Changing your swing is REALLY hard

It is hard..but you need to commit to get worse and hit 1000s of ..and I mean 1000s of balls..

I think most amateurs go to lessons and don't really commit to.the process.

Your a serious golfer and you probably are very ingrained.

But , we can all change ..but I think we often fail in the commitment stage.

Who genuinely wants to go out and be bad at golf for say 3 months in a change process.....particularly with about 12 competitions in your club in that period...

Very curious as to why you want to change. I'd imagine at your level it's hard to make improvements to lower your index.

Have you a physical problem or are you looking for something else (eg distance)?

I'm certainly no expert and haven't been quite as low as 2, but I'd say be careful. If its just a few small tweaks, its probably very doable. I'd be a bit more dubious of a complete change of your action. Its not scientific, but from everything I've seen over the years, most people are stuck with their swing after a certain period of time, or maybe with their swing DNA is more accurate, if that makes sense. I fight the right side miss myself (I'm a lefty) and it always what I work on with the guy I get lessons from. He may say things slightly differently from lesson to lesson, but its the same couple of things all the time. Maybe that just shows I'm not able to change 😁

You say you've got a funky swing - that could make it hard for a pro to give a few tweaks as oppose to a rebuild. Like, where would he start if a Bubba Watson or a Jim Furyk came for a lesson ? Much easier to work with something somewhat conventional. Make sure you pick a pro who knows you and your game, your goals etc. IMHO that will be half the battle.

I started playing 2 years ago and never took a lesson, just picking things up from friends, the internet and trial and error. It's managable but wildly inconsistent.

Went to a coach and turns out I'm coming over the top. It's so ingrained that no matter how hard I try or whatever drills, it just won't go away. It's very disheartening.

Very much in this category myself although not playing as low as you. Once i take a break of more than a week or so it really sets me back and I struggle to get the good feels again for a while.

The context of the range practice I'm suggesting is only for bedding in a new tweak, technique or feel etc. You need reps and time to fundamentally absorb a change and commit it to muscle memory. The swing lessons have marginal value without putting them into practice.

However I'd agree that on course time is 100% more benefit to us weekend warriors. A grass range is also miles better than hitting off mats. Nowadays I'm not working on my swing so it's almost exclusively short game practice when I do get time. If I do hit the range it's to iron out the driver or hit a few longer clubs. My long will be up an down each round but short game is king. 32-35 putts and all the chips/pitches per round are probably the biggest influence on scoring.

Couldn't agree more with the last couple of posts about losing feel after a break from the game. It's the same as when I use to hurl. You'd be noticeably sluggish with your touch and eye after a break. Every training or game had a block of constant catch, fist touch and short strike fundamentals for this reason. I definitely find a parallel with golf.

Change your range practice. I'm assuming you're just hitting balls without any real pressure or focus. Make sure you change clubs regularly, and targets.

Try out games that add some pressure. Something like a 50 yard shot at a target the size of a small green. Round 1, 5 shots, and you have to get 1 in the zone. Round 2, 5 shots, and you have to get 2 in the zone, Round 3, 3 out of 5. You have to stop, or start again, if you fail any particular roind. Adds more pressure to each round as you progress.

Or try play your home course in your mind.

So, if you'd hit drive on the first, pick an area roughly the width of a fairway and aim through it. If you hit it way right and would be in trees, your next shot should be a 5i hit low and 30 yards "back into the fairway", etc...

100% agree with this! changes without a "outcome" like looking at a scruffy shot going out in a range are easier to make working with drills or a mirror etc, as its very hard to commit to a big or small changes when you see the ball not doing what you want it to do....can be soul destroying tbh

I made a big grip and takeaway change and spent most of the time working on it in a mirror during lockdowns when WFH (10 mins every hour pretty much during a working week) but I was adamant to change it. You have to commit and try enjoy the process along with trusting it.

I've just started to implemented some changes recently, at the moment a big enough change to my grip and other posture changes. Some more changes to come to over the next few weeks. It all feels very unnatural which is to be expected. I'm just about managing with my irons but really struggling to adapt the changes into my driving. I played my first round on the course last weekend trying the changes and had my worst driving round in a long time. But it is very early days yet that and just have to be patient. I know if I want to move up a level and get into single figure handicap ranges I have to get my issues fixed and I'm finally feeling confident in the instructor that I'm working with.

What is encouraging is that the shots that do come off feel really nice and I think I will pick up a bit more swing speed with little change in effort.

Ah very good, best of luck with it.

I've always putted left hand low. I don't know why, but i just can't get my head around the traditional putting grip.

Ya I've been putting that way since i was a kid. I'm guessing a coach or someone in the club started me on the trend...

Bizarrely my dad, played right handed but putted left. I've yet to come across anyone with set up since.

Changing your swing is an interesting thing. I think you should just swing your swing. Jim Furyk hadn’t the prettiest swing but he got the club face square at impact and that’s the name of the game

My cousin does this. Everyone in the family was left handed so only left handed clubs. She started putting left handed from young and never stopped putting like the rest of us even after she figured out she's right handed :D

Plenty have done swing changes, often in the search for extra length and to their detriment for a number.