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Hanging On To Your Swing

donmccobb

Active Member
Jul 6, 2010
4
0
I have been struggling now for a couple of years. I have taken lessons, and worked on my game, to no avail. But a week ago I went to a course I had never played before, and shot the best score I've had in a couple of years. Maybe it was the course, which had been completely reconditioned the previous year, maybe it was the golf gods smiling on me, but it was really fun.

Of course, I couldn't wait to play again the next day. And you all know what happened. My swing left me. And I swear I was not trying too hard because it has happened before. But I could not get back the feel I had had the day before.

It still has not come back, but maybe slowly?

That's golf, and one reason we are so hooked on it.

Don McCobb
 

TheTrueReview

"Playing it straight"
Supporting Member
Jan 8, 2009
8,204
6,042
Country
Australia Australia
Yep, it can happen. I was steadily improving last year & early this year hit my best score to win a competition. After that, my swing caught a bug & I've been trying to get my mojo back ever since. Damned frustrating game that I love so much.
 

warbirdlover

Ender of all threads
Supporting Member
Jul 9, 2005
19,151
5,601
central Wisconsin
Country
United States United States
I write everything possible down about each swing (driver, irons, chips etc) and have now got the most critical aspects listed. I look at this list every few days and it's been keeping me more steady lately. I revise this list constantly when I find something that works better. It's gotten me out of my hooking problem and I've gained 10 yards on my driver.

Lately the sample Tom Watson video he shows on the Golf Channel for sand play has fixed my sand play dramatically.
 

fisher

Well-Known Member
Nov 16, 2008
1,263
0
I have been struggling now for a couple of years. I have taken lessons, and worked on my game, to no avail. But a week ago I went to a course I had never played before, and shot the best score I've had in a couple of years. Maybe it was the course, which had been completely reconditioned the previous year, maybe it was the golf gods smiling on me, but it was really fun.

Of course, I couldn't wait to play again the next day. And you all know what happened. My swing left me. And I swear I was not trying too hard because it has happened before. But I could not get back the feel I had had the day before.

It still has not come back, but maybe slowly?

That's golf, and one reason we are so hooked on it.

Don McCobb

I have noticed that I often play far better on unfamiliar courses and courses that I rarely play than I do on my home course where I probably play 50+ holes a week. My theory is that when you play the same course a lot it gets into your head in a bad way. On my home course I have hit into every problem spot on the course at one time or another and you start to have negative thoughts prior to shots. I find myself thinking "Don't hit it there" or "Be sure not to miss it over there". Next thing you know you are hitting it exactly where you were thinking not to hit it.

When I play an unfamiliar course those negative thoughts don't exist yet and I swing more freely and miss less often. On unfamiliar courses I also aim for the center of the greens where on my home course I am flag hunting at every chance I get.
 

FATC1TY

Taylormade Ho' Magnet
May 29, 2008
2,878
0
I have noticed that I often play far better on unfamiliar courses and courses that I rarely play than I do on my home course where I probably play 50+ holes a week. My theory is that when you play the same course a lot it gets into your head in a bad way. On my home course I have hit into every problem spot on the course at one time or another and you start to have negative thoughts prior to shots. I find myself thinking "Don't hit it there" or "Be sure not to miss it over there". Next thing you know you are hitting it exactly where you were thinking not to hit it.

When I play an unfamiliar course those negative thoughts don't exist yet and I swing more freely and miss less often. On unfamiliar courses I also aim for the center of the greens where on my home course I am flag hunting at every chance I get.


Exactly true for me as well.

If I play a completely new course, I don't shoot bad, but I walk away shaking my head on losing strokes on silly holes on the course.. Blind dog legs, or unseen creeks and hazards from tee shots. Those I dismiss and keep playing, but I don't try and cut the course up, and have thoughts in my heads of certain holes.

At my club, the main course I play, I know where to put the ball, and where not to. I cut the course up so much, I start thinking ahead of myself, and like you, I got pin hunting because I know where I should go, and can't go.

I end up making it harder than it is, and once your not free to swing, your head takes over and your swing goes to the parking lot.
 

BADGOLFR81

Active Member
Jul 2, 2010
4
0
I write everything possible down about each swing (driver, irons, chips etc) and have now got the most critical aspects listed. I look at this list every few days and it's been keeping me more steady lately. I revise this list constantly when I find something that works better. It's gotten me out of my hooking problem and I've gained 10 yards on my driver.

Lately the sample Tom Watson video he shows on the Golf Channel for sand play has fixed my sand play dramatically.


Warbirdlover
Just curious what you right down about each swing with the different clubs. I've never thought to do that, but it makes really good sense. What are the main things you're looking at?
 

bames

Purchased a better game
Supporting Member
Jan 8, 2006
1,979
315
Utah
Country
United States United States
Warbirdlover
Just curious what you right down about each swing with the different clubs. I've never thought to do that, but it makes really good sense. What are the main things you're looking at?

It probably reads something along the lines of....
New driver..."check"
New 3-wood..."check"
New Hybrid..."Need one of those"
New irons..."check"

hahaha - WBL I'm kidding. I actually think writing things down is a great idea. I do it right after I have taken a lesson. Just buy a cheap book and use it as a golf journal.
 

Hackin_Away

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
337
2
Yea thats the worst and best part about golf. Worst as in its frustrating, best as in you always got something to work on, doesnt get boring...at least for most of us, lol. I have this same thing happen, one day my irons are great, next i wanna snap em over my leg. Sometimes the club just feels right in my hands right off the bat, and others i just cant get comfortable (usually the days i wanna snap em). Same thing off the tees. I smoke one right down the pipe on one hole, and the next chunk it 40yards with what to me felt like the exact same set up and swing but somewhere something small changed. But if we were all consistently great we'd be on TV...way i look at it.
 

295yards

Well-Known Member
May 5, 2009
447
0
I have been struggling now for a couple of years. I have taken lessons, and worked on my game, to no avail. But a week ago I went to a course I had never played before, and shot the best score I've had in a couple of years. Maybe it was the course, which had been completely reconditioned the previous year, maybe it was the golf gods smiling on me, but it was really fun.

Of course, I couldn't wait to play again the next day. And you all know what happened. My swing left me. And I swear I was not trying too hard because it has happened before. But I could not get back the feel I had had the day before.

It still has not come back, but maybe slowly?

That's golf, and one reason we are so hooked on it.

Don McCobb

The margin for error in golf is not great!

Regardless if you have a good swing or a horrific one, the results can be the same; that is that how well you are hitting the ball one day is not a determining factor wether your swing is with you or not.
 

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