Stuck at 100m

Hi all, I have just started golf 3mths ago, and have attended a formal lesson and got my PC also.

However, I am still stuck at 100m on the 7iron, and I can't swing properly on the driver still.
I have spoken to my current coach asking him about my swing, and he told me for beginner, hitting around 100m with 7iron is normal, need lots of practise, and for PC, the focus is not in driver, the training in handicap will focus more with driver swing.

Sould I continue with a handicap course with him? or re-take my beginner course with another coach?

For me I play for leisure, I would like to join some of my friends to play on the green, but currently, looking at how they play on the range, I think they will have to waste time waiting for me...

Cheers,
Francis.

you don't need to retake your beginner course .. but you do need someone to point out how you can maximize your swing mechanics with your body to achieve a greater distance.

To be honest, 7 iron and 100m sounds okay to me to play on course like Mandai. You can try out at the executive courses for a start, example. NSRCC par 3s.

Hi Francis,

When I started golf, my 7iron distance is also about 100m. And i still remember I use driver to tee off at a Par3 hole at Ponderosa. IMHO you should continue with range practice to improve your swing, then go to Mandai executive course or JCC executive course to have some green practise.

NRSCC Par3 is not a easy course for beginner IMHO again.

I think you should have more hours playing in the green then you take another lessons... With that you have better idea on what areas you need to improve...

Francis, there is no magic pill in golf, it's just a myth be it instruction or equipment. But there are plenty of bandaids.

As you say, you are a leisure golfer, so just enjoy your lessons while letting the intricacies of the golf swing unfold as you discover the joys of the game.

Golf is a journey that unfolds over years, not months.

100 meter on the range is never 100m in the course the ball are going shorter are the range because of the compresion . In addition , distance is meanless compare to accuracy . Look at Luke Donald , and Steve striker . There are not big hitter but there are great player they win more than once this year and rank number 1 & 4 in the world.

Plus to hit 150m 7-iron , it take years and practice and efficient club head spead .... Just enjoy the golf game which is all about the LEAST AMOUNT OF STROKE AND NOT DISTANCE!!!!

About 2 years back,

I also struggled to hit past 100m with my 7 iron, and i hit it cleanly, thats how lame it was. The reason i was doing that was because i was scooping the ball up severely instead of compressing it properly. With this kind of distance, I had no hope of playing a low round; without a godly short game that is.

My point is that, you should probably work on your swing on your own for the moment, understanding it through reading and thinking. I think if you start to recognize problems with your swing and learn how to tweak it, you will enjoy the game loads more.

I only hit 135-140m with my 7 iron now but thats helps me so much more than hitting it 100m.

good luck

Bro.. I began about Nov last year hitting the first golf ball with a P (from 2nd floor WGCC range down towards 1st floor, naturally )... fast forward 1 month later, can hit 7 iron about 130m, but to somewhere far... far away... on my left and right, never straight. Then my coach tried to tell me what cyp says, reduce the spread... try hitting straight. Concentrate on consistent distance of each iron before even thinking of lengthening them.

What I can do in the range, max about 110 now, straight more than way left or way right... When I go to course, barely 100... no.. correction, definitely less than 100 most of the time got other problems like taking divot (in the sense not taking at all, or worse.. taking it before hitting the ball ) and pulling left... etc etc..

Why the heck I'm talking about this... well anyway, just to let you know you're not alone. Perservere... I think you'll get further just by changing coach, if your coach is already a pro. Need lots of practice, and as long as you are comfortable with his teaching style, and your coach is as committed to fixing your mistakes then probably not much sense in changing coach.


I'm still learning, still trying to first hit it straight then try to hit longer, 8 months after first taking lesson.. so again, you're not alone...

Hmm... all I say is 'practise, practise and practise '... Go to range, set a target infront, maybe at first 100m mark... ensure most of ur ball fall close to your target..then gradually shift from 100 to 110...slowly gain distance and accuracy

Hi Francis, starting out just 3 months ago and hitting 100m with 7 iron is not too bad.

My advice is, there are no short cuts, you need to go to the range to "clock mileage"

Your distance will come, when your ball striking improves. Good luck..

Patience, my friend.

With more practice comes great distance.

Have fun with your practice!

Quote :

tkp77 wrote:

However, I am still stuck at 100m on the 7iron, and I can't swing properly on the driver still.
I have spoken to my current coach asking him about my swing, and he told me for beginner, hitting around 100m with 7iron is normal, need lots of practise, and for PC, the focus is not in driver, the training in handicap will focus more with driver swing.


Cheers,
Francis.

Bro Francis.....let me tell you a secret...but you must not tell anyone

Remember this 100m shot using your 7iron well...in fact remember it very well.....coz, when you are more seasoned...you will find that ability to hit 100m shot accurately and consistently is very important...

remember this and don tell anyone this secret..

I'll swap distance for accuracy anytime.

Anyway, 100m isn't bad for a start. We all start somewhere. The problem with us is that we turn on the TV and expect to play like the pros there. Unfortunately, reality is far from what we see on TV. So, take your time. Enjoy the game. You'll gain your distance but for now, work on refining your swing. That gives you accuracy and soon, distance will follow

Dont worry about distance. It will come naturally when your have improved your technique and grooved your swing. It took me just over 1 yr to get my 7 iron up to 150yds.

in golf as a beginner it's better to hit 100m consistenly then 140m inconsistently.
Just be patient it will come to you. Some of us hit less than 100m with 7iron when we started some more. all practice. Good luck.

100m 7 iron is ok distance, especially if its at the range. You will realise that at the course the range 100m is actually 110-120m on the course.

Hi Francis,
Always happy to see a new golfer. For a start take it easy and don't get impatient. This golf thing needs a lot of practice and accuracy. Reading golf books will help when you understand more on swing mechanics. Try out one or two things at a time as books can be confusing to some. Playing at the range, Tanglin or Mandai GC is a good idea. Also learn to like your putting. Putting will let you have a feel for the ball, can also make beginners look like pros. And when you can par or boogie every hole at Tanglin or Mandai, you are ready for the longer difficult courses. Cheers!

tkp77 wrote:

Hi all, I have just started golf 3mths ago, and have attended a formal lesson and got my PC also.

However, I am still stuck at 100m on the 7iron, and I can't swing properly on the driver still.

I have spoken to my current coach asking him about my swing, and he told me for beginner, hitting around 100m with 7iron is normal, need lots of practise, and for PC, the focus is not in driver, the training in handicap will focus more with driver swing.

Sould I continue with a handicap course with him? or re-take my beginner course with another coach?

For me I play for leisure, I would like to join some of my friends to play on the green, but currently, looking at how they play on the range, I think they will have to waste time waiting for me...

Cheers,
Francis.

Bro,

The friends who posted above are very gracious and gentle with their feedback.

As a counter point, allow me to be slightly more forthright, with due respect of course.

First, I applaud your decision to start with proper coaching. That will prove invaluable to further you go down the road.

"and I can't swing properly on the driver still."

I smiled at this statement. I can remember the feeling well; everyone was once a beginner too, and when I started, boy did I want to hit that big stick and smash it out of the range.

So, I understand.

Now, here's the tough reality.

100m with 7 iron is unacceptably short, yes, I agree. But remember you just started 3 months.

How often are your lessons, how often do you practice at the range, and how many balls do you hit, do you video your swing and review them, do you check your swing in the mirror, etc?

These are factors that govern your progress.

You only go through the swing formation process ONCE in your life. Anything you do after that is a correction, a swing change. Changing a swing that has already been formed is MUCH harder than forming a swing the first time. So, you are on the right track with coaching.

Put in the time, put in the guided practice with feedback, and you will improve.

Before long, you will hit 100m, at the flag, but this time, maybe with a pitching wedge or even a sand wedge. It will likely take a few thousand balls of structured, guided practice at the range though.

As for driver, mastering it to the point where you can place it anywhere in the fairway at full blast within say a 10m dispersion, is a journey in itself; a wonderfully epic journey to be savoured.

At 3 months is certainly too soon to expect too much with the driver.

So, review the quality, duration, and frequency of your practice, before you come to the conclusion that you're 'stuck' at 100m w 7 iron. I am sure your coach is doing a fine job, but if you want more feedback, feel free to post a swing video.

I share the view with the rest that 100m with 7 iron is not bad. The important thing is to get the basic swing mechanics correct and the distance will come later.

When I first started, the young me was hell bent on crushing the life out of the ball and so every swing was made with tremendous strength. I do get the distance but it caused me to develop very bad swing habits, over-swinging being one of them. Till now, I still cannot cure myself off the over-swinging.

So my advice is to groove the swing, swing easy and natural. Work on the contact. The distance will come soon. And I also agree with Asahi. When you look back again, hitting 100m consistently could well be something you would hope for later.

Golf is a funny game. If you give your 100% swing and hit 100m, when you throttle back to 80%, you might hit further. Just focus on good, consistent impact and the distance will come.

Anyways, if you can hit 100m consistently, par 3 = 2 on, par 4 = 3 on. That is really good enough for a social game. (from white tees)

Hi,

Just like to share. When I first started playing golf about 1.5 years ago. I have this same problem. My 7 iron was 100m. My friends was explaining to me that it because I use arm rather than my body twist. Only recently, i am swinging better and it went from 7 iron to 8iron. It got better this few days and I am using 9iron now.

Practice and practice... You will improve.

Btw, just to share something that I find it super amazing. Recently, I visited a friend who has migrated to states. He started 4 mths ago and is shooting mid 80s ( with no instructor) ( I had 3 rounds of golf with him when I am there). He later told me he practice minimum 600balls a day! Every day if he has no game.

So... Practice practice practice.

Regards,

EC

3mths, 7-i 100m is already very good bro. i couldn't even hit 8-i after 5mths. keep it up.

nobody born running. keep practicing, before you knew it you'll hit 180-m or even further.

Dear all, thanks for all the feedback.

I only manage to practice around 200 balls per week. And I am trying to be more consistence in my swing... I still have balls going left and right, but it's getting lesser.

Will keep up my training, and thanks for the advice again...

tkp77 wrote:

Dear all, thanks for all the feedback.

I only manage to practice around 200 balls per week. And I am trying to be more consistence in my swing... I still have balls going left and right, but it's getting lesser.

Will keep up my training, and thanks for the advice again...

Most welcome.

The following is not intended to sound harsh, just realistic and direct.

This is why I ask about your practice volume and frequency. At 200 balls per week, and 3 months, you've hit 2,400 balls approximately.

You have barely started.

So, you're not 'stuck' at 100m. You've just barely begun.

Your initial question of whether to take a different program from your coach or to change the coach, misses the point. Your problem is not the coaching program. It's your expectation, in light of how much practice done so far.

If you have been hitting 200-300 balls per day, every day, for 3 months, and you're still at 100m, then it would be a different story.

With our busy lives, finding an hour in our schedule can be a challenge, I fully understand. If your schedule permits you only 200 balls once a week, then your expectation must be correspondingly toned down to match. Learning a swing that more or less repeats consistently takes a lot more work than meets the eye of a casual observer.

I have friends who started by hitting 200-300 balls a day, every day. The expectation there would be quite different naturally.

With limited time to practice, practice with feedback become even more crucial. So, lots of mirror work, if possible, video work, will help to speed up the pace of learning.

It's a long and wonderful journey, so, be patient, and enjoy the trip.

Hi Francis,

Well i read all the comments and advice GR golfers gave you. Yes , its true that practice is important, but remember to practice the right way. No use hitting 300 golf balls at the range but you have no idea what you doing. You have to learm how to practice and practicing productively is the key. If you dont know why and where is your mistakes then how can you fix it ?? Just be carefull not to fall into the same traps as other golfers. They tend to listen to their fellow golf buddies and end up spending more money to fix it later. The most common things i see on the driving ranges is that one beginner teaches another beginner how to play golf...hahahah.

So please feel free to pm me if you have any questions. Also feel free to come and see me for a FREE video analysis and then we can pinpoint your mistakes and help you hit that 7iron further

Regards

Adriaan Herman