 Guys, I am at my lowest golfing ebb - in the last year I have decided to get back into golf seriously after playing occasionally for years. I have replaced my Irons, Woods & Driver. I have replace my bag and my shoes. I have even had some lessons. I have played steadily worse as the weeks have gone on - in fact this new found dedication/practice/equipment has not helped at all - in fact I am so much worse then before. Anyway, what has pee'd me off more than anything is that I caught a stone the other day and I have a dent/chip in my sandwedge as if the face was made of bluetack. I assume that I have no recourse against theshop/manufacturer in this case? The quality of the steel is obvioulsy terrible as this club began to mark as soon as I played with it? Has this happened to anyone else? I am at the point now where I would like all my money back and to find another sport.
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 Happytab - I feel the same every Saturday and every Sunday. But still go back the following week! There is always hope, but where there is hope there is always disappointment. But there is still hope!!!
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 If it is any consolation I had the same last year. Joined a new club, bougt new custom fitted irons and had twelve lessons over the winter coupled with rigourous practice. My handicap was 9 when I started this regime and I simply saw no improvement or maybe even a slide slightly backwards. It was only at the back end of last year and the beginning of this I have really started to see the benefits with rounds in the mid 70s on some tough and long courses. Confidence is now high so expect to shoot these scores. I think it just takes a while to get the benefits from changes made, sometimes it is just a slow process but we all want quick success. Golf is just not like that and I think we all need to realise that to play the game really well takes dedication over decades, not months. Hope this helps you to think positively about your golf and stick with it and it will come good. If you don't see instant results don't worry and stick with the pro and carry on lessons and it will come good !! It just sounds like you need to get back to basics and oncentrate on what the pro is telling you.
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 Happytab Sorry to hear of your state of unhappiness...Persevere and move on. You will be a happy man again - all it takes is one half-decent round and a birdie! I am afraid that the stone that was caught between your wedge and the ball is not going to get you any joy from the store. The pressure generate in such an instance is sufficient to mark even the hardest steel. The fact that it has made a "dent" will (should) in no way detract from the club's playability. Its more of a mental thing that every time you look down at it, you see the mark. Console yourself by knowing that it is only a material possession...If it irks you so much, go and buy a new sand wedge. Happy playing and start smiling again 
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 I can't hit a barn door at 6ft with my putter, struggle to break 80 with half the shots on the greens, just stick at it, but d make sure your equipment is uited to you
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 Happytab, It's the nature of the game we have chosen to spend all out time / money / blood / sweat / tears that bites us roundly in the a*ss when we expect more than nothing! Re the sandwedge, I put a dent on the sole of mine one week after I bought it. Every time I look at it, I'm gutted, but it doesn't seem to affect my bunker play (always poor!). I hope you find your golfing mojo soon!
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 I know how you feel, after 2 years of power fades  I finally managed a few weeks of dead straight drives, then the power draw started creeping in! I can now aim down the fairway and be either 50 yards left or 50 yards right depending on if i'm playing a draw or fade (which I don't know until i've hit the damn thing!). Still even when playing crap i'd rather be out in the fresh air walking round swearing than sat on my arse watching more reality TV!
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Yesterday I played nine holes and only misses one fairway (OOB unfortunately) If only I could get the irons going now (before I lose the driving again)!
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 But Happytab, isn't that the point about this game? When you're driving well, your irons play up. If you can manage to marshall both into some sort of order simultaneously, your short game goes up the Swannee...
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^^ That sums up golf full stop. I'll either hit 15 GIR's and 3 putt them all, or i'll make 15 one putts for bogeys 
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 I've been in a mire over swing theory for ages, HT, but today I had an epiphany. I realised my swing is good enough to get me round the course if I trust it and confidently SWING through the ball. If you're thinking too much over the ball you'll be lost. I'd suggest going out and just swinging merrily away with absolute confidence whatever happens. Then practice nothing but your short game from 120 yards and in.
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I've been playing just over a year battering away on my own no lessons etc. Still haven't managed to break 100 but i have given in and will get fitted clubs and lessons for my 30th this summer. I feel the pain each and every round the problem is not striking the ball it's just where the hell is it going to go!!anyway when i break 100 i'll post the picture of me drowned in a bath of guiness to celebrate!!!! i get even more frustrated as my eyesight is poor so i have to rely on playing partners to tell me i've lost another ball or am going to jungleland for the 5th hole in a row!!!not going to give in though!!!
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 Happytab, The sandwedge is designed to be soft steel. This gives you great feel and control but does, sadly, mark the club up quite quickly. Might I make a suggestion as why you are not enjoying golf as much. When you played every now and then you didn't take it too seriously and when you played a bad shot you brushed it off. But now you have commited time and money(new clubs) to it you have raised your expectations and when you fail to reach your new high standards you get frustrated. Of course playing more golf and buying new clubs doesn't make you a better player. I have replaced my Irons, Woods & Driver. I have replace my bag and my shoes. I have even had some lessons. This says it all really. If having some lessons was your last thought, and in particular little practicing, then I doubt you will improve much. Remember practicing bad habits will just ingrain your weakness's even more. I wouldn't be surprised if you got worse because you are less relaxed when on the course and not "brushing it off" like you used to. IMO having a few lessons to understand your main faults and then practicing to improve is what will make you a better player. I do hope you stick it out because golf IMO is the most rewarding of sports because any success is down to YOU and not a team or good luck.
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Pengy, Not my last thought at all - I was just reluctant to have any lessons in the past due to others reporting a decline in there perfromance after taking lessons. Having had some lessons myself I can understand that, The pro was very good, and I am not going to come on here and slag him off. He helped me set up to the ball correctly which should in theory, help my natural swing. Problem is that the correct starting possition will not feel natural for some time. As for my practicing - I am not sure i understand this one - I have never practiced as much as recently (even more so in the week after each lesson) trying to drill the changes into my swing. But, in the past I was not merely going to the range hitting a ball and thinking that was sh!te lets try and hit the ball the same way again - it was trial and error - trying different things to see if anything helped. So I guess I was not practicing as much as experimenting. Anyway, I will stick with it - I am determined to be a low teen handicapper one day dagnammit.
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Happytab, I agree having lessons will often lead to a drop in performance - one step back before 2 steps forward. As 23rd says, practicing you short game 120yds in is where there are real benefits to be had. IMO practicing 40 yds in will reap benefits very quickly. I bought a new putter over the winter and had that fitted to me (32" shaft 4 degree flat) and this has really settled my putting out. I now average below 30 putts per round. That in conjunction with a half decent 40yds in short game gets me below 80 most times I play. Getting the putter fitted cost £14 and I would strongly recommend it. DO you keep any knid of stats to see where your game is weakest ? ie Putts per round - putts per GIR - GIR - fairway hit - penalty shots etc
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 Its a bastard game, and thats the be all and end all of it. Its very addictive in many ways, and can be extremely fullfilling on occassion. Yet so often its a case of what might have been. Golf does suit some, and not others, and if it doesnt suit you there's no point in prolonging the agony.
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Happytab, you may want to be a low teen payer one day, but when you are a low teen player you will want to be a single figure golfer, and then a cat 1 golfer. It never ends - I don't know anyone who is happy with their golf. As Creo says it is often a case of " what night have been" and you can always do better. Even Tiger is never happy with his game.
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READ EXTRAORDINARY GOLF - FRED SHOEMAKER. It'll change you perspective completely.
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