Practice swing....

[v3.0]

Dear THP Pro:

Do you recommend taking a practice swing before every shot?

I would like to hear your 'general' answer first. I will explain the specifics of why I am asking this afterwards! I hope that's OK. If not, let me know.

Thanks in advance,

v3.0

 

[amollerud]

I am a big fan of taking a practice swing or two before your shot. I think it is a great idea to rehearse the shot prior to hitting it.

 

[Golf Chick]

Do you think it takes too much time? I have to have a practice shot or 2 before I actually hit the ball.

 

[v3.0]

I am a big fan of taking a practice swing or two before your shot. I think it is a great idea to rehearse the shot prior to hitting it.

Thanks!

Here's my story:

Years ago I was a happy golfer*. I went to the range a lot, and I played quite a bit. I wasn't too concerned with swing mechanics: I just hit them the way I hit them.... I could hit the wedges down to the 6 iron quite straight. I had a fade in the longer irons and 5 wood. Driver was a slice. My wife saw me play once, and gave me the best golf-tip I have ever received ("Just aim left!"). I listened and after that I was able to get around quite efficiently just playing what I had, because it was consistent.

Then my golf-groups came apart, so I was playing much less, and I decided to take the opportunity to become a good golfer, with a good swing. It took me a couple of years to find what I thought was 'my' swing. And it worked nicely on the range.

I started playing again, and I have not been able to bring 'my' swing to the course. As it turns out I don't own any part of it!! I can find it on the range, with some 'grooving', i.e. after a few tries with a club. But on the course, where I have to play my 1st try, I can't bring it out: Bad instincts seem to overtake me while I am setting up for a shot, and I cannot get seem to myself into a comfortable address position: I am often 'dead' before I take the club back! On a good day I will get some parts of my game working OK, but I never can seem to hang on to it...

I think I have been forgetting to take practice swings before I take a shot for quite a while now... Hence the opening post. Do you think it might help me? Or more importantly do you have any other suggestions that might bring some consistency back??



* PS: Despite the Barkley-esque proportion of my problems, I am still a happy golfer, strangely enough....

 

[bata mor]

I think once you make the practice swing purpouseful and relevent to what you are working on it is a good idea. I changed teacher 18 months ago and he encouraged me to get a preshot routine that I was comfortable with, which include at least one practice swing.