Loss of Confidence

[Range_Ball]

Played last week Weds and Thurs and was hitting the ball ok, then last night at the driving range i just went into melt down. Started to hit a few pitches and alike and then moved up to my 7 iron, this is where i feel i have lost total confidence. I could not get one ball airbourne i was either topping it or they were just runners.I then started to wonder if it was just a bad evening, so i packed up and went home. In work today i have be thinking about this and tonight went to range, to try and work out what i was doing wrong.Big mistake a repeat of last night i have now convinced myself that a have a massive swing flaw and this does not help as i am playing tomorrow.
Confidence at the moment is lower than a snakes belly i think it may be time for a lesson and give the game tomorrow a miss.

 

[GB72]

I had a similar problem and solved it by having a lesson. Too many times before I have ended up confusing myself even more by trying to 'self fix' my swing problems. Half an hour later and a couple of corrections and new drills later and everything was back on course again. I was finding that the constant stream of tips sections, videos, books and correction advice was becoming a nightmare and was creating more problems that it was solving so now try and ignore most advice that does not come from my club pro and if the swing falls appart I get the pro to fix it.

 

[Range_Ball]

GB72 i am going to have a lesson and have had a few lessons before.But i do find it very strange that one minute you are hitting the ball and the next your all over the place. I suppose thats golf for you hopefully after a lesson then i should be back on track NOTE to self do not try and self fix as this leads to depression.

Regards

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have had the reverse. I'm swinging well on the range but once I step onto the course it all falls apart. I been having lessons and had no problem making the changes but for some reason they don't carry onto the course.

Actually not strictly true. As I posted (seed of recovery) my ball striking is coming back. I'm just directionally challenged now (not sure where the ball is going).

Still, roll on the weekend.

 

[minty18]

I have had nights like this at the range and the problem i believe is a mental one. You should be picturing your shot flying through the air 160yds and landing softly before you address the ball however once you hit a few dodgy ones your thought mentality is "this one going along the floor aswell" leading to a negative swing where unknowingly you're not commiting to it entirely through fear of dissapointment.

I had a 30minute lesson where we were mainly talking however one thing I was told was "if you can think of each individual shot without worrying about your last and commit fully with the club/shot you have chosen you score card will improve" basically when you mess up a shot dont believe its the end of the world and that your swing has fallen apart. just step back, take a minute, take a deep breath and address the next shot with a clear mind.

I know this is all easier said than done because believe me i've been there and I still hit 3-4 bad shots in a row however with this mentality i've found i get back to my decent swing alot sooner than i used to.

Exhales heavily

 

[ianmc]

it usually stems from negative thoughts in your head. i'm going to mess this one up you tell yourself. cluttering your head up with swing thoughts can also have a bad effect on your game.try getting back to basics work on the fundementals and see how you go from there

 

[TonyN]

I gotta agree with minty, if you think your gonna hit a badf shot then you already have before you address the ball. I went through a phase like this a couple of weeks ago and couldnt shake it. Had worst two rounds ever. Couple days later, clear mind, went round the course picturing every shot in my mind, addressing the ball in exactly the same way each time and the ball mostly did what i wanted it to do. Its all about the confidence and the ability to forget the bad shots.

 

[The23rdman]

A lesson sure can help, but it's more than likely fixable by going right back to fundamentals. Check your grip, stance, posture etc. Especially your balance.

hit a few 3/4 wedges then pick up your 7 iron and make the same swing. Go straight back to the wedge and hit a few more 3/4 shots then have another swing with the 7 iron. Keep this pattern up for a while then try a few 7s in a row just working on your fundamentals and nice smooth 3/4 swings.

you just need to feel the ball out of the middle again in a relaxed manner.

 

[viscount17]

How do the pro's teach? You will leave a lesson with just two, three or at most four things to work on - and they will be related. If you have any more swing thoughts than this then you've already blown it.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I agree totally with the comments about creating a bad shot through negative thoughts. Going through a bad spell as I am it is easy by mid round to believe you will never hit a good shot again. The round falls apart under a barrage of topped shots and slices.

I played last weekend and although my driving accuracy and my irons weren't great the ball striking was better. In the stableford on Sunday I kept trying (it was my putter that caused the problmes - Doh always something different!!) and actually struck the ball ok.

I didn't let myself get bogged down with negative thoughts and felt quite contented. Didn't play well and it seems a defeatist thing to say but was happy to accept a bad score for the sake of more committed ball striking.

 

[sunnyday]

didn't know that bad thoughts can cause a bad shot. so happy gilmore was right when he said think happy thoughts! lol.