I NEED HELP! It's like I've never played golf before!

[puppies719]

This is my third year on the high school girls golf team and I have improved a lot since I started. Recently, my junior year season, I was hitting in the upper 40's for example, two weeks ago I shot a 48. This isn't an amazing score but, I was practicing all summer and it was really exciting for me. At practice, on the range, I was hitting every shot perfect. My hybrids, irons, and even my driver was going perfect. Then, my coach gave us a four day weekend, and I didn't pick up the club at all. I was excited to get back, but, at practice my first day back It was like I've never played before. I couldn't even hit my sand wedge. This happened for two days and my coaches help did little, my swing just felt wrong. The next day I had a match and scored a 72... on 9 holes. Even at the start of my golf career, I didn't score this poorly. So, the next day I went to our country club pros in search of advice. Both pros helped with me a lot and still I couldn't hit it. Now it has been two weeks and I thought my swing would come back. Everything about my swing feels wrong, the grip is uncomfortable, even though it is correct. Most of the time I hit it and it goes far left, but then sometimes it goes right. But, most of the time it just skids across the ground. Every time I get help from the pro it is something else, my mistakes aren't even consistent. I have had to use only my pitching wedge and putter for the matches I've had to play in. If anyone knows anything, please please help!

 

[JB]

FIrst off, welcome to THP.
Do you think its more mental than it is physical? Like nothing feels right, so it must be wrong?

 

[puppies719]

FIrst off, welcome to THP.
Do you think its more mental than it is physical? Like nothing feels right, so it must be wrong?

A few people I have talked to think that I maybe had a small problem that got big due to me believing it was really bad. The problem is I don't know what to do to stop this!

 

[Danimal]

I had a bout of this problem this year. I went to the guy I take lessons from and he had me fixed soon after. Still pops up, but I have a baseline now for the fix. Keep working on the basics and try to lower your expectations, seemed to work for me.

 

[PowerThrust]

What a game, right?

Very difficult to say, but almost positive to be a mental issue at this point and complete lack in confidence... So do anything you can to gradually and slowly rebuild your confidence.

If that means getting in the range and teeing everything up, then do that. Tee them all up. Give it a half swing... Hit punch shots, whatever it takes to just regain your ball striking then ease it back into a more normal lie.

Idk. We're all of us always learning, no matter the skill level or handicap, but one thing my dad taught me starting out was of things are bad, slow down, swing easy, even if it means just half swings and work from there. You be surprised at what you can shoot hitting half swing 8 iron all over the course.

Good luck!

 

[wubears71]

You sound like me, except I'm 41 and a male .

I had the exact same issue this summer and ended up getting a new coach that put me on video. As soon as I saw myself on video and in slo motion with my coach helping me, we were able to get things back.

 

[puppies719]

What a game, right?

Very difficult to say, but almost positive to be a mental issue at this point and complete lack in confidence... So do anything you can to gradually and slowly rebuild your confidence.

If that means getting in the range and teeing everything up, then do that. Tee them all up. Give it a half swing... Hit punch shots, whatever it takes to just regain your ball striking then ease it back into a more normal lie.

Idk. We're all of us always learning, no matter the skill level or handicap, but one thing my dad taught me starting out was of things are bad, slow down, swing easy, even if it means just half swings and work from there. You be surprised at what you can shoot hitting half swing 8 iron all over the course.

Good luck!

Thanks for the help! I'll try to look up some good drills.

 

[campilobaxter]

I don't know how to help you, but I am here to commiserate with you. A month or so ago I was playing with my friend and about to score a new PB. I told him then I was more comfortable with my swing that I had ever been, especially my irons. This past week, it all left me and I feel the same as you - like I've never played golf before. It is incredibly frustrating and demoralizing. But - I've been here before. The good news is, while I can't tell you how to get out of it, I know that you will.

 

[Snickerdog]

Welcome to THP.

 

[pattyboy21]

I would suggest that you go play 9-holes with a single club (I will usually go with a 5-iron). Playing all of the different shots you encounter, hitting the club all different distances, trying greenside bunker shots and chipping and pitching... it all gets you to get the feeling of playing golf and frees your mind up. When you then go back to using a full set, I'll bet you see immediate improvement. Good luck!

 

[PowerThrust]

I would suggest that you go play 9-holes with a single club (I will usually go with a 5-iron). Playing all of the different shots you encounter, hitting the club all different distances, trying greenside bunker shots and chipping and pitching... it all gets you to get the feeling of playing golf and frees your mind up. When you then go back to using a full set, I'll bet you see immediate improvement. Good luck!

Also a great idea. Removes all the pressure of scoring... Just playing and creating. Excellent for any golfer, but especially a young one.

 

[pattyboy21]

Also a great idea. Removes all the pressure of scoring... Just playing and creating. Excellent for any golfer, but especially a young one.

Plus it is fun! You ought to suggest to the coach to have the whole team try it for 9 holes. BTW, my buddy shot a 74 at Arrowhead CC in Glendale, AZ with just a 4-iron. Some of the shots he hit that day were just awesome!

 

[WILDTHING]

Looks like you are trapped in 'internal focus' .

I once tried a new technique called 'Right Arm Swinging' which I practiced for several weeks and ingrained it enough to try it on the golf course . It was pure internal focus concentrating on body movements and positions of wrists, arms, pivot, etc etc etc. I hit my best score ever (an 81) and thought to myself "this is it, I've found the secret".

Next game I played , I stood on the 1st tee and didn't have any idea how to start my takeaway , everything felt wrong and I knocked a big divot before the ball with my driver sending the ball flying sideways into bushes. The whole round was similar and the experience traumatised me so much that I decided to return back to Shawn Clement swing philosophies .

Try 'external focus' techniques like brushing/cutting grass under the ball with the leading edge of your clubface or swinging the clubface over an intermediate point or to a target. Focus on an 'intended outcome' while picturing and feeling how you want the ball to move through the air .

An example of 'external focus' for striking a low trajectory ball is imagining overhanging branches in front of you while the 'focused intended outcome task' is to send the ball under them to a target. Picturing and feeling that intent is not easy and you have to ingrain it just like those golfers who use muscle memory to ingrain their swings.

After so many years using internal focus , it is very easy to 'blackout' your 'external focus' and default back to 'internal focus. For example , you might start your swing to match your 'picture' and then suddenly think about a body part or position (ie. wrists/arms/feet/ head/shoulders , etc ) . Once you do that, even for a split second , you are 'toast' because you've let your conscious thoughts short-circuit your 'wired in' subconscious and central nervous system (from automatically engaging/firing all the unique muscles for your own specific body) to perform that intended task.

Here is Shawn explaining it better in the video below.