Am I losing my golf skill or something?

[live4u120]

Hey guys, this is my first thread. Earlier, when I first started, around a year ago, I was happily getting better and better. I'm about to turn 14, and now my skills seem like they are kind've fading. About a week ago, I could hit it with lag, everything, with that perfect contact feeling. Lately, I've been hitting the ball really fat, or topping it really badly.

Why is this happening? I mean I know the mental game is a big part, and I recently just broke up with my girlfriend... So could that be having an effect on my game?

P.S.
Along with the fat, and topped shots, I hit it thin very often as well.

[jkfletcher]

Not sure what kind of swing you have, but I know that when I start to have trouble like that, its more likely than not that I've got my swing tempo screwed up and/or my ball position is off in my stance...

[Nick88]

I wouldnt say your losing your talent, its probably down to a problem in your swing somewhere! I would go get a lesson and go from there, could be something so small!

Plus by the look of your handicap going from 10 downwards takes alot more better shots!
Breaking up with your girlfreind sucks, and takes its toll, take a break from it all!

[SpacklersEdge]

Hey guys, this is my first thread. Earlier, when I first started, around a year ago, I was happily getting better and better. I'm about to turn 14, and now my skills seem like they are kind've fading. About a week ago, I could hit it with lag, everything, with that perfect contact feeling. Lately, I've been hitting the ball really fat, or topping it really badly.

Sorry to come off like a jerk, but if you get the yips in your swing from breaking up with your girlfriend when you are 14, your mental game must be like wet toilet paper....FRAGILE.

Your 14, summer just started, that's when you are supposed to break up with your gf, so you can find more! Use the extra time from being single to hit more balls, if you are only 14 you aren't even done growing yet, so your swing is bound to be constanly changing for some time yet.

[live4u120]

Sorry to come off like a jerk, but if you get the yips in your swing from breaking up with your girlfriend when you are 14, your mental game must be like wet toilet paper....FRAGILE.

Haha, you're not coming off like a jerk at all, in fact that response gave me a laugh or two. One little problem I found when I went outside about 5 second ago was that in the downswing, when I'm pulling the butt end towards the ball, I sort of get confused out of nowhere of what I do afterwards, and I end up pulling the club up with my arms, and then I hit it topped, or thin. I didn't really hit a fat shot.

[jns575]

Sorry to come off like a jerk, but if you get the yips in your swing from breaking up with your girlfriend when you are 14, your mental game must be like wet toilet paper....FRAGILE.

Hes 14 man.. of course his mental game isn't very strong. I wish I had the 'worries' I thought I had when I was 14. But they are very real to you at the time.

Heres something for future referance golf aside.. a girl is going to break your heart a lot worse than you think it is now. I would relax and have fun with the game, you really SHOULDN'T have too many worries at that age.

[saltman]

homeboy you have too many things going on in your head. Go to the range and hit a bucket and don't think about anything but a target.

If you hit 100 bad shots in a row without thinking of your swing, its a swing problem and you should see a pro. On the other hand, you might just be overthinking.

I didn't even know what the hell lag was when I was 14. I just looked at the ball, looked at the target and tried to hit it close.

[deafheaven]

I just went through a solid month where my mechanics were so screwed up, I couldn't hit anything. It was the most frustrating period of time I've ever experienced playing golf and I was honestly ready to quit the game entirely.

It was obviously a problem with my mechanics but I just couldn't identify the exact issue. Over the past week I've broken my swing down completely. I started by just chipping a lot, then moved on to a 3/4 swing, then to a full swing. It's finally paid off with an 86 yesterday and an 88 today. I still don't have all my distance back but now that I'm striking the ball effectively I can work more on tempo and swing speed.

[Shindig]

Hey guys, this is my first thread. Earlier, when I first started, around a year ago, I was happily getting better and better. I'm about to turn 14, and now my skills seem like they are kind've fading. About a week ago, I could hit it with lag, everything, with that perfect contact feeling. Lately, I've been hitting the ball really fat, or topping it really badly.

Some weeks, you're on. Some weeks you're off. There are a number of potential causes of this. Maybe you've grown an inch and now your clubs are too small. Maybe you made some minute adjustment to your posture, grip, and/or alignment that caused different things to happen in the swing that resulted in these observations.

Why is this happening? I mean I know the mental game is a big part, and I recently just broke up with my girlfriend... So could that be having an effect on my game?

Sergio Garcia broke up with his girlfriend not too long ago, and he has said that was the cause of some of his poor play as of late. It could be affecting you, too (That is, your breakup; not his).

Something I wish I had known at 14: you're better off without her. Spend the next 4 years getting good at whatever it is you want to do. Enjoy your golf, spend time with the friends with whom you share common interests, and do well in school. These are all far more rewarding.

P.S.

Yeah, usually when you develop a case of the misses, you end up with one as you try to adjust for the other. Review the basics - posture grip and alignment - and see if it gets you back where you need to be.

[bunkerputt]

Hey live4U120, Shindig is absolutely right on. Trust me, the last thing you want is to hook up with a girl in high school and then have to start worrying about what to do when college comes around. Forget about girls until you get a little bit into college. I wish I had done this and focused on school and golf. Instead, I got a girlfriend, tried to get into the same school she did, didn't, tried to figure out how to make a long-distance relationship work for several years, ended up breaking up with her and marrying my wife years later. What a waste of those years. I could've been learning so many things that make you way more mature of a person than being hung-up about a girl does.

I know it's really hard, because the culture is completely set up to make it harder and harder for guys these days, but it's correct. Probably not what anyone wants to hear, but correct nonetheless. Also, screw what your friends and your emotions say. Figure out what's right and stick with it regardless.

Good luck.

[flopdarock]

14 with a gf? man screw that...
you are way too young to be tied down to one chick...
there are too many girls to limit yourself to one...
dont get serious till you graduate... lol...
but about the swing... id just hit the range a lil more often... you got time now that its summer and you arent tied down anymore

[Thaddy]

You're turning 14? Wait until you're done with puberty and stopped growing. I remember having as much coordination as my grandfather at that age.

Really, you're WAY too young to be worrying about your golf game. Go hang out at the pool and hit on some hot 16 year olds. 95% of the guys on this board wish they could still do that (legally).