IGNORING THE PRO IS IT THE ROCK I WILL PERISH ON

[sevemearse]

ok quick review I was playing well about 6, 7 weeks ago. Enjoying my game and regularly hitting 36+ points playing to my handicap and more nb beating my regular playing partners. So I said to myself I wanted to take it up a notch and I decided to have a lesson or 2. Now the 1st lesson was great he altered my grip and swing basically in an effort to make my whole swing more orthodox and lay the foundations for real improvement. Anyway bottom line the first few rounds with the new swing were great but it then all went to shit I mean awful. So I went back for a 2nd lesson saturday but he got very technical and detailed about my wrist action at the top of the back swing and to be honest I didnt hit a decent shot through the whole lesson. Anyway I had a round yesterday and started off trying to employ all that I had been told the day before.

I had the worst 12 wholes of my life so on the 13th I just threw it all out and went back a bit to my old way of playing and surprise surprise par par par bogey bogey par. So now I am in a tissy as I know I should be gripping the club a lot softer and having a much flater swing plain but it just isnt working.

I have the 1st round in my favourite match play competition of the year, this evening and I am about as confident as a 1 legged man in an arse kicking contest.

 

[Rainmanp]

Have you been to the range? Fundamental swing changes take a LOT of practice to begin feeling "natural". Even minor changes in one area affect the whole swing. In effect, every time you change something, part of the challenge is just finding the ball with the club face again. Even with a less than optimal swing we learn to incorporate little adjustments that allow us to make decent contact with the ball. When you change something, all those little compensations don't work anymore. Only with structured practice at the range can your body figure these out. Until then you will hit a lot of bad shots because your whole motion is different. It doesn't work to get a couple of ideas then head to the course. THAT is an exercise in frustration.

I admire you for making the effort. Poor as it is, my swing is at least letting me get the ball down the fairway. I haven't had the guts to get lessons to try to improve it.
Regards,
Raymond

 

[sevemearse]

absolutely couldn't agree more, it is a futile exercise trying make fundamental swing changes on the course the range is the way to go to get the natural rhythm. Anyway to give you the conclusion I played my match play there Monday. I kept the grip and stance and just forgot about the back/swing wrist action mumbo jumbo. I couldn't believe the results, ended up winning my match 5 and 4 and obviously comfortably through to the next round. split the fairway off every tee and as a result my irons and my short game just came together.

I am delighted because having stuck with the fundamentals grip /stance changes and just trying to swing naturally it all come together.

Yep I am back in love with the game.

 

[bdcrowe]

I am coming to the conclusion that golf pros mess your swing up to create a captive customer base.

 

[Nevercompromise]

I found I am playing much better doing nothing the pro taught me. However he did fix my grip, that was the biggest problem.

 

[Youngun5]

exactly what i kinda did, he switched my grip from ten finger to an overlap which has really helped in my opinion, he straightened up my takeaway and to create coil by keeping the weight shift on the inside of my back foot, other than that, i adapted those things to my normal swing rather than what he told me and things are just wonderful

 

[Woosey]

im must admit when i came into this season with my trusty swing i was playing ok, as well as i always had really, (22ish handicap at the time)

Went for some lessons and junked in my swing completley and got given a whole new swing, it didnt work at first but i kept at it and now its natural and im playing the best golf of my life!! and i owe it ALL to my pro!!

I now play off a 15 handicap but thats going to come down futher soon

Im one happy golfer (got a lesson in an hour too!!)

 

[DaveE]

I've played golf off and on for years, but never really practiced or played every week until about three years ago.

My wife got me a series of 5 lessons as a birthday present and at first my game went from bad to shit. My only goal going in was to be able to play bogey golf. It took about a year for the lessons to pay off and last summer my index got down to a 15.

My round yesterday was a personal best at 10 over and I credit the lessons and getting some of the basics right for my improvement. That said, once you've learned the proper grip, stance etc. I think you have to work out your swing for yourself.