Help!

[Caddyshack]

What do you do when your game totally deserts you? I was playing good consistent golf for a while, got the cap down to 13 and now my game has just gone, and i mean gone bid time. Slicing drives, big slices too, slicing long irons, lost about 10% distance, inside 100 yards cant hit a green (that used to be my strong point) only thing that saved me from a very embarrasing score yesterday was the putter... If i go to the range i shank about half the bucket (big shanks too) which makes it even worse as golf is a lot about the mental side of things... any suggestions on some practice drills to get my swing back? i have zero confidence standing over the ball at the moment.

[lobsterzilla]

if you gfind out let me know ... im in the same boat ;x 14 HC trying to get down to a 12 to get into school ... now im losing 4-6 balls a round into hazards some how ...

completely out of the blue.

[P3R3]

Sometimes its good to take a break and forget the bad habits you learned. Also, having a coach will help you alot.

[Shindig]

I take a week off. I do some yoga and meditate - not on my golf game, just in general.

Then I get to the range after the week. The acronym of what to work on is easy to remember: PGA. Posture, grip, alignment.

It's amazing how much it helps. And if it doesn't, I go get a lesson.

[Mathlete1123]

When my swing goes downhill I'll go to the range and hit balls at quarter to half speed, its a lot easier for you to feel a swing flaw when you do it painfully slowly. Once your making solid contact slowly work your way back up to your normal swing speed.

[pherg]

Don't think about it. Don't read about it. Don't worry about it. Don't even pick up a club for a week. Worked for me recently.

I was in a big slump. The worse I got the more I found I was thinking about it. The more I thought about it, the more reading I did and the more thoughts I had going through my head.

Last week I stopped worrying about golf for a week. I went to the gym when I would've gone to the range. (I hadn't been to the gym for a while and notice that when I don't go I feel like I swing harder because I don't feel as strong - this creates a whole world of bad habits).

When I pulled the clubs out yesterday I went back to basics. Posture. Setup. Alignment.

I hit the ball really well and shot my handicap for the first time in 7 weeks.

[iacas]

Go back to your fundamentals. Start with 1/2 swings and make good contact.

[sp33d]

I have this problem from time to time, its usually when I try to hard and over think everything let your body tell you what do and what feels natural. Go back to basics and dont think about scores, play each hole as that hole.

I often get to caught up thinking about my over all game, and dont pay attention to whats right infront of me.

[lumpuckeroo]

What ever is in your right pocket move to your left pocket.....

[CarlSpackler]

What ever is in your right pocket move to your left pocket.....

LOL. I've done that.

My advice to OP would be to think about what you love about the game not related to score in addition to reviewing the fundamentals. I will go play the course that I used to tag along behind my Dad and Grandpa as a youngster and visit the plaque that was placed in honor of my Grandpa. In other words, go back to the roots of your game and think about how far you have come, even if it is only in your mind.

[golfmentalist]

what works for me is to take a break from golf for about a week and when you get back to it and your playing a round, try and not take practice swings, this enables you to not worry about where the ball will be going because you will be thinking that it cant be good, thus your subconscious takes over and lets you hit freely and without pressure, letting you fly a good ball.