When it all goes wrong......... What do you do.

pokerjoke

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I feel your pain mate I really hope you don't quit and come out a better player.

I must admit I do get a bit wound up by people that say its only a game and enjoy it.

Phil at Liphook you didn't enjoy it because you were blaming the guy we were playing with all the way through and your game was far from your best if that's believing its only a game well your way off.
You were definitely not smiling that day so your comment baffles me.

Patrick even though I have never played with you I remember you playing at Woodhall Spa and I remember you moaning about the course a lot,is this how you enjoy your golf?.

To some its not only a game wether that's right or wrong I don't know sometimes people care and it does become less enjoyable.
 

tsped83

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Leave the drills, leave the lessons
Stop trying to think about what you're doing and just do it
Hum a tune to yourself, anything to stop thinking.
The fact that you played well before means you can again
Lower expectations, hum a tune and just swing the club.
Your mind is tricking you into thinking you're a Pro and should be burning up the course.
Just swing.....

Amen.

Forget all this 'PSR' rubbish and drill to do this and that. Just go out and play the game with no expectations. And chill out a bit.
 
D

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And the next day after Liphook I teed it up and carried on

It was one game - if it doesn't go well the next game is only a day away

I was annoyed because someone with zero etiquette was spoiliing my enjoyment of a lovely course

But the next day is a different game and a different course

Because it is "only a game" - nothing else is ridding on it , job , life , living - not riding on an amateurs round of golf.
 

Oddsocks

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Cheers poker, I'm stubborn enough to want to power through otherwise this post would have been here nine months ago, Just in a dark place golf wise and when you work 60-70 hours a week to have your main switch off being more stress makes you question your commitment if that makes more sense.


Patrick.......Phil........... Oh dear!
 

General Fade

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Looking at your handicap going from 12 to 8 to 9 I would suggest previous replies are about right.

Chill out. All the drills and your own expectations are probably causing the issue.

Hit the ball as you did at 11.7. you'll soon be doing 9 again.

What do you think your limits or lowest expectations of handicap are?
 
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Cheers poker, I'm stubborn enough to want to power through otherwise this post would have been here nine months ago, Just in a dark place golf wise and when you work 60-70 hours a week to have your main switch off being more stress makes you question your commitment if that makes more sense.


Patrick.......Phil........... Oh dear!

Oh dear ?
 

Oddsocks

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Looking at your handicap going from 12 to 8 to 9 I would suggest previous replies are about right.

Chill out. All the drills and your own expectations are probably causing the issue.

Hit the ball as you did at 11.7. you'll soon be doing 9 again.

What do you think your limits or lowest expectations of handicap are?


If I could find the place I was in last summer, 5/6?, I would have got lower than the 8.4 if my putting was as strong as it is now. I won't our club champs handicap decision with a new -8/9 over 2 days with our course playing its toughest.

One of my close playing partners is off6 and we used to have some good scratch match play games so an on form me from last year was easily capable of 5/6
 
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Just saying at one time or another we are all guilty of the same crime :D

It was a course I was looking forward to - I don't mind playing badly, it happens to everyone but I just don't like people who just have zero ettiquete or even basic common sense on a golf course but once the round is finished its forgotten and onto the next round because you can't change what has happened.
 

LCW

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I've been in a similar place myself albeit not as suicidal sounding over my golf ;-) its frustrating trying to be the best you can be when you have had good results previously. As others have said it is just a game but it can take time to just come to that conclusion yourself whether it be time off etc.

2014 I was determined to fix my over drawing golf shot (note my way of not saying a hook :) ) that turned into heavy strikes then the J arthurs, so on so on. I was fixated on sorted it out with lessons, YouTube videos it became a game of positional play spending hours on the range trying to hit "text book" position a, position b it just spiraled out of control for me. I even walked off a championship course, paying £150 green fee after 12 holes as i felt an embarrassment to the game and my PP hacking it round such a good course.

You how I changed it all? I did what others suggested I just stopped thinking about it in such a regimented way. Now sounds simple but this is what happened to me. I had 200 balls on the range and I got out early determined to make the most of my day, lovely sun etc. A group of juniors in a summer golf camp was taking place next to me and was honestly annoying with the constant bickering and shouting between them (I usually love seeing the juniors play). Luckily I had my iPod and headphones so i popped them on with a classic 80's playlist from spotify. Before i knew it I was singing along in my own little world to ToTo's - Africa and i realized i was striping my 4 iron time after time not a thought in my head, my game was coming back naturally. Moving through the bag it got easy for me now i never practice without my ipod. All thoughts go and my semi good golf swing from hundreds of quids worth of lessons and 1000's of hours just comes out all by itself. On the course i just hum the tunes if i feel I am waining and i am enjoying my golf more than i have since I was 14.

TLDR; listen to ipod on range forget about swing thoughts and smash it !
 
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HomerJSimpson

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Get out. Hit it. Find it (hopefully) and bash it again. It's kind of the basis of my golf upon which I've still got this desire to play to single figures. For me, so many good rounds in 2014 and 2015 have been blighted by one or two car crash holes from nowhere. Never the same hole, never the same club. It's taken victory away, missed buffers and has caused huge frustration. I've had rounds where I can't string two shots together and never enjoyed it during the round. Have a laugh about it in the bar later, take the 0.1 and try again the next week. I think the OP just needs one good round, or even one good solid nine holes to get it together
 

PhilTheFragger

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Baz, I'd listen to One Planer AKA Gareth, coz he was almost suicidal (again) a couple of weeks ago.

Fortunately a quick call to the Golf Samaritans and he is all happy again
 

Wabinez

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Been there..last year. Came very close to quitting entirely. A break and finding something else to do was the key. Started drip feeding myself back in, and now have the buzz back.
 
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I have a lovely bike on ebay right now, why not put in a bid and take up cycling instead? ;)
 

Tommo21

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I play my best golf when I pick a line, stand up at the ball and hit it................no swing thought, just hit it. When I play really good I might take a little more time but my best scores and I've had a few this year have come as a complete surprise because I just hit it. I honestly don't know how I do it at times and for many years I was floating around 8 and 9 HC.

My outlook, I know lots of people who would love to be playing crap. When I play rubbish, it annoys me, gets me down at times, but I just go back out and stand up and hit it...............no analysing or swing thoughts and while my mates in hospital with a life threatening disease it maters not one jot how I play.
 

USER1999

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Baz, we had better not play together again, people will be taking our belts and shoe laces away. I could have written your starting post.

I'm gradually getting back into it, but the hardest thing seems to be taking the practice swing, which is fine, into the real swing. There seems some transition, where the practice swing feels fine, on plane, full turn, to the real swing, where it just feels wrong from the off.

Not helping, I know, but when I fing an answer, I'll let you know!
 

Oddsocks

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Has your swing become "armsy" Barry, rather than a good shoulder turn???

Exactly that rob, but it's only armsy due to no turn. I think the turn is there but the habit of armsy kicks in at the top and it all goes bandy.

Murph, it's not nice to hear someone is in the same place and likewise if I find any eureka moments I'll send you a pm.

Bob, not that long. Stand behind the shot looking/picking a line of aim. Two/three dummy shoulder turns with a club across my shoulders as s check point. Walk up address it slap it!
 
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