I could use a boost/hug!

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Alex1975

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Hi all,

I am not one for quit posts or anything like that, I actually try and avoid them as I like to keep the vibes positive, however I could use a boost.

My only target for this year was to enjoy my golf, this was partly because I worked very hard last year and partly because our first child has just landed and I don’t have as much time as I used to for practice.

The fact is I have not been enjoying my golf even with some good signs like my personal best thirteen over and a lovely back to back birdie session.

Last week I and three friends played in a team competition for our captain’s day and I feel I totally let them down. It was my intent to lead the way and score more than my fair share of the points and more than the others, who does not want to be the hero? I don’t think I made a good drive all day and played most every second shot from behind a tree its possible that without this hobble I may have done that.

In the last month I have had three lessons with a new pro so it’s not like I have let my foot off the gas. I have had a couple of lessons on my swing and one on the putting green, the pro has made some changes, but nothing dramatic.

My major worry is that I have hit the wall as far as my skill goes and that is going to be alot for me to swallow, is this common among hard working amateurs? I am starting to see players that I feel are steady and conservative and if I am honest not as good as me making steps forward where I am not.

Is there millage in me taking a look at my approach to the game, could it be that I am too wrapped up in the wrong things, long drives, hitting par fives in two and so on.

There was a time when my drive was so consistent and reasonably long and I walked off every tee with a smile and a strut, driving gave me confidence.

I guess I’ll leave it there as I don’t want to start crying at my computer. One major problem is that if I have a good game of golf I have a great week at work and if I have a bad game I have a bad week as I no longer have the time in the week to find out what went wrong and regain confidence.

Anyone got hug for me? :o :D

:D thanks all

Al
 
Every Golfer goes through it. You play well for a while, even a year or so. Then, for no apparent reason it all goes to rat sh1t!!
It's the Golfing Gods just keeping you in line.

Play through it, accept that you're playing badly, keep working at it and eventually it all comes back.
I've been playing shockingly for months - all of a sudden my game's come back from its holiday, tanned and healthy. Shooting decent scores again and the pinpoint ironplay that I'm used to is back.

Don't fret Al - it's one of life's little cycles.
The good times will return.
 
How much for your irons? :D

I was close to dumping them in the brook at the weekend on the 16th, you could have picked them up from there :D

If I quit I would give all my kit away on the forum, but thats not going to happen!! :p
 
I'd say a similar thing happened to me last year. I sort of platteaud for a while, then i just forgot about everything and worked on the putting and short game from 100 yards in and nothing else. It's nice to hot big drives but if you can get up and down more times than not from 100 yards inwards it saves you more shots than ever. The confidence works right back through your game knowing you don't have to hit the green every time.

Worked for me anyway

There's a hug, give us your driver


:D [image]
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alex, im there at the moment so move over and share the hugs, driving used to be my best part of my game, now its my let down, in that singles final i played every 2nd shot from the cabbage,

Have a brake mate, it wont do not harm and# will earn brownie points with HID, if nothing else just catch up on the stuff you miss, then come back with no pressure.
 
From the sounds of it you are getting frustrated at something you have no direct control over (your score). You may find it more empowering to concentrate only on things you can control (your shots), and then let the score take care of itself.

By breaking the problem down into smaller parts you should be able isolate the weaknesses and set a plan in action to correct them. This should be a big confidence boost - to know that you are in charge, not the golf ball.

In short, concentrate on the things you can control and ignore the things you can't.
 
These things come and go, if we constantly improved throughout our lives we'd all end up scratch golfers. Even within a round of golf you'll have hot and cold spells, so just think of this as 100 holes of golf: you've had your cold 36-hole spell and your hot 64 are still to come.

Especially with a recent PB and birdie golf, you might think that people are starting to think of you as a really good golfer. With the lessons you're taking/money you're spending, you probably think everyone you talk to judges you on how good you are at golf. In reality, people don't. We're all in it together, if someone you know has a hot streak you say "well done" and if someone is struggling you say "chin up, it'll come back to you", so why not say it to yourself? That game that put converting two birdies in a row hasn't disappeared in a couple of weeks, its still there, waiting for you to relax enough to just let it happen.

You probably put too much self-worth into shooting the lights out for your buddies in the comp, put too much pressure on yourself, and the seconds the wheels started coming off it spiralled. Did you ever play with a guy who had a melt-down? I bet you felt more sympathy fo rthe guy than disgust, so stop being disgusted with yourself and go out and have fun. Next round you play don't even score it. Just play the best game you can and enjoy it, I bet when you get home and add it up it'll be a lot better than last week :-)
 
From the viewpoint of a humble high handicapper - If it's a scoring issue (as opposed to not hitting fabulous shots), I've only been playing for a couple of years and only started to get any consistency into my game by focussing on leaving myself the 'right' shot into the greens. In other words, a full wedge. I certainly won't be good enough to feel consistently confident in half-swings or middle/long irons into the green for a while yet so I try to cut them out altogether.
Exciting it aint but its eliminated a lot of silly scores.
(And a hug too cos there's nothing like this game to make your life feel like S**t)
 
Big hug...........NOW PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER MAN! Enjoy your bairn, play for fun, don't beat yourself up if you score badly. You've plateaued don't worry about it, the improvement will come again, most likely when you stop worrying about it.

Love and kisses

Tiger

PS if you do quit shotgun your hybrid ;)
 
Big hug...........NOW PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER MAN! Enjoy your bairn, play for fun, don't beat yourself up if you score badly. You've plateaued don't worry about it, the improvement will come again, most likely when you stop worrying about it.

Love and kisses

Tiger

PS if you do quit shotgun your hybrid ;)


Hehe, I will never quit but as it goes I think the 909H is better than the 910H.


Thanks all... I just needed a little cry and a little hug :D


Im off home to play with the baby... or maybe go to the range... :)
 
I'm a bit worried about all this hugging on this macho site. Can we just have a proper handshake please? :o :D

I notice you have a brook to throw your clubs in Alex, I cross the river Severn on the way home and have often felt like stopping to throw the clubs in

I have move from 14.1 this time last year to 16.4 just waiting for the next step so I know how you feel. :(
 
Man up for flips sake.

Group hug? More like group slap!

Oh, and if anyone finds my game lying around somewhere, looking lonely, can I have it back?
 
Man up for flips sake.

Group hug? More like group slap!

Oh, and if anyone finds my game lying around somewhere, looking lonely, can I have it back?


It came over here on the ferry Murg...But im keeping it...Iv swapped it for mine and sent it back to you....So you are now gonna really play some shite over the next few months... :D :D :D
 
You aint getting a hug from me Al... ;)
It wouldnt look right :D :D

Anyway i can relate to exactly how you feel mate...
My handicap is creeping back up slowly and its really P#$%ing me off...
BUT....Like you the towel isnt going in...
Iv made changes over the past few months and i know that there going to take a while to settle but the initial signs are good...
If it were't for Bob id be foooked....
Iv never had lessons and im trying to get as far as i can without them(being the stubborn ol muppet that i am) but im starting to see some bit of form over the last 2 weeks.

There is nothing worse than seeing someone that you know that your better than suddenly starting to pull away from you in the learning stakes....
Iv been a victim of that recently but i know that the changes im making at the moment are better in the long run....

As far as the little practice time you are getting dont worry about it...Your priority at the moment is the little un and your other half..

Do what i do...Practice your putting at home and also set up one of them swing nets in the garden if space will allow...That should take care of any swing changes that your pro is giving you..Also try and just get the one lesson in a months...You'll save a bit of dough have more time at home and it'll make practice more productive for you if you've only 1 or 2 things to work on...You dont have to get to the range or the course to hit balls you know...

Plus when you get the wee one off to sleep try and nip to the range nearer the weekend for an hour...I find that helps me and your not gone for ages out of the house either..Anything you work on then will be fresher in your mind come the round on saturday or sunday.
 
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