IRL golf swing transition from sim play

[bm11]

Here's my story-

I started golfing in July 2016. I put it off my entire life up until that point because I tend to get real OCD with things, and I knew golf would be all consuming. I finally did it anyway, started with lessons, bought clubs, joined a country club, etc.

Being that I live in Maine, the golf season ends at the end of October due to winter weather. My OCD didn't allow me to take the winter off, so I invested in a GC2, TGC, a Country Club Elite, a projector, etc etc etc. I put in a bunch of rounds this winter (50-100, I didn't keep count,) and my swing improved a ton. I had some really good scores on TGC for someone golfing less than a year.

My expectation is that with huge swing improvements I would start this golf season with massive improvements to my game. For some reason, that hasn't been the case. My swing psychologically hasn't transferred over from my simulator to the real world.

I took a vacation in March to Myrtle Beach and played four rounds where I wasn't happy with my score. The snow just melted around here and I've played two rounds where I wasn't happy with my score either. Something definitely isn't transferring over as my swing just isn't the same. I'm not following through the same and my contact hasn't been nearly as good.

Does anyone have any tips for me? Do I just need more time? I understand that not everything will 100% transfer over but at the same time I'm playing completely different. I'd appreciate any advice or encouragement that anyone could offer.

Thanks,

Bob

[fick1226]

I am a Maine golfer as well (Lewiston born and living there now, grew up in Poland in early 70's through late 80's) who has been a member at Fairlawn in Poland since 2006. I currently play to a 6 index and have been as low as the high 4's a couple of years ago. Have shot par for 18 at Fairlawn on two occasions but usually live in the mid to upper 70's with a few low 80's. I purchased a Skytrak in the Fall and moved into a new house where I set up a simulator. It's all about expectations. Yours were probably too high game-improvement wise. In my opinion a vastly under-rated aspect of golf is course management, and the only way to get really good at course management is experience, of which you are lacking. All I can say is stick with it and you WILL improve. It may not come at the rate you hoped for, but it will come. Best of luck to you and if you want to get together sometime and talk golf, let me know-- I'm always down to talk shop.

Tim

[MOTOX77]

Not too far from you Tim!...I live in Readfield...member at Augusta Country Club..my wife is from Lewiston as well.

[bm11]

Sounds like none of us are that far! I live in Waterville and belong to Waterville Country Club, which is reciprocal to Augusta, I played there a couple times last year.

Tim- thanks for taking the time! You are probably correct about my expectations. My biggest issue, and the point of my post is that something is off and my swing isn't transferring to the outside. Its pretty dramatic, and I think what I'm going to do is put some serious range time in avoiding the course until my swing works itself out. Maybe even take a couple lessons, its about time to resume those now to build on what I've been working on in the winter.

Thanks,

Bob

[MOTOX77]

We'll have to meet up and play a round some time! I like to play Waterville...nice course I used to live right down the road in Sidney.

[Ronsc1985]

When playing simulator golf you have nothing but perfect flat lies. Putting, chipping, pitching,trap shots etc. have only a slight resemblance to real golf. You can use the simulator to keep your golf muscles "in shape" during the off season and possibly improve your ball ballistics but there is no substitute for actually playing golf on real grass with real ground topography..

[fick1226]

When playing simulator golf you have nothing but perfect flat lies. Putting, chipping, pitching,trap shots etc. have only a slight resemblance to real golf. You can use the simulator to keep your golf muscles "in shape" during the off season and possibly improve your ball ballistics but there is no substitute for actually playing golf on real grass with real ground topography..

What he said...^^^^^^^^
To the OP and MOTOX77, sure I'd be down to get together and play for real. I have every Friday off, so the courses aren't usually as packed as they are on Sat. and Sun. Have a few weeks of vacation planned for summer when I'm not really going anywhere, just a sort of golf stay-cation so to speak, so I'm pretty flexible schedule-wise.

[MOTOX77]

Right on...good to know...I have most Fridays off as well...work out of state during Monday-Thursday..We'll have to play for sure

[bm11]

I'd be down to play. I have Sundays and Thursdays off, could swap for a Friday here and there though.

[fick1226]

Sounds like none of us are that far! I live in Waterville and belong to Waterville Country Club, which is reciprocal to Augusta, I played there a couple times last year.

Tim- thanks for taking the time! You are probably correct about my expectations. My biggest issue, and the point of my post is that something is off and my swing isn't transferring to the outside. Its pretty dramatic, and I think what I'm going to do is put some serious range time in avoiding the course until my swing works itself out. Maybe even take a couple lessons, its about time to resume those now to build on what I've been working on in the winter.

Thanks,

Bob

Bob,

Thank you for taking my (all-be-it mild) criticism of your expectations with a grain of salt. I admire your resolve to get better at the game. I'll tell you right now, this is not a game you are ever going to completely "conquer." No one has, no one ever will, become a flawless golfer. All you can do is set specific goals for yourself and try to accomplish or achieve them. Or you can approach the game from a totally different perspective along the lines of just getting outside, enjoying nature and hopefully having a memorable time and a few laughs with friends or even new friends you may have met just minutes ago. Anyway, what I guess I'm writing about is a small fraction of the mental side of the game, which in my opinion is around 75 percent of the game of golf. I think your problem hitting outside could easily be mostly psychological. You've spent the majority of your golfing life hitting indoors. Just doing math in my head, its roughly 5 months indoors and 4 outdoors. In the simulator everything is familiar--you are at home, relaxed, the swing is silky smooth like a babies backside. You've been in this familiar environment for 5 months just itching to get outside and when you finally do, you are expecting to be killing it right out of the gate. Guess what, now you have wind to deal with, colder temperatures, damp air, uneven lies, etc. It's total sensory overload compared to your sanctuary (or is it your Evil Lair?) Learning to deal with all these variables better than the average Joe has been really a fun part of the game for me, and obviously I still learn things about my strengths and weaknesses every outdoor round I play. So if you want to come over and lay on my couch...forget it, I feel like a really amatuer psychiatrist trying to help you, but somehow in the end gaining personal insight as well. More of my 2 cents, I guess. I am really quiet when you meet me, but I tend to ramble when writing. Sorry.

[BadEddieKit]

Always looking for more players online for TGC liveplay, if any of ya r interested in that 2. Just message me and ill get ya setup..

[Cubsmjy]

I'd be up for playing some live golf. I have 3 boys play lacrosse so I am inconsistently available but if I know when you are going to tee off, I'll try to get down to play. What are the steps?

[bm11]

Bob,

Thank you for taking my (all-be-it mild) criticism of your expectations with a grain of salt. I admire your resolve to get better at the game. I'll tell you right now, this is not a game you are ever going to completely "conquer." No one has, no one ever will, become a flawless golfer. All you can do is set specific goals for yourself and try to accomplish or achieve them. Or you can approach the game from a totally different perspective along the lines of just getting outside, enjoying nature and hopefully having a memorable time and a few laughs with friends or even new friends you may have met just minutes ago. Anyway, what I guess I'm writing about is a small fraction of the mental side of the game, which in my opinion is around 75 percent of the game of golf. I think your problem hitting outside could easily be mostly psychological. You've spent the majority of your golfing life hitting indoors. Just doing math in my head, its roughly 5 months indoors and 4 outdoors. In the simulator everything is familiar--you are at home, relaxed, the swing is silky smooth like a babies backside. You've been in this familiar environment for 5 months just itching to get outside and when you finally do, you are expecting to be killing it right out of the gate. Guess what, now you have wind to deal with, colder temperatures, damp air, uneven lies, etc. It's total sensory overload compared to your sanctuary (or is it your Evil Lair?) Learning to deal with all these variables better than the average Joe has been really a fun part of the game for me, and obviously I still learn things about my strengths and weaknesses every outdoor round I play. So if you want to come over and lay on my couch...forget it, I feel like a really amatuer psychiatrist trying to help you, but somehow in the end gaining personal insight as well. More of my 2 cents, I guess. I am really quiet when you meet me, but I tend to ramble when writing. Sorry.

Thanks for taking the time to type that all out, no need to apologize! Today Waterville CC opened up, but the range is still closed. I went and played, and my ball striking was MUCH better. And it was all mental, as you said. I watched a Ben Hogan swing video this morning and I think it really helped my mental focus for this round. Not all my strikes were perfect, mind you, but for the most part my bad ones were tough lies that I never had to deal with in sim play. Also, in sim play unless the ball ends up in water it's going to be playable, not the case on a tight IRL course with a lot of fall leaves in the trees.

As a side note, anyone in this thread in Maine want to play Thursday? I'd love to catch up!

Thanks,

-Bob