Swing rebuild...

[Parmo]

Morning All,
I took the step out of inconsistent golf by booking my first lesson yesterday. The Pro told me I was trying to guild or swing like a cricket defence shot and closing the face at impact causing a hook, he also changed my grip to a correct one and turning the face on impact and turning after impact. With this new grip and a proper swing all of my shots went high right and it did feel strange but it felt like a golf swing and the Pro said I had the making of an excellent swing and practice is the key.

My problem is I have just got in a regular four ball who play every Saturday and a heavy swing change could take weeks to months. Do I drop out of the four ball and call a day to the season, rebuild my swing and start again as soon as I can and watch my hcp drop next season?

 

[John_Findlay]

Nah, Parmo. Just stick at it. You often have to get worse in the short term to get better in the long term. Adopt the changes on the course straight away. It's the best plan. Have a routine over every shot and the consistency will come.

 

[USER1999]

Carry on playing. They will all go through similar every now and then.

 

[julsk10]

Keep on playing Parmo. Try to get out for a quick nine if you can during the week to help familiarise yourself with new changes so it won't feel to alien come Saturday. It will soon feel second nature.

 

[JustOne]

Should be no problem to keep playing. Just don't forget what the pro told you....I'd write it down and refer back to it

 

[John_Findlay]

Good point JustOneUK. Always write down the salient points of any lesson. I store them on my PC to refer back to when I'm practicing. It helps out when I'm going through a sticky patch.

 

[Parmo]

Thanks for the help fellas. I am teeing off at 1116 on Saturday but plan to get to the range very early and try getting the swing going rather than the very high right shot.

I will give it a few weeks practice and go back for another lesson to fine turn the swing.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

My advice would be to play with it and get to understand how the swing feels on course. It might be worth swapping to some cheaper balls and maybe sacrificing a bit of control around the greens in case the lost bal count goes up. Above all stick with it on the course even if you have a horror show

 

[RGDave]

Needless to say, I would always keep going. No need to stop; just work on what it is you are working on and keep doing it on the course regardless.

 

[Parmo]

I will give it a go but every shot is high very right because I am not used to turning my hands over.

 

[RGDave]

I will give it a go but every shot is high very right because I am not used to turning my hands over.

No medicine like hard medicine!

I changed quite a lot with my swing and pulled/sliced my way round for ages. Gradually, I learned to adapt....you will too, I'm sure.

If you can identify the specific problem (like getting the face square, for example) then you are half way there. Go to the range, swing 3-4 times without a ball, get the feel, then load and fire. I turn a 40 ball bucket into 200 swings.....200 swings working on 1 thing soon focuses the muscle memory.

 

[Parmo]

Thanks for the advice Dave, looks like a couple of hours practice on Sat then a round seems to be the theme.

 

[RGDave]

Parmo....do you know the "thumbs up" drill (Faldo/Leadbetter)?

or "L to L"

They are corkers for sorting things out.

i.i.r.c. you split the hands in the Faldo version (so they're not connected) and take small swings from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock.

Have a gander here

http://www.sirshanksalot.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1139&Itemid=44

I haven't checked it out, but the pictures look right.

 

[Parmo]

Parmo....do you know the "thumbs up" drill (Faldo/Leadbetter)?

or "L to L"

They are corkers for sorting things out.

i.i.r.c. you split the hands in the Faldo version (so they're not connected) and take small swings from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock.

Have a gander here

http://www.sirshanksalot.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1139&Itemid=44

I haven't checked it out, but the pictures look right.

Thats the one fella.

 

[CrapHacker]

Can I make a sort of counter argument please

I sort of agree with the consensus about sticking with what you've got and playing through it.

BUT

Earlier this year I had a lesson that made sense to my analytical brain, but not to my muscle memory, when I tried to implement it on the range.

So I've changed to another pro who doesn't go in for all the video analysis, and who just took my natural swing and is giving me smaller things to work on ( rather than 4 or 5 things at once ) and we're working on rebuilding my swing in the long run. Rather than making loads of drastic changes, I'm still keeping enough of my swing so I feel I can go out and enjoy a game, whilst still moving forwards.

Even then, I'm feeling much more comfortable after 3 or 4 range sessions. Last time I played a round ( at Smiffy's place ) I'd had little range time, and felt quite negative about what I was trying to achieve. Next time, I reckon I'll do myself more justice

If I was in your shoes, I'd consider not playing for one week, to give myself more range time before playing a semi serious game. But if you do play, just write off this weeks game mentally, so you are playing for the walk and the company, and the score is less important.

I think you'll need more than one session to groove any changes. But if you can get back to the range twice next week as well, by Saturday week you'll have something that'll be going in the right direction, and you'll be able to score with.

Either way, you're doing the right thing. Just keep the practice going, and above all, keep the positive mental attitude in place. You're doing that extra something that will give you the best swing you can get - something that will make you the best golfer you can be.

Which is nice.

 

[Parmo]

After thinking it over I think I will play my old swing on Saturday and explain to my partners that I wont be playing for a few weeks. I will then spend Sat & Sun on the range for a few weeks to with a goal of setting my new grip/swing in place to a half decent standard. The problem with taking what I have out on the range is that I am leaving the face very open and wouldn't want to slow the group down by every shot been a high slice no matter the club, and by slice I mean a nasty slice.

I was even considering leaving the change until the end of the season and rebuilding over winter and starting a fresh, but having lessons over this period rather than disrupt my season (came third on Saturday with 41 points and won a bottle of Bushmills)

I have been sat at home on the sofa watching TV with my grip trainer, and yes the wife is giving me funny looks but the change isn't feeling as awkward as at first and the mussels seems to be not as stretched as much.

 

[DCB]

Parmo,

It's not as bad as it soundsso persevere and it will get there quite quickly if you work at it. I'm undergoing a bit of a tweek at the moment. I'm halfway through a series of lessons that will hopefully get me hitting a better shape of shot than my current draw / slinging hook.

Last Sunday, I was at Letham and the guys I played with would back me up on the fact that I was not hitting the ball well at all. But,compared with the previous week it was an improvement. This past few days, I've been to the range twice and had another lesson. Tonight I felt it was getting there. A stonger ball flight and straighter shot pattern.

Thats a little over two weeks since I started on this and a good few balls at the range or in the field out the back. I'm going into tomorrows comp with a bit of confidence over how I'm striking the ball. Another lesson next week and a few more hours on the range and I'm hoping I can see further improvement.

Stick with what the pro has told you to do, yes there may be a few loose shots but it can't be much worse than where you started from surely.