Simple game made complicated

[RangeMonkey]

I’m a newbie, and I love all the gear geekery. I’m currently reading about the Newtonian mechanics of the golf swing. I don’t expect it to make me better, it’s just that maths is part of my life.

Far from putting me off, all the technical stuff is one of the best parts of golf for me.

 

[Diamond]

I’m a newbie, and I love all the gear geekery. I’m currently reading about the Newtonian mechanics of the golf swing. I don’t expect it to make me better, it’s just that maths is part of my life.

Far from putting me off, all the technical stuff is one of the best parts of golf for me.

The technology, self helps books and general science behind golf is definitely a massive plus for someone who has a tendency to be an obsessive.

 

[RangeMonkey]

The technology, self helps books and general science behind golf is definitely a massive plus for someone who has a tendency to be an obsessive.

You know me so well already!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It is a simple game made complicated. I've taken a lot of stuff from things lile Bob Rotella but ultimately play my best golf when I have an empty head devoid of any swing thoughts or expectations. Getting to that position is more of a problem than the flaws in my game

 

[Diamond]

For the last 30 years I have played another sport to county level and even managed to win out of town open comps. I was never taught how to play the sport and never had a lesson. Everything was natural and I just did it without thinking.
When I picked up a golf club in the summer and had lessons the buzz I got was incredible. At the same time when I tried something and it didn’t work it left me devastated. Like a lot of people I struggled with driving (lost many balls). I had another lesson and sure enough through practice I can now hit a straight drive 6 times out of 9 (some low and with fade) and if lucky the other 3 are not to wayward. In short I persevered with my driver.
Now my drives feel natural and the friend I play with said that my drives look the same every time.
I still have to think about what I am doing, ball level with front heel, make sure my feet are aligned in correct direction, shuffle an inch back, think half a swing, have 2 practice swings, drop right shoulder a little and have a smooth relaxed swing. Sometimes I can hit 120 yards sometimes 190 yards but I am hoping with drier weather I can increase the length so that my 2nd shots are reachable of the green on par 4 holes.

 

[Jigger]

I enjoy a lot of Neil Tappin's Golf Monthly vids on Youtube - but was actually rather depressed today by his '8 mistakes when buying equipment' one. Just sooo complicated and technical - and way over the top for me.

And he almost seemed to be suggesting that it was worthwhile considering spending nearly £500 on a new driver - on the grounds that you might not get the same breadth of components to build your perfect club if you went for 'last years model'.

And the thinking around choosing your putter according to whether you are a 'straight back and through' or 'arc' putter - sorry - Neil - it's a putter - you practice and adjust your putting stroke until it works for you. I know there are many golf equipment geeks (on here) - but if I was a newbie or considering taking the game up - if anything was going to turn me off it would be the cost and complexity of buying your gear being suggested in the video.

Golf is indeed a relatively simple game - but goodness - equipment and golf technology discussions make it seem very complicated and confusing.

It’s the same in any sport though. There’s basic kit out there but it depends how far you want to take it. Anyone starting out would do with a cheep set of second hand clubs and some lessons rather than full blown fitting. That comes later if you like like the sport enough.

 

[Crow]

I’m a newbie, and I love all the gear geekery. I’m currently reading about the Newtonian mechanics of the golf swing. I don’t expect it to make me better, it’s just that maths is part of my life.

Far from putting me off, all the technical stuff is one of the best parts of golf for me.

Pretty old now but this is one of the first books to go in deep on the golf swing and still worth a read now.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Sear...965019?hash=item522958359b:g:pukAAOSwElpd6ouL

 

[Orikoru]

Fully agree. I'm obsessed with golf alright, but not with what my swing looks like - just with playing and talking about the game. Over the last year I really focused on not losing my rag after a bad hole or two, and I think my game improved as a result. If you're able to just laugh off the bad shots then your head is clear for the next shot - and the only shot you can affect is the next one after all. And of course you enjoy the round more instead of walking off beating yourself up. This weekend just gone I had a bout of the Tom Hanks for the first time in over six months, but instead of crying about it I just laughed it off and remembered what I did to fix it last time it happened - problem solved, and still scraped 33 points.

 

[Grant85]

Having started playing golf in the last 10 years, i made good progress. I thought I was the next tiger and immersed myself into everything golf. I was far too obsessed and nearly signed up to American golf forum too!!! I tried to play every week and even went on a golf trip.

But then, life happened and now i spend my weekend on football or cricket fields watching kids or diy etc. This year I played 5 rounds. Of these 2 were just before Christmas. I played on a different course and with hired (beginner) clubs. I was playing with a friend who is equally obsessed. But both these games had big difference.

I did not care. I swung well, putted well, but I did not care for the result. if i hit OB, i just reloaded. It was good fun and shot a couple of birds too. I birdied his SI 1 hole too!!. Thats when i realised, the game is fairly straight forward. My obsession on swing thoughts, swing planes, Shaft stiffness, launch angle, driving distance, putting lines all went out of the window. In came the joy of the game. I did have the odd frustration when par turned to Bogie or Double. But who cared, I was out in the open, with a good mate and having a laugh. Dont get me wrong, I am still competitive/foolish. Maybe this was what made me fall in love with this beautiful game in the first place. Maybe I made it too complicated in my head

Anyone else feels like this.. Time to detox and rediscover

Yes - absolutely.

I'm still at the stage of wanting to improve as I want to get my handicap as low as I can. But I guess when / if I knock a few more shots off it will be very easy to plateau and golf will become more about who you play with and where you play.

I used to wonder how when a discussion starts up on the 1st tee, guys didn't know their exact handicap. 'I'm 12, no hang on it's 13 now.' The answer is that they don't really care, they effectively only keep a handicap so they can play on certain competition days. Maybe the occasional round, the stars align and they shoot a few under. But for the most part, they are just out for a game and chat.

The pressure of competition can make you play / score far poorer.

 

[GB72]

I am so glad that I now ignore most of the complexities of golf now and enjoy it for what it is, an enjoyable hobby. No obsessing over golf gear, ball types, lessons, swing speed etc. No feeling that I have to play in all conditions to keep my swing going or go and practice in the cold, dark and wet at the range. No turning up an hour before a round to hit a bucket of balls, spend time chipping and then practice putting. All I do now is look at the weather forecast, work out if I feel like playing and arrange a round with my playing partners. I turn up, drink a coffee and see what swing I have been given on that particular day. I have good rounds, I have bad rounds but when the only aim is to get out in the fresh air and have a walk with some good company and see what happens golf wise, there are no expectations, no pressures and no stresses over performance, no swing thoughts, no desire for the latest shiny gear that is no different to last years.

I have realised that I do not have the time, or the inclination, to put the work in to actually get much better than I am nor to maintain that level (there is far to much else to enjoy in life that does not involve chasing after a little white ball) and so I stopped trying, accepted that my golf game is what it is and just play for the fun of it.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I am so glad that I now ignore most of the complexities of golf now and enjoy it for what it is, an enjoyable hobby. No obsessing over golf gear, ball types, lessons, swing speed etc. No feeling that I have to play in all conditions to keep my swing going or go and practice in the cold, dark and wet at the range. No turning up an hour before a round to hit a bucket of balls, spend time chipping and then practice putting. All I do now is look at the weather forecast, work out if I feel like playing and arrange a round with my playing partners. I turn up, drink a coffee and see what swing I have been given on that particular day. I have good rounds, I have bad rounds but when the only aim is to get out in the fresh air and have a walk with some good company and see what happens golf wise, there are no expectations, no pressures and no stresses over performance, no swing thoughts, no desire for the latest shiny gear that is no different to last years.

I have realised that I do not have the time, or the inclination, to put the work in to actually get much better than I am nor to maintain that level (there is far to much else to enjoy in life that does not involve chasing after a little white ball) and so I stopped trying, accepted that my golf game is what it is and just play for the fun of it.

I understand and empathise completely. Only thing that I'd add would be that I'll still be trying to get my handicap down - though being still more interested in getting my game nice and stable - at a level that I can enjoy playing most anywhere.

It's a bit like my wishes to folks (and myself) for the new year - Health and Happiness - and if a wee bit of Wealth comes along as well then all the better. So for golf - Enjoyment and Companionship - and if a wee bit of Handicap reduction comes along as well then all the better.

 

[GB72]

I understand and empathise completely. Only thing that I'd add would be that I'll still be trying to get my handicap down - though being still more interested in getting my game nice and stable - at a level that I can enjoy playing most anywhere.

It's a bit like my wishes to folks (and myself) for the new year - Health and Happiness - and if a wee bit of Wealth comes along as well then all the better. So for golf - Enjoyment and Companionship - and if a wee bit of Handicap reduction comes along as well then all the better.

Always happy with a bit of handicap reduction if it comes. I have the game to do it if things go right and normally I have one good round every few weeks that cancels out the plus 0.1s from the previous few weeks and sometimes gets me lower than that.. Not going to stress if it does not happen though.

 

[Crow]

My obsession is still there but it's focus has shifted slightly towards the history of the game.

I'm still gear obsessed but now gear from the past.
The thrill of finding a rare set of irons or putter (but I must add that, because there are probably less than a dozen people in the country with a similar interest, rare does not equal valuable) is greater than a new release driver. You can buy a new release driver anywhere but spotting a good set of irons among the general crap on ebay is far harder.

Often I feel as though I'm buying something just to prevent it from going to landfill, like my latest win on ebay, a set of Craigton "Royal Gold" irons, £32 delivered, nobody else would have bid on them and they'd have been skipped or charity shopped.
Craigton was created in 1966 by John Letters after he left the John Letters company and these along with the "Classic" were the first two models they produced, retailing at £5 13s & 2d per iron.

 

[stefanovic]

I am so glad that I now ignore most of the complexities of golf now and enjoy it for what it is, an enjoyable hobby. ..accepted that my golf game is what it is and just play for the fun of it.

Fact is you can't lick the game of golf. At least not for long.
But one thing I have noticed is the similarity to Tai Chi when you reduce the swing to slow motion.

Notice for instance the bent knees, foot positions and arm movements common to both.
Golf and Tai Chi are difficult to learn, but strangely both are fun.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

My obsession is still there but it's focus has shifted slightly towards the history of the game.

I'm still gear obsessed but now gear from the past.
The thrill of finding a rare set of irons or putter (but I must add that, because there are probably less than a dozen people in the country with a similar interest, rare does not equal valuable) is greater than a new release driver. You can buy a new release driver anywhere but spotting a good set of irons among the general crap on ebay is far harder.

Often I feel as though I'm buying something just to prevent it from going to landfill, like my latest win on ebay, a set of Craigton "Royal Gold" irons, £32 delivered, nobody else would have bid on them and they'd have been skipped or charity shopped.
Craigton was created in 1966 by John Letters after he left the John Letters company and these along with the "Classic" were the first two models they produced, retailing at £5 13s & 2d per iron.

I do get your obsession with older golf clubs - I've got a couple of books in that respect you may well be aware of - 'Golf Collectors Price Guide' by John Taylor (1983) and more interesting 'Collecting Old Golfing Clubs' by Alick A. Watt (1985). Nice companions to 'A History of Golf' by Robert Browning (a reprint)

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Fact is you can't lick the game of golf. At least not for long.
But one thing I have noticed is the similarity to Tai Chi when you reduce the swing to slow motion.

Notice for instance the bent knees, foot positions and arm movements common to both.
Golf and Tai Chi are difficult to learn, but strangely both are fun.

I believe this is the cine film shot by a family friend when they were visiting Hogan and his wife at Hogan's coastal home. His friend asked the well-retired Ben to hit some balls and show him his swing - and so he did - hitting then out to sea

 

[stefanovic]

So here's a bit of pseudoscientific speculation.
Tai Chi works because it taps into the primordial energy of the universe, known as Wu Chi.
If you take up golf young enough and play regularly, along with other factors such as physical attributes, you are more likely to become a champion at the game of golf.
You are effectively doing a Tai Chi form similar to sword style.
I think Hogan would be a good example of this, as would Tiger.
If you take up golf later in life you can enjoy it, but can't master it.
Food for thought, I hope.

 

[Diamond]

So here's a bit of pseudoscientific speculation.
Tai Chi works because it taps into the primordial energy of the universe, known as Wu Chi.
If you take up golf young enough and play regularly, along with other factors such as physical attributes, you are more likely to become a champion at the game of golf.
You are effectively doing a Tai Chi form similar to sword style.
I think Hogan would be a good example of this, as would Tiger.
If you take up golf later in life you can enjoy it, but can't master it.
Food for thought, I hope.

Would this be relevant for any sport with a swing?

 

[stefanovic]

The arm swing in bowling a cricket ball.
Do it in slow motion with the leading knee bent forward a little and it does create a bit of chi.
I found this a strange result only last year.