How to Get a Swing Back?

[cooke119]

Due to the virus, courses being closed, etc. I haven't played in something like two months. Now I'm not that good to begin with, usually shoot in the mid to high 90s but I went to the driving range yesterday and it felt like I never hit a golf ball before! I mean I really sucked. From the right side of the range I hit the fence on the left. I had absolutely no feel for any club in the bag. Had ball marks on the top edge of my driver, shanks, top a few, hit it fat on a few, and those I connected with went nowhere, 7 iron 120 yards, are you kidding me? 

I know others have had time off due to the same factors, any advise on how to get a swing back? I don't really feel like paying for lessons again, I had a number of them, but maybe.

Any thoughts would be helpful. 

[pganapathy]

If lessons are not an option, watch a few youtube videos and do a few drills.  Nothing matches repetitive motion (practice) to ingrain a habit, but make sure you aren't ingraining bad habits which will hurt you long run

[dennyjones]

Go back to basics.   Slow down, make sure your setup is correct and take slow partial swings, 9 to 3.    Work at just this until you feel comfortable.  

[iacas]

You could have joined us for this:

It's not too late, either: you can still do them now. Just work through them.

[boogielicious]

@cooke119,

I second what @iacas posted. Work on days 1 through 5 to start. It will really help.

[cooke119]

Thanks guys, I'll go back to basics and work at it slowly. Iacas, I'll work through them. Usually I hit the ball well, my higher index is caused mostly by my work around the greens including putting. Never thought I would forget how to hit a ball.

[DrvFrShow]

It'll come back. My first time out after the break I ended up picking up on three holes. The worst shot of the round was when i topped my mulligan. I did birdie the last hole after I figured out what was wrong. Just take some easy swings and make sure your swing tempo is alright and all the parts are moving in sequence. And by the way, the short game is the first to go. My next round was pretty much bogey golf except for two triples caused by some lousy short game work. There's just nowhere to practice around here right now so every round is a practice round

[CarlSpackler]

2 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

The worst shot of the round was when i topped my mulligan.

You're killing me using such foul language!

Mulligan...

[iacas]

23 hours ago, cooke119 said:

Usually I hit the ball well, my higher index is caused mostly by my work around the greens including putting.

Got stats for that?

[DrvFrShow]

8 hours ago, CarlSpackler said:

You're killing me using such foul language!

Mulligan...

Hey, our governor doesn't allow us to practice on the driving range. We only get to play, and bunkers are GUR which makes going for par 5s in two with a 3W a non-penal shot. If the ball lands on the green it's an eagle possibility. If it lands in the bunker, who cares? Free drop at NPR. It's play for fun time around here. I'm not entering scores until things get back to normal.

[criley4way]

Always go back to the basics. For me that starts with setup, weight shift and contact working on 90 90 swings for contact with a 7i trying to hit a small draw 75 yards. I lay down a pair of alignment sticks and tee up every ball. I will hot 50-75 balls like that each day making sure that the ball starts right of target and comes back.

After that I like step drills (feet together, swing the club forward 12", and back, step and swing smoothly) and pump-pump-pump-release drill (Take it to the top and shift the hips, drop the hands 3X, then swing  through).

Just what works for me to help get the sequence and rhythm back.

[cooke119]

9 hours ago, iacas said:

Got stats for that?

Unfortunately not. First let me say that I am 68 years old and have had three lower back surgeries so my swing speed is not what it use to be. When I was playing my 'normal for me golf' before the shut down I would be within 50 yards of the green in 2 on a par 4 and walk off with a six! I usually can chip on successfully but never close, then I three putt, very frustrating. I know I need to get closer with my chip shots but around here there is no place to practice chipping off of grass. I use to go to a school yard with my shag bag but they put a stop to that. Chipping off a mat at the range really doesn't help. Then there is putting, three putts drive me nuts even from far away. I spend a lot of time on the practice green but I guess I need a drill or two to try to improve. I do par and birdie holes when I play, I don't want it to sound that bad, but those are rare.

[iacas]

All good man. Was just wanting to make sure you understood your game. Even if my question just made you honestly evaluate it for another ten seconds, it did its job.

Hope you get your feels back soon.

[easyjay39402]

On 6/2/2020 at 3:35 PM, criley4way said:

Always go back to the basics. For me that starts with setup, weight shift and contact working on 90 90 swings for contact with a 7i trying to hit a small draw 75 yards. I lay down a pair of alignment sticks and tee up every ball. I will hot 50-75 balls like that each day making sure that the ball starts right of target and comes back.

After that I like step drills (feet together, swing the club forward 12", and back, step and swing smoothly) and pump-pump-pump-release drill (Take it to the top and shift the hips, drop the hands 3X, then swing  through).

Just what works for me to help get the sequence and rhythm back.

I would add to this list the traditional “feet-together” drill, first without a ball, then, when you can swing without toppling over, with a teed-up ball. Works best with something like a 9 iron. When my swing takes a holiday, this drill usually gets me back on track. It’s one you can use on the course in an emergency😎

[cooke119]

Played my first round in like two months on Tuesday. I had gone to the range a day earlier and practiced my basics and worked my way up. I actually didn't do that bad all things considered. I shanks a couple of irons which pissed me off but what can you do. Drives were OK, putting sucked, (need a lot of practice there), short game was so so, (not getting it close to the pin but that has always been my problem). I'm scheduled to play in the league again over the next two weeks and I'll get out on my own in between, need to practice on the course, not on the range.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll put them to use.