First Post and Ready to Throw New Clubs Away! Please HELP!!!

Atlas415 · October 31, 2019

Hi from Virginia. 53 years old, back surgery some years ago but otherwise above average fitness and strength. Decided to take up golf from scratch this past spring. Went to local course a plunked down a good bit of cash for 1 year unlimited membership, brand news clubs/bag, etc., and 6 months of lessons. Very motivated and hit balls at the range almost every day until very recently. I calculated I've hit 20,000 (twenty thousand!) balls since then (Usually 300/day, sometime 500).

Problem: The swing they teach there is the pivot-focused swing, like George Gankas or Dana Dahlquist. I'm not sure if I'm even referring to the style correctly, but the coach says it is different than what a neophyte like myself would call a classic, arm-type swing.

I've taken a lesson every week or two, and I cannot get this swing down. It is the most aggravating, nonintuitive thing I've ever tried. Now, after studying and watching golf instruction videos from other popular channels on youtube like Clay Ballard or Bradley Hughes or Scratch Golf Academy, I can make a decent time of a swing that uses the arms more so. But my coach is very set on the GG/DD type swing, and he hits the ball perfectly every time, but I am running out of my lessons and out of my mind. I am really no better today than 6 months ago with that get the arms behind you, drop them down and leave them there without swinging and pivot and let your rotation put the club to he ball. I actually told the coach today that I was about to quit in frustration.

I know most everyone takes time to learn to swing, but can anyone please recommend a very good coach/website for a beginner like myself that is easier to learn? I may not be the most coordinated person, but the "regular" swing that my coach does not recommend I do (as it is far inferior to his style) has improved very well and consistently for a beginner. I've shot in the high 90s three times with it, but I cannot get even close to that on nine holes with the "pivot" style swing.

Please help me so I don't end up snapping every single brand new TaylorMade club in my bag and then deal with an angry wife!!!

Bigarch · October 31, 2019

It's your game, it's your swing...you own it...not your swing coach. So do what you want and play your own game. I've never been a big fan of "method" teachers. But I think you can take a few things from different people and put it all together to what works for you.

My first advice would be to find another teacher with a different swing philosophy and go see them instead for future lessons. No hard feelings to the other guy. I'm sure he taught a few good fundamental things that you will still hang on to....posture, setup....whatever. The second thing I would do is to start playing more and practicing a bit less. Get out on the course, learn to play and enjoy the game, learn how to score. And when you get out there, don't think about the swing or the method, just think hit it at my target. Your swing may progress or morph into more of a swing that feels comfortable for you and it works. And THAT's the most important thing. Play your game...swing your swing. Thanks for reading my 2 cents...probably what its worth :)

proguy · October 31, 2019

Paralysis by analysis! I took a lesson from GG in March. I am just now ready for another. However I do not hit as many balls as you do as I need time to process, play golf and enjoy the journey. You need to work on just one thing and add a second slowly. Slow down with your obsession for perfection. Post a swing... Just go have fun and get out of your head for awhile. Dig it out of the dirt on the course and skip the range for awhile.

Atlas415 · October 31, 2019

Thank you BigArch and Proguy for your answers! I will do exactly what you suggested and get out and play more. The only reason I had not was not that I am a perfectionist (although that is what my post does seem to imply now that I am re-reading it), but that the coach was real big on practicing, over and over, only the swing he had taught me, and insisted that swinging the club any other way than he said was only building bad habits, and he only wanted me practicing very short pieces of the swing.

Thanks again (and to anyone else that wants to chime in!) You may have saved my brand new M6 set from the dump!

Cheers!

Philomathesq · October 31, 2019

Welcome to the forums and congratulations on, quite possibly, the most GolfWRX thread title ever. :-)

I agree with the above comments about your swing being yours; don't let someone else force you into something that does not work for you. For my own swing, I have found that what has worked best for me is to find someone who is willing to work with the swing (no matter how bad) that I naturally have. It is much easier for me to make small adjustments here and there than to try to relearn an entirely new swing that forces me into positions that are not positions my body wants to get into. I'm not in Virginia, so I cannot offer any good recommendations for anyone there. However, I can recommend Monte's Efficient Swing (https://rebelliongolf.com/videos/efficient-swing/) as a good starting point. It's about $50 and it is a very good _guide_ to a swing that shouldn't feel foreign to you. Also, Monte visit's the forums regularly and there is a thread on this forum (https://forums.golfwrx.com/discussion/1763776/montes-efficient-swing/p1) dedicated to the video lessons.

Good luck on your pursuit of a swing that works for you. And congrats again on the thread title. :-)

over_roast · October 31, 2019

I started playing about two months ago. The first thing I did was sign up for lessons. I talked to 4-5 coaches/ PGA pros/ assistant Pros before I signed up. I ended going with an Assistant Pro because he had a teaching style and philosophy that was going to work best for me. If you know how you learn best of what kind of coaching your respond to look around for an instructor that can provide that. Maybe this guy just can't.

I also agree with other posters that making small changes to your current swing is going to be easier than an total overhaul. Get out on the course! It's nice out there. The range can get pretty dark sometimes.