Stupid game/The value of a lesson - Take your pick!

[HRC99]

I spent most of last year trying to mould a more compact swing taking it back more on the inside. Had a fairly indifferent start to the year and not striking the ball well at all.

Happened to pop into a new golf place in town to check it out and was offered a quick lesson with a video camera.

Hit three balls, looked at the video and I'm immediately see I am taking the club far too much from the inside and getting really cramped.

I'd just gone too far trying to correct a swing fault and created another one. I was also totally oblivious to what I was doing. Massively frustrating. As soon as I gave myself a bit of room, I've been striking it properly and had the best ball striking round in months today. Three birdies including entry into the 2s club for the first time in about a year.

I'm really cross with myself that I hadn't spotted it. I am also very pleased I had it checked out otherwise who knows how long I'd've carried on for.

Just goes to show it's worth getting your swing looked at from time to time by a pro. It also shows its a stupid bloody game too.

 

[JustOne]

You can swing perfectly well taking the club to the inside, it depends what is going on with the REST of your swing that counts.

 

[HRC99]

I'd got low, flat and too far away from the ball trying to ensure I was taking it back on the inside.

The only thing that was saving me from disaster was that I do get through the ball and finish well.

 

[Whereditgo]

Sounds like a few quid well spent, as ever its the 'real' and 'feel' syndrome.

Out of interest, who/where did you go to see?

 

[HRC99]

Sounds like a few quid well spent, as ever its the 'real' and 'feel' syndrome.

Out of interest, who/where did you go to see?

Tony at Total Golf in what used to be YPI.

Still waiting to hear how you got on with your fitting session!

 

[Whereditgo]

Tony at Total Golf in what used to be YPI.

Of course, had completely forgotten you had told me about the place, I will have a look this week.

Still waiting to hear how you got on with your fitting session!

Full report here

 

[Region3]

This is something I've always wondered about. You have a lesson and the pro wants you to change something, which initially feels strange.

It's too easy once you're used to the change to exaggerate it too much trying to get that feeling back. I hope that makes sense.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It's a mistake I've been guilty of. You do the drills and work on it initially and all is good. As you play you trust your swing and when errors occur you go back to the range and try the drills again but somehow over compensate. It's a stupid game. Finally got my swin on track a tthe range on Thursday but played some total crap for the first four holes today and then mediocrity for the remaining fourteen. Can't remember a single shot that I actually felt pleased with even though a few had the desired results (hit the fairway/gree etc)

 

[sweatysock41]

Over past 2 winters I have made the conscious decision to have a course of lessons usually one a month to allow me to try and get into my slow brain what I have been asked to do.

By the end of last season I too was coming too far inside on the backswing as a result of trying to remember the lessons from previous year. Consequently had no room to swing through so was casting the club over the top.

It has taken a couple of sessions to sort that out but now I feel that I am swinging more freely.

Next thing is to sort out where I am aiming having been compensating for the bad swing I am a little bit less accurate - but hey - one thing at a time.

 

[bobmac]

Next thing is to sort out where I am aiming having been compensating for the bad swing I am a little bit less accurate - but hey - one thing at a time.

Interesting.
How's your chipping and putting?

 

[MashieNiblick]

This is why the top pros are continuously working with their coaches. Not necessarily changing anything but just making sure everything is working as it should. They can't afford a bad day so they are always checking that everything is ok. If they need it, and they are hitting balls day in day out, it makes sense that the occasional session with a pro must be good for us too.

I used to have a swing check up every spring and always came away with something that helped me hit it better. It's easy to just start standing too far away/too close, open/closed, strengthen/weaken grip etc and not realise it.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

One of the hardest things to do after a lesson is not to over adjust and cause another problem. What you think you are doing is never what you are doing and the only way to know for sure is to see it on video or get your pro to watch you.

I had a series of lessons last year, one each month. When I started I was taking the club on the outside, the following month I had over compensated and came too far and the inside, the following month I'd be slightly out again. Each month the margins got smaller but the months I thought I had it right I was invariable taking it slightly outside the line, only slightly but outside none the less.

It was so frustrating going for my lesson having been hitting the ball well for a month only to be told I was swinging offline. By September my swing was a million times better than in January but I started to feel like I was becomming a bit mechanical. I couldn't remember the last time I just hit a golf ball without thinking about what I was doing, I was turning into a robot and I simply don't have the time or money to make that work.

I corrected a lot of faults with my swing last year and my game is now more consistent and my swing holds up under pressure better than it used to but I wouldn't mind betting I still take the club back slightly outside the line.

If you asked most members of this forum to describe their swing mechanics they couldn't do it.

I've always been a bit like Homer in that I'd be constantly trying to "fix" my swing and would end up making it worse. This year I'm making a conscious effort to play with the swing I have, no mid round fixes or changing stuff on the range without professional advice. The signs are good so far, I'm not thinking about my swing, I'm just swinging and the year has started pretty well. If in a few months I feel like I need a fix I'll book a lesson, that's what Pro's are there for.