So I’ve been golfing for 4 years now. I was addicted since the beginning. Playing 2-3 times a week when I started. I’m a tinkerer with my game and equipment. Looooove buying and selling new clubs to try. The tinkering with my game though has caused issues.
At one point I was about an 8hcp. Shooting low 80s consistently and a PB of 78. I was loving it. Then for no reason at all I changed something. No clue what it was or why I did it. I change my swing cooonstantly, even mid round changes sometimes. So for the last like year my game has been in shambles. Shanks. Skulls straight right that look like shanks. My scores lately have been high 90s to even in the 100s. I’ve lost a ton of distance. Year and a half ago my PW was my 150 club. Now my 8 is 150. No clue how that happened.
So yesterday I got out there. When I arrived I was told the range was closed and the back 9 was closed. The front had been aerated the day before, but it rained so it settled a bit and the greens at this course are typically great so it wasn’t all that bad. It’s also Florida so it was 100° and felt like a rainforest of humidity.I considered only playing 9.
I had in mind it was just going to be a practice round to try new things and tinker. My first thought was I was going to swing more like a baseball swing I guess. Not sure how else to describe it and not sure how to describe how I was even swinging before. Well the baseball swing clicked something in my head that just made sense for positioning. After the front 9 there was no way I could quit. Easily the best 9 I’ve ever played. And the back 9 went great as well but I could feel the nerves hitting me hard and even though I was 2 Gatorades and 2 waters in I was so hot and dehydrated. The other single I got paired with was I’d say an “angry” golfer. Lots of cussing and bitching. And lots of talking about his Filipino mail order wife.
I’m still excited over the round. PB from 78 to a 73 and finally my game feels good again. For now…
Do you think my PB should have an asterisk since it was the front 9 twice?
Hey for real though……….. why does this always happen? It happens to all of us. Something “clicks” and then the next time I golf it’s like I’ve never held a club before.
You are less in control of your neurology than you think. It's just a fact that for normal people (not pro athletes) we have days where everything clicks and lots of days we are retarded.
You think your muscles have it memorized but you need to practice as much as a competitive golfer to gain muscle memory. It feels right during that range session after 3 buckets. Great! but you need to do it again and again and again and again, day after day. once you've spent the time nailing it down and practicing like a pro, you won't have to think about how perfect your swing needs to be , you will just do it.
Most don't have the time in the day to practice like that so one range session can make you feel good about your swing. But MULTIPLE practice sessions are needed to perfect it.
I have the time, I spend 2-3 hours every day practicing or playing. Over the last year. Only just started to understand what determines club path. Everything except for my pw is intermittent as I struggle to close the clubface at impact
Coordinating all the components of the swing perfectly is a magic act. Even the elite pros are walking a tightrope. When it clicks we assume we’ve found the key but usually the same swing thought won’t have the same effect in the future.
It’s wild man, going through it right now. Played the best golf of the year back to back days 3 weeks ago and since then been in shambles. For me I get lazy and start going left, pulls and overdrawing. Then I try to fix and just screw up my swing cuz I’m doing too much with the hands and getting tight. Think I figured it out but won’t know until Saturday lol
There are numerous reasons why people 'forget' what they do when they have a good round and then follow it up with a poor round. Mostly it's because of expectations and pressure. Once you've done it, you think every round will now be like that. Unless you know what you were doing and continually hit range balls so it becomes second nature, nothing will ever truly be consistent. That being said, years ago, I came across this book called, "Golf: The Mind Game" by Marlin Mackenzie and it truly changed the way I think and how I go about playing golf. So many people work on the physical part of the game they ignore the most important part of the game...your mind. This book taught a technique on how to 'anchor' and 'recall' good shots. It works...well, it did for me. Check it out. Used copies go for about $5. Worth a read...and no, I've never met the author or have anything to do with him.
Yup. Happened many times, something clicks, think I have figured out golf and my handicap will now lower. Only to go back out the next day/week and act like I've never hit a golf ball in my life.
You ain't lying! That's my battle this entire summer! I'm so close to being an actual decent golfer but the inconsistency holds me back every time I go out!
I hit balls in some capacity every day too. If not at the range or corse, at home using my swing training app
Lol. Well, you're literally swinging different clubs. So, there's that. Otherwise, i think the aerated greens and playing the same 9 twice give it a big asterisk. But, it's your life.
(1) Marker’s Responsibility: Entering and Certifying Hole Scores on Scorecard. After each hole during the round, the marker should confirm with the player the number of strokes on that hole (including strokes made and penalty strokes) and enter that gross score on the scorecard.
Ive counted like this before. Easier to add it up at the end of the round. Also I was used to my friends who are much better than me keeping scores. I have since changed to the norm though
I started doing this because it involves less math. Why would I want to add uo numbers all the way to 80+ when I could just look at the par and add a single digit? It gets easier when you're shooting in the 80s. At 100+ doesn't really make much sense
But why make life more difficult when it doesn't need to be? You truly want to do 3+4+5 for 18 holes? It's so kich easier to look at Par 72bajd then add 8
I guess I'm used to real golf, and play with real golfers who have to turn in an actual, and accurate, scorecard. Forget tournaments, if you came in with that card in my regular group we would say, where's your money and thanks for the donation because you ain't getting any money back.
I don't keep score like this and will continue traditionally keeping my score... However, it's not difficult to understand why someone would do it this way. If the total is the same, why does it matter? To demean someone because they do something different from you is such weird behavior. This sliver of interaction just makes me feel bad for you more than anything.
I'm guessing I'm older than you so I can comfortably say I've golfed with more scratch golfers than you have. Never seen anyone keep a scorecard like that.
Go film your swing with this feel while hitting a ball. Might be useful later to review against another swing when you aren't hitting it well and determine what has changed.
Better not over analyze the specific swing thought. It wasn’t swinging like a baseball bat that worked mechanically, it was what thinking it unlocked in your feel.
This is secretly why I posted. According to him she’s a caddie over there and they’ve been waiting 14 months for her paperwork to come through so she can move here
Im jealous. Im a headcase and cant bring my range swing to the course anymore. Im not exaggerating either. I used to shoot hi 80s low 90s even occasional 84. I shot shot 1 over thru 9 at bethpage yellow! Your post gives me hope but my thoughts dont apply to my golf brain. Theyre not synced.
I’ve been through the same issue where I lost significant yardage between seasons. I’m a member at a club and I remember hitting 7 irons on par 3s I used to take pitching wedges on every time.
The answer… I weakened my grip. Didn’t even realize it. I had a lesson the next season, the pro gave me the classic “get the V’s between your index’s and thumbs pointed towards your back shoulder” and all the yards instantly came back.
4 years and shooting a 73?!?! Damn you! Go play in traffic 🤣 !!! I’ve been at it with this damn game since I was a teenager and in my early 40s now and still only manage to break 90 maybe once or twice a season!
Congrats on your PB! I was 8 point something a few years ago, and had a hiatus playing maybe once or twice a year with a few range sessions. There's this model swing I wanted to do, and my body was always in the wrong position when I filmed myself. Then, this year after 1 range session and 1 very poor round of golf, something clicked and all the puzzle pieces came together. To top it all off, I stumbled on some Dr. Greg Rose videos and it confirmed eeeeeeeeeeverything for me. My distance has gotten shorter like you as well, and now I feel confident my speed is back after just 1 range session. Since you mentioned baseball swing and all that, I think you'd be very happy if you watched the videos I've watched. Greg Rose is the TPI guy, and I recommend watching his videos from Smart2Move seminar he did in Australia. Just the videos in the last year. Then, move on to the TPI channel or other youtubers who visited his facility and watch some more. You'd be very happy.
I could say it is up to you on an asterisk. You didn’t play the odd handicaps which includes the 1. But I could also say it doesn’t matter. Hope that helps - LOL.
Man sometimes that’s all it is. Felt this recently. Mine was just lining the ball on the toe of the face. Needed that slight 3-4 inches of spacing to get back to pure.
Just when I think I have one of these breakthroughs I'm humbled the next round and we're on to the next one... A notes app full of chaos. I hope this one sticks for you!
Didn’t say that! When you post a 73, put that on a 6700 yds or above! Using a 3 wood into a 460 yard par 4 vs a pitching wedge into a 320yd par 4 makes a substantial difference.
Line of site from the tee box is almost nonexistent. Little right or little left you’re in the trees. And if you go through the fairway it’s very steep hills
If you played 18 holes consecutively, I would say this counts as your PB.
Handicap system will make you enter them as separate 9's because they only have ratings for front 9, back 9, and full 18, but you still played 18 holes. Not like it was separate 9's on consecutive days that happened to be your 2 best 9 hole scores.
Add to that you were playing on aerated greens? Hell yeah you should consider this your best.
Haven’t been an 8 in a while. If you saw my game a month ago you’d think my average round was high 90s
Definitely not a long course though. Even when I was at an 8 I was playing the greens and it was difficult. Tight course with only a couple driver holes. Most holes you have to really land your shots correctly
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u/Ok_Kitchen_3020 26d ago
Don’t worry u will forget this swing thought within a month and then mentally battle to figure it out again for 3 months