Going from practice to course - all gone wrong

[jcooper5083]

Hi all,

I have been having lessons for several weeks and everything has been coming on really well with a lot more confidence in the shots I am playing, more consistancy and generally a much better swing and ball flight.

I then went out on the course with my coach for an on course lesson and it all went to pot. only one shot from 9 holes came off good the rest were either sliced, scuffed along the ground or just generally bad shots.

It seemed like I had forgotten everything I had been working on and couldnt bring it back.

Any body else had this and what did you do to cure it? I went down the range last night and it still wasnt back to how it used to be.

Appreciate the help.

 

[duncan mackie]

so what did your coach say was going on? - he is your coach, and he was there.........

as a total generalisation people simply try to hard on the course - they try to get the ball in the air, they try to get over water hazards, they try to get the ball to stop on the green, they try to hit the fairway/green, they try to avoid....you get the picture...

on the practice ground you try to make a good swing, and make good contact with the ball - then possibly try to stay on balance through your follow through.

the difference is quite stark when you look at it like this.

 

[Alex1975]

Lessons are a start but some quality practice time on your own staying focused is the way to bed this stuff in. I have made some radical changes to my swing of late and work very hard to stay focused on only the changes when practising.

It must be quality practice and you need to feel confident, take that to the confidence to the course with you.

For me its triggers, things in the setup that give me confidence to put my body in the right place when it is for real.

Good luck!

 

[jcooper5083]

Lessons are a start but some quality practice time on your own staying focused is the way to bed this stuff in. I have made some radical changes to my swing of late and work very hard to stay focused on only the changes when practising.

It must be quality practice and you need to feel confident, take that to the confidence to the course with you.

For me its triggers, things in the setup that give me confidence to put my body in the right place when it is for real.

Good luck!

Thanks for this - my coach has been working with me on triggers so glad to hear this is what others are doing.

I guess I have changed a lot, my swing is completely different, address and also all my clubs so need to keep working at it to transfer this to the course.

 

[pbrown7582]

i suspect you were trying too hard and not relaxed during your on course lesson, also you have a new set of shineys to get used too all in all not the best mix for good golf.... It willcome back try not to get to frustratewd bya not so good shot relax and remember your triggers. Most of all enjoy!!

 

[JustOne]

We're all pretty good until you add a golf course into the equation

.... although many swings fail when you introduce a ball

 

[jcooper5083]

i suspect you were trying too hard and not relaxed during your on course lesson, also you have a new set of shineys to get used too all in all not the best mix for good golf.... It willcome back try not to get to frustratewd bya not so good shot relax and remember your triggers. Most of all enjoy!!

Thank you - sound advice and makes perfect sense.

 

[Wolfman]

Hi

I would suggest you are anxious on the course, nervous perhaps witht he coach with you


You need to focus your mind and relax

Think about the the shot in where you see the ball landing and forget the swing thoughts

When it goes off slightly slow down and take a relaxed practice swing

Playing the game on the course is very different to the range, you get one chance only every shot, no room for errors !!

 

[WideEyedFox]

Practice and the course offer two totally different experiences if you let them. If your lessons have been changing something you've ground in, then it's all too easy to slip back in to old habits trying to find something that works.

Also, during practice there is (sometimes) a nice flat mat to play off, and no real danger of where the ball is going. If you mess it up, that's OK, try it again, and again.

The course on the other hand see's you playing a different shot almost every time, with 5-10 minutes between each one. Ground levels, ball lie, distance required, shot required all become very real variables which are not always present during practice. Suddenly the ball is below your feet, and the ground is also sloping to the left or right. The club swing says one arc, while your body says another trying to keep balance etc.

Depending on how competitive (even self-competitive) you are, you may be putting pressure on yourself to play at a level you are not yet ready to achieve. You have had your confidence and ability during your practice game put in to doubt. If you let it, these variables can quickly lead to confusion and tension which is exactly what you don't want creeping in to your golf game.

I played 9 holes recently with someone who played a relatively good 1-4, but on the 5th hole had a terrible drive, followed by terrible 2nd shot. Their body language changed, chin went down, and swing became an effort rather than natural act. The 6th did not go much better, so when I spoke to them about it on the 7th tee I discovered they'd already declared the game a right off.
For them, the pressure to maintain their game, driving to a good place on the fairway, or getting to the green in regulation, or making a chip or long putt was so great they had tension and doubt even before they'd addressed the ball!

Get a good pre-shot drill with some triggers in there that make you feel confident. If you play a duff shot, accept that we all do it. Watch it, learn from it. Then reset and go through your pre-shot routine again using triggers to feel confident.

I would say, if you're hitting the ball well during practice then the issues you had were caused more by the nerves of being on a course with your Pro and not wanting to disappoint them or yourself, coupled with a new feeling of what to do when it all goes wrong. This has knocked your confidence a bit, and possibly something from your old swing has crept in for "comfort".

Get back to practice, back to the basics and it will come back. When you're next on the 1st tee, just aim to play a 75% drive to the fairway ahead - nothing specific or too demanding. If there are hazards, try and leave them out of the shot you have in mind. Don't think about Birdie, Par or Bogey; think about a succession of individual well struck shots. Keep your game at about 75% power for the first few holes, or until you feel confident enough to turn it up a bit.

 

[G1BB0]

Happens to me a lot, great on the range pants on the course!
I am going to work on a pre shot routine to focus me more on each shot. I read a great little snippet on a website I intend to try and implement

 

[jcooper5083]

@ wideEyedFox - thank you for that great response. everything you said makes sense and gives me confidence to get back out and sort my head out.

I did feel on the first tee that I needed to do well with the pro there and when i scuffed the first shot I almost felt embarrased and then it just got worse.

Thank you so much all for the great advice and I will get out there and play my "new" natural game.

you are all legends.

 

[daymond]

So you scuffed the first shot and the Pro didn't stop you there,got you relax, take a few practice swings,build up your confidence and then start again? I find that odd; after all you weren't setting out to break 80

 

[jcooper5083]

So you scuffed the first shot and the Pro didn't stop you there,got you relax, take a few practice swings,build up your confidence and then start again? I find that odd; after all you weren't setting out to break 80

He did do all that and talk me through my triggers etc, dont worry he did all he could have done but as the above posts have said I got too pent up about it and couldnt let it go. the above posts have been refreshing to hear as it has made me realise what I was doing instead of me looking to blame it on something more physical.

I do see what you are saying and I should have been more clear that the pro had gone through all this - like you I would be more concerned if he didnt say anything and just walked round with me.

He did actually get a really good punch shot under a tree and on to the green out of me, it was the only decent shot but something I dint have in my shot bag before.

cheers.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have a problem trying too hard when I go for a playing lesson. It's like I want to show that all the work I've done to drill in the changes we've made in lessons have paid off. It feels like golf by numbers rather than just trusting. I have often had a good week on the range and rolled up to the Saturday greedie confident of picking up some cash only to play like a plumb. It happens

 

[Imurg]

during practice there is (sometimes) a nice flat mat to play off, and no real danger of where the ball is going. If you mess it up, that's OK, try it again, and again.

The course on the other hand see's you playing a different shot almost every time, with 5-10 minutes between each one. Ground levels, ball lie, distance required, shot required all become very real variables which are not always present during practice. Suddenly the ball is below your feet, and the ground is also sloping to the left or right. The club swing says one arc, while your body says another trying to keep balance etc.

This sums up the difference for me - and is one reason I'm not often seen on the range.
It really is two different games. On the range you get a good lie, a good stable stance, edges of the mat or sticks to align yourself - none of this out on the course. When was the last time any of us got a lie similar to that of a range mat?
I do my practicing playing solo on the course. If I hit a poor shot (and there's nobody following) I'll put another ball down or maybe 3 and make sure I get it right.

As with James' thread the other day "1 hour a day", I'd rather spend that time hitting "real" golf shots