Should I just have fun?

SixYardDrive

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I went with my brother to play today and it was pretty bad even by my standards. I asked him to watch my swing, but since he's also fairly new the to the game he couldn't really help me.

I was slicing and driving the ball to the right of my target and topping it or hitting it thin. It go so bad that I ended up playing the last 3 holes using only my 9 iron since I seemed to have control of it, but none of the rest. :banghead:
On a positive note I am getting pretty accurate with my 9 iron :clapp:
 
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I think a lot of my troubles come from trying to hit the ball instead of letting go and swinging. I'm always nice and free when I'm practicing but as soon as I address the ball I get tense and jerky for some reason.

It's just a game and I'm supposed to be having fun so I'm going to try that next time and see if it helps ;)
 
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Yes. Work on having fun and just trying to find a rhythm. Try a 3/4 swing or laying back off the tee to keep in play. You will have a much better time playing 150 out in the fairway than dropping from out of bounds over and over. If I start playing bad I like to remove score from the equation. If I am playing with someone who insist on keeping score I have no problem with that, I just tell them to write it down and keep it to the end of the round at which point I might ask. One thing that I really enjoy is when I can get on the course later than everyone with no pace of play issues and usually by myself. I play my first shot, which counts and if I am not happy with it or want to try a different club, approach, etc. I just drop a couple balls and play them up with the other. Make sure you are repairing divots and pitch marks all the same if you do this. But I find that if I hit a bad shot, I can hit one or two more from the same spot and better understand why I hit the a shot a certain way and the best way to approach a similar shot in the future. Its all about repetition for me.
 
I think a lot of my troubles come from trying to hit the ball instead of letting go and swinging. I'm always nice and free when I'm practicing but as soon as I address the ball I get tense and jerky for some reason.

It's just a game and I'm supposed to be having fun so I'm going to try that next time and see if it helps ;)

You've hit upon the biggest difference between good players and bad players. Good players swing to a target. Bad players try to hit the ball.

 
Definitely focus on having fun. Look, you aren't going to shoot par for 18 anytime soon. But...you can have success on a hole or two. So if you go out and look at it as 18 chances to have one good hole, you will probably enjoy the game a lot more. Pretty soon you will have a few good holes, and then your blowups go down and your bogeys go up. It is a slow process. I don't add up my score for the round until I get to the car. Enjoy the good holes and eventually you will have a lot more of them.
 
Always play for fun, if I were you I'd get a lesson. It could do wonders.
 
I don't think its really a question of "should you just have fun"
Its only going to be rare when one slices and dices all over the course and will still to be able to have all that much fun. I think the key is to keep it enjoyable and fun as you can while always still trying to play well. In the end (for most people) its only golf. Spending the very valuable resources of time and money on doing something for enjoyment that is not enjoyable is just a waste of those resources.
 
I'll echo what others have already said - if you enjoy golf and want to get better - get lessons! As a beginner you don't have to go out and get Butch Harmon either. Find a reasonably priced pro in your area and get some help. Trust me, it will help you enjoy the game more and be WAY more beneficial then spending that money on clubs or training aids.
 
I went with my brother to play today and it was pretty bad even by my standards. I asked him to watch my swing, but since he's also fairly new the to the game he couldn't really help me.

I was slicing and driving the ball to the right of my target and topping it or hitting it thin. It go so bad that I ended up playing the last 3 holes using only my 9 iron since I seemed to have control of it, but none of the rest. :banghead:
On a positive note I am getting pretty accurate with my 9 iron :clapp:

I'm no expert but it sounds like you're coming out of your shot. Trying to over swing gets your head and posture up at impact which may cause thin shots and slices.
 
Play for fun. I realised I would never be on the PGA Tour or make money off of golf.

So why stress about it? I don't even bother with trying to fix my swing faults any more. I just want to golf and hit the ball as much as I can.

And since then I'm having a blast and improved. Just this Friday I was playing with my neighbour together for the first time at his track where he has a membership.

Went Bird, par, par, Bird, par, 8 (par 4), 5 (par3) and then visited every bunker on that track. And I was all smiles and laughs. He asked my why? I said I just want to be here doing what I love. And really it's the best thing I've done in the last year. But I can brag that every drive hit the middle of the fairway 20 yards past his. lol
 
I think a lot of my troubles come from trying to hit the ball instead of letting go and swinging. I'm always nice and free when I'm practicing but as soon as I address the ball I get tense and jerky for some reason.

It's just a game and I'm supposed to be having fun so I'm going to try that next time and see if it helps ;)

Sometimes "see ball, hit ball" has worked for me in the past. Some of my better/most enjoyable rounds have come when I stop thinking so much and get out of my own way.
 
I think lessons are definitely something to consider. I think a couple of them could have you playing much better golf!
 
Thanks for the great advice folks. I'm new to the game so I'd be quite shocked if I wasn't playing at my current level but I know I will get better.:banana:

I was wondering how many of those misses were a result of my inability to just relax and play the game. After a bad shot I try to make it up on the next one and it turns into a cascading failure. Once I get tensed up it's hard for me to calm down and relax. I switched to the 9 iron just to kinda clear my head and I ended up scoring +1 on the last three holes which is great for me.

I plan on taking lessons next spring so I'll have the full season to practice what I learn and spend the winter studying the rules and the game itself. The pro at the local course is very nice and has very reasonable rates.
 
Why not try to play a few 9 hole rounds without keeping score?
 
The only reason to play golf is to have fun. If it's not fun, why bother? If you can have fun playing poorly, all the better.
 
I usually don't keep score and I think that's part of the problem actually, blugold.

I keep trying to make that perfect shot instead of trying to put and keep the ball in play. I think having a long term goal will help keep my mind off the "Gotta bomb it, gotta bomb it, gotta bomb" mentality that's plaguing me at the moment.

Don't get me wrong, I like making great shots too, but I also need to learn how to accept my bad shots and continue forward. :)
 
Why not try to play a few 9 hole rounds without keeping score?

I think that's a great idea. Just play a round without keeping score. I want to try that.

But I think it would be hard not trying to keep score.
 
Don't forget, working on your game IS FUN! Strive for progress, not perfection.

Small steps lead to big accomplishments.
 
I think it all depends on you. Golf is definitely more fun when you're hitting the ball the right way. But, I've played with a number of golfers who would be considered "bad," and they had a great time on the course.
 
I went with my brother to play today and it was pretty bad even by my standards. I asked him to watch my swing, but since he's also fairly new the to the game he couldn't really help me.

I was slicing and driving the ball to the right of my target and topping it or hitting it thin. It go so bad that I ended up playing the last 3 holes using only my 9 iron since I seemed to have control of it, but none of the rest. :banghead:
On a positive note I am getting pretty accurate with my 9 iron :clapp:

Ive had the slicing issue for since i started in playing. Most likely you are coming from the outside to the inside on your downswing with your face being open. Also, when you top the ball, most times you are looking up before you hit the ball. Good rule of thumb on that is to see yourself hit the ball. That will keep you down and you wont raise up as you approach contact with the ball.
 
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