is it me? or is it all too much?

do you think the art of the golf swing is overexaggerated? too complicated? dont get me wrong, but i know golf's not easy, but there are so many videos, programmes and all sorts on the internet. it just gets confusing. ive had training and developed a pretty good swing for the amount of time ive been playing (january 2011) but its just lost me! tiger once said, "what ever works for you, do it"

but coaches seem to think different.

Anyone else feel the same?

I also started in a january albeit 1959, I got a book from the library, played 2 rounds a day, every day for five months, joined a club in May and my first handicap was 6, won the May medal cut to 5, won the June medal cut to 4. I was scratch the following year 1960. I still feel that if anyone is going to achieve this standard then they will do it relatively quickly.

I could post up any number of links to vids of professional golfers whose swings are not conventional. What they have is a swing that repeats, which means the end result is very similiar. If you have the right grip and stance you're more than half way to hitting good shots. Then its down to the psychology of learning. The quality of information you seek out, and copy, will determine the foundation of your swing. Then its down to learning from mistakes, e.g. you try something and it doesn't work so do you immediately dropped that idea or do you try and perfect it...

So that's the swing but what about the feel and judgement? You're 5yds off the green, and there's plenty of green before the hole. Learning the feel and judgement to get the ball close only comes with having a good technique and practicing that situation. 

Is the swing complicated? No, but it has to consistently repeat. Is it difficult to post a good score? No, but you be amazed at how easy it is to post a bad score by not navigating around the course properly. If the ball is in the rough/trees you've got to be realistic about how well you can get it out. The right choice will give you a chance of a par but the wrong choice will give you a double bogey - make the wrong choice 3 times and, potentially, you're 6 over par and you won't make 6 birdies to cover those dropped shots.

John, that is an astonishing rate of improvement and one that I can't see being bettered!! I must arrange to come and see you next summer for a lesson or two!

David ur right it really was ,is ,and without a cavity,hybrid,specialist wedge or 460cc insight! sorry couldn't help that.http://www.golfshake.com/scripts/ckeditor362/plugins/smiley/images/wink_smile.gif" title="wink" width="20" />

Statisically a scratch player arrives at scratch within two years.

Whats even more amazing the book he got from the library was about steam trains!! http://www.golfshake.com/scripts/ckeditor362/plugins/smiley/images/teeth_smile.gif" title="laugh" width="20" />

David, H, you are always welcome to pop down to my club for a little appraisal of your current game. I am amazed that you have not made the transition into single figures considering how far you can hit a golf ball.

Dave Ley is, of course, another enigma, has all the skills and requiremnts needed, a better iron striker would be hard to find, but he really must learn how to chip consistently.

Perhaps a book on steam trains might be of help to him.

Dave Ley, the best steam train book I could recommend is my bible, Tom Watson's Getting up and down from 40 yds and in. For me, an absolute classic.

That should do the trick, Brian, is it in Welsh?

It's definitely narrow gauge John

Cheers John, I'm no where near the player Dave is but I suffer the same problem, Im happier from 100 yards than 40 so next year the focus is going to be on my short game, lots of practice and the odd lesson!

Bri, book ordered . £4.50 on the bay inc postage,Stocking filler from the kids, cheers.