Isn't it always the way

[little brit]

Finally right at the end of the season, you get your swing back.

Out at the range today my swing came together again. I realised from my research that I had a missing component. I was not correctly uncocking my left wrist, therefore I was trying to hold on to the flat left wrist a little unnaturally. Losing distance and consistancy. My iron distances have gone up about 30 yds. WOW! I hope this continues and I don't lose it again in the winter I just seem to fix one thing then something else goes wrong. The funny thing is that no instructor could see this.

Does anyone else find that it takes them the whole darn season to figure things out? Does it get any easier as you start to understand better how the golf swing works? and does time improve this from year to year?

[big mac]

Yep--you just keep learning that this game is harder and harder all the time--the better you get -the more you learn what you dont know

["Richard"]

I went out and shot a 43 on 9 holes right at the end of the season, luckily I still have 2 rounds left

[faldo]

Congrats. Of course, you can now expect the Golf Gods to take it all back & leave you scratching your head about what felt right but now seems to be garbage.

If it was easy we'd never play this game after that first sniff of greatness!!

Enjoy the off-season.

[kerisb]

Yep--you just keep learning that this game is harder and harder all the time--the better you get -the more you learn what you dont know

Isn't that the truth!!!

[faldo]

Whow, a triple simul post. What's the course record??

[KickerOfElves]

This game can drive you crazy. Despite the fact I can't hit driver or 3w worth salt right now, I shot 4 over on a par 36 9 hole course.

Where was that earlier this season?

[little brit]

I went out and shot a 43 on 9 holes right at the end of the season, luckily I still have 2 rounds left

A few rounds ago I scored an 87 but that was for two consecutive 9s at Raceview. Which is easier. That was my lowest ever. But I have also had a round this year where I shot something totally ridiculous. So bad I can't even voice it I think I had it right at Raceview but didn't realize what it was. Part of the problem is understanding what it is that you do differently.

[little brit]

This game can drive you crazy. Despite the fact I can't hit driver or 3w worth salt right now, I shot 4 over on a par 36 9 hole course.

Where was that earlier this season?

Wow! in my dreams.

[little brit]

Yep--you just keep learning that this game is harder and harder all the time--the better you get -the more you learn what you dont know

Do you never get to the point that you can put the pieces together so that you can finally get an idea where you are going wrong? Pullllllleeeezzzz give me some hope

[little brit]

Congrats. Of course, you can now expect the Golf Gods to take it all back & leave you scratching your head about what felt right but now seems to be garbage.

If it was easy we'd never play this game after that first sniff of greatness!!

Enjoy the off-season.

True, I am very stubborn that's what keeps me coming back. When it is good, it is sooooooooo good.

[BC MIST]

Finally right at the end of the season, you get your swing back.

Out at the range today my swing came together again. I realised from my research that I had a missing component. I was not correctly uncocking my left wrist, therefore I was trying to hold on to the flat left wrist a little unnaturally. Losing distance and consistancy. My iron distances have gone up about 30 yds. WOW! I hope this continues and I don't lose it again in the winter I just seem to fix one thing then something else goes wrong. The funny thing is that no instructor could see this.

Does anyone else find that it takes them the whole darn season to figure things out? Does it get any easier as you start to understand better how the golf swing works? and does time improve this from year to year?

The left wrists cocks BUT it does NOT uncock. It moves back to a neutral position and YOU don't do it. It gets done. Any effort to "uncock" the left wrist before impact results in a loss of club head speed. If you have radial acceleration, where the hands/arms continually increase their speed at the start of the downswing, the club head will pick up speed, too. As soon as the arms begin to slow down (which is what you want, but very late in the downswing) or as soon as you try to uncock the left wrist, RA stops, the club head actually slows down and you reach maximum club head speed BEFORE impact. This little bit of physics does not lie and applies to all golfers.

If you have picked up 30 yards on each iron, there was something radically wrong with what you were doing before, and whatever you FEEL you are doing now, has resulted in your doing some other things right. And this is wonderful!!! From your research you know that the bulk of the club head speed comes from the on plane arms and a wrist position at impact where the left is FLAT and the right is BENT.

If you understand how the golf swing works, IT GETS EASIER!! As you know, there are a host of perceptions of how an efficient swing works, and most of them are wrong, IMO, as evidenced by how slowly most golfers improve. If you have been to TGS, you are on the right track to significant improvement. If you have been to "big muscle" oriented instructors, the reason for the frustration and slow/no progress is understandable.

[little brit]

The left wrists cocks BUT it does NOT uncock. It moves back to a neutral position and YOU don't do it. It gets done. Any effort to "uncock" the left wrist before impact results in a loss of club head speed. If you have radial acceleration, where the hands/arms continually increase their speed at the start of the downswing, the club head will pick up speed, too. As soon as the arms begin to slow down (which is what you want, but very late in the downswing) or as soon as you try to uncock the left wrist, RA stops, the club head actually slows down and you reach maximum club head speed BEFORE impact. This little bit of physics does not lie and applies to all golfers.

If you have picked up 30 yards on each iron, there was something radically wrong with what you were doing before, and whatever you FEEL you are doing now, has resulted in your doing some other things right. And this is wonderful!!! From your research you know that the bulk of the club head speed comes from the on plane arms and a wrist position at impact where the left is FLAT and the right is BENT.

If you understand how the golf swing works, IT GETS EASIER!! As you know, there are a host of perceptions of how an efficient swing works, and most of them are wrong, IMO, as evidenced by how slowly most golfers improve. If you have been to TGS, you are on the right track to significant improvement. If you have been to "big muscle" oriented instructors, the reason for the frustration and slow/no progress is understandable.

Hi BC,

Actually the 30 gain on the irons is mainly due to the fact that lately I have been having a problem of hitting them fat. The uncocking that I am doing now is called a throw in TGM terms. If your left wrist is uncocking towards impact it makes it impossible to have throwaway. The clubface is naturally squared and left wrist stays flat without trying to make it stay flat. It is impossible to uncock the left wrist and flip at the same time. I think it is partly what Warren teaches only he teaches a throw from the top.

Mark says that my main problem is not getting my weight hard enough back onto my left side, he wants me to actively lean left. To the point of going around the house leaning on my left side. I have trained myself to keep my head back, so this is a toughy, and yes I have 3 months on his site.

Of course this is my interpretation and could be wrong on all accounts. TGM also has a lot of arguments going on in regard to what is correct so I am also trying to sort out what works for me.

[Golfbum]

It seems that every year I get "HOT" about the end of October, play great right up to the end of the season. That usually takes me to the first week of December. I remember my last round of the year in 05 was a +2 in 3C tempature. Smashed my finger at work two days later, and it snowed and that was the end of the HOT STREAK!

My golf partners seem to play better at that time of year. We now contibute it to the fact that we have so many layers of clothing on that we can not swing as fast. So our drives are straighter, the irons are straighter too. All adds up to lower scores!

Or maybe 7 months of ball striking has finally come together

[Eldred]

It must also be the nice weather this month too. Couldn't break 90 in all of September, and so far this month, mid 80's . Partly, I am able to get that left wrist kock to work a bit more correctly now..at the beginning I was hitting fat shots, from video, I noticed there was major separation of my arms from the chest, maybe I was too focus on the wrist kock. I combine the glove under the armpit while doing the wrist kock drills and so far the result is great, at least I more comfortable swinging more freely with the feeling that I'm on plane now. Let's just hope the season run through several more weeks.

[big mac]

Did anybody think that maybe you are just out enjoying the game with nothing to prove? You are relaxed and as a result your not thinking as much?

[Wknd_Warrior]

I had the same sort of day today. The last few weeks have been pretty scary but today I managed to get my ball striking back on track. I shot a miserable round though, my short game was hopeless.

Walked off the course with a good feeling after shooting one of the highest numbers I've shot in a while.

[Golfbum]

My last 5 rounds
78,72,68,79, and 77 today. BOUT TIME!

[little brit]

Wow! great numbers

My last 5 rounds
78,72,68,79, and 77 today. BOUT TIME!

[little brit]

I had the same sort of day today. The last few weeks have been pretty scary but today I managed to get my ball striking back on track. I shot a miserable round though, my short game was hopeless.

Walked off the course with a good feeling after shooting one of the highest numbers I've shot in a while.

I find that too, I can score pretty low for me but if my swing doesn't feel right I am not happy. Putting it all together would be magical. Hitting the ball pure is a really fantastic and elusive thing.

[dreaded_snowman]

My great pain at the end of this season is that I'm hitting the ball really well and my short game is quite good - unfortunately, it takes me about 5 holes to get on track.... I keep shooting around 90-93, as a 50-42 or 49-43. I play crappy the first couple of holes (usually swing a little to hard, and then make recovery attempts that are too agressive instead of taking my medicine). Then the back nine is tight (by my standards).

I know lots of folks have this warm up kind of issue; it's just been driving me nuts that I have this mid 80's game lurking within, but I just can't seem to lock it in. I usually hit the range before I play to warm up, but it doesn't tend to help, it's just too easy to hit it well when the outcome doesn't really matter to me.

Ah well. I have to whine in here, because no-one I know gives a crap about my petty golf problems.

Snowman

[Big Johnny69]

Hey snowman, they aren't petty. People here have been kind enough to listen to the problems I've been having all season without judgement.

Give this a try next time you are at the course. Make up a hole in your head. Make swings with the clubs that you think you'd use for the imaginary hole. This way it would get different clubs in your hands and would focus you for a little while. Do this a few times waiting for your tee time to start. Perhaps then when you actually get to play for real, your focus will be there, you'll be loose from making some swings, and maybe you'll get to those mid 80s scores you are looking for. Might sound stupid, but I've done it before and it has helped.

[Wknd_Warrior]

Short game joined in today was 2 over standing in the 8th fairway thinking I had the front sewn up and then went triple, double, triple triple and bled all the way home for the same old score I've been shooting the last little while

Anyhow, it was still a good day overall and the game is definately coming back together.

[Wknd_Warrior]

My great pain at the end of this season is that I'm hitting the ball really well and my short game is quite good - unfortunately, it takes me about 5 holes to get on track.... I keep shooting around 90-93, as a 50-42 or 49-43. I play crappy the first couple of holes (usually swing a little to hard, and then make recovery attempts that are too agressive instead of taking my medicine). Then the back nine is tight (by my standards).

I used to play regularely but only once a week and hated this. You have to make darn bloody sure you don't throw the round away in the first couple holes by keeping the ball in play until you get it going.

I;m a member at Champlain and the worst part of the course is 3 of the par 5s o in the first 5 holes. If I had a dime for evertime I teed it up on the first (a par 5) and put it in the driving range trying to put one deep...

[little brit]

Sounds like interesting advice from Geoff, Snowman. I might just try it myself. I rarely practice first so the first 3 are always interesting. I try to take it easy to begin with and usually do fine. Then I get cocky and mess up

[Golfbum]

[quote=dreaded_snowman;134772]My great pain at the end of this season is that I'm hitting the ball really well and my short game is quite good - unfortunately, it takes me about 5 holes to get on track.... I keep shooting around 90-93, as a 50-42 or 49-43. I play crappy the first couple of holes (usually swing a little to hard, and then make recovery attempts that are too agressive instead of taking my medicine). Then the back nine is tight (by my standards).

I know lots of folks have this warm up kind of issue; it's just been driving me nuts that I have this mid 80's game lurking within, but I just can't seem to lock it in. I usually hit the range before I play to warm up, but it doesn't tend to help, it's just too easy to hit it well when the outcome doesn't really matter to me.

Ah well. I have to whine in here, because no-one I know gives a crap about my petty golf problems.

I play the first two holes at my course on the range. The first is a Par 4, 372 with OB left, and heavy rough on the right side. I hit my shot off the tee on the range, then the club I think I will need for the second shot. It does help if you make sure you just don't stand there and wail at the ball and not care.

The 2nd hole is a 121 Par 3, sounds innocent until you stand on the tee and see the ISLAND GREEN. So once again, on the range I will determine the wind and hit the club that I will need on that hole a few times just before I head to the first tee.

Like you, if I can get past the first 4 holes without any major blowups I can usually score decent. It sure helps the mind if you are not struggling to make boogies on the opening holes.

Try playing those opening holes right there on the range and see how your next round goes.