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Suddenly playing so badly?

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73monte

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I know we've all been there. I've been there as well, and always played my way out of it. This time it seems a little different though. I'm 62 yrs of age, and always in the back of my mind that at some point I won't be able to play that well anymore. Last season, played extremely well. The start of this season, played even better. Not like I did in my 30's-40's, but very well.

My last several rounds have been downright awful. No consistency even from one swing to the next. I never practice, haven't been on a range in several years, so I know that I'll get a lot of need practice type advice, and maybe at this point I do. Anyway, looking for some advice. I actually think it's more psychological than anything. I'm even doing the great practice swing, real swing all over the place kind of stuff right now. Any help would be appreciated indeed.
 
Well, you called it but I would recommend range time. I have been in the same kind of funk for the past two months or so. In that time I shot my PB of 71 on one day where everything worked but besides that, it's been some pretty awful golf with swings that just didn't feel right no matter what I did.

I'm SUPER mental on the course. One bad swing and seeing a ball hook off the planet can throw me off right away no matter how well I was swinging earlier. It's like that's all I think about the rest of the round. Jump in to the past couple weeks and that's all I was seeing. Bad swing after bad swing and bad flight after bad flight. I hate going to the range but I had enough of seeing that over and over so I went to the range to figure it out.

Grinded this last weekend and I started to see the flight and feel the contact I wanted. After I saw and felt it, I knew I could do it again and started striping the ball. Took that to the course and it was an absolute game changer. Scores still aren't totally there but I'm seeing and feeling what I need to and the confidence is through the roof right now.

I was exactly where you were. Playing some of my best golf and then all of a sudden it was just gone. Like gone gone. A couple real purposeful range sessions really helped me out. So it may be time for the range after all for ya lol

But good luck with whatever direction you choose!
 
Not sure if it is the same for you, but upon hitting my 50s, what shape I’m in is the big variable. I need to stretch everyday or my body gets out if whack. Certain muscles get tense and I can’t feel their tension. Then I don’t set up the same, I don’t rotate the same, and I then instinctively make adjustments that I shouldn’t be making. Next thing I know it’s a major sh-tshow. For me, that’s what I fight the most that I didn’t in my 30-40s.
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I'm totally on board with this. Do quite a lot of excercise, and huge emphasis on stretching as well. At my age, I realize that I'm going to wake up feeling differently every single day. Some days, I can do cartwheels, other days, feel like I got hit with a shovel in my sleep.

Last time I felt like this, I took a lesson. It totally changed my golf life. Never played better after that. Maybe I'm at that point again.
 
I’m starting to come through my rough patch this season. All of a sudden every iron shot was a huge pull and I couldn’t hit my driver at all.

What’s helped me most is that I stopped keeping score every round. I’d just go out and try to hit the ball playing simple shots. Build my confidence back up and just have fun out there.

I also noticed that I wasn’t spending as much time warming up, and quickly got back into that routine.
 
I’m having one of those weeks. Pull hooking drives (normally a straight or mild draw), and chunking irons. WTF! This year I am playing more golf than I have in 10 years and still having these nightmarish periods.
 
Back to the game after 18 year break. First two rounds after returning were pretty good considering the gap. Took a couple of lessons and been working on the range. Hitting the ball well in the lesson and on the range. Slight grip change made. Played two rounds in past two weeks and can’t hit a good shot to save my life. In the past I was a 15 and had an ace the last year I played. Not sure if it is mental as I am focusing pretty hard on my score or just unable to repeat a swing at 67 but may take another 18 year break if this keeps up. Brutal.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
It happens to the best of us. It can last just for a round or be a prolonged slump. Yesterday I shot my worst round in years! Makes me a little nervous about my next one. Best cure is to get back to basics, grip, alignment, etc.
 
YukonLiving said:
I’m starting to come through my rough patch this season. All of a sudden every iron shot was a huge pull and I couldn’t hit my driver at all.

What’s helped me most is that I stopped keeping score every round. I’d just go out and try to hit the ball playing simple shots. Build my confidence back up and just have fun out there.

I also noticed that I wasn’t spending as much time warming up, and quickly got back into that routine.
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This.
I lost my swing. Couldn’t hit anything off the tee. Couldn’t hit anything it seemed. A buddy of mine was complaining about his game being awful. We went out and played 9 holes and played best ball scramble. No keeping score. It showed how much of this game is mental because halfway through, everything clicked again.
 
brians said:
This.
I lost my swing. Couldn’t hit anything off the tee. Couldn’t hit anything it seemed. A buddy of mine was complaining about his game being awful. We went out and played 9 holes and played best ball scramble. No keeping score. It showed how much of this game is mental because halfway through, everything clicked again.
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That’s awesome - exactly what my buddy and I did too! We’ve made it a regular thing to play a best ball round every so often just to keep it light and fun with zero pressure.
 
This is so timely. It scares me I’m playing so bad i might stop. I practice great but stink in play .
 
I have a good friend who has been in downward spiral for many months. he is a suborn DR and I can't tell him anything. So mid-week I sent him a video of me swinging my 8i with nothing but my left arm. in spite of the wind, you could hear my shaft creating the woosh sound. I'm only 7 years behind you. My message to my friend was to say the left arm alone can crush the ball if my dominant hand supports and does not screw it up.

why did I say the above????? because 99% of the time when I or a playing mate makes a great practice swing and then follows it up with a dog I can see that trail hand trying to take over. I think it is a natural reaction of those of us with strong dominant hands that played baseball, basketball and tennis for years. sometimes you can get away with a strong trail hand and get away but that thing can turn on us like a mad dog imo! My secret, is ensure the pinky of the left hand is the most dominant force in my swing.
 
73monte said:
I know we've all been there. I've been there as well, and always played my way out of it. This time it seems a little different though. I'm 62 yrs of age, and always in the back of my mind that at some point I won't be able to play that well anymore. Last season, played extremely well. The start of this season, played even better. Not like I did in my 30's-40's, but very well.

My last several rounds have been downright awful. No consistency even from one swing to the next. I never practice, haven't been on a range in several years, so I know that I'll get a lot of need practice type advice, and maybe at this point I do. Anyway, looking for some advice. I actually think it's more psychological than anything. I'm even doing the great practice swing, real swing all over the place kind of stuff right now. Any help would be appreciated indeed.
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Have a three week break from golf and then give the game away. This is the advice a teaching pro gave to a friend in circumstances similar to yours.
 
It's not being 62, although from day to day your energy level will vary.

I think you have to pick the time of day to play that fits you most of the time as to energy.

As to your game going to the crapper, relax more, think less, have someone video you. That should help.
 
I guess never practicing or working on your game much carries the risk that one day it might fall off a cliff and will need a different attitude or ethic to get it back where you want.
 
Desmond said:
It's not being 62, although from day to day your energy level will vary.

I think you have to pick the time of day to play that fits you most of the time as to energy.

As to your game going to the crapper, relax more, think less, have someone video you. That should help.
Click to expand...

Thinking less is exactly what I did yesterday. Played soooo much better. I did seem to correct one swing flaw though as well. My problem always seems to revolve around picking my swing apart and trying to focus on too many singular aspects. Then, I become a totally disjointed bunch of fixes without any feel or flow to my swing. Not sure if that's the best description. I'm a feel player, so getting too analytical can be such a problem. One thing I know for sure, every time that I've got it totally figured out, it inevitably falls apart again. Love this game.
 
73monte said:
Thinking less is exactly what I did yesterday. Played soooo much better. I did seem to correct one swing flaw though as well. My problem always seems to revolve around picking my swing apart and trying to focus on too many singular aspects. Then, I become a totally disjointed bunch of fixes without any feel or flow to my swing. Not sure if that's the best description. I'm a feel player, so getting too analytical can be such a problem. One thing I know for sure, every time that I've got it totally figured out, it inevitably falls apart again. Love this game.
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That all happens before the round - the day before the round - analyzing or recalling what you're working on. At the course, I think you are feeling your swing so you can feel it on the course - get that feel and tempo. Over the ball, you just relax and feel, tempo.

Have fun. If it gets bad, forget about scoring. Just enjoy the atmosphere, enjoy the time outside.
 
Acesteve said:
I have a good friend who has been in downward spiral for many months. he is a suborn DR and I can't tell him anything. So mid-week I sent him a video of me swinging my 8i with nothing but my left arm. in spite of the wind, you could hear my shaft creating the woosh sound. I'm only 7 years behind you. My message to my friend was to say the left arm alone can crush the ball if my dominant hand supports and does not screw it up.

why did I say the above????? because 99% of the time when I or a playing mate makes a great practice swing and then follows it up with a dog I can see that trail hand trying to take over. I think it is a natural reaction of those of us with strong dominant hands that played baseball, basketball and tennis for years. sometimes you can get away with a strong trail hand and get away but that thing can turn on us like a mad dog imo! My secret, is ensure the pinky of the left hand is the most dominant force in my swing.
Click to expand...
"pinkies higher than thumbs" is good advise... literally, ensures a late exchange of arcs in DS.
 
73monte said:
I'm a feel player, so getting too analytical can be such a problem. One thing I know for sure, every time that I've got it totally figured out, it inevitably falls apart again. Love this game.
Click to expand...

Every golfer faces this problem, even PGA Tour pros.

Keep working on getting your focus external. "I want to send this ball out there" - "I want to cut the grass in that direction" - "I want to throw the club at that target (without letting go)." Such external focus can only help. That said, external focus can't fix everything. If there's something majorly off in your mechanics, get professional help to diagnose and come up with a plan for a fix.
 
It's happened to me my last 3 rounds. I was going on vacation this week, but after the way I have played I have decided not to bring my clubs with me.
 
73monte said:
Thinking less is exactly what I did yesterday. Played soooo much better. I did seem to correct one swing flaw though as well. My problem always seems to revolve around picking my swing apart and trying to focus on too many singular aspects. Then, I become a totally disjointed bunch of fixes without any feel or flow to my swing. Not sure if that's the best description. I'm a feel player, so getting too analytical can be such a problem. One thing I know for sure, every time that I've got it totally figured out, it inevitably falls apart again. Love this game.
Click to expand...
73monte said:
I know we've all been there. I've been there as well, and always played my way out of it. This time it seems a little different though. I'm 62 yrs of age, and always in the back of my mind that at some point I won't be able to play that well anymore. Last season, played extremely well. The start of this season, played even better. Not like I did in my 30's-40's, but very well.

My last several rounds have been downright awful. No consistency even from one swing to the next. I never practice, haven't been on a range in several years, so I know that I'll get a lot of need practice type advice, and maybe at this point I do. Anyway, looking for some advice. I actually think it's more psychological than anything. I'm even doing the great practice swing, real swing all over the place kind of stuff right now. Any help would be appreciated indeed.
Click to expand...
More than 90 % of what we do, the decisions we make are subconscious. Our subconscious cannot , not do anything, so when
we have an negative intention, our subconscious drops the negative and carries out the intent without the negative.

The golf example everyone can relate to is when we look at a shot in front of us with a hazard on the left side, if we say to ourselves, "Dont hit it left"
our subconscious drops the "Dont.." and the intention becomes, " .. hit it left" Better to have self talk, "aim left and cut the ball to land on the right side of center."
Positive intentions will create self fulfilling actions. Wish I had know this when the kids were young.
 
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