My “bad streak” is actually permanent

[JV24601]

Anybody else had an almighty bad patch before that went on so long you suddenly realised that you’re just not that good anymore? I’ve struggled massively for 3 years now.

I’ve had lessons and persevered and tried everything. But I’m getting worse and worse and now genuinely can’t see a way out of it.
Ive lost roughly 3 to 4 clubs distance wise and the game is just so much harder.

Interested to know if anybody has experienced similar?

 

[Crow]

Unless you're distance loss is due to age then I'm sure something can be done about it, maybe try a different Pro if you haven't already.

In answer to your question; Yes.

2015 - I started the year on 8.4, I had fifteen 0.1s, one buffer and no cuts, finished on 9.9
2016 - Start 9.9, thirteen 0.1s, three buffers and one cut of 0.4, finished on 10.8
2017 - Started on 10.8, fourteen 0.1s, three buffers and one cut of 0.2, finished on 12.0
2018 - Started on 12.0, nine 0.1s, six buffers, one cut of 0.8, finished on 12.1, seemed like I'd stabilised!
2019 - Started on 12.1 and with a heart attack and a frozen shoulder! Fourteen 0.1s and one buffer (from a reductions only comp) and no cuts, finished on 13.5
2020 - Started on 13.5, seventeen 0.1s and two buffers and no cuts, finished on 15.2
2021 - WHS index now 16.4 which gives me a course handicap of 19!

So in the course of 7 years and however many qualifiers that all adds up to I managed to get cut just three times!
(What depressing reading!)

However, signs so far are that I can play to 19, my distance is coming back as the frozen shoulder slowly recovers, I rarely shank these days and my chipping yips are slightly improved.
I'm hopeful of a few cuts this year but on past experience I'm not going to make any predictions!

 

[MarkT]

Unless you're distance loss is due to age then I'm sure something can be done about it, maybe try a different Pro if you haven't already.

In answer to your question; Yes.

2015 - I started the year on 8.4, I had fifteen 0.1s, one buffer and no cuts, finished on 9.9
2016 - Start 9.9, thirteen 0.1s, three buffers and one cut of 0.4, finished on 10.8
2017 - Started on 10.8, fourteen 0.1s, three buffers and one cut of 0.2, finished on 12.0
2018 - Started on 12.0, nine 0.1s, six buffers, one cut of 0.8, finished on 12.1, seemed like I'd stabilised!
2019 - Started on 12.1 and with a heart attack and a frozen shoulder! Fourteen 0.1s and one buffer (from a reductions only comp) and no cuts, finished on 13.5
2020 - Started on 13.5, seventeen 0.1s and two buffers and no cuts, finished on 15.2
2021 - WHS index now 16.4 which gives me a course handicap of 19!

So in the course of 7 years and however many qualifiers that all adds up to I managed to get cut just three times!
(What depressing reading!)

However, signs so far are that I can play to 19, my distance is coming back as the frozen shoulder slowly recovers, I rarely shank these days and my chipping yips are slightly improved.
I'm hopeful of a few cuts this year but on past experience I'm not going to make any predictions!

Focusing squarely on your chyips, how did you improve things?

 

[Crow]

Focusing squarely on your chyips, how did you improve things?

I used to be a decent chipper, using the Stan Utley method.

But my body driven chipping action began to turn into an arms led action with body locked in concrete, resulting in duffs, thins, double hits and every sort of chipping mishit.
I've been concentrating on getting my body turn leading the move again, I still have a tendency to flip with my arms and wrists but it's slowly getting better.

 

[jim8flog]

What is now my handicap index handicap has gone from 4.9 to the current 10.4 in just over 3 years (6 to 12 in old money). The inexorable equation between age, fitness and ability.
Nearly 30 yards down on my iron yardage in that time and less of an ability to get drop and stop or backspin with with mid irons.

 

[williamalex1]

Anybody else had an almighty bad patch before that went on so long you suddenly realised that you’re just not that good anymore? I’ve struggled massively for 3 years now.

I’ve had lessons and persevered and tried everything. But I’m getting worse and worse and now genuinely can’t see a way out of it.
Ive lost roughly 3 to 4 clubs distance wise and the game is just so much harder.

Interested to know if anybody has experienced similar?

Yes me, I've been really suffering/struggling year after year with losing distance and all round ability .
So depressing I've been contemplating chucking it altogether.

Then out of the blue today I played out of my skin, the warmer weather and medication probably helped.

Also not wanting to let my PP down in our first comp of the year, I played using my new 20 handicap, not forcing things, try to catch the par 4s in 3 and hopefully 2 putt mibbie even single putt . The 2 holes where I got 2 strokes I used to my advantage and got birdies almost an eagle at the 14th
Hopefully it will continue, but you never know what's round the corner.
Keep your chins up, but your head down .
Best of luck.

 

[bobmac]

Anybody else had an almighty bad patch before that went on so long you suddenly realised that you’re just not that good anymore? I’ve struggled massively for 3 years now.

I’ve had lessons and persevered and tried everything. But I’m getting worse and worse and now genuinely can’t see a way out of it.
Ive lost roughly 3 to 4 clubs distance wise and the game is just so much harder.

Interested to know if anybody has experienced similar?

What were you told in your lessons?

 

[JV24601]

Yes me, I've been really suffering/struggling year after year with losing distance and all round ability .
So depressing I've been contemplating chucking it altogether.

Then out of the blue today I played out of my skin, the warmer weather and medication probably helped.

Also not wanting to let my PP down in our first comp of the year, I played using my new 20 handicap, not forcing things, try to catch the par 4s in 3 and hopefully 2 putt mibbie even single putt . The 2 holes where I got 2 strokes I used to my advantage and got birdies almost an eagle at the 14th
Hopefully it will continue, but you never know what's round the corner.
Keep your chins up, but your head down .
Best of luck.

Great to see your perseverance paying off.
Well done.

To the other posters, I’m pleased to know it’s not just me but at the same time, disappointed others go through it.
It’s not my age that’s causing it, as I’m early 30s so I don’t think that’s the one.
I’ve already had a few lessons from different pro’s but think the issue is now firmly with me. I can’t do what they ask when I’m not in the lesson no matter how much I practice it. And trust me, I’ve hit thousands of balls and persevered.
It’s a tricky one and who knows how it will pan out

 

[JV24601]

What were you told in your lessons?

Concentrate on finishing with weight on left foot and try to finish the swing earlier (so that the club is pointed almost at the target rather than behind my neck).
Problem is over-swing and massively coming across the ball

 

[Orikoru]

How can you lose 3-4 whole clubs worth of distance?? Short of having some dibilitating injury? So if you used to hit a 7 iron 160 you now only hit it 125 say??

Have you tried just forgetting everything you were ever taught and just going back to your natural swing? For all it's 'problems' it was obviously doing you a lot better than your current one.

 

[JV24601]

How can you lose 3-4 whole clubs worth of distance?? Short of having some dibilitating injury? So if you used to hit a 7 iron 160 you now only hit it 125 say??

Have you tried just forgetting everything you were ever taught and just going back to your natural swing? For all it's 'problems' it was obviously doing you a lot better than your current one.

As crazy as that looks when I re-read it and your statement in black and white, yes. It really is like that. I hit the odd one maybe 1 club more but that’s rare.
Tried everything and then a new instructor for a reset and I’m still at rock bottom and of the belief that I won’t get it back

 

[inc0gnito]

Concentrate on finishing with weight on left foot and try to finish the swing earlier (so that the club is pointed almost at the target rather than behind my neck).
Problem is over-swing and massively coming across the ball

I’m crap at golf so take my opinion how you will.

My tendency has been a big over the top move with an armsy disconnected overswing. I actually could hit the ball pretty straight with decent distance when I could hit it cuz my early extension compensated for those moves. Trouble is I used to fat everything then progressed to not being able to hit the ball off the ground after trying to learn the perfect swing. I quit the game. After 6 months or so I started practicing again in the garden following Marcus of zen golf. What a difference it makes to your swing, especially over the top and overswing, when you use your legs properly. I’ve learned that all these hands, armsy disconnected issues stem largely from the upper body driving the swing instead of it coming from the ground up. No amount of tinkering (and believe me cuz I followed a method of mechanically getting every body part to move in the correct way for a year) can compensate for a swing that is generated in the correct way from the ground up.

Now I know I started off saying I’m crap at golf which is contradictory to what I’ve said above. It’s because I can see and feel the difference in my swing during practice (it’s like night and day) but I haven’t been back to the course for health issues. So I’m not providing “proof” but just an option you can explore.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Unless you're distance loss is due to age then I'm sure something can be done about it, maybe try a different Pro if you haven't already.

In answer to your question; Yes.

2015 - I started the year on 8.4, I had fifteen 0.1s, one buffer and no cuts, finished on 9.9
2016 - Start 9.9, thirteen 0.1s, three buffers and one cut of 0.4, finished on 10.8
2017 - Started on 10.8, fourteen 0.1s, three buffers and one cut of 0.2, finished on 12.0
2018 - Started on 12.0, nine 0.1s, six buffers, one cut of 0.8, finished on 12.1, seemed like I'd stabilised!
2019 - Started on 12.1 and with a heart attack and a frozen shoulder! Fourteen 0.1s and one buffer (from a reductions only comp) and no cuts, finished on 13.5
2020 - Started on 13.5, seventeen 0.1s and two buffers and no cuts, finished on 15.2
2021 - WHS index now 16.4 which gives me a course handicap of 19!

So in the course of 7 years and however many qualifiers that all adds up to I managed to get cut just three times!
(What depressing reading!)

However, signs so far are that I can play to 19, my distance is coming back as the frozen shoulder slowly recovers, I rarely shank these days and my chipping yips are slightly improved.
I'm hopeful of a few cuts this year but on past experience I'm not going to make any predictions!

"Clubs -xx Various old wooden woods. xxx Various old bladed irons. xxx Various strange old putters."
Get rid of these, you might achieve a reduction. ?

 

[bobmac]

Concentrate on finishing with weight on left foot and try to finish the swing earlier (so that the club is pointed almost at the target rather than behind my neck).
Problem is over-swing and massively coming across the ball

So am I right in saying you were a bit flat footed during your swing and tended to slice/fade the ball?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I’ve battled with the unmentionables for about ten years, 5 yrs smouldering and occasional, but last 5 yrs almost there all the time. I was in despair until a couple of months back when my pro made a minor but clearly very significant change to my address, and overnight with no practice of the change, the unmentionables dropped to ‘just’ a handful every round. Then with my recent fitting session for new clubs it was obvious how, even with my new address, my old bats contributed to the problem - but with fitted bats that could be ‘addressed’.

And so from utter despair a year ago and my nearly packing it in, I now look forward with hope - and anticipation of good things to come.

So stick in there, chin up, there is an answer and it will come.

 

[RichA]

As crazy as that looks when I re-read it and your statement in black and white, yes. It really is like that. I hit the odd one maybe 1 club more but that’s rare.
Tried everything and then a new instructor for a reset and I’m still at rock bottom and of the belief that I won’t get it back

Get back in the habit of playing purely for the pleasure of it for a while. Enjoy the scenery, the birdsong. Pick your playing partners carefully - the guys and gals who play for fun, rather than for competition.
Stop putting cards in. Stop keeping score even. Play on your own sometimes. Keep reminding yourself it's just a silly game and it doesn't matter that much. Do whatever you need to do to relax on course and start enjoying this amazing game again.
You don't suddenly become bad at golf, but loss of confidence will damage any kind of sporting performance.

 

[Smiffy]

Golf can get you like that.
Last time out I had a 10 on the 1st, another 10 on the 2nd, a 9 on the par 3 third and then it all went to pieces.. ???

 

[Diamond]

Having started 6 months before lockdown I feel like it’s 1 step forward and 2 steps back. I learnt how to play a lob shot last week then started topping all my 9 irons...I reverted back to left foot in front of right and my irons are better but since we came back and they added lots of new sand to the bunkers I am taking 3-4 shots to get out of a bunker...
I shoot a 98 then for next 10 rounds score 118..Peoole say practice putting and shave 10 shots off but I rarely 3 putt maybe 2-3 in a round and 1-2 1 putts so evens itself out. Perseverance must have been a word created just for golf!!

 

[Crow]

"Clubs -xx Various old wooden woods. xxx Various old bladed irons. xxx Various strange old putters."
Get rid of these, you might achieve a reduction. ?

It might shave a couple of shots off my handicap, but would shave a lot more off my enjoyment of playing golf.

Anyway, this thread is about how good/bad your golf is, not how good your clubs are.

 

[JV24601]

I’m crap at golf so take my opinion how you will.

My tendency has been a big over the top move with an armsy disconnected overswing. I actually could hit the ball pretty straight with decent distance when I could hit it cuz my early extension compensated for those moves. Trouble is I used to fat everything then progressed to not being able to hit the ball off the ground after trying to learn the perfect swing. I quit the game. After 6 months or so I started practicing again in the garden following Marcus of zen golf. What a difference it makes to your swing, especially over the top and overswing, when you use your legs properly. I’ve learned that all these hands, armsy disconnected issues stem largely from the upper body driving the swing instead of it coming from the ground up. No amount of tinkering (and believe me cuz I followed a method of mechanically getting every body part to move in the correct way for a year) can compensate for a swing that is generated in the correct way from the ground up.

Now I know I started off saying I’m crap at golf which is contradictory to what I’ve said above. It’s because I can see and feel the difference in my swing during practice (it’s like night and day) but I haven’t been back to the course for health issues. So I’m not providing “proof” but just an option you can explore.

I’ll take it as it’s written and find it very valuable, thank you.

I am 100% an upper body player. Very arms and hands.
Marcus of Zen golf - I’m not a YouTube searcher but I’m sure I’ve seen some of his stuff