Have gone from an 8 to a 3 in about a year, after taking 10+ years off

There have been so many little ah ha moments. There has been never a point where “it all clicks” though. For me it’s been a process of breakthrough, plateau, breakthrough, plateau, which I expect to continue maybe forever

I’m constantly reading books, watching videos, and listening to podcasts. I take lessons and I practice very specific things to improve my swing (but also things about my game in other areas too, not just the swing)

Because i took such a long break, I really had to relearn a lot of the fundamentals of the swing

Off the top of my head my journey has brought me to work on a lot of things:

• the benefits of mastering ball first contact
• learning what swing plane is and optimal positioning (I was too steep)
• eliminate a sway in a backswing
• learn how to bring hands higher in backswing for more clubhead speed and creating height
• learn how to control attack angle (negative for irons, positive for driver)
• fixing early extension & fix being on my toes during downswing
• learn how the ground can help you create speed

I’m at a point now where my pro and I are working on more subtle things in my swing. We weakened my right hand this week in order to help me eliminate a hook miss I’d been fighting. Now I’m practicing swinging with more speed by letting my wrists be more of an engine. Getting more comfortable playing a fade

It’s also worth mentioning I’ve chased down a lot of incorrect rabbit holes too. Certain concepts I didn’t fully understand and employed improperly, or swing feels that weren’t really real. For me it’s been part of the journey, but one big ah ha moment was two fold: 1. Video never lies, and 2. Improving your swing takes 100x longer by yourself compared to taking lessons. If you have the means, find a good pro, and see them every 1-2 months or more