mol on 13/2/2006 at 08:31

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Take a few lessons from your club's Pro. He'll be able to see where your technique needs improving the most, and guide you in the best practices to get your game in gear.

But to offer some quick advice on your swing, first you will no doubt recall that there are only in the order of 300 separate things to keep in mind during your golf swing, and that you recognize that when your swing seems natural, balanced and enjoyable, you're doing it wrong.

For further lifting up of spirits (also known as the 19th hole), buy Henry Beard's "The Official Exceptions to the Rules of Golf" for some invaluable advice on how to handle complex situations such as:

Ball Missing in Fairway but Obviously Not Lost (Golf Ball of the Gods)
Unfairway (Pete Dye Lie)
Preposterous Shot (Goadies)
Unnecessary Rough (Free Kick)
Suicidal Shot (Kevorkian)

and

Ball Playable in Water Hazard but Just Not Worth It (Sloppy Shot).

With these and many other deep insights into the game of golf you will be able to, if not bring down your handicap, then at least feel better about being a hopeless player (like all the others on the course).

Remember, we all hit 300 preposterous shots consecutively, but then comes that one perfect, absolutely flawless and beautiful shot that gives us the motivation and (ill-placed) belief in our abilities to actually improve upon our game that carries us over the next 300 frivolous shots.

FORE!

mol on 13/2/2006 at 10:00

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It would still be my recommendation to invest in a Pro's time, even for half an hour to look at your basic techniques, to see if there are any major faults there that you should work on, and to teach you a few good refresher/practice excercises that you can then continue on your own.

If you really want to pick up on your game, the worst thing you can do in my opinion is to take lessons from people who call themselves golf experts, or at least think of themselves as such. You might end up practicing the wrong way, making the game harder for yourself and even painful or harmful for your body (twisting your body in ways that aren't good for your body in the long run, etc).

Also practicing alone, if you're unsure what you should be practicing, is equally non-beneficial.

The Pros fees vary greatly depending on the course, so look around. I found Pro fees ranging from 20 euros to 45 and up to 100 per hour, one round with a Pro 60 euros, and I'm sure you can find cheaper prices, on some free-for-all courses you might even get free lessons! One round with a pro, an hour or even half an hour of personal training would be the best way to get you jumpstarted again.

The green fees aren't exactly cheap, either, at least where I have played, so unless you get to play for free, consider exchanging one or two rounds of golf to one Pro lesson. I don't think there are any tricks that you can learn neither from books nor videos that could replace even 30 minutes worth of personal hands-on training from someone who really knows what he's doing.

harley on 13/2/2006 at 16:33

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Keep your head down!

Drink.(Well, that's a given)

Get proficient with a foot wedge!;)

D'Juhn Keep on 13/2/2006 at 22:20

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I played golf from about 8 til I was 18, stopping because it was impractical to play at university, got down to 11 at my best. I never really played often enough to get to single figures back then. Anyway!

Books aren't that useful. Pro lessons are! My mum (who was a single-figure golfer) once had some video lessons with Beverly Lewis, which really helped her out. As she was getting the tips and then able to constantly check what she was doing/doing wrong. For myself, I found watching tour professionals and trying just to emulate what they did helped my game quite a lot. I'd advise having some lessons and copying how the very best players do things until you're playing decently. I find that to really improve your game quite quickly, playing 18 holes 3 times a week is pretty good. Twice a week is OK and you'll improve, but not that quickly. In the end it depends how seriously you want to take it. As a junior member of a private club, the fees were only £150 per year. This is a club in Greater London and adult fees are around £700 per year, with a £1k joining fee, along with a probationary period in which you have to demonstrate that you're not a twat, basically. I know it's a bit different in America, not sure how clubs are like in Aus.

Hope any of this helps. :)

WAREAGLE on 14/2/2006 at 06:05

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Keep your head down, keep your feet shoulder width apart, keep your back straight, stick your butt out, keep your eye on the ball, just relax when you hit it, just try to have fun, let your right shoulder brign your head around when you hit it, take your club back slow, level and straight, and dont think about anything! :weird: