When things are going really bad in your game what do you do?

[Grant85]

Ha grant I seen you getting a lesson with Stuart as I teed off (It's Stuart Wright here I played with you a couple of weeks ago)

Stuarts a great coach... but as I said I've had too many lessons in the past year and my head was well and truly scrambled. Since I stopped I have had my 3 best scores of the year.

I had a feeling that was you, when I saw Robster replying.

Very impressed with young Stuart. Will definitely be seeing more of him, but plan to continue to focus on 100 yards and in, and putting at some point as well and will try and live with my swing in it's current form.

 

[Orikoru]

I typically just have a tantrum followed by a few pints.

 

[londonlewis]

This year I’ve had more lessons than any other year. I’ve had about 25 x 30 minute lessons all in and my game has regressed to the point where I can’t score at all.

I’m missing all over the place, hitting wild shots-
Snap hooks, followed by wild slices. Tonight I tried leaving the driver in the boot and the 3 wood wasn’t any better.

Thinking of just taking a break altogether but then not sure how not swinging a club for a few weeks can really help.

I get myself to the range and I find out what I am doing well.
I then work on that until I start to build my confidence up and this helps spill over in other areas.

I'm having to do it at the moment. Played four rounds recently. first round went well (not amazing, but well) and it's been going downhill from there.

At the range, the one thing I am doing well is pitching the ball. so I'm spending time hitting 50-100 yard pitches with 4 different clubs, really focussing on distance control on these shots.
It also means I have a lot of confidence on the course when I end up hitting a terrible iron shot / tee shot etc... that I can actually rescue a score.
This is where I am up to at the moment. But my next step is to use the confidence in pitching to work up to hitting solid full iron shots.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I accept that I might not be as good as I might think I am; I consider what I can't change about myself and my golf; I consider what I can change; and I try and get brave if it requires me to do major stuff.

In the middle of a round going very badly 1) I start by accepting that my round is going badly 2) I work out what I want to do with my next shot 3) I try to banish thoughts and concerns about where my ball might end up if the shot goes wrong 4) If the shot goes wrong I go back to step 1).

 

[stefanovic]

Seem to remember an old ad in Golf Monthly which was the Sears / Sadler magic move and still available on Amazon.
It went something like this: 'Hi there, my name is Alan Sears (later Sadler) and I know how you feel. I had hundreds of lessons, hit thousands of balls. Lucky to shoot 200. I hated golf but who can quit?
Then early one morning I found inspiration. My scores went down to 70. Send only £xx for the magic move. Less than the price of a lesson.'

All I can say is if that ever worked, and I don't know what it was (possibly change of clubface direction) then someone in golf must be richer than Mr Microsoft.

 

[patricks148]

Ive seen quite a few posts from you over the last few years and i think you overthink everything and try way to hard, not to mention a fair bit of tinkering with gear etc. the amount of lessons is way too many once a month is as much as anyone should do TBH.

Relax, go out and play and enjoy a few games without worrying about anything except pure enjoyment of the game... thats why we do it after all

 

[turkish]

Ive seen quite a few posts from you over the last few years and i think you overthink everything and try way to hard, not to mention a fair bit of tinkering with gear etc. the amount of lessons is way too many once a month is as much as anyone should do TBH.

Relax, go out and play and enjoy a few games without worrying about anything except pure enjoyment of the game... thats why we do it after all

You're absolutely right and spot on about everything. I've actually got rid of some gear and now only got 13 clubs and no plans of changing anything at all for a while.

I've stopped the lessons altogether... that's not to say they haven't helped- I think they have; I think I probably have better fundamentals than I used to but stripping back and keeping it simple seems to have helped. I feel if I get setup right- especially ball position and grip then I can just concentrate on target and trust the swing a bit more.

The fact I've now hit a single figure score though means I'll be looking to beat it so on we go again :-D

 

[OOB]

I don't play well enough for it to go that badly wrong but if it's all gone wrong I simplify.

Putts- don't think, walk up to it and hit it, with as little thought as if I'm throwing a screwed up piece of paper into the (recycling) bin
Drives- bin the driver, and trust the loft and distance attainable with my 5 wood, better 30-50 yards less and straight.
irons- tell myself I'm only trying to hit my 7 iron 50% of it's normal distance, no pressure. (I lose 20 yards off my best, but it's far more consistent) (LET THE CLUB DO THE WORK!!)
chipping- bin the wedges, 7 iron bump and run only

 

[Dan2501]

Normally I'll mentally give up and start messing around trying stupider and stupider shots. Always ends well.

 

[Captainron]

I go and see Phil Archer and within about 5 swings i'm hitting it well again.

I think it's them Cobra Irons that make you play well

 

[HomerJSimpson]

My games gone at the moment very frustrating.
Hit it well on the practice ground but just can’t take it to the course.
This happens now and again but has lasted a lot longer this time and I have run out of excuses.
Really don’t know what to do but just wait and let it sort itself out.

A problem I know well. Got fed up of hitting it well in practice, going out with high hopes and playing crap. I was lucky enough to be invited to get involved with James Lambdon (on twitter at @The_Golf_Psych) and done some stuff to improve my thinking. Won't help of course if you put a bad swing on the shot but I am finding myself more calmer and staying more patient n the course when it doesn't go to plan. Finding I am managing to limit the damage better than I did

 

[stefanovic]

I think one thing you don't do is start throwing money at it. Don't blame your clubs unless they are not the right weight or lie. Only a bad workman blames his tools.
Your muscles shrink with age. Your bones become more brittle. It's a young man's game.
Don't rely on books, videos or personal instruction. If someone ever advises me how it should be done, then I tell them to prove it. Shoot par or better, then I'll listen.
Worst books have to be the Swing Factory / the Golf Delusion. If Leslie King could have done it himself then he would have been a champion. Nicklaus commented saying 'show me how its done'.
Same goes for Leadbetter. If you're only average but have teaching skills, then teach it.

 

[bobmac]

Never admit it's just one of those days.
Analyse ever bad shot you hit and decide whether it was bad direction or bad contact.
If it was bad direction, check your grip and alignment.
If it was bad contact, keep your head still.
If it is both, it's probably just one of those days.

 

[turkish]

Think it was just a blip- shot 81 today for nett 66 should be down to 14 now.

I definitely think binning the lessons after so many is the right thing... I’m not saying I won’t go back to them as I will hit a plateau at some point but I think right now I can bring my scores down more just with a bit better concentration and course management

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Never admit it's just one of those days.
Analyse ever bad shot you hit and decide whether it was bad direction or bad contact.
If it was bad direction, check your grip and alignment.
If it was bad contact, keep your head still.
If it is both, it's probably just one of those days.

Some wise words. I am making notes of whether I followed my routine and had positive/negative thoughts over the shot. I'm finding some clear patterns about execution. Sometimes of course it's simply a bad swing and even if you go through the routine and check alingment etc it makes no difference when you pull the trigger