Game is in pieces

[Vikingman]

Since resuming playing after lock down I have to admit my game is in a bad place. The first couple of weeks were not too bad but ever since its just been a continual decline. I have shanked more irons in 4 weeks than in the previous 10 years. I cannot get the ball off the tee, on the odd occasion it goes straight it goes no distance but is more likely to be an armsey pull hook left. "Six for one" is a good result. Mentally I am stuffed. Anyone else struggling?

 

[Robster59]

You're going to hate me for this Dave but, no, my game is actually going along OK. Driving it well off the tee, mis-hitting some shots but probably no more than before I stopped back in March. In fact, playing on Saturday, my driving was as good as it's been for a while. I think for myself I'm concentrating a little more on my shots and that seems to be helping me as well.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Since resuming playing after lock down I have to admit my game is in a bad place. The first couple of weeks were not too bad but ever since its just been a continual decline. I have shanked more irons in 4 weeks than in the previous 10 years. I cannot get the ball off the tee, on the odd occasion it goes straight it goes no distance but is more likely to be an armsey pull hook left. "Six for one" is a good result. Mentally I am stuffed. Anyone else struggling?

Had a lesson with my Pro last week and asked how busy he was

His answer was "Rammed" full of people who had got home nets during lockdown and who had developed bad habits, as they couldnt see how the ball was reacting over distance

He said most would have been better off getting a chipping net and just doing short stuff

 

[Jensen]

I understand where you're coming from, so much so, i have a lesson booked for 30th June.
That was the earliest I could get

 

[Grant85]

Since resuming playing after lock down I have to admit my game is in a bad place. The first couple of weeks were not too bad but ever since its just been a continual decline. I have shanked more irons in 4 weeks than in the previous 10 years. I cannot get the ball off the tee, on the odd occasion it goes straight it goes no distance but is more likely to be an armsey pull hook left. "Six for one" is a good result. Mentally I am stuffed. Anyone else struggling?

Get back to basics.
Don't overswing, lighten the grip, turn through the shot.

I've had a mixed bag post-lockdown with some really great rounds, 1 horror and the rest average.

 

[jmf1488]

Didn't lift a club for 2 months during lockdown. No house swinging as I was scared of bad habits. I knew my swing in my head and I didn't want that changed. Took a couple rounds to get the fitness up but tied my best ever round last week. Striking the ball a lot better than pre lock down.

I have my lessons typed up on my phone with videos of some lessons. Sometimes you feel the swing going and I just go back read the notes, tends to help. Obviously not help you now but if you get a lesson write down what happened. I find it better to do it in the car before I go home so I don't forget.

 

[Maninblack4612]

According to Chris O'Connel, Matt Kuchar's coach a shank can be caused in two ways. One from a steep out to in swing & one from a shallow in to out swing. You probably need a lesson to determine which. I asked the question on Facebook the other day. Don't know whether you'll be able to see this: https://www.facebook.com/groups/883211211732649/ my question on the subject, which I've answered for myself.

 

[Sats]

Struggling with my short game at the moment, I'm striking well but I have zero distance control. Got a lesson booked and practicing as much as I can.

 

[patricks148]

was the first few weeks back, but tha was due to ingraining a swing fault in a net for 2 months. now i'm back playing and not been near the net since and its coming back and started to hit it well again

 

[Maninblack4612]

I was using a net for short pitches during lockdown. I could hit 40 out of 40 without a shank. First round back it was there again. Definitely psychological in my case.

 

[clubchamp98]

Go and see Ged Walters at TFG.
He’s a great coach and will sort you out.

 

[patricks148]

Had a lesson with my Pro last week and asked how busy he was

His answer was "Rammed" full of people who had got home nets during lockdown and who had developed bad habits, as they couldnt see how the ball was reacting over distance

He said most would have been better off getting a chipping net and just doing short stuff

now you tell me

 

[clubchamp98]

My game has been very good .
73 in major sat but still three putted three times.
My putting just hasn’t settled down since the restart.
Normally is one of my strengths.
Leaving it miles short then next hole miles past , very frustrating.

 

[Orikoru]

Post-lockdown I've played far better than I was playing in the first three months of this year. Might be partially the summer conditions which always makes it easier for me as an average length hitter. I did buy a practise net and foam balls during lockdown but only used them twice to get the swing & muscle memory going I guess. Can't explain why I've played well since I came back, I just seem to be relaxed and hitting it reasonably well.

Still went up in handicap because typically the one competition I played in I only managed 32 points after three early blobs.

 

[cliveb]

Lockdown did two things to my golf:

1. Stupidly watched some YouTube coaching, thought it made sense. Felt OK in the garden, so tried implementing it when we got back on the course. After two and a half rounds of hacking, declared "b*llocks to YouTube".

2. Bought a cheap tripod for the phone so I could video my swing in the garden. Discovered the "slight forward press" I used as a trigger had turned into a massive forward lunge. I've spent most of my time on the course since trying to avoid any forward press at all - and it seems to be working.

 

[Shooter McPowick]

I’ve moved from a club with fairly poor quality greens to a club with really good greens and now I’m 3 putting all over the place. Greens are great but I’m having to teach myself how to putt all over again. Of course, I’m not used to chipping and pitching into fast greens either, chipped off the other side yesterday on our 11th ?
I desperately need to spend a lot of time getting a feel for the new greens but I think the lack of play for a few months didn’t help either

 

[patricks148]

I’ve moved from a club with fairly poor quality greens to a club with really good greens and now I’m 3 putting all over the place. Greens are great but I’m having to teach myself how to putt all over again. Of course, I’m not used to chipping and pitching into fast greens either, chipped off the other side yesterday on our 11th ?
I desperately need to spend a lot of time getting a feel for the new greens but I think the lack of play for a few months didn’t help either

these things take time to get used to, i was the same when i moved to Nairn from Tain who's greens were far slower and were easier to chip on from the fringe, Nairn doesn't really have much of a fringe around the greens so it took time to get used to putting rather than chipping off the green

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Get back to basics.
Don't overswing, lighten the grip, turn through the shot.

I've had a mixed bag post-lockdown with some really great rounds, 1 horror and the rest average.

simplicity is the answer. Take all excess movement out of the swing, just focus on keeping the face square.

That’s what helps me anyway.

 

[SaintHacker]

His answer was "Rammed" full of people who had got home nets during lockdown and who had developed bad habits, as they couldnt see how the ball was reacting over distance

You misheard him, he'd obviously just watched your first swing and said 'Rammel'!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Lockdown did two things to my golf:

1. Stupidly watched some YouTube coaching, thought it made sense. Felt OK in the garden, so tried implementing it when we got back on the course. After two and a half rounds of hacking, declared "b*llocks to YouTube".

2. Bought a cheap tripod for the phone so I could video my swing in the garden. Discovered the "slight forward press" I used as a trigger had turned into a massive forward lunge. I've spent most of my time on the course since trying to avoid any forward press at all - and it seems to be working.

I have been one of the first on here to say learning from youtube is fraught with danger and it's easy to misinterpret the information and therefore make your swing worse rather than better That said, I have been watching videos by a guy called Danny Maude and he has revolutionised my short game completely to the point where I am pitching closer and more consistently and have chipped in twice in a week.

I bought a net during lockdown and wasn't trying to do too much other than keep the swing going. It did help with the pitching and chipping though. I've not used a forward press that much but can understand how it doesn't take much to go from "slight" to something bigger and perhaps damaging,

As for the state of my own game, I am down on distance when using premium make balls (which is annoying) but I've managed 34,37, 34 points in the last three rounds so showing a modicum of consistency