GoingLefty
Member
Ok, well my first post on the forum and it looks like a good community here. I've been away from golf for awhile so looking forward to posting here often.
So my backstory:
Golfed right handed for 25 years (41 now). Was a 13-14 cap. Touched the single digits for about a week once. Spring of 2017 I injured my back pretty badly and ended up with a compression fracture and finding out I had osteoporosis. It's strange for a guy to have this at my age, it has been chalked up to heredity. 2 months later I was almost completely healed and on Vacation. Tripped in the dark when I got up one morning and bam. Second fracture, right below the first. Neither were bad enough to need surgery and I was lucky to get a top Physio that works with our Olympic team. I had many, many sessions with her. That was 19 months ago since the first injury. Rehab went really well thankfully and I am pain free unless I'm sitting on a stool or something for long periods of time. I hadn't touched a club since (sold all mine so I wasn't tempted) until a few days ago.
So I have clearance form the Doctors to return to golf if I wish. I have decided to learn left handed due to several reasons. Mostly because I don't want to have to "unlearn" 25 years of bad habits. I swung really hard (110ss+) and with what I know now is bad form and I know it's going to be really hard to lay off that if I go back right handed. That certainly contributed to my back issues, no doubt. I also won't be able to swing as fast lefty so that will help my back as well. Unfortunately I am not ambidextrous so this could be a big learning curve, but I love a challenge so I'm excited for this. Just being on the course will be a victory.
My approach was going to be 100% based on feel (whatever didn't stress my back) and I was not going to get any coaching. I see most coaches teach a mechanical based method (left arm here, hing wrists there, club head pointing in such a direction at the top..etc.)and for me I don't agree with that any more. I've had several coaches over the years and despite my best efforts I never got any better. All my improvement was on my own. I have heard the same from many friends.
So I figured that I would just start myself based on what felt good for my back. No more worrying about positions or head down or anything like that. Just a good setup and grip and then the rest strictly feel. Well I found out recently there are some golf coaches that teach this way and I have one in my hometown! So I am going to him for a lesson on Jan. 7th. We talked on the phone and our philosophy is the same. The swing should be based on feel. He understands my back situation and that my health comes first. Seems like a good guy!
So we are going to start slow with putting, chipping and pitching and go from there. His winter rates are good so I'll probably go every two weeks if we are a good fit and my back is pain free. I just bought my first left handed clubs which was an odd feeling. I got a used Ping Glide SW and a Ping Mallet Putter. I have been taking half swings and so far totally pain free. If pain happens at any point, that will be the end of golf. The only way this works is if I put my health first, which I am.
I've been really ramping up my exercise program and dropping some weight as well. I'm focusing on core/back and leg strength as well as mobility. Lots of weird balls and foam rollers haha. My strength is getting better and better and so is my mobility. I think that by spring if all continues well, I should be able to hit a par 3 course to test myself. :clap:
Sorry for the length, I'll update here as I go (hopefully this thread goes on for years as that will mean I'm golfing). I have some odd ideas for course management that I may post about at some point. Have a great day all and Merry Xmas!
So my backstory:
Golfed right handed for 25 years (41 now). Was a 13-14 cap. Touched the single digits for about a week once. Spring of 2017 I injured my back pretty badly and ended up with a compression fracture and finding out I had osteoporosis. It's strange for a guy to have this at my age, it has been chalked up to heredity. 2 months later I was almost completely healed and on Vacation. Tripped in the dark when I got up one morning and bam. Second fracture, right below the first. Neither were bad enough to need surgery and I was lucky to get a top Physio that works with our Olympic team. I had many, many sessions with her. That was 19 months ago since the first injury. Rehab went really well thankfully and I am pain free unless I'm sitting on a stool or something for long periods of time. I hadn't touched a club since (sold all mine so I wasn't tempted) until a few days ago.
So I have clearance form the Doctors to return to golf if I wish. I have decided to learn left handed due to several reasons. Mostly because I don't want to have to "unlearn" 25 years of bad habits. I swung really hard (110ss+) and with what I know now is bad form and I know it's going to be really hard to lay off that if I go back right handed. That certainly contributed to my back issues, no doubt. I also won't be able to swing as fast lefty so that will help my back as well. Unfortunately I am not ambidextrous so this could be a big learning curve, but I love a challenge so I'm excited for this. Just being on the course will be a victory.
My approach was going to be 100% based on feel (whatever didn't stress my back) and I was not going to get any coaching. I see most coaches teach a mechanical based method (left arm here, hing wrists there, club head pointing in such a direction at the top..etc.)and for me I don't agree with that any more. I've had several coaches over the years and despite my best efforts I never got any better. All my improvement was on my own. I have heard the same from many friends.
So I figured that I would just start myself based on what felt good for my back. No more worrying about positions or head down or anything like that. Just a good setup and grip and then the rest strictly feel. Well I found out recently there are some golf coaches that teach this way and I have one in my hometown! So I am going to him for a lesson on Jan. 7th. We talked on the phone and our philosophy is the same. The swing should be based on feel. He understands my back situation and that my health comes first. Seems like a good guy!
So we are going to start slow with putting, chipping and pitching and go from there. His winter rates are good so I'll probably go every two weeks if we are a good fit and my back is pain free. I just bought my first left handed clubs which was an odd feeling. I got a used Ping Glide SW and a Ping Mallet Putter. I have been taking half swings and so far totally pain free. If pain happens at any point, that will be the end of golf. The only way this works is if I put my health first, which I am.
I've been really ramping up my exercise program and dropping some weight as well. I'm focusing on core/back and leg strength as well as mobility. Lots of weird balls and foam rollers haha. My strength is getting better and better and so is my mobility. I think that by spring if all continues well, I should be able to hit a par 3 course to test myself. :clap:
Sorry for the length, I'll update here as I go (hopefully this thread goes on for years as that will mean I'm golfing). I have some odd ideas for course management that I may post about at some point. Have a great day all and Merry Xmas!
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