My normal shot is a high draw, If it feels wrong in the first few holes and seems terminal its time to pull out the fade, it usually works great and acts like a crutch until you can sort it out later.
Playing terribly - take a breather or work your way through it?
- Thread starter JezzE
- Start date
HawkeyeMS
Ryder Cup Winner
Play through it or get a lesson
DaveM
Tour Winner
I said earlier play though it! But having a bit of a rethink. Yes play though it if you know what you are doing and what you should be doing. If you dont have a clue whats wrong or how to fix it. STOP get HELP before you make it worse and harder to fix. Think thats maybe the best way.
JustOne
Ryder Cup Winner
Play through it, double your efforts, stand on the practice ground until your hands bleed! Can't say I've known anyone get better at this game through not playing. Tiger hasn't been playing too well lately (apparently) I doubt he's had his feet up with a Horlicks. The only people who play this game the best are the ones who play/practice the most..... Homer excluded 
StrangelyBrown
Tour Winner
Fair point Jezz.
Forgot to say, I tend to do both. I'll take a break, then get a lesson before I start back again.
richy
Journeyman Pro
Even if I've been playing terribly I've never thought about taking a break. Even after a bad round I'm looking forward to the next.
Keep on playing I say and seek help
Keep on playing I say and seek help
Mike_j_golf
Q-School Graduate
Depends on the problem, i had the chipping yips this year so I was scoring terriable but the rest of the game was great(even thought of buying a Jigger). I would be in the work thru it camp, if u have been shanking the ball around the course then take a 2 week break and still have the same problem, that's 2 weeks u have wasted where u could have been working on the fix.
Mike
Mike
Putting is funny, you hole a couple and everything is well. Shank a few and the world is falling around your ears. It then takes months and hundreds of successful practice and course shots just to get back to the point you arent thinking about what could possibly happen and what you want to happen.
MadAdey
Money List Winner
I stay clear of the course for a week if it has got that bad and hit the range. Start from the basics, put 2 clubs on the ground to check alignment and ball position, have a look at my grip and swing nice and steady. Maybe even take a mate with you who knows what he is talking about as it may be something so obvious you can't see it yourself. If it is still not working though get straight to your Pro before it gets too bad that you can't do anything with it. Sometimes you can mess around too much and totally destroy your swing if you do not know what you are doing.
I always work my way through it. This summer I had the unmetionables for about 6 weeks, if I had taken a break, I would have missed most of the summers golf. 
Evesdad
Tour Winner
I prefer to grind it out and solve the problem. I went out last Wednesday and played like I'd never swing a club before it was shocking. I was back on the course on Saturday though, long game was still pants but outing and short game were spot on! I like to head to the range in the week and work on what was wrong at the weekend. If after checking all the fundamentals and have no idea seek professional help!
bladeplayer
Money List Winner
Play through it for me , i try to go back to basics tho , scrap the tougher shots for easier 1 etc , i think it is your own expectation/ pressure on your game that translates to the hands & arms & stops you functioning the way you were /can.. also the less complicated your game , swing thoughts etc are the easier it is to fix .
see it like catching a fish , you are reeling it in & you think you have it mastered , the fish fights back if you struggle you risk breaking the line & loosing it forever , slacken up a bit, relax , then start the job again .. bingo.. Bob Rotella eat your heart out
see it like catching a fish , you are reeling it in & you think you have it mastered , the fish fights back if you struggle you risk breaking the line & loosing it forever , slacken up a bit, relax , then start the job again .. bingo.. Bob Rotella eat your heart out
tommyangles
Club Champion
I plough throughit but manage to take enjoyment out of any small improvements. I find that if I’m ahaving a stinker on the course I use the round to practice new stuff that Iwould necessarily if I was scoring well.
Tiger
Money List Winner
I think it depends on your level of ability. A cat 1 player might benefit from a break but if I took one I'd never bloody play!!!
Being outside, having a laugh with friends, not being nagged by the Mrs, or having a never ending series of meetings has got to be a good thing, even if you are playing like a turnip...surely!!
Being outside, having a laugh with friends, not being nagged by the Mrs, or having a never ending series of meetings has got to be a good thing, even if you are playing like a turnip...surely!!
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AmandaJR
Money List Winner
I'd work through it but with lessons and guidance from my coach. I have had panic SOS lessons which always put me back on track and fill me with confidence...
Midnight
Journeyman Pro
I went through this last year , from Sept 10 until Feb 11, I could not hit a thing, don't know why , even a 7 iron went wrong in my hands. I kept on trying , but got more and more hacked off, to the extent that I was going to bin this game.
Then in Feb 11, for some reason I hit a good shot and I have enjoyed it ever since, still have more bad rounds than good but it is a lot more fun .
Cheers
Midnight...
Then in Feb 11, for some reason I hit a good shot and I have enjoyed it ever since, still have more bad rounds than good but it is a lot more fun .
Cheers
Midnight...
Cmansdad
Club Champion
I think I'm too stuborn to have a break and I think I get real satisfaction from sorting out a problem even if I had to have lessons to put me on the straight and narrow.
So stick it out, have a lesson and buy new stuff then everyone's happy
So stick it out, have a lesson and buy new stuff then everyone's happy
The19thHole
Head Pro
Go through various checks to see how you are doing things, posture, alignment, grip, etc.
Try and brake down where you are going wrong.
Use a 80% then 60% swing speed to see the pit falls or use a 1/4 swing.
Try and brake down where you are going wrong.
Use a 80% then 60% swing speed to see the pit falls or use a 1/4 swing.
HickoryShaft
Tour Rookie
My approach is a bit of a hybrid - play through it but mess about with my shots, strategy, even the game format to shake it all up a bit.
If I normally try to hit a certain part of the fairway - try another club and see how that works out. Lay up instead of going for the green etc. It changes the way you think and for me tends to block out any negatives as I a just trying out different shots etc so if it doesn't come off put it down to experience instead of beating yourself up about it..
Format change - stableford and pick up if cant score (stops big scores) - play a game where you get points for drives on the fairway, GIR and number of putts so some parts of your game still feel good.
Mix it up a bit
If this approach fails - lesson time for me.
If I normally try to hit a certain part of the fairway - try another club and see how that works out. Lay up instead of going for the green etc. It changes the way you think and for me tends to block out any negatives as I a just trying out different shots etc so if it doesn't come off put it down to experience instead of beating yourself up about it..
Format change - stableford and pick up if cant score (stops big scores) - play a game where you get points for drives on the fairway, GIR and number of putts so some parts of your game still feel good.
Mix it up a bit
If this approach fails - lesson time for me.
Junior
Tour Winner
Hi Jezz, You work in the industry and I imagine eat , live , breath and sleep golf !! I'd imagine that if you did not play the game for a couple of weeks to get through a bad patch, you would never be to far away from so would always get your 'fix', even if its not out on the course.
For me, golf is more than just a hobby, its a passion and a release from the day to day grind, even more so at this time of year as I look forward to my 18 holes at the weekend more than Christmas!! I think if I was chopping it around (more than usual), i'd play through, as golf means much more to me than just playing well. Sure i'd get frustrated, but i'd cling on to the few decent shots I hit in the hope that its in there somewhere and will return quick smart !!
good debate though !
For me, golf is more than just a hobby, its a passion and a release from the day to day grind, even more so at this time of year as I look forward to my 18 holes at the weekend more than Christmas!! I think if I was chopping it around (more than usual), i'd play through, as golf means much more to me than just playing well. Sure i'd get frustrated, but i'd cling on to the few decent shots I hit in the hope that its in there somewhere and will return quick smart !!
good debate though !
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