Complete swing failure

[inc0gnito]

Was at the range on Friday and didn’t hit particularly well. But that was nothing in comparison to today. 20 balls with a 7 iron and one good shot. All the rest didn’t get off the ground. Most flew low right slices. It’s like I was a complete beginner again.

I know I’m not the first to post a thread about a bad range session, but I am genuinely gazumped as to what went wrong. I don’t normally slice irons at all and I usually get them off the ground at least.

I’m at a loss as to how to explain it because I felt like wasn’t coming over the top. I really can’t think of what would cause such bad hitting. I did struggle to slow the swing. Even with effort as soon as the downswing started I was automatically swinging it too hard.

Help me understand what went wrong so I can pull myself out of this despair laden hole I’m in!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

As a ray of light, I went to the range a while back on the Monday. Shanksville from nowhere after a period of steady play. No reason for it. Wednesday it was 50/50 between average and shanks and on the Friday about 30/40/30 between shanks/good/average strikes. Competition on the Saturday and shanked loads in warm up. First hole is 165 yard par 3 and all I did was stand there praying it went forward. Eighteen holes later and I'd got 44 points a three shot cut but felt I scabbed the ball round ugly just trying not to shank

Suffice to say, no idea where they came from, where they went and what happened on the course. I played on the Sunday off the new handicap and got early 30's but hit it much better. I would suggest it's probably something stupid like poor tempo and trying too hard. Take a breath, write it off and start again next time. If they persist have a chat with a pro and look at your set up and swing

 

[ManinBlack]

The pro who teaches me at the range advised me to hit shots all the time with my feet lined up parallel to the edge of the mat. He says that doing otherwise can result in incorrect alignment. I used to have bouts of the shanks when practising at the range & 5his hasn't been a problem since following his advice. This isn't as much a problem on the course, except where the tee points at an angle to the correct line. Not sure whether this is your problem but it may be worth giving it a try.

 

[Sats]

I've fallen afoul of this before. Although for me it's during chipping/pitching that this ill wanted situation happens. Hope it sorts out for you.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've fallen afoul of this before. Although for me it's during chipping/pitching that this ill wanted situation happens. Hope it sorts out for you.

Funny enough whenever I try and pitch at the range I get bad bouts of the sockets but put me on grass and I'm fine (touching as much wood as I can find)

 

[Sats]

Funny enough whenever I try and pitch at the range I get bad bouts of the sockets but put me on grass and I'm fine (touching as much wood as I can find)

I wish, I find that when my pitching/chipping wants to go eastward bound and wreck my game it's everywhere! Every extremity crossed it hasn't happened in over a year now!

 

[Hobbit]

The range used to be the only place I'd consistently hit shanks. Have the odd one out on the course, maybe a couple a year but give me a short iron at the range and I was lethal. Maybe coincidence but since taking alignment sticks there I haven't had one.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

The range used to be the only place I'd consistently hit shanks. Have the odd one out on the course, maybe a couple a year but give me a short iron at the range and I was lethal. Maybe coincidence but since taking alignment sticks there I haven't had one.

Same for me, mainly down poor concentration and sloppiness in setting up correctly.

Range can be dangerous for your game if your practice is unfocused. As my pro says 'put crap in and you get crap out'.

 

[DeanoMK]

Had a serious bout of the shanks a couple of years back, managed to get over them - with the odd one showing up every now and then.

Played indoors on Sunday and hit 4 or 5 of them, out of nowhere. Then went to the range straight after a one after the other, shanks! It's only ever with my wedges though!

 

[Coffey]

Interesting you say this. I had been playing pretty steady but went to the range last night and had a mad case of the shanks. First time that has ever happened, even managed to hit the bay. Absolutely no idea what happened but I played today and all I could think about was trying not to shank it. Managed to have 0 shanks but was so protective over it that I couldn’t relax and swing.

40/50 yard shots were even worse as I kept chunking it. I think this was because I wasn’t relaxed either and was protecting the shanks.

I am hoping going out on the course and just swinging will fix it.

 

[Grant85]

It’s not an unusual situation to have a good range session or practice session and then go out and stink the course out on the next round.

I think this is due to expectation management, but also over confidence.

The 1st element means you expect to play well after a good session and even if you play the same as you usually do, you disproportionately think you’ve played rubbish.

The 2nd is that when over confident you maybe take on more shots you might not normally do, or try and swing that bit harder.

Definitely need to not expect to play well and also always try and keep the same rhythm and game plan for each round.

 

[Wolf]

+1 here for Shanks only on the range. For me they come from laziness and just hitting a ball with no purpose. So I go through a routine on every shot as I would on the course and find that makes every *** mean something, likewise a couple of alignment sticks on the ground and I'm good to go as well.

I've also had a round fairly recently where I couldn't hit the ball every shot was a horror show and couldn't wait to get off the course, I've found in this instances its best to simply write it off and forget it not to even think about the swing or shots I hit so that next time I go out with no expectations and just play the game and usually this leads to much more relaxed golf and better scoring.

 

[inc0gnito]

Everyone is mentioning shanks. I thought that was when they went high right. These were slices off the face I think.

If anything I think I was spinning too much. I went to the range to work on transitioning the weight through the swing better, as I hit a lot of fats and put them down to poor weight transfer. It’s frustrating how trying to fix one thing screws up others!

Your story made me feel a little better Homer. And happy to hear others have bad moments. It’s one thing having bad sessions but the real frustration is not being able to understand where it’s coming from.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Interesting you say this. I had been playing pretty steady but went to the range last night and had a mad case of the shanks. First time that has ever happened, even managed to hit the bay. Absolutely no idea what happened but I played today and all I could think about was trying not to shank it. Managed to have 0 shanks but was so protective over it that I couldn’t relax and swing.

As I said earlier this was how I played after my bout and scored 44 points hitting it crap. It was almost pat, pat golf and I was scared to commit to a shot in case it went right. Loved the win, loved the cut, hated the way I played to get it

 

[ManinBlack]

[QUOTE="Wolf, post: 1952221, member: 25167" that makes every *** mean something, .[/QUOTE]
You couldn't do this on the old forum. Wouldn't even let you refer to mishits or Scunthorpe to without inserting asterisks

 

[Wolf]

[QUOTE="Wolf, post: 1952221, member: 25167" that makes every *** mean something, .

You couldn't do this on the old forum. Wouldn't even let you refer to mishits or Scunthorpe to without inserting asterisks[/QUOTE]
Ooops good old auto correct!! Mind you it's kind of accurate

 

[clubchamp98]

Everyone is mentioning shanks. I thought that was when they went high right. These were slices off the face I think.

If anything I think I was spinning too much. I went to the range to work on transitioning the weight through the swing better, as I hit a lot of fats and put them down to poor weight transfer. It’s frustrating how trying to fix one thing screws up others!

Your story made me feel a little better Homer. And happy to hear others have bad moments. It’s one thing having bad sessions but the real frustration is not being able to understand where it’s coming from.

That’s the key “where it’s coming from”.
We all have bad rounds / range sessions .i find I am not very good at self analysis so if something goes wrong I struggle to put it right.
Lots of golfers think if I do this or do that it might cure it .
But imo it just makes it worse.
Back to basics , feet together drill and if no joy lesson from pro.
Good luck.

 

[Orikoru]

Was at the range on Friday and didn’t hit particularly well. But that was nothing in comparison to today. 20 balls with a 7 iron and one good shot. All the rest didn’t get off the ground. Most flew low right slices. It’s like I was a complete beginner again.

I know I’m not the first to post a thread about a bad range session, but I am genuinely gazumped as to what went wrong. I don’t normally slice irons at all and I usually get them off the ground at least.

I’m at a loss as to how to explain it because I felt like wasn’t coming over the top. I really can’t think of what would cause such bad hitting. I did struggle to slow the swing. Even with effort as soon as the downswing started I was automatically swinging it too hard.

Help me understand what went wrong so I can pull myself out of this despair laden hole I’m in!

This is exactly what happens to me about 50% of the times I go to the driving range. I haven't figured it out either. Doesn't happen on the course (touch wood) but hitting irons down at the driving range there's a 50% chance I'll hit a stone cold shank or a top. I just don't hit irons at the range anymore. Problem solved!

 

[Sweep]

I feel the OP’s pain. Just now I think I have forgotten how to hit an iron. TBH I am not sure I ever really knew.
When I start hitting balls none are getting airborne and then slowly the situation recovers and they start to go OK. Fortunately I use my own net or I would be buying a lot of buckets of balls.
Once the shots start to go OK, I usually realise that either I wasn’t clearing my hips or my head was getting ahead of the ball or my old favourite, coming up out of the shot too quickly (early extension). Usually it’s a timing issue but it takes too long to get into the rhythm. Time you don’t get on the course. Sometimes I even have to stop, do some chipping and try again later.
Even when they go OK my distance has suffered badly and the strike seems towards the hosel.
I guess another trip to the pro is in order, but it’s getting tiresome.

 

[Slab]

Answer will be here:


Thanks to whichever forumer it was who posted this originally, it saved my sanity