About ready to quit golf again...

[LeftDaddy]

Pre-post warning...I’m just looking to commiserate a little, I guess. Don’t read if you don’t want to...I’m going to sound a little whiny or “woe is me”. I don’t mean most of it. But it feels like golf has taken a lot more from me than it has given this year. So here goes...

 

As 2019 golf season draws to a close, this is the state of my game. First, I’m dealing with a pinched nerve in my trail shoulder (left). It hurt like a son of a gun a couple of weeks ago. It is improving, but now it is just “uncomfortable “. And it is amazing how weak it has made my left arm. I’ve lost two clubs of distance, but the mere fact that I played recently seems like a minor miracle. If you can call what I did playing golf. I only had time for 12 holes and I was 23 over (amazingly I somehow still have a 9 handicap). I also got over tennis elbow in my right arm earlier in the year, and that was no picnic either.

 

I’ve generally played poor golf most of this year, though I did have my moments. But for the past 3 months or so, I’ve outright stunk. I’ve “changed my swing “ probably 10 times this year (I know, I know). But mainly what I’m working on is to turn and stay more behind the ball, and to turn my hips earlier in the downswing, and to transfer my weight to my front foot better. I can’t seem to get all 3 to work at the same time. I can get behind the ball, but I practically fall over backwards as I swing through. Or I can work hard on turning my hips, but I’ve hit pulls that went 50 yards right of my target if I try to get too aggressive with that “feel”. And I can transfer my weight to my front foot, but I get so far ahead of the ball that I hit tops and thins.

 

I started the year working on swing plane. I was too under the plane. And I’ve worked on that for years. I thought I had made some progress until recently when I started shanking everything. I fixed the shanks by fixing my stance (was too hunched over). But now I have a wicked case of the pulls.

 

Is it possible to be under the plane but come over the top at the same time?

 

Anyway, in all of the “fixes” I’ve tried to apply to my swing this year, I seem to have strayed somewhat from a swing that, although far from perfect, seemed to work OK for me. I’m not sure I could break 100 right now if I had time and / or enough decent weather to get 18 holes in. That really saddens me. I’ve broken 80 three times, and one of the times was in January this year. But I am nowhere near that golfer right now. I am really struggling with the driver. I can’t seem to release “behind” the ball. I’m already past the ball and trying really hard to close the face and turn my body. If I do hit it ok, I’m pulling it like crazy. Otherwise, I’m hitting these horribly weak slices.

 

I did get a quick “check-up” from my coach a couple of weeks ago. He said I’m shifting my hips too far ahead of the ball on the downswing, and I’m not turning them enough before impact. I was also taking the club back way too far to the outside. While he was standing over me and telling me what to do, I started to hit some nice shots (albeit short with the pinched nerve). And I felt like Tiger on the range yesterday prior to playing a few holes. But as soon as I got on the course, I became an absolute mess.

 

Anyway, if you’ve read this far, thanks for reading. And if you have any tips I’ll take them (though perhaps the last thing I need right now is more golf instruction). Help with turning the hips yet also properly transferring weight would be nice. I’ve scoured the internet and have yet to find something that resonates.

 

Thanks guys. Sorry for the rant / long post. Sometimes I think I would remove one of my biggest stressors in life if I just gave up golf altogether...

[SNIPERBBB]

Sounds like you're trying to work on too many things in isolation and not being able to get all those individual things to mesh together.

[TimK1]

Maybe take 6 months off and regroup? Sometimes we have to just put the clubs down and do something else for a while. I agree with the above post. It sounds like your thinking to much and trying to do too many things at once.

I know this won't help. Anybody who plays this game has quit 1000 times in there life only to come back.

I quit for four years as a 5 handicap. I think I just got burned out. I played high-level Am golf for years in my state. 20 tournaments a year. I started playing again a year and a half ago and now am scratch. I play 18 holes a week and two tournaments a year now and am much happier.

I'm happier just working on my short game and hitting 50-yard shots. I hit four drivers on the range now instead of 150 like I used to. I used to practice for 6 or 7 hours at the range. Two hours after tournaments. I'd show up three hours before my tee time and hit 400 balls and go play a round.

 

I know you're describing a different thing here. My point I guess is sometimes walking away for a while ends up being a good thing. I'm glad I did. I totally changed my mindset with this game and enjoy it now more than ever and actually got better.

[SNIPERBBB]

One benefit of living up north is I quit from october to March-april...get to forget the bad stuff over the winter.

[SEP1006]

This may seem extreme to you and you may or may not like this person. But I like you have had probably 10 different swings in the last 5 years. About 2 months ago for whatever reason I went to the DeChambeau 1-plane swing with the Jumbomax medium grips as well. TO ME this is by far the easiest most repeatable swing I have ever done. I play to a 8 - 10 hcp and it has mainly been due to my short game. Before swapping my bad rounds would be 88 - 92. Since changing my bad rounds are now at 83 - 85 MAX, so much more consistent.

 

Anyway just a thought from a once frustrated golfer to another.

Good luck with whatever path you choose.

[juststeve]

LeftDaddy:

 

You have too much stuff in your head. You have seen too much you tube and you are trying to force elements together that don't belong together. Let's just try to get you swinging the club.

 

1. Address an imaginary golf ball. You are relaxed, tension free.

 

2. Swing the golf club back with your hands until over your trail shoulder.

 

3. Then swing the club forward, brushing he ground and finishing with the club over your lead shoulder.

 

Just let your body respond to the swinging of the club. Don't do anything with your body, just allow it to respond naturally. Your focus is on balance and rhythm.

 

When you can do numbers 1-3 consistently put a ball down where your club brushes the ground, try to ignore the ball, and just make the swing brushing the ground.

 

You will be amazed hos little you have to think about, how little you need to consciously control, to hit good golf shots.

 

Steve

 

 

[nitram]

Living with a few ailments myself and I know well how it "sucks to suck". Taking some time off usually heals you, both body and soul. Just walk away for a while. There'll be a day when you're healthier and you'll grab a putter or a wedge and it'll feel good in your hands, again. Embrace the suck, it's time to step away for a while.

[nitram]

Delete double post please

[MaineMariner]

I'm far from knowledgeable in this, but I believe motor learning experts agree it's impossible to focus on multiple actions or body parts at once and expect anything resembling an athletic golf swing. I just don't think our brains or bodies function this way. I don't think you have a swing problem, I think your efforts to fix yourself are just getting in the way of your own swing.

 

I've been in your shoes before. I had a month long stretch this summer where the harder I tried, the worse I got. I wasn't totally lost, but I dropped like 5-10 strokes a round overnight. My "solution", if you want to call it that, was extremely simple. I stopped trying to do the right thing and hit the right checkpoints and instead went in my backyard and swing the club around a bunch one-handed. Just easy, relaxed, free-flowing one-handed swings, focusing only on staying in balance and feeling athletic. I forgot about my clubface, I forgot about my swing plane, I forgot about my takeaway. Just swing the clubhead. You're an athlete. Let yourself be athletic.

[Z1ggy16]

If you struggle with hip slide, take a look at George Gankas' stuff. Not saying you need to adapt his swing philosophies but the way he teaches the down swing should help you with rotating a little more. I've always found that if I focus on a squatting motion to start my lower body, it's almost impossible to simultanously slide my hips aggressively toward the ball, which is something I struggled with greatly. it causes all kinds of issues when you have excessive amounts of that. For me, it made my low point inconsistent and my path would be extremely in to out.

 

Also, if you really do have nerve issues, you need to see a doctor because it's not going to just "go away". It may subside a bit while you stop playing over the winter, but if you sit around and do nothing, it will likely be back once you start golfing again. See a physical therapist.

[Krt22]

For all of these "fixes" that you have applied this year, how many are self prescribed and how many came from your coach?

[Millbrook]

Try this;

 

[http://youtube.com/watch?v=QWAd2SrboeQ]

[over_roast]

I'm sure there are people who can speak more to your technical difficulties. A lot of great advice has already been put on this thread.

 

Do you want to play golf? Outside of the score or what you think you should be shooting, is it something you find enjoyment in? Best of luck. Hope you're playing next season.

[Hilts1969]

> @Millbrook said:

> Try this;

>

> [http://youtube.com/watch?v=QWAd2SrboeQ]

 

> @Millbrook said:

> Try this;

>

> [http://youtube.com/watch?v=

 

The guy with a thousand videos on turning the hips and pictures that don’t get shown in the video. The move no one tells you? Really

[Hilts1969]

> @LeftDaddy said:

> Pre-post warning...I’m just looking to commiserate a little, I guess. Don’t read if you don’t want to...I’m going to sound a little whiny or “woe is me”. I don’t mean most of it. But it feels like golf has taken a lot more from me than it has given this year. So here goes...

>

> As 2019 golf season draws to a close, this is the state of my game. First, I’m dealing with a pinched nerve in my trail shoulder (left). It hurt like a son of a gun a couple of weeks ago. It is improving, but now it is just “uncomfortable “. And it is amazing how weak it has made my left arm. I’ve lost two clubs of distance, but the mere fact that I played recently seems like a minor miracle. If you can call what I did playing golf. I only had time for 12 holes and I was 23 over (amazingly I somehow still have a 9 handicap). I also got over tennis elbow in my right arm earlier in the year, and that was no picnic either.

>

> I’ve generally played poor golf most of this year, though I did have my moments. But for the past 3 months or so, I’ve outright stunk. I’ve “changed my swing “ probably 10 times this year (I know, I know). But mainly what I’m working on is to turn and stay more behind the ball, and to turn my hips earlier in the downswing, and to transfer my weight to my front foot better. I can’t seem to get all 3 to work at the same time. I can get behind the ball, but I practically fall over backwards as I swing through. Or I can work hard on turning my hips, but I’ve hit pulls that went 50 yards right of my target if I try to get too aggressive with that “feel”. And I can transfer my weight to my front foot, but I get so far ahead of the ball that I hit tops and thins.

>

> I started the year working on swing plane. I was too under the plane. And I’ve worked on that for years. I thought I had made some progress until recently when I started shanking everything. I fixed the shanks by fixing my stance (was too hunched over). But now I have a wicked case of the pulls.

>

> Is it possible to be under the plane but come over the top at the same time?

>

> Anyway, in all of the “fixes” I’ve tried to apply to my swing this year, I seem to have strayed somewhat from a swing that, although far from perfect, seemed to work OK for me. I’m not sure I could break 100 right now if I had time and / or enough decent weather to get 18 holes in. That really saddens me. I’ve broken 80 three times, and one of the times was in January this year. But I am nowhere near that golfer right now. I am really struggling with the driver. I can’t seem to release “behind” the ball. I’m already past the ball and trying really hard to close the face and turn my body. If I do hit it ok, I’m pulling it like crazy. Otherwise, I’m hitting these horribly weak slices.

>

> I did get a quick “check-up” from my coach a couple of weeks ago. He said I’m shifting my hips too far ahead of the ball on the downswing, and I’m not turning them enough before impact. I was also taking the club back way too far to the outside. While he was standing over me and telling me what to do, I started to hit some nice shots (albeit short with the pinched nerve). And I felt like Tiger on the range yesterday prior to playing a few holes. But as soon as I got on the course, I became an absolute mess.

>

> Anyway, if you’ve read this far, thanks for reading. And if you have any tips I’ll take them (though perhaps the last thing I need right now is more golf instruction). Help with turning the hips yet also properly transferring weight would be nice. I’ve scoured the internet and have yet to find something that resonates.

>

> Thanks guys. Sorry for the rant / long post. Sometimes I think I would remove one of my biggest stressors in life if I just gave up golf altogether...

 

> @LeftDaddy said:

> Pre-post warning...I’m just looking to commiserate a little, I guess. Don’t read if you don’t want to...I’m going to sound a little whiny or “woe is me”. I don’t mean most of it. But it feels like golf has taken a lot more from me than it has given this year. So here goes...

>

> As 2019 golf season draws to a close, this is the state of my game. First, I’m dealing with a pinched nerve in my trail shoulder (left). It hurt like a son of a gun a couple of weeks ago. It is improving, but now it is just “uncomfortable “. And it is amazing how weak it has made my left arm. I’ve lost two clubs of distance, but the mere fact that I played recently seems like a minor miracle. If you can call what I did playing golf. I only had time for 12 holes and I was 23 over (amazingly I somehow still have a 9 handicap). I also got over tennis elbow in my right arm earlier in the year, and that was no picnic either.

>

> I’ve generally played poor golf most of this year, though I did have my moments. But for the past 3 months or so, I’ve outright stunk. I’ve “changed my swing “ probably 10 times this year (I know, I know). But mainly what I’m working on is to turn and stay more behind the ball, and to turn my hips earlier in the downswing, and to transfer my weight to my front foot better. I can’t seem to get all 3 to work at the same time. I can get behind the ball, but I practically fall over backwards as I swing through. Or I can work hard on turning my hips, but I’ve hit pulls that went 50 yards right of my target if I try to get too aggressive with that “feel”. And I can transfer my weight to my front foot, but I get so far ahead of the ball that I hit tops and thins.

>

> I started the year working on swing plane. I was too under the plane. And I’ve worked on that for years. I thought I had made some progress until recently when I started shanking everything. I fixed the shanks by fixing my stance (was too hunched over). But now I have a wicked case of the pulls.

>

> Is it possible to be under the plane but come over the top at the same time?

>

> Anyway, in all of the “fixes” I’ve tried to apply to my swing this year, I seem to have strayed somewhat from a swing that, although far from perfect, seemed to work OK for me. I’m not sure I could break 100 right now if I had time and / or enough decent weather to get 18 holes in. That really saddens me. I’ve broken 80 three times, and one of the times was in January this year. But I am nowhere near that golfer right now. I am really struggling with the driver. I can’t seem to release “behind” the ball. I’m already past the ball and trying really hard to close the face and turn my body. If I do hit it ok, I’m pulling it like crazy. Otherwise, I’m hitting these horribly weak slices.

>

> I did get a quick “check-up” from my coach a couple of weeks ago. He said I’m shifting my hips too far ahead of the ball on the downswing, and I’m not turning them enough before impact. I was also taking the club back way too far to the outside. While he was standing over me and telling me what to do, I started to hit some nice shots (albeit short with the pinched nerve). And I felt like Tiger on the range yesterday prior to playing a few holes. But as soon as I got on the course, I became an absolute mess.

>

> Anyway, if you’ve read this far, thanks for reading. And if you have any tips I’ll take them (though perhaps the last thing I need right now is more golf instruction). Help with turning the hips yet also properly transferring weight would be nice. I’ve scoured the internet and have yet to find something that resonates.

>

> Thanks guys. Sorry for the rant / long post. Sometimes I think I would remove one of my biggest stressors in life if I just gave up golf altogether...

 

Ive felt the same all year been absolute rubbish. Then out of nowhere hit 78 last week. Play a few days later expecting to play well 48 for 9 holes. Started trying all sorts and was still terrible but fluked a few pars and a birdie.Last 2 holes tried no turn cast fairway green fairway green two easy pars shot 40. Stupid game.

 

Anyhow I’ve now decided that my problems are all to do with pressure getting on the toes in the downswing. Left hip away from target line rather than right hip forward to square hips. Weight more towards heels(both feet) but club gets steep, try again club head and hips away from target line. Feels weird looks good on video.

 

Bang a smart ball between arms. Left hip and clubhead back. No EE, shaft shallows(clubhead looks like it works down the wall yippee) elbow in front. Flexion gained in torso knees regain flexion by left arm parallel. I look like a proper golfer almost.

 

Probably shoot 95 next time I’m out if I can stick with it for 18 holes which I won’t.

 

What a game this is:-)

 

 

[Nessism]

> @Hilts1969 said:

> > @Millbrook said:

> > Try this;

> >

> > [http://youtube.com/watch?v=QWAd2SrboeQ]

>

> > @Millbrook said:

> > Try this;

> >

> > [http://youtube.com/watch?v=

>

> The guy with a thousand videos on turning the hips and pictures that don’t get shown in the video. The move no one tells you? Really

 

6+ minutes of talk along with showing two or three swings. ???

[robdalky]

Do you trust your coach?

If no, then go find one you do.

Then go see him. Ask him what the one most important thing you need to fix is. ONE thing. Focus on that and nothing else. Stop you tubing and stop googling stuff and watching the golf channel. Then when you've actually confirmed that it's fixed, your instructor can give you the next ONE thing.

[MelloYello]

> @LeftDaddy said:

> Pre-post warning...I’m just looking to commiserate a little, I guess. Don’t read if you don’t want to...I’m going to sound a little whiny or “woe is me”. I don’t mean most of it. But it feels like golf has taken a lot more from me than it has given this year. So here goes...

>

> As 2019 golf season draws to a close, this is the state of my game. First, I’m dealing with a pinched nerve in my trail shoulder (left). It hurt like a son of a gun a couple of weeks ago. It is improving, but now it is just “uncomfortable “. And it is amazing how weak it has made my left arm. I’ve lost two clubs of distance, but the mere fact that I played recently seems like a minor miracle. If you can call what I did playing golf. I only had time for 12 holes and I was 23 over (amazingly I somehow still have a 9 handicap). I also got over tennis elbow in my right arm earlier in the year, and that was no picnic either.

>

> I’ve generally played poor golf most of this year, though I did have my moments. But for the past 3 months or so, I’ve outright stunk. I’ve “changed my swing “ probably 10 times this year (I know, I know). But mainly what I’m working on is to turn and stay more behind the ball, and to turn my hips earlier in the downswing, and to transfer my weight to my front foot better. I can’t seem to get all 3 to work at the same time. I can get behind the ball, but I practically fall over backwards as I swing through. Or I can work hard on turning my hips, but I’ve hit pulls that went 50 yards right of my target if I try to get too aggressive with that “feel”. And I can transfer my weight to my front foot, but I get so far ahead of the ball that I hit tops and thins.

>

> I started the year working on swing plane. I was too under the plane. And I’ve worked on that for years. I thought I had made some progress until recently when I started shanking everything. I fixed the shanks by fixing my stance (was too hunched over). But now I have a wicked case of the pulls.

>

> Is it possible to be under the plane but come over the top at the same time?

>

> Anyway, in all of the “fixes” I’ve tried to apply to my swing this year, I seem to have strayed somewhat from a swing that, although far from perfect, seemed to work OK for me. I’m not sure I could break 100 right now if I had time and / or enough decent weather to get 18 holes in. That really saddens me. I’ve broken 80 three times, and one of the times was in January this year. But I am nowhere near that golfer right now. I am really struggling with the driver. I can’t seem to release “behind” the ball. I’m already past the ball and trying really hard to close the face and turn my body. If I do hit it ok, I’m pulling it like crazy. Otherwise, I’m hitting these horribly weak slices.

>

> I did get a quick “check-up” from my coach a couple of weeks ago. He said I’m shifting my hips too far ahead of the ball on the downswing, and I’m not turning them enough before impact. I was also taking the club back way too far to the outside. While he was standing over me and telling me what to do, I started to hit some nice shots (albeit short with the pinched nerve). And I felt like Tiger on the range yesterday prior to playing a few holes. But as soon as I got on the course, I became an absolute mess.

>

> Anyway, if you’ve read this far, thanks for reading. And if you have any tips I’ll take them (though perhaps the last thing I need right now is more golf instruction). Help with turning the hips yet also properly transferring weight would be nice. I’ve scoured the internet and have yet to find something that resonates.

>

> Thanks guys. Sorry for the rant / long post. Sometimes I think I would remove one of my biggest stressors in life if I just gave up golf altogether...

 

 

How in the world are you playing through a pinched nerve, LOL?

 

That sounds exactly like the issue I had about 6-7 years ago when I was in grad school. Man alive, was that painful! My neck hurt SO bad. And my upper back would just ache all day long. I lost ALL strength in my right hand and arm, too. I couldn't even do a bicep curl with a 10-lb dumbbell. It took a month or two before I even had the courage to pick up a golf club--which immediately hurt immensely. Even then, I couldn't move the club head 20-mph, let alone work on my swing.

 

So my first thought is you may want to lay off and let that heal. Do some stretching and re-hab work, too. Those stretch-bands they give you really help. In my world, just being tired has a big impact on my swing. Being hurt is definitely a set-back. And a major thing like a pinched nerve is nothing to F with.

 

I did finally get back out on the course, but like you, I probably started back too early. When I started back after my neck/shoulder injury I went from hitting a 6-iron about 180-yds to barely being able to hit it 100-yds. Today I'm back to hitting it 170-yds but I've never totally re-gained my original form.

 

That said, I agree with everyone else. You've simply screwed up your swing. This is why I don't believe in making humongous swing changes. You need to slowly work on things that at least have you hitting the ball reasonably well. And then give it time for that to become natural. At not point should you totally screw up your swing though.

 

If a swing change means you're hitting the ball OB then what's the point? You need to preserve your golf game so it's actually fun. If swing fixes are causing you to want to quit then re-think those changes. Work on bite-size pieces that you can handle. Be patient. Improving your swing may takes a few years at that pace but you won't end up a mental case who constantly gets down on himself.

[jmiller3483]

I'm definitely not qualified to give any sort of swing advice, however, I can empathize with what you're going through with the struggles. At the end of the 2018 season (Octoberish here in Michigan) I wanted to throw my clubs in the trash. Went from playing excellent golf (for me) at the start of the year to not being able to do anything at all with any club by the end. Although I love golf it was becoming totally not enjoyable. Over the winter I didn't play indoor golf at all, no range, no putting, nothing. After being talked into joining my golf league again I started fresh this past spring with lower expectations for score and was determined to just enjoy being on the course. Low and behold I had my best year ever (for me). Anyway, as some have already said, taking a break can do wonders. Mine was a forced break due to weather but it seems to have been exactly what I needed. Hope you find what works for you.

[highpro]

Your problem isn’t your swing. Your problem is that you’re in pain. Actual physical pain. Stop playing until the pain subsides. Really actually stops hurting, not to a manageable level. Then after you get your strength back, then you can start playing again. In the meantime try to remember that it’s a game that’s supposed to be enjoyed.

[scooterhd2]

thinking too much. working on too much. Its a golf ball. You have broken 80 before, you know how to hit it. Let your body get healthy, and then just hit the ball. Once you are getting a swing that makes good contact again, you can start thinking about plane or hip turn, or lag. For now, its setup properly, grip properly, hit the ball.

[mikpga]

Perhaps this will sound a bit cliche-ish...

 

Go out and play golf and stop playing golf swing...

 

If you are unable to separate the two, then your satisfaction of playing golf will only come if you strike the ball well...

 

There are many reasons one can enjoy playing the game...

[LeftDaddy]

Thanks all. Lots of good comments. Sorry I took so long to respond. I’ll try to address some of the comments so far.

 

As for the pinched nerve, it is getting better. I’m definitely not 100% but in a way glad to have the diagnosis, as I have struggled over the years with a “crick” in my neck about once a month. Now at least I mostly know why. I’ve never been the smartest about staying away from sports when I’m hurt. I skied for a full week on a torn ACL once. My surgeon wasn’t happy when he found that out. So I’m doing the “stupid” thing again by trying to get out on the few days we have left of great weather. I’m slowly regaining the feeling in my left hand, etc.

 

As for what I’m working on, most of it is from my coach, though I find that he is great at diagnosing the swing fault but not always great at giving me ways to fix it. Not for this fault, at least. He’s been telling me to turn not slide for years, but I can’t seem to find anything that resonates. He’s helped take me from a 23 handicap down now to a 9, so I generally trust him. But I do find that for some things, he has one or two drills for me to try, but if they don’t work then he doesn’t have much else to give me. So I turn to Google/YouTube. And yes, in doing that I end up finding a whole bunch of other stuff to work on. The Gankas stuff is fascinating to me. I’ve been tempted to sign up for his new site, but I figure that the last thing I need is more golf swing theory / instruction. I did apply the Gankas pivot, though, and pre-pinched nerve I hit some absolute bombs with irons. But I had two problems with it. I couldn’t hit driver with his recommended pivot, and I would sometimes pull my irons 50 yards right of my target. So I’m dialing back the Gankas stuff a little bit until I fix the pulls. You can’t play golf worried about missing your target way right.

 

A break might do me some good. I do want to enjoy golf again. I love most things about it. Though I have a hard time enjoying it when I’m playing like crap. I mean, I enjoy being outside etc but when I’m en route to shooting >100, I start to think that my time would have been much better spent with my wife, kids, work, etc etc. Know what I mean?

 

I’ll get back out there soon, I hope. I need to let this pinched nerve heal, though, and maybe that is affecting me more than I originally thought.

 

Thanks again for all of the commentary. I’ll try to simplify things, I promise!

[OldFrog75]

What happens if you swing the way you used to before all the machinations you've gone through? Is it better or worse?

[LeftDaddy]

I’m not sure I could recreate my old swing at this point. And I’m not sure I want to. It had enough “fixable” faults that I’m glad to have identified and worked to fix. I tend to naturally gravitate back to some of those faults though, so I’m constantly working to eradicate them. But they are mostly based in setup and weight distribution flaws...things that should be easily correctable. Put another way, I don’t necessarily see anything wrong with having multiple thoughts about my setup as I approach the ball. So I’m fine having a mental checklist there, as long as I then shift my focus to my target and hitting a good shot.

 

I do think it is a bad idea and near impossible to have more than one swing thought, though, as I prepare to hit the ball. And for me specifically, having one backswing thought but no downswing thoughts has usually worked out OK. I guess my “problem” now is that I can’t quite solve the hip turn problem without some downswing thought. Maybe if I rep a proper hip turn a thousand times at my house without a ball near me I can ingrain it? I guess I might as well give that a try...don’t think it can hurt, and is a way for me to practice while I work on healing the pinched nerve.

[Hawkeye77]

You had a big "I might quit" thread up here just a few months ago. Trust your coach (you say you have one, but claim to have "changed" your swing 10 times this year - I'll bet it looks just the same as it did last spring) and get out and play. No internet tips/self-coaching/trumping whatever you think you are working on with the next "new" swing. I think it's revealing you work on "mostly" what your coach is teaching. You think you implemented a "Gankas" pivot - maybe you did, maybe you didn't, but no point having a coach if you are just going off and doing whatever.

 

Just some thoughts.

 

But, if you can't just go out and enjoy golf (for whatever reason) then yes, don't play. If you, as you say, are thinking about whether your time would be better spent with wife or kids while you are at the course, you shouldn't be there.

[LeftDaddy]

Interesting response, Hawkeye.

 

I can assure you my swing looks different from what I had last Spring. Maybe your point is that I can change setup, etc but at the end of the day the swing DNA looks very similar. But I don’t even agree with that. Anyway, I promise you that based on certain faults either I or my coach sees I can make changes often to “fix” the fault. Right now I’m too far ahead of the ball and maybe that is all I need to work on. My hips are parallel with the target line at impact as well, so that needs fixing (although I’ve played good golf with this fault in the past).

 

Anyway, all of the changes I’m referencing were in relation to fixing one of these faults, or trying but failing to. I’ve had it working for a bit here or there but not sustained yet. The Gankas move resonated the most with me related to hip turn, and I think it was working somewhat...but whatever my specific implementation of it was, it caused massive pulls. I’m still working on it in the mirror, etc.

 

You all are right, though, that I’m overthinking it all. I need to find something and stick with it. The irony of all of this is that I think I’m pretty close (even though I’m hitting it all over the ballpark).

 

 

[Zigzog]

I would say you have confused yourself to the point of overload, very easy to do.

 

I am not qualified to give tips, I taught myself to play from the age of 6 and spent my entire holidays for 14 years playing golf constantly.

 

Not sure I fully understand the hip issue, but I used to put an old shaft in the ground against my left leg and made sure I did not hit it with my leg when hitting through the ball - so turn inside it.

 

Hope you get it sorted and this is a most rewarding game and a great way to relax and unwind; try and get back to that place! :smiley:

[Barfolomew]

I feel you bro.... every time I get on a good run I get set back by some kind of injury. I have had to rebuild my swing more times then you can whistle dixie whaaa.... I had my iron swing really nice in July then I got diverticulitis which is a very painful lower intestine infection so it sidelined me 2 months as I rebuild it again and knock off rust I just got it again this week. Only saving grace is my swing is completely home grown so I always know to trust myself to rebuild it even if I can't replicate the old swing.

 

My new mentality is how little can I practice and keep improving..... if only I could practice lol! I was a scratch and still see myself as one even if scorecard doesn't say so right now lol.

 

Golf is one of the great teachers in life.... but its like what Bruce Lee used to say be like water and bend and go with things rather then meet them with a crunch.... crunch is my language haha but you get the point. Take what you can get dont let the crap frustrate you and always let that be fun. Hell I played horrible in a tourney a couple weeks ago BUT I had 2 birds and a few more looks but my score sucked but so what I was playing golf with the rabbits, hawks, streams, outdoors, laughing at my suckiness, fun friends... then I went home and jammed with my garage band.... good day.

 

 

[sdandrea]

Get better first. When your shoulder heals, go back and check all your fundamentals, grip, stance, etc. Once you're hitting it solid again, work on small changes, ONE AT A TIME. You'll be OK.