Is anyone else a headcase?

[dag2000]

I'm pretty new to the forum and am pleased to have found it. After swearing off instruction or practice of any kind for the past four seasons, and just accepting whatever I shoot as satisfactory, I have gotten sucked backed into the game. So here I am.

I have noticed a kind of relentlessly upbeat and perky vibe in many of the threads which is at odds with how I have experienced the game. Am I the only one here tormented and bewitched by this game? Or do we just not talk about it, like a no-hitter?

I almost laughed when I was reading the guidelines for submitting a swing video. "A" swing video. I have half a dozen swings. Some are elusive. I have a smooth as silk, Els-like, power swing with my irons and 3 wood. My left arm feels like it's in a sling and my body coils and uncoils naturally. I may be 48 and fat, but at 6'5", I am swinging with power and grace.

Another swing I call the Woodsman. I feel like I am chopping tree roots with an ax. It probably looks worse. Ironically the Woodsman rarely happens in the woods, but more often in rough.

Then there's the Lunge, the Leap, and the Robot, where I have so much tension in my hands, arms, shoulders, back, and neck that I never release the club.

The problem is that I don't know how to control when and don't understand why whichever swing appears. On Wednesday I was 4 over through 8 holes at Waverly Oaks. And it wasn’t lucky (what I mean is that I wasn't getting parallel fairway pars; I wasn't skulling a SW from 90 yards and having it come to rest pin high, etc.). I was playing conservatively and hitting fairways and greens. The 9th hole is easy, just a 6-iron layup and a 9 iron or pitching wedge to an elevated green. I topped a 6 iron, dunking my tee shot into some reeds maybe 40 yards away. Tee up another and duck hook it into some tall fescue and trees. On 10, I slice into the fairway of the 18th hole, with a blind shot to the green. I hit a great shot and then 3 putted for bogie. 11 – duck hook into the tall fescue. 12 – sliced it deep into the woods with my first tee shot and hooked it into the woods on the other side of the hole with my provisional. Then I finished respectfully enough, playing the next six holes three over par. I shot 90 and was actually pretty psyched, but for cripes sake, I should have shot a stress free 86.

Today, on the same course, I shot 107, 56/51. I did absolutely nothing well today. I don't remember a single crisp iron or well-executed tee shot.

I am discouraged.

[CG031]

Hmm...you need to see the Doctor.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...9JYBGTQE1CMT1M

[dag2000]

  CG031 said:

Hmm...you need to see the Doctor.

Just bought it and it's on my Kindle now!

Thank you for your advice.

[ControlJunkie]

  dag2000 said:

I'm pretty new to the forum and am pleased to have found it. After swearing off instruction or practice of any kind for the past four seasons, and just accepting whatever I shoot as satisfactory, I have gotten sucked backed into the game. So here I am.

First off, welcome!

I'd say that anyone who has ever played the game gets extremely frustrated by it at times, some more than others. The thing is that every hole, and every round is a fresh start. As hard as it is to forget any bad shots from the previous holes, you gotta let it go, because there aint a damn thing you can do about it. I had started a thread a while back about the shots that keep you coming back to the game. There's always something memorable that will make you say "I know I can play this game better than I showed all day, and that shot just proved it". We definitely talk about it, but like I said, you just gotta let it go, and concentrate on what you'll do for the future to make sure it doesnt happen again. I know it's easier said than done, trust me. As for the other stuff you said, I'd suggest taking one part of the swing, getting it to a point where it's burned into muscle memory, and then moving on to the next. That's where both lessons and practice comes in. You can learn what you need to be doing, but you have to repeat it over and over to get it burned in. That will lead to better consistency. Though you might not be a fan of practice, I believe that's what it takes to be more consistent. Some can walk up to a tee, with no practice, and be pretty good, but I'd say that the majority of people cant do that. Others may not practice a lot now, but at some point they did, and it was then when they got their swing nice and grooved and memorable. Good Luck!

[timwalsh300]

You sound a lot like me, as far as the scores that you shoot. Last week I had a similar round where I was +4 through 8 holes and ended up finishing with a triple bogey. When I start off playing well I feel like I'm just waiting for the bubble to burst - like catastrophe

must strike eventually to ruin everything.

  dag2000 said:

I almost laughed when I was reading the guidelines for submitting a swing video. "A" swing video. I have half a dozen swings.

Have you ever worked extensively with video? I started doing this a few months ago and my experience is that the swing is much more resilient than you think. This is why it's so hard to make swing changes. After the first time I took video I spent three days working with a new "swing thought" which

felt like it produced a very different swing. Then I took more video and was shocked to see that it was exactly the same, frame-by-frame. Someone wrote this on another forum and I find it to be very true...

  None said:

I've seen too many videos of myself and others where we say to the camera "OK, that one was my normal swing, and this is where I'm trying to keep the left wrist flat, maintain the bend in the right wrist and stop flipping." And what happens most of the time, if it's anything near a full swing? Same same. Nothing changes. "Here's my Nicklaus swing!" Same. "Here's my Hogan swing!" Same. "Here's where I pretend my right elbow is a banana peel!" Same, only more delicious.

There probably isn't much visible difference between your swing that produces at good shot down the middle, or the one that tops the ball into the woods. It's just a matter of missing by an inch, or having the club face open or closed a few degrees.

My point is that you probably have more to gain through doing video analysis than you think. You can at least get a much better feel for what is really going on. Tim

[MonkeyClaw]

Some of my philosophy:

It's not foolish to miss-hit the ball - it's foolish to think it will never happen.

Don't get angry over a miss-hit, even the pros do it. They practice for hours and hours every day, and have been doing so for many, many years. Smile, accept it, and move on.

The only shot that matters is the one you are about to hit. Forget the last shot (although it's ok to bask in the glory of a good shot for a while). If you're not concentrating on the current shot, it definitely won't be good.

Remember the good shots, forget the bad shots. You're ALWAYS going to leave a few strokes on the course. Only remember these when it comes time to practice. Otherwise, remember the feel of that pure shot you hit onto the green, from the tee, out of the rough, whatever.

Golf can be very frustrating. You need to set realistic expectations or you'll drive yourself crazy. Don't expect to break 80 if you rarely break 90. No matter how good my round is going, I always remind myself I'm only a few bad swings away from 100. I don't do this to discourage myself, but to keep things in perspective. I rarely score higher than 100, but it can still happen. The more I think about things other than the next shot, the more likely I am to make a bad swing.

Don't forget, you're supposed to be having fun!!!

[dag2000]

  MonkeyClaw said:

Don't forget, you're supposed to be having fun!!!

Hmm... tell me more of this "fun" you speak of. :)

I'm playing a fairly easy track tomorrow morning 7am. With a little regression to the mean, I should be able to hit enough good shots to get some positive thinking back. Thanks to all for the advice. As much as I rambled on in my original post, it's not even a 1/10 of the story (my affair with golf started 35 years ago as a 13-year-old caddy at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, MD). Maybe with age I've acquired some wisdom that I can use on the course. I'm enjoying the Rotella book. Mike

[CG031]

Yeah, please, let me know how the Rotella book works for you. I'm about 3/4 done with it and I've noticed it helped my game today on the course.

Of course, don't expect his theories to always work and your always going to play your best - because it just won't happen. But I love what he says in the book, when you go to the first tee tomorrow you should expect two things of yourself is to play confidently and to have fun. Whether you shoot a 110 or a 70, it doesn't matter. It's only golf and you should try to enjoy it and worry less about the number and more about focusing on each golf shot trying to make it a quality one.

[ControlJunkie]

What's the deal with Rotella's book? I've read a lot of good things about it, but I never really knew what the main subject of it was. Is it all about getting your mind right for the next shot and the round as a whole, mental toughness, positive thinking, and stuff like that?

[dag2000]

  CG031 said:

Yeah, please, let me know how the Rotella book works for you. I'm about 3/4 done with it and I've noticed it helped my game today on the course.

I played 36 today, shot 99 in the morning and 102 in the afternoon. With respect to the Rotella book, here are some first reactions:

* Putting - Despite the lousy score, I putted better this morning than I have in five years. I zeroed in on the hole and really focused on trying to make every single putt. And I was lights out. In the afternoon round, I got a little sloppy as I more fatigued and was less disciplined in my thinking and visualization. But I was burning some edges which was positive feedback. * Not focusing on mechanics - Man, this was tough. Because I was awful off the tee, especially in the morning, it was a challenge to dispel any conscious swing thoughts. But I stuck it out, morning and afternoon, and now I have to go to the range. * Enjoyment - Unbelievably, my performance seemed decoupled from my enjoyment. I berated myself I think twice in 36 holes. And it was over it a second. No gloomy stomping around the links. I hit a lot of poor shots, but I really enjoyed the rounds. It's pretty difficult to keep stray thoughts from entering your mind when you're hovering over the ball, about to bring the club back. I think it's a practice thing. I think that you need to make a conscious effort at your thinking, staying focused, executing your complete pre-shot routine for every single shot the same way.

  ControlJunkie said:

What's the deal with Rotella's book? I've read a lot of good things about it, but I never really knew what the main subject of it was. Is it all about getting your mind right for the next shot and the round as a whole, mental toughness, positive thinking, and stuff like that?

Mostly positive thinking and using visualization. To the extent that mental toughness is addressed, it's not the teeth-gritting, stare down the competition kind, but rather the discipline to force yourself to be confident in your stroke and swing.

[ControlJunkie]

  dag2000 said:

I played 36 today, shot 99 in the morning and 102 in the afternoon. With respect to the Rotella book, here are some first reactions:

First off, the fact that you enjoyed the rounds you played, regardless of performance, says a lot. Yes, we all want to be better, but enjoying it is what matters the most, because that will keep you going back, which will in turn make you better! It's a nasty, never-ending circle.

Second, I may check that book out. It sounds like it's working out well for you. By using visualization, you mean a "seeing the shot before it happens" kind of thing?

[Elsfan]

People handle the game completely wrong. When I go out to play golf I am so excited and happy just to be able to play. When I start off I look to play a great overall round. If my round is not going well I try to play a solid 9 holes. If I fail to play a good 9 holes I look to try to play singular good holes. If I can't play a good hole I try to hit a good shot. The point is there is always something positive to take out of your game, you just have to search sometimes to find it.

[dag2000]

  ControlJunkie said:

By using visualization, you mean a "seeing the shot before it happens" kind of thing?

Yes. Especially for putting, which I liken to how I used to shoot free throws (when I was shooting them well). I would imagine the sensations, both sight and sound, of a perfect swish. I always shot better from the line when I did that. But it's tough to keep doing.

But the visualization was more my application of what he was preaching, which is a) pick an exact target to aim at even with a driver, because your sub-conscious mind automatically guides you in that direction; and b) try to hole every putt and pick exact place inside the cup to hit when aiming (the logic being that the narrower, more specific the target, the closer you get to it).

[CG031]

  dag2000 said:

I played 36 today, shot 99 in the morning and 102 in the afternoon. With respect to the Rotella book, here are some first reactions:

I'm very glad that you at least enjoyed it, even if the end result of the score wasn't up to your fullest of potential.

The putting is where it really helped me. Just being more confident over the putt made a huge difference. I can see how the swing mechanics can be hard to get out of your mind on the course. It's tough at first...but it's something I've worked on and I no longer do it. If I hit a bad shot, I worry only about tempo and executing the shot at the target....worrying about where my wrists are on my backswing, where my shoulders are 1/2 of the way back on the backswing, etc. won't do anything but help me miss my target, which is the main goal.

[dag2000]

For what it's worth, I've also taken his approach to practice.

I went and hit a small bucket today. Probably 3/4 of my shots were with my pitching and sand wedges to different targets, just bouncing around and using feel to get it close (or not) instead of a knowledge of exact distance.

I wonder if, for the average hacker like me, there is a greater return to driving range time when that time is spent 3/4 hitting feel/touch wedges and 1/4 hitting full swing shots rather than the other way around.

[ControlJunkie]

  dag2000 said:

For what it's worth, I've also taken his approach to practice.

They had your boy (Dr. Rotella) on this morning, on the PGA Tour Network on Sirius/XM. I was listening at work, and I got pissed because just a couple minutes after he was on, someone came in my office and was bugging me about something stupid, so I completely missed what Rotella said. I was very interested, just based off of what you and everyone else was saying. Now, I cant remember if he was on Opinionated with Chris DiMarco, or if it was Making the Turn with Peter Kessler....

I wouldnt say there's greater return, but I would say that there is definitely great return, if that makes sense. I say that because the dedication to full swings will give you more confidence on the course. But I do think there is an absolutely huge return for the kind of practice you described as well. It's just a big balancing act