Demoralized on the course

NullNomad

Golf Course Miscreant
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Pardon the rant, but my golf game is killing me. I’ve been lucky enough to get back to regular lessons and play a ton of golf lately. I’ve also been added to a few random groups when going out which is awesome because meeting new people on the course is always fun. This is where it goes sideways...

I’ve been grinding on the range and course as much as possible, trying to put together a solid swing and game. Everyone ive been paired up with seem to have the most horrible swings I’ve seen in a long time, yet they are managing to drive it 265 dead straight and par and birdie just about every hole. I’m not saying horrible swing as in its just an unorthodox movement, I’m talking it makes Barkley look like a seasoned pro. Here I am killing myself to get it done right and these people just whack and slash at the ball and the flight and aim is perfect. SO DAMN DEMORALIZING that I can’t even break 90 with all the work I’m putting in...

ok rant over, i feel better now.
 
Pardon the rant, but my golf game is killing me. I’ve been lucky enough to get back to regular lessons and play a ton of golf lately. I’ve also been added to a few random groups when going out which is awesome because meeting new people on the course is always fun. This is where it goes sideways...

I’ve been grinding on the range and course as much as possible, trying to put together a solid swing and game. Everyone ive been paired up with seem to have the most horrible swings I’ve seen in a long time, yet they are managing to drive it 265 dead straight and par and birdie just about every hole. I’m not saying horrible swing as in its just an unorthodox movement, I’m talking it makes Barkley look like a seasoned pro. Here I am killing myself to get it done right and these people just whack and slash at the ball and the flight and aim is perfect. SO DAMN DEMORALIZING that I can’t even break 90 with all the work I’m putting in...

ok rant over, i feel better now.

My advice: keep at it. It will fall into place soon...

On the side topic above, I have to believe you're exaggerating a bunch. Not only about the swing making Barkley look like a pro, but about random stranger making par or birdie on every hole. I know it feels like that sometimes, but just play your game and let them worry about theirs.
 
just a thought, but next time out try playing golf instead of golf swing. just think about the way you want the ball to move through the air (draws, fades, high, low), and try to do that instead of making the perfect swing every time. take a little less club and hit a softy into one green. then club down and hit it hard the next time. have fun trying to hit bubba shots, but don't worry if you don't pull it off. and don't even keep score, just have fun.
 
Thanks guys and yea a bit of an over embellishment on the swings, but you get the point. :)

I don’t tend to worry or even pay attention to the folks that I play with and get into watching them for comparison, but for some reason today it got in my head big time. I couldn’t for the life of me understand how they were hitting as well as they were with their swing. Perfect examples of point of contact being important and it really doesn’t matter what the swing looks like.

When I locked my brain back down, I was able to get my groove back and just play my game, but damn it’s frustrating sometimes lol
 
How a swing looks isn't as important as how repeatable it is. Took me a while to learn that. I play better when I'm not thinking about my swing and getting into stupid positions, etc. You'll see many post on here commenting that someone has to be a horrible golfer because of how their swing looks. One of my wife's uncles has an unorthodox swing and he's a scratch golfer. Wins his club tourney a lot.
 
just a thought, but next time out try playing golf instead of golf swing. just think about the way you want the ball to move through the air (draws, fades, high, low), and try to do that instead of making the perfect swing every time. take a little less club and hit a softy into one green. then club down and hit it hard the next time. have fun trying to hit bubba shots, but don't worry if you don't pull it off. and don't even keep score, just have fun.
I started typing but this says it better than I would have. c.a.eleric nailed it.
 
Pardon the rant, but my golf game is killing me. I’ve been lucky enough to get back to regular lessons and play a ton of golf lately. I’ve also been added to a few random groups when going out which is awesome because meeting new people on the course is always fun. This is where it goes sideways...

I’ve been grinding on the range and course as much as possible, trying to put together a solid swing and game. Everyone ive been paired up with seem to have the most horrible swings I’ve seen in a long time, yet they are managing to drive it 265 dead straight and par and birdie just about every hole. I’m not saying horrible swing as in its just an unorthodox movement, I’m talking it makes Barkley look like a seasoned pro. Here I am killing myself to get it done right and these people just whack and slash at the ball and the flight and aim is perfect. SO DAMN DEMORALIZING that I can’t even break 90 with all the work I’m putting in...

ok rant over, i feel better now.

The reason unorthodox looking swings are able to drive a ball 265 and straight is good effective swing tempo-rhythm.
If you are working on your swing technique do not forget to play with smooth tempo and rhythm.
 
The game of golf is more about a score than a swing and aesthetics
Golf is about having fun though so do what you have to do to have fun
 
This is a testimonial that the only thing that really matters in golf is getting the ball in the hole. One of my favorite aspects of watching high level amateurs play golf is the vast variety in swings that you see, but they all give 68 a run for its money.
My old swing was so terrible I had guys request to not be paired with me in Tournaments, but my cap was the same as it is now despite my swing looking a little bit more conventional.
 
At the end of the day today my brain got in the way. I don’t normally ever collapse mentally like I did. Insult to injury, I don’t hit very long. I’m about 150 with my 7i so the course feels longer when everyone is 25+ longer than you on every shot.

I’m already putting it behind me, thankfully I have a short “performance memory” and by tomorrow I’ll be back on top of the world with full confidence in my game. On a high note, my 6i continues to be money for me. I have zero fear hunting pins with it and that’s what I’m now turning my focus to after this round today.
 
As someone trying to break 90 I have had mental collapses - a lot. I generally have two or three holes where I just loose it and card a snowman (or worse). BTW, 150 isn't horrible for a 7 iron. I don't hit mine much farther than that. I can hybrids and woods better than irons though. The more fluid my swing gets the farther I'm hitting the ball. It's a frustrating game.
 
At the end of the day today my brain got in the way. I don’t normally ever collapse mentally like I did. Insult to injury, I don’t hit very long. I’m about 150 with my 7i so the course feels longer when everyone is 25+ longer than you on every shot.

I’m already putting it behind me, thankfully I have a short “performance memory” and by tomorrow I’ll be back on top of the world with full confidence in my game. On a high note, my 6i continues to be money for me. I have zero fear hunting pins with it and that’s what I’m now turning my focus to after this round today.

Hey, Null! My wife and I are going to be in San Antonio over the Thanksgiving weekend. Set us up for a round and I’ll show you what being a short hitter is all about.
 
Pardon the rant, but my golf game is killing me. I’ve been lucky enough to get back to regular lessons and play a ton of golf lately. I’ve also been added to a few random groups when going out which is awesome because meeting new people on the course is always fun. This is where it goes sideways...

I’ve been grinding on the range and course as much as possible, trying to put together a solid swing and game. Everyone ive been paired up with seem to have the most horrible swings I’ve seen in a long time, yet they are managing to drive it 265 dead straight and par and birdie just about every hole. I’m not saying horrible swing as in its just an unorthodox movement, I’m talking it makes Barkley look like a seasoned pro. Here I am killing myself to get it done right and these people just whack and slash at the ball and the flight and aim is perfect. SO DAMN DEMORALIZING that I can’t even break 90 with all the work I’m putting in...

ok rant over, i feel better now.

I’ve been here very recently and it is humbling and horrible at the same time. Spent a lot of time grinding in preparation for a THP event which I played great for 18 holes then the wheels came off.
In trying to get out of the rut on the course I kept focusing on swing, tempo, grip and slot any and everything related to swing.... honestly I should have been focused on merely one thing.... the next shot.... I got so hung up on previous results that I was over thinking everything.
Once I got home i really did work on some glaring fixable swing flaws, but moreover, I worked on the mental, next shot and spent most of my time hitting whiffle golf balls instead of playing or range sessions.

When I finally took it to the course, again, with some THPers I didn’t worry about mechanics of my swing or the result, but merely on the next shot.... I’ve played much more consistent ever since and it’s been much more enjoyable.

Continue working to have fun!


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Bro I played with a guy today who, no exaggeration, averaged 285 off the tee.

He plays cross handed. Also probably shot 80, and wasn't playing his best (obviously, being that close to the green on every hole).
 
Golf is hard! Just play within yourself and use good course management skills to avoid the big numbers. Better to hit the ball well than to just look good doing it. Find what works best for you and build on that.
 
Hey, Null! My wife and I are going to be in San Antonio over the Thanksgiving weekend. Set us up for a round and I’ll show you what being a short hitter is all about.

Sounds like a plan! My home course is the Hyatt Hill Country, would be more than happy have you as a guest. The mrs and I put in about 3 rounds a week. Lately we’ve been playing a scramble of the reds which is an absolute blast. Teaches you to really be smart about club selection.
 
c.a hit on the head. Im guilty as charged also.

As you see from the others you play with.....ball striking is king. A lot of times its not how you get from point A to point B...its how you strike the ball. There is a guy that I play with sometimes at the other country club in town. He has the most unorthodox swing you would ever see but man he strikes the ball well and plays well. He actually shot under par this year. When I first played with him a couple years ago I thought the exact same thing as you.....how can this guy swing like that yet strike the ball like he does?! Whats funny is if you ask him how his swing feels...he'll tell you he feels like hes swinging like Justin Rose lmao
 
Thank you all for the replies.

I sit hear re-reading what I posted and the dialog that followed and I'm actually kind of embarrassed that I posted it at all in a moment of weakness. I know my game will come back to form. It's been a long road to recovery and starting over with a whole new swing to make up for my physical changes has been harder mentally than physically. No matter, I'll still keep grinding and bring myself to the best game I can play.
 
I can understand where the OP is coming from. Using new clubs and my mind for some reason is expecting me to play a lot better. On my last round, after scrambling a bit, I decided screw this, just put the ball down, select a club and hit the ball. On both holes I hit the green and walked away with pars.
Sometimes we are overthinking.

I use to play with my brother and his friends many moons ago. One of his friends swing I could not get. Backswing was fine, but on his follow through he would end up with his right shoulder pointing at his target. He is a right-handed player. He went for golf lessons but later he reverted to his old swing as he said what the pro wanted him to do did not feel natural. Well, his handicap back then was in the 15-18 range if I remember correctly.
 
Guys with crazy swings that hit the ball solidly can be some of the toughest opponents... they're doing what feels natural to them, and that holds up under pressure. Anyway, for the most part, anyone who is a good player (conventional swing or otherwise) has worked hard on their game. Improvement is never linear in this game, and can be frustrating for sure, but keep grinding and you'll find what works for you!
 
Thank you all for the replies.

I sit hear re-reading what I posted and the dialog that followed and I'm actually kind of embarrassed that I posted it at all in a moment of weakness. I know my game will come back to form. It's been a long road to recovery and starting over with a whole new swing to make up for my physical changes has been harder mentally than physically. No matter, I'll still keep grinding and bring myself to the best game I can play.

There is no such thing as "a moment of weakness" when you need to get something off your chest. We all need to share our thoughts and feelings sometimes. Just be glad you have a wide spectrum of skills on this site so you can get a response from people who have "been there, done that" to "still there, doing that" to "hope I get there, and will do that".
 
Just be glad you have a wide spectrum of skills on this site so you can get a response from people who have "been there, done that" to "still there, doing that" to "hope I get there, and will do that".

This right here is why I posted it without hesitation at the time. I knew for a fact that someone in the THP family would speak up and share, understanding how it felt.
 
Golf i hard, trying to rework my swing as I have topped out with the crap swing I got. Trying to keep knees straighter, good shoulder turn and lead with hip to good follow thru. Got to get rid of chicken wing and too much knee bend. But we all struggle.

Good luck
 
Try to not watch other players swing the club if they are doing something you judge as awkward. It can get into the head seeing it over and over...
 
You mean like this guy?



There's two major things to keep in mind:

1) There's nothing wrong with working hard to try to improve your swing. However when you go to play golf, you MUST get your focus off off the mechanical. You have to allow the club to swing to your target and get out of your own way, whether it looks like Didi above, or Adam Scott. If you focus on trying to make it look like Adam Scott while on the course, you're going to fail, hard.

2) Course management, course management, course management. Did I mention course management?

On days when I play poorly, the vast majority of my mistakes are course management mistakes. I may make bad swings, but my course management decision compound those bad swings. It says 185 to the pin, so I pull my 185 club. Then I hit it thin and it flies the green into the hazard and I'm carding a triple 5 minutes later.

"But if I don't pull that club, I'll come up short if I don't hit it absolutely perfectly," you say. To which I say, "So #$@#$ what?" Short is the good miss. So you don't hit it well and you end up 20 yards short of the green. You pitch on and 2-putt for your bogey. Maybe you hit a good pitch and one-putt for par. Even if you 3-putt you still make double instead of triple. The point is, with proper course management, par, bogey and double are still achievable at your skill level. In the other scenario, bogey is out the window without a PGA-tour level recovery shot. Double is highly likely and triple or worse is in play.
 
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