Trouble in paradise

[Queball915]

Took a few lessons recently to get rid of a few kinks. Worked well for a while. Now I can't swing a club. I always had a natural draw but can draw it to save my life. Loosing massive distance my driver. I went to the range and hit my driver about 230 -240 yards with a slice opposed to to my normal 260-275 drive. Can't really afford lessons at the moment since I'm about to be medically retired from the military. Has anyone ever had such a horrible slump and lost their game completely before? If so how did you bounce back and regain confidence?

 

[TrickyPutt]

Took a few lessons recently to get rid of a few kinks. Worked well for a while. Now I can't swing a club. I always had a natural draw but can draw it to save my life. Loosing massive distance my driver. I went to the range and hit my driver about 230 -240 yards with a slice opposed to to my normal 260-275 drive. Can't really afford lessons at the moment since I'm about to be medically retired from the military. Has anyone ever had such a horrible slump and lost their game completely before? If so how did you bounce back and regain confidence?

I never recovered. All my mistakes are still with me.

And you are not turning so the club is coming weakly from the outside. Do you also hit some fatts and some toppers?

 

[Queball915]

I never recovered. All my mistakes are still with me.

And you are not turning so the club is coming weakly from the outside. Do you also hit some fatts and some toppers?

You couldn't at least lie to me? You know like hold me and tell me everything is going to be okay?

 

[TrickyPutt]

No that only happens the first week around here.

 

[Queball915]

Even when I try to turn it over and go inside to out it still slices. Hit a lot fat, a lot thin, a lot topped and a lot shanked. I was embarrassed at the range tonight

 

[TrickyPutt]

So the path through the ball was not flat. You need to widen your back foot. This will change a few angles, allow more time to swing easier with your body, not your arms. You are describing the effects of a circle swing, with that impossibly small sweet zone through which you are coming down instead of through, from above instead of behind. Move the ball forward a wee bit and suddenly the circle of the head path is going up, topping it. A midge back and you are smackking mud. You never get the club back, though it feels like you do, but what its really doing is going hands above the shoulders without the full turn, so you are blocking the back swing.

 

[azgreg]

The go to drill around here and especially with me is 3/4 to full swings with the feet together.

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

Slowing everything down helps me get back on plane.

For me, this works great for honing a particular shot shape:

Hit 1/2 shots with a 5 iron until you're hitting them like you want. (Have patience, it may take a minute.) Keep repeating that shot and lengthing your backswing. If you get off plane, tone it back down. Keep that up until you're happy with your full shots.

 

[TrickyPutt]

Pitching's Perfect Practice!

 

[Queball915]

Thanks guys I'm going to go back to square one. I also noticed I do this at the range mostly on hard mats with no bounce. Do you think that could have some effect on how I swing? Even mentally? I seem to be fine on the course with lush fairways also but not if the mishaps at the range are still in my head

 

[azgreg]

Mats suck, and give lousy feedback.

 

[Fairwaysplitter3320]

Mats suck, and give lousy feedback.

Agreed

 

[J.P.C.]

agreed - hate them mats!! two days a week we are allowed to practise off the grass which is much better practise if you ask me - i like to go to a "cheap" course early morning in the week, play by myself and not keep score - that is the best practise for me though. usually the course i go to for practising is empty or maybe 2 other golfers on the course.

practise putting, bunker shots, fairways - the course is open, i practise everything.

 

[azgreg]

When I get all wonky I try to get back to basics: Grip, alignment, ball position, and hand position.

 

[TrickyPutt]

Yeah. Its important that the word "grippit" comes before the word "rippit".