Swings that make you go AAAAAARRRRGGHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[madandra]

Evening folks, I played my first ever Pro-Am today and had a great day and played with a smashing young assistant Pro but here is the point of my thread ....


I was feeling fine on the first tee and in my wee zone and comfortable with everything .... right up until I watched the 1st guys swing (he was off 16) and it totally screwed up my head. He took and eternity to get his stance and grip right then he made a waving gesture with his right hand then he swung like J.R. F*&@*n' Hartley. By the time we got to the 4th tee I couldn't watch ..... it was driving me up the wall. Does this effect other people or am I just being hyper neurotic????


P.S. I was surprised by the scores coming in from the Pro's ... there were some 80+ rounds and one 86. I was expecting 66's all over the place.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Ahh the pro-am that takes me back. Been on all sides of the green with this one. Played as the pro (in my assistant days) played as an amateur, played in celebrity ones, and caddied for pros and celebrities too

As an pro I'm afraid I wasn't much company for my groups as I was always in the zone focussing on trying to pick up a cheque and to as a partner in the early days was again too focussed to relax and enjoy it. Was even worse with celebrities and ex tour pros around as I was too keen to make a good impression with my swing and game.

Nowadays the opportunities are few and far between although my pro at Ascot has mentioned that he'd love to have me on his team of 14 or 15 as he knows my swing is a work in progress but that on my day I'm capable of coming in with a few pars or better and that my course management wouldn't fritter shots for the team. I've told him I'm always available!!!

The few that I do play each year are much different now. I'm more relaxed and don't give a damn about what people think of my game. I just try and make sure I hit a good first one and then relax and try my hardest but enjoy the course and the company.

Over the years I've seen loads of weird swings, from well known celebs to rank poor amateurs (and one assistant who must have bribed the PGA to qualify him with his game!!!!!). I tend to go the other way and try as I might I just have to watch these crazy swings if only to remind myself that however bad I am playing at that time I'm never going to swing that badly - EVER

The thing to remember is that these days are all about making money for worthy causes and so its hard to be too critical on these guys who may only be once a week golfers, or maybe only get on a course a few times a year. As long as they don't hold proceedings up too much and are relatively pleasant to spend 4-5 hours with there is no harm swinging like a delinquent octopus on ice!

 

[DCB]

Played in one a few years back. One of the younger lads I was playing with had obviously been watching Sergio at the hight of his 're-gripping 40 times before the shot' phase. This young chap seemed to do this with every club, even the putter ! You can guess the rest, I think the pro even had a couple of twitches late in the day after being subjected to that for 4 hours.

Took me a couple of weeks to get back to normal after that one!

 

[John_Findlay]

There are just some swings that put you right off your game, Andy.

I'm the same, not so much the swing as the pre shot routine of a "forever former" playing partner. He would stand over the ball for an age. I counted once and it was 15 seconds of inactivity before he started his backswing. That's an age. Count it in your head. The side effect was that he added probably 25 minutes to our round all on his own.

How did you play with the distraction?

 

[RGuk]

My swing put my old, old pro off in a pro-am in 1996 (i.i.r.c.)
Around the turn he said something like "pack in all the twitching and practice swings and hit the f***** thing".
I did it......surprisingly, I played better!!

 

[RGuk]

Anyone remember Ollie (Olazabal) with his 14 "looks"?.....AAARRRGGHHH......I could've shot the telly.

 

[AliB]

Yep,
Know someone who, when we were still near-beginners, used to stand over the ball for an age (20+ seconds)just staring at it. Gave us all the heebie jeebies. Don't know what was worse - the bad shot that seemed inevitable or the 'good' shot that confirmed said partner in the habit.
similarly with various other bad swings - so-oo annoying when despite everything they blast it down the middle!

AliB

 

[medwayjon]

I dont even take a practise swing so when I see somebody taking an eternity over every shot I get pissed-off very quickly.

For me its stance, alingnment, whack.

 

[madandra]

John, I played like a chuffing tommy tanker but I had a blast and the other two guys were ace ... it was just Mr. Twitchy Wavey man that made me want to rip off my left arm and beat the living 5h1t out of him with it.

I loved knocking my ball 40 yards past the Pro and carrying the ditch at our 11th (285 carry) but the guy was incredible around the greens and only missed on putt inside 10ft all day.

 

[golfcitydweller]

hey andy , played with a pro way back in `93 that had the `yips` with his driver .and we think we have problems eh!!mind u he hit his 2iron further than our drivers...swing easy mate

 

[andiritchie]

there was a guy in front of me on saturday night who lay his club down on the floor next to the ball then picked it up and hit the ball on every bleeding shot