golfrewind.com

I see posts here all the time with people wanting that one quick fix for their game. That one video, training aid, club, shaft, grip that will put their game over the top to be a tour type player and do the things we see on tv.

People looking to drive it longer want the newest "longest" driver...or the longest ball, when in reality from the cheapest ball to the most expensive ball you wont even see that much difference or be able to feel much difference.

People wanting to spin the ball and back it up on the green want that ball that spins the most, or how to cut deeper grooves in their clubs to get more spin, or the newest wedge that creates more spin. When in reality 90% of amateurs under club theirself anyway so they'll be short on approach shots most the time so spinning it will leave them further from the hole anyway.

People wanting to get rid of their slice but have no idea how the swing works or know the basic fundamentals of the game. They just go to the range and whack 50 balls with a driver as hard as they can and then scratch their head.

I don't see a whole lot of posts here from people asking about fundamentals. Only about how to get rid of the slice, hit it 300 yards, spin it more, etc.

If you have good fundamentals, you'll get rid of that slice, you'll hit it longer (maybe not 300 but longer), and you'll natually spin it more regardless of what ball or wedge you're using.

Go to the bookstore, go online there are tons of resources at your disposal to learn the basics or go to a pro even for a few lessons and you'll be off to a good start.

Golf is the hardest game I can think of and you cannot run with it until you learn how to walk.

Okay, I'm done.

Well spoken, Deron. This is so true of golfers. Especially the underclubbing bit. Learn how to hit the distance, THEN manipulate the ball flight. There's no point in doing #2 before #1. The only person you're hurting is yourself.

Your absolutely correct Derron.

One thing that I believe needs to be stated is that mid to high handicappers focus too much on their score. Yes, keep score, but concentrate more learning, getting better, and working to engrain good fundamental habits. When I play a round at my home course, I'm trying to better myself, work on course managment and strategy, even if it's one specific fundamental, I'll work on that the whole round. They say that playing a round isn't where you should be tinkering, but I feel it's the best way to improve - learn AS your playing. Make the score your secondary focus.

Simple answer to your question; Most of us can't or don't want to put the time into the game that it requires. Golf is a very difficult game that requires physical and mental skills. The game is "cold".....it gives us only what we are willing to give it. To improve we have to practice, equipment can make it easier but we have to spend some serious time on the range (with proper instruction/help). Other than that guess we have to be content with playing the game badly.

I can definitely understand the "can't" when talking about practice. We all have personal lives, work, etc. But if the "want" is not there then you shouldn't be playing golf in my opinion. Find something you actually want to do. If you're going out, playing bad, then looking for short cuts because you don't like to practice, then don't play, plain and simple. Or, as you said...if you're not going to put in the effort to practice and get better, at least realize that there are no short cuts in golf, no secret gadget, no ball/club/shaft/etc that will instantly make you better, and that you're going to play bad as a direct result and just be content with playing bad.

I think the word we're looking for is "STUDENT." We've heard the phrase before "becoming a student of the game."

To play golf well, you must take the time to learn how to play it well. It takes time and commitment. I think of it like going to school every time I practice or play.

If your trying to learn, say, biology, you can't take "short-cuts" to learn it. That's like reading cliff-notes and then saying- "I'm good at biology now." Well, that is probably a bad example ,but at least the comparison helps to better understand.

And yes, all the best equipment, loads of hours at the range, a tip here and another tip there, will not make a fundamentally poor swing any better and you will still play poor golf.

"why is evryone looking for shortcuts?"

The short answer - instant gratification!

It fits the modern philosophy, along with junk food!

Not necessarily a bad example... just need to think of a better "Quick Fix" (gimmick).






















Got it! Take Biology, then rather than taking notes and studying, buying a walkman and a set of sleep tapes to teach you the course overnight.

To the person above who says that a person with a hook, slice, cut, fade, draw or whatever should just "play that shot" . . . that is absolutely terrible advice. That is a patch. That doesn't help you become a better player at all. Because the people who are slicing the ball like that are the ones who are terribly inconsistent. If you want to play better golf you have to have better practice. Learning to play to your fault does you no good. Playing to a draw or a fade is one thing, but playing to a slice or a hook is another. Someone who isn't good enough to hit it straight (for the most part) is more than likely not good enough to calculate how much he/she is going to slice or hook the ball.

Well. i went down the range hitting balls two weeks ago and was using the driver to whack balls 150 yards with a wicked hook. After comming across this forum and reading up and doing my own few posts, i've started to learn the basics and the other day while playing i finally start to feel i was swinging properly and it was feeling right!

Now at the range i do a bit of streching, take a few swings of the training club (Which does help my swing immensly and i've only had it 6 days) and start from a 7 Iron and work down to the driver. Dotn often slive or hook, but i do sometimes which is excepted for a Newbie. But i can hit striaght 75% of the time! (can get over 250 yards soometimes which is nice ;) )

Sunday we went to a local 12 hole course, yea its a bit basic but there a few kinks and doglegs (nothing massive) and most have a few bunkers guarding the green, water and lots of trees, roughs abd bushes. Yardage ranges from 195 with most @ 350. x3 400 yarders and 1 530. Its great for beginers who can hit the ball respectivley.

Most of my improvement has been learnt by reading up on this forum (Few other bits on the net too). Now, just got to stop lifting my head up on Iron shots !

I was getting a bit annoyed when i couldnt hit the ball, now i've got it in my head that im excepting too much and to take my time and enjoy it and theres NO short cuts unless your natrualy giffted!

The problem comes from how we improve.

We can hit that great shot early in our learning but it's 1 in a 1000. Then as we improve that great shot doesn't get better, we hit it 1 in 750 then 1 in 500 and so on. Our worst shot starts from staying where it was to 10yds away, 20yds away etc. Because of this we think that because we can hit that one great shot there is an easy fix to hit it every time.

As a golfer of 38 years experience and a Pro for 15yrs I can tell you it isn't.

I have to say though when I was at last weekend one of the fourball in front aim far left on every shot but got the ball exactly wher he wanted it , none of our fourball had ever seen anything like it before

The answer I have is, why make things harder than it is? If the latest and greatest equiptment will make you a better player then why not get it? If the newest driver is more forgiving then it will make it easier to play better.