Less golf= Better ball striking

[ava08]

Just had a child, and playing the best golf In 5 years

Has anyone else experienced this phenomenon: My wife and I have recently had our first child, and my rounds are way down, waaaaay down. I played on average of 4 times a week for the past 10 years, I work at a golf course. As life has changed and I prefer to spend time with my daughter I average 1 round per week now. All of a sudden I am having the best ball striking year I have had in 5 years. I think the less I play the better I hit the ball. The putting is a bit off because I am a feel putter, but even the short game has gotten better.

[CowtownTexas]

I had the same deal for about the first 12-14 months. I never practiced anymore, but played very well when I went out. However, in the last 8 months or so, my game has really fallen off and my scoring has gotten terrible. The ball striking is one thing, but the short game is where I've gotten really bad. I've even tried practicing more the last few weeks, but am not seeing results. It's mainly that I loss a good deal of feel and the only thing that's changed is my time spent practicing.

[SJFP]

Yeah, i noticed this when i was at university. We had exams twice every year, so that means from the beginning of december through the end of januari and beginning of may until end of june i would be studying and taking tests, so no golf during those months. I've won about 8 weekend medals at my home club, but 5 of em were during the weekend after those periods of not playing. I don't know why. Low expectations?

[OrangeBlood]

Yep it is true....I have always felt the more you play the more you over analyze your swing. Getting out less often allows you to just relax and make a swing. Of course if you want to get better it takes practice but I agree and have had the same experience when I returned to the game after back surgery. I had 1-2 swing thoughts....now I have 5-6.

 

What a game...............

[mmercer13]

I always thought it was because I was just so happy to be on the course I didn't care what I shot. I was loose and just having fun.

[The Ultimate Spin]

yup i here ya. my golf season is about 6 months long. the first 2 months of the year are generally when i'm playing my best golf...how ironic is that?

[Fade2Left]

I have to agree with you guys. I laid off for about 4 months and my first round I shot an 84. My ball striking and course management was great. I didn't try to "pull-off" any risky shots. I had a game plan and was able to stick to it. However, my putting was HORRIBLE! I three putted about 7-8 times. I threw away breaking 70 because I couldn't seem to get a feel for the greens.

 

 

 

 

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[BigNikeB]

Has anyone else experienced this phenomenon: My wife and I have recently had our first child, and my rounds are way down, waaaaay down. I played on average of 4 times a week for the past 10 years, I work at a golf course. As life has changed and I prefer to spend time with my daughter I average 1 round per week now. All of a sudden I am having the best ball striking year I have had in 5 years. I think the less I play the better I hit the ball. The putting is a bit off because I am a feel putter, but even the short game has gotten better.

 

Slightly off topic, when I found out I was having my first child, my golf went into another gear. I'd say for about a month, I was hard to beat. I even hit the ball noticeably farther. I was so exited. Everytime I played, the baby was all I talked about and it in turn made my game tight.

Back to the topic, I've always noticed that the more time I spend at the range, the more my golf suffers. My swing thoughts are usually simple and few. The more golf I play, things seem to break down. I either need a break, or I need a tuneup at the range. Some people are like Vijay and need to constantly be hitting balls and others seem to be ready to go with very little play in between.

[keiko]

Well, 5 yrs. is a long time for pregnancy but who am I to judge. Anyway, just proves that golf is mostly mental.

Has anyone else experienced this phenomenon: My wife and I have recently had our first child, and my rounds are way down, waaaaay down. I played on average of 4 times a week for the past 10 years, I work at a golf course. As life has changed and I prefer to spend time with my daughter I average 1 round per week now. All of a sudden I am having the best ball striking year I have had in 5 years. I think the less I play the better I hit the ball. The putting is a bit off because I am a feel putter, but even the short game has gotten better.

[bulldog8b]

Same here. I think what it is, at least for me, is that when I haven't been playing I just go out and hit the ball. I don't get all caught up in swing thoughts and such and instead just walk up and take a whack. I seem to hit the ball much better this way. From 60 yards and in is garvage, but hey, whatcha gonna do?

[TEConnor]

I experienced an instant performance boost the first time I got back out to the course after my daughter was born. I think the time off and the reality check instantly gave me the ability to UNDERSTAND exactly how meaningless a golf shot is in the big picture of life and how LUCKY I was to be playing a silly little game. The time away also helped me realize that I really loved to play golf, but for all the right reasons, namely that I just love the game...hope to pass that love along to my daughter some day too. So, in the end I think my boost was 100% a mental outlook change...

 

As far as range practice versus just playing...for some folks the less "range" practice they do right before playing the better they can free up their "Target" golf mind. We become very accustomed to being analytical on the range, dissecting this and that move, filming our swings, doing drills, checking positions, etc. so much so that the Target focus evaporates. Pros get very good at switching instantly between practice and target mode and sticking with the target mode throughout a round. However, even some the best amateurs have a lot of trouble making the transition. That is why a lot of folks experience their best golf when they simply cut back on the range time, just clear their minds, play with only a concern for their Target, and generally stay in the present.

 

Cheers,

Tim

[littlepoison]

Has anyone else experienced this phenomenon: My wife and I have recently had our first child, and my rounds are way down, waaaaay down. I played on average of 4 times a week for the past 10 years, I work at a golf course. As life has changed and I prefer to spend time with my daughter I average 1 round per week now. All of a sudden I am having the best ball striking year I have had in 5 years. I think the less I play the better I hit the ball. The putting is a bit off because I am a feel putter, but even the short game has gotten better.

 

Congratulations on the baby! You may have discovered the art of putting golf in the proper perspective in life!

[OrangeBlood]

You know I didn't congratulate you and your wife either....I apologize

 

Sooo... Congrats on the start of a wonderful experience...treasure every minute.

[poulters_barber]

I'm hoping there's a bit of merit in this theory actually.

 

Living in England with our poor winters, our golf season is usually just a six month affair, so over the winter we have to rely on the driving range.

 

With a holiday this year in North Carolina, I made a real effort to get plenty of practice in over the winter and wasn't doing too badly until about May of this year. Perhaps I put a bit too much pressure on myself to do well in the US, but my swing just went to the dogs. I got to a stage where I literally couldn't card a score. I could get it off the tee, and occasionally managed to hit an approach, but from within 50 yards I had no clue. This just eight months after my best ever round of 83 (which included a nine on the penultimate hole!). My brother constantly tells me that I go to the range and analyse my game too much and I think I've come to the conclusion that he's right.

 

I had a crash course of lessons without much success, and my teaching pro had to give me a drastic tip to even hit the ball (I won't share it with you, it's too ridiculous), but it did help a bit. By the end of my holiday, I'd managed to card a 97 and I put it down to not continually thrashing balls on the range but actually going out on the course and playing. I slowed my swing down, and felt much more relaxed out there. Maybe the wonderful, hot weather had something to do with it as well!

 

I've been back in England now for nearly two weeks and I'm getting ready for my first round since my holiday. I haven't been to range since I returned and to be honest I feel quite comfortable and confident about the weekend.

 

We'll probably play until the end of September, then I plan to give it a rest for five or six months. I've got a touch of tendonitis in my elbow, so a rest will probably be a good thing, but it'll be interesting to see how my game is when I actually return to the course next spring.

[oregongolf]

I've been here...

 

I probably hit the ball better, but don't have the same touch I did around the greens (that is the real stroke saver).

 

I am certain it has more to do with having a better understanding of my own swing dynamics though.

[widwio]

My saga is a little different, but same result. My daughter was born in December and living in CT the "covered driving ranges" do well in winter. Last couple years I'd beat balls on range from late November to April. This year however almost zero range and with the spring/summer weather maybe 2 range sessions a month. Fast forward to today and I have dropped into low 80's which is 10 shots better than last year. I think the 3 keys to my newfound success (for me) is.

 

1. I still hit balls in yard everyday but every thing is 20 to 50 yards pitches and alot of chipping. Trying to get consistent at turning 3 shots into 2. Lucky enough to have a couple acres.

 

2. I have become more of a student of game. Between reading theories of swings, watching LPGA golf (since my distances are closer to them than PGA) and really getting an idea of course management, and since I play less I have more time to really dissect my rounds.

 

3. Quite frankly golf isn't so important anymore. I used to shot a bad round or have my swing "fail" me and I was one of those guys who carried it around until next time I played. With the birth of my daughter I seem to be much more relaxed and able to "let things go". I treat playing a round as more of recreation than a serious job.

[TEConnor]

My saga is a little different, but same result. My daughter was born in December and living in CT the "covered driving ranges" do well in winter. Last couple years I'd beat balls on range from late November to April. This year however almost zero range and with the spring/summer weather maybe 2 range sessions a month. Fast forward to today and I have dropped into low 80's which is 10 shots better than last year. I think the 3 keys to my newfound success (for me) is.

 

1. I still hit balls in yard everyday but every thing is 20 to 50 yards pitches and alot of chipping. Trying to get consistent at turning 3 shots into 2. Lucky enough to have a couple acres.

 

2. I have become more of a student of game. Between reading theories of swings, watching LPGA golf (since my distances are closer to them than PGA) and really getting an idea of course management, and since I play less I have more time to really dissect my rounds.

 

3. Quite frankly golf isn't so important anymore. I used to shot a bad round or have my swing "fail" me and I was one of those guys who carried it around until next time I played. With the birth of my daughter I seem to be much more relaxed and able to "let things go". I treat playing a round as more of recreation than a serious job.

 

It's like the movie City Slickers. You find your "One Thing" and the rest just falls into place. That's a wise plan you have up there. In fact, a lot of top Ams and struggling pros would do well to follow just your three keys right there. Now all you need is one of those "Southwest Greens" in your yard and you are set.

 

I'm sure everyone has heard this line before, but it is worth repeating: Jack Nicklaus said that having children is what made him into a great golfer...

 

Tim

[widwio]

Believe me I been pricing out www.syntheticturfne.com, but at 15-25 bucs a sq ft I may have to wait. I havent figured out a way to "finesse" my wife about that yet. I working on it though

[TEConnor]

Believe me I been pricing out www.syntheticturfne.com, but at 15-25 bucs a sq ft I may have to wait. I havent figured out a way to "finesse" my wife about that yet. I working on it though

 

Those artificial green systems are definitely pricey. I have a buddy who built his own green, it's not really puttable, but definitely a good alternative: he build up a well drained, sand-based area of zoizia grass that he mows around 1/4 inch. Our greenskeeper helped him get the seed and sand...a group of us helped him with the excavation and planting...not an easy job but very weekend-warrior doable. It's great for hitting 40 - 60 yard shots into and for most types of high pitches cause it mimics a green pretty well from that standpoint. He has an old push mower that our course no longer used. He also built a covered putting area with inexpensive indoor/outdoor carpet that rolls pretty well for the price he paid. For the price, this setup can't be beat...maintenance is a bit tricky he says, but mostly the zoizia is a robust grass.

 

Tim

[Swoosh-Thud]

...maintenance is a bit tricky he says, but mostly the zoizia is a robust grass.

 

Tim

 

You said a mouthfull. I've got a 1000 sgft green of TifDwarf with a 30ft Tif418 collar that goes 100 yards down my driveway. Between fertilizing, mole crickets and other critters I spend more time mowing and spraying than I do putting or chipping. Gotta mow it every day/other day to keep it @ .100in, and the collar at 1/2in. Then ya gotta aereate it twice a year, top it off 3-4 times, then kill broadleafs, backlap the mowers, etc.......But you can hit full shots into it.

 

But back to the original question............the boss always tells me "I don't know why you practice so much, you always do better when you don't......"

 

It's a guestion of bad habits. Practice with purpose gets rid of bad habits. Putting down the clubs only lulls them to sleep....for a while......... but they always rear their ugly heads sooner or later.