Was the Culturally Varying "Spazzing" Thread

[dak4n6]

Well, I shot a frustrating 84 yesterday because except for a handful of shots, I was hitting very well. The differential between those shots and the rest was quite substantial, and that's what bewilders me. I'm hitting great, scoring well, and then once in a while, I spazz. Here's a sequential list of my spazzes:

Thinned PW out of a fairway bunker

Chunked 4i dumped into a hazard

Chunked SW chip from a soggy muddy lie

Thinned SW 90yd tee shot

Scalded 3i tee shot

Chunked 5w from a fairway

Thinned 60yd SW approach shot

A couple of these I recovered from, but I figure they added a total of 5 - 6 strokes to my score. That last thinned SW wedge was on hole #10, and from there on in I had no more spazzes and played solidly. In the middle of this cluster of miscues I had two birdies. I was driving the ball well all day. I hit some great wedges close. Putting well.

So, I guess my question is, where do these spazz-outs come from, and is there anything that can be done to stop them? How can I hit 9 good shots in a row, and then one total miss, then back to good ball striking? When I reviewed these shots in my head, I could sense I either moved my eyes off the ball before contact or I lurched from the top. I don't typically have this many spazz-outs for 18, but nevertheless they are the main reason that I don't have a lower index. Any thoughts?

[TourSpoon]

In Golf is not a Game of Perfect , Rotella tells a story about playing a round with Tom Kite and some D1 golfers. After the round they discussed the difference between the college players and Kite. It was noted that the college guys could hit the same shots, but couldn't put the score together. Rotella went on to say that the difference was that on average the college guys lose focus 4-5 times a round. These 4-5 instances of complacency made the difference.

I kind of see the same thing when I play. When I lose concentration, I tend to make a poor swing, bad decision, or just get myself out of position. This can also happen when I start thinking about score. Saturday I hit a career drive on a long par 4. From inside 100, I got so excited about stuffing a wedge close I chunked it and ended up with bogey. The next hole I had the same shot. This time I concentrated on solid contact and I was 12 feet and made the putt for birdie. The difference was staying in the now and hitting the shot. The point is, to play good golf, you cannot afford to lose any focus of what you are doing. That could have been the difference between you posting 84 that day or a 76.

[Tenerife]

Spazz is a derogatory word for someone who was once called spastic usually someone who has cerebral palsy and is unable to coordinate their movements. Please try to find another word that may describe your own lack of coordination, I find this one offensive and so will many other people.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Tenerife

Spazz is a derogatory word for someone who was once called spastic usually someone who has cerebral palsy and is unable to coordinate their movements. Please try to find another word that may describe your own lack of coordination, I find this one offensive and so will many other people.

Only really those in the UK and a few other small countries. Just like when Tiger said it.

Here in the U.S. it's not really perceived as a derogatory term.

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by Tenerife

Spazz is a derogatory word for someone who was once called spastic usually someone who has cerebral palsy and is unable to coordinate their movements. Please try to find another word that may describe your own lack of coordination, I find this one offensive and so will many other people.

I did some research and you are correct sir.

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003020.html#more

My apologies. I had no idea that this word is on the no-fly list.

Mods, could you change this thread title to 'Lurching'?

Edit: I see Erik replied, but maybe we should change the title anyway to accomodate our global membership?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by dak4n6

Mods, could you change this thread title to 'Lurching'?

Nah. Maybe later. For now I'm enjoying the mild thrill of being slightly non-PC. Even though, as I pointed out, it's not really non-PC in the U.S. :)

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by TourSpoon

In Golf is not a Game of Perfect, Rotella tells a story about playing a round with Tom Kite and some D1 golfers. After the round they discussed the difference between the college players and Kite. It was noted that the college guys could hit the same shots, but couldn't put the score together. Rotella went on to say that the difference was that on average the college guys lose focus 4-5 times a round. These 4-5 instances of complacency made the difference.

I kind of see the same thing when I play. When I lose concentration, I tend to make a poor swing, bad decision, or just get myself out of position. This can also happen when I start thinking about score. Saturday I hit a career drive on a long par 4. From inside 100, I got so excited about stuffing a wedge close I chunked it and ended up with bogey. The next hole I had the same shot. This time I concentrated on solid contact and I was 12 feet and made the putt for birdie. The difference was staying in the now and hitting the shot. The point is, to play good golf, you cannot afford to lose any focus of what you are doing. That could have been the difference between you posting 84 that day or a 76.

Thanks for the thoughts TS. My last skanked (apologies to any skanks out there) SW approach was just like your story. I had pounded a drive 270 in the perfect spot on a dogleg left and had only 60yds in and was thinking about the birdie oportunity before I even hit the wedge.

I guess what your saying is that you have to stay focused for every sinlge one of your 70 - 80 something shots during a round. That's tough. I think this illustrates that the lower your hc, the harder it is to get even lower.

[proflymaster]

Sounds like once in awhile you might be unconsciously getting a little too confident and possibly starting to swing a little harder. I do the exact same thing and shoot probably around the same score as you. Im usually in the mid to upper 70's and have about two bad holes. If I could only cut out those 5 or 6 bad shots Good luck. Try slowing down your swing works for me sometimes

[stoverny]

This happens to me also... the difference between my solid shots and the occasional bad one, is embarrassingly large.

For me it seems to be one of 3 things: a) I start focusing too much on mechanics during the swing, leading to tension;  b) lack of focus at address, where I actually "don't feel right" just before I take the club back, but rather than step off and reset, I go ahead and start the swing anyway; and c) too much tension at address.

So all 3 are pretty much variations on being too tense and not focused, which will cause a bad shot every time.

I am trying to work more of a waggle into my routine, as well as a tiny bump forward to get the backswing motion started in a more fluid manner.  Also minimizing swing thoughts to just one simple one such as "smooth takeaway" etc., to try and get mechanical thoughts out of my mind and get the swing flowing freely.

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by dak4n6

My last skanked (apologies to any skanks out there) SW approach was just like your story.

I'll do my best to make sure my sister never reads this post.

[Tenerife]

Originally Posted by dak4n6

I did some research and you are correct sir.

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003020.html#more

My apologies. I had no idea that this word is on the no-fly list.

Mods, could you change this thread title to 'Lurching'?

Edit: I see Erik replied, but maybe we should change the title anyway to accomodate our global membership?

dak4n6

Thank you for that you are a gentleman.

[David in FL]

Originally Posted by Tenerife

Spazz is a derogatory word for someone who was once called spastic usually someone who has cerebral palsy and is unable to coordinate their movements. Please try to find another word that may describe your own lack of coordination, I find this one offensive and so will many other people.

Really?  Huh......

Off topic, but forgive me.  It saddens me how easily people are offended these days.....especially when clearly, no offense was intended.

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by Ernest Jones

Quote:

Originally Posted by dak4n6

My last skanked (apologies to any skanks out there) SW approach was just like your story.

I'll do my best to make sure my sister never reads this post.

Whew that was close..I'm eating lunch and just swallowed a sip of soda when I read this. 4 seconds earlier and I would have been cleaning up my desk and computer!

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by David in FL

Really?  Huh......

Off topic, but forgive me.  It saddens me how easily people are offended these days.....especially when clearly, no offense was intended.

Sadly some people are actively looking to be offended. Some sort of self-fulfilling prophesies at work here.

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by dak4n6

Whew that was close..I'm eating lunch and just swallowed a sip of soda when I read this. 4 seconds earlier and I would have been cleaning up my desk and computer!

Thank you, thank you, I'm here all week

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by David in FL

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tenerife

Spazz is a derogatory word for someone who was once called spastic usually someone who has cerebral palsy and is unable to coordinate their movements. Please try to find another word that may describe your own lack of coordination, I find this one offensive and so will many other people.

Really?  Huh......

Off topic, but forgive me.  It saddens me how easily people are offended these days.....especially when clearly, no offense was intended.

Yeah, as Erik pointed out and as detailed in the link I posted, apparently even the mightly TW had to apologize when a lot of Brits took umbrage to his use of this word. It's a cultural thing, no biggie.

[gwlee7]

Originally Posted by dak4n6

Yeah, as Erik pointed out and as detailed in the link I posted, apparently even the mightly TW had to apologize when a lot of Brits took umbrage to his use of this word. It's a cultural thing, no biggie.

I get offended when the a Brit comes up and asks if I have a fag.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by gwlee7

I get offended when the a Brit comes up and asks if I have a fag.

You just ask if they mean James, then, right?

Anyway, we're all now well OT, so let's get back to it now. dak, do you want to re-state the essence of your OP?