From a +2.4 to shooting 90s - Complete and total loss of my game this year

[Red4282]

> @cwglum said:

> > @Red4282 said:

> > Kinda skeptical, a +2.5 should have some serious short game... u forget how to chip and putt too?

>

> Common Fallacy, chipping and putting can't save everything. When your misses get wider and wider, when all penalty areas on the course are suddenly 'in play', you're no longer scrambling to save par. You're marking your ball, reading the putt and making downhill 8-footers for double after a penalty stroke. Speaking on behalf of a Friend.

>

>

 

Most +handicappers know how to correct left or right misses. And my goodness if its that bad dont play until you get it worked out. Hit an iron off the tee if you must. Chipping and putting can save a whole hella lot. Ive seem rounds with 4 gir and even par. Only way i can see this happening is completely mental.

[bladehunter]

> @Red4282 said:

> > @bladehunter said:

> > > @Red4282 said:

> > > > @Krt22 said:

> > > > > @"Oz Max" said:

> > > > > Smylie, is that you?

> > > >

> > > > Yeah for any skeptic how wayward things can go, we have Smylie. PGA tour winner (+7 or better) to struggling to break 80.

> > > >

> > >

> > > For that to be true, you either gotta have a complete mental breakdown, just dont care or there just wasnt a solid foundation with the golf game and the great golf was a flash in the pan.

> > >

> >

> >

> > I’m sorry. But I have to break in here.

> >

> >

> > This game is sooooo layered with skill , circumstance and mental acuity. Sure. A complete mental breakdown might be an ok description.... but it’s not in the way I think you mean. It’s not an outwardly visible tantrum , or fit. It’s just a loss of focus to the point of no longer caring. Or not having the ability to care or regain enough focus to slow down and score again.

> >

> > I myself enjoyed a tournament low of 65 two christmases ago in a small club event. Then followed that with a nice 92 in the opening round of the county AM the next spring. And i felt good going in. then Went 79 75 the next two days. And I’m currently pushing for a scoring average under par. I’m not a guy you’d watch hit balls and think could shoot 92 if a truck hit me before the round. But I’ve had it happen each year since then at least once in real comp. it’s an out of body experience , and if you haven’t experienced it. Count your blessings. I was told the same “ if you 3 putt that much you can’t have a solid stroke “. And “ you must be a vanity cap “ is my personal favorite.

> > At any rate all those nuggets of wisdom are bullshat. It can happen to anyone.

> >

>

> Thats completely different from whats being described here. You had a bad day or two, but rebounded with respectable scores. Unable to BREAK 90 suddenly is what OP and myself are referring to.

 

I suspect that he means that he has had some bad rounds and fallen into a bad stretch of swing feels or lack thereof , and that has caused a mental block , and possible yip as he says , wish in turn has made it all look blacker than it is. Which brings out some hyperbole ..... I’m very prone to it myself. I highly doubt that he couldn’t break 90 if you held a gun to him and said go play and don’t expect to live if it’s higher than 89. What he likely means is that he feels a mess and decided to make a change since it couldn’t get any worse anyway.

 

 

I’ve been exactly there. During the times I described I was a 0 to 1 cap who couldn’t hit driver on the planet and would not play driver at all, and was prone to 3 putt. I’ve always been way above average iron player and shortgame magician . Same as OP I decided to rebuild last winter .... mostly driver swing. But also shortening my swing overall. Many thousand reps later and a setup idea that hovers driver high , and now driver is my favorite club , period. Hitting it both ways and long. Recently did exact same with putter. And after months ended up in a low crouched armlock and I’m making folks mad I make so many. It’s no different. It’s just a foreign concept to some that haven’t experienced it. It’s not that you lose “ it”. It’s that you lose patience with yourself I think and then the ever fragile confidence is hard to get back.

 

Also. Side note. A “ plus “ cap is a relative thing. It denotes a very good player but. I myself have a scoring average currently that’s nearing 72. And I’ve never been a plus handicap. But in the 5 years I’ve played I’ve never been above a 5 either. That math only adds up if you play a course that’s rated easier than it plays. My home course isn’t terribly long. But it’s all old growth trees and tight with loads of humps on greens. My game travels and every time I play a harder rated course and post , my cap drops. So that tells me if I played at a harder rated course weekly I’d be a plus right now. So you have to take that all with a grain of salt. Being a +2 doesn’t necessarily mean anything definite.

 

Op will be fine. He will reboot , gain a shred of confidence to hold onto and then get mad and come back. That’s the path.

[Forged4ever]

I went from a +2.8 and winning the deepest Am MP event in W PA to currently being unable to take a full swing in balance, due to loss of feeling & numbness in my left leg, arm/hand/fingers & loss of sight in left eye, though that can easily be overcome, as Tommy Armour proved.

 

That being said, I’ve had two strokes and two bouts of cancer in between

 

If I’d gone from my former self to the latter without the bumps in the road mentioned, f•ck me, I’d wanna kill myself?

 

Hang in there Brother and take it one swing at a time!

 

Finding Fairways & Greens again 4ever⛳️

RP

[Obee]

I would LOVE to see some before and after video....

[bogeypro]

@PowderedToastMan said:

> I’m worried I played bad this year because I listened to all that advice you posted in the instruction forum last year.

>

> Just kidding, I feel for you and have been there. It will take some work, just need to re-wire some pathways in the brain with positive mental strategies, and you also really need to engrain a shot you can absolutely rely on so you can be sure you’ll get around the course in a decent number. You’ve been there before, you can get back.

 

LOL!! Just because I cant play doesn’t mean I can’t teach.

 

I learned to play long before I actually studied and learned the swing. I just never rebuilt because I was able to play at a higher level. Knowing the swing has made it easier to rebuild.

 

Now, I actually get to practice what I preach!!

 

 

[jimb6golf]

> @bogeypro said:

> Last summer, I was playing the best golf of my life. I was a legit +2.4 handicap. Fast forward to this summer, I could barely shoot 85. I have no idea what happened, but it was a total collapse. I completely lost my game.

>

> My swing was never pretty. I was blessed with good hands and rhythm. I could get the ball to do what I wanted, if I had feel and rhythm that day. I lost that and my game went down hard. I think I began to suffer from full swing yips. I began to be afraid to even make full swings because I literally had no idea where the ball was going. I was so frustrated playing that I literally quit. I didn’t want to play and I didn’t for over a month. I didn’t touch a club and I didn’t even think about golf. Then, I decided to rebuild.

>

> I’m friends with some local pros. I decided to reach out to them and get help. I wanted to build a swing based on fundamentals and not timing. I’ve seriously started over like a beginner. New preshot routine, setup, grip, etc... I’ve been working really hard doing drills. Baby steps and attention to details. I understand that some things, like my vijay Singh stykevrught hand release, are just part of my golfing dna because I’ve been doing it that way for over 20 years.

>

> It’s been an incredible journey. I broke last week for the first time probably 6 months, shot 75. I thought I’d cry. I’m not ready to show my before and after swings just yet...still working a few bad habits that still get me. I’m just encouraged to be able to tolerate playing again. I had seriously thought I was done for good.

 

Sounds all too familiar to what I've been going through over the past year as well. Although I was never shooting the scores you were (very nice). I've worked with someone to rebuild by crappy swing into something less crappy and to some extent it has worked, but I'm still fighting the old demons in my swing. And unfortunately creating some new ones (as some of my other posts will show). I figure trying to make my swing better overall is a good thing even if it means taking several steps back and relearning how to swing correctly, as at the very least I'm saving my bad shoulder and knees from further damage (I hope). Still very frustrating and at times I feel like throwing my clubs into the nearest pond, but I'm making progress hopefully. Keep working on it and we'll both get there someday with any luck.

[Sean2]

I went from regularly breaking 80 to shooting in the mid-high 80s. Short game has always been my strength, still is, but my full swing...kinda went south. Starting to come back, albeit slowly. Glad to hear you are on the right track, it had to be extremely frustrating for you.

[bladehunter]

> @Sean2 said:

> I went from regularly breaking 80 to shooting in the mid-high 80s. Short game has always been my strength, still is, but my full swing...kinda went south. Starting to come back, albeit slowly. Glad to hear you are on the right track, it had to be extremely frustrating for you.

 

Spotted the tiger and poped In to say high Sean ! Long time no read ... welcome back , hope you and yours are doing well.

[jmiller3483]

I'm happy you're successfully rebuilding your game! Must be beyond frustrating to have such a swing (I wouldn't know as Ive never been near that good)!! Wishing you continued success

[Forged4ever]

> @Sean2 said:

> I went from regularly breaking 80 to shooting in the mid-high 80s. Short game has always been my strength, still is, but my full swing...kinda went south. Starting to come back, albeit slowly. Glad to hear you are on the right track, it had to be extremely frustrating for you.

 

Hahaha, the freebie well run dry over at the other board?????

 

Hope ya had a good season?

 

RP

[kekoa]

> @Obee said:

> I would LOVE to see some before and after video....

 

Given some of the comments made, I wouldn't do this OP.

 

Best of luck getting your game back. Lucky for me, i was never that good so shooting 90's here and there is normal. lol

[Obee]

I would LOVE to see some before and after video....> @kekoa said:

> > @Obee said:

> > I would LOVE to see some before and after video....

>

> Given some of the comments made, I wouldn't do this OP.

>

> Best of luck getting your game back. Lucky for me, i was never that good so shooting 90's here and there is normal. lol

 

What kind of comments?

[kekoa]

> @Obee said:

> I would LOVE to see some before and after video....> @kekoa said:

> > > @Obee said:

> > > I would LOVE to see some before and after video....

> >

> > Given some of the comments made, I wouldn't do this OP.

> >

> > Best of luck getting your game back. Lucky for me, i was never that good so shooting 90's here and there is normal. lol

>

> What kind of comments?

 

Some guys seem to be questioning the +2.4 to begin with.

[Man_O_War]

confidence is everything

[Albatross85]

Shot 73 at Conestoga in 40-50mph wind, craziest conditions ive ever played in. Played Paiute the next day and started off -2 thru 3 holes. Finished up with 94. I'm a +1/+2 hdcp. I literally could not hit any club in my bag when it went south. It was like a switch flipped. Shanks, 3 putts, smothered drives. CRAZY SHIT

 

I took 3 weeks off when i got back from Vegas b/c i was so shook. I have never experienced anything like that before.

[bogeypro]

> @Man_O_War said:

> confidence is everything

 

AMEN to that!!

[bogeypro]

> @kekoa said:

> > @Obee said:

> > I would LOVE to see some before and after video....> @kekoa said:

> > > > @Obee said:

> > > > I would LOVE to see some before and after video....

> > >

> > > Given some of the comments made, I wouldn't do this OP.

> > >

> > > Best of luck getting your game back. Lucky for me, i was never that good so shooting 90's here and there is normal. lol

> >

> > What kind of comments?

>

> Some guys seem to be questioning the +2.4 to begin with

yes, probably so. I don't really care though. > @kekoa said:

> > @Obee said:

> > I would LOVE to see some before and after video....> @kekoa said:

> > > > @Obee said:

> > > > I would LOVE to see some before and after video....

> > >

> > > Given some of the comments made, I wouldn't do this OP.

> > >

> > > Best of luck getting your game back. Lucky for me, i was never that good so shooting 90's here and there is normal. lol

> >

> > What kind of comments?

>

> Some guys seem to be questioning the +2.4 to begin with.

 

not that I really care if they believe me or not, but my ghin has always been posted in my profile. #5443949. You'll notice my lack of score posting this year... LOL good news is my confidence is coming back and I'm beginning to get some good fundamentals. My swing will still have a few flaws, like early extension and not having as much shaft lean as I'd like.

 

What's the best place to post swing videos? I have some pics of my previous swing issues and a current video, but don't know the best way to post them. Photobucket was my go to... I'd love to hear some feedback!

[kekoa]

Just post on youtube and embed the video here or share the link.

[cardoustie]

Won't make you feel better but I have a bud that was a dynamite +2, tourney +2, four decades ago. Top 10 provincial am, golf scholarship to Texas

He's almost 60 and he's a 26 capper (and he still putts and chips like 4 - 7 cap)

Full swing yips

He can shoot 88 or play 6 holes in 1 under

but .. he can be 60 yards left or right ... sometimes on back to back shots

Mostly he shoots room numbers or radio stations .. 107 sort of deal

[Obee]

> @cardoustie said:

> Won't make you feel better but I have a bud that was a dynamite +2, tourney +2, four decades ago. Top 10 provincial am, golf scholarship to Texas

> He's almost 60 and he's a 26 capper (and he still putts and chips like 4 - 7 cap)

> Full swing yips

> He can shoot 88 or play 6 holes in 1 under

> but .. he can be 60 yards left or right ... sometimes on back to back shots

> Mostly he shoots room numbers or radio stations .. 107 sort of deal

 

[Sean2]

> @Forged4ever said:

> > @Sean2 said:

> > I went from regularly breaking 80 to shooting in the mid-high 80s. Short game has always been my strength, still is, but my full swing...kinda went south. Starting to come back, albeit slowly. Glad to hear you are on the right track, it had to be extremely frustrating for you.

>

> Hahaha, the freebie well run dry over at the other board?????

>

> Hope ya had a good season?

>

> RP

 

Not sure what "freebie well" you are referring to Richard.

 

It's always a good season when one can play golf. :-)

 

[Steele47]

> @Forged4ever said:

> > @Sean2 said:

> > I went from regularly breaking 80 to shooting in the mid-high 80s. Short game has always been my strength, still is, but my full swing...kinda went south. Starting to come back, albeit slowly. Glad to hear you are on the right track, it had to be extremely frustrating for you.

>

> Hahaha, the freebie well run dry over at the other board?????

>

> Hope ya had a good season?

>

> RP

 

 

LOL

[bogeypro]

Swing video as of a few days ago:

ugh... technical difficulties... hold up

 

 

 

 

[bogeypro]

Try this again. Please excuse the lady in the background....I was listening in on a conference call.:

 

[airjammer]

Need a dtl video but definitely something going on. Your left shoulder is not staying down and looks like your right hip is shooting toward the ball line as well.

[bogeypro]

Thanks, I’ll get one as soon as the rain clears.

[Obee]

Interesting. Where are your misses with irons?

 

[cardoustie]

I'm no instructor but I see

 

lack of turn going back

shut face

club way behind you

[bogeypro]

> @Obee said:

> Interesting. Where are your misses with irons?

>

 

I’ll hit it thin or high rights. I never hit hooks.

 

I feel like my left arm is pinned to me too much. My right elbow never seems to move in front so I can’t get any shaft mean.

 

[Sean2]

> @bladehunter said:

> > @Sean2 said:

> > I went from regularly breaking 80 to shooting in the mid-high 80s. Short game has always been my strength, still is, but my full swing...kinda went south. Starting to come back, albeit slowly. Glad to hear you are on the right track, it had to be extremely frustrating for you.

>

> Spotted the tiger and poped In to say high Sean ! Long time no read ... welcome back , hope you and yours are doing well.

 

Thanks Blade...I am doing okay and glad to be here. :-)

 

I hope all is well with you too.