Anyone ever just... lose your swing mid round?

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By Hotsauce

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  • 33 Replies
  1. Hotsauce

    Hotsauce
    Georgetown MA

    So it's very early season, and I started out decently well.  It was a new course with poor yardage markings (only 200, 150, and 100 marks) and by no means in prime shape.  I wasn't too upset by not scoring extremely well because I was making good contact and hitting the shots I wanted.  I started getting a little to swing thoughtey (not a word I know) after the 6th but by the 8th hole I felt as if I've never hit a ball in my life.  I completely lost my swing.  The 9th was a par 3, and I scraped out a bogey.

    I went to the range the next day and more or less got my swing back, but my questions are

    #1 has this ever happened to you

    #2 what do you do on the course to get it back?

    Any advise would be much appreciated. 

  2. Quintin H

    Quintin H
    Morehead, KY

    #1 of course

    #2 I don't think that anything I have done on the course has ever got my swing back for more than 1 shot.

    Most common for me is my grip doesn't feel right, and I can't make it feel right. I go thru the same procedures for getting my grip every time but I can't get my left hand on the club right.

    Sometimes after a few holes I will address the ball and my shoulders are wide open and this seems to be the neutral position for them, a good crack to the right side brings them back in line.

    It is probably best to NOT make changes in your grip or swing during the round, but make changes in your aiming point and play what you got.

     

  3. Robert M

    Robert M
    Allschwil, 0

    Mine usually dies between 9 and 10. Can shoot around even on the front and 9 over on the back. Everything feels exactly the same except where the ball goes. It is the most aggravating thing in the world.

  4. John L

    John L
    Dewey, OK

    Yes i think everyone had had this at somepoint in time. Somtimes its couse your trying to get cute with the ball or work it to much. Sometimes you might be trying to Force the club to do what it dose naturaly. Even though you know your yardage for that club. Sometimes you hit it with a strong grip thinking your controlling the club more and of course this leads to fustration, random swing thoughts and bad temp fixes. My suggestion. Eat a hot dog, drink a water or beer or what ever you choice of beverage is. And simply relaxe loosen your grip and swing normal. if you hit a PW 135 and thats why your trying to hit. relaxe the grip and just swing it. trust your game. It's Mostly mental.

  5. Hotsauce

    Hotsauce
    Georgetown MA

    John L said:

    Yes i think everyone had had this at somepoint in time. Somtimes its couse your trying to get cute with the ball or work it to much. Sometimes you might be trying to Force the club to do what it dose naturaly. Even though you know your yardage for that club. Sometimes you hit it with a strong grip thinking your controlling the club more and of course this leads to fustration, random swing thoughts and bad temp fixes. My suggestion. Eat a hot dog, drink a water or beer or what ever you choice of beverage is. And simply relaxe loosen your grip and swing normal. if you hit a PW 135 and thats why your trying to hit. relaxe the grip and just swing it. trust your game. It's Mostly mental.

    I think you're right John.  I was playing the other day and scoring well through 9.  I hit a thin shot on 10 over the green then got cute with my chip and left it just in the fringe.  I started to worry "not again" and felt myself getting too mechanical.  I just took a step back, thought about how nicely the flowers were coming in, and took 3 deep breaths.  The next little chip felt natural and left me with a tap in bogy.  On the following drive I didn't think about anything, and that's how I like it.  Thanks for the tips, and I'm convinced it's 99.9% mental.

  6. Tommy L

    Tommy L
    Fresno, CA

    I agree with John on how to 'fix' it.  Do something that takes your mind off of the game between shots.  I'll drink Gatorade or water, eat some food, or anything to keep from focusing too intensely for too long.

     

    Also, by the sounds of it, you may have just hit a physical limit 8 holes into your round.  If you were fatigued or dehydrated going into your round, the effects would probably hit your in that 6-8 hole range.  Sure it is possible to lose your swing half way through a round, but if you've been playing for a while and practicing often, you'll start to know when things are going to turn south and will be able to reassess whatever it may be that you're doing wrong.  Usually it's the simple things cause the biggest problems.

  7. Chris S

    Chris S
    Antioch, CA

    I've had it happen. most the time it is when I get tired though. When this does happen I normally just sit down for 5-10 minutes drink some gatorade or something like that. It normally just comes back

  8. Dave D

    Dave D
    Scituate, MA

    I know the feeling well. It drives me nuts. My last 9 at my nightly league is a good example. Everything went to hell, and I felt like I never played before. Eventually, I forgot all about the game and only concerned myself with getting a couple of good strokes together. Forgetting about the score and the past seemed to help since I put a nice hole together on the last.

    One time, I had the tale of two halves with 20 strokes between them. This was a few years ago, and I was about a 10 at the time. I showed up for my morning 18, and there were a few snow flurries in the air -- welcome to April in New England. By the 3d hole, my swing was completely gone. This course had a lot of water and woods. I lost a lot of balls and shot 98. Not good. Took a break, calmed down, had lunch, and tried to forget my round before heading to a different course for my second 18 of the day. By now, it had warmed up, and I was in short sleeves. I ended up shooting 78 that afternoon, so something brought my swing back. Most likely, it was because I had a break and was able to stop thinking about it -- something that's hard to do within the same round.

  9. owen p

    owen p
    marblehead, MA

    I have the same thing happen to me every once in a while. but when it happens to me it happens after i have had a bad hole. like last saturday i was 1 over through 7 and had a bad 8th hole and from then on i felt completely out of rhythm and just lost it. what i normally do when this happens is to take a deep breath, step back and take it one step at a time. good luck!!!!

  10. James B

    James B
    San Antonio, TX

    Start of the round , mid round , end of the round .... That pretty much covers my game lately .... LOL

  11. Hotsauce

    Hotsauce
    Georgetown MA

    It's definitely a mental thing.  I've been trying to let my mind go blank after I decide what I want to do and it's been working.  I finally broke 80 for the first time this season.  When I hit a bad shot, I try to do what you said Owen.  I also remember an old Titleist commercial- the most important shot is the one you're about to take.

  12. Matt B

    Matt B
    Columbus, OH

    I play forged irons so it is easy for me to feel when my swing is starting to get loose before i totally lose it. It seems when i tend to lose my swing its more of a timing & tempo issue. I usually start the round fairly smooth then after a few holes when i get settled in my round, I get a little aggressive with club selection and my swing tempo speeds up, then lose my timing. I just slow things back down by taking 1 more club then needed and swinging 3/4 pace shots, this also helps me relax my hands, arms & body, also i know if i swing normal speed i will fly the green. I will find my timing then solid contact & control again. It's also important to practice this at the range, i will practice flushing 7 irons to 150 marker vs my 165+ full swing!
  13. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    It used to happen and no one could tell me why. 1. I would be practicing my short game for about 45 min to an hour and a sudden case of shankitis would occur and the only way to fix it was to STOP - it would get so bad that I couldn't hit a chip shot. 2. Same thing with driving range - start out hitting short irons fine, work up to woods, and then 45 min later try to hit a 9 iron - shankitis. 3. I would be going along merrily until the 9th hole and then a meltdown would occur with 2 double bogeys and an 8. I caught up to a group on #9 and that is when it happened. What I did was sit at the 12th hole and let them move on. Got 3 pars in a row after that. 4. Got to the 16th hole one time and my shankitis got so bad that I couldn't hit a thing and had to walk in. The above happened 3 years ago. I attributed it to muscle fatigue and the right foot getting stuck on the ground. The main issue, as I found out later is you get way off balance if your swing has excessive motion and then your upper body starts getting ahead of your lower body. You do things like speeding up your swing and you start cranking and, before you know it, your're way out of whack. I've pretty much cured it by keeping the front foot planted on the backswing (I, like a lot of others, would lift the front foot on the backswing) and taking a shorter backswing, along with standing a little bit farther from the ball. If you swing easy, you'll hit it farther. The reason people slice is they try to swing too hard and come over the top. Keeping your head behind the ball and eye on it from the backswing to making contact helps also. I never had a problem with hybrids or woods with an onset of shankitis. At one time I carried a 38 degree hybrid. If my swing got whacked, I would hit partial shots with it in place of the 8-PW and eventually my rhythm would return. Hitting too many balls on the driving range is also detrimental. If you get into a shot-cranking mode, your balance gets whacked. I would go to the park after a driving range session and it would take about 15-20 min to re-establish a good rhythm. I limit my practice to short sessions (maybe 15 min at the range, 15 min at the pitching greens). Before playing golf I would go to the local park and hit a lob wedge for about 10 min. You need to warm up to get out the kinks.
  14. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    What also causes "apparent" shankitis is a club that is too flat. You start standing too upright and get toe hits. Proper fitting clubs reduce the instances of "losing your swing" mid-round.
  15. Craig E

    Craig E
    West Carrollton, OH

    I went through what I thought was a shanking issue before this season started when practicing my iron shots. I hit constant shanks in a driving simulator, hitting the right side wall, and totally missing the 18 foot screen 10 feet in front of me....how embarrassing. I even had three different golf galaxy workers watch my swing and they couldn't see what I was doing wrong. After the 6th time going back, (about to give up golf) I found out my left arm was staying bent. Whew, that was exhausting!!! I am a right handed golfer and a 7 handicapper. Anyway, when I find myself starting to lose shots I go back to the thought of keeping my left arm straight and throwing the back of my left hand towards my shot.
  16. Hotsauce

    Hotsauce
    Georgetown MA

    I feel you pain.  I had a round recently that started out great warming up on the range, but when I pulled out my driver to hit the last few shots I starting hitting a banana fade.  After a couple of adjustments I hit a few straight ones and off to the first tee.  I aimed to the left side of the fairway thinking I would slice a bit and hit the first snap hook of my life.  Next hole I hit the banana fade again.  I benched the driver and did pretty well.  After a couple of nice easy slow practice swings on the 10th (including a Dog and a brew) I figured I would pull out the big stick again, and wouldn't you know I started hitting my nice little controllable fade.

    I guess if I feel like I can't hit the driver (always my iffy club), I'll just bench it until I can relax.  I'd rather lose 20 yards and be in the fairway than be tree-bashing in the woods.  A couple of nice controlled practice swings really helped me cure the mid round swing loss.

  17. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    It doesn't happen on the golf course to me nor if I am at the park. It generally happens when practicing for 40 minutes or so (or hitting a bucket of golf balls) - a shank will pop up without warning on short irons and a banana fade on woods (if I am assuming a low flying left to right slice). What often triggers it is after hitting woods for some time, I pull out an 8 iron and, sure enough, the hips refuse to turn and the right foot gets stuck. I'll get the 8 iron working after a couple swings and then switch back to the woods. I'll get a banana fade for 1 or 2 swings and then it'll be normal. The worst is when the swing loss is so bad that you can't even hit a chip shot. Before, I would have to walk away. The other thing that triggers it is a club that you don't hit well normally. Another sign of its trigger is a severe pull on a pitch. I believe there are two things that cause it..... loss of balance because of excessive body motion and a muscle tightening up. The golf pros are at a loss as to why it happens.
  18. Hotsauce

    Hotsauce
    Georgetown MA

    I'm sure it has more to do with what's in-between my ears than anything else.  Rarely do I hit an awful shot with a 6 iron or less.  Sure I've chili dipped a wedge and bladed a ball 120 yards out of a bunker, but those are things I can shake off pretty quickly.  It's when my swing feels good and the ball goes nowhere near my target is when I get worried.  I tend to over think, tense up,lose balance, and it just goes on down the bag until I hit a pure whatever iron or get my head on right.  

  19. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    The loss of balance is the big thing, especially if you start getting into "ripping it" When you start loosening up, sometimes you over swing (taking the BIG 90 degree backswing) and that also throws you out of balance (you shift too much to the back foot and it gets stuck on the downswing). I've pretty much eliminated it by taking a more compact backswing with a minimal weight shift going back.
  20. Scott O

    Scott O

    When this happens to me it's usually because I'm swinging too hard.  I tell myself to relax and then concentrate on loosening the muscles in my hands, up thru my arms, into my shoulders, neck and jaw.  Then I just try to hang on (barely) to the club and swing.

  21. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    When you swing too hard you get off balance. Sometimes fatigue causes things like the back foot not coming up on the downswing.
  22. Owen E

    Owen E

    When I get tired my discipline breaks down, just like Lombardi said! My routine goes out the window and along with it my swing. Then I get over arms focused and bad things happen. Working on it now!
  23. DOGLOSKI

    DOGLOSKI
    PORTER, TX

    ALMOST DAILY JOSH.I EITHER START WITH IT AND LOSE IT OR I FIND IT ABOUT HALF WAY THROUGH.GUESS THAT'S WHY I'M A 12 HANDICAP,,,,,,,,,,,,,LOL,LOL,LOL.

  24. Hotsauce

    Hotsauce
    Georgetown MA

    Gotta love this game huh Dog?

  25. phillip H

    phillip H
    Haslet, TX

    Lately I have been playing pretty consistant, with the exception of 1 or 2 holes. My problem is mental - losing focus either due to a bad shot or just my mind wandering. Slightly off-topic (but not really), how about the "post-Birdie" holes? Mine usually happen 2 holes later.
  26. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    I also have this wonderful thing called a "approach hybrid" - I have had one since 2007. I currently carry a 34 deg persimmon club from Louisville Golf (it is quite a conversation piece on the golf course since just about nobody carries a persimmon wood, let alone one that is a hybrid). It is a backup club to the 6-9 irons and comes in handy for hitting out of thick grass or fairway bunker. They are almost impossible to miss with and all you have to do is meet the ball. It originally came up when I was having trouble hitting the 7 iron (I had a Snake Eyes Q3A 34H initially and constructed the 38H in 2008). Also found out they get tremendous distance and are rather heavy. I also had unexplained occurrences of shankitis that would pop up in the middle of a round and this club would help me re-establish my rhythm and balance (have to remember the 34H is the same length as a 5 iron). There's nothing that says one has to carry the standard 1-3-5 wood, 3H, 4-PW, 56, 60 golf setup (nor do you really need 14 clubs). Even Gary Player admitted that he would have won another Masters with a 9 wood in the bag. At this point, my bare minimum setup is 1-3-7 woods, 5H, 6-PW, 54-11 and 62-07 (I've progressed to the point where I can hit a 4 or 5 iron but am a bit spoiled with the 5H) and I round out the set with the 34H and and a 2 way chipping iron (for under trees and left-handed shots). Lesson learned - don't scoff at some old guy that carries up to a 13 wood and 8-SW (I saw this in my caddie days in the 1970s). My stepmother is 77, carries a 7H and manages to beat quite a few men in the process.
  27. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    Sorry about that.... got off on a tangent (got this post and another one mixed up). The "approach wedge" hybrids are about impossible to shank and are a help in re-establishing a rhythm.
  28. Cody D

    Cody D
    Glenview, IL

    Love this topic because yes, of course it happens. It happens with pros too. Just watch them blow up off the tee. I have found that most of mine has to do with fatigue during the round. When its 90 degrees with humidity its tough when you are walking. Another thing is slow play might have something to do with it becuase some many find that getting into a rhythm can be tougher to maintain. I know that is the case with me. I just try and go back to basics and keep stretching. I agree with some of the other threads about doing something different to take your mind off of what you normally do. Shocking the body with something other than the normal wont hurt.

  29. Lou G

    Lou G
    San Diego, CA

    Cody D said:

    Love this topic because yes, of course it happens. It happens with pros too. Just watch them blow up off the tee. I have found that most of mine has to do with fatigue during the round. When its 90 degrees with humidity its tough when you are walking. Another thing is slow play might have something to do with it becuase some many find that getting into a rhythm can be tougher to maintain. I know that is the case with me. I just try and go back to basics and keep stretching. I agree with some of the other threads about doing something different to take your mind off of what you normally do. Shocking the body with something other than the normal wont hurt.

    My biggest thing that happens during a round of golf is that I start out hitting slightly left or dead straight and somewhat of a lower trajectory with the woods and end up with a high fade slightly right toward the end. My short game usually starts out a bit slow and I may hit short or off more than I want but by the time I get to the end of the round, I am often one putting. The biggest thing I have to avoid is the tendency to take too long of a backswing or getting into "grip it and rip it" mode. If I start seeing things like banana balls with woods or starting to chunk shots, I have a "fatigue" swing ready - I take a much shorter backswing.
  30. Hotsauce

    Hotsauce
    Georgetown MA

    "Like water off a duck."  I try to just roll with it when I hit a terrible shot for no reason.  Sometimes it's fatigue sometimes is poor mechanics, but if I'm playing well, and feel like I lose my swing I'll just step back and think of the next shot as a chance to do something perfect rather than focus on technique.  

    In the past when I've felt like my swing is all out of whack I would toil about it, and take a turn to negative town.  Now I just roll with it like water off a duck.  It works better for me, and I tend to find my groove again

  31. Jacob L

    Jacob L
    Franklin, IN

    I just make sure my tempo is good. I'll try to feel the way I want to swing the club in my practice swing then try to execute it. Notice I said FEEL not think. Thinking will kill your game on the course.
  32. Vincent M

    Vincent M

    It happens every round to me and most of driving range practices.

    I appreciate the other posters' tips. I need to keep fortified water and a snack with me.

    When this happens my woods leave me first. Not much for me to do but work my way back to the longest club that I CAN hit. The last round it was my 31 degree 6 iron. Used it off the tee and all approach shots at 120 yards or over for the rest of the round. Then I just make up the difference with a shorter shot to the green.

    I prefer a 9 hole round. I really get too tired toward the end of a full 18 hole round.

  33. Rob Dowling

    Rob Dowling
    inwood, NY

    Vin sounds like to need to find a fitness coach, last year i missed Q school final stage because I was soooooooo tired i couldn't hit it , ran out of gas, I have been training with a TPI fitness coach and ready to give it a try again.  just something to think about, fitness is very important, yes even in GOLF

  34. Hotsauce

    Hotsauce
    Georgetown MA

    I've found a very simple alignment/ swing thought that works for me if the game goes south.  Once I commit to the target I align my club to noon and my body to 11 O'clock.  I focus on visualizing my shot, grip lighter than normal, pull my take away slower, and then think "swing to 1 O'clock".  More times that not it produces that little draw that I love to hit.  It's also helped for first tee jitters and pressure packed drives (the tee ball is the worst part of my game).  I think getting back to basics and keeping things simple helps when you're swing takes a vacation for a hole or two.

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