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I Almost Quit Golf Today?!!

Philo1

Philo1

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And I'm not much of a quitter. But I couldn't even hit the ball. This has happened to me twice now in three weeks time. I've been on vacation for three weeks and today was my last day. I have played golf almost every single day I've been off - unless it was raining. During that time I experienced a weird thing where I couldn't strike the ball - twice. First time it happened it lasted 8 holes. Today it lasted 17.

Yesterday, I played great. Today, I was completely embarrassed. I was literally hitting the ball everywhere but straight. On Tuesday, two different people complimented me on my golf game and said I hit like a pro. Today, I looked like I've never played the game before. Except for the short game - that was on. I could putt, chip, and make approach shots - everything else - out the window.

A few months ago, a golf partner of mine said that there was a phenomenon in golf known as the "yips" and it's a bad deal. He informed me that golfers are really superstitious about it and you're not supposed to even say that word on the golf course. He said it's a thing that occasionally happens where it seems like one forgets how to swing the club. Well, I don't consider myself very superstitious, but what happened to me today could certainly be called the yips. It was miserable.

Any suggestions or advice? I would call a pro for a lesson tomorrow, but it's going to rain all weekend and I have to go back to work on Monday.
 
The yips are the most frustrating thing that can happen to any golfer and it can effect any part of your game. A lot of times the only thing that can fix it is time.

If it happens mid round to a certain part of my game I'll try to force my natural go to shot shape and exaggerate it. Mine is a fade, so I try to hit a big slice just so I have an idea of which way it will go. It is infuriating, we've all been there. Don't give up.
 
Philo1 said:
And I'm not much of a quitter. But I couldn't even hit the ball. This has happened to me twice now in three weeks time. I've been on vacation for three weeks and today was my last day. I have played golf almost every single day I've been off - unless it was raining. During that time I experienced a weird thing where I couldn't strike the ball - twice. First time it happened it lasted 8 holes. Today it lasted 17.

Yesterday, I played great. Today, I was completely embarrassed. I was literally hitting the ball everywhere but straight. On Tuesday, two different people complimented me on my golf game and said I hit like a pro. Today, I looked like I've never played the game before. Except for the short game - that was on. I could putt, chip, and make approach shots - everything else - out the window.

A few months ago, a golf partner of mine said that there was a phenomenon in golf known as the "yips" and it's a bad deal. He informed me that golfers are really superstitious about it and you're not supposed to even say that word on the golf course. He said it's a thing that occasionally happens where it seems like one forgets how to swing the club. Well, I don't consider myself very superstitious, but what happened to me today could certainly be called the yips. It was miserable.

Any suggestions or advice? I would call a pro for a lesson tomorrow, but it's going to rain all weekend and I have to go back to work on Monday.
Click to expand...

Hang in there! I write down my swing thoughts when I'm playing well in my phone using the notes app. When I go south like you described I read them usually find something silly I forgot, or reading what was wirking gets me back on track. Good luck brother! Don't give up.
 
Sounds like my entire 2016. It's a mind thing, not a physical thing. Still searching for an answer, quitting is not an option.
Good luck in your quest for an answer, stay with it, I'm sure it's out there.
 
I don't even worry about it anymore. All the years I have been golfing I have had rounds and shots that are incomprehensible. More so shots that defy physics and any other scientific norms.

You don't need to call a pro. You need a few days off. I had a couple rounds like you this past year where everything was off except short game and putting. It gets down right scary standing on the tee or hitting your second shot because you have no idea where the ball is going to end up.
 
Thanks guys. That does help. It did occur to me that I should take a few days off. I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only guy this has happened to. And it's a pretty good time to take a few days off with all the rain in the forecast out here....and WILDCARD WEEKEND. So, that helps a bit.
 
count me in the camp that wants to see you take a little time off. clear your head. keep watching golf on tv, keep thp'ing but don't swing a club or watch any youtube videos. you'll come back better than ever.


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Ok, so I just talked to my buddy who's a really good golfer and he told me it's called the shanks in his world. He also said that he recently had them and just got over them himself. This is a guy who just shot two under par the other day. He suggests working through them slowly by using quarter swings and so forth. He thinks it's just a mental thing and it will blow over.
 
Forget about it. Take a few days off and don't sweat it. Golf is a four letter word and it will always be a difficult game, just don't let it get to you.
 
First thing: Do NOT quit. Second thing: I think most golfers have gone through something similar after playing consecutive days. Take a couple days off, and when you get back out there you'll be fine. All part of the game!
 
In my mind, the yips attack your short game. I've never experienced then, but I know several golfers who've had them. Good luck, stay positive.
 
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Hey...every now and then the old melon overheats and the only solution is to unplug everything...let it cool down...and re-boot. As a wise man once said: left hand, right hand, don't mean s***. Keep taking your alcohol and don't despair...the only thing worse than playing poorly is not playing at all.
 
Philo1 said:
And I'm not much of a quitter. But I couldn't even hit the ball. This has happened to me twice now in three weeks time. I've been on vacation for three weeks and today was my last day. I have played golf almost every single day I've been off - unless it was raining. During that time I experienced a weird thing where I couldn't strike the ball - twice. First time it happened it lasted 8 holes. Today it lasted 17.

Yesterday, I played great. Today, I was completely embarrassed. I was literally hitting the ball everywhere but straight. On Tuesday, two different people complimented me on my golf game and said I hit like a pro. Today, I looked like I've never played the game before. Except for the short game - that was on. I could putt, chip, and make approach shots - everything else - out the window.

A few months ago, a golf partner of mine said that there was a phenomenon in golf known as the "yips" and it's a bad deal. He informed me that golfers are really superstitious about it and you're not supposed to even say that word on the golf course. He said it's a thing that occasionally happens where it seems like one forgets how to swing the club. Well, I don't consider myself very superstitious, but what happened to me today could certainly be called the yips. It was miserable.

Any suggestions or advice? I would call a pro for a lesson tomorrow, but it's going to rain all weekend and I have to go back to work on Monday.
Click to expand...

More like anxiety than yips. I have been where you are many times and it comes on out of no wheres.

Even the very good players go through it from time to time.

I get over it by putting a shape on the ball in my mind and then try to execute the shot.

It takes my mind off all the other garbage.

Hang in there buddy! You will be just fine.....trust me on this.
 
Definitely don't quit. Take a few days off and just relax, don't even think about it.

I've had that happen to me more than I like to count, one time it was mid-round and lasted almost 4 holes. No matter what club I used I couldn't get the ball more than 2 feet off the ground. I finally calmed down (yeah I was getting heated) and went to using just 1/2 punch shot swings for a few holes to get back in the groove. That worked decently, and it's been my go-to move since.
 
I find I want to quit all the time..... then I pure one and I'm good.


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You must have forgot to have fun!!
 
Similar happens to me when I play a lot. It's as if I go on autopilot and forget my personal, necessary fundamentals. Then the harder I try, the worse it gets.

For me, the only thing that I've found to work on the course was to completely detach as much thought and emotion for the game as possible.

An example was years ago on a golf trip to MB with the guys. I'd lost my swing completely and with it being long before phone cams, I grabbed my buddy's camera and began taking nature shots in between golf shots.

I am NOT a photographer, no desire at all. But once I mentally detached and allowed my mind to fully pursue something else, I started hitting the ball better nearly instantly.

I've done similar throughout the years and it's worked. But in every case, unless it's a golf trip, I'll just push back and hang em up for a short bit afterwards.
 
Been there before. It's probably really minor in your swing that day. As much as it sucks, and it can be hard to not think about, you just have to put it behind you and push through into your next round, for the love of the game.
 
Rusty Casino said:
I find I want to quit all the time..... then I pure one and I'm good.


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Click to expand...

You know what that's called?

Golf.
 
Well, I figured out what went wrong. I don't know why it went wrong, or why I couldn't fix it. I was swinging out to in. I'm guessing it was about 11 degrees. I took yesterday off and tried an alignment shaft this morning and my swing seems to have come back to normal. If it ever happens again, a fix I will try is bringing my rear foot back about four inches on full swings.
 
Happens to the best of us bud! Golf is a tough game but that's why we love it.


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I went through what the OP describes and in fact much worse. I posted here about it and I think was early last year or the year before where as I couldn't strike a ball for nearly 4 entire rounds. You would have thought (about me) this guy never even hit a ball in his life. It wasn't just poor rounds where one figuratively says it looks like I never played before but it literally was an actual inability to strike a golf ball for 4 entire freaking rounds from the tee and on through.

So badly that I had to pick up my ball numerous times just to help keep pace. Im talking 6.7 or more strokes and not even yet in chipping position. Couldn't keep score because it was so bad I didn't even know what my score was and didn't even care. I simply flopped, chopped, mopped, sliced,diced, missed, chunked, you name it I did it on every shot on every hole for nearly 4 rounds.

When it happened I wanted to get right back out there and therefore played those rounds close together and squeezed them in cause I was just so frustrated and wanted it to go away. Wel...I dodnt know what ever happened but after the next week off (if I remember correctly) it went away just as crazily as it came. Its amazing what too much golf vs some time off can do. Sometimes ya just have to reset. There was another time where I didn't play for abut 3 weeks due to poor play. Nothing like that time mentioned but still not good golf and time away reset it all.

I feel we get into bad habits and by sometimes by playing too much too soon we simply repeat them. But as we do know how to swing and been doing it for long enough, time away tends to many times help reset everything. I have no clue what, why how I was unable to hit a ball for nearly 4rounds. Couldn't tell you what I was doing or not. But it did go away and Im glad for that. I assume the same will happen to you. I would suggest taking off a week without any club swinging or thinking and then just head to the range after a week and free mind and just relax and hot some balls. I'lll bet you will be fine. But don't rush it by going too soon. Let it go and let it leave you for a whole week or more and start new. I am confidet your body and mind will reset to better golf mode :)
 
Happens to everyone, that is why golf is so great and frustrating at the same time, round of your life followed by the worst round ever, it's just what it is, shake it off and get back on the horse
 
This happens to us all. We definitely feel your pain. One trick that's helped me is to take a lob wedge (I bought one just for this exercise) and hit keepy-ups. This is a fantastic drill to rewire your brain to find the center of the club face. Plus once you get good at it you'll look cool :) This works every time my game gets wonky. Give it a try.
 
Watch the Tin Cup scene at the driving range before the U.S. Open. Take Romeo's advice. In all seriousness happens to everyone from time to time.

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