Anyone ever had this happen to them?

[smaug81243]

I started playing golf 6 months ago and have steadily gotten better. I generally score in the low 90s but had the oddest experience today. I went out to play a round and the first 3 holes were some of the worst holes I have ever played. I triple bogeyed the first hole before struggling through 2 more holes (and carding at least a 10 on each of them). It was almost as if I had forgotten how to swing a golf club. I duffed every tee shot, iron shots, pitch shots, chip shots, you name it and I messed it up. On the second hole there is a small stream that is about 20 yards short of the green. I managed to find my way into the water hazard after mishitting an iron shot. I proceeded to drop a ball maybe 5 feet behind the stream and mishit a wedge back into the stream! I'm impressed my playing partners (threesome whom I didn't know previously) didn't burst out laughing at this point. Luckily I was able to get back on track and play decent golf (by my standards) by the 4th hole. Has anyone else had stretches where you just couldn't get anything going at all (not just one hole)?

[flopster]

Yep, same sort of thing just different expectations, played front 9 one under 35, playing back 9 and am cruising at 1 over after 14 holes, make bogie on 15 no big deal then all hell busts loose and get an 8 on 16 and then bogie 17 and double 18, was on my way towards a nice 73 or 75 on a very tough course but instead blow it with an 80, wish I could have laughed it off like you did but these opportunities don't happen too often.

[ghalfaire]

It is not unusual for a player to have "the wheels fall off" after a bad shot/hole.   Most notably maybe was Greg Normand at the Masters some time ago.  I do it and so do all the fellows I play with upon occasion.  The answer to how to not let that happen is a personal one but for me it is just keep telling yourself that each shot is an independent event in a series of events.  That is scientific talk for your next shot has nothing to do with the last shot other than the location you're hitting from.  So just make sure you "have a recovery plan that you;re capable of executing" and stay focused on the only shot you can control, this one.

[mcanadiens]

That was the story of my last round.

I was doing ok through six holes and run up against a big, uphill par-5.Wicked slice and drop. Wicked slice and drop. Overhit a knock back to the fairway and had to punch under a tree branch. Wedged short of the green. Ran the chip well past the hole and three putt. Amazingly, I was able to largely get back on track and managed a 97.

In my case, there are certain holes where these things have a higher probability. I subconsciously overswing on par 5s. If uphill, like this one, it gets worse. The embarrassment of having to pick a ball up from someone's fairway often clouds rational thought and you don't set up well for the next shot. Then you are sore from all those swings when you finally putt.

I've had fewer of these, but they still happen.

[Fairway_CY]

Unfortunately, I'm all too familiar with that occurrence.  In fact, I can almost chart my rounds by it, depending on which course I'm playing.  Back in July, I was playing fairly decent golf (for me).  I had entered a few tournaments run by the county courses I play.  One was a two-day, 90% handicap tournament at two different courses.  The other was the Club Championship (match play).

In the Club Championship qualifier, I had played the front pretty well... shooting a 43 which is about 2 better than average for me.  I then went bogey - bogey to start the back, which isn't a bad start on those holes... but then, on possibly the easiest hole on the course, I made a double.  I got so inside my head that I couldn't recover and ended up with a 51 on the back for a 94 total.  This still qualified me, but as a low seed.

3 days later, I was playing in the 1st round of the other tournament... same course.  I shot 45 on the front... again, average for me.  At the turn, I was feeling pretty well.  I went bogey - birdie on the next 2 holes... so I was feeling great.  Then I absolutely blew up.  I posted a 10 on the same hole I called the easiest on the course.  I shot myself out of the tournament on that hole alone.  I ended up with a 56 for a 101 total.  I played well on the 2nd day at a different course and finished T-12 for the tournament, but... that hole alone killed me.

A week later, I was playing a practice round and shot 45 on the front... went par - bogey and then posted another ugly double on that 12th hole.

I was determined not to let that hole cost me a shot at the Club Championship... so much so that a few days later in the 2nd round of match play, I made the turn All Square... and standing on the 10th tee, I was talking to myself about the 12th hole.  I lost 5 of the next 7 holes and was eliminated on the 16th green.  Funny part is that I played the 12th hole fairly well that time around... but, I was so focused on it that I lost 2 balls on the 10th hole and hit a really poor chip on the 11th hole which cost me that hole.

Sadly... it's been a pattern over the course of the last 15 years or so for me to play poorly on that hole.  As others have said... I never let it be every swing as an independent shot throughout the round.  Before the 12th, I'm trying to make up for the poor hole to come... and afterwards, I'm usually so upset by my performance there that I can't recover.

The good news...?  I'm moving to North Carolina and will likely never play that hole again.

CY

[CamoCladWarrior]

Bad shots, bad holes, and bad rounds are gonna happen. The trick is figuring out how to mentally stay in the shot and not let the bad shot,hole, or round become more. I remember when I played in high school the golfers would come off the course to the range. They would tell the coach to look at there swing and fix them. He would ask what happened and they would tell your same story. Our coach would tell them to remove everything from their pockets and put a tee in their right pocket. Not because the swing was flawed but the mental game was flawed. Keep your head up and stay positive

[dfreuter415]

I started playing golf 6 months ago and have steadily gotten better. I generally score in the low 90s but had the oddest experience today. I went out to play a round and the first 3 holes were some of the worst holes I have ever played.  Luckily I was able to get back on track and play decent golf (by my standards) by the 4th hole. Has anyone else had stretches where you just couldn't get anything going at all (not just one hole)?

My best example is that I was 12 over par after 8 holes (4 doubles and 4 bogies), I then changed balls and eagled the 9th hole from 110 yards and shot two over par on the back nine for an 83 after thinking I might not break 90.  Go figure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by flopster

Yep, same sort of thing just different expectations, played front 9 one under 35, playing back 9 and am cruising at 1 over after 14 holes, make bogie on 15 no big deal then all hell busts loose and get an 8 on 16 and then bogie 17 and double 18, was on my way towards a nice 73 or 75 on a very tough course but instead blow it with an 80.

I hate when that happens. Two years ago I played 15 great holes and was only one over. Then, I hit the 16th, a par 5, in two shots and am looking at an eagle putt.  So, what happens?  I barely three putt the 16th, scramble for a par on 17, and then on the short par 4 eighteenth hole, still thinking birdie and even par for 18 holes, hit a drive behind a tree and take a bogey.  Bah, humbug.

[dave s]

Everybody has had this issue at some point in their golf life.  Being mentally ready before stepping onto the first tee is a must.  My league plays on Thursday nights. I'm usually rushing from work and arrive at the course in time to pay up, get to the first tee and swing away.  If I complete the first three holes in less than +5, I consider it a 'win.'

What works better is getting there early, being able to hit a small bucket, practice for 10-15 minutes around the practice green and leave 5 minutes or so to collect your thoughts before hitting that first tee shot.  If I can do that, it's like I've already played 3 or 4 holes BEFORE getting to #1 tee box.

Here's the exact opposite:  I'm playing a league round last season.  A guy on the other team says to me, 'Dave, you're -1 after 6 holes, nice round so far.'  Proceeded to go double, double, double to shoot an even 40 on the par 35 side.  Sometimes you're better off just playing and NOT watching the scoreboard, I guess!

dave

[Big C]

I would be surprised if anyone here hasn't had that happen to them. For me, it was unfortunately a fairly common occurrence in early stages of my match play career.

I still remember the worst experience was two years ago, in the semifinals of our match play flight. I was cruising, up 3 through 8, when I lipped out a short putt that would have put my 4 up heading into the turn. All of a sudden, my commanding lead felt a whole lot smaller, and I could feel the noose tighten around my neck. I snap hooked my drive O.B. over the driving range net on hole number 10 - something that in my dozen years and hundred-something rounds playing that course I had never managed to do before. My opponent took the hole with double.

Despite playing some truly awful golf, my opponent managed to get back to all-square by hole 13. I think he was 5-over during those four holes. I couldn't even tell you what my score would have been, had I not been allowed to concede.

I re-grouped to some degree, and managed to hang in till the bitter end. But with my confident mostly shattered, I lost the match on 18. It felt like one of those days where golf exposed every mental weakness I had. A pretty depressing feeling, as others I'm sure can attest!

[Maddog10]

Happens to everyone. Whenever I make a shot that was one of those "where in the h*** did that come from?" moments, I try to focus on doing everything fundamentally right on my next several shots. More times than not it's a matter of just taking my eye off of the ball a split second early and coming out of the shot. Last season I was 1 under on the back nine in a tournament and had been sticking my wedge shots all day long. Well on the 15th hole I had a nice 100 yard approach from the middle of the fairway, a shot that I had hit well all day long, and I managed to shank it. I'm talking full-on shank. As I mentioned before, I thought "What the he**" but I concentrated on keeping my head down, refocusing, and making sure I cover the fundamentals. I bogeyed that hole and then had pars the rest of the way out to finish even... You can't let your mistakes compound. Think about what you may have done wrong and correct it on the next few shots, then forget it ever happened. Easier said than done, I know.

[rkim291968]

Yep, same sort of thing just different expectations, played front 9 one under 35, playing back 9 and am cruising at 1 over after 14 holes, make bogie on 15 no big deal then all hell busts loose and get an 8 on 16 and then bogie 17 and double 18, was on my way towards a nice 73 or 75 on a very tough course but instead blow it with an 80, wish I could have laughed it off like you did but these opportunities don't happen too often.

LOL.  This is what I did exactly two rounds ago.  I think you and I live in parallel universe.

Mine was - 36 through 9, 3 over through 15, and then snowman, double bogey and bogey finish.  I was on my way to 75 - 77 (for 18 HI, that's like kissing the sky) and then boom!   I ended up with 82.

Back to OP/OT, it is very common occurrence.   Nothing to write it on the forum about .

[saevel25]

I started playing golf 6 months ago and have steadily gotten better. I generally score in the low 90s but had the oddest experience today. I went out to play a round and the first 3 holes were some of the worst holes I have ever played. I triple bogeyed the first hole before struggling through 2 more holes (and carding at least a 10 on each of them). It was almost as if I had forgotten how to swing a golf club. I duffed every tee shot, iron shots, pitch shots, chip shots, you name it and I messed it up. On the second hole there is a small stream that is about 20 yards short of the green. I managed to find my way into the water hazard after mishitting an iron shot. I proceeded to drop a ball maybe 5 feet behind the stream and mishit a wedge back into the stream! I'm impressed my playing partners (threesome whom I didn't know previously) didn't burst out laughing at this point. Luckily I was able to get back on track and play decent golf (by my standards) by the 4th hole. Has anyone else had stretches where you just couldn't get anything going at all (not just one hole)?

Ok, here's he deal, you are an 18 handicap, it comes with the territory. Being an 18 handicap probably means that you lack a steady head, a flat left wrist at impact, and your weight forward at impact. This means that you need to compensate greatly. The golf swing being a very complex movement, is tough to do when you got a lot of unwanted movement going on. This in turns causes you to have days were things will feel good, and days were things just blow sky high.