How do I get my confidence back

[Neilshawx]

So where do I start!!
Brief description about myself, I’m a self confessed golf nut and have been playing for years. I have been down to a 3.7 and won the club championships a few times as well as other board comps.
So over the winter I have really put the work in on my game and fitness and scored really well in general play, I was -29 in 7 rounds since Xmas (winter conditions).
So in was hopefull of a good start to the year!
No happened
My putting has disappeared
My swing is still ok
My drives go miles
But my scores have taken a massive hit and can’t seem to score!!
I used to be so confident and my handicap is now at 7.5 which to me and I’m sorry for the guys who are higher is just not good enough.
How do I stop putting this type of pressure on myself? Do I stop living in the past of how good I used to be?
It’s driving me insane that I can’t play how I know I can!!
Any advice from similar players more than welcome, in fact anyone who can help me get my confidence back please!!

 

[Burnsey]

Personally, I watched something recently that has genuinely helped my scores.

I have three results of each shot - perfect - good enough - terrible and once focused it's enlightening how there's very few terrible.

Good enough is me most of the time, but essentially it breaks down the 80-90 shots at the time and stops me carrying disasters to the next shot, or next hole.

Perfect doesn't have to be par, or below par (for me), but is based on my current game and my handicap. I'd like to think this can stay with me as my handicap improves. Even I get the odd perfect!

Pressure has disappeared from my game.

 

[Crazyface]

Just keep on playing. It will come back. I've never been down to your level, but I'm confident that by just playing, things will right themselves. Just be patient.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Relax. Clearly putting too much pressure on your game before you've even hit a ball. Go out and play and dont worry about the outcome

 

[nickjdavis]

Concentrate on the process, not the result. Eventually the results will take care of themselves.

Its probably as much to do with changing conditions and the winter to spring/summer adjustment that's needed.

 

[Teebs]

Do you always put a GP card in when you play?

 

[Neilshawx]

Do you always put a GP card in when you play?

Every time

 

[Neilshawx]

Concentrate on the process, not the result. Eventually the results will take care of themselves.

Its probably as much to do with changing conditions and the winter to spring/summer adjustment that's needed.

Yeah I just can’t get my head around it

 

[Neilshawx]

Relax. Clearly putting too much pressure on your game before you've even hit a ball. Go out and play and dont worry about the outcome

Easier said than done I am super competitive

 

[Neilshawx]

Just keep on playing. It will come back. I've never been down to your level, but I'm confident that by just playing, things will right themselves. Just be patient.

Yeah gonna try and have a reset

 

[Neilshawx]

Personally, I watched something recently that has genuinely helped my scores.

I have three results of each shot - perfect - good enough - terrible and once focused it's enlightening how there's very few terrible.

Good enough is me most of the time, but essentially it breaks down the 80-90 shots at the time and stops me carrying disasters to the next shot, or next hole.

Perfect doesn't have to be par, or below par (for me), but is based on my current game and my handicap. I'd like to think this can stay with me as my handicap improves. Even I get the odd perfect!

Pressure has disappeared from my game.

This sounds like a bit of me thank you

 

[Imurg]

My game goes on holiday every few months, stays away for a few weeks then comes back with it's tail between it's legs, looking all sheepish
Then we get back to it and shoot some good scores...
Look at the Pros...one week they're contending, the next they're missing the cut by 5...
Look at Nick Dunlap at Augusta...90 - 71....and that 71 had 3 bogeys in the last 3 holes...
Golf likes to make fools of us from time to time
Let it have it's fun as you'll get your own back soon.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

So where do I start!!
Brief description about myself, I’m a self confessed golf nut and have been playing for years. I have been down to a 3.7 and won the club championships a few times as well as other board comps.
So over the winter I have really put the work in on my game and fitness and scored really well in general play, I was -29 in 7 rounds since Xmas (winter conditions).
So in was hopefull of a good start to the year!
No happened
My putting has disappeared
My swing is still ok
My drives go miles
But my scores have taken a massive hit and can’t seem to score!!
I used to be so confident and my handicap is now at 7.5 which to me and I’m sorry for the guys who are higher is just not good enough.
How do I stop putting this type of pressure on myself? Do I stop living in the past of how good I used to be?
It’s driving me insane that I can’t play how I know I can!!
Any advice from similar players more than welcome, in fact anyone who can help me get my confidence back please!!

I'm just in after getting knocked out of one of our summer comps...off 7.8 and just last year a good bit lower, I played utterly and (for me) shockingly bad - so bad I am able to laugh about it. But it was desperate...as the last 4 or 5 rounds have been (today was the worst) - everything felt and went wrong. Were it not for other things in my life that put a bad round of golf into perspective I'd be just as yourself. And I nearly am...so I'm reading comments with interest - especially as I have a club summer four ball KO match tomorrow, and a partner expecting me to be solid.

Tomorrow - I will put today into a box and close the door on it - consider it and the previous four rounds to have been abberations, and I'll soon get back to normal. I will reflect with gratitude that I am able to play out great and glorious game - and consider it as I would a contrary lover - difficult but worth persevering with. You are not alone.

Anyway - the water of life will continue to flow under the bridge - and I'll only get worried if I notice that it's stopped.

 

[Neilshawx]

I'm just in after getting knocked out of one of our summer comps...off 7.8 and just last year a good bit lower, I played utterly and (for me) shockingly bad - so bad I am able to laugh about it. But it was desperate...as the last 4 or 5 rounds have been (today was the worst) - everything felt and went wrong. Were it not for other things in my life that put a bad round of golf into perspective I'd be just as yourself. And I nearly am...so I'm reading comments with interest - especially as I have a club summer four ball KO match tomorrow, and a partner expecting me to be solid.

Tomorrow - I will put today into a box and close the door on it - consider it and the previous four rounds to have been abberations, and I'll soon get back to normal. I will reflect with gratitude that I am able to play out great and glorious game - and consider it as I would a contrary lover - difficult but worth persevering with. You are not alone.

Anyway - the water of life will continue to flow under the bridge - and I'll only get worried if I notice that it's stopped.

Wow thank you, a bad round is not the end of the world, I am happy to be alive and happy I have some kind of talent for the game, onwards and upwards let’s gooo!!

 

[3 jabber]

Every time

First mistake. Just go out and enjoy.

 

[Neilds]

IT’S JUST A GAME!

Relax, and enjoy time with mates, fresh air, exercise, etc and forget the score.

 

[Skytot]

Read Bob Rotella book

 

[Springveldt]

So where do I start!!
Brief description about myself, I’m a self confessed golf nut and have been playing for years. I have been down to a 3.7 and won the club championships a few times as well as other board comps.
So over the winter I have really put the work in on my game and fitness and scored really well in general play, I was -29 in 7 rounds since Xmas (winter conditions).
So in was hopefull of a good start to the year!
No happened
My putting has disappeared
My swing is still ok
My drives go miles
But my scores have taken a massive hit and can’t seem to score!!
I used to be so confident and my handicap is now at 7.5 which to me and I’m sorry for the guys who are higher is just not good enough.
How do I stop putting this type of pressure on myself? Do I stop living in the past of how good I used to be?
It’s driving me insane that I can’t play how I know I can!!
Any advice from similar players more than welcome, in fact anyone who can help me get my confidence back please!!

Sounds a bit like me. Played well all winter but so far in the 4 comp rounds to start the season I can't even break 80. I've shot 87, 82, 83, 82 and if this keeps up my index will be going up from 3.0 to 4.2 on a couple rounds as I've got 2 good scores dropping off.

It's golf, your game comes and goes. Also if your course is anything like mine then there will have been a massive change in course conditions over the last month. I've lost all confidence in my short game just now as I can't judge the speed of the greens that are suddenly rock hard and fast and I'm throwing away what feels like 4 or 5 shots per round just now.

Just ignore your index, go out and play. Your game will come back and for that month when it does you'll be wondering how you ever shot those crap scores. Then your game will go again and you'll be wondering how you ever shot those good scores. This game messes with your mind.

 

[Golfnut1957]

Every time

As 3Jabber says above, give the focus on scoring (with a card) a rest.

Go out with some mates and play a match. You can still be competitive but with a different focus.

Go out on your own and practice different types of shots, cuts, draws, high low. Forget about the score, just revel in the beauty of the pure strike and pulling off an amazing shot.

Just don't tell anyone on here you played golf without putting a card in though

 

[Slab]

Its weird how we think we deserve & accept the good scores to be representative of our ability but don’t deserve & accept the bad scores to do the same. While certainly not desirable the bad scores are just as representative as the good.
The issue to resolve (target) is lowering the average, not shooting 36+pts every week or a PB, because that just can’t happen (except for new/improving players and even they’ll hit a plateau at some point)

Pressure’s a good thing
Its good to put pressure on yourself, it’s not good to let that pressure manifest as any kind of tension & apprehension etc in your mental and physical swing. Why not use the ‘pressure’ and manifest it as commitment, confidence & determination and see how different your swing feels and the results it’ll yield

I watched a YT pro vid the other day and the guy just wasn’t on form with bogey golf and even a double. His attitude on next several tees was ‘gotta birdie this’ when it was clear his game that day wasn’t close to sub-par golf and consequently, he’s chasing shots his mind & body couldn’t deliver on that day. It should’ve been an incremental improvement, with ‘aim for par’ on the next couple of holes to bring the game back under better control before even beginning to think about birdies (regardless of handicap 'ability')