No Idea what is going on...

[pumaAttack]

So this time last week I was swinging the best I have ever swung a club.  Making great contact and sending the ball flying shot after shot right at the target ( I have never heard such a sweet sound coming from my irons). It was effortless and I easily hit 300 balls on the range and felt no soreness or anything afterwards.

Fast forward to today and it is a completely different story.  I played a really poor round over the weekend and continued my poor play with a few bad range sessions.

Basically I am topping the ball, slicing it, hitting it fat... you name it.    I had been focusing on my hip rotation last weekend and now it seems like I can get any turn.  I even tried to hook a ball and still couldnt get the club around.  I hit a few decent shots reverting back to my modified stack and tilt set up but really don't want to use that swing again.

Any tips on why this maybe?  Mainly the topping and slicing.  I tried slowing down to half speed and still sliced the ball.

Thanks for any input, I wish I had a video but alas I do not.

[WUTiger]

On the 300 range balls... did you machine-gun a couple dozen from each spot, without lining the shot up frequently?

While you may hit several shots in a row to build rhythm, also make sure you line up shots individually and switch clubs. This allows you to practice your pre-shot routine under different conditions. It your set-up and alignment become automatic, you can focus concentration on where you want the ball to go.

You said you focused last week on your hip rotation , and now can't seem to get any. If you're obsessing about this part and that part on the course, it can disrupt swing timing.

Work on the "parts" on the range, along with some complete shots. On the course, focus on alignment and let your swing happen.

[tshapiro]

My bet is your sense of timing is off and as a result you're swinging every which way to try and find a swing again. Start back up with your sand wedge with 40 yard easy pitches. I bet you're back in the groove before too long.

[carpediem4300]

for me with my irons when i start doing this i am doing 1 or 2 of the below things

1) swinging to hard

2) rotating the blade open on the backswing

3) swaying on the backswing

4) overswinging on the backswing

5) standing up through the shot before contact

when these issues crop up, as the poster above me said, start with a wedge and work back up,..i also combat each issue by simply indeitifying it

1) - swing easier with looser grip/arms

2) - thumbs to the sky drill to avoid to much rotation of the blade

3) keeping head over the ball and turning shoulders/hips together to prevent the sway

4) - feel like im taking a 3/4 backswing (im actually doing a full swing)

5) - make no concious effort to follow the ball, let the arms drag your head and torso round (waiting for the hit i believe it is referred as)

these are all personal to me of course,.....but having no natural talent i can only hit good shots with constant re-inforcement of the above,....perhaps you are doing one or two of the above maybe?

[inthecup]

When I get "out of sorts" I like to start with my 52 degree wedge chipping.  Getting solid contact, increasing to a half swing, half tempo,

From there I go to a 3/4 swing 1/2 tempo, ending with what feels like a 3/4 swing 80% power.  That is what I want my iron shots to be, 3/4 back swing which is really just limiting the back swing and 80% power.   A pure 80% strike goes as far as a 100% marginal strike.

Good luck we have all been there more then once, sometimes more then once a week!

[pumaAttack]

Thanks for the replies!  This forum is pretty great.

I think I will start today with just wedges for the first hour or so and just hit half power swings.

I actually think my slicing problem has manifested itself because of my obsession with hip rotation and I wasn't sliding forward.  When I made solid contact it was weak or a pull.

Thanks for the advice guys!

[Jimdangles]

wow this was exactly what i was looking for. My game was like clockwork inside of 170 a week ago and actually even got compliments on my hip rotation which is something i just do naturally because of hockey. now I cant seem to hit a green to save my life. top shots, fat shots, pure shanks. Misses that I havent had to deal with in my game in months. I think i got so good i became too comfortable and now i dont remember what it was i did because it became natural. now i cant find it. Im only complaining after 2 bad rounds so im hoping it was lack of sleep or something but my goodness is this frustrating.

[Mr3Wiggle]

Originally Posted by Jimdangles

wow this was exactly what i was looking for. My game was like clockwork inside of 170 a week ago and actually even got compliments on my hip rotation which is something i just do naturally because of hockey. now I cant seem to hit a green to save my life. top shots, fat shots, pure shanks. Misses that I havent had to deal with in my game in months. I think i got so good i became too comfortable and now i dont remember what it was i did because it became natural. now i cant find it. Im only complaining after 2 bad rounds so im hoping it was lack of sleep or something but my goodness is this frustrating.

Do you take the club back low and slow to the ground or pick it up quickly on the takeaway?

[pumaAttack]

Originally Posted by Jimdangles

wow this was exactly what i was looking for. My game was like clockwork inside of 170 a week ago and actually even got compliments on my hip rotation which is something i just do naturally because of hockey. now I cant seem to hit a green to save my life. top shots, fat shots, pure shanks. Misses that I havent had to deal with in my game in months. I think i got so good i became too comfortable and now i dont remember what it was i did because it became natural. now i cant find it. Im only complaining after 2 bad rounds so im hoping it was lack of sleep or something but my goodness is this frustrating.

Hey I play hockey as well, I thought we were all supposed to be great golfers as well as hockey players!

It is pretty frustrating huh?

[carpediem4300]

another thing that i work on that sometimes creeps into my game like the points i raised above is "over thinking"

i read a great golf psychology book once that broke down how the brain and body completes the swing and how you can only conciously think of doing 2 or 3 things at a time,...and its your subconcious that does the rest. so breathing would be a subconcious thought,..we jsut do it

so when you start thinking about doing a certain thing during a golf swing and that becomes your main thought,.....you start overtaking the subconcious and not swinging correctly,....you may of turned your hips great,...but the rest went to pot!

what i do is consciously think about what i am trying to acheive in the practice swing,....then let the subconcious do the actual swing

its like when someone says "build muscle memory",.......its a crock of crap,....your muscles dont remember an action, your subconcious remembers the action, the muscles simply move at your subconcious will.

try it,...think during the practice swing, dont think during the actual swing

[carpediem4300]

just found the book on my kindle app,..its called "Short game rehab, by cody b wheeler"

I downloaded it to help with my shortgame but the psychology section of it has helped my game no end

[pumaAttack]

Quick update...

Went to the range for a few hours today.

I started out with just my wedges and hit those just fine.  Aim was good, distance control was good.  No problems.

Moved onto the irons and bam, same issues arise.  Tops, slices...  I swung at 50% and was able to hit them solid and made good contact.  As soon as I tried to swing a little faster it just went all down hill again.  Back to 50% and back to good contact....  I hit my driver just fine at full power so no issues there.

Any ideas what may be going on?  I think it maybe me trying to swing too much with my arms, any suggestions on how to stop that?

Thanks!

[moparman426]

Originally Posted by pumaAttack

I swung at 50% and was able to hit them solid and made good contact.

There's your answer.  Maybe you shouldn't be swinging as hard as you are.  Slow down, club up!

[Jimdangles]

Originally Posted by pumaAttack

Hey I play hockey as well, I thought we were all supposed to be great golfers as well as hockey players!

It is pretty frustrating huh?

ya i love how that mentally they are complete opposites. they provide a nice relief and change of pace from each other.

[pumaAttack]

Originally Posted by moparman426

There's your answer.  Maybe you shouldn't be swinging as hard as you are.  Slow down, club up!

Any tips on how to get back to 100% power?  Or even 80%?  My 3 iron was only going 150... that isnt going to work on the course! :)

[carpediem4300]

Dont forget range balls rarely go as far as normal balls,.........i hit my 4i around 170 on the range but on.the coirse i hit it 190-200 Perhaps not seeing the ball go as far as u like on the range is causing you to overswing? I feel like im swing 50% but in front of a mirror my club is parallel at the top so ive got a full swing going on, remember feel isnt always real! NB. My drives at the range rarely clear 230 yet on.the course i often clear 260-270 withoit feeling like i swing hard

[pumaAttack]

Originally Posted by carpediem4300

Dont forget range balls rarely go as far as normal balls,.........i hit my 4i around 170 on the range but on.the coirse i hit it 190-200

Perhaps not seeing the ball go as far as u like on the range is causing you to overswing?

I feel like im swing 50% but in front of a mirror my club is parallel at the top so ive got a full swing going on, remember feel isnt always real!

NB. My drives at the range rarely clear 230 yet on.the course i often clear 260-270 withoit feeling like i swing hard

That is a good point, and I know part of my issue is mental.  I came up short on a few par 3's last round after I thought I struck solid shots.  I just need to learn to relax and maybe club up from my old distances, as unreliable and inaccurate as they were.

I also read the chapter in Hogan's book about the back-swing.  He finally visualized a concept I was never able to understand, the plane.  When I reviewed my swing I was so far above the plane, it was almost impossible for me to get it back on track.  I am going to test this out on the range tonight and remember to swing less with my arms.

[carpediem4300]

yeah nothing wrong with clubbing up,....jsut remember that range balls dont go as far,...the surface they are landing on is often peppered with tyre marks and pitch marks so wont roll out as well etc etc,...

I've also found range balls to re-act differently in the wind, especially head winds seem to grab them and drop them dead