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How often do you dump your normal swing in a round?

Knoc

Knoc

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Went and played 18 this past Saturday and almost nothing was working right with my driver. Slicing the ball off the map on almost every single drive. Normally I play a nice safe fade, but it was not happening at all. On the back nine my playing partner recommended I try playing a draw (which I almost never do). From that point on, I hit every fairway and was hitting some bombs. Which begs the question, how often are you willing to toss what you normally do and try something different if it's just not working in a round?
 
Unfortunately, shot to shot.
 
As soon as I figure out it ain't working and I ain't gonna get it back usually a couple holes.


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I've never made the same swing twice.
 
Sounds like trying to draw got you back to a more neutral swing. If I am seeing everything go right or left, trying to put draw or slice to correct often is a good adjustment.

If I am drawing the ball too much, trying to fade it gets me to neutral a lot of the time.
 
JMN57 said:
Sounds like trying to draw got you back to a more neutral swing. If I am seeing everything go right or left, trying to put draw or slice to correct often is a good adjustment.

If I am drawing the ball too much, trying to fade it gets me to neutral a lot of the time.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what happened. I went from putting balls on the moon to the most beautiful draw I've hit. It was weird, and awesome.
 
It sounds like the idea of draw squared up the face. So you really didn't get away from your swing. You self corrected and it worked. The next step is to figure out why it worked.
Knoc said:
Went and played 18 this past Saturday and almost nothing was working right with my driver. Slicing the ball off the map on almost every single drive. Normally I play a nice safe fade, but it was not happening at all. On the back nine my playing partner recommended I try playing a draw (which I almost never do). From that point on, I hit every fairway and was hitting some bombs. Which begs the question, how often are you willing to toss what you normally do and try something different if it's just not working in a round?
Click to expand...
 
Generally it felt like I was turning my hips/shoulders too fast and leaving the club face way open. That's my very, very uneducated guess.
 
My swing changes round to round. Not drastically but feels different. Whatever swing works that day, I just stick with it.
 
Never as well for me. Some days my swing might be producing more of a fade than others, but I play for whatever I am hitting that day.
 
I try to stay in my swing and whatever the results are I deal with. I may correct a little if I notice a big miss that's not usual for me
 
I stay with my swing through a round. During the round is not the time to make changes to my swing. What happens during the round when the ball starts going all over the place is that I stopped doing what I was doing during my lesson and at the driving range. I try to focus on making those swings on every shot.

The most likely club to go all over the place is my driver, just like it is with everyone. If that happens, I'll take out my 4 iron and tee off with that. While it will cost me about 30 yds in distance, at least I won't be taking penalty strokes. The downside is that I'll be hitting a 8 iron into par 4 greens instead of a PW and having to rely more on my short game for scrambling.
 
Knoc said:
Went and played 18 this past Saturday and almost nothing was working right with my driver. Slicing the ball off the map on almost every single drive. Normally I play a nice safe fade, but it was not happening at all. On the back nine my playing partner recommended I try playing a draw (which I almost never do). From that point on, I hit every fairway and was hitting some bombs. Which begs the question, how often are you willing to toss what you normally do and try something different if it's just not working in a round?
Click to expand...

Just curious, what change did you do to play this draw?
 
Golf is day to day even for the worlds best. You adjust on the fly to whatever you have on a given day. I don't stray far, but I'll do a little grip change or change my stance to fit what I'm seeing that day.
 
MarkY said:
Just curious, what change did you do to play this draw?
Click to expand...

I turned the club face slightly past neutral and then focused more on an inside out swing path. It wasn't anything huge, but the results were great (for the day).
 
Knoc said:
... how often are you willing to toss what you normally do and try something different if it's just not working in a round?
Click to expand...
Also never - my swing is my swing and that's it. If it's not working, then I'm doing something wrong, just have to find it again.
 
Wakit300 said:
Also never - my swing is my swing and that's it. If it's not working, then I'm doing something wrong, just have to find it again.
Click to expand...

Same with me here. Fortunately, my swing doesn't go away for more than one hole.
 
If my ball isn't going where it should, my conclusion is there is something "wrong" with my swing. I don't "dump" it but rather I try to find it.

Checklist:

1) grip
2) tempo/sequence
3) stance/alignment
4) release
5) swing (aka swingpath)

for me, the last thing I tinker with is the swing/swingpath and, I think, sometimes swingpath can get out-to-in for me if my sequence is wrong and rotate my hips early rather than sliding them towards the target and then rotating them.
 
If it's non-competitive, I'm always tweaking things with the swing. Leading into a tournament or in the tournament, I play what I have.

~Rock
 
JMN57 said:
If my ball isn't going where it should, my conclusion is there is something "wrong" with my swing. I don't "dump" it but rather I try to find it.

Checklist:

1) grip
2) tempo/sequence
3) stance/alignment
4) release
5) swing (aka swingpath)

for me, the last thing I tinker with is the swing/swingpath and, I think, sometimes swingpath can get out-to-in for me if my sequence is wrong and rotate my hips early rather than sliding them towards the target and then rotating them.
Click to expand...

Your 1-5 checklist is awesome and something I just wrote down on the back of my golf glove.
 
I have A swing, I don't know if it ever becomes normal. I am making adjustments to it after almost every shot until it starts working, after a few holes it usually fades away and I have to repeat the process over again. Off the tee on the first hole is anybody's guess where it's going.
 
its rare my swing is consistent enough to actually have a same repetitive miss. But on the rare occasion it does happen I unfortunately only adjust to compensate for that miss after its already too late into the round.
 
I never really dump it I just try to refocus on the basics. I only shape the ball when I have to go around a tree or something.
 
I just had the weirdest experience these past few games and range sessions. My drive, which was an armsy fade, disappeared and was replaced by a long block to the left.

The most likely reason for the cause was I changed how I started my downswing. I used to kick with the right foot, but now, following Mr. Tom Watson, I started the downswing with a press on my left heel. It worked wonders for my body, I felt less sore after the game or session, and there was no discomfort on my right side, and I felt I could dial in more power with this new move.

The problem was, I couldn't get anything but blocks with my drive, and I was using the two drivers I had.

The easiest solution I could find was I bought a slightly used RBZ that didn't encourage the block. There was also a maruman that looked interesting but the RBZ was cheaper - a little over a hundred dollars.

Not a perfect solution, but at least I had a drive instead of none at all.

It's not a funk or stopgap measure, I'm committing to the new move for reasons aforementioned. I like the new move, I have a more abbreviated but more powerful golf swing.
 
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