Why do swing meltdowns happen?!

[AmandaJR]

Probably played my best golf so far this season and the handicap cuts would confirm that but from hero to zero as currently in the midst of some of my worst golf ever! Started with the occasional hook which I seemed to tame - often at that point I do play my best golf. They came back though and a week of holiday golf saw me play my last round today with a pink dunlop and a yellow commando I found - losing them doesn't add to the pain!!

Pretty much can't land a club on the ball - aborting lots of swings at the top as can feel something is wrong and if I swing down from there it won't be pretty.

I've hit so many balls my hands are blistered and sore (never mind my aching back) BUT despite hitting some form on the practice ground I step on the course and it's same old same old - actually progressively worse. Some glimmers of hope but all short-lived and a return to total and utter garbage...

I'll see my pro asap but wondering why and how this happens from time to time? Probably my worst yet as the contrast to how I was playing 2 weeks ago is shocking but is it always when in great form? Do we walk a tightrope between getting things just right and getting things very wrong/going to far with whatever it is that works??

Soaking in the bath tonight and easing some aches and pains just got me thinking. When I ran competitively I knew when in my best shape I was on the cusp of getting injured and kind of starting over - maybe in some ways golf is the same?

This is my 6th year of playing and I yearn for the time when my swing is more robust and such things don't happen...if that ever comes?!

 

[sev112]

Statistically it's because your basics are slipping somewhere - grip, stance, posture
You get one of them slightly out of normal position, and gradually before you know it you are having to make sub-conscious swing manipulation s on the way down.

It's why the pros always say keep checking the basics

 

[AmandaJR]

Yep - think I've focussed on and fiddled with all of them and some "eureka" moments which are then dashed! Perhaps fiddled too much and don't know what way is the right way anymore - certainly doesn't feel much like my golf swing!

 

[Lump]

purple patches are just that. Patchy. i'm at the same place now, gone from good form to poor. It doesn't take a lot to quickly loose confidence in your swing and then you start to tinker. It's why I always say you should never fight your natural shape.

Stick at it. You'll eventually find form again.
I've personally dropped from playing 4 times a week to just 1 to try and capture the love for the game back.

 

[bobmac]

Keep your head still and back off the power a touch.

 

[AmandaJR]

purple patches are just that. Patchy. i'm at the same place now, gone from good form to poor. It doesn't take a lot to quickly loose confidence in your swing and then you start to tinker. It's why I always say you should never fight your natural shape.

Stick at it. You'll eventually find form again.
I've personally dropped from playing 4 times a week to just 1 to try and capture the love for the game back.

Thanks - makes me feel better and know it will come back but right now feel miles from even stepping on a golf course again!

Keep your head still and back off the power a touch.

Ok Bob will try those more simple thoughts as head is currently all over the place. Got some swings on camera - good ones or at least good shots though! Will upload when we get home to see if you can spot anything.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Form comes and goes otherwise player would win or be top three week in week out. My guess is your perhaps a tad over golfed and maybe getting a little lazy of the basics. I always find a quick 30 minute refresher with the teaching pro I go to just tweaks what I have and usually nothing too serious. Get alignment, ball position etc back in kilter and crack on again

 

[AmandaJR]

Form comes and goes otherwise player would win or be top three week in week out. My guess is your perhaps a tad over golfed and maybe getting a little lazy of the basics. I always find a quick 30 minute refresher with the teaching pro I go to just tweaks what I have and usually nothing too serious. Get alignment, ball position etc back in kilter and crack on again

Agreed. Worked so hard to straighten things out I've made them even wonkier. Few days off the course and no golf at all tomorrow as trek home from Cornwall. Might hit the range on Sunday as need a facility to work on all my clubs and not just groove one (practice hole here only gap wedge distance). No plans for the course before seeing my pro.

Edit - the scary thing is right now I can't even hack it round a course...at our place I'd be 4 off every tee and quickly walking in!

 

[London mike 61]

I feel for you Amanda, a few weeks ago I was hooking my driver but my irons were solid but this week the drives are straight or just a draw and the irons are rubbish.

Bloody game ! One day it will come together

 

[CMAC]

John Jacobs (legend) calls it total swing disintegration.

His remedy, back to basics, and small swings with mid iron building up to woods when confident.


Luke Donald is always checking the funamentals (he always misses out the 'd' when speaking about it)

 

[bladeplayer]

Keep your head still and back off the power a touch.

I was gona say this .. from experience

Took me 5 weeks to discover this, hopefully on way to recovery, finally made buffer after 9 x 0.1's in a row

Captains qualifier tomorrow so hopefully swing will stand up to it .. time will tell

 

[standrew]

Ive been a music teacher for years, and performance problems after years of playing are common and really interesting to me.

If you have played for 6 years, your 'muscle memory' should be strong. After checking technical stuff, you may want to try relaxing as much as you can. Ive noticed when Bubba Watson slows/calms himself down in general he performs much better, and when he is anxious he is awful.

If you research Alpha brainwaves this is what people refer to as 'the zone' and is where the best performance level occurs.

 

[Doh]

I agree about going back to basics when things go wrong, one thing that has always worked for me is to make sure I watch the club hit the ball don't think about anything else but that. The other thing is to practice when you are playing well don't leave it until you have an issue. The more you learn about your swing the less eureka moments you will have. There is one thing you can relay on your swing will come back.

 

[AmandaJR]

Thanks guys - all making me feel heaps better...:thup:

 

[FairwayDodger]

Similar happened to me this year Amanda. Everything clicked in April and handicap tumbled, shot a sub par round etc, but I lost it towards the end of May. Not sure how but probably tinkering for a bit more distance...

Confidence collapsed and I started playing consciously, trying to swing like I thought I'd been swinging. A week an a half away from it helped me in the end, followed by a pleasant solo round where I just played.

Still not back to where I was but it's playable now, managed a wee cut again midweek (after a run of 6 0.1s) and feel things are going in the right direction. Bizarrely, biggest issue at the moment seems to be hitting greens with full wedge shots.... Usually a strength!

Will be trying bobs suggestion!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Similarly to Amanda, after weeks of steady golf and progress the medal last week and the comp yesterday were not good rounds for ball striking. Opted not to play this morning, and it was raining so I can go to the practice and do exactly what has been recommended and back to basics. Hit one shot yesterday, losing a ball looking as though I was aiming way right and lo, guess where the ball went, deep into ferns and bracken. What an idiot.

How many though actually do this regularly. I don't as often as I should and try and be good in practice with alignment sticks, but who looks at their posture, or even their grip too often? Its an interesting point being raised here

 

[sev112]

Ive been a music teacher for years, and performance problems after years of playing are common and really interesting to me.

If you have played for 6 years, your 'muscle memory' should be strong. After checking technical stuff, you may want to try relaxing as much as you can. Ive noticed when Bubba Watson slows/calms himself down in general he performs much better, and when he is anxious he is awful.

If you research Alpha brainwaves this is what people refer to as 'the zone' and is where the best performance level occurs.

This is similar to neural networks, which is the electrochemical pathways that neural signals go to and from the brain to carry out any physical task.
They work 20ish times faster sub-consciously than when you consciously think about a movement.
And in golf, like cricket and other quick action sports, thinking consciously is too slow.

So, stop worrying about it also, because that kickin your conscious swing thoughts. Completely clear your brain before your shot, and work on "memory", alongside the sound setup basics. If you have to think about something, think only of a precise target and think totally about that..

 

[Imurg]

Bearing in mind what you do from setting up behind the ball to finishing your swing, it's a miracle we hit the ballmat all.
Your timing only needs to be a touch out, your turn not quite enough, you swing plane a touch off, you feet a bit too far apart, your bum not sticking out far enough etc etc etc and you've hit a bad shot - just look at Fowler today....-6 after 12 and +2 for the rest...

This is a game of fractions.

 

[sev112]

I think there is a surprising amount of margin of error when swinging a club towards a ball, given the wide variety of attempts we amateurs throw at a golf ball.

 

[CMAC]

I'd reckon theres a lot more to it than keeping your head still and backing off a bit