If You Could Give Just One Piece Of Advice...

[Jim's_a_Thai_Fox]

Hi there,

I've been playing the game for 15 years now and have had the joy of playing some lovely courses with some good friends. I recently bought some new clubs (first time in 14.5 years) - Callaway X-18's.

The reason for the purchase - my game turned to <deleted>.

I've always been a high 90's, low ton player - always for fun, don't play that often. Have been the same level for about 14.4 years.

However, to my dismay, ever the basics have recently disappeared - can't hit anything without a large dose of slice, 'toppying' shots off the tee (driving has gone pear shaped)... the works.

I've been down the range with the X-18's, and feel a little better: keeping the head down, trying to relax on the down swing, make sure to turn the right wrist over after hitting the ball.

So, fellow golfers, my question is this. Given all the variables that go into a golf swing, what 1 piece of advice would you offer someone like me - not a total novice, but someone who has reached a plateau and can't seem to get any better, in fact, is getting slightly worse?

Cheers

James

[Jai Dee]

A couple of basic adjustments to help eliminate (or minimise) that slice...

1. Weaken your grip... assuming you're right handed, bring the thumb of your right hand over the grip more... so it's not lying on top.

2. Focus on keeping your arms as straight as possible during backswing... you may be bending your elbows too much.

3. Adopt a loose grip... do not grip the club too firmly. Another person should be able to pull the club out from your hands whilst you adopt your standard grip.

4. Get a few lessons... a pro should be able to sort you out pretty quickly.

Hope this helps.

[Jim's_a_Thai_Fox]

Cheers, you are truly your namesake!

Funny though, I was told to 'tuck your right elbow in' during the back swing, keeping the left arm straight...

anyone know where any decent pro's who can 'sapeek englit langwit vely good' can be found? I'm in the Khao Yai area or Nakhon Pathom.

thanks again

[CymruAmByth]

Hi Mr. Fox,

Some good tips there from Mr. Dee, however...

Every persons golf swing is like their signatures; all different. The old straight-armed, elbow-tucked-in, weight-shifting perfect swing is out of the reach of all but about 0.001% of golfers the world over (Jim Furyk) .

I play off 3 currently - with a pretty ordinary swing - and really enjoy helping my buddies play better golf. Most of our social group are 50+ yrs, and whilst they all have a bag full of new technology (costing a fortune) there are some really simple elements of the game of golf that will assist EVERYONE; namely...

1: Keep it in play!

I am constantly preaching this to my buddies as the more fairway, fringe, light rough shots you play so this will breed better shots all round as ball-striking confidence rises. Once I can stop my buddies trying to thread it 210 yards through a 6 inch wide gap in the trees with a 3 wood in the deep rough, they start to play better shots...always! If in trouble...GET IT BACK ON THE SHORT STUFF!

DO NOT get stuck 'off piste' for more than one shot...get it back in play and watch those scores come down!

2: Think about where you want to MISS the target you are aiming at

Once again I find my buddies hammering away with 3 woods from 250 yards to a pin position a laser guided SAM missile would struggle to locate! If there is water on the left and a bunker on the right, where would you rather be, assuming you are not going to hit a perfect 3 wood with exactly 7 yards of draw on it to get to that back-left pin? You can practice bunker shots, you cannot practice playing out of 20 feet of water.

3: Set it all up properly

Lastly, if you are not aiming correctly, its an accident if it goes towards the target. If you are right handed, think of a railway track with the right hand rail being the line to the flag (or target area). Your feet MUST point down the left hand rail to make a positive statement as to where you wish the ball to go! This takes some getting used to as most golfers automatically think their feet should be directed at the target...WRONG! Your feet should be pointing at the left hand side of the green (if the flag is in the middle) from 150 yards.

The tips above have nothing to do with your swing, nor will they help you hit the ball better with your (nice) new clubs. I have had the pleasure of helping my new found friends here in Thailand play much better golf...by nagging the <deleted> out of them over the above 3 pointers. Two of them were regular 120+ shooters, and after 6 months of nagging by me, one of them shot an 88 last month.

In summary, the above tips are designed to bring shots off your game by breeding confidence from always trying to be in the right place with every shot as you map your way around the course. There is nothing worse than seeing my fellow golfers constantly slogging it around in the rough attempting to hit that magic shot they actually have no business attempting.

The BIG BOYS do it, so should we!

I hope this has been of help.

HAPPY GOLFING!

[Jim's_a_Thai_Fox]

Thanks Mr Cymru,

you are right, of course. 'Course management' is probably more important than trying to perfect the above problems with my game.

Will definately keep those points in mind.

cheers

[hiromj]

What I've recently found is to make sure the shafts on your new clubs are correct. I just had a new shaft put on my driver and it made a HUGE difference. Now every drive is straight down the middle and long. Can't wait to play again.

[CymruAmByth]

What I've recently found is to make sure the shafts on your new clubs are correct. I just had a new shaft put on my driver and it made a HUGE difference. Now every drive is straight down the middle and long. Can't wait to play again.

Spot on!

Whoever made up that awful "Drive for show, putt for dough" line?

Get it down there in the fairway first!

[bendix]

Jim ..I'm no superstar (probably play to around 20), but it seems to me you're thinking too much and trying to remember too many elements all at once. It sounds like you are overthinking and getting into a knot on the tee, probably strangling your swing in the process.

Until recently, I had a super slice too. I couldn't work out why. The ball indentation showed that i was hitting it pretty much in the centre of the club face each time. Then I realised that I was swinging at a trajectory.

So now . . in set up .. . .I consciously push (and watch myself doing it) the clubhead back in the backswing . .ensuring it's first couple of feet remain at the same level and in a straight line from the release position. The rest just happens automatically.

Dunno why, but it's helped me replace a severe slice with a pretty regular very slight off-centre pull, but at least the ball goes in a straight line and further. Plus, it's easier to manage.

The other advice is club selection. So often I got in trouble and tried to play the big wood out to get on the green, and ended up worse. Steady steady pays dividends. Mentally know I pick a club and then say to myself 'is this wise?' If there is any doubt at all, I put it back and choose a safer option.

[cleggit]

Jim,

After reading about your 8 rounds of golf in 8 days or whatever it was i think the problem might be overgolf

Seriously though the first thing you should do with your new clubs is get them custom fitted for you. We are all different shapes and sizes and swing the club differently - custom fitting will tailor the clubs exactly to your swing so you can have the confidence they are just right for you. Particularly important is the flex, lie and length of the shaft. You have bought a great set of clubs - i use X-16s and love them - and given time they will help your game. They have big sweet spots and are really well weighted but remember it can take time to get used to a new set of irons so try not to loose confidence with them and just accept the bad shots.

I'd also be a bit careful about Jai Dee's (any relation to Tongchai ??) tips about weakening your grip and straightening your arm - without seeing your swing it is impossible to say what the problem could be. However, JD does give the best tip - go and see a pro - lessons can be invaluable.

If you can't find a good pro where you are then go back to basics - make sure your alignment is correct - feet, knees, hips, elbows & shoulders should all be pointing to the target - get someone to stand behind you to check this. Check your grip, don't swing too hard and keep your head down. Most importantly of all though forget about all the above when you're playing and relax and enjoy it all this theory is for the practise range - just keep one swing thought in your mind when you are on the golf course.

And finally learn to chip and putt well - this is how you'll reduce your scores.

Good luck with it all - i'm sure you'll get it back !

[Jim's_a_Thai_Fox]

Cheers chaps,

well, I have been down the range for the last couple of weeks and haven't been feeling great about my swing at all.

Thinking too much?

Anyway, this morning, allowed myself a cheeky 18 at Mission Hills, Khao Yai (excellent course, good value, not too many screaming Koreans either...).

The first five holes saw me hit 6-8-6-3-9... same old, same old. Then I hit a bit of form and my confidence returned... I started giving myself a chance off the tee - started connecting with my driver.

Took the hints given here, mainly 'stop thinking too much, just play'. A bit more savvy course management too, eg if I was 230 yds away, I'd take a nice easy 7iron then a pitching wedge rather than try and blast my 5 wood onto the green.

I came back in 43, my best 9 in ages. However, the big problem now - PUTTING! out of those 96 shots, I had 43 putts (23/21).

Typical golf - you fix one leak, another one springs!

Anyway, at least it was an enjoyable round... though you can be assured that next time I play that course I'll have a total nightmare - again, that's just golf!

Cheers once more for your tips/hints...

jim

[chuckd]

I am considering some advice given to Johnny Carson once....Lay off two weeks and give the game up!

[mark lamai]

after 25 years of searching for the holy grail......

number 1.

posture. you gotta stand and set up right then 80% is done.

look very closely at pros on tv.

try to feel how they set up and copy it.

knees hips, back angles. hands position etc.

2. the first 18 inches of the takeaway is the other 15%

tip: keep inside of right arm against your body until left arm is parrallel to ground.

then just keep turning.

3. the missing 5%

thats the difference between them and us mere mortals.

( 4.7 aus handicap, gotta shoot par next sat in club championships!!)

[hiromj]

Cheers chaps,

well, I have been down the range for the last couple of weeks and haven't been feeling great about my swing at all.

Thinking too much?

Anyway, this morning, allowed myself a cheeky 18 at Mission Hills, Khao Yai (excellent course, good value, not too many screaming Koreans either...).

The first five holes saw me hit 6-8-6-3-9... same old, same old. Then I hit a bit of form and my confidence returned... I started giving myself a chance off the tee - started connecting with my driver.

Took the hints given here, mainly 'stop thinking too much, just play'. A bit more savvy course management too, eg if I was 230 yds away, I'd take a nice easy 7iron then a pitching wedge rather than try and blast my 5 wood onto the green.

I came back in 43, my best 9 in ages. However, the big problem now - PUTTING! out of those 96 shots, I had 43 putts (23/21).

Typical golf - you fix one leak, another one springs!

Anyway, at least it was an enjoyable round... though you can be assured that next time I play that course I'll have a total nightmare - again, that's just golf!

Cheers once more for your tips/hints...

jim

A quote from an old friend of mine that I will never forget. He told me this about 25 years ago and I still think about it during every round. He said "You have the dubious honor of being the worse putter that I have ever seen" Still to this day, not much better.

[eastbaybob]

I've played golf all my life, and in that time I have watched lots of people take up the game, and be lousy at it. I see the importance of things as : putting--chipping--150 yards and in play--driving--then 150 yards and out play. But when watching people (my horrible golfing friends) practice they always pull out the driver and start bashing away. Its about the putting.

Your swing problems, going to the range isn't going to help, it will just reinforce the poor habits that you already have. Take some lessons then start to reinforce the new good things that you're learning.

[MrSnrang]

Abandon all hope.

If you go all-out and play three rounds of golf a week and go to the driving range every day for two months like I did you will improve but as soon as you go back to your normal life you're back in the hundreds.

[MMan]

I've been playing for about 35 years and was down to a 7 handicap a few years ago, then after not playing much for a couple of years I suddenly wasn't able to make solid contact anymore and all kinds of bad things were happening (loss of distance, slices, snap hooks, sky shots, tops, shanks).

I could usually get it worked out on the range though, but that was only because I was making some compensating moves which worked OK on the range when hitting many shots in a short time period, but couldn't be counted on when on the course under pressure.

I won't bore you with the details of what I was doing wrong (mostly swing plane and bad wrist action through impact), but the single best advice is SEE A GOLF PRO WITH A GOOD REPUTATION AS A TEACHER.

I actually had to try 3 different teaching pros before I found one that worked well for me, so you may have to experiment some. Nothing really wrong with the first 2 (one was actually among the top instructors at a Top 100 golf school), but everyone learns differently and different pros teach using different methods, styles and personalities.

[tgeezer]

Hi there,

I've been playing the game for 15 years now and have had the joy of playing some lovely courses with some good friends. I recently bought some new clubs (first time in 14.5 years) - Callaway X-18's.

The reason for the purchase - my game turned to <deleted>.

I've always been a high 90's, low ton player - always for fun, don't play that often. Have been the same level for about 14.4 years.

However, to my dismay, ever the basics have recently disappeared - can't hit anything without a large dose of slice, 'toppying' shots off the tee (driving has gone pear shaped)... the works.

I've been down the range with the X-18's, and feel a little better: keeping the head down, trying to relax on the down swing, make sure to turn the right wrist over after hitting the ball.

So, fellow golfers, my question is this. Given all the variables that go into a golf swing, what 1 piece of advice would you offer someone like me - not a total novice, but someone who has reached a plateau and can't seem to get any better, in fact, is getting slightly worse?

Cheers

James

You should try to become a "bogey golfer" ie. one over regulation 'on' and two putts. Try a few rounds where you don't cock the wrists at all, the ball always goes straight, on the longest par 4 you will have 280 left, that is two mangeable iron shots. From the tee-box you should be playing there shouldn't be any par 4's so long but if there is you can look forward to some very short par 3's and 5's where you can recover any losses. Many will consider it unfair to play to a handicap, and think that it should be a longest drive comp. off the tee, followed by an atempt to get as close to the green as possible, with all the mishits and attendant extra shots which this entails. There is a good deal of satisfaction to be had from making successful shots even if the targets are modest.

[curber]

A friend of mine that is a teaching pro gave me two pieces of advice....other than the obvious,taking lessons and practicing .....1...amateurs should always overclub.....2....never think about any shot,good or bad, for more than 5 seconds after you hit it.These two things have helped me take a couple strokes off my cap.

[heckya]

My one piece of advice is to swing slow. The golf swing is more like a dance, it is fluid; it is not taking a mallet and smashing that ball as one would pound a rock.

[jjspitz]

My one piece of advice would be to enjoy yourself. Golf is meant to be a game of liesure, so relax and don't sweat the bad shots. After all, the bad shots give us a measure to judge our good shots. There are going to be some of both. No one gets it right everytime. I have a friend I often play with and he has quite a bad temper when his shots go awry. It was funny one day when playing with his brother he hit a bad shot, swore and tossed the club 50 yards down the fairway. His brother took him to task and said, "Why are you angry? You're not good enough to be angry. You hardly ever practice and come out here once a month. Of course you're going to hit bad shots. You're not good enough to get angry." We all played better after that and had a much better time.

[chuckd]

I am often reminded of that old saying...."golf is the most fun you can have with your clothes on."

[chuckd]

....and that reminds me of another old saying..."golf and sex are the only two things you can enjoy without being good at."

[Pakboong]

Make sure the club head accelerates though the ball on all shots. Paricularly important with chips and pitches.

[Mark Wolfe]

I am dead serious here:

"JUST HIT THE BALL."