struggling big style

Good afternoon Chaps,

I am 25 handicap

Been playing really well (for my standard) and thought I had made the breakthrough. Saw the headlines, handicap reduction, trophies and hero status, in my household at least.

Well last week on the 17th, I felt the club turning in my hands on the tee and it was two late to back out, sliced it horribly and it has really affected my confidence. I finished the round and went to hit some balls the next day and I have completely forgotten how to hold the club, how to swing with any degree of orthodoxicity (new word?) and hit the ball further than 50yards. This has upset me greatly, my pro couldn't give me a lesson as he was tied up and so where all other local pros, such was the eagreness of me to get this problem sorted.

I got a pro to look at it with a 1hr lesson with camera the next day and I was hitting balls lovely with mid irons; he started me back with a half swing and built it up, but this has not been transferred to the next evening where I played 9 holes after work (I new I should have went to the practice ground but didn't)

In between this I withdrew from a couple of sunday tournements as I knew it would only make matters worse but I am feeling pretty bad, as nobody can give me a lesson till after the weekend.

My problems are; Grip (how to grip it, forgotten)
backswing is ok its the throughswing that is causing me to slice worse than I have ever done in my life

Any thoughts guys

regards
Tarka

Have you considered using a ribbed grip? They have a very slight raised ridge down the underside of the grip which fits nicely into the crease in your fingers. I use them on all my clubs and personally, I feel the club is more secure in my hands.

It's person preference but why not pop into your local golf superstore and ask to hold a club that is fitted with a ribbed grip? You may find them more to your liking.

will try it d4s,

i just struggle with remembering where in the hand the majority of the grip should be " pad of the hand / fleshy part" is what people say but when it all goes wrong I can't remember where it should be resting.

I thing if I was to analyse it, I was not getting trough the ball very well, right foot and all of that and the grip has gradually morphed into a completely incorrect on with loads of hand action to achieve a normal shot shape.

Make sure you grip the club in your fingers rather than your palms, it will help you release the club through impact rather than trying to 'steer' or 'power' through impact which can lead to all sorts of nasty faults.

Good luck

Check out your golf glove - if you're wearing a hole in the palm part, you're gripping it in the wrong place - as d4s says, it sould be held in your fingers with a grip pressure of about 40%.

Also, try squaring up your body alignment to minimise the slice.

mercurio, that is the part where my glove has been wearing.

cheers for that big man, love you in the merchant of venice, top stuff.

oh wait that was mercutio... just realised after I typed.

love golf, but hate when it goes Pete Tong

Tarka. Sometimes when it all goes to rats and you've lost your rhythm, slow your backswing right down and make sure you make a proper turn in the backswing. When we hit a bad one, there is a tendancy to speed up (anxiety will do this) and that makes things worse. I sometimes practice chipping one handed to get some rhythm back. I would also recommend using alignment tools (2 canes) on practice ground. I sometimes find my feet are out of sync with my body and I think I'm pointing in a certain direction only to be gleefully informed by playing partner as he takes another quid off me that my body is aiming in a different direction thus causing horrible slice. I'm sure your pro will put you right, but don't despair I've been playing this delightfully frustrating game for over 30 years and a nightmare can loom from anywhere at anytime, but there's always a few gooduns that make you smile and return for more punishment

More importantly........... Mercutio was Romeo & Juliet

Was it not Malvolio that was in the Merchant of Venice ?

Setup - that was Twelfth Night according to Wiki!

my error, was of course romeo and juliet! only read two Shakespeare plays at school and got the wrong one...

Will try slowing everything down, good observation when the panic sets in things quicken up and you try and smash it.

I have never experienced fear coming over me and that cold sweat and thinking everyone is looking at you (does anyone know what I mean?) since I schitt myself waiting at a bus stop after a heavy night out when I was at Uni but that was a different story for another forum

Tarka:
It's natural to feel self-conscious out there particularly on first tee - the reality is, everyone else is pre-occupied with their own game and I would take a few deep breaths before you step up to your shot, keep your grip nice and light, slow down your backswing and hit no more than 80% on every shot until you've got some confidence back. Don't worry if you have to use one or even 2 longer clubs to achieve the distance; it's not how but how many, especially off 25 handicap. Find a 'go to' club off the tee and go for it.

MustPuttBetter wrote:Setup - that was Twelfth Night according to Wiki!

This was straight off the top of my head. It is some time since I was at school. it was a very good school, it was approved.....