What do you do when you lose it?

[Newbie15]

So ... new golfer here.  

 

I am taking lessons, I hit at an indoor range and I have a mat and net in my garage.  I work on my swing several days a week and in general I would say I have progressed to the point where I am "competent." Not "good' but "competent."  When I hit a ball it generally gets in the air and it goes straitish ... at least in the garage and at the range.

 

Yesterday before we played I hit about 10 balls with my irons and 10 with my driver - in my garage. Pretty much all those balls were centered on the club and I was happy with most of my 20 swings.  But when I got to the course it all fell apart on the first tee.  My driver would skip off the ground prior to contact and I whiffed on more than one swing.  With my irons I was hitting the turf well behind the ball. It was just terrible. 

 

I struggled through 18 holes. I mostly got my irons sorted out when I focused on forward shaft lean.  With my driver I tried to go back through all my swing thoughts and tried to consciously do what I consciously do in my garage.  By the 18th tee I hit a driver shot that equals what I do on the range or garage but most every tee shot before that was just terrible.

 

Most of this has to be mental. There isn't much physically different between the course and my garage. Level ground would be about it.

 

What do you do when this happens to you?

 

 

 

 

 

[Pepperturbo]

Expectations are the problem. 

 

Hitting into a net and thinking it's what you're going to take to the course is a recipe for huge disappointment.  A net and range are for swing mechanics, maybe dialing in club distances, that's all.  Neither has anything to do with the psychology of playing the game of golf. 

 

Standing on the first tee, anxiety sets in for all beginners, even people that have been playing for a while.  Why?  Because now there's something in front of you that YOU MUST do, otherwise something ugly will happen.  So, YES, there is a huge difference between your garage and the course, all of which is dependent on your swing and IF you get the club face on the ball. 

 

Nothing at stake into a net or at the driving range.  You must realize the difference, learn patience, self-control, realize your limits, and stop with expectations.

Edited April 11, 2021 by Pepperturbo

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

1 hour ago, Newbie15 said:

So ... new golfer here.  

 

I am taking lessons, I hit at an indoor range and I have a mat and net in my garage.  I work on my swing several days a week and in general I would say I have progressed to the point where I am "competent." Not "good' but "competent."  When I hit a ball it generally gets in the air and it goes straitish ... at least in the garage and at the range.

 

Yesterday before we played I hit about 10 balls with my irons and 10 with my driver - in my garage. Pretty much all those balls were centered on the club and I was happy with most of my 20 swings.  But when I got to the course it all fell apart on the first tee.  My driver would skip off the ground prior to contact and I whiffed on more than one swing.  With my irons I was hitting the turf well behind the ball. It was just terrible. 

 

I struggled through 18 holes. I mostly got my irons sorted out when I focused on forward shaft lean.  With my driver I tried to go back through all my swing thoughts and tried to consciously do what I consciously do in my garage.  By the 18th tee I hit a driver shot that equals what I do on the range or garage but most every tee shot before that was just terrible.

 

Most of this has to be mental. There isn't much physically different between the course and my garage. Level ground would be about it.

 

What do you do when this happens to you?

It doesn’t, at least not any more.

 

It’s not mental. It’s subtle differences in the swing and swing mechanics that results in a good swing or a bad one.

 

Takes time to build up a good swing.

[getitdaily]

Less desire to look up and see where the ball is going in the garage and on the range. 

[thaar]

Cocktail before the round lol...loosen up.

 

You might be thinking too much on your swing during the round. Those thoughts need to happen on the range to groove a swing. Some of those might not be completely natural yet, so you might be thinking about the various mechanics of your swing during the round, which can make things challenging. Relax, have some drinks and most importantly, have fun.

 

I will say that I think playing is more beneficial than practicing. I'm not saying not to practice, but try to work in as many rounds as possible in place of range time. When I took that approach, I found my game got quite a bit better. 

[hoselpalooza]

On 4/11/2021 at 9:20 AM, Newbie15 said:

So ... new golfer here.  

 

I am taking lessons, I hit at an indoor range and I have a mat and net in my garage.  I work on my swing several days a week and in general I would say I have progressed to the point where I am "competent." Not "good' but "competent."  When I hit a ball it generally gets in the air and it goes straitish ... at least in the garage and at the range.

 

Yesterday before we played I hit about 10 balls with my irons and 10 with my driver - in my garage. Pretty much all those balls were centered on the club and I was happy with most of my 20 swings.  But when I got to the course it all fell apart on the first tee.  My driver would skip off the ground prior to contact and I whiffed on more than one swing.  With my irons I was hitting the turf well behind the ball. It was just terrible. 

 

I struggled through 18 holes. I mostly got my irons sorted out when I focused on forward shaft lean.  With my driver I tried to go back through all my swing thoughts and tried to consciously do what I consciously do in my garage.  By the 18th tee I hit a driver shot that equals what I do on the range or garage but most every tee shot before that was just terrible.

 

Most of this has to be mental. There isn't much physically different between the course and my garage. Level ground would be about it.

 

What do you do when this happens to you?

 

two things:

1. practice like you play

 

sometimes block practice can be effective for grooving a new move, but if you're trying to prep for a round or competition, i think random practice is key. e.g. pick new targets for every shot and go through your full PSR (pre-shot routine) and post-shot routine. 

 

2. focus on the process

 

i try to keep my PSR the exact same on every shot. i also like to talk myself through shots like i'm my own caddie. e.g. what's the lie? what's the wind doing? what's the temperature? where do i want to land it and how do i expect it to react? where's a good place to miss? etc...

 

i find that focusing on the process and talking through shots keeps my mind focused on the good stuff instead of letting things like doubt and uncertainty sneak in and get me rattled. 

 

having a swing trigger also helps. e.g. as soon as i start my trigger i just go and don't worry about the result whatsoever. if things don't turn out like i planned i immediately deal with it during my post-shot routine, and then forget about it before the next shot.

 

rinse and repeat.

[Newbie15]

1 hour ago, hoselpalooza said:

 

 

 

having a swing trigger also helps. e.g. as soon as i start my trigger i just go and don't worry about the result whatsoever. if things don't turn out like i planned i immediately deal with it during my post-shot routine, and then forget about it before the next shot.

 

rinse and repeat.

Could you explain that some more?  You would think about your mechanics until a certain point in your routine, and then stop thinking?

[hoselpalooza]

59 minutes ago, Newbie15 said:

Could you explain that some more?  You would think about your mechanics until a certain point in your routine, and then stop thinking?

 

sure. so first, i try not to think about mechanics while i'm playing. during my PSR i think about stuff like lie and conditions, where i want the ball to end up, and what kind of shots i can execute to get the ball there.

 

then i pick a shot and my target and fully commit to it. 

 

once i'm standing over the ball i know i've done all the analysis necessary to make a good shot. i might think about how far i want my hands to travel on a partial wedge shot, but that's about as technical as i'll get. i also keep visualizing/feeling the shot i want to hit, but that's more of a feeling than a mechanical thought. (edit: and for full shots i might think about stopping my swing when my chin reaches my left shoulder, or perhaps some other feel, but the point is i try to free myself from mechanical thoughts when i swing.)

 

as for the trigger, i just use it to force myself to make a swing so i don't get frozen over the ball. and i practice it extensively on the range so by the time i have to make a swing on the course, i know as soon as i pull the trigger i'm going to make a great swing. 

 

does that answer you question, or have i misunderstood? 

Edited April 12, 2021 by hoselpalooza
words

[Newbie15]

Yes, that makes sense. I especially like the idea of imagining what the shot is going to feel like. For me, it would be feeling what a good swing feels like. Which I think means loose, good rhythm followed by the feel of solid contact. Thanks

[LeftDaddy]

You mentioned that you haven’t played much yet, is that correct?  You’ve mostly only hit at the range and in your net?

 

If so, you need to practice on the course too. I assume you are playing public courses so I know this isn’t easy, but if you have access to say 3 holes, play 3 balls for 3 holes and practice hitting out on the course. Play each ball, and play the different shots, and hit them again if you want to try to figure out what works. As has been mentioned, it is VERY different when you transition from range to course. If you can’t find a few holes to practice on economically, try a little 9 hole par 3. And if you can’t find that, imagine shots in your mind on the range (though that is no substitute for the real thing).

 

Also, on the day you are playing, your primary job at the range is to find a couple of “feels” that seem to work for you on the range. Translate your thoughts into feels, and then stick with those feels for the entire round you play. Playing golf with swing thoughts swimming in your head will lead to years of frustration, though it is generally what everyone does in the beginning (including me). 
 

Good luck with it. Try not to get too discouraged!

[phizzy30]

So you're a range pro then.  I tend to do this as well at times.  Have a good range session then totally stink it up on the course.  It's mostly mental.  It's like your brain blanks out.  I find that focusing on one thing out on the course really helps.  Also, after a bad hole you have to essentially do a memory wipe and tell yourself that you stlil have x number of holes left, let's get back on the par/birdie train and finish strong.  It's not easy, but doable. 

Edited April 13, 2021 by phizzy30

[thaar]

Another thing to add...don't have too many swing thoughts when you're addressing the ball. Try to limit them to one. That swing thought might change from round to round depending on how you're hitting them, but it allows you to swing more naturally. Adding too much in your head will oftentimes lead to a bad swing.