How I Shaved 3 Strokes...Layoff

Buster1

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Wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this?

I’ve been overseas on business for 5 weeks, no golf. Stayed active in the gym however. Hit some balls at the range last weekend after I got home to work out the kinks and rust, but that was it.

Yesterday I played 18, fully expecting to have a ‘practice round’ and some horrible mis-hits and shots. Well I shot 3 less strokes than my handicap! I’m usually very consistent shooting close to my handicap, but yesterday was incredible.

I also had nearly zero swing thoughts or ‘stuff in my head’ throughout the round. Anyway, have you ever experienced anything like this after a short layoff?
 
In my neck of the woods we have a 6 month layoff period from golf every year. It's called winter. The six months after winter are six months of trying to get back into the form you had at the end of last golf season.
 
I would say the "no swing thoughts or stuff in my head" was the key. Playing with a clear mind you will always play better than thinking.
 
I would say the "no swing thoughts or stuff in my head" was the key. Playing with a clear mind you will always play better than thinking.

Definitely agree with this as my best game is always when thoughts are not swing focused (though for whatever reason it is darn hard to do!).

I would also add expectations as it just seems the best rounds appear a times such as these that you have described.

Crazy just how much of the game is played between the ears!
 
I have found that if I stop playing for a week or two my first round back is usually pretty good by my standards. Then I get excited about the game again, play within a day or two, and play way worse than I did before my short break.
 
Lowered expectations = clear mind = good things happening.

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I'd have to agree; played my best round last season with no major swing thoughts, other than visualization of the shot prior to hitting it. The end result was the only time I've ever broken 80.

I've completely re-vamped my swing this winter, so I'm afraid that I'll have a ton of swing thoughts until this swing becomes my "New Normal".

-Bishop
 
Lowered expectations = clear mind = good things happening.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Exactly. I often have had my best round of the year as my first. Shot 82 once on my first round when at the time my low round ever was 87. And I didn't get close to it for the rest of the year haha. Pressure is everything. The best thing you can do for your golf game is to remove as much pressure as possible.
 
Exactly. I often have had my best round of the year as my first. Shot 82 once on my first round when at the time my low round ever was 87. And I didn't get close to it for the rest of the year haha. Pressure is everything. The best thing you can do for your golf game is to remove as much pressure as possible.
Yup.

Back in NY, one February there was a miraculous day in the 70s. My buddy and regular golf partner played hooky from work and we hit the links.

I hadn't played since September, maybe a handful of heated range visits. Went out with a clear mind and was playing great. I had no idea of score but I knew that it was around par.

Bozo buddy blurts out on 18 tee, "just a bogey here and you beat your personal best."

Uhg... death knell.

I doubled it, of course.

My buddy felt awful and kept apologizing. I didn't really care as all it did was prove to me that when I didn't care, my ability shined through and it was pretty good. But once I invited expectations and hope, it manifested nerves and static in the form of swing thoughts.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
this is one those....."what came first" chicken/egg scenarios. The better play or the lessor thinking. We almost all seem to think less when we play better, so we often say we play better when we think less, but we don't have to think much when we play better.
 
I took an almost 10 year hiatus from golf when I started a family. I maybe played 5 times in those years, all together. Then I found GolfNow and realized I could play through the week for 10.00, which the main reason I didn’t play was $. Well that and time.

Long story short my first round back I shot a -2 69. Now granted when I left the game I was a + HC, so that was a score that I used to shoot occasionally. My only real thought that day was “don’t miss the dang ball”-which I almost did on the first tee. Drubbed one about 80 yards. Hit a mid iron to just off since it was a short par 4, then chipped in. I was off to the races.

There was a LOT of things that went right for me that day including my to date only HIO which came on the 267 par 4 10th and almost having another one 2 holes later on a par 3. I get to 18 and I was one under. It was a shortish par 3, I think I hit 9i. Just barely got on the front right of the green, a foot to the right and I’d have went in the water hazard. Hole was cut back left. Probably 65 ft away, so naturally now I’m thinking I’ll probably 3 putt and ruin it as my distance control with putts was the one thing that was WAY off. I drained the putt, and it’s a good thing I hit the center of the cup because there was enough speed on that thing to go 10-12 feet by easily.

In the 5-6 years I’ve been back I’ve been under par 2 other times. Once was my first round 2 years ago and once was mid summer last year.

I tend to play very good when I’m just praying for solid contact. In season I start getting too cute and think things like “I’ll just play a little cut here” or “i’ll Flight this low to beat the wind”. I’m not good enough any more to do those things consistently.
 
I'd be interested to see if something like this plays true for me. Playing my first round in 6 weeks on Sunday. Have barely even looked at a golf club. Longest lay off since I began playing.
 
Yup.

Back in NY, one February there was a miraculous day in the 70s. My buddy and regular golf partner played hooky from work and we hit the links.

I hadn't played since September, maybe a handful of heated range visits. Went out with a clear mind and was playing great. I had no idea of score but I knew that it was around par.

Bozo buddy blurts out on 18 tee, "just a bogey here and you beat your personal best."

Uhg... death knell.

I doubled it, of course.

My buddy felt awful and kept apologizing. I didn't really care as all it did was prove to me that when I didn't care, my ability shined through and it was pretty good. But once I invited expectations and hope, it manifested nerves and static in the form of swing thoughts.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

That's the perfect example.
 
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