What should my mate try next?

[virtuocity]

Bowls?

 

[Griffsters]

Maybe he could look at the way he approaches the game and his practice? Have a look into what the likes of Karl Morris and Adam Young advocate. Ask himself why he plays, what he is focussed on and experimenting with his attention etc. If nothing else it takes away from the minutae of obsessing over where individual body parts are during the swing!

 

[patricks148]

Bowls?

maybe not, something without hand eye coordination... cards or domino's maybe

joking aside, i know plenty of guys who on retiring have thought they would improve, but have gone up rather than down know two cat1 players who are not even single figs after a few years later

 

[jim8flog]

He needs a better full swing using his body, he mostly uses his arms concecuentaly not getting good distance and also he is a bit fixated with numbers, many times I see him look at his watch to see how far the flag is and he’s only got a 10yd chip. He also always wants to know wether the the flag is front, middle or back on par 3,s , my answer is always the same, it’s there, look you can see it! Too many thoughts going on in his head most of the time but he won’t ever change, just the way he is.

Sounds like it is eyesight that is the problem not the swing.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I’m not looking for any advice or anything, just simply stating that lessons and club fitting is not the magical answer to the problem for everyone.

Disagree I'm afraid and for me it comes down to working with the teaching pro and getting a rapport and not being scared to go back when things are going well. Tuition is a two way street. If things aren't going well he needs to ask why, look at how he's practising and work out the best way for him to learn. It definitely isn't from hitting ball after ball. Sometimes focus on one area like short game and putting and build up a strong skill set in that department.

It may also be that now he is playing and working on his game more he is simply going a little stale and needs to either just play a few games for fun or the odd quid and forget about handicap or even step away for a while.

I definitely think lessons work but they aren't a silver bullet and sadly, in my experience at least, you only get out what you put in providing it is working on the right things the right way

 

[Sats]

I think after 12 years he should just accept he hasn't the ability to get any better and to just enjoy the game. If not there's plenty of other hobbies.

 

[micklson66]

Tell him to persevere.
I did exactly the same as him when i retired. New clubs, lessons and my handicap went North above 20 and i felt like chucking it. I think there was added pressure as i had paid so much money and was getting nowhere. Had a couple of on course lessons, read a couple of books that the pro suggested and stuck with it. 3 years later and i have come down 10 shots.
I think, as others have said, you have to be able to relax a bit more and try and enjoy yourself out there even on the days where nothing goes right
Hope your friend turns it around

 

[clubchamp98]

I think there is an assumption that people will always improve, that isn't the case. Golf in particular is a game where it is quite easy to get worse, you get into a spiral. It is so precise, the margin for error so small, that it is easy to get into bad habits. One thing out of place knocks another 3 or 4 things out of sync and on it goes. Playing more or practising more with a problem just practices the problem, if that makes sense.

Your mate may need to step back, have a few weeks off and then go again. Not improving is not a problem but losing the love for any sport or hobby is. I hope that he finds it again.

This makes perfect sense.
I used to play snooker a bit ,but soon realised I wasn’t any good.
The more I played and practiced the worse I got.
I got so frustrated I gave up.
Sometimes you just have to admit you have reached your level.
It’s tough .

 

[Lord Tyrion]

This makes perfect sense.
I used to play snooker a bit ,but soon realised I wasn’t any good.
The more I played and practiced the worse I got.
I got so frustrated I gave up.
Sometimes you just have to admit you have reached your level.
It’s tough .

Play pool instead ?. There needs to be a halfway house there. Pool is too easy for a good player, snooker is silly hard. I remember the first time playing on a full sized snooker table with a mate. I'd be surprised if we potted more than 3 balls in an hour.

 

[clubchamp98]

Play pool instead ?. There needs to be a halfway house there. Pool is too easy for a good player, snooker is silly hard. I remember the first time playing on a full sized snooker table with a mate. I'd be surprised if we potted more than 3 balls in an hour.

I used to play in a pool league and was reasonably good.
Snooker is worlds apart imo.
I can miss a straight red because I am thinking where the white is going.
So I can hit a little white ball 250 yds with more accuracy than a little white ball a couple of feet.
Had a discussion the other day about this in golf .
Some were saying if you need a 54 handicap you should take up another sport as golf is not for you.
The most sensible one said that should only last 12 months then there needs to be a lower cap.
But that’s another argument.

 

[jim8flog]

I play with several guys who have played for many years and have never got better at the game since the day I met them. They are and always will be 20+ handicappers. One of them in particular has a lesson but quickly reverts back to the same faults he had before the lesson.

 

[williamalex1]

Bowls?

I'm tempted, but sadly I can't stoop that low..