Struggling!

So around two months ago i was hitting low 80's and even broke 80 a couple of times on a few different courses...fast forward to now & i'm struggling to break 100. i feel like i'm swinging the same but clearly something has changed...i was hoping my scores would improve with the weather but it seems to have had a complete opposite effect. I've got a golf trip in three weeks and if i'm scoring like i am i really won't enjoy the golf part of it! I got my handicap down to a 14.1 at the turn of the year & it's already back to 15 after around 8 rounds. The last round i feel like i played 'ok' in had 7 pars 3 triples, 2 quads, 2 doubles and 4 bogeys...I'm at a loss with whats going wrong! i feel like i don't putt badly, maybe I've been losing my head and not concentrating properly when i start hitting the doubles etc. Anyone have any 'tricks' they've used to yank them out of playing badly? Putting all my change into my left pocket a la Tin Cup springs to mind.

good kick up the arse haha just need to concentrate more wen u have bad holes.

Ha! I think that's a valid point...shouldn't be scoring worse than a double on any hole & i've had so many quadruples & triples lately i've started to lose count!

I went through a shocking patch for a couple of months. I booked in for a half hour lesson with the Pro and since then have played 100 times better and even pulled my handicap in horrible wet and windy conditions conditions. turned out it was mainly a grip issue but a also a problem cocking my wrists a bit early. Get a quick lesson and they will sort you out.

A good coach can correct a fault that you may have developed. An excellent coach can give you all the information and tools so you can correct your faults as they occur out on course. Follow your gut as well, sometimes I play badly and go out and play again the next day and it's fine, sometimes I need a little break. Find whatever works for you, no harm in trying anything really.

Could the problem be that two months ago your course would be playing quit a bit shorter than it is now I know from past experiences in the winter with no championship tee being used so most holes are shorter thus you might score better

Cheers for the suggestion of having a pro take a look. if i can't figure it out on the range over the next two weeks i might have to. James - it's definitely not that...the courses I play on are basically all chalk based & are links style which means drainage is pretty excellent and a lot of the time the courses actually play longer in the winter (no winter tees or greens generally speaking) and i personally don't think i'd hit 20 shots more on a course that's playing 1000 yards longer....It's definitely my swing, or set up, or grip... ha! Went to the range tonight and to say it went badly would be an understatement. Shanks and tops Galore and when i finally got the ball in the air everything was hit fat....Don't you just love this blooming game!

sounds like youve started or picked up a fault in your swing either get a pro to run their eyes over your swing or take it right back to basics and hit the range and just take a 7 iron and start hitting the ball at half swing until ur hitting the ball in your more usual manner, then start to increase the swing speed and keep increasing this as youre hitting the ball cleanly again, until your almost at full swing. Ive found this to help, then change clubs and do the same with your 5 iron or pitching wedge.

Expectation and pressure will certainly play a part, because your playing so well you expect to play better then when it gets worse you beat yourself up a bit more. I too am now off 15, and on the holes I don't get shots I really feel the pressure. what happened on the quad holes that caused them. hows your chipping, ive noticed a massive difference since the weather has changed at how much easier it was with wet greens compared to these hard firm greesn.

Yep, that's very true Alun. An interesting point you make about the holes that we don't get shots on...i don't ever actually pay attention to the SI of a hole. I try to make par or bogey on every hole and allow my self two double bogeys a round...if i do that then i feel I've played well and i'll shoot around handicap. my shortgame in fairness has been relatively 'decent'. i'd love to be able to blame that on the poor scoring! maybe it's just a lack of confidence coupled with a swing fault that is then exaggerated due to that lack of confidence. Still, hopefully i can get over it soon & it's good to know i'm not the only one!

I feel your pain, female over 50 golfer, third season with a handicap, gone from 34 to 19. Have now joined new club for my third season, spent first two seasons at the same club but moved on due to lack of women players. All good at new club, except I cannot play to handicap, not even anywhere near! I've played 2 qualifiers and a couple of 'fun' rounds, the fun rounds were fine, felt like I'd started to get more comfortable with the course, but the 2 quailifiers were appalling. I'm now dreading each round in case I do worse.

Andrew - Lesson! You'll spend more on range balls trying to figure it out. Anh half decent pro will straighten you out in 5 minutes.

I'm a huge advocate for lessons Greg! I got myself down to around an 18/19 without lessons...had three lessons with a top 100 uk golf coach and he got me down to a 14 almost immediately, which i think is quite impressive on his part, considering i didn't have any short game lessons! That included changing my shot shape form a natural fade to a natural draw.

I went to the range last night just to see if i could figure it out & low and behold within 5 balls it clicked! Just hope i can get some confidence back into my game in time for the golf trip i go on in a weeks time, but at least i know i won't be shanking every other shot! For me it was all down to tempo. Slowing down my backswing seems to have cured it. I guess i was getting too annoyed and kept trying to swing too hard or fast which stopped me getting the club in the right positions! Cheers for all the input again!