Learn To Do The Opposite!
Let's work on the premise that you'll always suck at golf until you learn how to NOT DO whatever it is you are doing wrong now. If you "always slice", you have to learn how to hit a hook. If you always hook, you have to learn to hit a big fade, and so on. To correct you swing flaws you need to know what it feels like to do the opposite. Once you learn to do that, finding the middle ground is much easier. And tweaking your game during the round is now possible.
Take me for example. I normally hit my T-shots fairly straight when I'm swinging my best. Arnold Palmer played a big draw, Jack Nicklaus worked a fade. (notice how I got myself in the same sentence as Jack and Arnie? ) I usually know after about the 3rd hole what I've got to contend with that day. If "I'm on", I'll be hitting the ball pretty straight and won't need to make any adjustments. However a lot of the time that's just not the case, and I'll have to adjust if I'm missing the fairway right or left. Knowing how to hit a draw and a fade allows me to adjust on the fly.
Even the worlds best golfers have days when they're off. Many of them also "discover" their "swing for the day" on the first few holes. Of course when Phil Mickelson is "off" he's not topping the ball down the fairway all day, but he has to make adjustments just like us. The absolute key to playing your best is to know why the ball is flying a certain way and how to correct it. The best way to learn that is to learn what it feels like to hit the various shots. You need to learn how to hit a hook, a draw, a fade, and a slice. (you may have the Slice down already)You're not learning to hit a hook for the odd chance that you'll wind up behind a big tree on the 13th hole and have to duck hook one to have a shot at the green. You're going to learn to hit a hook so you know what it feels like to hit a hook. (on purpose) Once you know the mechanics and feel of hitting the various shots, when they creep into your swing you'll know they're there and how to get rid of them!
Have you ever watched in amazement as your weekend playing partner, who "sucks out of the bunkers", goes into the trap with the same setup and swing that HASN'T worked for years? Maybe 2 or 3 of the last 50 have wound up anywhere near the flag. He stands over the ball with the club face basically square, swings like he was chipping from the short rough, and unless he catches it absolutely perfect he's doomed. Why?, because he doesn't know how to set up for the shot and what it feels like to hit this shot correctly. The green side bunker shot is one of the easiest to teach and to learn! You'll be amazed. See "The Bunker Shot Made Easy" link below.
The key to not sucking at golf is to throw away whatever hasn't worked for you and work on what will. Learn to "work the ball" and you'll have graduated from checkers to chess.
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