What do you do when the wheels fall off?

[elivate]

So my last two rounds have been disastrous. I went from my career round a week or so ago to two rounds where I looked like I have never hit a ball. I am shanking my irons all over the place and my confidence is shot. I am going to hit the range today and I am also going to finally call for some lessons. The funny thing is that I thought I had it going well, and I had been hitting some really good shots and then all of a sudden I just lost it...

What do you guys do when you hit a slump like this? It has only been two rounds, but it feels like I have reverted back to a total beginner and I need to get some confidence back...

Thanks!

[Norm66]

Ah, I was hoping there would be some responses to this already. I'm in the exact same position you are Elivate. I matched my best score last Wednesday, played a 9-hole scramble with my wife Friday at 4 over (6 pars!) and was feeling pretty confident with my game. Then I played a really nice course (Eagle Sticks reviewed on this site last month) Monday and had the wheels completely fall off. I don't know what happened, but I was hitting full shots fat, pitch shots thin, topping (and even once, whiffing) on drives and putting like a four year old.

Now I haven't swung a club since then and I'm playing a scramble tomorrow. I'm hoping to contribute at least a few shots.

My theory is that we need to put less pressure on ourselves and play like it doesn't matter. Just step up and swing without over analyzing. Of course putting that theory into practice will be tough.

good luck!

[elivate]

I agree, I know that at times I think too much and try too hard. I played with a couple of 18 year olds and one kid hit the ball a mile. He never took one practice swing and he was the fastest player I have ever seen. I think he finished about 74 or 75... And the other "kid" was 79...

Playing with better players usually helps me but for some reason yesterday it was awful. I four putted the first green and I shanked my first three tee shots, it was embarrassing... The funny thing was I actually holed out form 150 on a par 4 but it was only for birdie because I duffed my second shot!

What a game...

[Gregormendel]

lol, nice with the hole out. I have done that also to save birdie!

Now, the best adivice I could give you is to practice on the range, and play on the course. Dont try and fix your swing while you play. Thats almost the worst thing you can do. If you want to shoot the best possible round that you are capable that day, or anyday, then you must think of only the target and where you want the ball to go. Trust that you have practiced enough to have a decent swing. Now, unless you pracitce quite a bit, this might be hard. But if you are trying to think about how you take it back and break the wrists here and not too far back and dont go over the top and keep your weight on your right side and slide the hips.... then you are mostlikely not going to hit your best shot.

However, if you do step up to the ball thinking about only where you want to go and then let your body swing the club naturally, you have a better chance then the latter. Finding a good preshot rountine is a great way to help this. And completely necessary if you want to improve your score and game.

Hope this helps

[elivate]

lol, nice with the hole out. I have done that also to save birdie!

That is a good point I personally tend to think too much about my swing when on the course... The good shots I have hit in the last two rounds are usually ones where I just say $#%@# it and hit the ball...

[iacas]

If you must play for a score, I simply start hitting 3/4 punch shots for everything if I can't get something in play with my normal swing.

Most of the time, it's just something in your head, not an actual problem. But the times when it is some sort of problem, don't try to fix it on the course, just hit 3/4 punches all over to get around. Then go to the range the next day.

[elivate]

If you must play for a score, I simply start hitting 3/4 punch shots for everything if I can't get something in play with my normal swing.

Yes, I agree, thanks for the tips. I was actually just at the range and I got a lesson from one of the guys there. He watched me swing and I was hitting everything to the right again, and he suggested a few adjustments. I was coming up out of all my shots, not enough to hit a nasty slice or anything, but enough to leave the face open and push it right. He helped me work on my posture a bit and told me to start with my shoulders and rotate around my spine and then keep my hands close through impact and follow through. What a difference! When I actually remember all of this I hit really nice crisp iron shots with a slight draw. Now this is a really new feeling for me and I am going to have to practice like crazy to get it down but if I can remember these things and practice I will really improve my iron play for sure...

Funny, thing, you mention playing for a score. I usually always think I am playing for a score, but I am too stubborn to do things like you mentioned to get that score. Know what I mean? For example, on my home course I could tee off on every par 4 with my 7 iron and for all but 2 of them I would still be able to hit the green with a 7 iron or less... Do I ever do that? nope...

[lamebums]

So my last two rounds have been disastrous. I went from my career round a week or so ago to two rounds where I looked like I have never hit a ball. I am shanking my irons all over the place and my confidence is shot. I am going to hit the range today and I am also going to finally call for some lessons. The funny thing is that I thought I had it going well, and I had been hitting some really good shots and then all of a sudden I just lost it...

Oh, don't worry about it. Everyone has times when their game gets completely derailed. I had that about a month ago and couldn't even break 100. I will never include that round in my handicap. I took a break for about a week, came back and hit a bucket of balls, and pured all of them. I then went out and cranked out a 40 for 9 holes.

I haven't played since my club championship, mainly because of a tweaked wrist, but I may hit a bucket of balls today. My ballstriking was pitiful that weekend because of the wrist (and I found out I'd won a drawing for a MacTec driver - but I'd left early so I didn't get it).

[elivate]

Thanks for the encouragement.

and I found out I'd won a drawing for a MacTec driver - but I'd left early so I didn't get it.

ouch... I was just looking at that driver online, I was wondering how it plays...

[NEOHMark]

I like iacas's 3/4 punch shot approach. FWIW - I use a 'trick' I read in a Golf Magazine article decades ago to hit 3/4 shots. Stop your back swing with your left arm being at 3:00 (horizontal/parallel with the ground). Then take your normal full swing effort down and with a full follow-through. It'll give you a remarkably close yardage to 75% of your full swing with whatever club is in your hand. It also helps eliminate a lot of gremlins in your swing. Want 50% yardage? Stop your backswing with your left arm at about 4:00-4:30 and continue on with a full downswing/follow-through.

It's a great way to compact your swing enough to hit solid/accurate shots.

Another tip I got from a pro that might help with your combination of shanks and topping - as that sounds like the bottom of your arc has stopped being consistent - is to conciously put a little more weight toward the insides of your feet (so you don't 'roll' toward the outside of your right foot on your backswing). Actually knock your knees toward each other slightly. It'll keep you from swaying excessively and keep the bottom of your swing arc right where it belongs.

[GoingfortheGreen]

Smoke more than usual....generally that helps calm me down.

[CG031]

Smoke more than usual....generally that helps calm me down.

Great idea.

Anyway, I usually just try to keep my cool by focusing on my next shot more. I just say, "oh well, going to hit bad shots" and attempt to move on.

[Dent]

This just happened to me. Just take a break, and when you finally go back you need to have superior confidence. All you need is a break. I just hit the course yesterday and i am back to normal except for my pitching wedge and 60 degree which i am still having trouble hitting with ease.

[lamebums]

I took a break ever since I fell off the wagon during the club championship - today I hit a bucket of balls. I pured my 3 iron down the range, nailed my 7 about 150 (when I was struggling to get 140 last week), and hit excellent wedge shots. I hit especially satisfying flop shots, and my drives found the woods at the far end of the range. And they were pretty straight, too.

Now if I could only take that onto the course.

[Jeepthrills]

This happened to me on Tuesday. I was playing at a very upscale country club with one of my clients. He is a 6. I shot a respectable 45 on the front with two missed 3 footers and a double one the first after being just off the green in two. The back started weel enough. I bogey 10 and lip out a bird on 11. On 12 I make a weak double and follow it up with a tripple on 13. 14 is a 600 yard par 5 that plays uphill. Of course I try to kill it off the tee and top it into the water. My third ends up behind a tree. After a punch out for 4 i am still over 300 from the green. Lay up on 5, miss the green on 6, poor pitch with 7, chip 8 past the hole and two putt from there. The wheels were off and there was oil everywhere.

What I try to do is get to a shot that I feel comfortable with. I am the type that needs to step back and gather myself or I will compound it like I did for that three hole stretch. 15 was a moderate par 4 and I was able to find the fairway with my driver. I followed with an iron that came up just short, but I pitched it close and saved par. Fortunately the 16th was a par 3 that played about 160. I was able to hit 8 iron to the green and two putt for par.

[Chilidipper]

Ah, I was hoping there would be some responses to this already. I'm in the exact same position you are Elivate. I matched my best score last Wednesday, played a 9-hole scramble with my wife Friday at 4 over (6 pars!) and was feeling pretty confident with my game. Then I played a really nice course (Eagle Sticks reviewed on this site last month) Monday and had the wheels completely fall off. I don't know what happened, but I was hitting full shots fat, pitch shots thin, topping (and even once, whiffing) on drives and putting like a four year old.

Tell me you didn't whiff with a bunch of people behind you? I would of been so pissed.