golf

[bingo70]

:grr:

How frustrating is this game?

Decided to take it up towards the end of last year, (christ knows why i never just waited till the summer), and it's doin ma head in already, i just cannae hit the ****ing ball straight :grr:

Despite the frustrating side of it i'm really enjoying it and cannae wait for the summer so i can hopefully start playing a bit more regularly in the better weather.

Anyway to get to my point, been looking into the possibility of joining a club, do people think it's best holding off for a while to see how the recession effects joining on fees etc or will the clubs be addressing this already?

cheers

(p.s any tips on curing a slice are much appreciated :greengrin)

[Barney McGrew]

(p.s any tips on curing a slice are much appreciated :greengrin)

Don't drink so much before you get to the first tee :wink:

[bingo70]

Don't drink so much before you get to the first tee :wink:

**** that then, i'll take up darts :wink:

[greenlex]

:grr:

How frustrating is this game?

Decided to take it up towards the end of last year, (christ knows why i never just waited till the summer), and it's doin ma head in already, i just cannae hit the ****ing ball straight :grr:

Despite the frustrating side of it i'm really enjoying it and cannae wait for the summer so i can hopefully start playing a bit more regularly in the better weather.

Anyway to get to my point, been looking into the possibility of joining a club, do people think it's best holding off for a while to see how the recession effects joining on fees etc or will the clubs be addressing this already?

cheers

(p.s any tips on curing a slice are much appreciated :greengrin)

Most clubs will be falling overthemselves to get new members at the moment Bingo. You should have your pick of clubs. Clubs out of town will be much less expensive than the ones in town but obviousy you would have travelling expense. Most will not have a joining fee any more which usually equates to a years subscription. Some will do you a deal so it's worthwhile shopping around.

If you are serious about getting better then go and see a professional and get some lessons. I have never had a lesson and you wouldn't believe how hard it is to progress when you have tens of years with a swing full of bad habits.
If I had spent the money on lessons rather than every gimmick going over the years I could have saved a fortune.
Most of all if you enjoy it stick with it. Its a frustrating game for sure but you can play it well into your retirement.

[Sean1875]

used to play golf quite frequently as my family were all members of Turnhouse and my grandma had my name down on the waiting list after about a week after i was born.

Gave it up last summer as i got far too annoyed, ended up just wishing my round would be over.
Was a shame cause if you got into it it would be a really good sport to participate in :agree:

[Golden Bear]

Golf is addictive no doubt about it. When you play well you want to get back for another game as soon as possible. On the other hand, when you play badly you want to get back as soon as possible to sort it out!

It must be the most humbling game on earth and the only certainty is that no one has, or ever will, play the perfect round.

[Golden Bear]

Most clubs will be falling overthemselves to get new members at the moment Bingo. You should have your pick of clubs. Clubs out of town will be much less expensive than the ones in town but obviousy you would have travelling expense. Most will not have a joining fee any more which usually equates to a years subscription. Some will do you a deal so it's worthwhile shopping around.

If you are serious about getting better then go and see a professional and get some lessons. I have never had a lesson and you wouldn't believe how hard it is to progress when you have tens of years with a swing full of bad habits.
If I had spent the money on lessons rather than every gimmick going over the years I could have saved a fortune.Most of all if you enjoy it stick with it. Its a frustrating game for sure but you can play it well into your retirement.

:agree:

Like us all I suspect!

[Woody1985]

:grr:

How frustrating is this game?

Decided to take it up towards the end of last year, (christ knows why i never just waited till the summer), and it's doin ma head in already, i just cannae hit the ****ing ball straight :grr:

Despite the frustrating side of it i'm really enjoying it and cannae wait for the summer so i can hopefully start playing a bit more regularly in the better weather.

Anyway to get to my point, been looking into the possibility of joining a club, do people think it's best holding off for a while to see how the recession effects joining on fees etc or will the clubs be addressing this already?

cheers

(p.s any tips on curing a slice are much appreciated :greengrin)

My personal tip for hooking the ball when driving is;

When you hit the ball and it generally goes 10/20 yards left of where you wanted it to go. On your next drive, aim 10/20 yards to the right of where you are aiming.

It's suprising how well this 'technique' works for me. :LOL:

[sg7nil]

:grr:

How frustrating is this game?

Decided to take it up towards the end of last year, (christ knows why i never just waited till the summer), and it's doin ma head in already, i just cannae hit the ****ing ball straight :grr:

Despite the frustrating side of it i'm really enjoying it and cannae wait for the summer so i can hopefully start playing a bit more regularly in the better weather.

Anyway to get to my point, been looking into the possibility of joining a club, do people think it's best holding off for a while to see how the recession effects joining on fees etc or will the clubs be addressing this already?

cheers

(p.s any tips on curing a slice are much appreciated :greengrin)

Used to slice very badly myself, and the harder you try to cure it the worse it gets... this is because you are hitting the ball with an "out to in" motion.. basically you are coming across the ball and the clubface (which can be as square to the target as you like at impact) is travelling slightly towards you.. this imparts slice spin and makes the ball go right in the air. The only way I found to cure it is to stand slightly closer to the ball (so you are not overreaching at address).. Make sur that your grip is sound with your right hand well round and over the top of the grip.. take the club back slowly in a straight line behind the ball and keep the clubface close to the ground as you begin your takeaway (I.E. don't cock your wrists too early) when you start your downswing, concentrate on getting the clubface at the ball square and try to imagine a tee peg stuck in the ground a few inches in front of the ball (when you are practicing you can even do this) and try to hit the tee after you hit the ball. This should help to keep the clubface travelling straight through the impact (do it slowly at first until you get the feel of what it's like).. finally try for a high finish with your arms away from your body (try not to finish with the club shaft wrapping round your back)... presto straight(er) shots.. :thumbsup: now you just need to worry about distance..:wink:

edit.. P.S. if you overdo it, you could end up hooking the ball!

[bingo70]

Used to slice very badly myself, and the harder you try to cure it the worse it gets... this is because you are hitting the ball with an "out to in" motion.. basically you are coming across the ball and the clubface (which can be as square to the target as you like at impact) is travelling slightly towards you.. this imparts slice spin and makes the ball go right in the air. The only way I found to cure it is to stand slightly closer to the ball (so you are not overreaching at address).. Make sur that your grip is sound with your right hand well round and over the top of the grip.. take the club back slowly in a straight line behind the ball and keep the clubface close to the ground as you begin your takeaway (I.E. don't cock your wrists too early) when you start your downswing, concentrate on getting the clubface at the ball square and try to imagine a tee peg stuck in the ground a few inches in front of the ball (when you are practicing you can even do this) and try to hit the tee after you hit the ball. This should help to keep the clubface travelling straight through the impact (do it slowly at first until you get the feel of what it's like).. finally try for a high finish with your arms away from your body (try not to finish with the club shaft wrapping round your back)... presto straight(er) shots.. :thumbsup: now you just need to worry about distance..:wink:

edit.. P.S. if you overdo it, you could end up hooking the ball!

cheers for that, some good advice there, very much appreciated :thumbsup:

i can only dream of hooking the ball just now, i'm sure that'll change in due course though :wink:

[Hibrandenburg]

:grr:

How frustrating is this game?

Decided to take it up towards the end of last year, (christ knows why i never just waited till the summer), and it's doin ma head in already, i just cannae hit the ****ing ball straight :grr:

Despite the frustrating side of it i'm really enjoying it and cannae wait for the summer so i can hopefully start playing a bit more regularly in the better weather.

Anyway to get to my point, been looking into the possibility of joining a club, do people think it's best holding off for a while to see how the recession effects joining on fees etc or will the clubs be addressing this already?

cheers

(p.s any tips on curing a slice are much appreciated :greengrin)


Played golf for the first time ever in Oct last year. Last two times I played I scored 34 over par which I'm quite proud of even though I haven't a clue if that's a decent improvement or not over the time I've been playing. Was out in the snow last week and only lost 1 ball :thumbsup:

[bingo70]

Played golf for the first time ever in Oct last year. Last two times I played I scored 34 over par which I'm quite proud of even though I haven't a clue if that's a decent improvement or not over the time I've been playing. Was out in the snow last week and only lost 1 ball :thumbsup:

first time i played and never lost a ball i nearly cried with joy, my whole family got a text telling them about it :greengrin

I'm just about breaking the hundred the now which i think is ok considering how long i've been playing, reckon with sg7nils tips i'll have the sport cracked by the end of the summer and i'll have a new fad come autumn :agree:

BTW was your 34 over par on a 9 or 18 hole course? :wink:

[Hibrandenburg]

first time i played and never lost a ball i nearly cried with joy, my whole family got a text telling them about it :greengrin

I'm just about breaking the hundred the now which i think is ok considering how long i've been playing, reckon with sg7nils tips i'll have the sport cracked by the end of the summer and i'll have a new fad come autumn :agree:

BTW was your 34 over par on a 9 or 18 hole course? :wink:

Aye, his tips sounded good in theory, but I'm sure to make a hash of them in practise. :greengrin

Said 34 over par but really it was 17 over a 9 hole course, same thing I think :dunno:

[greenlex]

Used to slice very badly myself, and the harder you try to cure it the worse it gets... this is because you are hitting the ball with an "out to in" motion.. basically you are coming across the ball and the clubface (which can be as square to the target as you like at impact) is travelling slightly towards you.. this imparts slice spin and makes the ball go right in the air. The only way I found to cure it is to stand slightly closer to the ball (so you are not overreaching at address).. Make sur that your grip is sound with your right hand well round and over the top of the grip.. take the club back slowly in a straight line behind the ball and keep the clubface close to the ground as you begin your takeaway (I.E. don't cock your wrists too early) when you start your downswing, concentrate on getting the clubface at the ball square and try to imagine a tee peg stuck in the ground a few inches in front of the ball (when you are practicing you can even do this) and try to hit the tee after you hit the ball. This should help to keep the clubface travelling straight through the impact (do it slowly at first until you get the feel of what it's like).. finally try for a high finish with your arms away from your body (try not to finish with the club shaft wrapping round your back)... presto straight(er) shots.. :thumbsup: now you just need to worry about distance..:wink:

edit.. P.S. if you overdo it, you could end up hooking the ball!


Most of the above should indeed help except the bit in bold. This will in fact weaken your grip and actually promote a slice or left to right ball movement. (assuming you are right handed) A stronger grip where the right hand is further round kinda underneath the grip will do the opposite and promote right to left ball flight and straighten your slice out.
Also try and get the club head moving from in to out at impact or straight down the line.
This will help your slice but will cause other problems later when you improve and want to get even better. Like I said in a previous post go get lessons. Not one or two but a series of them. It will be money well spent. If you don't have a club go up ti the Braid Hills driving range. The guys up there are really good. Facility wise there is nothing b etter around than Kings Acre at Lasswade but I have no idea if the pro's there are any good at teaching. I would imagine they would be.


cheers for that, some good advice there, very much appreciated :thumbsup:

i can only dream of hooking the ball just now, i'm sure that'll change in due course though :wink:

[bingo70]

Most of the above should indeed help except the bit in bold. This will in fact weaken your grip and actually promote a slice or left to right ball movement. (assuming you are right handed) A stronger grip where the right hand is further round kinda underneath the grip will do the opposite and promote right to left ball flight and straighten your slice out.
Also try and get the club head moving from in to out at impact or straight down the line.
This will help your slice but will cause other problems later when you improve and want to get even better. Like I said in a previous post go get lessons. Not one or two but a series of them. It will be money well spent. If you don't have a club go up ti the Braid Hills driving range. The guys up there are really good. Facility wise there is nothing b etter around than Kings Acre at Lasswade but I have no idea if the pro's there are any good at teaching. I would imagine they would be.

Thanks for that mate.

Was playing again today and i was worse than ever, the more i try to sort out my slice the worse its getting so i'm probably just exaggerating my bad habits :grr: decided during the round i should get some lessons so going to go up to braid hills next week i think.

cheers again for all advice given on this thread :thumbsup:

[Pretty Boy]

Thanks for that mate.

Was playing again today and i was worse than ever, the more i try to sort out my slice the worse its getting so i'm probably just exaggerating my bad habits :grr: decided during the round i should get some lessons so going to go up to braid hills next week i think.

cheers again for all advice given on this thread :thumbsup:

Stick at it mate, used to be delighted if i broke 100 but with a decent teacher and a great deal of patience improvement comes gradually. If you do see a pro it's worth getting him to take a look at your clubs, it's amazing what a difference having clubs that are the right size for you does. I added 2 inches recently and the difference is unbelievable. Plus a beginner shouldn't be using clubs which are too 'bladed', they give you a better touch around the green but are far less forgiving when you mis-hit it, which as you will know is fairly common to begin with.

As an aside i played for the first time this year today after an unrelated cruciate injury and shot a highly respectable 88 around Lothianburn in shockingly windy conditions and feeling so so rusty.

A great game with a cracking social scene which is enjoyed by people of all ages.

[Houchy]

Most of the above should indeed help except the bit in bold. This will in fact weaken your grip and actually promote a slice or left to right ball movement. (assuming you are right handed) A stronger grip where the right hand is further round kinda underneath the grip will do the opposite and promote right to left ball flight and straighten your slice out.
Also try and get the club head moving from in to out at impact or straight down the line.
This will help your slice but will cause other problems later when you improve and want to get even better. Like I said in a previous post go get lessons. Not one or two but a series of them. It will be money well spent. If you don't have a club go up ti the Braid Hills driving range. The guys up there are really good. Facility wise there is nothing b etter around than Kings Acre at Lasswade but I have no idea if the pro's there are any good at teaching. I would imagine they would be.

I know that one of the pros up there previously was Claude Harmon, one of the Harmon brothers ie Butch Harmon aka Tigers ex coach, so yeah, not too shabby.:agree:

[col02]

Thanks for that mate.

Was playing again today and i was worse than ever, the more i try to sort out my slice the worse its getting so i'm probably just exaggerating my bad habits :grr: decided during the round i should get some lessons so going to go up to braid hills next week i think.

cheers again for all advice given on this thread :thumbsup:

You need to watch as the slice can become a mental thing after a fashion if you let it affect every shot you take! I used to be quite bad at slicing the ball and found it best to vary your stance until you find one that takes the slice shot out of the equation. Tweak it just a wee bit so you are setting up to play a slight draw rather than having the stance open too much. Also worth mentioning that you do not need to mash every shot as if you can keep your power to say 80% you have far more control and with it comes confidence too. Better hitting a drive say 240 yards on to the fairway than 280 yards into the rough!:greengrin I also try at times to play conservative golf in playing some par 4's as par 5's and if i hit a bogey i am on target whereas anything better is a bonus.

[GREEN BRAZIL]

One of the best golf tips ever. You hit the ball as hard as you can, then go find it and hit it as hard again Arnold Palmer

[GREEN BRAZIL]

one of the easiest methods if your going down the self taught road is stack and tilt, it puts your hands and body in the correct position in a very simplistic way