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

[aramirez24]

More than I'd like to admit. I put up a 101 with 1 ball and then a 76 with 2 OB 6 days later earlier this year. This past Sunday I went 51-38 for an 89, but the range was also closed that morning. Golf is such a crazy game.

 

I try to just forget about it as soon as possible. 

[Pepperturbo]

18 hours ago, Ghostwedge said:

Uh.....PT, muscles don't have a memory. Only your brain can do that.

 

Thank you.  Yep muscles don't think for themselves.  It's never used as a literal phase.  In certain activities and golf, muscle memory is the label for the mental effects of extensive practice and repetition.  We create a procedural memory. 

 

My organized practice regime used to entail hitting 1100-1300 balls a week, and did that for nearly 5 years.  We all lose conscious connection with our physical mechanics.  When that happens to me, repetition/procedural memory steps in = without tapping the brain. 

[Ghostwedge]

39 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

Thank you.  Yep muscles don't think for themselves.  It's never used as a literal phase.  In certain activities and golf, muscle memory is the label for the mental effects of extensive practice and repetition.  We create a procedural memory. 

 

My organized practice regime used to entail hitting 1100-1300 balls a week, and did that for nearly 5 years.  We all lose conscious connection with our physical mechanics.  When that happens to me, repetition/procedural memory steps in = without tapping the brain. 

1st paragraph is correct. 2nd paragraph is rote. Well done.

[Pepperturbo]

25 minutes ago, Ghostwedge said:

1st paragraph is correct. 2nd paragraph is rote. Well done.

Damn, I feel so much better.  I will work harder in the next post to insure you're happy.  Maybe I should put you in contact my editor so you can provide input to my posts.  I always have the 6 of post law enforcement.  LOL 

[DON SVO]

So quick story time... way back when I played regularly (before the wife/house/daughter) I was a high single digit and played a variety of courses from a variety of tee boxes, always in the 80-87 range. My uncle and his friends liked to invite me out to play: I was quick, had fun, didn't mind gambling on par 3s (constant CTP + Birdie with rollover). We went to a course I was very familiar with, decent warm-up, I proceeded to hit 4 balls in a row OOB off the first tee. Like, 4 nearly identical-looking monster pushes into Never Never Land. To @Pepperturbo's point, I put the driver back into the bag and teed off with the 4 iron. Hole 2, hit 2 mirror-image snap hooks with my 2 hybrid into the trash. I put that club back in the bag, and played the rest of the round teeing off with my 4 iron, and cracked a beer. I was 11 over through 2 holes. Whatever. 

[RMG1984]

On 1/31/2022 at 1:44 PM, monty09 said:

8 index and today went to my club and just couldn't do anything...  shot 102 and didnt lose one ball.. just hit every club a lot.......     have not hit 100 in 3 years.....   

 

 

do i need to get drunk or find me a big ole lady?

This makes me feel better about myself. Been there before too. Lol

[Grizz06]

Multiple times a year I completely have no idea what I’m doing.  I’ve shot 20 shots difference in consecutive rounds.   I’ve learned to just keep smiling and not ruin somebody else’s day.

[RMG1984]

On 1/31/2022 at 2:16 PM, Kmagnuss said:

I'm in the same boat... got down to a 7.0 last July and have been hit or miss since then, thanks to a very consistent bout with Dr. Shank.  When I saw that scorecard say 100 I about gave up the game. 

It will come back to you.  It happens.  Just a game.  And all that.

Makes me feel better to know I’m not the only one. It’s really frustrating at times. It will come back and it happens. 

[KingstonGolfer]

Usually a couple days a month. It’s always right after playing my best round of the month too. 

[darunia484]

After getting a simulator, it's been kind of depressing how long it takes me to get into a groove on my swing. 

 

Basically I have trouble adding speed while retaining accuracy until I'm warmed up, and I usually don't get to go to the range before rounds. Hopefully hitting balls on my simulator before rounds will help me this year.

[david.c.w]

Once in a while on the course it goes south.  Generally I would chalk it up to a significant lack of effort.

 

The absolute worst days are when you go to the range to actually work on on your swing, and you either hosel-rocket or open face the first 10 into the netting.  After those 10 shots I think "today is not the day" and head somewhere else.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Happened to me last Saturday. Just completely lost the long game all day long. Given that I never really have the short game / putting anyway, it was a long effing day...

 

Playing on President's Day at one of the nicer ($$$) courses in the area because I have the day off. Nobody else was available, so I'm a single and will be joining 3 other players. 

 

I'm a bad golfer (19.7 index) normally, but I'm hoping I've figured out how to hit a golf ball by then or it's gonna be a long and embarrassing round. 

[crispy830]

Used to be almost never.  Unfortunately, lately it seems like it's about every 6th round.  I used to be a 5 index who is currently struggling to break 80 ever again.

[platgof]

After turning 60, forgetting how to hit a golf ball became the norm. I never went to a range before, but now it is the range or a really bad round.

[nikeblades00]

It happens. Gotta learn to laugh it off. I remember I use to lose sleep over a bad round. Getting older and having kids puts golf in perspective real quickly. Just a stupid game!

 

 

[Haroputt]

On 1/31/2022 at 7:31 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.

 

Same experience. I’m Normally a summer golfer but due to pandemic played regularly in the winter this year and up in the northwest it’s wet in the winter  same “soft pan” lies here   There not much grass growing around the greens.  

I used more of my putter and putting stroke with low loft iron than I’m used to due to dormant conditions 

Edited February 12, 2022 by Haroputt

[Haroputt]

On 1/31/2022 at 11:44 AM, monty09 said:

8 index and today went to my club and just couldn't do anything...  shot 102 and didnt lose one ball.. just hit every club a lot.......     have not hit 100 in 3 years.....   

 

 

do i need to get drunk or find me a big ole lady?

Sometimes that the only way I can get my hips moving properly again 

[ohioglfr]

When it happens to me it's usually club-specific.  Hit driver great but irons, meh.  Or, hit irons great but driver in the rough.  The occasion I thought I'd have to re-learn the game was when I was healing from an arm injury and I hit fat shots the whole round.  

[cbrwn425]

Happened to me yesterday. And usually about twice a season. It was my first chance to really work on the swing changes my instructor recommended and everything was a disaster after that. 

[pukujuhla]

This usually happens mid round for me couple times a year... brain just shuts off, nothing works, nothing feels right, its amazing and terrifying.

[golfandfishing]

Just did this on Monday. Have had a nice run of playing and a few range sessions this year and the game was coming together again. On Monday hit about 30 balls to warm up, didn’t miss hit one. Then played as poorly as I ever have as an adult for 84 that would have been 95 on any course worth a sheet. It happens, the hardest part of coming off a long stretch of rarely touching clubs (5 years of maybe 10 rounds total) is not being able to slap a bandaid on it and get it around respectably, for at least a while I’m stuck with I have on the first hike or two and have to just figure out how to minimize the damage. Any fixing on the fly is probably a few months away still, so completely forgetting how to play will happen some more and I for one look forward to more!

[jordan2240]

You probably just need some new clubs.

[ColinKelvin]

This happens to me 2 or 3 times a year too.  10 handicap and on a decent day I'm in the low 80s; good day high 70s.

 

Now and again, the gods of golf like to throw in a high 90s full of thinned irons and huge slice drives (and possibly even one or two tops) just to keep me humble.

[amace04]

At least a few times a year.

 

My low score last year was 81.  The very next day, went out and thinking "let's keep this going, sub 80 today" and played the same course in the same conditions, shot 95.   Just could not get anything going at all.

 

Played Club championships, shot 85 day one (tied for top in my flight).  >105 on day 2 to finish 2nd last.  I can get rattled somewhat easily when my striking absolutely sucks, so once I started mishitting everything, it was all spiraling out of control from there.

 

 

[david.c.w]

Yesterday.  I am a 4.5 and I did not make a par until 14.  Like not even close.  Every iron swing took a divot worthy of an excavator.  Now I am a digger vs. a sweeper, but this was ridiculous.  Approaches were landing 40 yards short.  

 

Couple other guys were bad too.  This was one of those rounds where we say "Thank God the wives are not out watching", because if they were, they would be disgusted that we play and pay so much and we are that bad.

 

Thankfully I played the last 5 holes at level par, but I almost walked off at the turn.

 

[caniac6]

Happened today. Played in a two man captain’s choice, and killed my driver, and couldn’t hit an iron all day. 

[bacchus00]

Probably every round to some degree, sometime just feeling like I forgot how to swing or times just boneheaded decisions like aiming at the pin instead of just hitting to easy part of the green.

[RoyalMustang]

Unfortunately, it happens once a round for me at this point.  Case in point: club championship qualifier this weekend, I am bogey, then double, then triple/triple.  19 over after 12 holes.  Slice it into the trees, then hook it into the trees.  I feel like I have never played before.  Suddenly I remember something my wife said to me about curling my toes when I am struggling; create a natural arch in my feet and build stability that way. Will keep me centered and grounded. 

 

I proceed to hit a 295 yard drive into a slight headwind on the 13th hole, drive the fringe on a 330 yard hole a few holes later (slightly downwind, I will note that), and go -1 for the last 6. Unfortunately, I still missed the cut by 2 strokes. 

 

Why did that make such a large difference? I must have been swaying around and not staying stable w/o realizing it.  

 

Unfortunately, that is me EVERY round.  My 2 best posted handicap scores were both joined 9 hole scores. Anytime I play a full 18, I lose concentration, become too relaxed and forget what I am doing, and proceed to blow up.  The weekend before in a tournament, it was going 39/47.  

 

 

Edited March 14, 2022 by RoyalMustang

[Chazb]

Normally I hit the ball decently but went to the range and could not even get the ball in the air after about twelve shots,I was completely lost and said screw this I gave the balls to someone else and left.

I plan on taking off a few days hoping this was just a minor glitch.

[TonyDAnnunzio]

On 3/14/2022 at 11:51 AM, RoyalMustang said:

Unfortunately, it happens once a round for me at this point.  Case in point: club championship qualifier this weekend, I am bogey, then double, then triple/triple.  19 over after 12 holes.  Slice it into the trees, then hook it into the trees.  I feel like I have never played before.  Suddenly I remember something my wife said to me about curling my toes when I am struggling; create a natural arch in my feet and build stability that way. Will keep me centered and grounded. 

 

I proceed to hit a 295 yard drive into a slight headwind on the 13th hole, drive the fringe on a 330 yard hole a few holes later (slightly downwind, I will note that), and go -1 for the last 6. Unfortunately, I still missed the cut by 2 strokes. 

 

Why did that make such a large difference? I must have been swaying around and not staying stable w/o realizing it.  

 

Unfortunately, that is me EVERY round.  My 2 best posted handicap scores were both joined 9 hole scores. Anytime I play a full 18, I lose concentration, become too relaxed and forget what I am doing, and proceed to blow up.  The weekend before in a tournament, it was going 39/47.  

 

 

 

I had several rounds last year where I would be one or two over on the front only to shoot 50+ on the back...  the worst was back in November I was playing with some other members I did not know.  Shot -2 on the front only to post an 85.  I don't know why but I was not nervous, thinking of the score, etc...  I am beginning to realize why I quit this game 20 years ago and am somewhat wishing I never picked it back up as it is just too frustrating.  I am the only guy I am aware of that can be play 14 of 18 holes at even or better and still shoot an 82.  Last Friday I hit 10/18 GIR and shot an 88...  It's like I MUST make a least two triples per round no matter what I do...