Contact is good.

Some of both, though much more often curving offline.

Both. I just happened to fit standard length and lie.

Not really. I mean I'm decent for a recreational hacker if that is relevant at all... I shoot in the 70s thanks to an excellent short game. I just can't ever hit the damn green. I'm 5'9" average build.

Thank you.

Thanks for the answers - that's helpful. I've got some ideas for you, but I'm heading out the door for the first lesson of the day. I'll post some thoughts this evening. If you think of any of info, feel free to post. Also, if you have a video of your swing, I'd love to see it.

I'll get back w/you over lunch or this evening.

How much can you bench press?

Sick shout out for me there. You're gonna enjoy this forum Rob, and I'm sure the forum will love firing as many questions as they can at you.

Hi.

I'm a self taught fair weather golfer, so feel free to curse and skip my question

Although i don't have a handicap i generally play off around ~12-14 at the start of summer, which comes down to around 8-10 towards the end of summer after getting a few rounds in.

Anyway, when i start to play bad, which can seemingly happen on the spot. My problem is hooking the ball, with just about every iron in my bag, the trajectory really dips. My natural shot is a slight draw. I'd guess the problem is something to do with my hands, but that's purely a guess. I use an interlocking grip and in the past have been told to make it stronger.

Thanks for any help from this vague description!

As promised, here are some thoughts. My belief is that if something is wrong in your golf game it comes from 1 of 3 areas: Mechanical, Mental, or Equipment. All issues fall under one of those categories, and unfortunately sometimes players suffer in more that one! In your case, contact is solid and the ball is off-line, but only with the irons, my first thought would be that your irons are not properly fit. You mentioned that you were fit for them, but what leads me down this path is, if there was a major swing flaw, it would be more pronounced with the driver (longer shaft/less loft = more sidespin). Since the driver is not a problem I would start with the irons & make sure the shaft and lie angle are correct for you.

Assuming the clubs are proper, let's look at what could cause the problem from a mechanical stand point. Since contact is good you've got the hard part down! What you need is to do is get a greater control of the clubface. Assuming you have a fundamentally solid grip, your right hand (assuming you're a right handed player) will effectively act as the clubface - if your right palm is pointing towards the target at impact, the clubface will be also. Start by gripping the club then sliding the club your hands until the face is in your right palm (left hand can be 1/2 way down the shaft) make a small backswing and come down to impact (you won't obviously hit a ball because the clubface will be a few feet off the ground - I just didn't want you to think you had to bend down to the ball). When you get to the impact position, look at where the face is pointing - that is where the ball is going to start. Make several rehearsals to get the sensation that the right hand and face are pointing down the target line. You can move through impact as well to feel the release of the club. Once you start to get a good feeling, hit some short shots with a wedge attempting to recreate the feeling.

A great way to get "in touch" with the clubface (this is one I use with almost every PGA Tour player) - place 2 shafts or reflective sticks about 5-10 feet in front of the ball, parallel to the target line about a grip length apart (one will be left of the target line, the other right). Start with a short iron, and try to hit 3/4 length shots that "thread the needle" and go between the shafts. Once you can do 10 in a row, move up to full swings - then move up to longer clubs. If it seems too easy, move the shafts closer together - I see tour players hitting between shafts that are about 4 inches apart! You might have to use a tee if you run out of grass (you don't want to move off the original target line). I think this drill will do you a world of good, and it will allow you to practice with a purpose and you will have instant feedback on whether you have executed the proper motion.

Start by checking your divots (should be size & shape of a dollar bill) - if they are not the width of the clubface, or are shaped like a crescent moon (rounded/curving), there's a good chance your clubs are not fit properly or need adjusting. Either way the drill above will tighten up your ball striking tremendously!

Keep me posted & feel free to send me or post a video of your swing! Good luck!

[QUOTE=Badminton;25022850]Hi.

I'm a self taught fair weather golfer, so feel free to curse and skip my question /QUOTE]

No way! I want you to enjoy the game and play better golf!

If you're hooking it DO NOT make it stronger (clockwise). What you need to do is keep the face square to slightly open through impact. Most players who hook the ball throw the face at the ball in an attempt to square it up. There are 2 things I'd like you to try. First, make sure you're rotating your body through impact - if your body slows down, the centrifugal force will close the face prematurely. Feel like your hips and torso turn through the shot so they are facing left of the target in your follow through. You should feel like the handle of the club is dragging the clubface through impact.

Second, I'd like you to take a short iron (8,9, wedge) and make swings from waist high back to waist high through - you want the toe of the club to point straight up when you get to waist high, and the shaft should be parallel to the target line. When I give this drill to students they almost always finish too high and the face is pointed to 10:00 and the shaft is pointing left of the target. This shows that you have flipped the club and the face will most likely be closed. Keep making slow, short swings until you can get the toe at 12:00 and you begin getting solid contact. Once you can do that repeatedly, move to full swings, then longer clubs. When you are warming up before a round, start your warm up by doing this drill to "remind" your body how you want to release the club.

Give those a try & let me know if you have any problems. If you have a video of your swing, and/or a picture of your grip, please post them & I'll take a look.

Good luck -keep me posted on your progress!

Oh yeah! I'm enjoying "meeting" everyone! Thanks for the recommendation! I'm looking forward to our progress with the GCOG stuff! I'll touch base when I get back from AZ.

Good question. I tried lifting weights once, but they were too heavy.

I can shred a on guitar though - does that count for anything?

Alright thanks again sir... I'll try that out and try to work something out to get on tape, thanks. I'll also try to get off the putting green and on to the range. That probably isn't helping either.

Hi Rob,

Here are some photos I posted in a thread I started have a look and these where before I had Calloway reshaft 1" longer irons.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/93...essons-908244/

Thanks a lot for the reply, that makes perfect sense and I'm almost certain that the toe of the club would be closer to 10 than 12 in my follow thru.

As for a pre round warm up- I just try to get to the tee on time

I'll get back on the range soon.

While I'm here I have one more question to ask.

Every year one of my friends says "I'm talking up golf this year" . Of course they try slogging at the ball like its baseball and have no hope. As I'm self taught I find myself to be a terrible instructor but I do suggest;

Interlocking grip
Try and keep left arm straight
No more than 3/4 swing.

Assuming you're teaching a rank amateur who is likely competant at playing cricket, (not sure if that will make any sense) are these tips ok/ anything you suggest?

Thanks again!

I've never played the old head. 200 quid for 18 holes, eh, no thank you My golfing tastes are not that expensive I must say, lol I think the must I ever paid for a single round of golf is 40 euros ( about 50 dollars )

I play out of Athlone, which is located in the middle of the country. A really great tough parkland course steeped in tradition ( look at me trying to sell it, lol! )
http://www.athlonegolfclub.ie/


Have you played many other courses in ireland ?

Welcome Rob,

You have been a phenomenal new addition to the forum - I can't believe the volume you have put in recently. Please dont burn out, as we need people like you for the long term...Thanks for everything, and looking forward to getting some videos in front of you (and the rest of the gurus)

Not sure if you have read many of my posts, but I played the Nationwide Tour (kind of) in 2009. I went back to work last year and didn't play at all aside from Friday's at the club, but played great all year. I decided to enter Q School on the deadline and didn't even think about needing new wedges (grooves) until the week before first stage. I ordered some wedges from Titleist but didn't like them so I got a few from Adams and they were better but still not good, my fault though, not the clubs. Luckily I breezed through first stage at -15 mainly due to good driving on the par 5s but my wedge play was horrendous. A few weeks later at second stage I played the par 5s awful and the wedge play remained bad....obvious fail.

I have only played a few times since November as I hate the winter, but starting out this year I want to really focus on wedge play as the rest of my game is pretty solid. I have used a 60 - 56 - 52 - PW set up for years and was considering going to 58-53 - PW this year to try something different.

Question is...with your work with Tour players what have you found to be the biggest change with the new grooves? My issue has been with the ball not gripping the face at all and basically feeling like it is bouncing off the clubface. I am sure that is a steep thing, but I am not really that steep I think. With the old grooves if I felt like back to back shots were hit the same they would be within 2 yards of each other. With the new grooves I can literally have 5-10 yards variance on back to back shots and that is obviously unacceptable.

Thanks, enjoyed all your posts so far....