Played a round yesterday, and I still struggle with hitting AT the ball. Anyone else? What has helped you get past this? SO frustrating.
Some backstory: Started studying Tom's online school and SNT, 10 months ago (a lot of You Tube videos of Tom won me over). Total time with SNT is about two years.
Before the round, on the range, I did not miss a shot: zero chunks, zero thins, absolute KFC ball-striking, on grass, hitting targets. On the course, my practice swings are pure. But many times, when it comes to making my "REAL" swing, I have lots of breakdowns : fast hands, chunks, thins, casting, pushed shots, you name it. I have difficulty making my swing, consistently, and fixate on hitting at the ball.
Anyone else? While SNT has me all-in, I cannot get my head right on the course.
I can smoothly hit a 5-iron 190-200 yards, on one shot, and chunk the next. Every drill has me in whack-a-mole mode. I can fix anything. and then something else crashes.
Is this just a matter of time, SNT burning in with more reps, or do I need to see a head doctor, or hypnotist? I'm kidding, but not kidding, you know?
Feel like I'm in the desert. The disparity between pure strikes and misses is just enormous.
Any suggestions or help is appreciated!
@Tim Rogers - Ah yes - the age-old question of how to transport "Ranger Rick" to the golf course. Most golfers experience that to varying degrees, and for a majority of amateurs that "hit" instinct is a stubborn one to suppress. All I can tell you is that this is part of the process, and as your practice performance becomes more and more consistent - which it appears to be - then it's just a function of time in terms of when/how that will translate itself to the pressures and challenges of actual play. As confidence in your swing grows you should find more and more that you are playing "golf" instead of "golf swing" on the course, at which point your mechanical thoughts - which if that is your actual list are far too many - will be reduced to one or two at the most, and you will be nearly entirely focused on your target and not your swing. An excellent book that may help you with this is "Fearless Golf: Conquering the Mental Game" by Dr. Gio Valiante. Another book that I like is "Play Your Best Golf Now" by Lynn Marriott & Pia Nilsson.
I suffer with the same issue. I tend to come over the top when I get nervous (which is on every shot while on the course),
For me the keys are to:
Setup musts: Pressure on lead foot, arms Plastered to the side of the chest, and elbow Pits pointing out. I call it the 3Ps. Maintain all three during the entrire swing.
Start of backswing: Commit to really bending my lead knee while shifting a bit of pressure to the inside of my trail foot
Start of dowswing: Slowly pushing off the inside of my trail foot while my arms stay Plastered and Pits out.
During downswing: try to push my lead knee past my stationary head.
When I can put this all together the downswing is effortless and the club speeds through the hitting zone like never before. I never really think about the ball except to keep my eyes on the inside back of it until my knee goes past my head.
Best of luck!
I am having the same problem but most often with the mid irons on irregular terraine. They are heavier and longer than short irons, and you are further from the ball, which makes them more difficult to control. Range tees are flat while many tees on my couse are not, so you are often hitting slightly up or down and this throws me off. On a slight upslope the swing feels awkward with he longer clubs. I struggle with keeping the weight going forward, shifting back out of posture which leads to chunks and slices. Try this yourself and let me know if you experience the same thing. I don't see anything yet on Tom's site addressing the topic of playing on irregular terraine.
Try giving your brain a task that has nothing to do with the ball. For instance, I'm going to send grass clippings to to the right of my aim point (for a draw). Or, I'm going to cut a dandelion stem. If you were trying to cut grass or a dandelion stem, you wouldn't "hit" it, you would come through level and slice through with the leading edge of your club head.
If you tell yourself to hit the ball, your brain will make sure you hit the ball, but you don't want to hit it, you want to send it to the target. Totally different task.
Good luck!