Does this happen to you??

[Golfaway]

I am a 28 handicapper, I have started golf over a year ago, and I can't call myself a really good golfer. I usually score bogeys/double bogeys with some occasional pars when I'm on a good roll, and I've even had two birdies before.

Anyway, last Friday I was at the range, I hit a total of 60 shots with PW, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 and 3 iron clubs. And 30 or something approach flop shots using my SW. Out of the total 90 shots, less than 10 were bad; less than 5 were off target. It was a really good day for me on the range, hitting 3 and 4 irons off the ground without a tee was a really new feeling for me. I went home happy with a smile on my face.

Today I went again. And guess what, I couldn't even hit a good PW shot. Out of 40 or something balls, I had like 5 or something good ones, the rest were either fat, chanked, sliced, no trajectory or just mishits. Even with the short 9 and 8 irons, I couldn't hit a ****! I couldn't even finish the whole bucket, it was useless.

I stopped taking full shots and decided to try short approaches maybe it's better: no! The flop shots that I was hitting easily last Friday, I can't make a single one today. I just hit the ball with the sole of the club resulting in a mishit shot.

It was depressing, frustrating and ****!!
Every time I start to get the feel of the shots and think I'm starting to be more consistent and more even-leveled, I go the next time to discover that was a big fat lie, I'm swinging like I started golf yesterday. Something was terribly wrong today, my swing was totally out of order, I could feel it but I just can't know what's wrong and how to correct it!

Sorry for the long rant, but I just had to let out my frustration somehow, I hope you could understand.

[flopdarock]

its all about consistency... some days are good and some days are bad...
ive been playing golf forever and when im hitting bad... there is no way to fix it for that day... just compensate for it the best you can and move on...
heck just a few weeks ago i shot over a hundred... i know exactly what i was doing wrong but couldnt do anything except enjoy a nice day on a beautiful course hacking away... and just today... i almost broke 80... weird...
you just gotta take the good with the bad and hope there are more good days ahead

[Damien45]

I think a part of the problem is mental expectations. The other day when you went to the range, you didn't expect to have such a good day. The next time, you did. When you didn't hit good shots right away, frustration took hold and the rest just followed.

Next time you go, don't expect a great day. Expect bad shots that you have to work on. Take time to loosen up before getting into full swings. Start your day with the chip and flop shots. Work up to your short irons and so on. Alternate your irons from day to day. What I mean by that is use your 9, 7, 5, and 3 one day. The next use your 8, 6, and 4. This gives you similar practice each time and more time with each club.

Most important, relax and enjoy. Tension and frustration is one big reason we all do bad on the course.

[right handed phil mickelson]

I think a part of the problem is mental expectations. The other day when you went to the range, you didn't expect to have such a good day. The next time, you did. When you didn't hit good shots right away, frustration took hold and the rest just followed.

Thats great advice. What i do sometimes to warm up is take the 3 iron or even the 2 iron and i try and hit it first. Those clubs are normally hard to hit anyway, so if i have a bad shot, i don't mind it. but, if i have a good shot, i know it's going to be a good day :)

[HackerD]

Often when I practice long irons I hit them off a tee especially when the range is lacking decent turf to hit off. Just tee them like 1/4" off the ground but it's easier and practice is more productive.

[iPutt]

In just the few years I've been playing, I've realized that the game can get so streaky for us mere mortals. I'll go for a whole couple of rounds playing like crap and then go on for the next week or so shooting out of my mind. Its a crazy game.

[DJYoshi]

happened to me the other day. i had a case of the shanks, toe job shots, slices and hooks. this was on saturday....went out to the range after i worked out my shoulders on friday...so i'm hoping it was just that.

went out yesterday & today and killed it hitting really well with about 7 hooks, 10 pushes, 3 pulls and 5 fat shots on monday out of 225 balls over 2 hours.... today I couldn't do anything but hit it pure... i'm hoping I can carry this to sunday.

what I try to do what I'm not hitting well is....
STEP back. away from the ball.
stretch and then analyze my swing....where it's going wrong.... from my address to the grip and then portions of the swing.....
if it's really bad, I ask a friend or 1 of the people at the range what looks like i'm doing wrong.... step back...and then go to hit again...

[Neco]

Do you have a regular pre-shot routine and regular ball placement?

[Slim 11]

The problem is...you play golf.
All of us have those days and can't figure out what we are doing wrong. The higher the handicap, the more likely you are to notice it. A single digit HC might just be off a little left or right, hitting a little fat or something. Us higher guys miss the damn ball when were off. It will get better with time and practice. The important thing is to TRY to have fun.
I shot an 80 on an executive course the other day. OUCH. I should shot mid-60's there. I just tried to enjoy the day, the scenery and the company of friends. I still had a great time. And you know what...I'm not a professional golfer; it's okay if I stink it up every now and then.

[Chief Broom]

I think a part of the problem is mental expectations. The other day when you went to the range, you didn't expect to have such a good day. The next time, you did.

This in all likelihood is what happened. I bet your problem was tempo related. As we get frustrated one of the first things to go is our tempo. You can set up perfectly, align yourself correctly, grip the club how you want (weak, strong, neutral), the whole nine yards, but if your tempo is off (e.g. you rush your backswing, rush your downswing, etc.) all kinds of bad things will happen. What I've been working on lately, and it hasn't been easy, and I still do it far too often, is slow down so as to allow for proper tempo. This keeps the body working together in sync. When you're struggling slow down and hit 1/2 or 1/4 power shots. Do a full swing but take the power down considerably. A good drill for this is to hit your driver (and other clubs) only 100 yards. You'll find that by doing this you can bring your swing back into it's correct tempo. Once you get that back slowly begin hitting the ball harder, but always remembering to maintain proper tempo.

[Garthmo]

Sounds like ball placment was off that day. It happens. I played a round last year and a swear to mother I only hit about 5 good iron shots, all the rest I shanked to the right. Had no idea what I was doing wrong and couldnt fix it the whole round so blew it off as a crappy day and when I went back the next day everything was fine again. Just weird but I believe I was standing a bit to close to the ball that day.