Obsessed with golf, but failing miserably at improvement.

[ShortGolfer]

I've been able to learn quickly with daily practice.  Ideally, you want to push yourself without getting frustrated.

I learned a lot about I pick up stuff when I was in a rehab ward for a month.  I also got to observe others getting professional rehab.

I learned so quickly that I exhausted the exercises of the PT and OT therapists so they got together to come up with new stuff for me to do!

 

[aggiegolfer21]

Love to hear your passion for the game, that's awesome and keep at it!

 

Biggest thing you can do is take plenty of time between practice shots at the range.  It's easy to hit a bunch of good shots one after another.  The muscles are warm, and you have a good feel going.  The key is to be able to hit good shots without your muscles firing at 100% and without having a feel.  If you hit a drive on the course, it's going to be minimum 15 minutes before you hit the next one (the time it takes to play 1 hole) if not longer.  Learn to find a feel without hitting shots in succession.

[naval2006]

On 6/2/2023 at 12:45 PM, westozhacker said:

Hi

 

I am completely obsessed with golf, I spend all my spare time watching youtube videos of people playing, instructional videos, golf club reviews ect. I read books about golf in my down time at work. I go to the range 2 times a week and play once a week to try and improve. I've spent a fair chunk of cash putting together a set that should be perfect for a beginner according to my research.

 

But often I get out on the course, top my driver, shank my 5 iron, zig zagging down the fairway losing balls and scoring 7+ strokes on a par 4. It is so frustrating to be completely obsessed with something and put so much effort and money into it only to fail miserably. 

 

I can hit my driver great at the range, not amazingly straight or far but it gets in the air and carries about 200 yards. Then I go onto the course and often it takes me 3 balls to get one atleast 100 yards that i'm happy with (playing solo). I top my hybrids, chunk my irons.. and I lose motivation then rush my shots because I stop caring. My swing never really feels comfortable and I get overwhelmed by how many things I have to remember to do in my setup that i've picked up from watching instructional videos.

 

I can't just quit, I love this game and to be honest it's given me something to look forward too which makes it even tougher when I get to the course and leave more upset than happy.

 

I understand that you can't just walk into this game and become a top level player within 1 year but all I want is to be able to hit shots that aren't an absolute fail either 20 yards infront of me or straight into the trees.

 

Does anyone have any tips for overcoming this and learning to enjoy the game? I only play solo because I feel like the added pressure of others would make me even worse, none of my friends play golf but I want to join the local club once my game isn't embarrassing.

 

Thanks and sorry for the whiny post 

Welcome to golf. We all feel this in different shades.  And don’t ever give up. 

[nlk10010]

As someone with a "PHD" in golf frustration, just a few tips:

1. You can't possibly embarrass yourself at most 9-hole muni courses (well, I can, but so far I'm the only one with that skill). I have a cheap course ($9.00) near me frequented by seniors and young families, I go several times a week and treat it, when not busy, as a grass driving range. IMO, mats at driving ranges will disguise serious swing flaws and are not to be relied on;
2. Reconcile yourself with the FACT that progress is not linear (I'm not the first to use that phrasing). You WILL often take two steps forward and one or even two steps back. You WILL hit two or three beautiful shots in a row then drive your irons into the dirt behind the ball on the next four. As long as you are taking lessons and following a plan, this is to be expected and you WILL improve. How much is anyone's guess, but don't be like me. I go from one YouTube instructor's method to another; when I get frustrated with one type of swing I try the next. Yes, there are only a finite number of these things but somehow I am compelled to keep trying. It's like "Dead of Night": A recurring horror show. I often think how I would be playing if I had just stuck with ONE method, regardless which one, for all these years (fifteen and counting);
3. Enjoy the aural and visual treat that is golf: The sun, green grass, sounds of a well-struck shot and a ball landing softly on the green, even if they come from your partners. Above all, when you feel low, think of the things in your life you are good at. Yes, you may suck at golf now but you are really good at things others can't do.

Again, as long as you believe in your instructor and have the time to practice consistently you almost HAVE to improve.

 

Good luck, enjoy!

Edited June 5, 2023 by nlk10010

[PedronNiall]

Grip, stance, and setup are the keys that so very many end up missing for far too long. Even if your local pro isn't some sought after guru, they can likely help you dial those in 100x faster than trying to get it down from video

 

As to video, Padraig Harrington would be my recommendation. He keeps things simple & straightforward without getting overly technical or trying to assume you have X, Y, Z swing faults the way far too many online instructors do. Not too many Major winners willingly going into the keys of almost every aspect of the game the way he does. 

 

Grip, stance, setup with some hands-on from a pro ASAP, though. One thing you can do to really help dial the grip in is simply holding the club while you're sitting at home until your hands meld into one. A lot of players never get that down and their games will forever suffer.