Consistency

[vuhnan]

I am relatively new to golf (this is really my second full season), and I am becoming very frustrated at my results. My handicap is probably somewhere around 15 (although that might be a bit generous), but I still make absolutely horrible shots. I must lose 10 strokes every round to just awful shots. I do not have a consistent hook or slice, but sometimes I do both. The last few days, for example, the ball was going right; however, earlier in the year, they were going left. Because my problem isnt the same, it is very hard for me to pinpoint exactly what is going awry.

My swing speed is about 125 MPH and a good drive can travel 325 yards. From 150, I generally play a PW. Distance has never been my problem, but control certainly has. I play stiff shafted woods and regular irons. The woods were purchased last year, and the irons were purchased two years ago. I bought regular because I didnt know a whole lot about golf at the time, and I assumed that meant they were pretty standard.

I would like to think that much of my problem is that I am playing clubs with too much flex, but I know that is only partly true. Without having ever seen me swing a club, this is a very difficult question, but I would like to know if there are any measures one can take to swing a more consistent swing? I have heard that ball position can play a huge role in ball flight, and I have recently been told that it should always be on the inside of my left foot (I am a righty). Perhaps my problem is partly mental, as well; are there any pre-shot/practice routines that anyone would recommend to hit the ball straighter consistently?

I know that this is a very generalized question and it is nearly impossible to answer (since everyone is different), but anything will help--even if all you can say is what works for you. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks!

 

[lamebums]

I am relatively new to golf (this is really my second full season), and I am becoming very frustrated at my results. My handicap is probably somewhere around 15 (although that might be a bit generous), but I still make absolutely horrible shots. I must lose 10 strokes every round to just awful shots. I do not have a consistent hook or slice, but sometimes I do both. The last few days, for example, the ball was going right; however, earlier in the year, they were going left. Because my problem isnt the same, it is very hard for me to pinpoint exactly what is going awry.

Finding out where you're missing and how you're missing that day is something best found out on the range with a warm-up bucket. Or you can learn the hard way on the first few holes, it doesn't really matter, as long as you compensate.

For example, I am missing right a lot with my driver and I tend to yank my iron shots left or hit them thin. If I know that, I can usually play accordingly - for example if I am missing right that day, I'll aim down the left side of the fairway, so if I do miss right, the ball's still in play.

If you're ball flight is inconsistent in the same day, then a lesson is probably in order, to get a pro to help you groove a solid and consistent swing.

My swing speed is about 125 MPH and a good drive can travel 325 yards. From 150, I generally play a PW. Distance has never been my problem, but control certainly has. I play stiff shafted woods and regular irons. The woods were purchased last year, and the irons were purchased two years ago. I bought regular because I didnt know a whole lot about golf at the time, and I assumed that meant they were pretty standard.

X-stiff is the answer. A stiff at your swing speed will bend like a garden hose. I bet you slice a lot with your driver, and when you don't slice, you hit pulls. And when you back off and swing at 80 percent, you hit a hook.

I have heard that ball position can play a huge role in ball flight, and I have recently been told that it should always be on the inside of my left foot (I am a righty).

Ball on the inside of your left foot for the driver only. Put it in the middle of your stance for the 3 wood. Put the ball slightly back in your stance for iron shots - it will impart more spin on the ball, boring through the air more accurately. The only reason to put the ball forward in your stance is if you're trying to loft the ball really high into the air.

Perhaps my problem is partly mental, as well; are there any pre-shot/practice routines that anyone would recommend to hit the ball straighter consistently?

Visualize the shot you want to make, and the satisfaction you'd get from pulling it off. Your pre-shot routine is entirely up to you. It doesn't matter what else you do, as long as you do it consistently and it gives you confidence.

Lastly, stop trying to murder the ball on all your shots. If I swing so hard that I have to re-tie my shoelaces after trying to crush the ball, you can bet it's a short walk to my next shot. Swing at 90 percent of your full power. You'll lose 10 yards in distance, but you'll banish those lost balls and OB shots.

Hope this helps. And welcome to this forum.

 

[LeftyHoges]

Others here may disagree completely with what I say here but in order to get my scores and handicap down I worked on the following things:

* Consistent ball flight - Even if its a 15-20 yard draw or fade to start with, the knowledge of standing over the ball with a specific shot shape in mind adds confidence. A swing that repeats is crucial.

* Get fitted for clubs - Equipment that suits your swing, body and playing ability help tremendously.

* Develop a pre-shot routine - Doesn't have to be 45 seconds long, just something to prepare you physically and mentally for the upcoming shot. Repeat until ingrained.

* Play to your strengths - This is an obvious one, of course. Attempting shots over water that would require career shots are not the go. Try to plan your way around the course with your strengths in mind.

With a swing speed and ball carry like that you've obviously got game. Its just knowing when to play the shots and having the confidence to hit them. And knowing when to back off and play the perentage shot. Hopefully these little tips will help you improve as they did for me.

 

[JEFF4i]

I am relatively new to golf (this is really my second full season), and I am becoming very frustrated at my results. My handicap is probably somewhere around 15 (although that might be a bit generous), but I still make absolutely horrible shots. I must lose 10 strokes every round to just awful shots. I do not have a consistent hook or slice, but sometimes I do both. The last few days, for example, the ball was going right; however, earlier in the year, they were going left. Because my problem isnt the same, it is very hard for me to pinpoint exactly what is going awry.

You've pointed out the number one problem for any handicapper above 12, possibly less. Not being entirely sure what to count is the only thing that keeps most people from shooting low. Look at the Golden Bear. He faded (sliced) the ball, but he always did it. He expected it, and played it. Thus, he shot amazing scores. Consistancy is applicable and beneficial, even on bad shots.

My swing speed is about 125 MPH and a good drive can travel 325 yards. From 150, I generally play a PW. Distance has never been my problem, but control certainly has. I play stiff shafted woods and regular irons. The woods were purchased last year, and the irons were purchased two years ago. I bought regular because I didnt know a whole lot about golf at the time, and I assumed that meant they were pretty standard.

If you really do swing 125 MPH (Excuse my skeptecism, it's nothing personal) than you need an X-Stiff, most likely, in your driver, and at least stiff in your irons. However, your mis-buy isn't terrible, and makes sense the way you put it. I suppose the main point is that a regular shaft is pretty standard, your swing speed, is not.

I would like to think that much of my problem is that I am playing clubs with too much flex, but I know that is only partly true. Without having ever seen me swing a club, this is a very difficult question, but I would like to know if there are any measures one can take to swing a more consistent swing? I have heard that ball position can play a huge role in ball flight, and I have recently been told that it should always be on the inside of my left foot (I am a righty). Perhaps my problem is partly mental, as well; are there any pre-shot/practice routines that anyone would recommend to hit the ball straighter consistently?

Shorter Swing=More consistant. Bottom line.
Well, it's a general rule of thumb that the inside left foot is a good ball placement for righties, but as you get more and more comfortable with your driver, you'll find what works best for you. Mine is a few inches behind that.
Pre shot practice routines? Invision your shot, that usually helps. Also, always always always, have your pre-shot routine be the same. My pre-shot routine is exactly the same for every club but the putter.

I know that this is a very generalized question and it is nearly impossible to answer (since everyone is different), but anything will help--even if all you can say is what works for you. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks!

This is mostly rule of thumb stuff, but hopefully will help a bit.

Also, welcome to Shottalk! Here you will find a plethora of sound golf information, and an even larger finding of total bs.

I contribute to the latter.

 

[cabinessence]

If you can hit the ball 325, there's no reason to go all-out on ANY shot until you have gotten rid of the really bad ones. I would kill to be able to hit a drive 280 yards, let alone 'bunt' one that far.

 

[jskd82]

15 handicap after playing two rounds of golf is pretty good if you can keep playing like that. Also getting fitted for your clubs will make a huge difference. I just reshafted my clubs and I can hit the ball with more control now. I would suggest that you look into some Royal Precision Rifle Flighted 6.5 shafts. They cost about $140 for the set 3-pw, I got mines pured so it was $10 more per shaft but it was definately worth it.

 

[cypressperch]

Consistency comes from quality

practice. Quality practice includes ATTENTION TO DETAIL. You must develop a good grip and use it the same with every shot that requires that grip. Your posture must be the same. Ball position in the stance, the same. How much you coil going back, the same. How far you bring your arms up for a given shot, the same. Rhythm and tempo, the same. Always visualizing the shot and picking an intermediate target about two feet or so in front of the ball on the target line: This may be the number one thing that can get your shots starting out consistently on line.

I could go on and on, and everything that I am saying is very important. This is a very, very difficult game to play consistently well. It is very challenging. And now, the biggest challenge of them all: You have to do all this stuff, execute all this stuff WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT.

How do you get to that point? Quality practice is the biggest part of it. You cannot think about all the main points, and then swing. You decide to work on one thing at a time, maybe two. In other words, you keep it simple. The hard part of this is that as you work on a specific aspect of the swing, you may get to doing it well, but your shots aren't very good yet because there are other things that you are not doing well yet. Many, many golfers during this stage will come up with some sort of swing that will allow them to keep the ball in play fairly well. They stick with this instead of going through the slow and sometimes painful process of developing a swing that includes attention to all of the important details.
They will never get all the pieces together that would produce their best swing. These folks fall into two basic categories: The type that realizes their swing has flaws but they can enjoy golf that is somewhat below what they might be capable of playing (These guys are fun to play with.) and the type that constantly complains about the terrible shots they produce when they have never gone through the work and care it takes to be able to play the way they want to. (These guys will ruin many a day for others with their ranting and over-all negative outlook. Avoid them like the plague.)

The Law of Diminishing Returns applies very much to the developing of one's golf game when you look solely at score improvement. It does not really take a long time to be able to break a 100 if you work at it. It will take a while to get to playing consistently in the upper eighties and lower nineties. Getting that average score consistently in the mid-seventies will take a good while for most. To get to scratch, you have to be committed to a high degree.

I read somewhere that good golfers have three things going for them: They started young. They practice very much. They are physically coordinated in ways that apply to golf. And upon reading that I thought of Larry Nelson, and in the next paragraph they said he was the exception that proved the rule. I include this because I think Dirty Harry was correct when he said, "A man has got to know his limitations." If you take up golf late in life, that probably creates limitations. If you lack coordination and strength, that can create limitations. If you are young and athletic but have no patience, when it comes to golf, you will have severe limitations. We can all work on the things that we have some control over, but that is it.

The best of luck to you with develop a good, consistent game. Sincerely, Cypressperch

 

[Eracer]

I can't add anything to the great advice that's been offered here, except to say, "don't forget the mental side of the game".

You mention that you are frustrated. Why?

You say that you have a problem. Really?

Consider that all golfers have a range they perform within. The better golfer manages his reaction to playing outside that normal range. He learns to accept his limitations, and tries to overcome them.

Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia in the Open this year are a microcosm for this. Harrington totally screwed up the 18th hole. He played outside his normal range. What did he do? He focused on winning. He never got down on himself, or allowed himself to think negatively. Sergio, on the other hand, was in full retreat mode starting at the 1st tee. He rallied a bit, but I'll bet money his inner voice kept saying "don't miss this putt" all...day...long.

I've been playing this game (on and off) for 30 years, and I'm not as good a player as you are after two years. Step back and give yourself a hearty pat on the back. Feel good about where you are as a golfer. Don't allow yourself to be frustrated, as that will only lead to more frustration. Goals are great, but only if we enjoy the journey it takes to reach them.

 

[Andy299]

I think just about everything has been advised already you may need to know. So, I only want to add that if you are swinging your driver at 125mph then even extra stiff (X) shafts are going to be too soft for you and as such you will still miss shots left and right though to a lesser extent than at present.

Hence, get fitted before you chose a new set or have the shafts changed in the current clubs you have. I would recommend that you seriously consider getting fitted on an open range with a launch monitor where you will be able to see where your balls are going. The closer you get to swinging with the right flex shaft the less the dispersion is going to be and the distance will improve with it at the same time. Once the shaft gets stiffer than you need the distance will start to drop off. As such get the previous club's flex as the right one for you. Hitting into a net can be very misleading. Not all launch monitor software is as good as your eyes or even come close to it! Trust me on that one!

Make sure whoever does the fitting has X, XX and XXX shafted clubs for you to try. If they don't find another fitter!

Until you have the correct flex shaft in your clubs you will not be able to get your swing fixed, if it needs any fixing at all. Lessons will help you greatly once your clubs are fixed, but not before!

 

[fore142]

Others here may disagree completely with what I say here but in order to get my scores and handicap down I worked on the following things:

* Consistent ball flight - Even if its a 15-20 yard draw or fade to start with, the knowledge of standing over the ball with a specific shot shape in mind adds confidence. A swing that repeats is crucial.

* Get fitted for clubs - Equipment that suits your swing, body and playing ability help tremendously.

* Develop a pre-shot routine - Doesn't have to be 45 seconds long, just something to prepare you physically and mentally for the upcoming shot. Repeat until ingrained.

* Play to your strengths - This is an obvious one, of course. Attempting shots over water that would require career shots are not the go. Try to plan your way around the course with your strengths in mind.

With a swing speed and ball carry like that you've obviously got game. Its just knowing when to play the shots and having the confidence to hit them. And knowing when to back off and play the perentage shot. Hopefully these little tips will help you improve as they did for me.

he really got it all here. the key to playing better golf it knowing which way and how much the ball will turn. then you can play this. I play a 30yd draw of the tee and consistently break par. you just have to know where the ball is going.