The OS Golfer's Thread!

[1Rose]

Totally, and another thing that I can't tell is body types which is another huge factor in the golf swing.

My advice, especially to amateurs, is to simplify the game.

I'll ask speels this, and I can already tell from how he described his opinion, but how many thoughts go through your head, even before you address the ball? It seems like alot, just by how much you are thinking about each club.

Basic physics tells us that the impact area is the same for every golf club, at the very bottom of the golf swing. Don't believe me? Take your 3 iron and your PW. Grip it with your thumb and your index and swing it back and forth. Where is the impact area? Same place for every iron.

I want everyone to experiment with this, if you want to. Here's what I want you to do.

Go through every iron in your bag. Start with your PW and go to your 3-4 iron, whichever is your last one. Place EVERY ball you hit 4-5 inches inside your left heel. Make sure your hands are even with the golf ball and hit down and through it. That's it. Don't think about anything else, and tell me the results.

[speels]

I actually don't think that much when I golf. I look at the shot I need to play, pick the club I need to hit, picture the shot I want to make, and then make it. I have been golfing for 30+ years and have realized that if I practice enough that my swing is fluid and strong, then I don't need to think about anything when I am hitting. I do my thinking before the shot in order to give myself the best chance of making the shot I need to make.

SHot 81 yesterday, still shanked a few, but my putting was better.

[ImTellinTim]

I'm also at the point where I don't really think about anything when I'm about to swing. Probably because I've been doing it since I was 6. The more in there, the worse I play. I also take it a lot less serious these days since I came to realize that you don't improve by playing on the course. You improve by working on your swing and short game on the practice range and green. Once golf feels like a chore these days, that's when I'll stop playing because it's what I do to relax. So I'm OK with being an inconsistent golfer that puts together good rounds every once in awhile.

As long as I'm here, I guess it's time for the weekly update. I shot a 41 with the only bad hole being a double on a long par 4 where I pushed my drive into the trees and lost it. It was my only truly bad swing of the day other than a botched pitch shot into a par 5 that resulted in my other 6 of the day. Not much else to write home about - the rest were 5 pars and 2 bogeys.

Oh, I almost forgot about the 6-footer for birdie that I missed. That one was a bit disappointing. I totally decelerated through the thing. Didn't trust the stroke because it was downhill with a bit of a break.

[BunnyHardaway]

Another question:

My driver is costing me several shots per round because I literally cannot hit the thing. Every time I hit it, it's an extreme slice that stays really low to the ground and goes maybe 150 yards tops. This is really troubling because I used to crank the hell out of my driver...constantly dead straight, good height, good distance. Somewhere in the process of changing my swing I lost it entirely. I'd blame it on yips, but I haven't hit a legitimate good drive in 2 years. I'm using a 13-degree driver...could this be my issue? I'm starting to think so, but like I said I used to be able to hit the same club quite well. I've heard that high a loft isn't good for me anyway.

EDIT: I'll (finally) have a video of my swing up later today when I go to the range.

[ImTellinTim]

Well, until you can figure out how to hit the club, don't hit it. So many times I see people hit driver for the sake of hitting driver when the added distance just isn't worth the risk. I know I'm guilty of it sometimes. If anything, the higher degree loft would make the club easier to hit, so that's probably not your problem. Find the longest club you can hit consistently down the middle and stick with that. 200 yards and in or near the fairway is better than 150 and constantly finding trouble way right. No one's gonna revoke your man card, lol.

[1Rose]

Quote: Originally Posted by JJLinn

Another question: My driver is costing me several shots per round because I literally cannot hit the thing. Every time I hit it, it's an extreme slice that stays really low to the ground and goes maybe 150 yards tops. This is really troubling because I used to crank the hell out of my driver...constantly dead straight, good height, good distance. Somewhere in the process of changing my swing I lost it entirely. I'd blame it on yips, but I haven't hit a legitimate good drive in 2 years. I'm using a 13-degree driver...could this be my issue? I'm starting to think so, but like I said I used to be able to hit the same club quite well. I've heard that high a loft isn't good for me anyway. EDIT: I'll (finally) have a video of my swing up later today when I go to the range.

The most common cause of this is swaying. Your swaying your body towards your front foot. Causing you to hit more down on it with the club face open because your not able to release the club through the hitting area. Focus on keeping your weight shift more quiet and just turning your hips.

[rspencer86]

Couple questions for you guys:

• Do you guys ever practice with those "wiffle" or foam practice balls and just go out to your backyard or a park and hit them, or do you stick to the driving range? Reason I ask is I'm not crazy about spending $8 for a bucket of balls every time I want to work on my swing.
• Do any of you wear two gloves? I got a couple blisters on my non-gloved right hand last time out at the range. I guess if I practice more and more without the second glove the blisters will eventually stop occurring?

[mike24forever]

Quote: Originally Posted by rspencer86

Couple questions for you guys: Do you guys ever practice with those "wiffle" or foam practice balls and just go out to your backyard or a park and hit them, or do you stick to the driving range? Reason I ask is I'm not crazy about spending $8 for a bucket of balls every time I want to work on my swing. Do any of you wear two gloves? I got a couple blisters on my non-gloved right hand last time out at the range. I guess if I practice more and more without the second glove the blisters will eventually stop occurring?

1.) I do not use wiggle balls. I use the Medicus drive to practise in my backyard. It's the club that breaks if you swing it wrong. It's perfect for my swing and helps with my momentum.

2.) try putting athletic tape are a bandaid where you get the blister. This will help on the range.

Hope that helps!