Golf Lessons? We talkin' bout practice?????!!!!!!

[CDu]

Many things contribute to a slice. Swinging too fast and getting ahead of the ball. Poor takeaway, i.e., picking the club up instead of tacking it back. I try to remember to get my weight a little toward my heels by wiggling my toes and focusing on sweeping the club back. It seems to help me. And yes slowing the heck down usually does wonders!

I used to have the problem that my backswing was faster than my swing. That was a recipe for bad results.

[weezie]

I see that Costco has the Kirkland golf balls back in stock...

[Reisen]

New poster to this thread but I have posted about golf on DBR before (probably over a decade ago).

I'd bet money that if left-hook really is hitting his drives as far as he claims, it's not a slice but a power-fade. Unless his measurements include the ball's side to side movements (ie. 150 yards forward, 100 yard to the side), a slice hit that hard is almost never playable, and almost never goes 250+ yards out from the tee. Sounds more like a power-fade to me.

Anyway, if we align on nomenclature, I don't think hitting a power fade if you're hitting that far is a massive issue, and you might want to learn to allow for it and just aim left. Not everyone has to strive for hitting board-straight shots with every club.

Can we also take a second to reflect on the fact that left-hook lacy is complaining about slicing?

Lastly, I agree with previous posters and bet the issue is coming over the top. You can compensate for this by aggressively closing the club face, but you risk hooding the driver.

I used to play a lot, but with small children, have not gotten out much lately. Strangely, I still play pretty well when I do, but most of my lost strokes come from my short game. I've also found as I got better (I shoot in the 80's) my short game has actually gotten worse, mainly because I hit so many more greens that I don't spend so much time flopping a wedge from a sidehill lie any more as when I was shooting in the high 90's.

[Indoor66]

Many things contribute to a slice. Swinging too fast and getting ahead of the ball. Poor takeaway, i.e., picking the club up instead of tacking it back. I try to remember to get my weight a little toward my heels by wiggling my toes and focusing on sweeping the club back. It seems to help me. And yes slowing the heck down usually does wonders!

No claim slowing down is a panacea but it is a great starting point and makes analysis of other possible issues easier. First thing I check is grip and setup/stance. Ya got to work from the beginning.

[Tripping William]

New poster to this thread but I have posted about golf on DBR before (probably over a decade ago).

I'd bet money that if left-hook really is hitting his drives as far as he claims, it's not a slice but a power-fade. Unless his measurements include the ball's side to side movements (ie. 150 yards forward, 100 yard to the side), a slice hit that hard is almost never playable, and almost never goes 250+ yards out from the tee. Sounds more like a power-fade to me.

Anyway, if we align on nomenclature, I don't think hitting a power fade if you're hitting that far is a massive issue, and you might want to learn to allow for it and just aim left. Not everyone has to strive for hitting board-straight shots with every club.

Can we also take a second to reflect on the fact that left-hook lacy is complaining about slicing?

Lastly, I agree with previous posters and bet the issue is coming over the top. You can compensate for this by aggressively closing the club face, but you risk hooding the driver.

I used to play a lot, but with small children, have not gotten out much lately. Strangely, I still play pretty well when I do, but most of my lost strokes come from my short game. I've also found as I got better (I shoot in the 80's) my short game has actually gotten worse, mainly because I hit so many more greens that I don't spend so much time flopping a wedge from a sidehill lie any more as when I was shooting in the high 90's.

Although I hesitate to give any swing advice (I have a 14-year-old who will attest that most of the time I don't know what I'm talking about), especially about a swing I have never seen, I nevertheless agree with all of this. I often suffer from similar maladies (with irons in particular), but without having the impressive tee-ball distance being described.

Hoping right_slice_lacey can work things out.

[nmduke2001]

I've had two lessons in my life (both this year), and both were really helpful. They sound very similar to yours. First lesson, the instructor filmed my swing, and pointed out that after making a good backswing, things went downhill (and not in a good way). I was all arms, and not getting nearly enough body turn. I suspect that's the most common mistake of the average golfer: not letting your core and the club do all the work for you.

I was amazed when working through things how much better the ball would jump off my club with a better swing and way less effort. Keeping a good radius throughout the swing, having my hands in the right place, and getting good core rotation all the way through my follow-through. I'm still not a good golfer, but I'm much less bad. Basically, I've gone from a 105-115 golfer to an 85-95 golfer off just those two lessons and subsequent practice. Getting the ball consistently in the air with the irons makes a huge difference in your score at the entry level.

Next step for me is, just as Zeke suggested, working on the short game. For me, I give away way too many shots within 20 yards of the pin. If I can tighten up that part of my game, I can hopefully get down into the high-70s/low-80s. But that is a matter of practice, practice, practice.

Golf is such a frustrating game (I refuse to call it a sport because I see out of shape guys that are drinking and smoking that kick my butt). I've shot 81 a bunch of times but have never shot in the 70's. Several times I've had high 60's with 2 holes to go and blow up the last holes. My brain gets in the way of my swing. This year, I've played much less than I have in the past. My game has suffered because of it. I've played fewer than 10 times this year and only broken 90 twice.

The ironic part is that I play less because my daughter (age 8) really picked it up. I spend my weekends with her on the range instead of on the course myself. My driver has improved but my short game and irons are awful (I guess I should probably practice those clubs instead of the driver haha). Next summer, I think she'll be able to play with me and not slow down play too much. By the way, she nearly hit a hole-in-one a few weeks back. It was a 100 yard (for the kids) par 3. She pulled out the three wood and the ball rolled right by the hole. Maybe an inch off line. It finished a few feet from the hole. I told her that if that had went in, I would have giving up the game. I have come so close to a hole in one so many times without getting one; if my 8 year old beat me to it I'm not sure I am mentally strong enough to continue.

[Tripping William]

Golf is such a frustrating game (I refuse to call it a sport because I see out of shape guys that are drinking and smoking that kick my butt). I've shot 81 a bunch of times but have never shot in the 70's. Several times I've had high 60's with 2 holes to go and blow up the last holes. My brain gets in the way of my swing. This year, I've played much less than I have in the past. My game has suffered because of it. I've played fewer than 10 times this year and only broken 90 twice.

The ironic part is that I play less because my daughter (age 8) really picked it up. I spend my weekends with her on the range instead of on the course myself. My driver has improved but my short game and irons are awful (I guess I should probably practice those clubs instead of the driver haha). Next summer, I think she'll be able to play with me and not slow down play too much. By the way, she nearly hit a hole-in-one a few weeks back. It was a 100 yard (for the kids) par 3. She pulled out the three wood and the ball rolled right by the hole. Maybe an inch off line. It finished a few feet from the hole. I told her that if that had went in, I would have giving up the game. I have come so close to a hole in one so many times without getting one; if my 8 year old beat me to it I'm not sure I am mentally strong enough to continue.

So, you've seen John Daly play?

I have been a bit further down this road, and it is humbling. But also wonderfully enjoyable to see a youngster love the game and thrive at playing it.

We have a really fun, and I think rather effective, short-game drill for the practice green. We call it "Chip 21." Each player chips a ball from off the green to a designated hole. The person closest to the hole always gets 1 point for being closest. Then:

• A hole-out is 3 points (making a total of 4, unless both players hole-out); or
  Making the ensuing "par" putt is 2 points; or
  Two-putting is 1 point; or
  Three putts or more is 0 points.

The first player to 21 points wins.

We do the same drill with putting ("Putt 21"), in order to practice longer, lag putts. It's great because it simulates real golf (playing a single ball, from different lies and distances, all the way into the hole), with some friendly competition-style pressure. It takes maybe 20 minutes or so each round, and can be played with more than two players (if someone is diligent about keeping track of the score). It has helped my short game immensely, although I rarely win (back to the "humbling" part).

Fun stuff!

[left_hook_lacey]

New poster to this thread but I have posted about golf on DBR before (probably over a decade ago).

I'd bet money that if left-hook really is hitting his drives as far as he claims, it's not a slice but a power-fade. Unless his measurements include the ball's side to side movements (ie. 150 yards forward, 100 yard to the side), a slice hit that hard is almost never playable, and almost never goes 250+ yards out from the tee. Sounds more like a power-fade to me.

Anyway, if we align on nomenclature, I don't think hitting a power fade if you're hitting that far is a massive issue, and you might want to learn to allow for it and just aim left. Not everyone has to strive for hitting board-straight shots with every club.

Can we also take a second to reflect on the fact that left-hook lacy is complaining about slicing?

Lastly, I agree with previous posters and bet the issue is coming over the top. You can compensate for this by aggressively closing the club face, but you risk hooding the driver.

I used to play a lot, but with small children, have not gotten out much lately. Strangely, I still play pretty well when I do, but most of my lost strokes come from my short game. I've also found as I got better (I shoot in the 80's) my short game has actually gotten worse, mainly because I hit so many more greens that I don't spend so much time flopping a wedge from a sidehill lie any more as when I was shooting in the high 90's.

Luckily, we were playing on a very open course. Most of my really bad slices ended up on another fairway, as I mentioned in my OP. The hole I mentioned I almost drove the green on, 310 yard hole, could probably be considered a power fade type shot. That's basically what the shot looks like when I hit it less terrible than the ones that end up in another fairway if I don't aim way left. But they were few and far between. I hit two miracle 3 wood shots from another fairway, through trees, that sliced around and put me back in great shape. I was well behind the 200 yard marker on the cart path. I also mentioned having to hit a lot of punch outs to get back in play. Luckily, I also played those about as good as I could have, which included some luck.

I think you're right. When I hit it less-slicey, it could be considered a power fade I suppose. But there were plenty that went about 250, that started left and had me barely in play on the right by the time it stopped. Definitely a slice. I guess that's the problem and why I don't feel comfortable with it. If it was a 300 yard power fade every time, I would have no problem learning where to aim left and letting it find it's home in the middle of the fairway. But I can't control it. I would be aiming left and hoping for the best, rather than being in control of where it stopped. Another reason I feel like it's a terrible slice and not an intentional power fade, is that I can't hook it left to save the farm, and I have tried all sorts of gimmicks during the round.

So, maybe change my user name to Right-Slice Lacey? Or Left-Hook Oneday?

PS. I have video of several of my swings that day. I told my buddy at the beginning of the round to secretly record me during a couple of swings so I could look at it later, or send it to someone that knows what they're doing. He got a couple of me hitting 3 wood 200-220+ if anyone is interested. He texted them to me, and they came through grainy because the phone downgraded the quality. But I could get him to email them to me or something.

[rsvman]

That is exactly what I do, almost intentionally I would say. My swing feels more like around the waist than anything. I think I slowly developed that habit over the years thinking it was helping me come more from the inside. I also don't know what to do with my hands around impact. I hear/read so many different things. Rotate your right wrist(for RH) through impact so it's facing up towards the sky when waist high the follow through, don't rotate your wrist at all, that's called flipping or casting, if you're swing is correct, there is no need to do anything with your wrists...etc. etc.

Counterintuitively, taking the club back INSIDE like you do actually commonly leads to the over-the-top move and cutting across the ball.

Pull up a YouTube video of Justin Thomas hitting an iron shot and watch the move he practices right before he hits each and every shot. Practice that move yourself. Just take a club back until your arms are parallel to the ground and make sure the clubhead is outside your hands.

This one simple change could make a big difference.

[CDu]

Golf is such a frustrating game (I refuse to call it a sport because I see out of shape guys that are drinking and smoking that kick my butt). I've shot 81 a bunch of times but have never shot in the 70's. Several times I've had high 60's with 2 holes to go and blow up the last holes. My brain gets in the way of my swing. This year, I've played much less than I have in the past. My game has suffered because of it. I've played fewer than 10 times this year and only broken 90 twice.

The ironic part is that I play less because my daughter (age 8) really picked it up. I spend my weekends with her on the range instead of on the course myself. My driver has improved but my short game and irons are awful (I guess I should probably practice those clubs instead of the driver haha). Next summer, I think she'll be able to play with me and not slow down play too much. By the way, she nearly hit a hole-in-one a few weeks back. It was a 100 yard (for the kids) par 3. She pulled out the three wood and the ball rolled right by the hole. Maybe an inch off line. It finished a few feet from the hole. I told her that if that had went in, I would have giving up the game. I have come so close to a hole in one so many times without getting one; if my 8 year old beat me to it I'm not sure I am mentally strong enough to continue.

Holing it on a par 3 is my new athletic goal, alongside bowling a 300 and dunking (though as I close on 40 that last dream may be dying very soon). I've within 18 inches countless times, but haven't quite gotten it. Recently, I came about 10 inches from flying one in with my 7-iron from 155. It was almost exactly on line with the pin, but missed the flag by an inch or so and skidded to a few feet from the hole. I'm hopeful it will happen eventually.

Playing frequently enough is definitely my challenge. I've played par-3 courses a handful of times this year, but only twice have I been able to play a full course. I shot a 93 my first time out this year and 88 the other time. Having an almost 4-year-old and trying to finish school is really crimping my style.

[left_hook_lacey]

Counterintuitively, taking the club back INSIDE like you do actually commonly leads to the over-the-top move and cutting across the ball.

Pull up a YouTube video of Justin Thomas hitting an iron shot and watch the move he practices right before he hits each and every shot. Practice that move yourself. Just take a club back until your arms are parallel to the ground and make sure the clubhead is outside your hands.

This one simple change could make a big difference.

Excited to try. Thanks.

[left_hook_lacey]

Holing it on a par 3 is my new athletic goal, alongside bowling a 300 and dunking (though as I close on 40 that last dream may be dying very soon). I've within 18 inches countless times, but haven't quite gotten it. Recently, I came about 10 inches from flying one in with my 7-iron from 155. It was almost exactly on line with the pin, but missed the flag by an inch or so and skidded to a few feet from the hole. I'm hopeful it will happen eventually.

Playing frequently enough is definitely my challenge. I've played par-3 courses a handful of times this year, but only twice have I been able to play a full course. I shot a 93 my first time out this year and 88 the other time. Having an almost 4-year-old and trying to finish school is really crimping my style.

18 inches from dunking or from the hole in one?

I was able to dunk in 9th grade at 5'7"-5'8" and once I hit my growth spurt, I could get up high enough to throw one down from time to time in a game. I would trade all of that to be able to hit a golf ball and bend it either way on command. Maybe that's easy to say now because I know dunking is in the rear view mirror, while golf I can play for a long long time hopefully.

[CDu]

18 inches from dunking or from the hole in one?

I was able to dunk in 9th grade at 5'7"-5'8" and once I hit my growth spurt, I could get up high enough to throw one down from time to time in a game. I would trade all of that to be able to hit a golf ball and bend it either way on command. Maybe that's easy to say now because I know dunking is in the rear view mirror, while golf I can play for a long long time hopefully.

Dunking I've come within an inch or two many many times. I could dunk a volleyball or two tennis balls (one with each hand), but couldn't quite palm a bball. So I had to get up a little higher to dunk a bball, and never quite got there. And running out of years left for that to be an option.

[cato]

Luckily, we were playing on a very open course. Most of my really bad slices ended up on another fairway, as I mentioned in my OP. The hole I mentioned I almost drove the green on, 310 yard hole, could probably be considered a power fade type shot. That's basically what the shot looks like when I hit it less terrible than the ones that end up in another fairway if I don't aim way left. But they were few and far between. I hit two miracle 3 wood shots from another fairway, through trees, that sliced around and put me back in great shape. I was well behind the 200 yard marker on the cart path. I also mentioned having to hit a lot of punch outs to get back in play. Luckily, I also played those about as good as I could have, which included some luck.

I think you're right. When I hit it less-slicey, it could be considered a power fade I suppose. But there were plenty that went about 250, that started left and had me barely in play on the right by the time it stopped. Definitely a slice. I guess that's the problem and why I don't feel comfortable with it. If it was a 300 yard power fade every time, I would have no problem learning where to aim left and letting it find it's home in the middle of the fairway. But I can't control it. I would be aiming left and hoping for the best, rather than being in control of where it stopped. Another reason I feel like it's a terrible slice and not an intentional power fade, is that I can't hook it left to save the farm, and I have tried all sorts of gimmicks during the round.

So, maybe change my user name to Right-Slice Lacey? Or Left-Hook Oneday?

PS. I have video of several of my swings that day. I told my buddy at the beginning of the round to secretly record me during a couple of swings so I could look at it later, or send it to someone that knows what they're doing. He got a couple of me hitting 3 wood 200-220+ if anyone is interested. He texted them to me, and they came through grainy because the phone downgraded the quality. But I could get him to email them to me or something.

I played a fair amount before college and was decent, not great. Shot in the 80s in high school.

I got bigger and stronger in college, played less, and developed the slice you are talking about. It alway lies in wait for me. There is no easy fix. But the thing that helps me most is tempo, backswing and being aware of how far I take the club back. If I take it back too far, I will almost never get the club face square at the point of contact.

[Indoor66]

I played a fair amount before college and was decent, not great. Shot in the 80s in high school.

I got bigger and stronger in college, played less, and developed the slice you are talking about. It alway lies in wait for me. There is no easy fix. But the thing that helps me most is tempo, backswing and being aware of how far I take the club back. If I take it back too far, I will almost never get the club face square at the point of contact.

Your 2nd paragraph problem is addressed by my counting to four drill to maintain tempo. 1 = takeaway, 2 = downswing, 3 = ball contact, 4 = follow through.

[left_hook_lacey]

Dunking I've come within an inch or two many many times. I could dunk a volleyball or two tennis balls (one with each hand), but couldn't quite palm a bball. So I had to get up a little higher to dunk a bball, and never quite got there. And running out of years left for that to be an option.

This is what helped me. I practiced palming the ball all the time growing up. I would drink a coke or milk, and then lick my fingers to make them more tacky, and eventually I could palm it without the aids of poor boy stick'um.

We used to always practice dunking by throwing it up and letting it bounce once and trying to catch it on the way down. It looked harder, but was actually easier because you didn't have to carry the ball with you or worry about palming it.

[rsvman]

I could reverse dunk in high school.

I got a hole-in-one when I was 17 years old. Interestingly, the ball landed in the cup on the fly (technically, it landed about 1/2 inch short of the cup and right on line, plowed through the grass above the cup and didn't hit the flagstick until it was already below the level of the green, which is how it stayed in). Pretty amazing.

Since then I've had multiple shots on par 3s that hit the flagstick, either on the fly or on one bounce, but none went down. I've also had tee shots that stopped 4 inches from the cup, and several more that were within about 12 inches. But no more holes-in-one.

I don't think hitting a HIO is a very good goal. Better to make a goal to get an eagle on a par 5, or something like that. HIOs are so arbitrary.

[CDu]

I don't think hitting a HIO is a very good goal. Better to make a goal to get an eagle on a par 5, or something like that. HIOs are so arbitrary.

Of course it is arbitrary. Doesn't make it any less meaningful of a personal goal. It's more of a "bucket list" type of goal than a measure of progress. I'm not looking to make the tour or anything; just want to be able to say I did it.

[rasputin]

Of course it is arbitrary. Doesn't make it any less meaningful of a personal goal. It's more of a "bucket list" type of goal than a measure of progress. I'm not looking to make the tour or anything; just want to be able to say I did it.

I have been very close on three occasions, but never got one. When I was about 8 or 9, I wound up just an inch short on a ground ball that must have bounced 30 times. Twice in more recent years I have had a ball mark a few inches short, and the ball wound up an inch or two behind the hole, so it must have lipped out.

My mom had 3 holes in one, all within a few years' time, when she was in her 50's. My dad never got one, and was jealous.

[nmduke2001]

Of course it is arbitrary. Doesn't make it any less meaningful of a personal goal. It's more of a "bucket list" type of goal than a measure of progress. I'm not looking to make the tour or anything; just want to be able to say I did it.

CDu, you've seen that picture I took of the worst birdie in history. The a ball landed a few inches from the hole, bounced, hit the pin right at the hole and then bounced out a few inches away. I've had maybe 10 that were seriously close to going in. On one occasion, I came pretty close but I was playing twilight by myself. Not a soul in sight. That would have been a bummer to make one then.

I have a buddy that made one in a charity event and won an Audi. He can't break 100. He told me he literally closed his eyes on the downswing...

In high school I could dunk a volleyball and we had a rim in the axillary gym that was real lose and maybe an inch shy of 10 feet. I could get a basketball down on that off the bounce. I tried to touch the rim a few months back at the park near my house. I nicked the little thing that holds the net in place (what is that called?). Later that day, my knees hurt and my back hurt. Guess I'm done with that.

I hope to hit a hole in one, break 80 and maybe play in every state before I'm done. I have 8 states down (CDu, I'm counting the par 3 we played in Myrtle).