Took a lesson, now can't hit anything

4,002 Views | 35 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by powerbelly
agracer
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Haven't taken a lesson in over a year. I've been having trouble with my 7, 6, 5 Iron and pushing the ball to the right.

Guy I used to take lesson's from moved to another course 40m from the house so I talked to a local pro and decided to get a few lessons from him.

Two things he said I was doing;
  • going way inside on the back swing causing me to be very steep on the down swing. This also caused me to "lift" or attempt to lift the ball and not hit down. Club face was also very open at the top (toe of club not facing down)
  • said I had a very strong grip so he had me roll my right hand over to weaken it a bit.

So he had me focus on keeping my back swing going straight back and not so much around myself. Then come inside-out on the down swing.

Obviously had a few miss-hits with this 'new' grip and swing path, but when I hit it right ball flight was great.

Been to the range a few times since last week and can't hit anything in my bag. My 7I I'm spraying across a 80 yard swath (40 right, 40 left) with the occasional good hit at the target. Every other club is the same. Even my PW, which I used to have great confidence in hitting the green from 110y out...now forget it. Left, right, over, short. My confidence is completely shot with all my clubs.

I actually paid for a package of lessons but I'm not exactly to happy right now. Should I give up on this guy and go back to the guy I used to see (he helped me a ton 3-years ago - hadn't played in 10 years and after lessons with him went from over 110 to low 90's and broke 90 for the first time...last summer I played 9 one evening and finished 2 over, best 9 holes ever for me).

I don't want to get two more lessons and get more jacked up...
Poot
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The ugly truth about golf is that once you plateau, you might have a take a step back to go forward...

That's not ALWAYS the case, but if you are wanting to go from a high 80's-mid 90's golfer to breaking 80, you are probably going to have to experience some growing pains.

Obviously I know exactly zero about your new instructor, but from those 2 points that he's emphasizing, it doesn't sound outrageous.

1. Grip changes can be brutal... And sometimes necessary. As basic as the grip is, it can be a bear to ingrain and become comfortable with.

2. Swing path and face angle, particularly on the backswing, are also building blocks for the rest of your swing. Often times the rest of your action is just a response to the position you've put yourself into on the backswing.

For ANY new adjustment (especially grip)... The ONLY way to give it a fair chance is to rep the hell out of it. After you've given it a fair chance and worked on it and you still don't see results, then maybe it would be time to look around.

Not every instructor will click with you. Some other guy may have a way of relating the same thing to you in a different way and all of the sudden you're like "oh yeah, I get it."
AggieDruggist89
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Do you pull with leftside?
White Liberals=The Worst
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I don't think there's any way I can ever take a golf lesson. Heard too many horror stories.
khaos288
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that's a very common lesson to see.

extra strong grip, and pulling back to the inside to try and compensate. Usually means you have a super low ball flight, and your miss was a hard hook. Sounds like you had the first part similar, but then you tried to compensate the inside backswing by adjusting at the top of the swing and coming in steep.

Either way, a more neutral grip and a straight back, straight forward swing will get you straight. It takes a ton of reps just to make a grip feel comfortable, much less functioning perfect. In the end it will be worth it though.
14TheRoad
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Sounds like your first instructor was more of a band-aid fixer just working on helping you decrease your flaws while your current instructor seems to be trying to make you more fundamentally sound for the long haul.

I obviously don't know these guys or your swing but I'd suggest sticking with the second guy, from what y'all covered in your first lesson it sounds like he is working torward long term solutions instead of quick fixes. That being said it will be a process that's probably going to get worse for you before it gets better. Also, based on the stuff you are working on I'm guessing high 80s was the ceiling for your old swing.
jj9000
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It's not your swing, man.

It's your irons.

You need a new set of irons.
bagger05
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Lt. Joe Bookman
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Keep at it. You'll straighten out soon. Just takes practice. Have to be willing to go back to the range/practice area and put in the work. Getting to low 90s from 100s is much easier than getting to low 80s from low 90s.

I recently went through the same process of changing my grip, and it took me a few weeks of hitting 80 balls at the range every other day before I got back to feeling confident with my swing.
jj9000
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bagger05 said:


Brilliant!
AgDotCom
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Some painful, but true remarks in this thread.

My cousin is a golf pro, he asked me to make some grip changes mid-round one day and I was afraid to take the club back. Many years ago he told me "Look, you can groove what you have and shoot mid 80s at best, or you can tear it down and start over if you want to go lower". I chose the latter, it was painful, but I eventually got better.

I have a buddy whose daughter, a pole vaulter, made the state track meet last year as a freshman. Then hired a coach to revamp everything in order to raise her ceiling, and was told not to be surprised if she regressed at first. Sure enough, that happened, she didn't make region this year.

Hopefully your new instructor is a good one and has good references. If he is, it's probably a good idea to go back to him and finish those lessons.
CTGilley
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In my experience often when trying to work on one thing your forget about all others. Recently I was working on grip and swing path and for some reason quit turning my hips. Keep all your normal swing thoughts adding the ones he gave you.
agracer
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jj9000 said:

It's not your swing, man.

It's your irons.

You need a new set of irons.
Why do you think I took lessons...I want to get my flaws worked out, get to a consistent low 80's and VOILA, I need new clubs.
agracer
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khaos288 said:

that's a very common lesson to see.

extra strong grip, and pulling back to the inside to try and compensate. Usually means you have a super low ball flight, and your miss was a hard hook. Sounds like you had the first part similar, but then you tried to compensate the inside backswing by adjusting at the top of the swing and coming in steep.

Either way, a more neutral grip and a straight back, straight forward swing will get you straight. It takes a ton of reps just to make a grip feel comfortable, much less functioning perfect. In the end it will be worth it though.
Never had problems getting the ball into the air nor with a hook..really ever. Not sure where the steep swing came into play. I don't wonder if I just slowly was making my grip stronger and stronger over the last year or so and got to where I am now.
jj9000
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agracer said:

jj9000 said:

It's not your swing, man.

It's your irons.

You need a new set of irons.
Why do you think I took lessons...I want to get my flaws worked out, get to a consistent low 80's and VOILA, I need new clubs.
khaos288
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agracer said:

khaos288 said:

that's a very common lesson to see.

extra strong grip, and pulling back to the inside to try and compensate. Usually means you have a super low ball flight, and your miss was a hard hook. Sounds like you had the first part similar, but then you tried to compensate the inside backswing by adjusting at the top of the swing and coming in steep.

Either way, a more neutral grip and a straight back, straight forward swing will get you straight. It takes a ton of reps just to make a grip feel comfortable, much less functioning perfect. In the end it will be worth it though.
Never had problems getting the ball into the air nor with a hook..really ever. Not sure where the steep swing came into play. I don't wonder if I just slowly was making my grip stronger and stronger over the last year or so and got to where I am now.
Yeah, if you have an extra strong grip and you're pushing to the right, something is very wrong with your path. I was just trying to think of the only way you could end up to the right like that.

Coming in steep and closed is still going to send you left, so somehow you're ending up slightly open, or slightly inside out on the path, which a strong grip would mean you have to have a crazy plane to get out there.

Who knows for sure, but I'm guessing a pro watching first hand figured it out.
Icecream_Ag
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jj9000 said:

agracer said:

jj9000 said:

It's not your swing, man.

It's your irons.

You need a new set of irons.
Why do you think I took lessons...I want to get my flaws worked out, get to a consistent low 80's and VOILA, I need new clubs.

not everyone thinks the latest greatest oooh shiny
jj9000
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Icecream_Ag said:

jj9000 said:

agracer said:

jj9000 said:

It's not your swing, man.

It's your irons.

You need a new set of irons.
Why do you think I took lessons...I want to get my flaws worked out, get to a consistent low 80's and VOILA, I need new clubs.

not everyone thinks the latest greatest oooh shiny
The joke is on me...not him.
Icecream_Ag
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jj9000 said:

Icecream_Ag said:

jj9000 said:

agracer said:

jj9000 said:

It's not your swing, man.

It's your irons.

You need a new set of irons.
Why do you think I took lessons...I want to get my flaws worked out, get to a consistent low 80's and VOILA, I need new clubs.

not everyone thinks the latest greatest oooh shiny
The joke is on me...not him.
not his fault you are obsessed with shiny things.
Mr.Bond
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JJ without question if he were a Disney character
DannyDuberstein
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That is a big change, but it's a bad flaw that a ton of golfers have and you will be better off of you can work through it. I'd encourage you to stick with the lessons and keep plowing ahead.
98Ag99Grad
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Thread was over after first response. Good luck with your changes.
Aggie369
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When your practicing don't worry about where the ball goes...you are just practicing a new movement...when u feel like you have the new movement down then worry about where the ball goes....and ONLY where the ball goes.

When you swing, ask yourself if you were able to do the movement. If you did it then that was a good a shot. Slowly but surely your swing will start to come into how you want it.

Tough concept but I've found it to be necessary...if you are always worried about where the ball goes when changing your swing then you will fall into the "tinkering" phase and are trying to "find" your swing every new day on the course
agracer
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The range last night was much better than Saturday.

I tried to focus on a good, smooth back swing, getting my weight on the back heal and NOT tilting my back towards the target, inside out swing path. Much better shots/ball flight. Still the occasional miss but over all much better.
BESCo91
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CapCity12thMan
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Quote:

getting my weight on the back heal

huh? I don't personally like the way that sounds. You don't want weight to be on your heels. If you are using this as a thought to get your weight on your right side on takeaway - I don't like that either, unless you are specific enough to keep that weight on the inside of your right foot only...getting weight outside that or on your right heel is a disaster, IMHO. This coming from someone who up until a year ago (when I started taking a few video lessons) I had a tendency to do, causing a two way miss. I have no virtually eliminated ones side of the course and my results show it. Good balanced address and weight shift goes a long way...
agracer
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CapCity12thMan said:


Quote:

getting my weight on the back heal

huh? I don't personally like the way that sounds. You don't want weight to be on your heels. If you are using this as a thought to get your weight on your right side on takeaway - I don't like that either, unless you are specific enough to keep that weight on the inside of your right foot only...getting weight outside that or on your right heel is a disaster, IMHO. This coming from someone who up until a year ago (when I started taking a few video lessons) I had a tendency to do, causing a two way miss. I have no virtually eliminated ones side of the course and my results show it. Good balanced address and weight shift goes a long way...
yes, inside of back foot, not heal directly. I have a tendency to sway in my back swing (my back will lean towards the target) and focusing on getting my weight to the inside of my back foot helps me NOT do that.
khaos288
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agracer said:

CapCity12thMan said:


Quote:

getting my weight on the back heal

huh? I don't personally like the way that sounds. You don't want weight to be on your heels. If you are using this as a thought to get your weight on your right side on takeaway - I don't like that either, unless you are specific enough to keep that weight on the inside of your right foot only...getting weight outside that or on your right heel is a disaster, IMHO. This coming from someone who up until a year ago (when I started taking a few video lessons) I had a tendency to do, causing a two way miss. I have no virtually eliminated ones side of the course and my results show it. Good balanced address and weight shift goes a long way...
yes, inside of back foot, not heal directly. I have a tendency to sway in my back swing (my back will lean towards the target) and focusing on getting my weight to the inside of my back foot helps me NOT do that.


Another good drill for back swing sway is having some one hold a club up for your face. You'll never realize how much your head moves until you put a stationary object in front of it
Aggie369
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I've referenced my buddy who plays professionally before but he works on making sure his weight doesn't get outside his back foot....he was performing a clinic for a group and warmed up and was striking the ball quite well. they asked him some drills he uses and he said often he will place his alignment stick under his back foot to make sure his weight stays on the inside (similar to a golf ball under back foot)....they asked him to do the drill.

he put the alignment rod down and proceeded to fat his golf ball 30 yards down range. said he almost laid his divot over the ball it was so fat. they asked what happened.

he responded "that was actually pretty good...i did exactly what I wanted to do" which was make sure his weight stayed on the inside of his back foot.

If youre working on your weight transition then only judge success on if u transitioned correctly NOT where ur ball goes
Ag_07
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The question now is why are you paying for a package of lessons when the TA Golf Board has given you a swing diagnosis, analysis, drills, etc in just one thread.

And you thought it was tough with one teacher in your ear.
HouAggie
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Quote:

Club face was also very open at the top (toe of club not facing down)

Does not compute. If he told you that the toe of the club "not facing down" is open, find another instructor.
Oso96
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If you can't hit anything you might be making progress.

Post up on your front foot, just as you would to chip, and rotate around your spine. Your head will stay still and you can rotate your shoulders as fast as you can. Simple and very accurate,
ClassOf17
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You don't need lessons, you just need to start drinking in the parking lot.
Na Zdraví 87
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ClassOf17 said:

You don't need lessons, you just need to start drinking in the parking lot.
I can attest to this. It helps. A word of caution, just maintain though.
agracer
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Well I'm not sure if this is getting any better or not. Couldn't hit anything last night and EVERYTHING was going right.

My driver has decided to go on vacation to the right of every fairway..I mean WAY right, that or it hits the ground in front of the ball..which I have NEVER done before.

I think I had ONE really good iron shot that went where I aimed it. Everything else was way right.

I played in a tournament last Tuesday and lost six balls...I can usually play a round of 18 and maybe lose one ball. It was a tough course...but SIX... And they weren't the "get lost in thick rough" balls that you can usually find. They were way into the woods lost or water hazzard.

I bought a package of lessons (3) and I'm wondering if I should go see my old instructor. I have zero confidence in any of my clubs right now. That and I have a Titleist fitting next Thursday which is going to be embarrassing if I hit the ball this bad.
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