Why is it so difficult?
 

I'm sitting here watching the Honda, and most of these brightly clad overly tan dudes make the golf swing look so simple. Turn it back, turn it through. Oh, and they do it so the club head is moving about 2,000 MPH, but they look like they're in slow motion.

Sheesh. It seems so easy when you see it on the TV machine.

Kevin

In my day dreams I look and play surprisingly similar to them. You wouldn't believe some of the shots I've pulled off with little-to-no effort.

they make it look easy in person too

Compared to them, mine looks like.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml05/05027a.jpg

Oh ok then I must look like this then

Spoiler http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2159/...2a68f30157.jpg

now that is too funny!!!!!!!! Lmao

I know it looks soooo effortless it makes me sick. I was just watching Fred Couples and just got ill to the stomach on how he and all the players just swing through the ball with a full follow-thru.

I then keep in mind that most have played for decades and this is their job and simply a hobby (at best) for me. That consoles me for bit....until I see the next pro swing and there I go again.

An interesting excercize is to try and make one of those effortless swings without aiming at a golf ball. You might be surprised at how well you can swing when there is no target or ball to worry about.

Unfortunately (IMHO) "taking that easy practice swing to the ball" is not nearly as easy as you would expect.

dave

This goes back to my theory that for some reason we dont look at PGA golfers as athletes. We dont compare ourselves to Lebron, Peyton Manning, Roger Federer, or any others, but yet with golf, we are constantly comparing ourselves to them.

I've been taking lessons at GolfTec and that's exactly how they teach, they compare side by side with pro's at every position of the swing. I'm golden right up to the point of impact now http://www.thehackersparadise.com/fo...es/biggrin.png That first week was ugly, I wasn't in a good position at any point.

So true JB. I wonder why we do that? That is why I keep going back to these players have been "at it" for decades and it is their JOB...they are supposed to be at that level IMHO. It helps to keep me sane.

I read in the March Golf Digest of a how a 6 h/c played Pebble Beach from the Black tees to see what he could shoot. He shot 100 but the article showed me just how difficult it is playing from the tips and really highlighted how good these players are. If a 6 h/c shot 100 and the tour pro can shoot in 60's who am I to think I should be close to that.

C'mon.......who am I to compare myself to anyone who can regularly cover 550+ yards and put it on the green in only 2 shots. We just dont play the same game.

I just had my second lesson with my new swing coach. Last week I was getting a little frustrated. He called me over and showed me a play back of my practice swing. It gave me hope. My practice swings were on plane with very good position at most points. Like my coach says "make a swing and just let the ball get in the way". If it were so easy.................

I can get just as falling down drunk as Daly, bout as close to a PGA or LPGA player as I can get.

I think one of the reasons we compare ourselves to golfers is because essentially you're competing against the course and against the game itself. In basketball and football, you need to be either bigger or faster - not so much in golf. You've just got to control that stick and hit that little white ball with a sweet swing that somehow eludes us. There's no way we're going to sprout up to 6'6" and dunk like Kobe or Lebron, but we think a pro golf swing is attainable. For example, I can make par sometimes, but I can't dunk... at all.

When I first started playing I remember someone saying "let the club do the work." What frustrates me is... have you ever seen Tiger Woods tee off? That guy looks like he's swinging out of his shoes! It's not really an effortless swing if you ask me, but more like he's swinging with authority! Why can't I do that?

After going to the practice range at the Accenture Match Play and watching these guys hit balls, I knew I had to make some changes in my swing. First, I tend to swing too hard. I have started making that adjustment already. Also, they swing with pace and freedom. Their form is deliberate. They make a very deliberate backswing and once they get in position at the top, it looks like they swing as smooth as silk through to a full finish.

It truly is a fluid motion that the ball just happens to get in the way of. They looked to me like they were swinging the club to toward the hole. The ball was just caught up in this motion and got directed toward the hole by the swing motion. I hope that isn't a confusing explanation, it is hard to describe.

Watching them has changed the way I practice. Now, I want to make a swing that leaves me in balance at the finish with the ball on my intended line. I care much less about the distance, just the direction. I figure I can change clubs for distance, direction is the key. Watching them, I think this is how they manage to repeat so accurately.

The PGA isn't bragging when they say "These Guys are good."

Oh and another thing!

Why is it that in my living room I can putt so good and roll the ball so nicely but it's just not the same on the green?

Can anyone make a really long putt without the ball skidding the first five feet?

HOWEVER, every once in a while we hit a shot or make a putt that even a pro would envy. :-)

Good stuff C-Tech. Something I need to incorporate in my swing.

I putt very well in my L/R too (unless the cat derails the ball). A pro videotaped in slow motion my putting stroke and ball contact and was very surprised that my ball only skids for maybe the first 6 to 8-inches. He called some other pros over to review the video and they all looked at me like I had two heads. One pro said I had a tour caliber putting stroke. (I think that is the only real complement I've ever received when it comes to golf, LOL.) It was a bit embarrassing actually.