General problems

In the past week I have basically lost my swing..or at least thats what i thought, i played terribly last weekend but i was pretty sick so i tried not to let that get to me..then when i visited the range several times that week i had a bad fade in all my clubs and i couldnt fix it...lately i have been able to control my fade and draws very well but this past week i either sliced it or hit the ball very thin...i was just hittin some balls in my practice net and noticed my right elbow was getting away from my body during my backswing etc...once i noticed this i concentrated on it and started hitting the balls very crisp once again, whether the fade is gone idk....is what i noticed something that could of actually of been a problem or is this just a mental game for me?

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There are two types of criticism. They type you agree with, and the type you wont let yourself believe.

Whether either are helpfull is up to our own stubborness

Hi there,

You may find apart from some mental pressure you are putting on your self causing a lack of confidence there may be a simple fundimental lacking in your game.........Ball Position It does sound from your question like the ball it too far forward in your stance...................start with an 8 iron middle using the carpet at home etc to get the middle correct.................if it looks miles back in your stance then it will be ball position.......progrssivly move the ball slightly forward as the club gets longer upto the driver just inside your left heel.


Hope this helps


Ian.

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Once you learn the swing, your next step is mastering golf psychology................

Shamed, I am just a nobody hacker at this forum , but I can tell you that in "my experience", keeping my right elbow/arm tucked in to my side has given me more control and consistency in my swing than any other adjustment I have made in the short time that I have been playing this #$%^#$& game. The mental part of it is that it has given me a confidence in my swing that is well above 50/50 ..

thanks guys ill keep these ideas in mind

Shamed I just noticed your signature that states in just one month of playing the game you shot 80. That is incredible. I've been playing (seriously) since about January and have broken 100 only once. Though I am taking strokes off slowly but surely I can't see me playing consistently under 100 until mid to late summer (and I play a lot).

Can you share with me how you accomplished such a low score in such a short time? Maybe you are just a natural and probably much younger than me. I'm 59 and I think the mind does not as easily program itself to correct movement as it probably does when one is younger. Anyhow, congratulations that is quite an accomplishment.

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I would suggest that any golfer who says they've never thrown a club is either a liar or a poser. To all of you "gentlemen golfers" out there, respectively..
Jim

well ive always been very athletic and good at everything ive tried..from basketball to soccer to baseball to racing ive always been one of the best..im only 19 and i am very good at learning by watching other people who know what there doing..i have not had any lessons from any pros but my gf is rated one of the best in the area for her age group and i have watched her and her pro go at it a few times and ive learned alot from them, but i guess im just lucky..i was consistently shooting in the low 80s but in the past 2 weeks ive scored an 89-95 and have been struggling on the course...when i go to the range i get stares from most people and i feel pretty good but lately ive had trouble out on the course...anyways a mental game im sure, i would of shot in the 70s had my putting been better, of course 20 yards in im deadly with my wedge..i play several times a week, im pretty much in love with the game, anyways thanks for the comments

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There are two types of criticism. They type you agree with, and the type you wont let yourself believe.

Whether either are helpfull is up to our own stubborness

first of all, congrats on shooting an 80 after playing for one month. That is Tiger-like. To shoot that low, means you have already established a very consistent swing. What happens with all of us, is that we tend to look for problems in the swing rather than setup. So, you start correcting one thing that may not be broken and something else crops up. If your girlfriend is a good player, have her review your fundamentals before changing anything. This would include, grip, aligment and stance - as stated by me and others on this site, you will find 90 percent of the problems there. One thing you did mention - hitting into a net. The problem with a net is you are completely depending on feel rather than seeing where the ball goes. In addition, you cannot aim for a target. You may have developed some problems from doing this type of practice, especially alignment.

well that makes a lot of sense, i know i have changed my swing slightly and that has prob. caused some problems..i didnt really think about my setup it just seems to be natural..but ive probably been slowly regressing with my setup and it has gotten bad without me realizing it..ill have to check it again..as far as hitting into my net, i will usually go out every 30 mins when im home and just hit like 5 shots or so..i also have a big mirror out there that i will watch where i am on my backswing etc...i usually just make sure im aiming down the target line on my backswing and not raising my hip or straightening my right leg and what not..ill check my set up and post my swing on here soon..i think the camera has been my most helpful tool b/c i can see exactly what im doing wrong when i dont even feel it

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There are two types of criticism. They type you agree with, and the type you wont let yourself believe.

Whether either are helpfull is up to our own stubborness

come to think of it when i was home for lunch i hit a few balls and noticed in my mirror at address my hands were to close to my body...i beleive that may of been my problem b/c i was hitting the balls much smoother in the net, ill hit the range this afternoon and see if that was my actuall problem, i guess ive been getting lazy with my setup..it can deff cause soem serious problems

1) Try backing up.
2) Make sure your right elbow gets out in front of your right hip, NOT against the side of your body.
3) Maintain spine angle. If you press your hips forward you will block your right elbow from coming from the inside, causing a slice.

Thanx for sharing that Shamed. Starting at my age my ultimate goal is to hopefully shoot in the mid to upper 80 fairly consistently some day. That would be great for me. At your age you may just have a career in front of you. Again congratulations on that score and keep hitting em long and straight.

Saving strokes is all about 2 things....Putting and knowing when to put the driver away.

I shot an 80 the other day and took driver out on every hole I could; there was only 1 par 4 that I can't hit driver on because its SO short. The next day I shot a 76 on the same course and only hit driver on the 8 holes. There were 6 holes I could have hit driver on and didn't. 1 3 put both rounds, 1 birdie each round. So the difference was making pars. I made par on 5 out of the 6 holes I did not hit driver on.

Just a thought.....

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What's in my bag....
Cleveland VP 2 Blade Putter
Ping Tour Wedges, 54 & 60
TaylorMade rac LT2, 4i thru PW
Tour Edge Exotics Iron-Wood 21* 3i - Aldila NV 90 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 18* 5 Wood - ProLaunch Blue 75 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 15* 3 Wood - Aldila NV 75 Stiff Shaft
Cleveland HiBore XL 9.5* - Fujikura Fit-On Red Stiff Shaft

that seems to be the same for me...i have better luck using my 3 wood or my 5 iron most of the time...my driver usually gets me in trouble under the trees as i still havent figured that one completely out

You need "go-to" shots. For me, its my 3 wood, hybrid, 6 iron, 8 iron and SW.

3 Wood - I grip down slighly and swing slow. I will knock it 250 yards with no effort with a SLIGHT fade.

Hybrid - Play it like my 6 iron and it will go 200 yards with a slight fade.

6 Iron - Full 6 goes 180, half 6 goes 165 with a LOW trajectory.

8 Iron - Full 8 goes 160, half goes 145 with a LOW trajectory.

SW - 100 yard carry on the money with three-quarter swing. Pull my front foot back 6 inches (weight on leftside) for a fade, pull my back foot 6 inches (weight on rightside) for a draw.

I have comfort with those clubs. Those shots feel effortless. I am working with my 9 iron now to develop some 130-150 yard shots with fade and draw.

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What's in my bag....
Cleveland VP 2 Blade Putter
Ping Tour Wedges, 54 & 60
TaylorMade rac LT2, 4i thru PW
Tour Edge Exotics Iron-Wood 21* 3i - Aldila NV 90 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 18* 5 Wood - ProLaunch Blue 75 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 15* 3 Wood - Aldila NV 75 Stiff Shaft
Cleveland HiBore XL 9.5* - Fujikura Fit-On Red Stiff Shaft