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I started playing just under a year ago, gradually worked my way to breaking 100. Then I had a lesson that had a disastrous effect on my game, and completely destroyed what progress I had made – and I’ve never recovered.
Now I’m completely struggling to hit the ball with any sort of decent strike, stand over it and don’t even feel like I know what I’m doing anymore.
Has anyone been stuck in a rut like this before or have any advice how to get out of it?
On the range I strike the ball pretty well with most clubs but on the course it’s a complete disaster. I joined a club that’s meant to be quiet and booked a few times with no-one around me to try and work through it ok the course – only for all the tee times around me to fill out at the minute. I’m just not sure how to get back on track.
Any suggestions gratefully received!Hi Rich,
I had something similar a long time ago and got a second opinion from another golf professional which worked for me. I would advise that you have a few lessons with another professional and stay with them to maintain consistency.
Hi Jonathan
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ve just joined a new club so it might be worth arranging a couple of lessons with the pro there and trying to get sorted. ThanksHi Rich, I wouldn’t get too down on yourself, I lose and find my swing every few rounds (9 index), it comes and goes to an alarming degree, you just need to have patience and keep working away at it, I’d say the same applies for all golfers in the 7-27 range.
You’re only a year playing, and probably made significant progress at the start, you need to accept that the next phase won’t be a straight line, it’ll zig-zag on the graph but hopefully the trend line will continue to improve.
It’s very unlikely that lesson destroyed your swing, it might just feel like it has. As Jonathan suggests, if you find a coach that will make incremental tweaks to “what you have already” rather than changing it completely you’ll be far better off.
To get back on track yourself, do some practice where the shot outcome is irrelevant, e.g. make a line in the practice bunker and try to hit that line for your ground contact (no ball) or use a divot board or go the beach. Use a dry erase maker to put a red dot on the ball and hit into a net to work on face contact. Stick an alignment rod in the ground a few yards in front of you on the range and try to start the ball left or right of it. Practice trying to hit hooks, slices, and thin shots so you know what the extremes feel like. In short, forget about the swing mechanics, ask your body to perform a task and then get your mind out of it’s way. You’ll find a swing that’s uniquely yours, and hopefully a coach that will make incremental improvements to that swing.
There’s lots of books I could recommend (really depends on what you’re into to): Adam Young https://www.adamyounggolf.com/the-strike-plan/ for ways to train for impact and strike issues, Jon Sherman The Four Foundations or Zen Golf for expectation management. Happy to have a chat with you sometime if it helps.
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