Unable to keep confidence

[ScienceBoy]

I am struggling a lot in practice at the moment with the occasional shank. I know the cause but the effects are pretty disheartening.

When practising my irons or wedges, at the end of an evening range session my swing can get a bit flat, especially if I have had a long day or busy day at work. I strike the mat a little before the ball and the face opens up and the head doesnt come round, this results in a strong block or a shank. It is also can be more common for me as I hit the heel side of the sweet spot more than the toe side.

I will spend the first 2/3 of the bucket hitting great shots and doing all my planned practice routines. Then for some reason I shank two or three in a row then the swing comes back. This severely dents my confidence but I can usually fix it.

Is there any way I can build my confidence up? I can only think of taking a mid bucket break to check my swing as it does happen more when I stop taking my time and just beat ball after ball, usually when my confidence is at its highest as I have met or exceeded my expectations in a drill or target practice.

Are others similarly afflicted? Should I now start avoiding range sessions in favour of the course now the summer has arrived and the clocks have changed?

 

[Region3]

I get bored quite easily and can't even go though all of a small bucket playing properly, so when I feel that point has come I'll just play little chips and pitches in different ways to all the near targets and nets to use the rest of the basket up.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I find range sessions after work are hit and miss affairs at times anyway. Had a really stressful week and the two sessions I had weren't great as the tempo was really quick, I wasn't concentrating properly and I felt knackered.

My advice is to probably stop and have a break. The worse thing is to bash ball after ball machine gun like. That isn't practice. Whatever shot I've just hit I always step off the mat after every shot and always go through my set up. Sometimes I can spend a couple of minutes rehearsing the swing or a move (if I'm using a drill) before hitting a ball. It's about quality not quantity. It sounds like you might be getting tired if the first 2/3 of the bucket are going well

 

[ScienceBoy]

It sounds like you might be getting tired if the first 2/3 of the bucket are going well

I agree! Maybe taking some food to eat just before the session will help, usually I have not eaten for about 5 hours when I head to the range. I usually have a small lunch and a decent breakfast so maybe keeping a bit of fruit or a chocolate bar for the hour practice session (usually chips and putts before hitting the range last as the light fades).

I think it is muscle tiredness so I am not keeping my posture through the swing.

Thanks for all the advice guys, I aim to make my range sessions more productive now as the season progresses! Maybe I will ask the pro for his advice next time I have a lesson.

A lesson on how to practice and how to get confident... how interesting! I wonder how often he gets asked to do that?

 

[bayjon14]

I am no expert, and will hit a bucket in the range twice a week.
I normally start with 10 - 15 balls simple little chip shots, 5 balls each with my wedges.

The body is nicely warmed up and acting in a golf motion, I will then hit 10 to 15 balls with a number of irons
Then hit a half dozen, wood and hybrid shots
Hit 14 drives
Then back to a nice simple pitching warm down.
I have seen a huge improvement in my play since working on this routine and my "trunk" is rotating freely.
I went to a new pro a couple of months ago and he emphasised the importance of the 40 yard chip shot.
it is also amazing how natural the no hands chip shot becomes.
This may help, worth a try.

 

[ScienceBoy]

he emphasised the importance of the 40 yard chip shot.
it is also amazing how natural the no hands chip shot becomes.
This may help, worth a try.

Not had lessons on those yet. I have done some good ones but more out of luck than practice!

So far my pro has got me swinging very well, driving well and Bob has got me putting well. The rest of my scoring game is poor to acceptable for my handicap at best.

I go out with the swing of a single figure player, the putting of a low teens and the chipping and pitching of a 20+

At EB recently I managed to shank a pitch on the 1st 9 and still shot 81!

 

[G_Mulligan]

he emphasised the importance of the 40 yard chip shot.
it is also amazing how natural the no hands chip shot becomes.
This may help, worth a try.

Not had lessons on those yet. I have done some good ones but more out of luck than practice!

So far my pro has got me swinging very well, driving well and Bob has got me putting well. The rest of my scoring game is poor to acceptable for my handicap at best.

I go out with the swing of a single figure player, the putting of a low teens and the chipping and pitching of a 20+

At EB recently I managed to shank a pitch on the 1st 9 and still shot 81!

Have you read Dr Bob the golf of your dreams? About the psychology of practice and reaching your potential.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Have you read Dr Bob the golf of your dreams? About the psychology of practice and reaching your potential.

No and I really need to read more books on golf, only read one, Dave Pelz Damage control and I really liked the first half of it and took some of the basics away and have really improved my game from it.

 

[Leftie]

Driving ranges are what they are called. Ranges for driving. Areas where you can practice hitting teed up balls.

Practice grounds are for the real practice i.e. hitting off real grass with your irons and wedges. You can't effectively hone your short game at the driving range.

 

[Iaing]

Driving ranges are what they are called. Ranges for driving. Areas where you can practice hitting teed up balls.

Practice grounds are for the real practice i.e. hitting off real grass with your irons and wedges. You can't effectively hone your short game at the driving range.

Totally agree with this.
Plus hitting lots of irons off mats will screw your joints up through time.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Practice grounds are for the real practice i.e. hitting off real grass with your irons and wedges. You can't effectively hone your short game at the driving range.

I spend the first half of the session wedging in from 30 yards with a van parked off to my right! One shank and I would have been faced with a bill for a broken window!

I guess it was my silly fault for trying to hit wedges off a matt really. I will avoid doing so in future. We have nowhere else to hit full wedges really. There is some grass by the side of the range but its all worn out and on a slope.

When the range is empty it is possible to sneak onto the grass infront of it. I hit some beauties off that before someone turned up and I met mr sherman

 

[Ethan]

Driving ranges are what they are called. Ranges for driving. Areas where you can practice hitting teed up balls.

Practice grounds are for the real practice i.e. hitting off real grass with your irons and wedges. You can't effectively hone your short game at the driving range.

I go to a range at least once a week and almost never hit a teed up ball.

 

[User20205]

At EB recently I managed to shank a pitch on the 1st 9 and still shot 81!

You need to get one of these to go with your 7 wood

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WILSON-GOLF-BRASS-...=item230f2dc88d

sorry I have no constructive advice re shanking, I sometimes hit them on the range, occasionally on the course. I find my weight is too much on my toes. I'll hit a shank and/or fall forward out of the swing.

 

[HRC99]

I think I'd focus on the quality of my practice than the quantity.

Hit half as many balls, just make sure that you do it properly. Full pre-shot routine etc.

Have a session in mind. Say 50 balls, for example:

5 PW
5 8 irons
5 6 irons
5 4 irons
5 3 wood
10 Driver
5 pitches to 100 yards
5 pitches to 75 yards
5 pitches to 50 yards

Something like that. It'll make you focus properly as you won't want to waste a shot.

I know how it is when you've got a big bucket of balls. You can so easily switch on the autopilot and just aimlessly bash away.

Have a plan and a limited number of balls and stick to it.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I tend to hit 5 balls with each club in the bag starting with wedges and working up to the driver. I step off the mat after everyone and go through my set up. As I've said I might even just rehearse the shots a few times before hitting another. Once I've done this I tend to use the other balls to play 9 holes (the tougher back 9) on the range. I hit a drive. A good one and the second on 10 would be a wedge or 9 iron. Hit that well and I give myself two putts and mmove on. Miss what I think would be an area the size of a green and I pick a target to aim at and chip to that. And so on for each hole. It means you are thinking as you would on a course. I agree though that a grass practice ground is preferable to a range mat but recognise that not everyone has access to these.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I followed the advice in a condensed version to help me warm up before my round today.

Ended up carding an 83 so my confidence is high, the plans for Hanbury Manor are coming together too, going to stay over with the in-laws who live 30 mins up the road the night before and after.