Where do i draw the line?

[chris661]

Bollix go to ANY club at the weekend and you will see how long it takes the average golfer to hit a shot. How long does it take when you are playing a tournament? Bet it is longer than three hours.

 

[Imurg]

Kid - I play off 9
I can shoot +3 gross round my track.
Yesterday at Blackmoor I played like a 28'er...........

 

[Robobum]

Crikey Kid2, you've got over analysis real bad!! The worst way to compare your game is against other people's. We are all different in our approach to everything. Just because the scatter brain thing works for him doesn't mean it will for you. But then again, blindly sticking to a rigid routine may not be your thing either.......it's only you and some trial and error who can sort out what suits you best.

 

[Mike_j_golf]

I think you should try and play a round or 2 without the Pre shot routine see how you go, if you are on the range do you do the routine before every shot or do you just stand up and say i'm hitting a draw here and just do it. Over thinking just before you hit the ball is never good a quick practice swing step up and hit it.
Mike

 

[Snelly]

Having a routine does not create slow play, it is the speed people walk, not being ready when its their turn, not watching where their ball has gone etc. When away from tournaments I have played many rounds in under 3hrs with my full routine.

There is some truth in this as I would agree that people not being ready to play when it is their turn is the biggest cause of slow play.

However, to say that having a elaborate pre-shot routine does not contribute in general terms to slow play is simply wrong.

From the pros to beginners, a subset of golfers take far too long to take their turn. In the pro ranks, someone who plays the game at a decent speed is a real rarity and I think this is a very bad thing. In a wider context, slow players are usually not ready to play when it is there go and a pre-shot routine is often a factor in this.

Golf is not alone. Tennis is the same. I don't understand it. If, as a pro, you are better and have hit thousands of shots in your life then surely you need less time to play your shot as you know precisely what you are going to do!?


And to the OP, my advice would be to forget everything you have read about swings, routines, mental pictures etc. It is mostly garbage designed to fill magazine inches and sell books or training aids.

My tip for you would be to pick a line, stand aligned with it and hit the ball with an uncluttered mind, all within 25 seconds then you will see an improvement. Especially if you actually consciously watch your club hit the ball at the point of impact. The latter statement being the only tip in golf of any real use in my opinion.

Golf is a very simple game that is made hugely complex by an industry with a vested interest in making it so.

As Willie Park said. "Keep hitting it straight until the wee ball goes in the hole."



Snelly.

 

[Region3]

Kid2, this isn't intended to be a dig, just an observation, but why in general do high(er) handicappers have an obsession with shaping the ball?

You had a fairly repeatable swing, that hit the ball with a fade, if I remember right?
Groove that swing, learn where you have to aim to get the ball to finish where you want it regardless of which way it moves in the air, and you'll bring the 'cap down in no time with a half decent short game.

This is only my opinion though. I might try to fade 1 or 2 shots a round, but only if a straight one won't land me in heaps of poo, and never try a draw (if my score matters).

 

[0]

Keep at it and the routine is a must, why do all good players have a routine?

I used to play with a guy who had THE longest pre shot routine then knobbed it twenty yards or shanked it or whatever.

I sympathise- just had 3 four ball games in a row with the same lads, 1 was as fast as me, one took 6 practice swings then moved into the shot then 1 more practice swing then fired....on EVERY FOOKING SHOT including chips round the green, gawd help us if he was distracted during the routine as he would start again h/cap 26
his partner only took 4 swings before firing and didnt use anything more than a 6 iron- we nicknamed him speedy!

Anyone remember Seve went thru a phase of just walking up to the ball, place club, NO waggle then FIRE! a joy to watch

 

[jasondransfieldgolf]

I will discuss my pre-shot routine. When I am within about 20yds of my ball I am checking the wind and checking for sprinklers for yardages if I get use my bushnell/skycaddie. So I arrive at the ball yardage is done and wind also I have checked my pin sheet to see if I want to be short/long if pin is front or back.

Pick the club I want take one practice swing from behind the ball whilst picturing the shot, line up over a spot in front whilst adjusting my glove with my right hand. Over the ball take one look at the target, then firing. Done and dusted repeatable and hardly any time taken. Over doing the routine with 4,5,6 practice swings and checking variables after arriving the ball is making things time consuming and not needed. I most certainly agree Pro's set a very bad example.

Not being ready and walking slowly between shots is in my opinion the reason for the vast majority of slow play.

A solid routine doesn't take anymore time, is something repeatable that you can rely on under pressure.

 

[kid2]

Kid2, this isn't intended to be a dig, just an observation, but why in general do high(er) handicappers have an obsession with shaping the ball?

You had a fairly repeatable swing, that hit the ball with a fade, if I remember right?
Groove that swing, learn where you have to aim to get the ball to finish where you want it regardless of which way it moves in the air, and you'll bring the 'cap down in no time with a half decent short game.

This is only my opinion though. I might try to fade 1 or 2 shots a round, but only if a straight one won't land me in heaps of poo, and never try a draw (if my score matters).

No offence taken Region....
I wouldnt say i have an obsession to shape the ball....You are right in saying that i had a pretty repeatable fade bordering on a straight pull on an off day but to be honest i was taking pretty big divots and even though the ball was going the required distance my wrists and especially my back wasnt thanking me for it the day after a round....

So lately i figured out that when i sat back slightly when addressing the ball i seemed to be attacking the ball from the inside out and was drawing it....
Now you can imaging how excited i was when the divots became noticeably shallower and straighter and my back wasnt hurting after rounds....BUT....i think that there might lie my problem....
The ironic thing is that of the 18 holes on our course 14 of them really favour a fade off the tee....

So now i have a bit of a dilemma....Either go back to my old shot or stick with the new and hope it falls together....

 

[kid2]

And to the OP, my advice would be to forget everything you have read about swings, routines, mental pictures etc. It is mostly garbage designed to fill magazine inches and sell books or training aids.

My tip for you would be to pick a line, stand aligned with it and hit the ball with an uncluttered mind, all within 25 seconds then you will see an improvement. Especially if you actually consciously watch your club hit the ball at the point of impact. The latter statement being the only tip in golf of any real use in my opinion.

Golf is a very simple game that is made hugely complex by an industry with a vested interest in making it so.

As Willie Park said. "Keep hitting it straight until the wee ball goes in the hole."



Snelly.

Snelly....I have a small confession to make mate.....
When i took up the game i bought my 1st proper set of clubs....Wilsonstaff Di7's.....

What you have mentioned above has agreed with so much that my father had said to me over our post round grub on Saturday...
I never read magazines , books or had the internet at my disposal....I had a bad slice but i was knocking it round as best i could....I won my first copetition with these clubs and had my first cut...What did i go and do then a few months afterwards?
Go and change them for Fg Tour Irons....Sweet they were and knocked 2 more shots off my handicap with these then had a string of bad rounds and like most wasnt man enough to blame my abilities and blamed the equipment instead....

I guess what im trying to say is that i suppose i saturated my mind with so much crap from the internet and magazines to the point of conflict in my head that it has completely screwed with me.

Now dont get me wrong i have learned alot and only for those magazines i would have had no idea that the main reason i was slicing the ball was an open stance and a very weak grip.Sorted that now though....I suppose if Bubba can swing a ball all over the course and still knock it in for par how hard can it be?... im sure that there is a whole lot more to learn but thats another year isnt it?

 

[kid2]

I will discuss my pre-shot routine. When I am within about 20yds of my ball I am checking the wind and checking for sprinklers for yardages if I get use my bushnell/skycaddie. So I arrive at the ball yardage is done and wind also I have checked my pin sheet to see if I want to be short/long if pin is front or back.

Pick the club I want take one practice swing from behind the ball whilst picturing the shot, line up over a spot in front whilst adjusting my glove with my right hand. Over the ball take one look at the target, then firing. Done and dusted repeatable and hardly any time taken. Over doing the routine with 4,5,6 practice swings and checking variables after arriving the ball is making things time consuming and not needed. I most certainly agree Pro's set a very bad example.

Not being ready and walking slowly between shots is in my opinion the reason for the vast majority of slow play.

A solid routine doesn't take anymore time, is something repeatable that you can rely on under pressure.

Thats nearly a mirror image of my routine Jason....1 practice swing walk in set the club build my stance around that and pull the trigger...Doesnt take more than 10 or 12 seconds....

 

[Region3]

No offence taken Region....
I wouldnt say i have an obsession to shape the ball....You are right in saying that i had a pretty repeatable fade bordering on a straight pull on an off day but to be honest i was taking pretty big divots and even though the ball was going the required distance my wrists and especially my back wasnt thanking me for it the day after a round....

So lately i figured out that when i sat back slightly when addressing the ball i seemed to be attacking the ball from the inside out and was drawing it....
Now you can imaging how excited i was when the divots became noticeably shallower and straighter and my back wasnt hurting after rounds....BUT....i think that there might lie my problem....
The ironic thing is that of the 18 holes on our course 14 of them really favour a fade off the tee....

So now i have a bit of a dilemma....Either go back to my old shot or stick with the new and hope it falls together....

Apologies, I didn't realised the draw happened as a result of other things. We often see posts from people saying they've been working on shaping the ball and it's that that I don't really think is beneficial to some.

I take huge divots most of the time but then it doesn't cause issues with my back.

I say find a swing that works (and doesn't make you fall apart) then work with whatever shape that gives you.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Ok here's the story....I played saturday in our captains prize medal and shot a shocking gross 99 nett 82....
It doesnt matter what way i say it, it still sounds CAT!

Anyway i played with me Daa and another chap off the same 'cap as me (17 now )..
Where did he stand after 18?.....He shot a 3 over net 74....

Now, me, when i play i try to do everything the way it is thought should be done...I have my own little pre shot routine for all shots and also for my putting when im on the green...

This fellow has clubs with mud still in the grooves grass all over them woods with lumps gone out of them,lumps gone out of his irons a putter with a graphite shaft thats battered to death...

He has no routine at all for anything...Just stands up to the ball and hits it...

Im way longer than him on all shots (i wasnt trying to be) I was just playing the way i always try to play but he was hitting it so short that even when he went wayward he wasnt long enough to reach the cabbage....



This fellow wiped the course with me off the same handicap and must have wondered how the hell i was off 17....
If he wasnt rushing his putting so much i reckon he could have at least shot a nett 68.....


What gives?
Im trying my best to do the right thing but its just not falling into place at the moment....
Im starting to second guess myself now and wonder should i have left my swing well enough alone and just put up with my little fade and my deep divots....

Lately iv been having fun bending balls left to right and right to left with every iron from the 6 iron to PW at the driving range but on the course its a different story...

Does there come a point when everything starts to click for you?
Or am i being to impatient?

Have you not read my tales of woe and how close it is to clicking. Keep doing what you know is right, relax and be patient. Ironic that I write about thinking of giving it a rest and shoot a PB and another great score the next time out. Even yesterday played like king of the knobs in the morning and hated the place and hit it much better in the afternoon to get a respectable finish and was only onoe of two to hit their 15th. Stick with it and keep the faith

 

[kid2]

No offence taken Region....
I wouldnt say i have an obsession to shape the ball....You are right in saying that i had a pretty repeatable fade bordering on a straight pull on an off day but to be honest i was taking pretty big divots and even though the ball was going the required distance my wrists and especially my back wasnt thanking me for it the day after a round....

So lately i figured out that when i sat back slightly when addressing the ball i seemed to be attacking the ball from the inside out and was drawing it....
Now you can imaging how excited i was when the divots became noticeably shallower and straighter and my back wasnt hurting after rounds....BUT....i think that there might lie my problem....
The ironic thing is that of the 18 holes on our course 14 of them really favour a fade off the tee....

So now i have a bit of a dilemma....Either go back to my old shot or stick with the new and hope it falls together....

Apologies, I didn't realised the draw happened as a result of other things. We often see posts from people saying they've been working on shaping the ball and it's that that I don't really think is beneficial to some.

I take huge divots most of the time but then it doesn't cause issues with my back.

I say find a swing that works (and doesn't make you fall apart) then work with whatever shape that gives you.

I think ill be buying the Neurofen+
I did like digging up the course...

 

[kid2]

Have you not read my tales of woe and how close it is to clicking. Keep doing what you know is right, relax and be patient. Ironic that I write about thinking of giving it a rest and shoot a PB and another great score the next time out. Even yesterday played like king of the knobs in the morning and hated the place and hit it much better in the afternoon to get a respectable finish and was only onoe of two to hit their 15th. Stick with it and keep the faith

Iv been keeping tabs on you Homer
I dont think that im that far yet though