Changing swing during a round

[Matt 4-L]

Before I play a round of golf I usually hit a medium bucket just to loosen up a bit and see how my swing is and then head to the first tee. I start out hitting the ball good, pretty much straight shots some fall a bit to the left with a tiny draw but by the end of the round all I can hit is a cut shot. It has been like this for quite a few years and I have adapted by hitting mainly cut shots toward the end of the round. I started going to the range after a round and tried to work on hitting the tiny draws and I found that I have to feeeeeel like I don’t use my hips at all or at least until after impact and let the hips open with the club pulling me to the finish. So I am wondering if anyone else has had this issue, I believe my hips start firing faster as the round gets going and as I get really loosened up or subconsciously I fear the fat shot so much that my brain takes over knowing it is much harder hitting a fat shot from a cut swing?

 

[Bigwill]

Exact same thing has happened to me. Don't know why either.

Have you considered playing a cut from the first?

 

[Matt 4-L]

My miss has always been a push cut and I am afraid I am that much closer to hitting the push cut if I start out playing cuts, I like to be slightly on the other side if that makes sense.

 

[jenhaoyen]

I do too, but it's because i stop "swinging". The last hole makes me just want to hit the ball.

 

[JEREMY5577]

I have the exact same problem. Some days I have to stall my pivot a little to let my arms catch up some days I don't have to think about it. For me it all comes down to energy level. When I'm feeling fresh and strong my arms have no problem keeping up. Last night I played in a match play event on just a couple hours of sleep all I had the energy for was aim left and swing left.

 

[Bigwill]

My miss has always been a push cut and I am afraid I am that much closer to hitting the push cut if I start out playing cuts, I like to be slightly on the other side if that makes sense.

Same with me. I figured that since my natural miss was right, then aiming left for a fade to begin with would give me more room for my miss. I then came around to your way of thinking, wanting to stay as far away from an open face as possible, because I was missing too far right no matter how far left I aimed. That's why I prefer to play a fairly big draw now. The miss is a little push fade, which isn't a problem unless I aim too far right.

 

[Matt 4-L]

Played 18 tonight and without fail I started to hit fades toward the end of the round, I actually hit irons off the tee to protect my score on two of the tight closing holes, I finished with 12 greens in reg and my putting is starting to come around, I had no 3 putts and a total of 31 putts for an even par round of 72. I didn't miss anything inside 5 ft and made one 20 ft putt but still left quite a few on the table that I could of made inside 15 ft but much more fun when I am not yipping putts. Now to figure out why mid round I start to lose shots to the right?

 

[mgranato]

F Matt, sounds like you might be dealing with a fitting issue?

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Played 18 tonight and without fail I started to hit fades toward the end of the round, I actually hit irons off the tee to protect my score on two of the tight closing holes, I finished with 12 greens in reg and my putting is starting to come around, I had no 3 putts and a total of 31 putts for an even par round of 72. I didn't miss anything inside 5 ft and made one 20 ft putt but still left quite a few on the table that I could of made inside 15 ft but much more fun when I am not yipping putts. Now to figure out why mid round I start to lose shots to the right?

Not trying to be offensive here but are you in shape? What's your flexibility like? Sounds like some sort of fatigue.

 

[Matt 4-L]

Jim, 5'11" 173 lbs and in good physical shape for a 40 year old, fairly flexible but I am a little higher on the muscle side so I am no gumby and at my last physical I think body fat was around 12-13%. I eat healthy and take care of my body but if I lack in any area it would be cardio because of worn out knees, it hurts to run. I used to hit four to five hundred balls a couple of times a week but have cut back as of late and play more instead. It is possible my core gets fatigued and my hips might be running out from me?

Mike, if only I had a flightscope I could see if it was miss fit clubs. Actually, I am do for a new set of irons and a new driver and I am going to spend the extra cash too get fitted properly but not till next year.

 

[DCgolf]

I might suggest trying to monitor your grip pressure as the round goes. I work on this with many of my tournament player regularly. Soften your hands arms and grip pressure late in the round. Can't hurt.

 

[Matt 4-L]

I might suggest trying to monitor your grip pressure as the round goes. I work on this with many of my tournament player regularly. Soften your hands arms and grip pressure late in the round. Can't hurt.

It's funny you mention this because it is one of my keys to help with my putting yips along with the right arm in a "piston" like position, I try to hold the putter with as light as possible grip pressure, a tip I found from Crenshaw, which he also said most amatures don't take the putter back far enough and have to add hit to get it to the hole...I will have to pay attention to grip pressure on my full swing later in the round, I kinda forget about it and I don't know if I am getting it a little firm in my full swing.

I took a lesson from a pro I know a couple of weeks ago and he said I don't see any reason you shouldn't be shooting par or better on a consistent basis. The only problem is I am ranger rick, he didn't get to see the bad swings later in the round. It's primarily with the woods and the problem is if I try to play it half way through the round, I sometimes double cross it and then I have no confidence in what the ball is going to do. I may have to take out a camera and just video a few drives later in the round. Thanks, for the input guys, much appreciated.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Here's a random, do you ever have issues with a snatchy takeaway or a takeaway that goes outside?

 

[Matt 4-L]

Here's a random, do you ever have issues with a snatchy takeaway or a takeaway that goes outside?

Very much so, I am a fast paced type person and I can get very quick with my takeaway.

 

[admaly01]

I have this exact same problem. I hit it straight or with a draw right away and then as the round goes on I start to hit bigger cuts and then try things to swing more to the right and my swing goes to hell. I have always had a problem with tugging my shoulder and hips open to early too.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Very much so, I am a fast paced type person and I can get very quick with my takeaway.

I'd say really monitor that and make sure you aren't popping out. When i have better players that fight cut shots and they aren't a typical open face type issues it usually comes back to a takeaway that is too outside or too fast a tempo that messes with your timing.

 

[Matt 4-L]

I'd say really monitor that and make sure you aren't popping out. When i have better players that fight cut shots and they aren't a typical open face type issues it usually comes back to a takeaway that is too outside or too fast a tempo that messes with your timing.

Thanks Jim, I bet I am popping out, I get quick with the hands and I do feel like the club head is getting to far inside my hands. I am going to play 18 again probably Saturday and Sunday, I will watch for it as the round goes on to see if I start getting lazy and quick with my takeaways. I like to feel the club hinging fairly quickly so more of a one piece takeaway is something I work on a lot to get me from getting quick with the hands.

 

[GaryRead]

Jim,

When you say a takeaway that is outside, do you mean twith he hands and/or the club head?

 

[art]

Before I play a round of golf I usually hit a medium bucket just to loosen up a bit and see how my swing is and then head to the first tee. I start out hitting the ball good, pretty much straight shots some fall a bit to the left with a tiny draw but by the end of the round all I can hit is a cut shot. It has been like this for quite a few years and I have adapted by hitting mainly cut shots toward the end of the round. I started going to the range after a round and tried to work on hitting the tiny draws and I found that I have to feeeeeel like I don’t use my hips at all or at least until after impact and let the hips open with the club pulling me to the finish. So I am wondering if anyone else has had this issue, I believe my hips start firing faster as the round gets going and as I get really loosened up or subconsciously I fear the fat shot so much that my brain takes over knowing it is much harder hitting a fat shot from a cut swing?

Dear Matt 4-L,

I certainly agree with the possibilities of fatigue and nutrition being responsible for the problem you described. However, ALL my work has been on swing error initiation and propagation and from what you have described, I would at least ADD TEMPO and LOWER BODY DYNAMIC BODY changes to the list of possibilities.

The good news is that corrections in these two areas, if caused, or triggered from fatigue and/or nutritional changes, do not take very much more energy to correct, and when addressed, allow you to finish the round of golf hitting the same drives as the front 9.

So here is all you do, BUT YOU NEED TO FIRST HAVE TRIGGERED THE PROBLEM AS BEFORE.

(1) After the first indication of the problem, take 5 practice swings, full power, while setting up for the next shot, BECOMING FULLY AWARE OF YOUR FULL SWING TEMPO. Then, simply hit the next drive WITH THAT TEMPO, AND STAYING FULLY AWARE OF THAT TEMPO.

(2) If the problem still exists, and IMO it could, just really concentrate on "Bumpy back, KEEP IT BACK", because, IMO, the resultant shots you have described, can be created by the rear hip ANXIOUS to get out first, instead of the turning of the lead hip, kind of pulling the rear hip out of its "KEEP IT BACK POSITION. So, 5 more full power swings for TEMPO awareness and with bumpy back, THEN hit the real shot.

(3) If that too fails, and you are still on the course, go to the one inch 'Body Lowering' set up position, WITH 'Bumpy back', and again after a few full power practice swings, hit the real shot.

Finally, BE THANKFUL that you have a consistent swing FAILURE MODE to work on; many of the rest of us have RANDOM FAILURES in both characteristics, and/or timing, which make the 'repairs' more difficult to define.

BUT IT IS IN FAILURE THAT WE LEARN, so thanks for giving US the chance to learn WITH you.

Regards,
art

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Jim,

When you say a takeaway that is outside, do you mean twith he hands and/or the club head?

Either, Matt needs to feel the hands going more in on the backswing.