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Anyone Ever Shoot Lights-Out After A Prolonged Layoff?


EmperorPenguin

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Im far from a good golfer, winters in Illinois can be long and cold. I have a golf dome pretty close that I like to smash balls at least once a week. My son lives in South Carolina aka golfers year round, and as a retired phone guy whose a school bus driver now we went for a visit last years spring break. 1st hole I birdied, 2nd par 3 rd birdied then I woke up and became myself. To put it in proper perspective I play at least once a week with friends or myself and I only had 2 more birdies the rest of the year.

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When we have a bad winter, my first round of the year (often after 4 months of not hitting a ball) is almost always my low round of the year.

 

There's something to be said for having no expectations, aiming for the middle, and not trying to do anything special because the swing is "rusty".

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2 weeks ago after my longest layoff in 3 years I went out and played on a day where the wind was howling 30-40mph... with gusts in the 50's. The course was soaked so if you kept the ball low it would just hit and plug... super short with no roll. My buddy shoots an 88 and is scratch I am a 3.5 right now. I shot a 75..... I honesty felt this was my best round ever under the conditions and not touching a club for weeks.

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Lights out as in a top-10, top-20 round ever? No.

 

But if you mean in a top 25% of all rounds, sure. Something about playing with low pressure and low expectations can make the result decent to pretty darn good.

 

That said, over the long haul, I play at my consistent best when I play and especially practice regularly. More often than not, playing after a long layoff leads to mediocre results for me.

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I played a lot as a kid, probably multiple rounds a day for a few years, but the last 20 years I have been averaging only about 1-2 rounds a year. So now when I go play, I typically shoot around 90+/-, but 2 years ago I was playing at resort golf course with my wife's family and I ended up shooting 74. Since none of her family really play at all, I was really relaxed and just swinging easy. I also made a very conscious effort to "play the course" like instead of trying to drive that 350y par 4, I would hit a long iron off the tee and leave myself 100 yards in, stuff like that. Everything just clicked that day.

 

BUT, that one round kinda gave me the itch to start playing again, so now a year and half later, I have all new clubs, bags, shoes, etc. and my wife just bought me a membership at the closest club so I can join the league. Hoping to be able to get my scores back down there this year.

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i've had some good rounds after a layoff, but I attribute it to having no expectations and just playing. I don't expect too much, so have little pressure.

 

This is it, for me at least.

 

I travel frequently for work, anywhere from 2-4 weeks at a time. I’m usually offshore, so no golf at all. When I come back, I almost always play 3-5 strokes better than average for the first round. I have no expectations and don’t get frustrated over bad shots. I just chase the ball around and add it up when I’m done.

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Ever hear of the expression "I think I'll take 3 weeks off and then quit"? I think this topic is where this saying comes from.

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In terms of ballstriking, yes. Happens all the time. I'll take a month off then hit the ball near or at my best.

 

In terms of scoring, doesn't happen often. Short game and putting are often very rusty, and those are the aspects most related to shooting a low score.

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When I was a young man, first round of the spring after a 2 month layoff. The weather was bad. First time I ever broke 40 for 9 holes. I think the key was just trying to make solid contact. No trying to work the ball or hit shots fancier than my ability. Just hitting putts and chips near the hole. No hero shots.

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Last year didnt touch a club all Feb, March or April because I was frustrated with my game (mainly putting). Played first week of May and shot 69 on a course rated 76.8. Had a 3 putt and a 4 putt. Thought I found something and played a bunch the rest of the month and even signed up for a tournament again. The old ways quickly returned. I've played 4 times since then.

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Don't know what a prolonged layoff is but I have had some fantastic rounds after having not touched a club for 2 weeks. Sometimes you just need to let your mind and body reset.

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Didnt golf in a month. Played 9 today and shot 2 over. Hit every fairway and should have probably shot even lower. I usually shoot in the 80's btw.

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Add me to this list. Monsoon season stopped long enough here in Ohio so I could get out yesterday. Range was closed so no warm up. Started with a smooth 41 on the front. Then came the back. Holed out a wedge on the par 5 for an eagle. First eagle in 30 years for me. Ended with a 40 on the back. After no golf for 7 weeks, it was a fantastic day. Best 18 hole round ever.

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I did about a week and a half ago. Had a minor injury last fall that kept me off the course from late October.... By the time I was "healed" the weather had already turned for the worst and what few nice days we had were always days I was busy with work. Played 18 holes right after the first of the year and it was terrible. Last week I went to the course. Warmed up with about 30 range balls (did about 5 minutes of putting too) and took off.

 

I started on 10 which is a 590 yard par 5 into the wind. Put my second shot into the water and made a really good bogey. Bogeyed the next two holes. Then drained a long putt on 13 for par. Whatever happened to my putter on hole 13 stayed with me the rest of the round. I drained everything and ended the round with 26 putts. I don't think I've ever scrambled or putted as well as I have for those 16 holes. Ended up shooting 75 including even par on the front (my back).

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I havent played 18 holes in about 2 months because of the birth of my 2nd child. Did get one nine hole round in and a couple of range sessions and just had my personal all-time best 74 (mostly because of a chip-in eagle on 11).

 

I dont know if that counts as a prolonged layoff for those folks up north going through a real winter.

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Not sure I would call it total lights out, but I have been hitting balls here and there over the winter nothing crazy, played 1x in december with a bad back and about 3 weeks ago on a water logged course. Played saturday in 40* damp conditions. Carded a 77 with a quad, 2 doubles, and 2 bogeys. Not sure if that constitutes lights out, but I felt pretty good about it.

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About six years ago, I had a 19 HDCP. Got in a couple of early spring rounds, and then nothing until early May. My wife and I went out to play nine on a shorter course. I shot just three over, carding an early double bogie followed later by back-to-back birdies.

 

All proud of myself, I drove into work that Monday and got rear-ended about a block from my parking garage. The jolt sprained my back, and I was out of golf for eight weeks getting physical therapy. I just skipped the rest of the season.

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I wouldn't call it a long layoff in the real sense, but I hadn't played for 6 weeks until last weekend. Which for me is long time between rounds.

 

Went out and payed the best round I've my best round since probably May 2018. And on top of that, the weather was crappy 45F, gloomy, a 10ish mph breeze and off and on sprinkles. Certainly not my typical preferred weather! Go figure. Like someone else mentioned, I didn't have any expectations at all. So maybe thats it.

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