Blade users thread (NO DEBATING CLUBHEADS! NO Buy Sell Trade!)

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

I just treated myself to a set of Nike original blades brand new still in the wrapper... Got them for a steal the other day.

 

That's a reet bobby dazzler, bobbydazzlewazzler!

[bobbydazzlewazzler]

I just treated myself to a set of Nike original blades brand new still in the wrapper... Got them for a steal the other day.

 

That's a reet bobby dazzler, bobbydazzlewazzler!

 

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

Almost hit a Miura today...

 

You should have ploughed straight into it to find out whether it was crisp and solid like a true Miura, or merely buttery soft like a Mizuno.

[DeNinny]

Almost hit a Miura today...

 

You should have ploughed straight into it to find out whether it was crisp and solid like a true Miura, or merely buttery soft like a Mizuno.

 

He should have switched ships.

[kaaayelll]

Anyone still, or ever, playing/played the Bridgestone J15 MB's?

 

A truly great set. They fly under the radar; people don't know what they're missing. Mine are waiting for me to get around to reshafting. I'm not sure if they're going to get CTapers or Shimada.

 

Enjoy them!

[Sir Slicealot]

Almost hit a Miura today...

 

You should have ploughed straight into it to find out whether it was crisp and solid like a true Miura, or merely buttery soft like a Mizuno.

 

He should have switched ships.

 

Neither of these ideas are particularly agreeable. Option 1: Make the news. Option 2: Make way less money. Both put my golfing future in limbo.

[Sir Slicealot]

 

A truly great set. They fly under the radar; people don't know what they're missing. Mine are waiting for me to get around to reshafting. I'm not sure if they're going to get CTapers or Shimada.

 

Enjoy them!

 

Speaking of reshafting and flying under the radar...only a few more days until I get to extensively test my pile of 1 and 2 irons to see which ones are the best performers for me. The excitement is hardly containable. A whole pile of worm burner sticks to play with!

[Kingcat990]

How big is that family of 1's & 2's slice?

[Bigmean]

Hit balls today first time post op.

 

I am looking forward to lessons. Had a rough time with heavy shots, but ironed it out by half the bucket. Also had an interesting realization, if I try to make a good "swing", I will hit a good ball 40% of the time. If I try to do something specific with a target, that ends up being like 60% good, but bad much more usable and at least with the right intent. Meaning, if I am trying to hit a draw or fade at a pin, whatever micro brain waves and focus make me better than when I am trying to make a good swing. Basically difference between having a shape and target in mind, paying no attention to anything but that, shomehow it will happen more often than having making the right moves in the swingfor that scenario to unfold. Truthfully, I think that 78-82 golf avg. is my man with what I currently have. I think that the fact I double cross and miss both ways, and miss thin and fat is indicative of the fact that my good shots need to be thrown out and the bad ones scream either fundamental problems, or lack of ability to repeat ANYTHING. Not trying to be a negative Nancy, just that I can't play with the enthusiasm I want to without at least feeling like I am slowly improving and I hit my post back surgery ceiling probably early last year.

 

i know I have said this before, but I really am ready to sorta rebuild some. I am going to start lessons with a new pro before this season and go from there. I have a feeling though that my lack of consistency is due to some fundimental flaws in my swing that have always been masked as not a big deal because I have a fair amount of "good" shots. But I can't stay in the 70s if I am capable of more than a few shots a round that look like someone in the 90s hit it, and that is very much my game.

 

Also, the BAby blades on eBay that are a deal are also my shaft. I am so anti ho right now, but man, this has spare set written all over them.........

[DeNinny]

Bigmean I think there are two key factors to being good at ballstriking:

 

1) to know HOW to put a good strike on the ball

 

and

 

2) to know how to be CONSISTENT at doing 1).

 

In my experience these are somewhat mutually exclusive but not totally. I've always been able to pull off a lot of different shots in golf. I see all of them as a 'creation' and I know exactly what I need to do in order to pull it off. This supports 1) above. But where I always felt I was lacking was 2). I'm a streaky golfer and athlete in general. I just am not 'skilled' enough to repeat the same actions the same way, over and over and over. And it just kills my golf.

 

By contrast, the best golfer (7 index to my 9-10) in my reg foursome is a machine. He doesn't try to do anything much with the ball or his shots (and admittedly he can't as much as I do), but what he can do is REPEAT. This supports 2). And even when I just try to repeat my stock fade over and over, which again I know exactly HOW to do, I'm simply not as consistent as him.

 

Just curious if anybody else looked at learning ballstriking this way and if you feel you are more of one than the other.

[Jonesy]

So my club champs was diabolical... I have never putted so poorly in my entire life and that really frustrates me because I back my putting. I 3 putted 3 times on Saturday missing a few tap-in putts (which really helped my confidence) and the rest of the time I just burnt edges, absolutely nothing dropped for me. Of all the weekends it had to disappear it had to be club champs weekend!

 

And then to rub salt in the wounds, on our 6th hole yesterday, par 3, 178m to a back pin and a little overcast, I choke down on a 6 iron and put a solid swing on it and it takes off perfectly, just left of the pin but I can see it's flirting with being a bit long but that's no biggie cause it'll probably be back fringe at worst... Yeah right... it pitches over the green onto a sprinkler cover takes a huge bounce another 20m forward through a garden and up against a fence, I end up making 5.

 

This certainly wasn't my year, I'm hoping I snuck into the matchplay so I can redeem myself.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

Jonesy,

That's some pretty bad luck hitting with the 6i shot. When things go wrong, they go wrong.

 

DeNinny,

On the issue of repeating the shot, I have been fighting a hook since last May or June. It's got better, even though I am still unravelling everything that has gone wrong (lots of compensations = lots of faults to correct). Anyway, the hook is largely under control. It's more draw than I want, but I know the ball will go left. In other words, I have a one way miss. Even with my swing being way off like this, I have still made some decent scores, and I put it down to the fact that I have taken the right side of the course completely out of the equation. I still want to get my old swing and distance back, but there's a lot to be said for being able to repeat the same shot over and over again, even if it's not the ideal shot.

[Bigmean]

Deninny. That makes a crap ton of sense to me, probably because it is so relatable. I feel like my own personal assesment of my game is literally on the fringe of being good, and on the fringe of sucking, simultaneously. Like I feel like I am very close to both of those all the time. On the one hand, no one at the range hit an iron like my good ones, from compression to flight. On the other, out of 72 balls, 35 were good strikes. The others were among some of the worst strikes of anyone there. I really wasn't studying it as I am not big into comparing in golf as it is always me fighting and competing against me, which I like, but at the same time I am aware.

 

So sorta to my point, if I focus on making a nice swing, it doesn't happen. If I focus on hitting a shot going somplace, it has a much better chance. I think because I am all athleticism and built nothing of a swing foundation, I hit at the ball like a sport? I don't know, all I know is that "if" I could find a way to strike more consistently, and miss it one way/narrow down my errancy, it would take me off the fringe of sucking, which is frustrating. I just want rounds to come down to how many putts I can make.

[Nard_S]

Bigmean I think there are two key factors to being good at ballstriking:

 

1) to know HOW to put a good strike on the ball

 

and

 

2) to know how to be CONSISTENT at doing 1).

 

In my experience these are somewhat mutually exclusive but not totally. I've always been able to pull off a lot of different shots in golf. I see all of them as a 'creation' and I know exactly what I need to do in order to pull it off. This supports 1) above. But where I always felt I was lacking was 2). I'm a streaky golfer and athlete in general. I just am not 'skilled' enough to repeat the same actions the same way, over and over and over. And it just kills my golf.

 

By contrast, the best golfer (7 index to my 9-10) in my reg foursome is a machine. He doesn't try to do anything much with the ball or his shots (and admittedly he can't as much as I do), but what he can do is REPEAT. This supports 2). And even when I just try to repeat my stock fade over and over, which again I know exactly HOW to do, I'm simply not as consistent as him.

 

Just curious if anybody else looked at learning ballstriking this way and if you feel you are more of one than the other.

 

I come at it a bit differently.

 

I think you have to internalize what is wrong with your grooved swing then you have to ingrain the fix. Both require a curiosity to learn why tour level swings work as they do, what commonalities or principles great swings share. Problem is "fix" generally exposes other flaws, so you end up with another thing to ingrain. Goal though is to re-map mechanics to the point that it is more reliable and sound. Do that and you gain trust, trust allows you to really play with clear purpose of getting ball from point A to point B. Trust allows creativity to work.

[kadillackountry]

My 2c on ball striking.

 

I've consolidated my shot options on any shots that are from a good lie on the course (tee, fairway, 1st cut). I basically have one shot that I try to hit unless there is a glaring reason that I need to change the shot shape. It has to be major to change that stock shot shape.

 

With this, I can try to be as consistent as possible. I'd rather hit my baby fade to the middle of the green and take a two putt par than end up snapping a draw and have a tough up and down to try to save par. Save my birdie attempts for when the course sets up for me to be aggressive on a pin. This has helped my scoring a lot, especially in pressure situations. Not that I don't practice moving the ball to the left, but I'm most comfortable with the baby fade on the course with my irons.

[Nard_S]

My 2c on ball striking.

 

I've consolidated my shot options on any shots that are from a good lie on the course (tee, fairway, 1st cut). I basically have one shot that I try to hit unless there is a glaring reason that I need to change the shot shape. It has to be major to change that stock shot shape.

 

With this, I can try to be as consistent as possible. I'd rather hit my baby fade to the middle of the green and take a two putt par than end up snapping a draw and have a tough up and down to try to save par. Save my birdie attempts for when the course sets up for me to be aggressive on a pin. This has helped my scoring a lot, especially in pressure situations. Not that I don't practice moving the ball to the left, but I'm most comfortable with the baby fade on the course with my irons.

 

Good strategy.

 

I am making a change to lower all approach shots. 3/4 trap fades and knock downs will be stock. tee shots will be worked either way to take out trouble side and still leave best approach angle.

[mahonie]

My best ball-striking days always happen when I focus on where I want the ball to finish and don't have a swing thought in my head. Bob Rotella has written some great books about golf and particularly how the sub-conscious takes over. In essence your brain sees the target and sends messages to the rest of the body to get the ball to that target. This is why more often than not when we are faced with a challenging shot, over or around a tree for example, we pull off the shot given a fair level of skill to start with. The thing with golf is that we all consciously have various swing thoughts all the time. Get rid of those and concentrate on the target and it's surprising how solidly you strike the ball.

[DeNinny]

So even with a stock shot, my point is that there are still the two parts towards mastering it. I have hit my baby fade a bazillion times and when I do it well I know it was because I executed the mechanics exactly HOW they should be performed. My issue is how to repeat said mechanics CONSISTENTLY.

 

Ultimately how does one 'learn', 'teach', and ingrain consistency? Yes I know the usual answers, drills and a lot of practice, what I'm getting at is this may be a separate 'skill' or 'talent' altogether and that is just as important as to know HOW to pull off a good strike.

 

And as to me personally I'm just saying and maybe realizing that I'm just OK/average at it and no matter how good I get at learning the HOWs of a good ball strike, I may have to accept that my limitation is from the inability to just simply repeat the same motor skills the exact same way even when I practice and try drills incessantly to ingrain the actions.

[NRJyzr]

My best ball-striking days always happen when I focus on where I want the ball to finish and don't have a swing thought in my head. Bob Rotella has written some great books about golf and particularly how the sub-conscious takes over. In essence your brain sees the target and sends messages to the rest of the body to get the ball to that target. This is why more often than not when we are faced with a challenging shot, over or around a tree for example, we pull off the shot given a fair level of skill to start with. The thing with golf is that we all consciously have various swing thoughts all the time. Get rid of those and concentrate on the target and it's surprising how solidly you strike the ball.

 

Reading your post, mahonie, only brings this to mind for me :)

 

[mahonie]

So even with a stock shot, my point is that there are still the two parts towards mastering it. I have hit my baby fade a bazillion times and when I do it well I know it was because I executed the mechanics exactly HOW they should be performed. My issue is how to repeat said mechanics CONSISTENTLY.

 

Ultimately how does one 'learn', 'teach', and ingrain consistency? Yes I know the usual answers, drills and a lot of practice, what I'm getting at is this may be a separate 'skill' or 'talent' altogether and that is just as important as to know HOW to pull off a good strike.

 

And as to me personally I'm just saying and maybe realizing that I'm just OK/average at it and no matter how good I get at learning the HOWs of a good ball strike, I may have to accept that my limitation is from the inability to just simply repeat the same motor skills the exact same way even when I practice and try drills incessantly to ingrain the actions.

 

DeNinny, I'm not sure how many balls you hit a week but I read a book (Bring me the Head of Sergio Garcia - good read) where I think it said that the young guys on the EuroPro Tour were hitting 700-800 balls a day every day just to maintain their levels!!! I get knackered hitting 200 balls at the range in a session. I think the repetition aspect of ingraining consistency is very important. When I got down to 10 handicap, I was playing 2-3 times a week. Playing once a week (at most these days) has got me soon enough back up to 12. I know that the key to me getting to a lower handicap is hitting more balls. If I hit them in a structured way, with lessons, I will get there quicker...hopefully ;-)

[NRJyzr]

Making a brief interruption to report an update on my graphite shafted test club.

 

Got the NV105 assembled in the PureFit 1020 8 iron. Interestingly, I had to remove the lead tape I'd had on the back from when I'd had Modus 130 stiff in it, in order to keep the swingweight where I want it. It seems the NV105 are really intended to be a direct replacement for steel. :)

 

Currently, it's kind of garish; I had lime green ferrules handy, instead of something in black, so went ahead and used one. Put a blue Pure Pro grip on it. Not the best color combination to look at, that's for sure. LOL

 

Now to find myself some range time with it. Would be especially cool if I could find a range where I'm hitting into the wind. Really interested in seeing how it does in wind-play...

[dog flog]

this thread has been pretty quiet recently and no one seems to be in it. We need more golf stories!!

 

Don't worry I get off the ship in 7 days and will do my best to populate the thread with Tales of the Novice Golfer: 50 First Swings.

 

"50 Shades of Fade" by Sir Slicealot

 

Haha... Excellent! I went more with Fifty First Dates(Swings) because my job takes me away from my clubs at times.

I might be Fifty Ways to Leave Strokes Behind with a Shovel. (To the tune, of course, of Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover.)

[Nard_S]

So even with a stock shot, my point is that there are still the two parts towards mastering it. I have hit my baby fade a bazillion times and when I do it well I know it was because I executed the mechanics exactly HOW they should be performed. My issue is how to repeat said mechanics CONSISTENTLY.

 

Ultimately how does one 'learn', 'teach', and ingrain consistency? Yes I know the usual answers, drills and a lot of practice, what I'm getting at is this may be a separate 'skill' or 'talent' altogether and that is just as important as to know HOW to pull off a good strike.

 

And as to me personally I'm just saying and maybe realizing that I'm just OK/average at it and no matter how good I get at learning the HOWs of a good ball strike, I may have to accept that my limitation is from the inability to just simply repeat the same motor skills the exact same way even when I practice and try drills incessantly to ingrain the actions.

 

No easy answer but you 1st have to identify the why's of inconsistency and the how's to correct. if there is a skill set involved it is to practice with a defined disciplined purpose and goal where you're tuned into every shot, where changes have to be cemented by feel and validated by results and even a camera.

 

I hit 300-400 a week for 4-5 months last year, I would spend a week or several on one thing, one body part, one motion or one fundamental. From January to November not much changed save for better misses. Then when the alchemy was right when things fell together a bit, when I found the last big demon, and had an "aha!", the progress really accelerated. My point is the progress is not linear it is parabolic. If I used a teacher it would have gone faster but it would still have been parabolic. So buckets of patience is required. Now my "B-" swing is better than my "A+" swing from a year ago. At least the last 3 months at the range suggest it, do not know if the scorecard will :)

[mahonie]

How often do you guys get 'in the zone' where everything just clicks? (I'm thinking the na-na-na-na-na putting scene from Caddyshack for some reason). You just know you're going to hit a flush shot, hole a putt, stiff a wedge. I have it happen about three times a year. Sometimes it's just for nine holes...others it lasts for 12 or so and once or twice in the last ten years it has happened for the whole round. If I could understand why those 'zone' periods happen and use it, my golf would be so much better.

[buzlin]

 

Also, the BAby blades on eBay that are a deal are also my shaft. I am so anti ho right now, but man, this has spare set written all over them.........

 

That seller has two sets on eBay. Crazy. Nice looking sets, though the ferrules on the set with the 1150 shafts look turned/ground a bit crooked....................tempting regardless.

[kadillackountry]

How often do you guys get 'in the zone' where everything just clicks? (I'm thinking the na-na-na-na-na putting scene from Caddyshack for some reason). You just know you're going to hit a flush shot, hole a putt, stiff a wedge. I have it happen about three times a year. Sometimes it's just for nine holes...others it lasts for 12 or so and once or twice in the last ten years it has happened for the whole round. If I could understand why those 'zone' periods happen and use it, my golf would be so much better.

Happens more frequently when I am playing more consistently (at least 1 practice session, 1 round a week). I would say 9 holes happens about once every 5 rounds. Where everything is clicking (I include mental game in that as sometimes you can be hitting every shot right, but deciding to hit a shot that your margin of error is maximized and causes a mistake to happen). A full 18 comes probably once a quarter.

 

I've been as low as a 3 handicap, and I was playing 2-3 rounds a week with another 2-3 practice sessions a week. Then I would say I would likely get 18 to click every two weeks.

 

The biggest issue for me has been changing my mental game to understand that the frequency of me hitting the harder to hit shot for me is less these days. So for example, this Saturday, instead of hitting the draw into a tucked pin right behind a REALLY tough bunker to get up and down from, I hit a fade starting at the edge of that bunker and hitting the middle of the green. Two putt for par. In days of past, I would have tried to hit the draw around the bunker and end up over hooking it into the bunker, with no chance at par. I've really eliminated the birdie (unless I drop a tough 20-25 ft putt) in this situation, but I've also eliminated the double. I'll take my chances now. I won't go as low with my mental strategy these days, but I will be a little more consistent and try to eliminate the chance of double on every hole.

 

The older I get (and mind you I am only 31), the more I realize that I would rather be the boring golfer that takes everyones money, then the flashy golfer that is paying out on a weekly basis.

[mahonie]

How often do you guys get 'in the zone' where everything just clicks? (I'm thinking the na-na-na-na-na putting scene from Caddyshack for some reason). You just know you're going to hit a flush shot, hole a putt, stiff a wedge. I have it happen about three times a year. Sometimes it's just for nine holes...others it lasts for 12 or so and once or twice in the last ten years it has happened for the whole round. If I could understand why those 'zone' periods happen and use it, my golf would be so much better.

Happens more frequently when I am playing more consistently (at least 1 practice session, 1 round a week). I would say 9 holes happens about once every 5 rounds. Where everything is clicking (I include mental game in that as sometimes you can be hitting every shot right, but deciding to hit a shot that your margin of error is maximized and causes a mistake to happen). A full 18 comes probably once a quarter.

 

I've been as low as a 3 handicap, and I was playing 2-3 rounds a week with another 2-3 practice sessions a week. Then I would say I would likely get 18 to click every two weeks.

 

The biggest issue for me has been changing my mental game to understand that the frequency of me hitting the harder to hit shot for me is less these days. So for example, this Saturday, instead of hitting the draw into a tucked pin right behind a REALLY tough bunker to get up and down from, I hit a fade starting at the edge of that bunker and hitting the middle of the green. Two putt for par. In days of past, I would have tried to hit the draw around the bunker and end up over hooking it into the bunker, with no chance at par. I've really eliminated the birdie (unless I drop a tough 20-25 ft putt) in this situation, but I've also eliminated the double. I'll take my chances now. I won't go as low with my mental strategy these days, but I will be a little more consistent and try to eliminate the chance of double on every hole.

 

The older I get (and mind you I am only 31), the more I realize that I would rather be the boring golfer that takes everyones money, then the flashy golfer that is paying out on a weekly basis.

 

The points you make about the mental side of the game are very valid. I will do well to remember them this weekend. We have a once-a-year golf society do where there will be 36 of us playing over three rounds at Princes, Kent (hosted an Open back in 1929 iirc, Gene Sarazen won). One of the guys is going for a hat-trick of wins and he is just a machine. Always plays for the centre of the green unless it is 100% green light, ruling out double bogey on every hole. He usually averages 38 pts Stableford and is never less than 34 - the challenge is out there to beat him...I'll look to alter my approach and not go for every flag!!!

[kadillackountry]

How often do you guys get 'in the zone' where everything just clicks? (I'm thinking the na-na-na-na-na putting scene from Caddyshack for some reason). You just know you're going to hit a flush shot, hole a putt, stiff a wedge. I have it happen about three times a year. Sometimes it's just for nine holes...others it lasts for 12 or so and once or twice in the last ten years it has happened for the whole round. If I could understand why those 'zone' periods happen and use it, my golf would be so much better.

Happens more frequently when I am playing more consistently (at least 1 practice session, 1 round a week). I would say 9 holes happens about once every 5 rounds. Where everything is clicking (I include mental game in that as sometimes you can be hitting every shot right, but deciding to hit a shot that your margin of error is maximized and causes a mistake to happen). A full 18 comes probably once a quarter.

 

I've been as low as a 3 handicap, and I was playing 2-3 rounds a week with another 2-3 practice sessions a week. Then I would say I would likely get 18 to click every two weeks.

 

The biggest issue for me has been changing my mental game to understand that the frequency of me hitting the harder to hit shot for me is less these days. So for example, this Saturday, instead of hitting the draw into a tucked pin right behind a REALLY tough bunker to get up and down from, I hit a fade starting at the edge of that bunker and hitting the middle of the green. Two putt for par. In days of past, I would have tried to hit the draw around the bunker and end up over hooking it into the bunker, with no chance at par. I've really eliminated the birdie (unless I drop a tough 20-25 ft putt) in this situation, but I've also eliminated the double. I'll take my chances now. I won't go as low with my mental strategy these days, but I will be a little more consistent and try to eliminate the chance of double on every hole.

 

The older I get (and mind you I am only 31), the more I realize that I would rather be the boring golfer that takes everyones money, then the flashy golfer that is paying out on a weekly basis.

 

The points you make about the mental side of the game are very valid. I will do well to remember them this weekend. We have a once-a-year golf society do where there will be 36 of us playing over three rounds at Princes, Kent (hosted an Open back in 1929 iirc, Gene Sarazen won). One of the guys is going for a hat-trick of wins and he is just a machine. Always plays for the centre of the green unless it is 100% green light, ruling out double bogey on every hole. He usually averages 38 pts Stableford and is never less than 34 - the challenge is out there to beat him...I'll look to alter my approach and not go for every flag!!!

Just pick your battles. If your natural shot shape is a fade, then go after the pins that favor a fade. I birdied two holes on Saturday with that mental outlook. But if there is a lot of trouble, or it's a harder approach shot, middle of the green, two putt par and live to fight another day. Probably a better chance of draining a couple of long putts with tap in pars then scrambling to get up and down to save those 2 points. Especially with a Stableford format. You are significantly better off with a Par (2 points) then a double (zero points). The only exception for me in a Stableford format is I go for a lot of questionable shots on Par 5's. The potential of an Eagle - 4 points (rather than 2 points for a par), mathematically outweighs the other option of bogey (1 point). While I typically play par 5's in 3 shots (my course is 7200 yards and the Par 5's are tough in two), I tend to change that theory in a Stableford format. Take my opinion with a grain of salt, because I've never won a Stableford event.

 

If the Stableford accounts for handicap in your format, then adjust accordingly. I think my course, two of the par 5s are in the top 6 handicap holes. Allows for a three shot hole with a good opportunity at net eagle, backup net birdie. That being said, if there is a tough par 4 that you get a stroke on, might consider playing for the least trouble that affords you an opportunity to net up and down par (net birdie) for the extra point in the Stableford. I think of the 3rd hole on my home course. Toughest hole on the course. I would allow my "miss" to be to the front of the green with the least amount of trouble, and try to up and down for a net birdie and 3 pops. Take out the chance of worse than bogey.

 

This game is so flippin fun.

[DeNinny]

So even with a stock shot, my point is that there are still the two parts towards mastering it. I have hit my baby fade a bazillion times and when I do it well I know it was because I executed the mechanics exactly HOW they should be performed. My issue is how to repeat said mechanics CONSISTENTLY.

 

Ultimately how does one 'learn', 'teach', and ingrain consistency? Yes I know the usual answers, drills and a lot of practice, what I'm getting at is this may be a separate 'skill' or 'talent' altogether and that is just as important as to know HOW to pull off a good strike.

 

And as to me personally I'm just saying and maybe realizing that I'm just OK/average at it and no matter how good I get at learning the HOWs of a good ball strike, I may have to accept that my limitation is from the inability to just simply repeat the same motor skills the exact same way even when I practice and try drills incessantly to ingrain the actions.

 

No easy answer but you 1st have to identify the why's of inconsistency and the how's to correct. if there is a skill set involved it is to practice with a defined disciplined purpose and goal where you're tuned into every shot, where changes have to be cemented by feel and validated by results and even a camera.

 

I hit 300-400 a week for 4-5 months last year, I would spend a week or several on one thing, one body part, one motion or one fundamental. From January to November not much changed save for better misses. Then when the alchemy was right when things fell together a bit, when I found the last big demon, and had an "aha!", the progress really accelerated. My point is the progress is not linear it is parabolic. If I used a teacher it would have gone faster but it would still have been parabolic. So buckets of patience is required. Now my "B-" swing is better than my "A+" swing from a year ago. At least the last 3 months at the range suggest it, do not know if the scorecard will :)

 

I totally understand and agree (w/you too, mahonie). Understanding those why's and how to correct is exactly where my game is now, but still there are times where you know exactly what to do and call it choking, brain farting, forgetting, whatever - there will still be times that you flat out fail to repeat what you already know what to do.

 

You could take two golfers of similar skill, build, and swing knowledge and put them through that same regimen, but yet still one of them could be the better golfer because he is simply better at repeating. And ultimately he becomes the better golfer.

 

In the end much of the solution is just continued practice and hitting balls to keep learning one's own swing as much as possible. I have proven it to myself as well. My short game was absolutely the best when I worked at it constantly. And I know my swing would truly be more consistent if I simply practiced more and with a specific purpose to ingrain something. But still everyone has a skill limit at repetition and all I'm saying is that I think the best golfers are ones that simply have more 'talent' at it (all other things equal like practice time and athleticism).

[kadillackountry]

DeNinny - Isn't the failure the best part of golf. It's what we watch for when we watch Augusta in April. We strive for perfection, but even those that have come close to achieving that aren't perfect. You can't birdie every hole, every day. Some of Tiger's best shots were when he got himself into trouble. Didn't repeat a perfect pattern. The perfect shots bring us back to the game. But the imperfection of this game is what makes it so wonderful. I shanked several irons on Saturday (front nine). Don't know what was wrong, but it happened. Glad I was able to get it together and have a much better back nine, or my clubs might have been holed up for a while.