5+ years of playing and I still can't hit the little ball before the big ball

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Bonesy

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I've done everything
-compression board
-tour striker
-2008 lesson w/ the Manz (he had me hitting it good but I can't get it back)
-lesson with a swing speed coach
-Swing speed is up, tempo is improved. Contact isn't.
-lessons w/ Rob Baxter (Rhody based teacher who posts on this forum)
-lessons w/ a MA based TGM guy
-couple other teachers
-I have read most every book ever mentioned on this site

Like a stupid, I forked over some decent coin to join a club in the Boston suburbs. I dig up the range and sweat alot. Not much more is happening than that.

I struggle with fat shots, pushed drives, hooks, bladed shots. I have a hard time hitting down. I have a hard time with consistent divots.

When I go hit it ok, it feels as if I am releasing my arms and wrists on the way down and then turning my body to turn the clubace and hit down on the ball. Still chunky though.

I've played 18 holes all summer (not counting practice holes after work) at my club because I'm embarrassed of my ugly game.

I also feel guilty because me wife and I had a baby 8 mos ago. He is the love of my life and I burn the candle at both ends to be with him. I can't help but feel guilty when I'm out on the range or course and stinking it up that I should be spending my time with him rather than doing something I'm starting to despise. I can't wait until I can get him out on the course with me (as long as he doesn't copy my swing).

I love golf. Love everything about it. Can't quit. But at a loss of where to go from here. Insanity = doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. But I don't know how to change what I'm doing. Also, I'm tired of throwing money at the game.

These "Bob Rotella" posts are a dime a dozen, but all opinions are greatly appreciated.
 
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spktho

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Without seeing your swing, I would suggest "belly to the sky" finish to help stop hitting it fat. At Brian's west coast tour stop I was able to grab a lesson and found that I was hitting down sometimes as much as 9*. Belly to the sky finish has helped a ton. It is a frustrating game at times.
 
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footwedge

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Looks like a weak left hand grip and an over rotated left arm on the b.s. and a corresponding open face with a pivot stall and flip on the d.s. in an effort to square the face. JMO.
 
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conkanen

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Bonesy...you just described me. Just change the 8 month old with a 20 month old. Everything else is identical. I couldn't compress a SW to save my life. For me that's the test. When I think I am on to something I pull out the SW. Nope. Still shitty contact and back to square one. yer not alone.
 
Chip Putterman

Chip Putterman

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You are hitting fat shots because your hands are in the wrong place at impact. Educate the hands. Having said that, forget about golf. Spend your free time with your young child and wife. Golf can wait.
 
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Fuel1212

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I was in the same situation with the child last year. I second Chip, life is short and you will never get those firsts back walk, talk, etc. Sometimes its good to step away for a while.

It looks like you hit fat shots or top them? I definitely saw and over rotation of the left arm especially after hip height, but I am no expert.
 
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jdish

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I was the exact same way six months ago. I've taken two lessons with Ben Doyle (live in Nor Cal) and I still have some issues with the swing, but stopped hitting it heavy. He got me to educate my hands/use an aiming point. I truly felt the same way until I got to Ben. Now there is hope in my game. As long as I can hit it solid 90% of the time I can work through the other ball flight ailments.

Ben't pre-shot routine is much like Brian's in flipper. I waggle and then forward press and see where my hands are on the ground. I then get my hands back to that spot on the downswing. Just this little thing has changed everything for me.
 
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birly-shirly

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My first thought was that you're playing the ball quite forward for a short iron. You could experiment with playing the ball as far back as the midpoint of your heels with irons.

Second, was DCgolf's post from another thread

DCgolf said:
Lindsey: with lag a little goes a long way, it's not a Garcia or nothing deal; every little bit helps. Some guys just wanna throw it, so as Brian suggested turning them thru can do the trick. Or "stack and tilting" them! But here's what I use to "teach" lag...
Lie board behind ball
Extended club (aim stick or broken shaft stuck in grip end and placed under left arm pit)
Paint white line on dirt. Have them make divots in front of it (no ball)
Hitting balls with a net very close behind. So close you can't make a backswing. Start at top of swing and make downswings so narrow they don't hit net. Hit at white line or actually hit balls.
DC
Click to expand...

What happened to you when you used the compression board or the tour striker - because those things ought to have helped your ball-turf issues?
 
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welshdentist

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What sort of reps are we talking about? The Talent Code and Bounce and other places talk about 100 reps to get the feeling but over 3000 to ingrain it. Must be something your body is fighting to hit big ball first, what does ball flight do when you use a compression board?
 
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Bonesy

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I practice twice a week (2 hours a session) on average with a fair amount of back yard swinging and chipping after Jr goes to bed.

Hit low lasers with the TS but occasionally hit a great one. Can often cheat the compression board with a bladed shot. I often hit the board. I also often hit it fat with the board being there.

Lastly, I can often feel the club release under the ball (especially with wedges). I end up hitting a thick flop instead of a normal shot.
 
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birly-shirly

New
JMO - but I believe that learning theory says you'll learn best and fastest if you work at a level of difficulty that you can achieve successfully around 50% of the time. So I would set up the compression board far enough back that I miss it on around half my shots, and then I'd concentrate on making some sort of turf contact. Even fat shots, so long as you miss the board, need to count as success at this stage. If you can get your success rate up to 70 - 80%, then move the board a little closer to the ball and start over.

I'd also forget about most mechanical thoughts or concepts - and treat this more as a skill-building, or hand-eye co-ordination exercise than mechanics. But I'd try to make it easier if I had to by making half swings, or slow swings, or even pitch shots to begin with. Anything to gain some control over low point. And I'd try playing the ball further back in my stance as well.

Finally, I'd try to avoid the compression board drill becoming a crutch. I'd aim to be hitting at least some balls without the board in every session, using a line on the ground or a couple of tees and working on a divot that starts on the target side of the line. Ultimately, I think this is the drill that you want to be working towards - since it more closely resembles how you'll hit shots on the course.

I think that if you're going to work like this then you've got to forget about ballflight for a while and think only about the quality of contact.

OTOH - you could treat the flip as a reaction to an open face issue and work on NSA type moves to cure the open face. Personally, I think either approach is valid - but I don't think you can work on both at the same time.
 
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softconsult

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It's been said, but to my eye, the ball is off your left heel with a short iron. Could be camera angle. I would really pay attention to ball position. Back of ball at center of distance between heels. You should actually measure this. Then develop a specific routine when taking your stance to insure you know where the ball is relative to your stance. Of course, there are other methods of establishing ball position, but I'm sure you already know this.

I occasionally offer up advice at my local shag area. I will simply show the player what it looks like and sounds like (the swish) to hit the ground and take a divot, without a ball. They can't do it. This is somewhat because they are gripping to tight and trying to control the club. I will say, no, really hit the ground, like this.

You need to figure out how to hit the ground. You have the athleticism, strength, etc.

I also think the idea of bagging golf for a while makes sense. I was never able to go through withdrawal back in the day, but upon reflection, am amazed at the amount of time I was obsessively at the club.
 
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Jim Kobylinski

Super Moderator
I can't access the video at work but you sound like a similar student i have, instead of wasting all these hours on the range that is getting you no where save a little dough and find someone local who can help you with your swing. My student couldn't hit it well at all, was ready to give up practicing so much (also belongs to a club) and was lost. One playing lesson and an hour on the range and he has been having fun all summer.

There's no shame in not being able to figure it out yourself, so find someone who can do it for you locally in case you have to see them again.
 
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DCgolf

New
Over rotated arms and under rotated body particularly through the ball. Keep the club face looking at the ground on the backswing and TuRN THROUGH
 
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