Does taking time off make sense?

[Chilidipper]

I'm a 90s 100s golfer but I have been just pure $h&^ with my irons and other parts lately. Does taking time off help with correcting the issue? I am so digusted almost angry that I am thinking about taking a large amount of time off. Maybe a few weeks and reevaluate myself.

I shot a 60 and I wanted to quit right then and there. Im beginning to think you need to approach golf like life. Stick to your strengths stick to what you are good at and avoid things you are bad at.

[Uber$winG]

Time off is helpful. In that time, I would suggest you read about golf, i.e., the mental side, swing theories, some biographies on notable players, and even some fiction. I wouldn’t abandon the game altogether - I would just take a different approach to staying in touch with golf (like reading about it ). Let your body forget about the negative and let your mind focus on the positive.

Golf is a fluid-finesse game; meaning, the more you press the worse it gets for you.

Fairways and greens my friend…

[grandaddy510]

why take time off? i'm still pretty new myself, i get pissed when i shoot 51-52, but it pushes me to shoot for 47-48 on the back. all the thin/fat/hooks/slices/chillidip/sculled shots just make me want to go out again and try harder/smarter next time. instead of taking the time off, why not spend time practicing? time off will not correct the issue imo.

recently, i know i've been getting more consistent overall, i get free range balls at the local range so i'm out there at least 3 times a week. but my short game was making me feel just like you are feeling about your game. i picked up stan utleys short game book, and started practicing. now on the course i look forward to missing a green (although i'd rather get a GIR of course) because i've practiced getting up and down. i still need a lot of work but i've dropped about 5 strokes off im usually mid 90's. i've started to work on my putting and speed control lately too, it's been raining lately here but i think with a little more work on the putting i should be able to break 90 soon here.

my point/advice from someone around your same level, instead of taking time off, spend that time practicing whatever you think you need work on to break that 90. you won't be able to avoid things you're bad at on the course imo, because if you're bad at it eventually it's going to get you in that situation, so why not practice it and be prepared for it. maybe take time off from playing for a few weeks, but during that time you can improve on your game by practicing and could put you in position to break that next barrier next time out. also like mentioned above, read about golf. i've read a few instructional books or magazine articles and started practicing them that night to put into my game. also watch instructional videos on youtube, videojug, ect. it helps alot.

[Clambake]

Time off from anything can be good, but you need to understand what you're taking time off from. Being in Southern California we're lucky to be able to play all year, but I've taken time off in the winters before just to have some time off and reaffirm how much I miss playing. I've taken time off to let injury better heal. And I've taken time off just because I was too busy with other things. Only you can undertand your true rationale for taking time off and whether it is needed for your mental state.

But I think taking time off because you're not playing well isn't the right frame of mind. If you are so frustrated shooting higher scores that you want to walk away from the game, you need to reassess what it is you want out of the game. If it is to enjoy the course and camraderie of friends, then you need to remember that focus. If it is to score well, realize that simply taking time off isn't going to help that. As Hogan once said, "everyday you don't practice means it will take one day longer to become good".

You mention that maybe you should approach golf like life. Well, in life things don't become your strengths just because - they become strengths because you've learned them over the years and learned (maybe subconciously, but learned nonetheless) how to keep getting better at them. If you want to be less frustrated and turn it into a strength, the only way is to work hard at it. Taking time off won't substitute for the learning and practice you need.

[Ferrins]

G'day. Get a lesson on pitching and practice what you learn and success will build on success and your iron shots will improve through your understanding of this shot. If you practice more than you play you will have a pearla of a round that will lift your spirits. Good luck.

[lumpuckeroo]

Probabaly depends on the individual, but I like to take time off. I don't live in an area where I can play year round. I like to take time off, I find it rejuvinates me, gives me hope for the new year, gets me excited to get to play in the spring.

I usually stop playing in late October, early November, then start out on the range and practice green in late March, early April. In the colder months I spend time on the mental approach and getting in shape.

[kafka01]

Taking time off helped me almost every time. For me there are two reasons when you should take time off - first when you play A LOT and your body doesnt do what you want him to do anymore since the muscles are exhausted.
The second reason for me is when i seem to be stuck and just getting more and more frustrated seeing no progress. That normally just leads on a path to destruction for me so i try to take time off.

After such a period of time outs i always played me best golf shortly afterwards. It almost felt like the stuff i practiced before, kinda sunk in during my resting period.

But the lower your hcp gets the small the advancements get and not necessarily reflect in your hcp as fast as you wish.

[mkrolewski]

As the others have suggested, time off from what.

I think you initial concern is that you are not performing well or inconsistently or not up to expectations.

From a physical point of view, most people should be able to handle golf almost continuously. I ran every day more or less for 15 years, generally 40 minutes and up. My body was not exhausted. In fact I was in better shape because of it. Fitness is a possible issue.

From performance/training point of view, assuming you do not injure yourself, one might want to train more. More time practicing putting, chipping, etc. The goal being to perfect your swing. Most training is designed to make the mechanics easier so you can execute in the game. IMHO most golfers do not train enough.

You cannot fix a bad swing while on the course unless you are going to drop a dozen or so balls and work on it. You need structure and repetition to make improvements. In addition you need some sort of outside party eg a coach or friend or video tape to access your performance.

You sound mentally exhausted. You need to get rid of the mindset that is preventing you from playing well or improving. In that case a break might work. Or setting new goals may facilitate your game. Try to change your expectations. Ignore your overall score. Look at the game in smaller segments or as parts eg 3 holes at a time or just one or two areas like putting and chipping. Take some time to determine where you are having issues. Set modest goals; then work at them (practice?).

[blackxpress]

If you're playing bad, taking time off will not solve your problem. Take some lessons. Simple as that.

[ks8829]

Built confidence with positive reinforcements

Practice your short game from putting , chipping and pitching .

putt starting from 1, 2 and 3 feet in a circle from the hole and focus on making every putt, if you miss you have to start all over again. Once you practice the putts within 3 feet practice your lag putting remembering that distance control is an important aspect of putting and will help you eliminate putts.

chipping around the green when the toe of the club in the air and using a putting stroke with the ideal of 20% in the air and 80% on the ground, you might use your 7 iron or pw depending on the distance.

Pitching from 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 yards and work on distance control and making consistent solid contact. You will find that you will be taking a full swing with your lob wedge on longer shots.

Not only will your short game improve but you will discover the mini golf swing and impact zone that you can now duplicate for the full swing on your other wedges and short irons on up to your mid irons building confidence with small positive reinforcement.

I also improve my driver contact by practicing my pitching making a compact swing that I translated to the driver swing.

[Voiceontapex]

Ive never gotten any better by taking any time off, usually the first few rounds suck ass until i get back into things,

I play drums and if i take time off from playing, i actually tend to play better and faster, i dunno what it is lol

but its never that way with golf

[Clambake]

Good points and I agree that one way to mentally refresh is not to take time off but instead look for ways to change the games within the game. One of things I used to do with one of my regular playing partners was to completely change how we'd play the course from time to time - we'd play the whole round using no woods, play a 3 hole stretch with only a 7 iron, play a a hole using only putters, etc. It gave us a good mental break, and since we weren't expecting to score well with these little games it took the pressure off. The biggest side benefit was that it really helped learn how to play different shots and look at the game differently. Once we played the 500 yard par 5 18th using only putters, and I beat him with a par to his bogey - the next time I stepped onto that hole knowing that I could make par using only a putter, it made me feel much more confident with a driver in my hand!

[theislandofpen]

I think there's something there. I heard somewhere that most people in NE where I live play their best golf right after Winter. This is probably due to having a clear mind and not expecting to much of yourself. Because you don't expect to play good, you focus on having fun and play low pressure golf resulting in low scores on the card.