Can A Old Dog Learn New Tricks?

[Knot Right]

Hit a all time low on the course last Sunday. 12/14 fairways and hit 4 greens. Wedges in hand on 5 approach shots and stuck them right into the ground. Two outright chunks on par 3's with a 6 & 9 iron.
I couldn't recall being that humbled in 40 years playing this game. So on Monday I decided to tuck my ego away and make a phone call to a long time friend/pro.

Heading to the range in 10 minutes for my first formal golf instruction/session in 40 years. Hoping the rain holds off.

 

[Smiter]

12/14 FW’s is great, I guess build on the positive?

It’s frustrating but sometimes things can go south fast.

Hope he helps!

 

[blueonblack]

Good move, and it sounds like an easy fix.
My money is on spine angle maintenance.
Teach me on the fairways hit.

 

[WLG1952]

Yeah, old dogs can learn new tricks.

The biggest problem is when old dogs start forgetting those past new tricks learned. Then again, even the young dogs do that. Instruction cures that.

Btw, congrats on those FIRs number. Quality stuff.

 

[Desmond]

Yes, if I can, you can. Good luck. Just remember, it takes 4-5 range sessions for a lesson to "take." Give yourself a break.

 

[blueonblack]

Yes, if I can, you can. Good luck. Just remember, it takes 4-5 range sessions for a lesson to "take." Give yourself a break.

Where do you get all these rules, good sir??
Man, when you're there with the pro and the "A-HA!" moment hits and you feel it, that's it.

If you're driving that well, a ton of stuff is going right already. Squatting down on the short ones and rolling the sod over it after a beaut of a drive?
I know nothing of this!!

 

[Desmond]

Where do you get all these rules, good sir??
Man, when you're there with the pro and the "A-HA!" moment hits and you feel it, that's it.

I have a-ha moments in the lesson - range sessions are for consistency and making a habit of the new habit. When I am taking a lesson and changing a feel and old habits, I am not usually hitting on all cylinders until repetition and then consistency. Even short game takes a while to gain consistency.

As you know, you don't want to think during the shot - so you need to form the new habits.

For example, my teenage son is not showing so much interest, so I started taking his lessons after 2 yrs of giving him my lesson time and $$$. I've had 2 lessons and 8 range sessions in 10 days to change little things in my backswing and downswing - my right hand has Stamina Pro stickers all over it. Changing to new habits is frustrating and takes time.

 

[blueonblack]

Jer.... habits of habits. You steer clear of cocaine now and forever, OK?
Too much emotional baggage with those lessons. Zen time. Golf time.

 

[Desmond]

Jer.... habits of habits. You steer clear of cocaine now and forever, OK?
Too much emotional baggage with those lessons. Zen time. Golf time.

Am all about staying in the present.

No illegal drugs for this attorney - gotta stay employed. I stick to excellent red wine.

But I do not want to hijack this thread. Improvement takes time.

 

[blueonblack]

I thought it was kind of fun to speculate what the pro will come up with?
OP, you don't mind, do you?

No, I know you. Its just having some fun and trying to laugh in this world too.
I'm very self-depricating. I hope you all are too.

 

[Knot Right]

Well, It was a simple fix guys.

Since coming back to the game some months ago, I had been trying to get out of my old self described crouched looking swing by addressing the ball a little more taller.

I was creeping up on the ball and letting the butt of the club get too close to my thigh, and bringing my arms in too close to my chest. This resulted in my takeaway being too upright with a pretty severe redirection on the downswing to get the club to get back on plane. My left hip couldn't clear and I got left hanging off my back foot.

Then, the pro mentioned something that I had gotten away from. He said that he always liked the way I used to address the ball with all my shots by getting into my stance with my arms hanging straight down freely..... and then gripping the club. I was creating the space I needed without even thinking about it. Well, as soon as he had me doing this again my swing plane was almost spot on, and my left hip cleared out letting me get my weight back over to the left foot. My shots were much most consistent and the fats went away.

The session was pretty much over right then, and he told me to text or call him in a couple weeks, and to not wait 12 years to for our next cup of coffee.

I was pretty amazed that after not seeing me hit a ball in over 12 years that he could recall this. I'm still shaking my head.

 

[Hamfist]

Well, It was a simple fix guys.

Since coming back to the game some months ago, I had been trying to get out of my old self described crouched looking swing by addressing the ball a little more taller.

I was creeping up on the ball and letting the butt of the club get too close to my thigh, and bringing my arms in too close to my chest. This resulted in my takeaway being too upright with a pretty severe redirection on the downswing to get the club to get back on plane. My left hip couldn't clear and I got left hanging off my back foot.

Then, the pro mentioned something that I had gotten away from. He said that he always liked the way I used to address the ball with all my shots by getting into my stance with my arms hanging straight down freely..... and then gripping the club. I was creating the space I needed without even thinking about it. Well, as soon as he had me doing this again my swing plane was almost spot on, and my left hip cleared out letting me get my weight back over to the left foot. My shots were much most consistent and the fats went away.

The session was pretty much over right then, and he told me to text or call him in a couple weeks, and to not wait 12 years to for our next cup of coffee.

I was pretty amazed that after not seeing me hit a ball in over 12 years that he could recall this. I'm still shaking my head.

Well, that was easy. Good for you that it wasn't major surgery. I am jealous, lol.

 

[blueonblack]

Ahh.. the arm hang lesson. Had that one.
They used to have me take one hand off the club so that I could let it hang and move it back and forth like a clock pendulum as a check to make sure I had that space between my thighs and the butt end of the club. I was a "croucher" for power in my youth and liked to sneak too close to the ball sometimes too. I tell people you can't stand far enough away from the ball sometimes, but they don't believe me. Gotta have that "room" to swing.

Good pros are smart people, good at business, and have good people skills. That's a good pro.
That's the kicker- you get good and don't need them as much.

 

[Desmond]

Guess an old dog can go back to his old tricks.

That was easy. At least you didn't have to retune your swing -- that's hell for a while

 

[Knot Right]

Guess an old dog can go back to his old tricks.

That was easy. At least you didn't have to retune your swing -- that's hell for a while

It's still going to take a lot of rep's to get my swagger back, but it'll come.

 

[YukonLiving]

Nice to have some simple feedback, and glad you were able to remember an old trick!

 

[BigMac]

Awesome that the solution was that simple and didn't require a total swing rebuild!

 

[Knot Right]

Ahh.. the arm hang lesson. Had that one.
They used to have me take one hand off the club so that I could let it hang and move it back and forth like a clock pendulum as a check to make sure I had that space between my thighs and the butt end of the club. I was a "croucher" for power in my youth and liked to sneak too close to the ball sometimes too. I tell people you can't stand far enough away from the ball sometimes, but they don't believe me. Gotta have that "room" to swing.

Good pros are smart people, good at business, and have good people skills. That's a good pro.
That's the kicker- you get good and don't need them as much.

As soon as he mentioned it, a hundred flashing lights went off in my mind.

Well anyways, my old crouch swing is back with the irons and wedges, even though the pro said it isn't a crouch as I describe it. We had a fun argument about and I won. I told him that I am almost 6' 3" and he's 5' 8". I'm crouching!