one step back before two steps foward? I'm just not sure.

[rollin]

Is this normal after some lessons and swing changes?
Its very strange because my last couple lessons (first ones in years) has me hitting some the best shots I've made in years but also more of the worst. I've always been (perhaps like many you) sort of "feast or famine" (relative to my game) type of inconsistent player. Good shots and holes with total disasters mixed in between.

These last couple lessons have me feeling very good and confident about my swing/s and have me producing some the best shots ever (in the feast department) and making a bit more of them. But it has also increased the bad (in the famine department) at the same time. I don't know if that makes any sense to you and I know it sounds contradicting but while I'm hitting some the best shots and feeling great about them and my swing I am also blowing up more than usual so the end result of total score has been staying higher than normal that it was prior to the lessons.

I'm feeling good about a lot. Made some nice improvements and actually feel more confident then I have in quite a while but why the increase in the famine department? Is it possible to feel better even though scoring higher? Its like the positives I got from the lessons are far outweighing the "screw-up" time its going to take to build on them. Does any this make sense to anyone? Should this be happening? Or should I be scoring lower rounds if the lessons were positive ones? May be they weren't so positive after all?

 

[wadesworld]

It's definitely possible to feel better about your swing and still not score well. I've been there, and to be perfectly frank, probably still am more frequently than I'd like.

It can be bad decisions, poor execution of the short game, and especially poor putting. But none of that prevents you from hitting good shots from tee-to-green. You can be in the bunker by the green after a great drive and a great 7-iron that was offline by just a hair, but then thin your sand shot, chip on and 2-putt. The result is a double-bogey.

Analyze from where your scoring problems are coming and concentrate on that portion of your game. The good news is though, as you solidify whatever parts are lacking, the parts on which you're making progress will be there.

 

[Colt]

Making swing changes is an uncomfortable affair. All of my changes come from me (self-taught) and I still don't feel comfortable with them for a while after implementing change.

Hang in there. Once your comfort level rises, so will your game.

 

[rollin]

It's definitely possible to feel better about your swing and still not score well. I've been there, and to be perfectly frank, probably still am more frequently than I'd like.

It can be bad decisions, poor execution of the short game, and especially poor putting. But none of that prevents you from hitting good shots from tee-to-green. You can be in the bunker by the green after a great drive and a great 7-iron that was offline by just a hair, but then thin your sand shot, chip on and 2-putt. The result is a double-bogey.

Analyze from where your scoring problems are coming and concentrate on that portion of your game. The good news is though, as you solidify whatever parts are lacking, the parts on which you're making progress will be there.

understand what your saying and its very true. Like being in the thick rough and leaving two flop strokes right there or chipping cross the green twice and leave another two strokes there. And then you get to the next hole and screw up a shot you can usually count on and leave another stroke there which now leaves you with yet another stroke from a bad situation. So it can certainly go very easily from hitting great shots to a disaster very fast even on the same hole.

Its just strange though that my improvement from the lessons (while an improvement) has also increased my blow-ups. As said, my good shots are better ones than before and I'm making just a bit more of them which should actually mean lower total score but it seems my bad garbage blow-ups are also worse which is raising the score even more. I guess just going to have to keep plugging away and work on the bad parts more and also give these changes some time to make their way to the parts of my game are not so good.

 

[AoxomxoA]

I think sometimes as swing changes take hold, we find ourselves on many different places on the course than we used to be. That surely has happened to me. The reliable slice that I seemed to recreate with remarkable efficiency being replaced by a 'better' golf swing has lead to more shots from tough near the green positions which is a game I am FAR from mastering.

 

[motoo344]

Don't worry about it too much, I think it happens to most of us.

 

[blugold]

Right now. Don't focus on the results. First get rid of the bad habits engrained in your muscle memory. Then, once you can stop thinking about your new swing, then focus on better scores.

Think of Tiger and how long it took him to make his new Foley swing second nature.

 

[cwbonner]

I can certainly empathize with you. I have been taking lessons and making swing changes, and do exactly the same thing you are describing. Go through a stretch where everything is clicking and I hit some of the best shots I have ever hit, and then something gets out of sorts and next thing I know I have gone triple double triple to demolish a great nine. I think for me it is because the new swing is not completely second nature, and when things get a little out of kilter I let some of the old swing habits overtake the new one. The two don't seem to mix very well! Then I let it frustrate me which just makes it that much harder to make a good swing.

 

[[snow]]

Perfectly normal. A study once compared golfers who took lessons, lessons with video analysis and no lessons.right after the lessons, the lesson free golfers were doing exactly as before, while the groups with lessons both collectively played worse.
2 weeks later, still the same for no lessons. But the groups with lessons had gained 8--15 yards and less Dispersion.

Test subjects were 20 to 36 hcp, if i recall correcly

 

[hokiegolfer]

I was a wreck for about a week after each of my lessons, but once I got enough practice in, I was really feeling good about my swing and have been scoring much better. I gladly take a step in the wrong direction for the long term goal of improving as a golfer

 

[Rageshadow]

I know exactly what you mean. I am in your shoes now. I have just finished my first set of lessons ever. I have been playing at golf for at least 15 years and just really got the bug to really learn to play this year. I was lucky in a way with my teacher didn't try to totaly rebuild my swing, he taught me how to take the club away properly and shortned my backswing but was mainly concerned with my position at impact. Anyway to make a long story short I am just starting to see really positive results. My biggest two problems were one, making the transition from lessons to course and two, because of my situatition at home I don't havethe time to get range time in to really ingrain the movements.

Now for the good news, my last round of nine holes I shot the best score I have ever had which was a 49, so just keep working on the stuff your teacher is telling you, it will pay off even if it doesn't feel like it at the moment.

 

[golfinFF]

Don't worry about it too much, I think it happens to most of us.

Right now. Don't focus on the results. First get rid of the bad habits engrained in your muscle memory. Then, once you can stop thinking about your new swing, then focus on better scores.

Think of Tiger and how long it took him to make his new Foley swing second nature.

^^^^these^^^^

I'm in the same boat my scores are worse, my misses are worse but I'm happier when I leave the course and on it.

I see the changes helping my game, have a clue what went wrong on a shot. I also know that my scores will come back down to old scores and then to new lows and averages. I look at my rounds currently as the range trying to hit specific shots and grooving my new swing. When I hit bad shots its cause I did not swing properly and that's ok cause my swing is in the rebuilding process, just got to look at it as lessons learned.

 

[McRock]

I can relate. Over a year period, i toom a series of lessons. The lessons rebuilt and drastically improved my swing. But it also lead to misses, and i didnt understand those misses because it was a new swing. To that end, it was harder to self diagnose the miss and correct it. I felt great about my swing, but my misses came in groups, were unpredictable and just awful.

~Rock

 

[rollin]

Sincere thanks to all. I'm very glad this is not out of the norm after lessons and hearing you all basically say this too. I am really happy with my subtle improvement changes and how my better shots feel and result even better than my old better shots. But the increase in blow-ups had me a little baffled. I'm not teed off about it and as said I actually feel pretty good but started to be a concern. Its good to know it can be expected after changes especially even if for the better in the long run. I was really hoping to hear that from you and glad it should be the case.

With these subtle changes (for the better and first ones in years) I am more addicted then ever. I want to improve on them every chance I get the time. Its like a little kid with something new..lol
Although, as always I know it wont be (as many you do too) nearly as much golf or range time as I like it to be but it is what it is and all I can do is have at it whenever I can and enjoy best as possible. All your responses have certainly took some this "backward step" concern off my shoulders for now. As advised, I'm not going to worry about total score for now and I feel in the long run (due to all this) I'll hope to be averaging just a bit lower than previously once the subtle changes become more second nature.

 

[Rageshadow]

My biggest mistake at first was actualy keeping score lol. I would concentrate so much on my score that it kept me distracted thus killing my swing. I played like five or six rounds before I started keeping score again, it was then that I started seeing small improvements in my game. The main thing is to have fun and not get frustrated.

 

[rollin]

Thanks Rage, And I've learned that some time back but it was just strange to have improvement and also see higher score at the same time.

 

[Heelz]

Is this normal after some lessons and swing changes?
Its very strange because my last couple lessons (first ones in years) has me hitting some the best shots I've made in years but also more of the worst. I've always been (perhaps like many you) sort of "feast or famine" (relative to my game) type of inconsistent player. Good shots and holes with total disasters mixed in between.

These last couple lessons have me feeling very good and confident about my swing/s and have me producing some the best shots ever (in the feast department) and making a bit more of them. But it has also increased the bad (in the famine department) at the same time. I don't know if that makes any sense to you and I know it sounds contradicting but while I'm hitting some the best shots and feeling great about them and my swing I am also blowing up more than usual so the end result of total score has been staying higher than normal that it was prior to the lessons.

I'm feeling good about a lot. Made some nice improvements and actually feel more confident then I have in quite a while but why the increase in the famine department? Is it possible to feel better even though scoring higher? Its like the positives I got from the lessons are far outweighing the "screw-up" time its going to take to build on them. Does any this make sense to anyone? Should this be happening? Or should I be scoring lower rounds if the lessons were positive ones? May be they weren't so positive after all?

Keep up the positive thoughts in the good department from your rounds and lesson sessions. I been struggling in a major way for months. Recently I have had a lesson and been focusing on the mental aspect of the game and have been striking the ball as good as I ever had if not better. You will have some bad shots, let them be and forget about them because they happen to all of us. Focus on what your good swing is and have total confidence in it and fire away brother.