Mental block !! AAAaaaaarggghh!

Hi all,

New to golf as is expected of someone posting in this forum. I am totally obsessed with it already and am putting in the practice at the range. I have some lessons booked with my local golf pro on a 6-per-group basis which begins on July 10th. My question is: Should I spend a lot of time on the range prior to my lessons or will I pick up irreversable bad habits???

At the moment, I have no clue when it comes to hitting a driver. I have tried but it is no use. I seem to mentally panic at the mere thought of brandishing a 5 wood and when I swing, all sensible thought deserts me and I must look like someone who has never seen a club before. To say the shots are random would be a grave understatement. However, give me a 6 iron or up and I can pretty much land them on a six-pence (ok....not quite).

Can anyone advise me how to remain calm and collected?

Thanks

LJ.

Sit back lad, and read, read, read. Leave the clubs in the bag (well, ok, except maybe your putter. I believe that putting is a total personal-feel thing, and that there's no 'right' way to putt. The pendulum is proper, and I'll agree with fixed hands (no wrist break), but I've played with guys who are as far away from 'textbook' as you can get, and they putt the lights out.)

Wait for your full swing lessons - there's no point in creating bad habits that will have to be fixed. After your lesson, work on what you've been shown. A good instructor should have your swing working great in a dozen lessons or less, depending on how well you do the drills, and how much you practice.

I've seen it many times as a basketball coach of young kids - if you teach kids to do one or two (UNRELATED) fundamental things between sessions, and that's all they focus on, it's much easier to build good fundamentals. It's the kids who go beyond the fundamental drills that have more problems, because we have to iron out their bad habits (which feel 'natural') in order to give them good mechanics.

So relax! You're just getting in, and unlike most other sports, you can be golfing for quite some time to come. Enjoy your lessons, do your homework (reading and practice) and enjoy this wonderful (and frustrating) sport.

If you want to read some great lessons, do a search for Leslie King. My swing is progressing faster than it ever has because I've been reading this guy's lessons for a week straight now.

__________________
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A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

Thanks Lowpost,


Some invaluable tips there. Trouble is, as I'm "addicted", it is hard not to go to the range and practice.

In light of this I have come up with an idea. When I go to the range, I shall only take one club (say a 7) and only aim to reach 100yds and keep it straight. This way, I shouldn't need to employ a full swing thus reducing the possibility of irreversbale errors. Put simply, I don't think I can stay away for nigh-on a month!

Thanks again.

LJ.