Going rusty!!!!

MVP

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No ladies and gentlemen..we are not talking wedges!! we are talking about your whole game .


If you dont play for a week or 2 maybe a month do you find you play a lot worse!?? Do you feel the need to keep up the practice to get the on course results!??? or do you just need to show up and play how you always play!?

I have noticed when i havent played for a while my long game is ok but my short game is terrible!
 

TonyN

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YES YES YES. My swing feels wierd but doesn't take long to get back.

Short game goes out of window and needs a little more work to find, seems though, just as I find a short game worth playing, the season changes and you have to adjust your touch!!!
 

HomerJSimpson

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It is the putting I struggle with most when I haven't played along with tee shots. I have no feel for speed or line on the greens and no sense of control on the tee. I'm usually pretty average with irons and my short game. That said I try and hit balls at least once a week in winter even if I can't get to the course. More than a week without practicing and I am certifiable and climbing walls.
 

theeaglehunter

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This is definitely the case for me. When I play 2-3 times a week for a couple of weeks I am usually red hot, but as much as a week without touching a club can wreak havoc with my entire game.

I saw an interview with Jim Furyk watching the Chevron world challenge and he was saying even though he hasn't played for 2 months he has been practicing regularly as anything longer than 2 weeks without playing can lead to a complete loss of timing etc. He also said that even with this practice, getting back into the rhythm of tournament play and pressure shots is always difficult, and putting always takes time. If it happens to the pros it is certainly going to happen to us.
 

nicksampo

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As I've only played for 12 months, and up to this summer that was very sporadically (once a month or less) with little or no progression. I find if I take a week off it can take another week or so going to the range nearly everyday to get back to it! Which is killing me as I went on hols for a few days at the beggining of this month with some people from work for a general piss up and got back and I was useless on the range and the putting green, and no I wasn't hungover! I'm almost tied down until I get a proper swing going, damn this game lol
 

Herbie

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I usually play a cracking round after a short break, though after a long break its another story and I have to go do some serious practice before doing anything special.

Some of my best rounds have followed a short break of a week or so. Even after a long break I can still manage a decent score around or just over h/c, its just not pretty to watch. :D
 
T

thecraw

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I have not hit a ball for 4 weeks now due to oue crapy weather. I have now decided not to play untill after christmas is out the way where it will co-incide with my new keep/get fit campaign!!!!!
 

HomerJSimpson

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I played on Thursday for the first time in about 4 weeks although I had been hitting balls at the range. I didn't hit the ball well directionally although the quality of the strike was good but surprisingly my short game and putting were pretty solid.
 

mrmotorbikeman

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When I played my first round for about a year a couple of months ago I expected to by all over the show. I had had a couple of range sessions and my striking had been pretty good, but the day I went out it was also blowing a gale. Still managed to shoot 2 under my HC so was very happy with that, and like Homer, my pitching, chipping and putting were almost better than normal! Very odd.

I often find that a lay-off can do you good though. I ride classic motorcycle trials as well, and last season hardly rode at all. However, when I did come out, as long as I could get past the first few sections while wobbling a bit and feeling rusty, I would ride quite well. I ended up beating my main rival each time which i think wound him up a bit! I think its the mentality of 'oh, havent played for ages, not going to play great, so not going to TRY and play great' that really helps. Just going out, hiting the ball or riding the bike naturally and not thinking too hard has a lot going for it imho.
 

HomerJSimpson

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I think there is an element of truth in that. I went out in 2 over gross but that was more due to my scrambling skills than hitting fairways and greens. The fact I came back in +10 for the back 9 was a combination of getting stuck behind a womens 4 ball match who wouldn't let me through despite there not being another player on the back 9, but mainly because I started to think about it too much and tried to "protect" my score and everything became formulated and wooden.
 
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