my mind the things that can cause the fault I was experiencing. Hardy's last book is called "The Release" & deals in a lot of detail with how we should release the club in the impact zone. It occurred to me that I had been doing it wrong, with two habitual faults creeping in, causing the misses left, with one of them leading to the misses right.

So, off to the range this morning to see if my diagnosis was correct. I hit the ball so well that I didn't finish the basket (to avoid any excess strain on my dodgy knee).

I really believe that if people understand their own swings self help can avoid a lot of trips to the pro. I only wish it had occurred to me during the round.

 

[bobmac]

Easy.
If the contact is poor, keep your head still
If the direction is suspect, check your aim and grip.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Easy.
If the contact is poor, keep your head still
If the direction is suspect, check your aim and grip.

Neither of which were at fault. ?

 

[bobmac]

Neither of which were at fault. ?

So your swingpath and clubface were good then?

 

[Oldham92]

I fixed my driver slice myself when I started. Played for a few months and struggled and then made about 5/6 trips in 2 weeks to the range and figured out the swing path issue to fix it

 

[Maninblack4612]

So your swingpath and clubface were good then?

Swingpath was, on occasions, to the left, although aim was fine, it's my recurring fault. Clubface was closed at times due to a faulty release, not bad grip.

 

[YorkshireStu]

I fixed my driver slice myself when I started. Played for a few months and struggled and then made about 5/6 trips in 2 weeks to the range and figured out the swing path issue to fix it

Similar for me. I kept hooking it so went on YouTube where there are lots of videos with advice so jotted down the main themes of grip and clubface direction during the swing.

Turned out that I was showing too much knuckle in my grip affecting the club position at impact.

 

[bobmac]

Swingpath was, on occasions, to the left, although aim was fine, it's my recurring fault. Clubface was closed at times due to a faulty release, not bad grip.

If your swingpath wants to go left and your clubface is pointing left, aim right. That will allow your swing and your clubface to do what comes naturally.
KISS

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I can sometimes do it but not be able to correct myself still

 

[Wabinez]

I‘m trying to learn how to self diagnose...the issue is I am so far down the wormhole of swing mechanics that the more I think about the golf swing, the worse it gets.

at the minute, my swing thoughts are just to loose grip and turn. just need to lower launch angle by about 5°

 

[Imurg]

I like to think I know exactly what's gone wrong...
In reality I ain't got a Scooby...

 

[bobmac]

If you get loads of lessons, completely and fully understand your swing in all its guises, and what movements cause what shot-shapes, you might be able to self-diagnose during a round.

Without the coaching, we're just guessing. Knowing the ball flight laws is one thing, but knowing what is causing that swing fault is completely different.

Hitting a ball is only as complicated as you want it to be.
Learn...
How you hit it....contact....head still
Where you hit...direction ...clubface direction and swingpth
And if you can't do either, go fishing with Smiffy

Obviously there's a bit more to it than that but getting those basics right will help you finish your round

 

[Oldham92]

Similar for me. I kept hooking it so went on YouTube where there are lots of videos with advice so jotted down the main themes of grip and clubface direction during the swing.

Turned out that I was showing too much knuckle in my grip affecting the club position at impact.

Yeah I just had to open the club face a bit at address and it was sorted

 

[Orikoru]

Self-diagnosis is pretty easy, if I'm not hitting a particular club properly, just buy a different one. Problem solved.

 

[Maninblack4612]

If your swingpath wants to go left and your clubface is pointing left, aim right. That will allow your swing and your clubface to do what comes naturally.
KISS

Only sometimes!

 

[bobmac]

Only sometimes!

If they are habitual faults, don't fight them, groove them, especially as you're approaching the back 9 of life.
Get down the range, aim right and let the swing go where it wants and see where the balls go.

 

[jim8flog]

I can self diagnose reasonable well it is just sometimes that it takes more than half of the round to complete the self diagnosis.

Easy.
If the contact is poor, keep your head still
If the direction is suspect, check your aim and grip.

Very often my fault is neither of the above but it takes me a while to work out/ remember what it is.

 

[bobmac]

Here's what I mean.
The lone tree is my target, my feet are way right and my shoulders are square-ish



Even though everything isn't text book, the ball heads for the tree

 

[bobmac]

Very often my fault is neither of the above but it takes me a while to work out/ remember what it is.

What is your fault?

 

[ScienceBoy]

Yes, to a degree.

Usually on the way home from the range/course I figure out why I shanked 10 in a row. I practice at home in front of the mirror and try to take that improvement to the next round/range session.

I can make improvements, changes out on the course, often with good effect. Usually then lament myself for forgetting that for the preceding 14 holes...

Lessons help me learn to fix myself more and better so I would never be without lessons, it’s not a replacement but more of an extension of them.