Clubface control drills suggestions for struggling dad of 3-year-old twins

Scooper5 · June 17, 2021

Dad of almost 3-year-olds struggling with clubface control, and outside of playing in league once a week, I'm lucky to get in 90-minute practice sessions once every couple of weeks. I've been as low as a 12 HC but have ballooned to 19 most recently.

I've worked in golf, talked and taken lessons with three teachers (the last one being the best) and understand the rules/laws of ball flight. My problem generally lies with how big my mishits are. When I am on, I am controlling shot shape and trajectory. But it can be hard to "stay on" through whole rounds when you get so little time putting in the work on the course. And my mishits aren't duffs or thin shots. They are usually flush shots where I intended to hit a draw or fade but the clubface is either neutral to the path or the opposite of what you would want to create the shape. Which usually leads to a solidly struck shot to an OB or a water hazard I'm intending to avoid. When you play honest golf, your scores don't necessarily illustrate your skill level when you are taking so many penalties. I've had many league members shocked to hear what my HC is after seeing me swing and play a round.

Can anybody suggest some tried-and-true drills for clubface control/awareness? And if they are things a young dad can practice at home while the 3-year-olds nap or sleep, that would make them phenomenal. Thanks to all who answer. Right now, I'm not finding a lot of joy in golf, especially when my scores were heading in the right direction when the kids were just born. I know I needed to temper expectations after their birth, but I'm finding myself leaving the 18th tee really disappointed in my outings way too often to keep up the patience mantra.

Scyukon · June 17, 2021

Two thoughts, being the parent of a 24 year old and 20 year old.

One - see if you can get them interested in golf. It’s a blast playing with them and watching their skills grow. Plus you become a hero to your wife for watching the kids while you are all out golfing.

Two - maybe look into a simulator for the garage for when they are sleeping - the prices have really gone down. It’s a lot cheaper than a divorce, which is where you can be headed if you spend too much time away from home golfing when the kids are young. I was told by a marriage counsellor about 19 years ago that I should cut my rounds down to about 4 or 5 a year while the kids are young. I did so but wish the cheap simulators were around then so my game did not go to hell in a hand basket from playing 5 times a year.

Anyways, I managed 1.5 out of two - my son loves golfing and it’s a blast to play rounds together. The simulator did not come until 5 years ago and now I’m old and brittle.

Re your club face control, no idea. I’d take a video lesson with Monte as a start.

Good luck!

Edited June 17, 2021 by Scyukon

golfing_penguin · June 17, 2021

I'd hit up some body motion drills. Most of the time the clubface is out of whack because we are moving the body incorrectly (e.g. lead shoulder working up too early etc), so the arms compensate with clubhead movements

Hawkeye77 · June 17, 2021

"When you play honest golf, your scores don't necessarily illustrate your skill level when you are taking so many penalties."

This is where you may be going wrong. Your real scores definitely illustrate your skill level - what other metric would you use?

Find out what is wrong with your swing and work on it the best you can, enjoy playing for what it is and when you can.

ingster1 · June 17, 2021

I think you need to really look at your full swing (probably with a good online or in-person instructor) to determine the root cause of your ball striking inconsistencies. Could be club face control - in which case you’d probably need to look at your grip and wrist conditions to see whether they r causing you to make compensations.

That said, I wonder about your comments on working the ball and hitting balls OB or in water hazards. Those r pretty big misses. You might want to focus more on hitting the ball solid and playing with a more consistent one-way ball flight given your lack of practice time.

BTW, as a father of two teenagers who both play, family golf is fantastic and u should definitely look for ways to get them interested in the game. Lots of posts on potential approaches to that.

Good luck.

Krt22 · June 17, 2021

As a 12 trending to a 19, if you are "intending to hit a draw or a fade" , well you should stop all that first and report back.

JeffreySpicoli · June 17, 2021

19 minutes ago, Krt22 said:

As a 12 trending to a 19, if you are "intending to hit a draw or a fade" , well you should stop all that first and report back.

This.

And the answer is in the OP's question . . .

How to control the club face? Stop manipulating the club face trying to hit draws & fades that you obviously cannot consistently hit.

Paddy_2_Iron · June 17, 2021

Make the golf shot a boring activity.

I revert back to my tennis days and use the tempo set for my serve on the toss as the same as my back swing. As long as I am gripping it good (for me neutral) and keeping my body as a unit it's all tempo. Arms start out racing the lower body low liner hooks too much lower body action blocks and slices, at least that's what I noticed.

Tempo is on so is the aim.