Finding Your Swing for the First Time

[Charlie_Foxtrot]

How did you know?

Let me explain ("No, there is too much, let me sum up.")

Think back to when you first started playing.

I started playing a few months ago and I have been taking lessons every 2-3 weeks with a great instructor.

I have been battling all sorts of swing flaws - blocking, scooping, slicing, hooking, etc. But about 2 weeks ago, everything seemed to come together (at least as far as my irons are concerned). For whatever reason, I just "got it"* and my swing has been fairly consistent ever since - I am hitting it straight and my distance, while relatively short, is also very consistent. I feel like I've found my swing.

My question is this: Did anyone else experience this and, if so, did it last?

In other words, can I go pick out some decent irons (instead of my starter kit) based on this swing?


*oddly enough, I remember the exact moment and the exact swing on which it happened. I was swinging like crap as usual - topping, chunking, slicing, etc. And before the next swing I recall thinking "Hit down on the ball you idiot!!!" - which, of course, I had thought to myself a million time before. But for some reason, it worked this time.

[raidernut1234]

In order of priority

1. Contact

2. Ball flight

3. carry

4. ball reaction on the green.

5. when all else, fails, see BALL FLIGHT.

this tells you how your contact is.

GET VIDEO. You will think "i got it" then take 1 or 2 days off and it will be gone!! why do you think most pros hit balls EVERYDAY!! they don't want to lose "IT".

good luck

[Lefty330]

Glad to hear that your swing is come along good. And like raidernut said get video, its the best thing you can do as far as fixing your swing goes. I myself can't say I have gotten my swing to click yet but its getting there.

[Charlie_Foxtrot]

Glad to hear that your swing is come along good. And like raidernut said get video, its the best thing you can do as far as fixing your swing goes. I myself can't say I have gotten my swing to click yet but its getting there.

 

Video is one of the things my instructor did that basically fixed my takeaway in one lesson. After that, we started working on my position at impact, which I just couldn't fix despite all of his (excellent) instruction until the day I described above.

 

Now my swing just feels right. I have eliminated most swing thoughts (I still think "hit down on the ball!" because that was the one thought I had right before my swing clicked) and now the takeaway and the release seem almost automatic. I still have plenty of mis-hits, but not like before, and now I know what causes each one.

 

Each time I go to the range or a lesson or a demo day, I am freaked that my swing will be gone and I will be hitting like before. But so far, even with several days between hitting, I have been able to maintain the same swing. It's been 4 weeks now, but I'm still worried it will disappear overnight. I don't think I could handle that - not with all of the time and money I've put into getting this far. Arrgghh!

[Warszawa]

I'll find "it" and flirt with breaking 70

 

 

The next day without fail, I'll lose "it" and shoot mid 90's.

 

My swing always feels the same but the differing results are crazy.

[Boba]

You know it when you hit 18 GIR, and blame your bad rounds on putting. Only after this are you a "ballstriker". There are different levels of finding "it" I would guess for most beginners "it" would be a straighter ball than their current left to right shrimp off the tee. The next level is getting that hook the instructor ingrained into you (to get rid of the slice) to turn into a repeatable fade. Level 3 would be the ability to hit a symmetric draw as tight as the little butter cut you rely on to hit a green when you need to. The fourth level is getting buried in a us am qualifier and then figuring out that you should stick with that fade you used to rely on that you see VJ play. Level 6 is changing swing coaches after you read about Jim Hardy and tried to attain level 5 with your "one plane Jack Niklaus move". Level 7 is your first sub par round while drunk (I mean really drunk, like 4 fosters & some rum & cokes). Level 8 is not buying balls for a year thanks to those nice gift certificates you get when you place well in a tournament. Level 9 Is thinking you should take your P.A.T. because your ball flight looks pretty. And level 10 is replacing Walter Hagen as #2 on all time Majors list. (cool)

[Charlie_Foxtrot]

You know it when you hit 18 GIR, and blame your bad rounds on putting. Only after this are you a "ballstriker". There are different levels of finding "it" I would guess for most beginners "it" would be a straighter ball than their current left to right shrimp off the tee. The next level is getting that hook the instructor ingrained into you (to get rid of the slice) to turn into a repeatable fade. Level 3 would be the ability to hit a symmetric draw as tight as the little butter cut you rely on to hit a green when you need to. The fourth level is getting buried in a us am qualifier and then figuring out that you should stick with that fade you used to rely on that you see VJ play. Level 6 is changing swing coaches after you read about Jim Hardy and tried to attain level 5 with your "one plane Jack Niklaus move". Level 7 is your first sub par round while drunk (I mean really drunk, like 4 fosters & some rum & cokes). Level 8 is not buying balls for a year thanks to those nice gift certificates you get when you place well in a tournament. Level 9 Is thinking you should take your P.A.T. because your ball flight looks pretty. And level 10 is replacing Walter Hagen as #2 on all time Majors list. (cool)

 

Level 1 - Yes, exactly. That is where I am. I can now hit the ball straight and to a consistent distance.

 

Am I going to "lose" it now that I've found it? Or is there enough muscle memory to keep me from reverting?

[Boba]

You never really get it. You think you have it, then your expectations go up & you lose it by pressuring your self. Eventually you find something else that works for a while & that will go too. If you get it enough, you end up being able to bandage the miss fairly quickly, sometimes within one shot. But if you don't pressure yourself you'll get comfortable chopping it up on the course & then you'll never improve. Like I said in the previous post, you keep honing the edge & it is never perfect for long.

[Charlie_Foxtrot]

You never really get it. You think you have it, then your expectations go up & you lose it by pressuring your self. Eventually you find something else that works for a while & that will go too. If you get it enough, you end up being able to bandage the miss fairly quickly, sometimes within one shot. But if you don't pressure yourself you'll get comfortable chopping it up on the course & then you'll never improve. Like I said in the previous post, you keep honing the edge & it is never perfect for long.

 

Ahh crap. (cool)

[Evil R1]

My question is this: Did anyone else experience this and, if so, did it last?

 

Yes, one day I just got it. My instructor was blown away at how I was hitting everything, my contact, my tempo, everything just happened and my swing felt so natural. I ended up playing some of my most satisfying golf of the summer then (not the best scoring, but most satisfying)

 

Did it last? Nope, only for about a week and when it's gone it's the most frustrating thing ever. It's like pitching a shutout one day and forgetting how to throw a ball the next. Took me almost 3 months to get it back. And then it was gone again (cool)

 

That's just my expirience

[Charlie_Foxtrot]

My question is this: Did anyone else experience this and, if so, did it last?

 

Yes, one day I just got it. My instructor was blown away at how I was hitting everything, my contact, my tempo, everything just happened and my swing felt so natural. I ended up playing some of my most satisfying golf of the summer then (not the best scoring, but most satisfying)

 

Did it last? Nope, only for about a week and when it's gone it's the most frustrating thing ever. It's like pitching a shutout one day and forgetting how to throw a ball the next. Took me almost 3 months to get it back. And then it was gone again (cool)

 

That's just my expirience

 

I've been able to hold on to mine for almost a month now with very little practice (stupid job!). No rounds, just lessons every other week and a demo day stuck in there. I have a lesson tommorow, so we'll see if it survived since last Saturday (demo day.)

[Evil R1]

I've been able to hold on to mine for almost a month now with very little practice (stupid job!). No rounds, just lessons every other week and a demo day stuck in there. I have a lesson tommorow, so we'll see if it survived since last Saturday (demo day.)

 

(cool) I'm rooting for you!

[Charlie_Foxtrot]

Update:

 

I had a lesson yesterday. I sprayed the balls a little more right and left than I would have liked, but I am consistently getting the ball in the air and I have gained some distance (~5-10 yards, but I'm still short). As opposed to a month ago when I was hitting 9 balls on the ground for every 1 ball in the air, now I am hitting 9 balls in the air for every one I hit on the ground (irons only - woods are a different story, and have actually gotten worse because I have been concentrating on irons so much.)

 

My instructor was stoked about my progession. He said "now that you are comfortable with your swing path, we can start working on ways to generate more power and precision." We are working on some subtle grip techniques to generate a little more spring/pop at impact.

 

Good thing too, because it has taken 10 lessons just to get a workable swing! (I told you I sucked.) My instructor is the best. I don't think anyone else could have fixed a hacker like me. I'm still a little handsy at times, and sometimes my concentration wanes and I top or chunk a ball, but compared to where I was, I'm psyched. But still freaked out that it could disappear at any moment. ;)

[Evil R1]

That's Great News! :drinks:

 

I don't think you have to worry about actually "losing it" but it, but what always happened to me is exactly what you instructor said:

 

"now that you are comfortable with your swing path, we can start working on ways to generate more power and precision."

 

And you might make a swing change to be more on the "correct" side to become more consisten and it would take a few weeks of practice for it to start to kick in and once it starts to become natural again, bam, swing change to become more "correct" so it always feels like two steps foward, one step back.

 

Between all the swing changes and all the equipment changes I've had one heck of a roller coaster ride this summer and just when it all starts really coming together and I'm consistently in the high 80's... @#$% Winter! ;)

[dlhunter42]

Still looking.

 

Everytime I find it; it flies away. ;)