How often do you play a round and just forget how to play golf?

[ChristopherMcDonald]

Been hitting it real good (for me) as of late, finding a couple of tricks with my driver that has me hitting it a lot longer. 

 

Went out last Monday excited as could be to get our for a round by myself. I had to have lost 10 balls in the first 6 holes. It was brutal, topping everything in my bag top to bottom like I forgot how to swing the club at all. 

 

This happens once every couple of months lol

[mj2936]

I think its not a terribly unusual thing to have the yips once in a while, especially early on in the season. Even with sims, launch monitors, etc, in the cold parts of the country here spring golf where every mishit has consequences (either literally in terms of score, or mentally from your friends' jibs) is always intimidating on the first few holes/rounds

[GooseHook]

This is the time of year as a Mid-Atlantic guy where I'm likely to have a 9-hole stretch like this. I've been playing some simulator golf over the winter so there isn't as much rust as usual but green grass situations are a different situation entirely. I've had stretches where I couldn't find the property with a driver and didn't feel comfortable over anything longer than a pitching wedge. 

 

I'm also the type of mid-high single digit golfer now that strings it together for a 76-77 round every other month, just enough to keep my cap in the same range. 

[this_is_golf]

I’m new (started last year) and don’t get to play a lot so I forget how to play often but I love it. I’m hoping to play more this year!

[Djshakes75]

Five years in and dedicated. Still feel like I suck. 

[JShaw]

I seem to have forgotten how to play golf this year.  I haven't played more than 10-12 rounds a year for several years now but had been able to maintain well enough to keep my scores in the 80-87 range.  Unfortunately I seem to have forgotten how to swing a golf club. Nothing feels natural anymore.  I even missed a ball entirely warming up at the range once, something I haven't done in 25 years or so.  I've even played a round this year where I toed the ball so badly I missed the grooves more often than I got anywhere near the sweet spot.

[North Butte]

For me it's about once every 25 rounds (i.e. a half-dozen times a year or so). I know this because it seems like just when that 103 or 106 finally scrolls off my last 20 rounds on GHIN, within a week or two another one comes along.

 

I try really hard to be philosophical about it and accept the fact that it's the nature of golf. Me shooting 100 is about like a Tour player shoot 80 and they all do it from time to time. But I can't accept it, it just ruins my day and leaves me in a bad mood. 

 

More than once I've even had a 100+ round sandwiched in between two rounds in the low-mid 80's. It's not like I gradually start playing worse and eventually the scores climb into the 100's. These are usually rounds just like any other except from the very first tee shot I literally can not get the ball in the air and moving toward the target with any club in the bag.

[8602081]

Played 9 hole last week.. Making bogeys almost all holes, never felt comfortable with the swing.

 

7th hole, I realized what I was doing wrong.. Made par, par, par..

 

[North Butte]

18 minutes ago, 8602081 said:

Played 9 hole last week.. Making bogeys almost all holes, never felt comfortable with the swing.

 

7th hole, I realized what I was doing wrong.. Made par, par, par..

 

I believe the OP was mostly thinking about rounds far worse than a mix of bogeys and pars!

[Stinger83]

Beer is always the answer for me. If I'm absolutely struggling - I'll start drinking. It's actually proven to help loosen you up. 

 

Also if you're playing really good (and haven't been drinking) and start getting nervous - I also start drinking. Not joking. It works until about the 5th beer and then it starts not helping 

[kwcsports]

Every spring after not playing for 5-6 months. A round or two and I'm back to normal.

[RoyalMustang]

On 4/25/2022 at 12:02 PM, 8602081 said:

Played 9 hole last week.. Making bogeys almost all holes, never felt comfortable with the swing.

 

7th hole, I realized what I was doing wrong.. Made par, par, par..

 

 

That is me!  Last tournament I played in, I was freaking 19 over for the first 12 holes.  Granted, tough course, but still.

 

Last 6 holes, 1 under.  I was overswinging and just arching my toes (so that I had to stay centered) was a cure-all.  

 

Of course, I was back to overswinging the very next round.  What a process! 

[Blaiser]

This happens to me seemingly wayyyy more often than other low caps I know.

 

Probably once every 10 rounds or so. I hover around 0 and it feels like I've got an 85 in my bag on any given day.

 

Usually it has something to do with my alignment or grip.

 

Some days lining up straight to my target just doesn't look/feel right. Don't really know why as I always practice with alignment sticks. When it happens nothing feels right and I play terrible.

 

The other is my grip. Some days my natural feeling grip will just be a lot stronger/weaker than I'd like. Again, I have no clue why this happens. I feel like a crazy person on those days lol.

 

It happens so frequently that it actually doesn't bother me too much anymore. Just chalk it up as "one of those days"

 

Nothing a few post-round beers can't fix. 

Edited May 6, 2022 by Blaiser

[Tiptx1122]

I haven't been able to get out as much as I like,  been out 3 times just for 9 holes each and have been keeping it under 40 as Im showing some signs of rust for sure.  I only went to the driving range as I thought I could work on a few things but Wow! I struggled to show any consistency at all. I have been dealing with some back issues lately so today I just could not find a smooth tempo. Getting older doesn't make things any easier either. 

[Chopper Dave]

Shanked 3 tee shots out of 4 on the par 3s...another couple of shanks in general play.  Preferred lie through the round and I noticed my eyesight acting up with picking up/placing/teeing up the ball.  Got myself straight to an optometrist after the round and turns out there is a issue with my left eye. Need to wait a couple of months to act on it....I hope I'm not posting in this thread for the next few months 😬

[seis]

Started my Friday evening match play league a month ago now. First night shot 44, second week a rainout. The third week shot 47 but that was with an 8 on a par 5 so not to disappointed there. Last Friday shot a brilliant round of 52 with 2 snowmen and a couple of 6’s. I couldn’t hit the ball. Completely bummed out over the weekend. Cannot wait to see what next week brings.

[SnowbirdTom]

12 hdcp and play very often.  Today, i go out and literally can’t hit any club for 18 holes.  First score over 100 in multiple decades. Pulls, shanks, smother hooks, i covered all the stupid stunts a duffer encounters. *sigh* To top all that, I’m in a scramble tomorrow and don't know what to expect now.

[jimb6golf]

Know the feeling. Around a 9-10 hc at the moment and consistently hit a pretty straight ball, but not this weekend. Pulling every shot and coming over the top badly too.  Got so frustrated it was affecting my chipping and putting too. Ended up shooting in the high 80s which was very disappointing.  Bad knee was the reason (really hurting but kept playing) but just the same it was very frustrating.   Happens once in a while so it was off to the range after the round to try and fix things (fingers crossed).  Frustrating game sometimes even with practice.

[amace04]

Me 3 weeks ago:  Irons were crisp, stock shot is a slight draw, driver was a little wild, but long.

Me 1 week ago:  Irons were crisp, stock shot is a slight draw, driver is going directly into the ground.

Me yesterday: Irons were weak, high fades, and driver wouldn't get more than a few feet off the ground.

 

I love this game.

[chisag]

... Wow, this is pretty interesting. I really never go through forgetting how to play golf. I do go through issues with my full swing, getting out of sync and not striking the ball well and on those days the rest of the game is a grind for 18 holes with lots of up and downs. I can shoot in the upper 60's when everything is in sync and mid to upper 70's when my swing gets out of sequence. I think most that are serious about the game are always trying to improve, hitting it farther and more accurately so swinging at full speed while under control is a complicated combination of using the body, arms, wrists, hands and brain correctly and just very difficult to maintain. I love the quote loosely remembered "when swinging well golf is the easiest sport there is but when swinging poorly it is the hardest endeavor on the planet". 

[RayGorman]

Usually right after one of the best shots of the day. Boom a drive right down the middle and have an easy wedge that ends up 20 yards over after thinned beauty. Or after biridie-ing the previous hole and feeling great. A necky, low bullet off into the right rough about 150 yards out. 

[Highstrung]

Once a year, sometimes it'll last a week or so. This one has been longer . I was back down to a scratch and was on the 14th hole of the first round of our club championship last summer.  I blew a 7 iron 30 yards right. Just this weak looking stupid flared out shot.. I couldn't explain it. I kinda limped in, not really remembering what happened in the finishing holes.. went home seared a ribeye to see if that made me feel better, then got a text from my son saying he beat me by a shot, his first time. Within two months I had a soft stop on my ghin.  Through the winter I had five or six swing thoughts every time I got up to the ball. It's some what come back, thank gracious I have a short game.  I feel like something will just click any day now and it'll be back. It's a cycle.. 

[ANimz]

I tend to have a month where I just can't get everything going.  I play once a week and sometimes more since the birth of my son.  I think sometimes I get so focused on different aspects to improve my swing, that I lose the feel that I have prior to the blow up.  

[BreezeDuffer]

HAppens every few weeks, just when I’ve found something I have one of those rounds where I don’t know how to swing a club. Weird game

[mukster]

It’s more like every so often I remember how to play golf. 

[platgof]

I just went through this. I was averaging 82 on my last three rounds, totally unreal, then today my swing left me. I found it on the back nine after realizing I was casting. So, 45 and 41, not to bad. Hopefully it is over?????

[dcfas]

Played in a local tournament last Monday and shot lights out. Played in my league three days later and absolutely dogged it. This game has a way of teaching one the lesson of humility.

[WristySwing]

I'm currently in a slump really bad.  After shooting 51 on the front nine today and losing the ball both ways on everything, driver through wedges, I called it and went to the range.  I had an old school eye look at me and they confirmed sort of what I thought was the issue, an over the top stall move that rears its ugly head for me unless I REALLY try to keep it under control.  A couple of swings and it went away and I was back to hitting 2/3 fairly well on the range roughly at the target and roughly the distance I would  expect.  Just have to keep the sensation of pointing the butt end at the ball and keep the hips rotating through the target zone.  It doesn't look perfect or otherwise I'd be on TV, but it felt better and the strike crept back into the middle of the head when it was living on the toe for the past 3 rounds.  🤞

[golfer07840]

On 1/31/2022 at 3:21 PM, Hawkeye77 said:

Haha, did it twice last season (100+) - once at Pebble (yikes) and once in club tourney,  both as 6.8, lol. 
 

My warmup on the range at Pebble was magical, absolutely magical. 
 

Screams mental game to me!!!!

I'm have to admit, this would disappoint me, for all of eternity. Finally get out there, pay all that money, and shoot over 100. 

 

I hope you get to go back and redeem yourself. 

[golfer07840]

On 1/31/2022 at 10:31 PM, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

A twenty-one stroke difference in three days is most impressive.

 

I've had a 105 and 73 in the same year. The 105 was in winter at a very difficult course when I had a really bad snap hook. The ground was wet and the grass dormant, so that in some places, particularly around the greens, there were patches of "soft pan", i.e. soft, wet soil with no grass. Think hardpan but wet.

 

On one short par three, I missed the raised green left and short-sided myself (ball actually spun off the green), and I took about eight shots trying to get the ball on the green from the "soft pan" lie. I eventually banged the ball into the slope with my putter to pop it up on the green. It worked, but ended up yards from the hole and I three-putted for a smooth mega-bogey.

 

A friend of mine, who is a 4, came up to NJ from Florida to play some golf. We played back to back days, easier course 1st (slope of 126) and then the harder course (slope of 135) the next day. 

 

He went 108 then 78. Go figure.