Awful day

[PMay]

Today i played 18 holes on one of the toughest courses in the area. Usually i will shoot somewhere in the 50s on 9 but today i was having the worst damn day ever. So bad i stopped keeping score. Putting was absolutely terrible. But i have a question about my drive. It seemed today i was hitting the ground before impact every time and when it wasnt that i pulled it hard to the left. I like to stand pretty far away from the ball is this a good idea?

[Tavery1]

I'm still a beginning beginner so take this as a cure to my problem with hitting it "fat" Anytime I still hit it fat its because I catch myself taking the eye off the ball. Sorry I can't be of much help, I don't wanna come on and try to help you thinking I know all. Just go back out next time relaxed and hopefully you have a "eureka" moment and figure out what your doing wrong.

[mddubya]

Sounds like you're not not transferring your weight to your left foot as you swing. If you hang back on your right side as you swing it will cause you hit a lot of fat shots.

As you take your practice swings, try this, as you take the club back, lift your left foot off the ground, as you swing forward lift your right foot off the ground. It will ingrain the feeling of transferring your weight back and forth.

[Pa Jayhawk]

IMHO, if this is just an exception to the norm, and not something you do regularly, I wouldn't focus on it to much and just let it pass. Write it off as a bad day where you simply lost focus. Which may explain the poor putting as well. If however it is the norm, then it may be worth some thought.

If you try and address an issue that only pops up one time on the course, and doesn't happen regularly in your swing, you could end up creating some very real issues that will repeat regularly as a result of trying to change something which in turn may overcorrect something that was really never an issue.

I would personally never try and correct for something the next time out, if it is just something that popped up one time out of the blue.

Although to answer your last question, it is usually common mistake for beginners to stand to far from the ball. Your arms should not be to far from simply hanging straight down after you take you stance. Being to far from the ball can lead to a many number of unpredictable results. I would address that issue.

[PMay]

Much better round today, but still not great. Putted very well(hit a 15 ft. putt). Drives were still eratic but i figured out my problem i have to keep my arms stiff in the backswing and i will hit it far and straight. I seem to have this same epifany every few weeks but somehow i drift back to doing it the other way.