Annoyed

[ritchieis]

Had the best 9 holes of my very brief golfing life last night:

Bogey, par, par, par, bogey, bogey, par, 7!, par.

Then the wheels came off and I began shanking the hell out of my short irons. Ball shooting off to the right on each approach shot.

This was most annoying as I thought I was on for my best score at my new course. Best to date has been 99.

Can anyone tell me what usually causes this affliction and how best to free myself of it?!

Cheers, Nick

 

[Aztecs27]

Sounds like you were counting your score and trying to hard to beat your best score.

This will almost certainly have made you tense up when you're swinging the club, causing you to hit some terrible shots.

It's difficult, but try not to think about your score when you're playing, you will have a better round and enjoy it alot more.

Look at Robert Garrigus at the St. Jude the other day.

Heading down the last with a 3 shot lead, all he needed was a double dogey to win. Hooks his tee shot into the water. Plants his next right into the trees (instead of laying up) and ends up with a triple to then go on and lose the playoff.

Clear you mind, don't think about it, and you'll play better golf.

 

[ritchieis]

Funnily enough it all started at the hole I got the 7 on.

There was a burn in front of the green and pond on the right hand side. I was saying to myself, come on whatever you do don't shank it into the water over there on the right, and sure enough.... in it went!!

As I said woods and long irons were fine but any more that 40 yards from the green - shank!

 

[Region3]

Why didn't the swear filter pick that up??
Questions must be asked

Can't help you with a cure, but NEVER say to yourself don't do this or that.
The brain doesn't do negatives and will do it's best to fulfil whatever you just thought, without the word don't in it.

So actually, your body did a great job of getting the ball into the water with you aiming at the green

 

[Smiffy]

I was like that at Royal Ascot last week.
Had an 8 down the first, an 11 down the second and then it all went to pieces.

 

[CannyFifer]

Could be tiredness too, I often weary on the back nine and dont concentrate enough and then try too hard for it all to come together. shows you that you can shoot lower though so thats something to take on the next round

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Could be a host of reasons from dehydration, tiredness to trying to hard and maybe even swinging too conservatively and trying to protect what you already held. If you haven't been hitting unmetionables before or after then its a fair chance you were just trying too hard and the swing had gone to pot

 

[birdieman]

Chances are your swing went a bit flatter in plane causing shanks.

Try Dodgers trick of addressing the ball with the hosel - it makes you pick the club up steeper and bring it back down on a steeper plane. It does work.

I would also say a bit of aggression and commitment on the shots and make sure the right hand grip is good - if the clubhead lags behind due to a weak right hand grip you'll leave the face open, a good way to shank too.

The natural instinct with shanks is to move away from the ball but that usually makes things worse as your balance will be thrown off and you'll lean forward or reach into it more on the downswing, which is bad news.

 

[pheel88]

My chiropractor was telling me last visit that when you get to around hole 9 your body can become unaligned as your muscles tire etc and his theory was swing a couple left handed shots inbetween shots to even it up.

I am not sure how much that affects things and it is more likely to be your mindset like others said.

Good luck though.

 

[Leftie]

and his theory was swing a couple left handed shots inbetween shots to even it up.

Works for me

Well. Sometimes

 

[Tommo21]

Some rubbish here…go see the pro.