My Brain Won't Let Me Play Well

[edhalsim]

Hi,

I used to shoot upper 70s, low 80s consistently.  Then, a few years ago, I started on a quest to improve my swing thinking it would help me get closer to par.  The result has been awful;  I've taken lessons from multiple people and I'm only getting worse.  This past weekend in perfect weather I shot 86 & 91.  Two main reasons:

1. I can't get the ball up and down;  I was 1 out of 22.  Part of the reason is all our greens are elevated since we're in a flood plane so I'm always pitching up hill, normally to a tight pin, from either a fairway type lie or thick rough.  I rarely have a "standard" chip and run shot.
2. I start hitting crazy full swing shots and then I can't stop.  My driver's my best club, but I'll start snap hooking it.  I may shank an iron, or miss the green with a wedge.  My buddies say I lead the tour in doubles or worse from the middle of the fairway.  I never used to hit these crazy shots which I can't even replicate on the range, but now I do it all the time.

I think I do all the "standard" stuff I've heard about the mental game - don't focus on the score during the round, put bad holes behind you, focus on the next shot, etc., but nothing seems to help.  I may play one good 9-holes out of 10.

I played with a couple of people who I haven't seen in quite a while and they both remarked that they'd never seen me play this badly.  Very disheartening to hear since it's true.  Obviously any confidence I used to have is long gone.

Thanks for listening and if you have any suggestions you think may help please let me know.

[JetFan1983]

Yea, there is definitely a complex psychology that goes on when playing a round of golf, and it's important to always be in control emotionally out there, but no amount of Deepak Chopra/Joseph Parent zen stuff, etc. is gonna cure a bad swing or bad short game technique! And I know you know that, but hey, sometimes stating the obvious helps! 😄

The good news is, there are solutions to your problems! You just have to take a breath and then put your mind to it! No better place to do that IMO than the comfort of your home and at your computer actually, so I think you're probably doing the right thing by coming on here and asking some questions.

The first thing I would say, especially since it's free, is to start a My Swing Thread here if you haven't yet. It would be interesting to see your full swing from face-on and DTL but also to see your pitching motion as well as I'm sure there are several members here who can chime in with some relevant information as to how to improve them. Ingratiating oneself with the community here has hugely helped my understanding of the game, and I would highly recommend you do the same! There are so many excellent threads here to get lost in for hours and hours and hours. 

The more advanced method of improvement would be investing time and energy into finding the best instructor near you. This can take some time as it does take knowledge to be able to figure out which instructor is going to be the most helpful to your improvement. I equate choosing golf instructors to choosing the right grail in the Grail Room at the end of the Last Crusade.

You should be on the path towards legitimate improvement after choosing wisely. There's all sorts of awesome technology now like GEARS, Trackman, Flightscope, BodiTrak, Swing Catalyst, Sam Putt Lab, etc. that can identify issues immediately for you. Stuff that would've taken you years of beating balls at the range you can learn within minutes now from an excellent instructor!

Don't lose hope, man! You can do this! 

 

 

Edited October 10, 2022 by JetFan1983

[JetFan1983]

5 hours ago, JetFan1983 said:

Ingratiating oneself with the community here has hugely helped my understanding of the game, and I would highly recommend you do the same! There are so many excellent threads here to get lost in for hours and hours and hours. 

 

I just looked this word up and didn't realize it carried a negative connotation. Just to clarify, I meant this in a positive way. I meant to say that it was incredibly helpful to immerse oneself into an active golf community in order to grow and learn new ideas.

Looks like I need to brush up on my vocab now that I'm posting again!

[Denny Bang Bang]

Swing changes can be difficult.  You may change something seemingly small, but it can put your body into positions where there may be another small thing (or two) to fix as well.  I’ve gone through “slumps” while working on changes.  It can be tough, especially when you feel like you went backwards after having played some really good golf.  The only advice I would have is cut yourself some slack and continue to work through it.  If you’re putting in the effort, it’ll come around eventually.

[JetFan1983]

16 minutes ago, Denny Bang Bang said:

 The only advice I would have is cut yourself some slack and continue to work through it. 

Golf is very hard, yea. I'm not all that surprised when I don't get the result I want on any given shot. Understanding the game's inherent difficulty helps mitigate whatever psychological disturbance that may arise as a result of not playing as well as I would like.

Everyone should definitely cut themselves some slack when playing this crazy game.

[saevel25]

9 hours ago, edhalsim said:

I've taken lessons from multiple people and I'm only getting worse. 

This might be an issue. 

I have to ask the question, did you practice in the correct way?

9 hours ago, edhalsim said:

I can't get the ball up and down;  I was 1 out of 22.  Part of the reason is all our greens are elevated since we're in a flood plane so I'm always pitching up hill, normally to a tight pin, from either a fairway type lie or thick rough.  I rarely have a "standard" chip and run shot.

Check out some of the threads about pitching and chipping. This is definitely something you can improve quickly with proper practice on technique. 

9 hours ago, edhalsim said:

I think I do all the "standard" stuff I've heard about the mental game - don't focus on the score during the round, put bad holes behind you, focus on the next shot, etc., but nothing seems to help.  I may play one good 9-holes out of 10.

If you are hitting snap hooks, shanks, then it is not mental and it is something wrong with your swing. If we all had the power to swing and hit the ball with the mental intent we want, we would all be on the PGA tour. In the end, we all have physical limitations, and we must find a golf swing around them to get the ball in the hole is the least amount of strokes.