Golf is stupid and makes no sense

User 105

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I just don't get it.

playing my first medal of the year on Sunday so decided to get a bit of practice in. Few range sessions Mon and Tue, no really swing changes just working on repetitions.

Played 9 Wed night and 9 last night, doing all the things I'm supposed. Strict PSR, Get my target, get intermediate target, couple of practice swings. Step in and hit it. Result basically duffed the ball around. Fats, thins, shanks, slices, hooks everything but straight. Almost falling over on some shots. Pretty much double or triple bogeyed every hole.

Was going to give tonight a miss but my m8 called to see if I fancied 9 so decided to go out again. Pretty much the same for the first 4 holes. Doubles and triples all the way, not a sign of finding the middle of the club.

Then just got fed up on the next tee. Just dropped the ball, one look and swung. Right out the middle, straight down the fairway. Next shot grabbed club stepped in and same again middle of the green. Rinse and repeat for the rest of the round. Would have par'd my way in if it wasn't for a silly 3 putt.

So if I do it properly as I'm supposed to. Doubles and triples. If I just whack it, easy pars.

And the even more stupidly m8 said when I was flubbing it around my swing looked way better, on plane and in control :confused:

Golf just makes no sense sometimes.
 

Imurg

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Couldn't agree more
It makes up Laws of Physics as and when it pleases, defies those already in place and then just stares at you with a smug grin on it's face, daring you to take a swing at it.
 

pauljames87

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I love how I can do something on one hole whilst driving and smash it 220+ straight down the fairway.. then do what feels exactly the same on the next tee and slice it into the trees
 

Tashyboy

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Ha been a member on here since 2008. I worked that one out after a couple of mins and it's still killing me.

Read a book and it mentions that when the pressure is on there are no swing thoughts, no pre routines, there's nowt. It is just au natural. You do what you always do without any thoughts. Bit like walking, catching a ball, breathing etc etc etc. It is au natural.

Thats probably why I knob it so much, it's my au natural.
 

User 105

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Could be that your pre shot routine allows the tension to build up. By just stepping up & hitting it you are looser. I've played some of my best golf when not caring about where the ball finishes up.

The irony is that's part of the reason for my PSR. Get all my swing thoughts out the way before I step in so I'm not thinking about what I'm doing whilst I'm over the ball as I know that kills me.
 

Foxholer

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Could be that your pre shot routine allows the tension to build up. By just stepping up & hitting it you are looser. I've played some of my best golf when not caring about where the ball finishes up.
The irony is that's part of the reason for my PSR. Get all my swing thoughts out the way before I step in so I'm not thinking about what I'm doing whilst I'm over the ball as I know that kills me.

I'm with MiB!

Though it's not so much 'allowing' (bad) tension to build up, but actively encouraging it! and bad tension is a killer of the golf swing!

Time to reduce your PSR to simply setting up correctly, then actually relaxing sufficiently - so that the swing actually flows! Eliminate the 'get all my swing thoughts out of the way' process! That's almost certainly what's introducing the tension - even if your intention is otherwise!

Try thinking of something pleasant that's completely unrelated to Golf - that's what I do, especially when putting!
 

HomerJSimpson

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I have a PSR that is merely about picking a target, trusting (without allowing swing thoughts to creep in) and swing. I find focusing on a single dimple (really focusing on nothing else) keeps the mind quiet and I can stand there and smack it
 

HawkeyeMS

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I just don't get it.

playing my first medal of the year on Sunday so decided to get a bit of practice in. Few range sessions Mon and Tue, no really swing changes just working on repetitions.

Played 9 Wed night and 9 last night, doing all the things I'm supposed. Strict PSR, Get my target, get intermediate target, couple of practice swings. Step in and hit it. Result basically duffed the ball around. Fats, thins, shanks, slices, hooks everything but straight. Almost falling over on some shots. Pretty much double or triple bogeyed every hole.

Was going to give tonight a miss but my m8 called to see if I fancied 9 so decided to go out again. Pretty much the same for the first 4 holes. Doubles and triples all the way, not a sign of finding the middle of the club.

Then just got fed up on the next tee. Just dropped the ball, one look and swung. Right out the middle, straight down the fairway. Next shot grabbed club stepped in and same again middle of the green. Rinse and repeat for the rest of the round. Would have par'd my way in if it wasn't for a silly 3 putt.

So if I do it properly as I'm supposed to. Doubles and triples. If I just whack it, easy pars.

And the even more stupidly m8 said when I was flubbing it around my swing looked way better, on plane and in control :confused:

Golf just makes no sense sometimes.

There's your problem right there, too much thinking. Just hit the damn thing
 

AmandaJR

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Had a similar experience today. Have been practicing really hard of late - probably too hard. Then getting to the course and probably thinking too much technical stuff. Today I found myself getting into the "I've been working so hard, trying so hard and yet that was shocking - it's not fair" mentality so suddenly thought if I tried less hard then the outcome, if poor, would be less frustrating! So I just stepped into the ball, mimimal PSR, no practice swing and simply swung at it - that was on the 12th and can honestly say I only hit one more poor shot - probably because I started trying too hard not to try too hard...
 

thesheriff

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Yep. I find golf the most counterintuitive game. You'll try to fix faults by doing something perfectly logcal and it could be the complete opposite that will fix the problem. Huge challenge but i'm it's part of what keeps us hooked.
 

ScienceBoy

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I fully expect my big swing and contact improvements will have no effect on my score this weekend.

All I have to do is not block or let my draw get too much... ie not come from the inside too much.

If I hit more greens I will probably struggle with my putting.
 

User 105

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It went pretty well for most of the round with a minimal PSR. Pick a target and hit the ball at it. I was about 3 under my hcp by the time we got to the 7th and caught the group in front. Then everything ground to a halt, my good play and the speed of play.

I just can't play when things get chronically slow, my original PSR used to help with this to some extent. But standing around shot after shot I just get wound up, tensed up and then hit rubbish shots. Ended up walking off 9 level with my hcp. :(

Slowness continued and I started to rack up doubles and triples through the back 9 eventually finishing 5 over my hcp.

I seem to be in a catch 22. If I use a more deliberate PSR which helps me with my slow play anger then I get too mechanical and don't hit great shots. If I go with a minimal PSR, works great when pace is OK, but as soon as it slows down I get myself wound up and start hitting poor shots, which then winds me up even more, and it's just a downward spiral from there.

Example of how Slow. My m8 hit his tee shot on 7 a little left but we had a good line on it and should have been easily find-able. Got up there, 5 min search, no ball. He walked back to the tee, played another, walked back. By the time he'd got back we were still waiting to play our second shots (well my second shot) as the green hadn't cleared yet.
 

Orikoru

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Golf certainly makes no sense. I used to draw most of my shots, but yesterday I was fading 90% of them instead. I don't recall changing anything in my swing at all. They just started going the other way. Except for the hybrid - I was still drawing with that. Bizarre.
 

AmandaJR

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It went pretty well for most of the round with a minimal PSR. Pick a target and hit the ball at it. I was about 3 under my hcp by the time we got to the 7th and caught the group in front. Then everything ground to a halt, my good play and the speed of play.

I just can't play when things get chronically slow, my original PSR used to help with this to some extent. But standing around shot after shot I just get wound up, tensed up and then hit rubbish shots. Ended up walking off 9 level with my hcp. :(

Slowness continued and I started to rack up doubles and triples through the back 9 eventually finishing 5 over my hcp.

I seem to be in a catch 22. If I use a more deliberate PSR which helps me with my slow play anger then I get too mechanical and don't hit great shots. If I go with a minimal PSR, works great when pace is OK, but as soon as it slows down I get myself wound up and start hitting poor shots, which then winds me up even more, and it's just a downward spiral from there.

Example of how Slow. My m8 hit his tee shot on 7 a little left but we had a good line on it and should have been easily find-able. Got up there, 5 min search, no ball. He walked back to the tee, played another, walked back. By the time he'd got back we were still waiting to play our second shots (well my second shot) as the green hadn't cleared yet.

You have to find a different way to deal with your "slow play anger" than the PSR. Perhaps allow yourself a rant and then once you pull your club out of the bag you take some real deep breaths and you only think target...target...target. Once your club is back in the bag you can rant again BUT it's unlikely you'll feel it so much if you hit a good shot. Perhaps one is fuelling the other?
 
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