Worst Slump

[Society_Fan]

I used to play off 7.7 in 2008, was a member of a club etc... then packed in the membership and reduced yearly rounds from around 80 - 100 to around 10 - 20.

I expected that my level would drop, but I have not broken 90 since 2008 and my last 3 round have been 106, 104, 105.

Has anyone else reduced their volume of golf in the same manner or what reduction in quality would you expect?

In short should I just accept that I am now quite rubbish with the odd flash of days gone by, or is there a serious problem which should be fixed (lessons etc...)

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Personally I'd get a few lessons and see if it is a simple swing flaw. Chances are it'll be fixed pretty easily and with some work on the drills you'll get then I reckon you'll soon get back into it. Clearly the less you play theless consistancy you'll have and putting and the short game will suffer. I find the better I play the more I want to play (quelle surprise) and maybe if you can have a few good rounds the appetite will be whetted

 

[Society_Fan]

Clearly the less you play the less consistancy you'll have and putting and the short game will suffer. I find the better I play the more I want to play (quelle surprise) and maybe if you can have a few good rounds the appetite will be whetted

Oddly the short game is okay.
Putting poor 37 to 40 a round
Must be losing 5 balls a round and having to hit 3 off the tee. Left and right

 

[jammydodger]

If you arent playing that often why look to have lessons ? You arent going to have the time to practice the fixes so just accept you're not as good as you were. If you dont like being pooh anymore then join a club and play more or give up altogether.

Or just enjoy being outside whacking a stupid white ball about until you get it in the hole in however many shots it takes.

 

[bayjon14]

no expert but a work colleague of mine suffers the same as you.
Take a club less and dont put yourself in trouble and I have no doubt you will be back playing to 10 and then you will hit the groove again.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I play at a long open course of 6400 yards, played a 5400 yard course and lost 5 balls because I drove too far! Usually caught out by a dogleg or a ditch crossing the fairway I did not see. Is this sometimes the case with you?

I also overshot greens and lost balls because I did not know or could not see that it was safer to bounce it on or go short than go OB at the back through a hedge.

I still shot about 87 from what I remember but that was because between that I was making only bogyes at worst and could drive about 3-4 par 4s, had a sandie birdie after driving one of the greenside bunkers on a par 4.

Worst thing was they were mostly new FG tours

 

[Society_Fan]

I play at a long open course of 6400 yards, played a 5400 yard course and lost 5 balls because I drove too far! Usually caught out by a dogleg or a ditch crossing the fairway I did not see. Is this sometimes the case with you?

No, short courses or long courses I seem to struggle. The only ones that I can get round in a half decent score are wide open, flat courses, but they can be a little dull.

 

[Twire]

I'm finding it hard to comprehend that you played off 8 three years ago, but now struggle to break 100.

Was your handicap from a pitch and putt course?

 

[SG86]

One of my old regular playing partners was around the 4.7 mark the last time we played, I took a 5 year Hiatus to have the kids and the wife etc and got back into the game, since then his handicap went from 4.7-22. It's gotten so bad he is playing his iron the ginger devils way round (leftie)!

I however left the game as a 14 and have come back as 16.

Its amazing how much a swing can change when you have to very little to change it!

SG86

 

[cheezburga]

One of my old regular playing partners was around the 4.7 mark the last time we played, I took a 5 year Hiatus to have the kids and the wife etc and got back into the game, since then his handicap went from 4.7-22. It's gotten so bad he is playing his iron the ginger devils way round (leftie)!

I however left the game as a 14 and have come back as 16.

Its amazing how much a swing can change when you have to very little to change it!

SG86

4.7 to 22 is about 170 increases of 0.1 in qualifying rounds over five years - say about 30 a year (provided there weren't any occasional decent rounds in there) That takes some doing. I've been playing like sh*t for the past year and still haven't gone up overall - because of just two decent rounds.

 

[Society_Fan]

I'm finding it hard to comprehend that you played off 8 three years ago, but now struggle to break 100.

Was your handicap from a pitch and putt course?

H'Cap was from a good club (Romiley in Stockport) so no false lowness (is that a word?)

Thank for the advice. I think I will go for a few lessons in March / April next year and see where it takes me.

 

[Imurg]

I played to 8 before I shattered my ankle and didn't play for a year. For the next 2 years I didn't play much but when I did restart properly I'd dropped to about 12-14 handicap. After a year's regular golf I was almost in single figures again.

There must be something more to this, some swing flaw or other. Once you've played to single figures you're always capable of doing it again - ok not necessarily regularly but the skills are still there.

 

[RGDave]

Has anyone else reduced their volume of golf in the same manner or what reduction in quality would you expect?

Yes. I played off 8-9 for a while then dropped my annual amount of games to about one a month. Within a year I couldn't break 85, so I quit. I'm fairly sure this would have gone up to 90 and possibly more.

Your long game must be in a bad way if you're up over 100. I feel for you.

My advice would be to go for a lesson to check your basics and try really hard (make a commitment to yourself) to go to the range twice shortly before each next game. You'll enjoy it more.

I returned after many years of no golf at all. I was invited to play at the course that is now my home club. I practised 3 times before playing (it felt awful) and got it round just under 90.....

Good luck.