How do you get your mojo back?

[jamielaing]

I've written a lot on here about changing clubs and, so far I love my new course and club.

Myself and my mate won the winter greensomes and in my first two medals I came second in one and won the other, totalling 12 under CSS and getting cut from 8.3 to 5.9. Delighted with the start and hoping for more.

The last week however I have played 2 medals and an open stableford. 2 NRs and 26 points filled with horrendous tops, shanks, mishit irons left right and centre. I have had bad rounds before but never bad playing to this extreme.

All I want to do is play and improve but am feeling a week or 2 off to try and almost reset myself.

Anyone experienced similar and found any tricks to fix themselves?

 

[FairwayDodger]

I'm not a believer in laying off - I just obsess about it and get too keyed up for the next game.

After a bad spell I like to do what I did today. Go to the club on my own when its quiet and play a few holes with two or three balls. All pressure is off so just swing with few thoughts and gradually find the swing again. Concentrate on whatever parts of the game are off. For me, that's usually iron play so I'll play a few holes with only irons.

I lost my swing big time in a comp yesterday but by the time I walked off the course today I was striking my irons as well as ever. Couldn't sleep last night for brooding but feeling confident now and looking forward to my next game!

 

[kid2]

I've written a lot on here about changing clubs and, so far I love my new course and club.

Myself and my mate won the winter greensomes and in my first two medals I came second in one and won the other, totalling 12 under CSS and getting cut from 8.3 to 5.9. Delighted with the start and hoping for more.

The last week however I have played 2 medals and an open stableford. 2 NRs and 26 points filled with horrendous tops, shanks, mishit irons left right and centre. I have had bad rounds before but never bad playing to this extreme.

All I want to do is play and improve but am feeling a week or 2 off to try and almost reset myself.

Anyone experienced similar and found any tricks to fix themselves?

Yep. I can relate completely to you. It happens. If like me you had a stormer and then a Mare the week after you'll analyse, scrutinize, criticize , and tear your game to the roots to find out what was wrong... "Dont"

You don't become a bad golfer overnight.
But coming from 8 to 5 is a big leap. But it's a leap nonetheless.
What you need to do is be honest with yourself. There are times you'll still play like an 8. Probably more than you'll like but it's all a learning curve.
Kick on. Your game will start to settle once you stop pushing to get lower. The difference between 5 and scratch is usually consistency and a good short game.
It's nothing you cant strengthen. Put the bad round behind you and focus on what your good at. Not what happened.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I'm a huge beleiver in laying off, not from golf but competitive golf.

Take a few rounds off the yellows and come back to competition aftr a couple of weekends off.

Club golfers often play too many competitions. Three a month is plenty unless its summer and you can play "off" rounds in the evenings.

 

[Imurg]

Less than 18 months ago you were almost off 12
Now you're off 6
That's a huge jump in a relatively short time.
You've obviously played well to do that but you ain't gonna play like that all the time
This time last year, that 26 points would have been an acceptable low 30s but your expectations have changed.
The swing is going to go on holiday every now and then and just when you don't expect it a good core comes in from nowhere.
Look at Pro players - 67 one day, 76 the next.....
Don't put pressure on yourself to play to 6 every time
Keep playing and the scores will be what they'll be..

 

[Hobbit]

Recalibrating yourself happens every time you get a major cut. Going from 12 to 8 requires an acceptance of how difficult it can be to post a respectable score when you're playing badly. You almost have to lose the blasé attitude when you're out on the course. Try and see it as a matter of personal pride.

As for fun, I love a difficult shot. The easier the game gets the harder the shot must be to satisfy the desire for a challenge.

 

[patricks148]

I've written a lot on here about changing clubs and, so far I love my new course and club.

Myself and my mate won the winter greensomes and in my first two medals I came second in one and won the other, totalling 12 under CSS and getting cut from 8.3 to 5.9. Delighted with the start and hoping for more.

The last week however I have played 2 medals and an open stableford. 2 NRs and 26 points filled with horrendous tops, shanks, mishit irons left right and centre. I have had bad rounds before but never bad playing to this extreme.

All I want to do is play and improve but am feeling a week or 2 off to try and almost reset myself.

Anyone experienced similar and found any tricks to fix themselves?

that's golf for you, you can't play well all the time, if we did we would all be off scratch.

had a couple of horrendous scores the last year, and had a 93 on Sat. have rounds where i play really well followed by one where you be surprised if you knew what my handicap was.

make the best of it and just enjoy playing

 

[BrizoH71]

Can empathise... I went from 18 to 12 last season, and was full of confidence heading into this season.

While I haven't played badly, I haven't managed to put together a score because something has been off on one week or another. Last time it was putting, on Saturday it was my driving. Tomorrow it could be my wedges.

I've suffered five straight 0.1s from five comps, one of which was down to having NRd on Sunday after injuring my back. I feel I'm putting too much pressure on myself to play to 12 handicap, where looking back I've probably played to 15 or 16.

I've felt the same way as you, but I keep telling myself I didn't get down to 12 by playing badly, and I haven't regressed 6 shots over the winter. It is still early in the season, give yourself some time and the game will return.

 

[jamielaing]

Thanks for comments. I have dropped my handicap quite a bit over the last season or so and definitely understand that I can't play well all the time. I have however always hit the ball well but missed in the wrong places or had a few bad shots that have destroyed my round. The difference is that this time I am struggling to get the ball going anywhere near where it should be and that has never been an issue before.

My problem is this, I am away to London this week to catch up with a friend. I come back on Saturday with a comp lined up on the Sunday. I am not going to get a swing in the mean time so I can't fix it before then. The next couple of weeks are fairly similar with trips away. So do I battle on regardless in the comps and hope that it fixes it's self (which we all know can happen) or not play a medal for about a month but taking a week or so off completely?

I think we all feel this pain at one point or another, this just feels particularly bad at the moment!

 

[kid2]

Thanks for comments. I have dropped my handicap quite a bit over the last season or so and definitely understand that I can't play well all the time. I have however always hit the ball well but missed in the wrong places or had a few bad shots that have destroyed my round. The difference is that this time I am struggling to get the ball going anywhere near where it should be and that has never been an issue before.

My problem is this, I am away to London this week to catch up with a friend. I come back on Saturday with a comp lined up on the Sunday. I am not going to get a swing in the mean time so I can't fix it before then. The next couple of weeks are fairly similar with trips away. So do I battle on regardless in the comps and hope that it fixes it's self (which we all know can happen) or not play a medal for about a month but taking a week or so off completely?

I think we all feel this pain at one point or another, this just feels particularly bad at the moment!

Go to London. Forget the swing. Take this from an Expert in Over- Analysis... Anyone on here will tell you how bad I was.

Go through your process meticulously before every shot.
And just let go and accept the outcome. If your missing left and right check alignment first.
If it's ball contact then it might be something simple as position. Try not to get too wrapped up in mechanics.
Don't go tearing a swing apart to find an answer. It's more than likely something simple.
And my nemesis is Tempo. If I get a bit quick it causes Early Extension and loss of posture.. Which cause a multitude of issues just from 1 thing.

 

[Spear-Chucker]

'Mojo' comes and goes for everyone. If it goes for me I like to forget the garbage with a short break and spending time with friends or family* doing other stuff and then picking it up again with a sense of perspective and enthusiasm.

*I don't just spend time with F and F when playing rubbish; they just have the supreme skill of inadvertently reminding me where golf sits in the grander scheme of things.

 

[cliveb]

The last week however I have played 2 medals and an open stableford. 2 NRs and 26 points filled with horrendous tops, shanks, mishit irons left right and centre. I have had bad rounds before but never bad playing to this extreme.

I'm really puzzled. Speaking as a high handicapper (19), my observation of single-figure players is that they never have a round full of tops, shanks and mis-hits - that's the sort of thing that happens to me! The thing that seems to most distinguish the 5 and 6 handicappers from the rest is that they consistently make good contact, and nearly always hit the ball in the right direction. (And they have a great short game, but that's kind of irrelevant to my puzzlement).

I'm genuinely perplexed at how a 6 capper can suddenly stop hitting the ball well. It's akin to someone who's been riding a bike for years suddenly falling off for no good reason. Or maybe my perception of low handicappers is just completely wrong?

 

[patricks148]

I'm really puzzled. Speaking as a high handicapper (19), my observation of single-figure players is that they never have a round full of tops, shanks and mis-hits - that's the sort of thing that happens to me! The thing that seems to most distinguish the 5 and 6 handicappers from the rest is that they consistently make good contact, and nearly always hit the ball in the right direction. (And they have a great short game, but that's kind of irrelevant to my puzzlement).

I'm genuinely perplexed at how a 6 capper can suddenly stop hitting the ball well. It's akin to someone who's been riding a bike for years suddenly falling off for no good reason. Or maybe my perception of low handicappers is just completely wrong?

you've never played with me then:rofl::rofl:

 

[jamielaing]

I'm really puzzled. Speaking as a high handicapper (19), my observation of single-figure players is that they never have a round full of tops, shanks and mis-hits - that's the sort of thing that happens to me! The thing that seems to most distinguish the 5 and 6 handicappers from the rest is that they consistently make good contact, and nearly always hit the ball in the right direction. (And they have a great short game, but that's kind of irrelevant to my puzzlement).

I'm genuinely perplexed at how a 6 capper can suddenly stop hitting the ball well. It's akin to someone who's been riding a bike for years suddenly falling off for no good reason. Or maybe my perception of low handicappers is just completely wrong?

I'm genuinely perplexed also! But you could say the same of tour pros shooting 80s and it happens almost every week!

Every one is susceptible to bad rounds. I have seen a scratch player shoot an 87, much like I have seen an 18 handicapper shoot +4.

I've had numerous bad shots over the last week which is where my struggles lie. I think the difference you are noticing is that a 5 handicappers big miss is probably ok to a high handicapper. For example yesterday I hit 3 horrendous shots (2 running tops and a thin) and was on the par 5 in 3. But I then 3 putted. If I am playing well that hole is a safe 5 but hopefully a 4.

If a 6 handicap is 7 over their handicap it is a disastrous round (in my eyes anyway). This maybe isn't the case for higher handicaps.

*(Absolutely no offence intended in this post)*

 

[FairwayDodger]

Jamie, the other possibility is just check your setup, ball position and alignment. I was hitting loads of fats and thins earlier in the year so went for a lesson. The pro watched me hit 5 shots badly then moved the ball back in my stance and bingo I could play golf again. How I'd got so far out of position I will never know but I guess it just drifted....

 

[Region3]

Or maybe my perception of low handicappers is just completely wrong?

It is in my case.

I sometimes think my purpose on the golf course is to prove that low handicappers don't stripe everything.

Obviously low handicappers have less bad shots than high handicappers, but I think a large part of the difference is short game and making good decisions.

Even Charlie Hoffman topped a tee shot 150yds at the weekend and he won the thing!

 

[Wabinez]

It is in my case.

I sometimes think my purpose on the golf course is to prove that low handicappers don't stripe everything.

Obviously low handicappers have less bad shots than high handicappers, but I think a large part of the difference is short game and making good decisions.

Even Charlie Hoffman topped a tee shot 150yds at the weekend and he won the thing!

This. It's not how good your good shot is, its how good your bad shot it. I have shot 77/78 before and felt that I didn't hit a decent golf shot all day. The ball just went in the right direction, and I holed a few putts. Then you have days where you have struck the ball as well as you could hope, but don't score.

As for the OP. Go out, swing with freedom and have a laugh. When I went through 6 months of sherman'ing everything, I nearly gave up. I came back to the game with an attitude of just playing the game with no real thoughts, and just to have a laugh. It all comes back. Embrace it...it is what makes Golf so frustrating, and so enjoyable at the same time

 

[jamielaing]

Jamie, the other possibility is just check your setup, ball position and alignment. I was hitting loads of fats and thins earlier in the year so went for a lesson. The pro watched me hit 5 shots badly then moved the ball back in my stance and bingo I could play golf again. How I'd got so far out of position I will never know but I guess it just drifted....

I've thought of this Karen but I've made a couple of changes recently and I think part of the problem may be over doing those changes. I am trying to sing in a straighter back style rather than around my body. It may be that I have concentrated so much on that swing thought that I am now out to in!

 

[Ads749r]

Last September I was really thinking of selling my clubs as I was so bad it was unreal. We then went on holiday for a week and came back at the start of October after not hitting a ball or even swinging a club I played the next 3 comps that month and won them all and by some margin too in the first one. It just felt easy and I was refreshed. Defiantly I put it down to rest and not thinking golf golf golf. Take a break for a week or two and see what happens.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm struggling with own mojo at the moment so empathise with the OP. Can't find the enthusiasm to practice (unheard of for me) and the alarm went off at the weekend and I didn't fancy it at all. Played well last time out but struggling a lot of the time and really can't find a spark to get me excited again. Away this weekend and not bothered a jot about not playing. Hoping that the break might help. I fear not and that timing and tempo will be way out but we'll see as and when I hit the course next