List The Three Things You Hate Most About Your Game

I am sure many of you watch Rick Shiels on Youtube, well in his most recent video about improvements over the summer he suggests it is a good idea to list the three things you hate most about your game and work on them over the winter.

Here is the video if you want to watch it.




My list would be

1. Constantly fighting a hook on drives.

2. Coming out the shot and catching iron shots on the bottom half of the club. (I think due to poor footwork)

3. Very poor ball striking with my long irons compared to the shorter ones.



What would yours be?

1. Tendency to go at it with resultant loss of rhythm.
2. Unreliability of the big stick off the tee (kind of related to 1 above but new driver purchased recently to bed in over the winter will help)
3. Unreliability from green side bunkers. Really confident about getting up and down from around the greens when not in bunker but up and down stats from bunkers much worse.

1. Missing too many greens.
2. Poor ball striking/thinned contact at times.
3. Too many balls leaking slightly right (see number 1)

Super both or number 2 complaints seem to be a similar issue, what is your hypothesis on the reason why you catch the ball like that?

I don't know for sure Mac though I think all three of mine are linked.

If I could hit a few more greens per round, I'd easily be scratch or better, that's the bottom line.

I went for a lesson in the summer because it had got to a chronic level and it was only because of my short game that I was able to save many of my rounds. I was making buffer by hitting 7 or so greens, so often 10 plus single putts and always less than 30 putts per round.

I now have it a bit more in control and I'm hitting more greens, so we'll see how the next year goes.

As regards to hitting the ball poorly, my take on it is thus. My previous lesson showed I was probably over-swinging. Hence timing wasn't good, and not making great contact. Now I'm purposely swinging shorter on backswing and I'm hitting it better, but it doesn't happen over-night. I also grip at least two inches down the grip now and hit it more from the middle of my stance, so again, my timing is likely to be better and I'm now hitting down on the ball better rather than more sweeping as per my previous ball position on the longer irons.

Saying that though, my handicap is the second lowest it's ever been, so looking at what was costing me dear now seems to be on the mend. Got to continue with the range over winter and see how it goes.

I hate to mention it, but have you considered early extension?

I don't even know what that means Mac. I'll look it up.

1. Inability to get out of bunkers
2. Inability to get out of bunkers
3. Inability to get out of bunkers.

Need I say more????

Lady

Shouldn't at least one of them be "hitting into bunkers"?

1) Poor and inconsistent driving. My bête noir.
2) Pitching from <100 yards. Need to make more birdie chances.
3) Missing putts left.

All for various practice grounds in 2017.

McLaren wrote:Lady

Shouldn't at least one of them be "hitting into bunkers"?

1) Dispersion with driver (if it's a miss it can be a biiiig miss and it can be either way and with drastic bendy flight or arrow straight)
2) Knee dips on short pitches
3) Not stepping away and starting again when I know/feel set up is wrong or I have the wrong club, simply because I can't be bothered

What are "knee dips"?

1. back swing too short
2. swinging too fast/trying to hit it too hard
3.knee dips on pitches. (think this is related to not enough shoulder turn)

Although my number went down a bit this year, the three things I hate most about my game are ...

1 - Not keeping my tempo
2 - Losing my tempo
3 - Getting out of tempo

(Sometimes a pint of "swing lube", or a "glass of tempo" at the turn helps the cause.)

All other suggestions welcome ...

1).Getting old with zero technique results in powerless effort

resulting in;

2).So many golf courses that would normally be on one's bucket list being unplayable.

After that, there's no 3).

Although the swing lube and glass of tempo are still welcome.

I have had quite a good year, with my handicap dropping by 3 but three things i hate most about my game are:

1) Consistant failure to start a round well
2) Tendency to go after shots causing loss of tempo
3) pitching from 110 yards in - goving myself decent birdie chances

Shotrock wrote:Although my number went down a bit this year, the three things I hate most about my game are ...

1 - Not keeping my tempo
2 - Losing my tempo
3 - Getting out of tempo

(Sometimes a pint of "swing lube", or a "glass of tempo" at the turn helps the cause.)

All other suggestions welcome ...

Good terminology and definitely with you on that; often find I play a little better in Society events in the afternoon round when I've had a glass of something like that.

McLaren wrote:What are "knee dips"?

additional bending of knees on the downswing causing the body to dip way too much. Mine mostly occur with 40ish yard chips that I want a bit more spin and our touch on often on downhill shots into greens sloping away. I know I do it and I know it's stupid and often result in duffs and occasionally catastrophic pipes out of bounds.

Roller_Coaster wrote:I know I do it and I know it's stupid

We have probably all been there with problems in our golf swing. Sometimes despite being the sole focus of a swing I still end up making the move I am trying to get rid of.

It's been a really odd year for me, started at 5.6 finishing at 5.9 having touched 5.4 and 6.5. One the one hand you could say fairly steady but I've felt I've taken great strides forward, short game's been the best it's ever been but for most of the season my driver was awful. Feel I've finally largely eliminated a lot of bad flaws from my swing and now have better technique although it's not 100% bedded in and still have one or two small issues that creep back in. Would still stick by my original 3 things from earlier in the thread but in terms of moving forward....

Three things to work on over the winter
1. Eliminate a current couple of niggles that are still causing inconsistency (especially my tendency to fan the club away on the inside)
2. More range work with the longer clubs
3. More work on developing a consistent pre-shot routine (think a lot of my unforced errors come from a lapse in concentration)

I can't decide whether there aren't as many as 3 things I hate about my game or if 3 is way too few. I think I must be delusional when it comes to my golf game because I feel like I hit the ball as well as I ever have done, like my putting is as good as it's ever been if not better, like my short game has improved and yet my handicap has been on an upward slope pretty much without exception for two years now. This year has been the worst golfing year I can remember - normally even if my scores are bad I do ok in matchplay but even that was poor this year.
So I suppose the 3 would be
1) Stop following one mistake with another - I make far too many doubles, trebles and worse
2) Like JAS, lapses of concentration are the root cause of many of the big numbers. I don't notice any variation from my preshot routine but I do tend to know I'm not focussed (though maybe only with hindsight)
3) Work on eliminating one side of the course

SmithersJones wrote:I can't decide whether there aren't as many as 3 things I hate about my game or if 3 is way too few. I think I must be delusional when it comes to my golf game because I feel like I hit the ball as well as I ever have done, like my putting is as good as it's ever been if not better, like my short game has improved and yet my handicap has been on an upward slope pretty much without exception for two years now. This year has been the worst golfing year I can remember - normally even if my scores are bad I do ok in matchplay but even that was poor this year.
So I suppose the 3 would be
1) Stop following one mistake with another - I make far too many doubles, trebles and worse
2) Like JAS, lapses of concentration are the root cause of many of the big numbers. I don't notice any variation from my preshot routine but I do tend to know I'm not focussed (though maybe only with hindsight)
3)  Work on eliminating one side of the course

Indeed.

I'd be much better if we got rid of the front 9!!!

SmithersJones wrote: I think I must be delusional when it comes to my golf game because I feel like I hit the ball as well as I ever have done, like my putting is as good as it's ever been if not better, like my short game has improved and yet my handicap has been on an upward slope pretty much without exception for two years now.

If your game is as good as you say, but your handicap is going up, then it is definitely down to either concentration issues or over-thinking. I play best when I'm out with a couple of pals, and we chat and joke on the way round. I'm not concentrating most of the time - when I have to play a shot then I decide what club it is and where it needs to go and then I hit it. It's just another 5 iron or another wedge or a chip or whatever it is. It seems easy. Over the years when I have tried to think about tempo or posture or alignment all the way round, I just get tired and lose it entirely at some point. And if I over-think things, then it all goes wrong. For example on Sunday, I stupidly three putted the 5th to drop a shot and I found myself thinking about forcing a birdie on the par 5 6th. So I was thinking about hitting a long drive, giving me a good chance of getting on for two, and a two putt birdie - or maybe an eagle to get things back on track. All this was going through my head, so needless to say the drive was pushed, then a chip out, then a five iron that just missed the green, an awkward chip and a six footer that went round the hole before dropping in. A maximum stress par, but I walked off feeling like it was another dropped shot.

My thought process after the 5th should have been - that three putt bogey was disappointing, but it happened and I'll forget it. Now I'm going to put a good swing on this drive. That's all.

Just focus on the next shot. Don't think about the last one, and certainly don't think about holes and shots further round the course. Next shot only. It will improve your scores.

Smithers

If your scores are going up why do you assume you are swinging it ok?

1. Score better on the par 3's.
2. Score better on the Par 3's
£. Score better on the Par 3's

Mac, I'm in much the same boat as Smithers...see George's post above, a pretty spot on summary of how shots can be lost despite the ability to swing the club well.

I certainly have days (and weeks!) where I feel I'm hitting it well but just not scoring and others where I seem to be hitting it all over the place but scoring well. It's not hugely surprising to hear that people feel they are doing the former but handicap is going up, in my experience it just happens.

Very Dr Bob Rotella, but focus only on your current shot. What's done is done, you can't change it. What you might do on the next 3 holes is in the future and only distracts you. Complete your routine, pick target, hit the ball and accept what has happened. Repeat.

Problem is it's very difficult to do. Sure we're all familiar with our own version of: Speech written when on 12th tee and flying. All I have to do is keep it together. 5 shots left and 4 to play. 10 is wind with, should be up in 2 when I get there. etc etc

I'm a bugger for doubling or trebling the second. Some days I'll think 6 pars in a row will sort that blip out (and they never happen) other days I do manage to just play the next shot and end up looking back on a round that buffered or better.

Bloody game!

It's great.

1. Air shots
2. Taking a divot with the putter.
3. Not getting out of a bunker on the 5th attempt.

I've certainly had rounds where I've hit the ball terribly and scored very well, whilst I've hit it as good as I could and not scored at all.

I remember once hitting 16 greens at Kingsbarns, and had about 10 putts within 8 feet, scored level. Could have been something like 64.

That's the frustration of golf. Your score isn't always a product of how you play.

My alternatives:

1 - my second putt missing
2 - my third putt missing
3 - losing my ball after tw@tting it away after my third putt has missed!

I found that breaking the course down to play 6 rounds of 3 holes has helped how i approach a round.

I started by telling me self the aim was to go round in no more than 2 over, if i did it or went uunder then cool, but it doesnt matter new round.

Similarly if shot more than 2 over.

It means that you dont focus on bad holes, as an example at the weekend i shot 5 over, which included an 8 on a par 5. The next 3  holes i shot 3 under as i wasnt trying to chase shots and was just playing a new round.

Naytorious B.I.G wrote:I found that breaking the course down to play 6 rounds of 3 holes has helped how i approach a round.

I started by telling me self the aim was to go round in no more than 2 over, if i did it or went uunder then cool, but it doesnt matter new round.

Similarly if shot more than 2 over.

It means that you dont focus on bad holes, as an example at the weekend i shot 5 over, which included an 8 on a par 5. The next 3  holes i shot 3 under as i wasnt trying to chase shots and was just playing a new round.

I remember hearing that Stenson imagines he's +7 or so when standing on the first tee and he tries to get it back from there. Probably helps you forget about your score a bit.
I don't play many stablefords, but always find when I do I tend to forget about my score too, something which helps me at least.

George1507 wrote:

SmithersJones wrote: I think I must be delusional when it comes to my golf game because I feel like I hit the ball as well as I ever have done, like my putting is as good as it's ever been if not better, like my short game has improved and yet my handicap has been on an upward slope pretty much without exception for two years now.

If your game is as good as you say, but your handicap is going up, then it is definitely down to either concentration issues or over-thinking. I play best when I'm out with a couple of pals, and we chat and joke on the way round. I'm not concentrating most of the time - when I have to play a shot then I decide what club it is and where it needs to go and then I hit it. It's just another 5 iron or another wedge or a chip or whatever it is. It seems easy. Over the years when I have tried to think about tempo or posture or alignment all the way round, I just get tired and lose it entirely at some point. And if I over-think things, then it all goes wrong. For example on Sunday, I stupidly three putted the 5th to drop a shot and I found myself thinking about forcing a birdie on the par 5 6th. So I was thinking about hitting a long drive, giving me a good chance of getting on for two, and a two putt birdie - or maybe an eagle to get things back on track. All this was going through my head, so needless to say the drive was pushed, then a chip out, then a five iron that just missed the green, an awkward chip and a six footer that went round the hole before dropping in. A maximum stress par, but I walked off feeling like it was another dropped shot.

My thought process after the 5th should have been - that three putt bogey was disappointing, but it happened and I'll forget it. Now I'm going to put a good swing on this drive. That's all.

Just focus on the next shot. Don't think about the last one, and certainly don't think about holes and shots further round the course. Next shot only. It will improve your scores.

Thanks George, I think you're spot on there. That's pretty much what I meant by following one mistake with another. I remember a recent round where I was level par for the first 8 holes (including a double and an eagle) and still finished + 11, mainly thanks to 3 treble bogey 8s. I definitely do dwell on dropped shots far too much and try to make up for them. Not withstanding my poor performances this year that's why matchplay suits me better I think, you can only lose one hole at a time and once it's lost you can only try and win it back on the next.

Mac - I started my post with the suggestion I may be delusional so your question is rather redundant.

SmithersJones wrote:I remember a recent round where I was level par for the first 8 holes (including a double and an eagle) and still finished + 11, mainly thanks to 3 treble bogey 8s.

I'm FOREVER doing this! Both ways round.
I've had two rounds recently, one where I was level gross after 9 and one where I was -1 gross after 8, started thinking about the handicap cut (which is usually what I think about, i'm not too fussed about winning the comp to be honest) and both managed to finish level handicap (11) or worse!

My last round, last Saturday, I played the front 9 shockingly and was 9 over at half way. Completely had written if off in my head. Did the back in level par and finished net 2 under, won the medal and a 0.4 cut. Go figure!

I like the idea of breaking the round into 6 separate rounds of 3 holes and am definitely going to try this, thanks Naytorious  

Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course — the distance between your ears. ~Bobby Jones

According to a number of waitresses around the US, the 5 inch course that TW plays on was not necessarily the one between the ears...

allegedly, of course

MontysMerkin wrote:Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course — the distance between your ears. ~Bobby Jones

Good job it's not the distance between your eyes as most Oirish players would be playing on a very small course indeed.

McLaren wrote:


My list would be

1. Constantly fighting a hook on drives.

2. Coming out the shot and catching iron shots on the bottom half of the club.  (I think due to poor footwork)

3. Very poor ball striking with my long irons compared to the shorter ones.



What would yours be?

Those are mine also.
1. Due to grip , not being in the fingers
2. exactly
3. No idea what causes this, probably trying to hit it to hard & losing tempo.

SetupDeterminesTheMotion wrote:

McLaren wrote:


My list would be

1. Constantly fighting a hook on drives.

2. Coming out the shot and catching iron shots on the bottom half of the club.  (I think due to poor footwork)

3. Very poor ball striking with my long irons compared to the shorter ones.



What would yours be?

Those are mine also.
1. Due to grip , not being in the fingers
2. exactly
3. No idea what causes this, probably trying to hit it to hard & losing tempo.

Hmmm. Unless I'm very much mistaken, having your grip such that the club is more in your fingers will exacerbate a hook tendency.

Super

Did you ever get round to looking up early extension?

If so I would be interested to hear if you think it could contribute to the sort of issues we both seem to suffer with the irons?

I tend not to get too technical Mac, I always hear people talking about "going too far on the outside" or "getting over the top" and I think that people get too self analytical about it.
I really don't know enough about the mechanics of the swing to try and fix whatever problems I have so instead I will make modifications to my existing swing such as ball position, backswing length, where I'm gripping, amount of forward press, swing speed etc.
I didn't get to my current handicap without a modicum of talent, so I wouldn't want to try and self diagnose any particular issue and perhaps go backwards or ingrain more bad habits.

My last lesson was about weight transfer and swing length, so I'm working on that right now, and it seems to be working, tighter dispersion and I shot level par with complete ease at the weekend.

on TOC?

Not this week. Eden

navyblueshorts wrote:

SetupDeterminesTheMotion wrote:

McLaren wrote:


My list would be

1. Constantly fighting a hook on drives.

2. Coming out the shot and catching iron shots on the bottom half of the club.  (I think due to poor footwork)

3. Very poor ball striking with my long irons compared to the shorter ones.



What would yours be?

Those are mine also.
1. Due to grip , not being in the fingers
2. exactly
3. No idea what causes this, probably trying to hit it to hard & losing tempo.

Hmmm. Unless I'm very much mistaken, having your grip such that the club is more in your fingers will exacerbate a hook tendency.

What ?

Your club is supposed to be in your fingers, not in the palm of your hand.

This allows the club to release much better.

Isn't it supposed to be in the palm of the left hand but the fingers of the right?

Whatever works for you obviously.

Imagine cutting a large tree down with an axe. That's the technique required.

SmithersJones wrote:Isn't it supposed to be in the palm of the left hand but the fingers of the right?

Not really

In the fingers of both hands.

The only club that should be in the palm of your hands is your putter.