Where did it go? Wait, nevermind... I found it. Crap, it's gone again!

[Fairway_CY]

This is nothing more than me venting.  If you're looking for a post about something... this is not it.  If you're looking for a post about how frustrating the game we all seem to love is... you've found it.  

So... I've always been pretty bad at golf.  I never really had the time nor the financial means to practice as much as someone would need to become a 'good' golfer.  Now that my kids are getting a little older and we live in a more golf-friendly climate... I've seen my playing time increase significantly.  Without going back and looking to verify... I'd say that prior to getting settled down here in 2015, my highest number of rounds was between 25 and 30 for a year.  

Over the last few years, that number has increased dramatically (27 rounds in 2015 - 78 rounds in 2016 - 61 rounds so far in 2017).  That also means a lot more practice time for me, both on the course and at the practice facilities.  I haven't yet taken any lessons, but I feel like I'm finally getting out enough where things I am practicing on my own are starting to stick.  

My index has dropped from a 16.0 as of 5/15/2016 to a 10.2 as of 8/15/2017... and it's trending at a 9.3 with the next revision due in a little over a week.  

My wife, for as much as she doesn't understand golf and probably doesn't want to hear me talk about it, will ask me what my score was whenever I play.  For the last few months, if it's not something 87 or better... I feel pretty bad about the round.  She knows this and will ask me what happened when I come home and tell her I shot something in the 90+ range.  This is where I struggle.  

There are days when the game seems not-so-difficult.  This past weekend, for example, I played Sunday in an interclub match.  After struggling a little bit off the tee with my driver over the last 3 weeks (suddenly began hitting a weak fade out of nowhere)... I felt like something clicked the day before during a tournament round I had played.  On Sunday, everything was on.  I hit 10 of 14 fairways... and of the 4 I missed, only 1 was really a bad swing.  In addition to hitting the ball much straighter, I also averaged 10 yards per drive more than I've averaged this year leading into that round.  I posted an 'easy for me' 41 - 41 = 82 where, if a few putts dropped, it would have easily been a 78 or better.  

The day before, in the tournament I played... I opened with a nice birdie before struggling mightily for the rest of the front side.  I posted a 46 that felt like a 70 on the front.  On the back... it was a totally different game.  My struggles with approach shots suddenly disappeared.  I hit a bunch of greens in regulation and threw up a 38.  The 46 - 38 = 84 got me within 2 strokes of the winner and I took second place.  

Sunday night, my wife asked what changed and I shrugged.  Even though I'm way more consistent than I've ever been... I still seem to go through these fits for short periods.  I'll play really well for 2-3 weeks... I'll get filled with confidence... and then it will all go away seemingly at random for 2-3 weeks.  I'll struggle... I'll get frustrated... and then I'll have a round where things click and my confidence is back again.  I'll then play well again for 2-3 weeks before the cycle repeats.   

My wife thinks I'm insane.  She's been around my golf buddies and I when we talk about 'losing it' and she rolls her eyes.  She doesn't believe it's a real thing... like it's Bigfoot or something.  

I get golf anxiety when I have those periods where I struggle.  I wish I could always be 'on' when I'm on the course.  I love the fact that I've improved.  I love playing golf and not feeling like I'm 'that guy' holding the rest of the group up while I search for my ball in the woods all day long.  I just hate feeling lost when it decides to leave me.  

Anyway... that's the end of my rant... for now.  

CY

[Piz]

If we were to find out that golf is a mental disease; I don't think I would be surprised.  Nor do I think I would take any steps to correct the condition.  Golf is the most benign of disorders; and rewards the afflicted often enough to perpetuate the delusion.  That is good enough for me.

[PaddyMac]

Ha ha... I lose my driver then find my irons .. lose my irons with a subtle swing change then find my driver ... lose the whole lot and find them all the following week.. If I ever get to where there all found all of the time it'll time to buy a lotto ticket

[dennyjones]

The Golf gods....

 

[The Hook Meister]

Welcome to the club. There not to many golfers that go thru this, it's the beauty of the game or so I am told.