Background: I'm 31 years old and have been playing golf since I was about 12, mostly just for fun and never very consistent. I have played anywhere from 2-15 times per year throughout my life and have never taken a lesson. I am trying to play more often now to see how much I can improve on my own. I have never owned golf spikes; always just played in my running shoes. I typically score between 50-55 on a 9 hole round.

I bought my first pair of golf spikes yesterday and went out to play 9 holes and played pretty bad, shooting a 57. I don't have any hard data, but it felt like ~80% of my iron shots missed 10-20 yards right. Not a fade/slice, but pushed right. I know that I need to hit the range with my new spikes, but I'm wondering if anyone has ever experienced this after switching to golf spikes for the first time?

It's going to take a while at the range to find my aim with these shoes after 18 years of knowing roughly how to aim while I'm wearing my running shoes.

Spikes have nothing to do with it. If anything, your base will be more stable and consistent with spikes. Just keep at it.

I played a par 3 nine hole course in Vegas and shot even par with rented clubs playing barefoot...I'm not trying to brag, my point is you are much better served spending money on lessons at this stage in the game. Your shoes don't make that big of a difference in score.

I know I would benefit from lessons. I'm planning on doing that in the near future.

The point of this post was just to ask if anyone else has experienced this phenomenon.

Here may be a plausible theory. With spikes and sure footing on your right foot (assuming right handed) you could be more aggressively turning your hips more so than without the spikes. This could potentially lead to a mis timing of faster openin of hips and shoulders where your release of the club can't catch up thereby flaring your shots to the right due to opened club face at the impact.

But no that's never happened to me since I've never played without my golfshoes.

It ain't the arrow (shoes). It's the Indian.

I doubt it was the shoes, but who knows? This game is crazy.

As you said, you've never been consistent so it isn't like you had a consistent ball flight and it made a drastic change from normal. Honestly, if you hit it straight right I bet the most likely issue is that you probably unknowingly aimed right. I don't mean that like I'm talking down to you... Alignment in golf is really difficult. Even Tiger Woods is struggling with his alignment right now.

The real answer is to get lessons as others have said. Golf is a great game and trying to get better is a really rewarding experience. A tip as you set out on this journey: any time you have problems with anything and you start to think "Maybe it's just _______! If I buy this/do that/think this then my swing will be fixed!" slap yourself in the face. The answer to why you aren't shooting lower scores is that you aren't that good. There are no magic potions, no shortcuts. You just have to practice a whole lot and put in the work. This is coming from a guy who has wasted some money on magic beans.

Related note: I have a Medicus driver and 5-iron going to the curb this weekend with heavy trash.

Thanks for the input. Honestly, I wasn't expecting the shoes to be a magic potion. I just figured I would finally buy some since I'm playing more often.

Golf shoes are a good idea for sure. There are several more instances that you'll be glad you have them as opposed to instances you wish you didn't. You'll get used to them. Keep playing.

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Thanks for the input. Honestly, I wasn't expecting the shoes to be a magic potion. I just figured I would finally buy some since I'm playing more often.

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Wasn't referring to the shoes as an instant fix... this was just general advice. I've had lots of moments where I have thought I was on the verge of "fixing my swing" with a book, a drill, a practice aid, etc. All of those things can help you but none of them will "fix your swing."

It's been a long time since I started wearing golf shoes to play, but now when I hit in tennis shoes it definitely feels weird so I'm sure I had to go through an adjustment period getting used to them.

At my age, golf shoes aren't to improve my game. It's to prevent an injury due to slip and fall.

It can happen to you all y'all.

was the height of the sole of the shoes considerable different from your running shoes? Did you running shoes have more slope from heal to toe than the golf shoes do? I can't imagine your swing is that finely calibrated that it would make much difference... but who knows

This is just what has happened to me recently and I am not a great golfer (10-15 handicap).

I have worn spikeless golf shoes for two years and got very used to not having that "sure traction" in my swing. I would occasionally have my right foot slip out during wet days, especially on the tee box. Mainly I developed a habit of my left foot opening in my swing, like Patrick Reed.

Recently the spikeless spikes became so work down I went back to spiked to help with traction and balance. In doing so, I have found that it affected my swing/ball flight/contact. It does take some getting used to. The feel and contact of your feet is affected by spikes vs non-spikes. It has affected my rotation through the ball forcing me to stay more blance and not open up as much, left foot opening, in follow through.

I might be the odd man out in these situations but it took about a week of range sessions to get the feel back how I liked and making the consistent contact. Maybe it is just me.

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was the height of the sole of the shoes considerable different from your running shoes? Did you running shoes have more slope from heal to toe than the golf shoes do? I can't imagine your swing is that finely calibrated that it would make much difference... but who knows

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That was usually mess with me whenever I get a new pair... until they are slightly broken in they usually make me a little bit taller and i go through a quick stretch of hitting everything thin because of it.

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was the height of the sole of the shoes considerable different from your running shoes? Did you running shoes have more slope from heal to toe than the golf shoes do? I can't imagine your swing is that finely calibrated that it would make much difference... but who knows

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I think there may be something to this. I used to have two pair of shoes that I would typically alternate between when I was playing a lot and also when I was playing my best. Maybe I was imagining it, but I always felt like I hit the ball more solid and consistently when I wore one pair than the other. It wasn't night and day better like a difference of 10 shots or anything, but I did start to notice a pattern. One pair did have a significantly thicker sole and heel than the other.

Now I have two pair that are the same model, just different colors and I have not noticed this "feeling" since the switch. What a stupid game.