Notes about golf (before lesson)

What’s happened to my golf swing…

…????

Cover image: An unrelated sunset, probably taken after I returned from golf practice earlier this month.

I have developed low grade tennis elbow in my left arm.
Not sure when it started exactly. It crept up on me. I cannot manipulate golf clubs with my left hand alone. Sometimes (although not at all predictably) a movement may be painful. The next time the same movement might be fine!
Onset may be related to holding the driver with clubface closed and putting some tension in my arms to set the clubface square at address (before the swing) as suggested during my last golf lesson.
That sucks, because I played some very good golf doing that, but I think the forearm tension may not be sustainable for me.

A good swing often doesn’t hurt at all.
Some follow-throughs do, in particular where there’s a good deal of momentum to control late in the swing.
Shots where I need to keep the clubface open (eg bunker shots) are more likely to cause momentary pain (but only when I get it wrong).
In the last three weeks I have played some very poor rounds, with few good shots; however, I’ve also had a couple where I played satisfyingly well (and almost completely pain free).

With fairway wood, hybrids and irons it feels like my backswing is too long for most shots.
It’s as if I’m releasing the club too much in the backswing and then unable to swing back to the ball reliably to get good contact.
Practice swings often feel fine, but when the ball is there I lose the backswing.
Drives can be very good, but often very bad (where bad mostly means a big slice).

I often hit solid recovery shots out of rough/bad lie, ball back in stance, short swing, punch shot.
Pitching and chipping has been good overall.
Putting has been good.

I’m building a process that is pain free (right hand on club when setting up and taking stance).
I’ve been thinking about keeping my feet relaxed and feeling the ground.
I’ve also been noticing the need to take care to rotate, not sway, which I think may be creeping in.
Also thinking about letting my body turn through the follow-through, so I don’t get stuck over the ball.

Sometimes it feels like I can’t play golf at all - really it does - then I’ll hit a good one and wonder how that happened.

I am aware I’m having difficulties visualising shots and focusing my thoughts before taking shots, but I think there’s more going on.

That’s why I booked a lesson.