My Golf Swing

DGS49

Diamond Member
Apr 12, 2012
15,653
12,993
2,415
Pittsburgh
I took up golf at the age of 50, when my son's abandonment of HS sports left me with a lot of time to fill in the Summer months. As a lifelong athlete I assumed that my hand-eye coordination and good fitness would get me to a fairly good level, but I have been totally frustrated. I "quickly" got my game to the level of "bogey golf" and it's been stuck there for 20 years. "Bogey golf" basically means that I hit one bad shot on every hole, on average. I have the occasional par and the occasional double-bogey, but at the end of the round I'm about 18 over par.

I have tried every strategic "thing" available. I've practiced, bought gadgets, taken lessons, filmed myself, read books and articles, gone off on various tangents like "Natural Golf," "Square-to-Square," and others. But to no avail. My biggest failing has been long iron play. When I need to hit a 150 yard shot onto the green, I always end up just off the green, where only an outstanding chip shot will salvage a par.

But I think I may be on to something. I signed up for a couple of lessons with a local pro, and he measured my swing with an electronic gadget that measures:
  • Swing speed,
  • The angle at which my swing strikes the ball, and
  • The direction of my club face.
I finally know what my problem as been. When I execute what I believe is a "perfect" swing, the trajectory of my swing is 6-8 degrees to the right of my target. So when everything else is lined up and I strike the ball well it goes right. I have spent the past 20 years trying to figure out how to correct for that persistent problem. I change my swing plane, move the ball forward or back in my stance...whatever I can think of. I occasionally hit one straight, but it's just a fluke.

But this pro says that there is nothing wrong with my "natural" swing. Run with it. The good thing is that I execute it very consistently, from shot to shot. But I can compensate for the misdirection by aligning the club-face to the left. In fact, if I stand over the ball at address, with the club behind the ball, the face is a couple degrees LEFT of the desired line.

The result is a shot that starts off headed right, then curves back to the desired line (a slight draw). In the world of golf, this is a "pretty" shot, when I execute it properly. Not all the time, obviously.

But it is a breakthrough. Now, for the first time ever, when I hit a bad shot I know what went wrong. And I can actually practice a stroke that works. In the past when I practiced there was no progress from the first couple balls to the last, because I didn't know what I was trying to do. Nice.
 
I took up golf at the age of 50, when my son's abandonment of HS sports left me with a lot of time to fill in the Summer months. As a lifelong athlete I assumed that my hand-eye coordination and good fitness would get me to a fairly good level, but I have been totally frustrated. I "quickly" got my game to the level of "bogey golf" and it's been stuck there for 20 years. "Bogey golf" basically means that I hit one bad shot on every hole, on average. I have the occasional par and the occasional double-bogey, but at the end of the round I'm about 18 over par.

I have tried every strategic "thing" available. I've practiced, bought gadgets, taken lessons, filmed myself, read books and articles, gone off on various tangents like "Natural Golf," "Square-to-Square," and others. But to no avail. My biggest failing has been long iron play. When I need to hit a 150 yard shot onto the green, I always end up just off the green, where only an outstanding chip shot will salvage a par.

But I think I may be on to something. I signed up for a couple of lessons with a local pro, and he measured my swing with an electronic gadget that measures:
  • Swing speed,
  • The angle at which my swing strikes the ball, and
  • The direction of my club face.
I finally know what my problem as been. When I execute what I believe is a "perfect" swing, the trajectory of my swing is 6-8 degrees to the right of my target. So when everything else is lined up and I strike the ball well it goes right. I have spent the past 20 years trying to figure out how to correct for that persistent problem. I change my swing plane, move the ball forward or back in my stance...whatever I can think of. I occasionally hit one straight, but it's just a fluke.

But this pro says that there is nothing wrong with my "natural" swing. Run with it. The good thing is that I execute it very consistently, from shot to shot. But I can compensate for the misdirection by aligning the club-face to the left. In fact, if I stand over the ball at address, with the club behind the ball, the face is a couple degrees LEFT of the desired line.

The result is a shot that starts off headed right, then curves back to the desired line (a slight draw). In the world of golf, this is a "pretty" shot, when I execute it properly. Not all the time, obviously.

But it is a breakthrough. Now, for the first time ever, when I hit a bad shot I know what went wrong. And I can actually practice a stroke that works. In the past when I practiced there was no progress from the first couple balls to the last, because I didn't know what I was trying to do. Nice.

Yeah...I took up golf in my mid thirties and thought this is a game for old men how hard can it be?
What an eye opener!!!
 
Check your right hand grip (fingers only). I had a blister in the palm of my right hand, and the resulting change in grip greatly improved accuracy.
 
I took up golf at the age of 50, when my son's abandonment of HS sports left me with a lot of time to fill in the Summer months. As a lifelong athlete I assumed that my hand-eye coordination and good fitness would get me to a fairly good level, but I have been totally frustrated. I "quickly" got my game to the level of "bogey golf" and it's been stuck there for 20 years. "Bogey golf" basically means that I hit one bad shot on every hole, on average. I have the occasional par and the occasional double-bogey, but at the end of the round I'm about 18 over par.

I have tried every strategic "thing" available. I've practiced, bought gadgets, taken lessons, filmed myself, read books and articles, gone off on various tangents like "Natural Golf," "Square-to-Square," and others. But to no avail. My biggest failing has been long iron play. When I need to hit a 150 yard shot onto the green, I always end up just off the green, where only an outstanding chip shot will salvage a par.

But I think I may be on to something. I signed up for a couple of lessons with a local pro, and he measured my swing with an electronic gadget that measures:
  • Swing speed,
  • The angle at which my swing strikes the ball, and
  • The direction of my club face.
I finally know what my problem as been. When I execute what I believe is a "perfect" swing, the trajectory of my swing is 6-8 degrees to the right of my target. So when everything else is lined up and I strike the ball well it goes right. I have spent the past 20 years trying to figure out how to correct for that persistent problem. I change my swing plane, move the ball forward or back in my stance...whatever I can think of. I occasionally hit one straight, but it's just a fluke.

But this pro says that there is nothing wrong with my "natural" swing. Run with it. The good thing is that I execute it very consistently, from shot to shot. But I can compensate for the misdirection by aligning the club-face to the left. In fact, if I stand over the ball at address, with the club behind the ball, the face is a couple degrees LEFT of the desired line.

The result is a shot that starts off headed right, then curves back to the desired line (a slight draw). In the world of golf, this is a "pretty" shot, when I execute it properly. Not all the time, obviously.

But it is a breakthrough. Now, for the first time ever, when I hit a bad shot I know what went wrong. And I can actually practice a stroke that works. In the past when I practiced there was no progress from the first couple balls to the last, because I didn't know what I was trying to do. Nice.
I'm 71 years old and have a 10 handicap. I don't know what will help
I keep my swing simple. Just pretend my club is a door and open the door, raise the club by folding the right arm and then closing the door on the ball.
I'm a pretty good ball striker. I never focus on the ball. I look at a blade of grass just behind the ball and pretend the club is a hoe and I take the blade of grass out with the leading edge of the club
 
I took up golf at the age of 50, when my son's abandonment of HS sports left me with a lot of time to fill in the Summer months. As a lifelong athlete I assumed that my hand-eye coordination and good fitness would get me to a fairly good level, but I have been totally frustrated. I "quickly" got my game to the level of "bogey golf" and it's been stuck there for 20 years. "Bogey golf" basically means that I hit one bad shot on every hole, on average. I have the occasional par and the occasional double-bogey, but at the end of the round I'm about 18 over par.

I have tried every strategic "thing" available. I've practiced, bought gadgets, taken lessons, filmed myself, read books and articles, gone off on various tangents like "Natural Golf," "Square-to-Square," and others. But to no avail. My biggest failing has been long iron play. When I need to hit a 150 yard shot onto the green, I always end up just off the green, where only an outstanding chip shot will salvage a par.

But I think I may be on to something. I signed up for a couple of lessons with a local pro, and he measured my swing with an electronic gadget that measures:
  • Swing speed,
  • The angle at which my swing strikes the ball, and
  • The direction of my club face.
I finally know what my problem as been. When I execute what I believe is a "perfect" swing, the trajectory of my swing is 6-8 degrees to the right of my target. So when everything else is lined up and I strike the ball well it goes right. I have spent the past 20 years trying to figure out how to correct for that persistent problem. I change my swing plane, move the ball forward or back in my stance...whatever I can think of. I occasionally hit one straight, but it's just a fluke.

But this pro says that there is nothing wrong with my "natural" swing. Run with it. The good thing is that I execute it very consistently, from shot to shot. But I can compensate for the misdirection by aligning the club-face to the left. In fact, if I stand over the ball at address, with the club behind the ball, the face is a couple degrees LEFT of the desired line.

The result is a shot that starts off headed right, then curves back to the desired line (a slight draw). In the world of golf, this is a "pretty" shot, when I execute it properly. Not all the time, obviously.

But it is a breakthrough. Now, for the first time ever, when I hit a bad shot I know what went wrong. And I can actually practice a stroke that works. In the past when I practiced there was no progress from the first couple balls to the last, because I didn't know what I was trying to do. Nice.
I play golf, i end up walking 5 to 6 miles easy even when riding a cart provided by the course. If i can score bogey i am happy, if i get a par once in a while i am elated, but i will never be as good as when i was younger, but being able to play golf, not too many can...I tried to explain to my 80 year old dad, back 20 years ago, he was frustrated he couldnt break 100...I told him at least he is playing.....I miss my dad.
 
I took up golf at the age of 50, when my son's abandonment of HS sports left me with a lot of time to fill in the Summer months. As a lifelong athlete I assumed that my hand-eye coordination and good fitness would get me to a fairly good level, but I have been totally frustrated. I "quickly" got my game to the level of "bogey golf" and it's been stuck there for 20 years. "Bogey golf" basically means that I hit one bad shot on every hole, on average. I have the occasional par and the occasional double-bogey, but at the end of the round I'm about 18 over par.

I have tried every strategic "thing" available. I've practiced, bought gadgets, taken lessons, filmed myself, read books and articles, gone off on various tangents like "Natural Golf," "Square-to-Square," and others. But to no avail. My biggest failing has been long iron play. When I need to hit a 150 yard shot onto the green, I always end up just off the green, where only an outstanding chip shot will salvage a par.

But I think I may be on to something. I signed up for a couple of lessons with a local pro, and he measured my swing with an electronic gadget that measures:
  • Swing speed,
  • The angle at which my swing strikes the ball, and
  • The direction of my club face.
I finally know what my problem as been. When I execute what I believe is a "perfect" swing, the trajectory of my swing is 6-8 degrees to the right of my target. So when everything else is lined up and I strike the ball well it goes right. I have spent the past 20 years trying to figure out how to correct for that persistent problem. I change my swing plane, move the ball forward or back in my stance...whatever I can think of. I occasionally hit one straight, but it's just a fluke.

But this pro says that there is nothing wrong with my "natural" swing. Run with it. The good thing is that I execute it very consistently, from shot to shot. But I can compensate for the misdirection by aligning the club-face to the left. In fact, if I stand over the ball at address, with the club behind the ball, the face is a couple degrees LEFT of the desired line.

The result is a shot that starts off headed right, then curves back to the desired line (a slight draw). In the world of golf, this is a "pretty" shot, when I execute it properly. Not all the time, obviously.

But it is a breakthrough. Now, for the first time ever, when I hit a bad shot I know what went wrong. And I can actually practice a stroke that works. In the past when I practiced there was no progress from the first couple balls to the last, because I didn't know what I was trying to do. Nice.
I play golf, i end up walking 5 to 6 miles easy even when riding a cart provided by the course. If i can score bogey i am happy, if i get a par once in a while i am elated, but i will never be as good as when i was younger, but being able to play golf, not too many can...I tried to explain to my 80 year old dad, back 20 years ago, he was frustrated he couldnt break 100...I told him at least he is playing.....I miss my dad.
I'm the third generation golfer in the family my oldest son is the fourth. Some of my best memories are of me, my Dad and my Grandfather playing together. At one time all three of us shot in the 70s which was pretty awesome considering I was early 20s my Dad was over 50 and Grandpa was over 70.
 
I do NOT take a divot when I hit. A couple of pro's have opined that it really doesn't matter, and it makes no sense to change my swing to get that. Obviously, it is best to strike the ball immediately before the bottom of the swing, but that requires a level of precision that is simply not in the cards for me.

OTOH, when hitting out of high grass it is not possible to hit a good shot when sweeping the ball off the ground like I do.
 
The advantage of being a "sweeper" is in wet conditions. You will be able to pick the ball off the grass while a divot taker will be affected by a heavy wet divot. When I was young I was a sweeper but as I got older I got more upright and became a divot taker.
 
Try the single plane swing. It worked for me. It’s simple and easy. See Moe Norman.

dechambeau uses it.
 
I took up golf at the age of 50, when my son's abandonment of HS sports left me with a lot of time to fill in the Summer months. As a lifelong athlete I assumed that my hand-eye coordination and good fitness would get me to a fairly good level, but I have been totally frustrated. I "quickly" got my game to the level of "bogey golf" and it's been stuck there for 20 years. "Bogey golf" basically means that I hit one bad shot on every hole, on average. I have the occasional par and the occasional double-bogey, but at the end of the round I'm about 18 over par.

I have tried every strategic "thing" available. I've practiced, bought gadgets, taken lessons, filmed myself, read books and articles, gone off on various tangents like "Natural Golf," "Square-to-Square," and others. But to no avail. My biggest failing has been long iron play. When I need to hit a 150 yard shot onto the green, I always end up just off the green, where only an outstanding chip shot will salvage a par.

But I think I may be on to something. I signed up for a couple of lessons with a local pro, and he measured my swing with an electronic gadget that measures:
  • Swing speed,
  • The angle at which my swing strikes the ball, and
  • The direction of my club face.
I finally know what my problem as been. When I execute what I believe is a "perfect" swing, the trajectory of my swing is 6-8 degrees to the right of my target. So when everything else is lined up and I strike the ball well it goes right. I have spent the past 20 years trying to figure out how to correct for that persistent problem. I change my swing plane, move the ball forward or back in my stance...whatever I can think of. I occasionally hit one straight, but it's just a fluke.

But this pro says that there is nothing wrong with my "natural" swing. Run with it. The good thing is that I execute it very consistently, from shot to shot. But I can compensate for the misdirection by aligning the club-face to the left. In fact, if I stand over the ball at address, with the club behind the ball, the face is a couple degrees LEFT of the desired line.

The result is a shot that starts off headed right, then curves back to the desired line (a slight draw). In the world of golf, this is a "pretty" shot, when I execute it properly. Not all the time, obviously.

But it is a breakthrough. Now, for the first time ever, when I hit a bad shot I know what went wrong. And I can actually practice a stroke that works. In the past when I practiced there was no progress from the first couple balls to the last, because I didn't know what I was trying to do. Nice.
Do you know why you need a slightly closed club face? It's a concept that many who play golf never grasp. Quite simply you don't come back to the ball in the same position that you are in at address in a correct golf swing. When you come back to the ball your hands are leading the club head...the shaft should be loaded...and whipped through the shot. If you start with a club face that's square to the target at address...when you come back to the ball with the club head trailing your hands it will automatically be open...not square. If you've made a great swing addressing the ball with a square club face the ball should go straight but be pushed to the right. The longer the iron the more you will miss your target to the right.
 
The advantage of being a "sweeper" is in wet conditions. You will be able to pick the ball off the grass while a divot taker will be affected by a heavy wet divot. When I was young I was a sweeper but as I got older I got more upright and became a divot taker.
The disadvantage of a "sweeper" swing is that it's hard to play balls out of the rough. A steep swing gets less grass between the club face and the ball.
 
The advantage of being a "sweeper" is in wet conditions. You will be able to pick the ball off the grass while a divot taker will be affected by a heavy wet divot. When I was young I was a sweeper but as I got older I got more upright and became a divot taker.
The disadvantage of a "sweeper" swing is that it's hard to play balls out of the rough. A steep swing gets less grass between the club face and the ball.
Yes, I am much better out of the rough now even though I am older and not as strong as I was.
 
The advantage of being a "sweeper" is in wet conditions. You will be able to pick the ball off the grass while a divot taker will be affected by a heavy wet divot. When I was young I was a sweeper but as I got older I got more upright and became a divot taker.
The disadvantage of a "sweeper" swing is that it's hard to play balls out of the rough. A steep swing gets less grass between the club face and the ball.
Yes, I am much better out of the rough now even though I am older and not as strong as I was.
Ricky Fowler is a "sweeper". The weakest part of his game is hitting iron shots out of rough. He'll always struggle with that because he'll always have more grass between the club face and his ball. Great iron player off the fairway. Not a great iron player from the thick stuff.
 
The advantage of being a "sweeper" is in wet conditions. You will be able to pick the ball off the grass while a divot taker will be affected by a heavy wet divot. When I was young I was a sweeper but as I got older I got more upright and became a divot taker.
The disadvantage of a "sweeper" swing is that it's hard to play balls out of the rough. A steep swing gets less grass between the club face and the ball.
Yes, I am much better out of the rough now even though I am older and not as strong as I was.
Ricky Fowler is a "sweeper". The weakest part of his game is hitting iron shots out of rough. He'll always struggle with that because he'll always have more grass between the club face and his ball. Great iron player off the fairway. Not a great iron player from the thick stuff.
So is Dustin Johnson. That was a big advantage for him this year in the Masters with the rain soaked fairways. Fowler is a great player but I don't know if he is mentally tough enough to get a Major.
 
The advantage of being a "sweeper" is in wet conditions. You will be able to pick the ball off the grass while a divot taker will be affected by a heavy wet divot. When I was young I was a sweeper but as I got older I got more upright and became a divot taker.
The disadvantage of a "sweeper" swing is that it's hard to play balls out of the rough. A steep swing gets less grass between the club face and the ball.
Yes, I am much better out of the rough now even though I am older and not as strong as I was.
Ricky Fowler is a "sweeper". The weakest part of his game is hitting iron shots out of rough. He'll always struggle with that because he'll always have more grass between the club face and his ball. Great iron player off the fairway. Not a great iron player from the thick stuff.
So is Dustin Johnson. That was a big advantage for him this year in the Masters with the rain soaked fairways. Fowler is a great player but I don't know if he is mentally tough enough to get a Major.

DJ's big advantage is he's flexible as a damn pretzel. You generate power in a golf swing in the difference between your hips opening and your shoulders staying closed through impact. DJ does that better than anyone else on tour.
 
The advantage of being a "sweeper" is in wet conditions. You will be able to pick the ball off the grass while a divot taker will be affected by a heavy wet divot. When I was young I was a sweeper but as I got older I got more upright and became a divot taker.
The disadvantage of a "sweeper" swing is that it's hard to play balls out of the rough. A steep swing gets less grass between the club face and the ball.
Yes, I am much better out of the rough now even though I am older and not as strong as I was.
Ricky Fowler is a "sweeper". The weakest part of his game is hitting iron shots out of rough. He'll always struggle with that because he'll always have more grass between the club face and his ball. Great iron player off the fairway. Not a great iron player from the thick stuff.
So is Dustin Johnson. That was a big advantage for him this year in the Masters with the rain soaked fairways. Fowler is a great player but I don't know if he is mentally tough enough to get a Major.

The advantage of being a "sweeper" is in wet conditions. You will be able to pick the ball off the grass while a divot taker will be affected by a heavy wet divot. When I was young I was a sweeper but as I got older I got more upright and became a divot taker.
The disadvantage of a "sweeper" swing is that it's hard to play balls out of the rough. A steep swing gets less grass between the club face and the ball.
Yes, I am much better out of the rough now even though I am older and not as strong as I was.
Ricky Fowler is a "sweeper". The weakest part of his game is hitting iron shots out of rough. He'll always struggle with that because he'll always have more grass between the club face and his ball. Great iron player off the fairway. Not a great iron player from the thick stuff.
So is Dustin Johnson. That was a big advantage for him this year in the Masters with the rain soaked fairways. Fowler is a great player but I don't know if he is mentally tough enough to get a Major.

DJ's big advantage is he's flexible as a damn pretzel. You generate power in a golf swing in the difference between your hips opening and your shoulders staying closed through impact. DJ does that better than anyone else on tour.
He is a physical freak that is for sure. On top of all that he figured out how to putt. Dude is scary these days.
 
Sounds like you're onto something. I'm curious, with a good shot, do you usually take a divot with your irons or do you "pick it" off the turf?
You should always leave a divot on a full swing. It should also be mainly taken in front of the ball. If not move ball back in stance. A proper ball strike is ball first divot under and in front of ball.
I took up golf at the age of 50, when my son's abandonment of HS sports left me with a lot of time to fill in the Summer months. As a lifelong athlete I assumed that my hand-eye coordination and good fitness would get me to a fairly good level, but I have been totally frustrated. I "quickly" got my game to the level of "bogey golf" and it's been stuck there for 20 years. "Bogey golf" basically means that I hit one bad shot on every hole, on average. I have the occasional par and the occasional double-bogey, but at the end of the round I'm about 18 over par.

I have tried every strategic "thing" available. I've practiced, bought gadgets, taken lessons, filmed myself, read books and articles, gone off on various tangents like "Natural Golf," "Square-to-Square," and others. But to no avail. My biggest failing has been long iron play. When I need to hit a 150 yard shot onto the green, I always end up just off the green, where only an outstanding chip shot will salvage a par.

But I think I may be on to something. I signed up for a couple of lessons with a local pro, and he measured my swing with an electronic gadget that measures:
  • Swing speed,
  • The angle at which my swing strikes the ball, and
  • The direction of my club face.
I finally know what my problem as been. When I execute what I believe is a "perfect" swing, the trajectory of my swing is 6-8 degrees to the right of my target. So when everything else is lined up and I strike the ball well it goes right. I have spent the past 20 years trying to figure out how to correct for that persistent problem. I change my swing plane, move the ball forward or back in my stance...whatever I can think of. I occasionally hit one straight, but it's just a fluke.

But this pro says that there is nothing wrong with my "natural" swing. Run with it. The good thing is that I execute it very consistently, from shot to shot. But I can compensate for the misdirection by aligning the club-face to the left. In fact, if I stand over the ball at address, with the club behind the ball, the face is a couple degrees LEFT of the desired line.

The result is a shot that starts off headed right, then curves back to the desired line (a slight draw). In the world of golf, this is a "pretty" shot, when I execute it properly. Not all the time, obviously.

But it is a breakthrough. Now, for the first time ever, when I hit a bad shot I know what went wrong. And I can actually practice a stroke that works. In the past when I practiced there was no progress from the first couple balls to the last, because I didn't know what I was trying to do. Nice.
Quickest way to reduce score bogie golfers is almost always on the green. As far as playing a fade and planning for it is the most common strategy on approach shots. I have gotten my handicap as low as a couple. I always plan for a draw or fade. I never aim right at it on an approach shot
 
My belief is that a good golf swing is almost always a matter of "muscle memory," born in our youth. If you learn the game after age 20 you will never get it (muscle memory).

The lack of muscle memory is what forces those who lack it to be thinking about their swing when striking the ball, rather than thinking about shaping the ball.

Just my opinion.
 
My belief is that a good golf swing is almost always a matter of "muscle memory," born in our youth. If you learn the game after age 20 you will never get it (muscle memory).

The lack of muscle memory is what forces those who lack it to be thinking about their swing when striking the ball, rather than thinking about shaping the ball.

Just my opinion.
I picked up golf at the age of 21. Right after a doctor told me my elbow surgery had not gone well and my baseball career was over.. it is muscle memory but you can attain this through most your life. I made it to a 2 handi cap with out a great deal of play. You have to be willing to blow up your game for a year to create the correct muscle memory if you have learned a bad swing. You can do it if you can put up with some bad scores. Remember that elbow injury that blew up baseball for me it reared it's ugly head again 2 years ago. I have not swung a club since. I will have to relearn that memory but I will. By late season next year I will be in the low 70s again and I am over 5o. If I can do it you can.
 

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