Golf Game Has Gone To Hell...

I am male, 66 years old. Been playing golf for a number of years but not really very seriously. Played maybe once a week with occasional trip to the range. Taken lessons a couple of times. For years was a bogey golfer usually shooting in the 89 to 92 range. Over the last 6 months I have not been able to shoot under 100. Last three rounds were 104, 109, 108... Let me give you an example of what is going on: my go to club from 150 is the 7i. Last week I did not know what I would hit my 7i...one hole hit it 135, next hole hit it 165, next hole hit it 140. It is like that with all my clubs...Putting really has begun to suck...did not 1 or 2 putt a single hole last round...I have decided to just take a month off and see if I can get it together after that... Any advice or direction would be appreciated...anyone else ever go through this?

Sounds like your swing has gotten a bit inconsistent so you're not making the same contact each swing which is throwing off your distances.  I'd try shortening your backswing a bit to see if that helps you make more consistent contact.

You could start a MySwing thread here and let the experts here give you some advice as well.

@Osnola welcome to forums. I lose a lot of distance when I do not slide my hips forward and start swing with my arms. As mentioned above, if you can get a video uploaded, you would get some great advice.

I am 57, and have been playing for over 40 years, most of that time a bogey golfer or slightly better. You will certainly receive more qualified responses than mine, but I will share a few thoughts.

There are many variables at play here, and it could be one or more than one. I am assuming since you did not mention it, that there have been no physical changes or problems, or even medication changes. I take blood pressure medicine, and a change can certainly affect my stamina, especially in hot weather.

If you are serious, the first thing I and many others would suggest is to take a lesson. You may not want to commit to a long series or a major swing change, but an hour with a QUALIFIED instructor might identify a  point or two that would get you back on track. Sometimes when we wander on our own, we may overcompensate for something that fixed properly would have taken a minor adjustment.

A drill that I often do, is to take a normal stance but with my feet touching. The ball is placed normally, except that my feet are together. I then make half or quarter swings, not enough to get off-balance, being sure to turn my body and shoulders normally. I focus on rhythm, keeping my head steady, and making good contact, squaring the head at impact. I want to see the ball fly straight or draw slightly. This is a drill I got at 21 from a teacher, and I have used it ever since. I use a 5,6, or 7 iron. If your clubs are fairly new, meaning "hotter" lofts and lengths, I would stick to the 6 or 7. You are not trying to hit 150 here, but a consistent distance and trajectory and flight. Obviously, because your swing is shorter, these will be a lower trajectory as well. You are just working on consistent contact, a still head, and balance. Now, your head will move a bit. The still head thing is a bit of a misnomer, but it is the feeling of staying centered and still.

After several successful balls with the above drill, spread your feet apart to a normal stance for the club you are hitting, and start hitting some 3/4 swings, being sure to turn your body, keep your head still, etc. Especially if you are hitting range balls, don't worry about how far the balls are going as long as it is fairly consistent. Always start the downswing by turning your hips back toward the target. Some do this with a slight lateral shift, but don't overdo this. As you feel comfortable, increase the length of your swing without attempting to increase speed. You may find that you achieve a satisfactory and consistent distance, without any increase in speed. You may find that you can increase speed slightly, or not. What is important, is to find a comfortable combination of length and speed that you can repeat, and repeat with the 5-PW or 6-PW depending on your lofts.  Take this to the course with your regular game balls and find your sweet spot of distances.

I think this will help with consistency of distance.

For several years, the 7 iron has been my 150 club and pretty much still is for a flat lie/flat shot. If I have to carry 150 to clear water or sand, I might use a longer club. At our level of play, a half club or club variation is not out of the realm. 135 to 165 is a pretty wide variation. If I hit my 7 iron 135 when I intended 147, it was a miss. If I hit it 165, someone else hit it, LOL! If I intended 147 and hit it 140, that is just my normal game. That is why if I MUST carry 150, I might hit a 6 choked down an inch or two.

Sorry for the long post. Short version is find a good rhythm you can repeat consistently, and accept the distance it gives you. Take a lesson.

Rhythm/tempo in one's swing is so important for consistency, and imo swing consistency starts with a good pre-shot routine, and the old one piece take away. One guess I have is that you have lost your swing rhythm/tempo, and maybe just picking up the club when you start your back swing. I'd just slow down, and relax a little.

Your idea of taking some time off away from the game is a pretty good idea. I have done that myself on several occasions to get my game back. A month may be too long, so you might want to rethink that possibility. I usually stay away for 5-7 days  when I need a break.

I was preparing a similar post after letting my anger subside so the whole post wasn't full of expletives and rants. A day of complete lack of any ability in any aspect of the game other than putting(more or less) this isn't some newbie who is pissed off after a series of 6 lessons at Golf Galaxy. I too, have been playing for 40+ years, played as low as a 4 but mostly hung around 8 for many years while I played more often. took a few years off in my mid 30's, but came back to play mostly every week and without a true handicap, I could shoot anywhere from 75 to 85 depending. Rarely lost a ball with relative straight drives, decently consistent iron play, with putting being my best aspect. Familiar partners, a course I'm very familiar with but hadn't played in awhile, weather was overcast, low wind with a slight chance of rain and comfortable temps. And those are the upsides to the day. Starting right at the 1st tee- Snap hook, clank a 5 wd, chop a 6 iron, chunk two chips, then 1 putt for an 8. And that pretty much sums up the whole day's story. hit ONE fairway- and that was a worm-burning bullet that went about 150 yds, thanks to the wet grass. the odd scramble for bogey with a totally lucky set of 2 pars. EVERYTHING I knew about how to play was gone. The ONLY actual golf shot that was as it was meant to be was the approach to the 18th green. A beauty of a 7 iron from 155 to just left and hole high. And it wasn't until AFTER I hit it that I realized I was using yardage off the Izzo from the 17th hole and that the actual yardage was 145. I'm going to take this one and look at it as a low point that can't get any lower. Since the next couple of weeks are taken by other commitments, I can get my brain off the game and come back fresh.

( There's no golf in hell. )   I think there are threads on losing distance, skill as golfer's age.  Many Early 60s seems to be the turning point when game degrades.    It may just be your aging catching up with your game?

Were you my partner this past weekend? You pretty much summed up my partner's play (except the 18th hole shot).

Hi Osnola,

Welcome to TST. I'm 65 and understand that at any time the golf gods can play havoc with your game.

I agree with dbuck. Since you said that you have taken a few lessons, I would encourage you to see a pro and have him/her check your swing.

The other thing I would suggest is playing a par 3 or executive course if you have one in your area. In this way you could focus on irons, short game and putting. Once you were comfortable there, you could go to your regular course having, hopefully, regained your confidence, and then add the long game.

Best wishes -