Game totally gone ...

rudebhoy

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I hurt my wrist at the end of November. Didn't play for a month because of it. It's still not right, but it's sufficiently better that I can hold a club, so have been trying to ease my way back in, playing 9 holes once or twice a week.

Have not been playing well due to a combination of feeling the injury (mentally as well as physically), and having to play off fairway mats, which I hate. Been inconsistent to say the least, but still hitting a fair number of decent shots.

This all changed yesterday. Got up to the course early to have a bit of a practice to try to get better used to the mat. Was shanking it loads, and those I didn't shank were getting pulled badly to the left. So far, so bad I thought, but this has happened before and when I've gone out on the course I've played ok. Not this time. Hit a decent drive on the 1st, then duffed my second shot, then my third, then my fourth got lost left so gave up on that hole. then it just got worse and worse, every shot was a shocker, topping it, shanking it, duffing chips, you name it.

I was stood over the ball without a clue what to do. The harder I tried to work out what was wrong, the worse it got.

it was so bad I had to apologise to my PPs and pack in after the 5th. I absolutely hated every second of that hour.

Meant to be playing tomorrow but not going to bother. Unsure whether to book a lesson or to forget about golf for a few weeks let the wrist recuperate. It seems to have stopped getting better since I started playing again. I've also been hitting the gym a fair bit since New Year, and that probably isn't helping the wrist either, but if I didn't play golf or go to the gym, I would die of boredom.

Not a happy bunny at the moment!
 

Rlburnside

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Madness?

Sounds to me the reason your playing bad is your wrist is not fully healed yet and going to the gym is not helping.

Your game will probably come together once your wrist has healed properly.
 

micklson66

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I agree. Wait until your wrist is fully healed and then start playing again. I doubt you'll properly fully commit to any shots whilst there is any problem with your wrist
Hope when you return fully fit you'll find your game again
 

HomerJSimpson

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Simply sounds as though you aren't committing to the swing and don't trust the wrist. I've had days when everything has gone badly and the more you try the worse it gets to the point of walking off so don't stress too much. Why not hit the practice ground with the mat and learn to hit basic pitch shots off it so improve the short game without undue pressure on the wrist. If you are hitting these well then perhaps end with a few fuller shots
 

rudebhoy

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Madness?

Sounds to me the reason your playing bad is your wrist is not fully healed yet and going to the gym is not helping.

Your game will probably come together once your wrist has healed properly.

Suspect you are right. I've only being doing cardio stuff at the gym, but part of my routine is setting the treadmill at it's highest angle of elevation (22 degrees) and walking as fast as I can for 25 mins. i hold onto the handles for this and can feel strain in my wrists which obviously isn't a good thing at the moment, will think about varying the routine.
 

rudebhoy

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Simply sounds as though you aren't committing to the swing and don't trust the wrist. I've had days when everything has gone badly and the more you try the worse it gets to the point of walking off so don't stress too much. Why not hit the practice ground with the mat and learn to hit basic pitch shots off it so improve the short game without undue pressure on the wrist. If you are hitting these well then perhaps end with a few fuller shots

sounds like good advice, tempted to pack the clubs away for a week or two, but I know I'll brood about yesterday's disaster if I do.
 

HomerJSimpson

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sounds like good advice, tempted to pack the clubs away for a week or two, but I know I'll brood about yesterday's disaster if I do.
At least hitting pitch shots and even chip shots, you can feel positive that you are working constructively, won't put excessive stress on the wrist the same way as belting loads of balls at full pelt and can get the feeling off the ball coming off the club again. Build up towards half and full shots and go again
 

Swango1980

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Wrist injury or not, most if not all golfers have days and weeks like that. You may only be doing one small thing a little differently, which is having a massively negative impact on your shot outcome. Especially when you get the sh**ks, then you either hit one of those dreaded shots or pull the ball massively left as you try to overly rotate the clubface on the downswing to try avoid it. The good thing is, often the bad shots disappear as quickly as they came as if by magic, so you should stick with it.

Letting your wrist heal is a good idea. A lesson is never a bad thing, as a good pro will hopefully identify the issue and give you a swing thought that will cure it. But, trying too hard never seems to help in golf, so mentally the best thing may be to simply accept the bad shots for now. In other words, don't worry about hitting a bad shot, and just accept it when you do hit one. As soon as I ever worry about hitting a bad shot, I very rarely hit a good one and often the shot I hit is even worse than the outcome I dreaded in the first place.
 

Curls

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Step away from the golf club man!

It's winter. Everyone is crap. The weather is brutal. Stick the clubs in the cupboard and don't take them out again until your wrist is better, you could do yourself an injury that will end your season before it begins and you'll brood a lot more when it's a lovely spring evening and you can't play golf.
 

Jigger

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Step away from the golf club man!

It's winter. Everyone is crap. The weather is brutal. Stick the clubs in the cupboard and don't take them out again until your wrist is better, you could do yourself an injury that will end your season before it begins and you'll brood a lot more when it's a lovely spring evening and you can't play golf.
Absolutely this and keep off your wrist in the gym before you ruin next year. If ever there was a time to get injured this would be it as the golf ain’t great. Once it’s better get a lesson before you hit another ball.
 

Rlburnside

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Y
Suspect you are right. I've only being doing cardio stuff at the gym, but part of my routine is setting the treadmill at it's highest angle of elevation (22 degrees) and walking as fast as I can for 25 mins. i hold onto the handles for this and can feel strain in my wrists which obviously isn't a good thing at the moment, will think about varying the routine.

Ye take it easy and when your home swap to the other hand?
 

rudebhoy

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Have been to the docs and she has referred me for some physio, hopefully that will help.

I've changed my gym routine to running flat out on the treadmill rather than the uphill walking, as I don't need to hold on for that! Have managed to keep away from the golf course since Monday, though it was hard yesterday when it was such a beautiful sunny day.

Let's hope the physio appointment comes through quickly.
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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Have been to the docs and she has referred me for some physio, hopefully that will help.

I've changed my gym routine to running flat out on the treadmill rather than the uphill walking, as I don't need to hold on for that! Have managed to keep away from the golf course since Monday, though it was hard yesterday when it was such a beautiful sunny day.

Let's hope the physio appointment comes through quickly.
aye - and after a short break you'll get back on the course and shoot your best score for yonks...stupid illogical game that we play...
 
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Why not play one handed ?

I did this for a few weeks, had to swing left handed with the right handed clubs, still means a nice walk, company and you get to play good/bad shots relative to the new standard. It was an interesting period in golf, playing like that, like learning to play over again.

Just an idea
 

rudebhoy

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Why not play one handed ?

I did this for a few weeks, had to swing left handed with the right handed clubs, still means a nice walk, company and you get to play good/bad shots relative to the new standard. It was an interesting period in golf, playing like that, like learning to play over again.

Just an idea

it's hard enough two handed! I'm a leftie, but play right handed. it's my left wrist I've knackered, can't imagine how awkward it would be only using my right arm!
 

inc0gnito

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Why not play one handed ?

I did this for a few weeks, had to swing left handed with the right handed clubs, still means a nice walk, company and you get to play good/bad shots relative to the new standard. It was an interesting period in golf, playing like that, like learning to play over again.

Just an idea

Was going to suggest that too. Could do a world of good.
 
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