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wavemaker
28th May 2004, 10:41 AM
i just got back from having my first golf lesson. and im feeling very relieved, there is hope for me. its great to know that i will be able to get around in less than 200 by the end of the year. i actually hit a couple of balls straight at the flag AND they travelled a hundred yards, OFF the ground. very encouraging! :D :D :D :D

Fishman Dan
28th May 2004, 10:49 AM
Nice one Wavey. I've had a single lesson, but i didn't translate the changes to the course. I had some subtle changes suggested that added up to a completely new swing.

It's all good and i need to keep working, but i think to get it right shot after shot in a comp round, i need to get a new routine to approach, stand over the ball, get the head, hands and feet set, then swing. When that process moves into right-brain then i'll be back on track.

I'm off to the R7 launch tonight, which is being held at the same place this golf instructor teaches from. I'm not keen to spend another $50 before i can consistently hitting them as instructed 2 weeks ago :oops:

wavemaker
28th May 2004, 11:03 AM
if i can hang on to it in my head till i can get a game in i should make a little progress. however there are no guarantees that this will happen.

mike
28th May 2004, 12:03 PM
Wavemaker, who gave the lesson ?

Jarro
28th May 2004, 12:10 PM
well done guys 8)

once you've got a decent set of clubs, lessons are the way to go :smt023

i plan on having one lesson every 3 weeks :smt004

wavemaker
28th May 2004, 12:46 PM
hey mike, how ya goin'. i went over to cairns club and luke was the lucky fella who had to try and sort me out. i keep walking out to my front yard and having a few swings to help groove it into my rapidly deteriorating brain and try for some muscle memory. wont have to worry about mowing the grass but i will need a pile of sand for the divots!

mike
28th May 2004, 01:05 PM
Make sure you have follow up lessons and with the same coach, too.

I never practice in the front yard, always the back. :lol:

Between lessons hit the driving range . The one at smithfield is good. Or buy a bag of old balls from golf world and a shagbag and go to Cairns GC.

Keep ya left arm straight. ( on the back swing )

McMw
28th May 2004, 01:16 PM
I might be off to the pro (empire) next week.

he's got a decent package going, 140bucks for 5 lessons inc video.
mate went down there last night, and spotted his mistakes etc, video, drills to do...
mate was impressed (I think), and I might join him...

I know what I want to get work on, so that migth make it easier...I guess... :lol:

wavemaker
28th May 2004, 03:04 PM
yeah mike,i will be getting lessons off luke till we move south. that left arm straight thingy is a bit of a prob but im workin on it, i think the bag and balls will be the go as the cairns club is so close [300mtrs]. my daughter is living right next to the uni at smithfield while she studies there and i go and see her once a week usually so i can get a hit in there as well. i am working up a long list of real good reasons for me to practice, i love the flexibility in this job. when are you coming down this way again?
McMw it cant hurt can it, seems like a pretty good deal, how long are those lessons?

McMw
28th May 2004, 03:55 PM
think it's half an hour lesson, but it was mentioned that the lesson should be earlier, coz underlights with the vid camera doesn't really come out all that flash...

Onewood
28th May 2004, 06:46 PM
i just got back from having my first golf lesson. and im feeling very relieved, there is hope for me. its great to know that i will be able to get around in less than 200 by the end of the year. i actually hit a couple of balls straight at the flag AND they travelled a hundred yards, OFF the ground. very encouraging! :D :D :D :D

I could see the golfer was ready to come out, when I was up there 8) :D well done buddy :D Should be ready to kick some southeners butt when you come down :P

Eag's
28th May 2004, 07:34 PM
wavemaker wrote:
i just got back from having my first golf lesson. and im feeling very relieved, there is hope for me. its great to know that i will be able to get around in less than 200 by the end of the year. i actually hit a couple of balls straight at the flag AND they travelled a hundred yards, OFF the ground. very encouraging

Keep at it wavemaker, regular lessons make a huge difference to your game :smt023

wavemaker
29th May 2004, 05:30 AM
thanks for the encouraging words kevin and eags.

Golfgirl
29th May 2004, 11:20 AM
i actually hit a couple of balls straight at the flag AND they travelled a hundred yards, OFF the ground. very encouraging! :D :D :D :D

yes... I prefer to hit them off the ground also.... :lol:

Good luck with the lessons... remember to keep up the work in between, and don't fall into the trap of expecting a lesson to turn everything good at once... it can take a while for swing changes to become effective, and for you to have confidence to take it onto the course.... but persistence will pay off! :D :wink:

Courty
30th May 2004, 08:14 PM
Great news, wavemaker.

How did you find Luke, I've heard he is very knowledgeable and a good teacher...

We'll have to organise another round sometime soon. :D

wavemaker
31st May 2004, 05:53 AM
yeah courty, luke was good. obviously i have no benchmark to compare him with but he was fine with me. just half an hour to get me going, i was impressed. going to gordonvale this am to see if i have managed to turn his advice into an improvement.

mike
6th June 2004, 09:22 AM
Going for my first lesson in a loooooong time this arv.

Last lesson I had , I put what I learnt into play on the first tee next day...and had an air swing. :oops:


I was off 24 at the time. Hope it doesn't happen again.

Golfgirl
6th June 2004, 09:27 AM
Last lesson I had , I put what I learnt into play on the first tee next day...and had an air swing. :oops:

Don't worry.... I've done that one myself... :? :lol:

Good luck with the lessons - just don't expect a "bandaid" solution and you'll be right... :wink:

wavemaker
6th June 2004, 10:29 AM
ive been practicing a lot more than before i had a lesson. because i feel im not just flailing away hoping something good might happen. im actually hitting some nice sweet balls at the moment. i hit a 7 iron 130 mts in a straight line yesterday, and the way it just clipped of the iron was terrific. these little steps forward are really encouraging for a rank beginner like me. going for another lesson next friday.

Courty
6th June 2004, 08:36 PM
sounds really positive, wavey
keep working at it
Btw, ignore anything Luke tells you about putting. You got that sorted already :wink: :D

Fishman Dan
6th June 2004, 10:53 PM
Good to hear your moving forwards Wavey - but i'm still sliding. Had a social round today, i was 2 up on the handicap after 4 holes (bogey/par/par/bogey) and giving myself a chance, but not hitting the ball that well. But then the rot set in, and i struggled.

As i've said before in this thread, when i'm standing over the ball it doesn't feel right - which is a bad way to start before you wave around the metal stick.

Finished about 10 holes too late, and ready to chuck the clubs in the dam. Could be because of a late night before (7am tee time, though no turps involved), or that i was playing with the missus ( :shock: ), but i think i've got to find a solution - or i'll have to start hanging out at www.ozlawnbowls.net

wavemaker
7th June 2004, 07:56 AM
very funny fishy. late nights are a bit of a prob, i know for a fact they affect me. ask me about tillydale sometime. as for playing with the missus, that has never been a problem. but, back to golf for a minute. that feeling of not being right standing over the ball is something i can relate to, i have no idea what goes on there but if i go ahead and hit the ball i take a half cubic metre of turf and miss the ball. what is that? off to gordonvale for another lap at it now. im even going to keep a score card so i can measure my progress. im not even going to say the other thing. you starting the new job today courty? all the best with that.

Courty
7th June 2004, 04:15 PM
Yep, first day today. Look at the time I posted this. I have been home for 15 minutes already. Life as a public servant is looking pretty peachy right about now :D

Thinking about what you and Fishman are saying about standing over the ball and just not feeling right. The best thing to do here is step away from the ball, take a deep breath, imagine the shot you are about to hit, then try again. If you re-address the ball 3 or 4 times and still don't feel right, I think you might be in trouble :D

Fishman Dan
7th June 2004, 04:35 PM
I actually had to step away once yesterday, i was in all sorts. My feeling though comes from 2 things - 1) My grip is different, but this was the easiest to get used to. I now automagically grab the club that way, but 2) I am MUCH further away from the ball. Obviously a good thing, but now has me thinking that perhaps i need my clubs lengthened because it's so uncomfortable.

Even last Friday at the range, i'd hit a few and find some rhythm. But my test was to walk away from the mat, walk up to the ball, re-address it and try again. Only a small amount of times did i make clean contact from this process.

On top of that, I hit my first person yesterday. Coming up the 18th i knifed one 60* and collected someone in the right rough on the ankle playing the 1st. If you know Gordon GC, the 1st is to the left of the 18th - so it was his fault for being there in the first place :twisted: (yes, i apologised profusely!).

mike
7th June 2004, 10:37 PM
Had my lesson on Sunday and all the pro had to say was, " If Ben Hogan saw your swing, he'd puke "

:D

Onewood
8th June 2004, 05:46 AM
Had my lesson on Sunday and all the pro had to say was, " If Ben Hogan saw your swing, he'd puke "

:D

I know what he means :lol: :lol: :wink:

wavemaker
8th June 2004, 07:17 AM
oh fickle game. so few sweet hits, so many dags. you could draw from that that i played liked a crazed loon on psychotropics. but still enjoyed myself. i holed a 7m put, that was really good, and managed a few decent t shots and 1 or 2 good chips, the rest looked like a bucket of smashed crabs.

Golfgirl
8th June 2004, 08:27 AM
Had my lesson on Sunday and all the pro had to say was, " If Ben Hogan saw your swing, he'd puke "

:D

I think we must have the same swing.... :roll: :lol:

AndyP
8th June 2004, 10:21 AM
I have been feeling this for nearly a couple of months now, especially on a tee. At the moment, I am perservering with it, hoping it will come good. I think it is because I am thinking about my swing too much, but don't know how to stop this. Maybe I need to do that singing a song in my head thing.

Fishman Dan
8th June 2004, 11:00 AM
Join the queue with myself and Wavey - we're all struggling, and along the same lines.

I still think that what i have been taught in lesson 1 is a quick-fix for the problems in my swing before going to these lessons. While i know not to expect a miracle, i was hoping for some improvement, not added frustration..

wavemaker
9th June 2004, 10:43 AM
played 9 at cairns g c this am and it was pretty much the same as at gordonvale. what gets me is that i can go over and hit a couple of hundred balls at the range and hit more than 60% reasonable shots but cant produce anything like that on the course???!!! anyhow at least i worked out what the prob standing over the ball is. i am not forgetting the last bad shot and so im wondering how bad the next one is going to be. also i have my head full of instructions and then when i swing its just a rush of blood. i really need to work on the mental stuff. funny that, i always thought i was mental enough.
anyhow i booked another lesson for friday, so i will see how it goes after that.

amanda
9th June 2004, 11:06 AM
I have the same problem. Found that focusing on technical stuff at the range and then just hitting the ball on the course works well. Don't try and work on your swing during your round - live with whatever faults are there and adjust for them.

Fishman Dan
9th June 2004, 11:07 AM
At the range you're just racking them up and hitting them - do the same on the course! Don't freeze up over the ball - relax and hit the thing. Turn off your brain - easier for some than others ;)

wavemaker
9th June 2004, 02:43 PM
thanks amanda and dan, those words are so simple and i do try, but i feel i have to remember stuff or i just do it wrong, its not second nature. so i just have to go and hit more balls till it is.

amanda
9th June 2004, 02:48 PM
Try this at the driving range:

1. A few practices of a drill your instructor has given you (if there are any)
2. Hit 2-3 balls thinking about the drill
3. Hit 1 ball without thinking about the drill

Keep repeating this pattern. Definitely helped me out.

wavemaker
9th June 2004, 06:57 PM
thanks amanda, i will give that a whirl tomorrow a m.

wavemaker
10th June 2004, 10:53 AM
i had to change my lesson from tomorrow to today due to taking youngest daughter on excursion friday. luke picked me up straight away and had me hitting some nice shots by the end of the half hour. i just have to get out and practice more and then some more. remembering what ive been shown and repeating it over and over. this is bloody hard work, lucky i enjoy it .

Golfgirl
10th June 2004, 02:09 PM
thanks amanda and dan, those words are so simple and i do try, but i feel i have to remember stuff or i just do it wrong, its not second nature. so i just have to go and hit more balls till it is.

Yup, think that might be my problem too.... changes don't feel comfortable yet, and no driving range here to "grind" it out... so every shot is producing a different result.... need to get it to the second nature zone myself Wavey.... good luck and keep up the hard work. :wink:

amanda
10th June 2004, 04:25 PM
Golfgirl - I'm sure there is a driving range down near Port Kembla golf course - not sure what it's called - there is a putt putt there as well.

Golfgirl
10th June 2004, 04:30 PM
yeah - there is one near Port Kembla - I will have to sneak over there.... :wink: :lol: :lol:

Fishman Dan
10th June 2004, 08:29 PM
Okay underachievers, there is a light! Went to the range tonight and got a 1/2 bucket, just wanted to hit each club a couple of times, but i wanted to overrule one of the things that hasn't been right since the lesson.

I kept in mind a couple of things from the lesson - beforehand I was hooking violently, which the coach said was because i was standing too close to the ball. I kept my distance and the grip tonight, but i wasn't using the same "woodchopping" swing-path, and wasn't lining up the ball with a really open clubface as per the lessons, which was the most unsettling thing. Mind you, the more rounded swing worked better with the driver...

Why not? It just never felt right, and tonight the ball came off the stick really nicely. That is, nicely for a 17 'capper, not a 30 marker ;) Accuracy was good, distance was good.

Bare in mind, this is my struggle, and i'm not telling you to ignore your coaching. I've got 2 rounds over the long weekend, and if i come home with the 'Poopy-prize' then it will be back to the drawing board.

wavemaker
11th June 2004, 05:25 AM
good luck with your rounds on the weekend dan. is that casino northern nsw club you belong to?

Fishman Dan
11th June 2004, 08:28 AM
Wavey - yeah. It's not a bad par 70, not the toughest course in the world but a good rural course nonetheless. In fact i think the NRDGA sports some great courses.

Latest word is that the Father-in-law also wants to play in Byron on the Sunday, which I had devoted to the in-laws (sis in-law's b'day), but if he insists then there's not a lot I can do i guess :D

burger
11th June 2004, 08:57 AM
Fishy, its important to keep in the good books with your F-I-L.

If he wants a golf partner for Sunday it is your DUTY as a good S-I-L to go with him! 8)

BrisVegas
11th June 2004, 09:34 AM
Fishy,

We're playing together on Monday. My advice is to look away when I'm swinging. Avert your eyes. Look at the sky. It aint pretty. About the only thing I do right is tempo... :D

I'll confuse you even more!

Dion

wavemaker
11th June 2004, 01:56 PM
hey fishman, i used to live at drake and got my first taste for golf at tabulam so i know your part of the world pretty well. good luck on the weekend.

drunken
11th June 2004, 06:15 PM
wow small world, I've played at Tabulam & lived at Mummulgum. Parents worked at Tabulam 8)

wavemaker
14th June 2004, 11:54 AM
i really like northern nsw. what did your folks do at tabby?
got another lesson on thurs and didnt get to hit a few balls till sat arvo. felt pretty ordinary for about an hour, nothing happening so i just said stuff it and started belting a few balls with no real purpose in mind and then bugger me if i didnt start hitting some real sweeties. it was dark by then, id been there 3 hours, so i went home feeling pretty good. sunday afternoon i went back up to the oval and tried to reproduce the previous days results and after about an hour i had it going again. seems like i need an hour to warm up. anyway i went thru 3 wedges,9,7,5,3 irons hitting about 70 balls with each and i was pleased with the results. only making a 3/4 swing tho. but if i could reproduce that on the course i would be stoked. couple of things really jump out at me from this, 1 lessons. 2 practice. if it wasnt pissing down rain i would be out there right now. still cant hit driver tho, just cant get it right. that will be the topic of my next lesson. short game and putting are reasonable but they are what i practice most.

Courty
14th June 2004, 09:30 PM
only making a 3/4 swing tho.

Wavey, shorter back swings are the go. Don't know if you noticed, but I rarely take my club to parallel (with the ground). My ballstriking has improved a lot since I shortened it. Don't worry about losing distance, keeping it straight is where it's at! :wink:


short game and putting are reasonable but they are what i practice most. You should be giving the rest of us short game lessons! :shock:

wavemaker
15th June 2004, 07:19 AM
yeah courty short is all i can handle at the moment and its only just 3/4 at that. i went back to the oval and did it again yesterday arvo. 70 balls each with the pitching wedge,8,6,4 irons and still kept it working, tho the longer irons were harder to get right. tried a few hits with my fairway woods and it just aint there, playing at cairns gc with a mate from bris tomorrow, hes on his way to work in weipa.