Anyone ever make a big leap forward after a long plateau?

[GMR]

The first time I broke 100, I shot an 87. It was a combination of a super conservative game plan and only bringing the clubs I knew I could hit. From there, though, I inched down to a 7, then quit for nine years. Back at the game, it seems the sense I'd had back then has completely faded.

It's really funny how it can come all at once like that. When I came back to the game in my mid-20s I went about 3-4 years without breaking 80 on any toughish par-72 track. When I finally broke that streak, it was with a 1-under 71. I then went on to shoot in the 70s consistently over the course of a summer (plus some 80-81 rounds on some REALLY tough tracks like Mauna Kea and Kiawah Ocean both from the tips). It didn't feel like all that much had changed but the game just somehow felt easier all of a sudden, as if all the tools had already been in place but something had just been preventing me from using them properly.

[Millbrook]

Most stop improving because most don't take any kind of lessons, so their "natural" ability peaks after 3 years. They engrain all that bad crap that they've learned to do, and have learned to do it the best they can.

 

I'm 49, and playing the best golf of my life. I've improved in stages. Note that I've also plateaued because of the, um, knowledge or lack thereof, of instructors that I've gone to through the years. I mean one guy subscribed to the old (i.e. wrong) ball flights, and I didn't know any better back then (this is like 15 years ago). I stopped getting better at around an 8 handicap because of this. He had me swinging so far out to the right, and I remember one lesson where I was hitting smother/snap hooks that started left. After all, if you believe the "old" ball flight laws, those stated the ball starts in the direction of the swing path. I asked "so if I"m swinging to the right, why are they going left?"

 

"I don't know" was the answer.

 

I think that started my quest to understand what the heck is going on, dump that guy, and then I really started to improve after that. lol. I worked out a few things on my own, got down to a 6, then when I found a new instructor in 09, I quickly went from a 6 to a 2... in like 3 months!

 

Now I'm pretty darn close to the point where improving is fractions of strokes. Not saying my swing is perfect by any means, but the tolerance is much tighter. And while my handicap is pretty much the same as in 09, my bad scores are much better because of other swing improvements.

 

This is a generalization, but as to lessons, some people will take them but not stick with what it is the instructor teaches them. They may do it for a while, but if the results aren't quickly forthcoming they will go back to their old way of swinging and say that lessons didn't work for them.

 

I came back to golf at 60 and put hours in trying to find out what I had to learn to get a decent golf swing only to find contradictory opinions. Started lessons with Dan Whittaker in Sept 2016 and told him I was in for the long haul not a quick fix.

 

As Sean says there is a lot of work to be done between lessons otherwise you are wasting your time.

 

My swing has improved but I'd say it took about 12 lessons before the improvement got quicker - this is down to me not my coach. I've had 18 lessons so far and feel I've reached a breakthrough point where my swing has moved to a significantly different place even though I feel I'm only at the beginning of getting a decent swing. During this period I've played 9 holes 5 under my handicap about 6 times only to have inconsistency ruin the other 9.

 

I reckon I can reduce my handicap by 4/5 shots this summer.

[Sean2]

Most stop improving because most don't take any kind of lessons, so their "natural" ability peaks after 3 years. They engrain all that bad crap that they've learned to do, and have learned to do it the best they can.

 

I'm 49, and playing the best golf of my life. I've improved in stages. Note that I've also plateaued because of the, um, knowledge or lack thereof, of instructors that I've gone to through the years. I mean one guy subscribed to the old (i.e. wrong) ball flights, and I didn't know any better back then (this is like 15 years ago). I stopped getting better at around an 8 handicap because of this. He had me swinging so far out to the right, and I remember one lesson where I was hitting smother/snap hooks that started left. After all, if you believe the "old" ball flight laws, those stated the ball starts in the direction of the swing path. I asked "so if I"m swinging to the right, why are they going left?"

 

"I don't know" was the answer.

 

I think that started my quest to understand what the heck is going on, dump that guy, and then I really started to improve after that. lol. I worked out a few things on my own, got down to a 6, then when I found a new instructor in 09, I quickly went from a 6 to a 2... in like 3 months!

 

Now I'm pretty darn close to the point where improving is fractions of strokes. Not saying my swing is perfect by any means, but the tolerance is much tighter. And while my handicap is pretty much the same as in 09, my bad scores are much better because of other swing improvements.

 

This is a generalization, but as to lessons, some people will take them but not stick with what it is the instructor teaches them. They may do it for a while, but if the results aren't quickly forthcoming they will go back to their old way of swinging and say that lessons didn't work for them.

 

I came back to golf at 60 and put hours in trying to find out what I had to learn to get a decent golf swing only to find contradictory opinions. Started lessons with Dan Whittaker in Sept 2016 and told him I was in for the long haul not a quick fix.

 

As Sean says there is a lot of work to be done between lessons otherwise you are wasting your time.

 

My swing has improved but I'd say it took about 12 lessons before the improvement got quicker - this is down to me not my coach. I've had 18 lessons so far and feel I've reached a breakthrough point where my swing has moved to a significantly different place even though I feel I'm only at the beginning of getting a decent swing. During this period I've played 9 holes 5 under my handicap about 6 times only to have inconsistency ruin the other 9.

 

I reckon I can reduce my handicap by 4/5 shots this summer.

 

That's great to hear. Some people opine that if you take up the game late you don't have much of a chance to play good golf. I disagree. :-)

[hobbes928]

I started in my mid to late 30s and this is my 7th or 8th year. I took various lessons, watched every instructional video on youtube and bought a bunch of training aids over those years but never really improved and struggled to break 100 until last year when I also broke 90. I've since improved the most during this last off season thanks to my simulator. Honestly, I don't know how one gets good at this game having picked this up late in life without pounding balls and practicing on a daily basis. I must have easily hit tens of thousands of golf balls last year and prior to that, I maybe got to the range once or twice a week while practicing just swinging a club in the backyard on off days and improvement was almost non existent.

 

This beautiful game is F'nuts and you have to be equally crazy dedicated to improve...at least that was my experience.

[larrybud]

Most stop improving because most don't take any kind of lessons, so their "natural" ability peaks after 3 years. They engrain all that bad crap that they've learned to do, and have learned to do it the best they can.

 

I'm 49, and playing the best golf of my life. I've improved in stages. Note that I've also plateaued because of the, um, knowledge or lack thereof, of instructors that I've gone to through the years. I mean one guy subscribed to the old (i.e. wrong) ball flights, and I didn't know any better back then (this is like 15 years ago). I stopped getting better at around an 8 handicap because of this. He had me swinging so far out to the right, and I remember one lesson where I was hitting smother/snap hooks that started left. After all, if you believe the "old" ball flight laws, those stated the ball starts in the direction of the swing path. I asked "so if I"m swinging to the right, why are they going left?"

 

"I don't know" was the answer.

 

I think that started my quest to understand what the heck is going on, dump that guy, and then I really started to improve after that. lol. I worked out a few things on my own, got down to a 6, then when I found a new instructor in 09, I quickly went from a 6 to a 2... in like 3 months!

 

Now I'm pretty darn close to the point where improving is fractions of strokes. Not saying my swing is perfect by any means, but the tolerance is much tighter. And while my handicap is pretty much the same as in 09, my bad scores are much better because of other swing improvements.

 

This is a generalization, but as to lessons, some people will take them but not stick with what it is the instructor teaches them. They may do it for a while, but if the results aren't quickly forthcoming they will go back to their old way of swinging and say that lessons didn't work for them.

 

Sure, that too, but I bet if you did a survey of how many golfers have taken lessons, it's less than 10%.

[Mcgeeno]

I don’t know if it qualifies as a big leap but I went from a 5.X handicap to a 2.3 last year.

 

Got an instructor who helped fix a big swing flaw. Went from 5 rounds under par in 10 years to shooting under par 11 times last year including the final round of the club championship.

 

I had been stuck around 5 since I came back to golf. Near scratch junior. The pro was open and honest. “You have one big swing flaw holding you back. It might get worse while we fix it”

 

It got worse for a few months and then my consistency and feels improved. I think I can be kicking down the scratch golfer zone this year.

[larrybud]

That's definitely a big leap Mcgeeno.

[Aviador Naval]

I've been playing 41 yrs and the only time I've had a "step insertion" of improvement was the day I bought a laser rangefinder. All other improvement has taken some time. Moreover, the improvement plot is jagged vice smooth: make more consistent contact and improve a few strokes; make better course management decisions and improve a few strokes; achieve a reasonable short game and improve a few strokes; quit three putting, etc.

 

I absolutely do not believe there is any "glass ceiling" at the three year point but understand that most people plateau quickly because they are either satisfied with whatever level they achieve at that time and don't invest themselves in the game or they move on to another hobby or phase of life.