Need to get over a slump ASAP - Help!

[luke-donald-duck]

So golf season is officially underway at my school, and we've played several matches so far. I started out the season great, shooting around 40 to 41 on 9 holes on average during practice rounds. I had one bad day where I shot 44, but that was offset by 3 straight days afterwards where I shot 37, 40, and 40. That put me squarely in our starting JV squad (our JV's pretty much as good as most other schools' varsity teams).

 

The strongest part of my game has always been my iron play, I'm usually able to hit at least 6 or 7 GIRs every 9 holes. The past week or so though, I've been playing terribly. I feel like this is because of my coach's method where we play practice rounds every day, instead of having range days where we can work on our shots - I haven't had a range session in the past 3 weeks! I practiced a lot over my spring break, to the point where it was almost guaranteed that I'd hit the green from 180 or so yards in. Now, I can't seem to hit any of my irons longer than a wedge straight. I'll hit a great drive, have about 150 yards in to an easy pin, and pull my 9 iron 20 yards left into a bunker. Or push it 15 yards right. You get the picture. My last few rounds have been 44 (+10 on par 34 - worst 9 holes in a long time), 44 (+8), and 45 (+9): In each of those rounds, I've hit less than 2 GIRs.

 

I've tried asking my coach for range days, but he's adamant that most people on the team are losing strokes in putting and short game, and refuses to let the team go to the range. He tells me I'm hitting the ball well enough, and that if anything, I need to work on my short game. Well, I have been working on my short game, it's a heck of a lot better than it was 3 weeks ago. But short game can only take you so far when the greens are in as bad shape at our course as they are right now - I hit several decent chips today and lipped out on five 6~10 footers (shot 45, and yes, I do need to work on putting). At this point, I'm 110% sure that I'm losing more strokes from missing greens than I am from bad chipping.

 

So I feel like I'm sort of in a slump right now. Which I seemingly have no solution to. If I keep playing this badly, I could be in danger of not being put on the roster for matches, which would really, really bum me out. So what do you guys think I should do to deal with this? 

[hckymeyer]

Can't you hit a bucket after practice or on the weekend?

[luke-donald-duck]

Course isn't available on the weekend, it's a school contract thing, so we're only allowed to play when we're there with the entire team or when we're playing in matches. I also go to a boarding school, so I can't stick around alone to hit balls after practice, have to get back to campus with everyone else.

[Mr_Theoo]

Maybe try playing 2 or 3 balls during your practice rounds, that way you get more than one shot on approaches?

[hckymeyer]

Not sure where you are located, but there has to be some sort of range around you could hit on a weekend.

 

Otherwise I would try talking with your coach again, maybe asking for extra practice time so you aren't shorting the short game, just adding more iron play.  Possibly even make a game of it.  Tell him if you can get up and down on the practice green 10 times in a row then you get to go hit a bucket of balls.

 

Lastly without seeing your game or knowing your coach, is it possible he's right?  With a 7 handicap you must have a pretty repeatable swing, it sounds like you are just in a little funk with the irons.  That happens to everyone and it comes and goes.  Your short game can save you day in and day out.  Embrace it and make your short game as good as it possibly can be.

[whiskey golf]

The short game practice will benefit you, I'm not good with iron play but I can shoot better on a day where my short game is on and missing greens versus hitting greens but putting and chipping horribly. My last match I had to rely on my short game many times and was able to get up and down most of the time, I had one of my best rounds for the high school season that day. The iron game will come back around, there are times when things don't seem to click but it'll come back to normal. 

 

You also mentioned you need to work on putting. I started to focus on putting a lot more this year and it's helped a lot. 

[mnfats95]

Whenever I start spraying the ball I try to find the easiest miss to recreate and change my shot alignment for that miss. I then just go with it. The swing eventually comes back around.

 

If it's a pull to the left then I'll aim at the right side of the green and if I happen to hit it straight I have a long putt and if I hit it left I might be closer. I also throw away any ideas about aiming at pins and focus on hitting the green only.

 

I also remind myself that golf should be enjoyable, no one likes to play poorly, but you are less likely to play well if you are upset with bad shots. Treat each green miss as an opportunity to make a great up and down. It sounds like you are a decent balls striker, make this an opportunity to become a great scrambler.

 

Lastly, I don't know the coach's side of the story, but I find it odd that he wouldn't grant you range time or at least offer his advice as to why your swing is out of sync.

 

Just remember that it will all come back around and just be patient, even if you miss a few matches treat it as an opportunity to grow and fight your way back.

 

Good Luck!

[Kor.A.Door]

sometimes when i get into a slump like that, i try to stop thinking about it, what i mean is that sometimes the problem is in your head, ie. thinking too much. you think so much about the shot, that you forget to execute it properly.

[HighFade]

Telling me I can't go to the range is like telling me I can't have air.

 

I say, find a way. Even if it's hitting foam balls in the front yard.

[luke-donald-duck]

You also mentioned you need to work on putting. I started to focus on putting a lot more this year and it's helped a lot. 

 

Well, by putting, I really need to work on making more putts from 6~12 feet, as those are distances that I frequently find myself left with. I don't 3-putt a lot, maybe once or twice every few rounds, if that. The thing is, the greens at our course were redone this spring and the grass still hasn't grown back. So there are groove lines all through the greens; some have dried out so they're really fast, others are super slow, so at this point I can't really work on that part of my game consistently.

 

On the other hand, we finally did have a range day today. Sort of. We had stations where we played 2 holes, chipped, putted, and hit on the range for about 20 minutes each. But hey, 20 minutes is better than nothing. I was definitely able to get a lot more dialed in with my wedges, and worked out my swing a little with the irons. A range session was definitely what I had needed, if only 20 minutes could improve my ballstriking by that much. I feel a lot more confident now, even though I haven't brought it out to the course yet.

 

Now all that's left is to play in tomorrow's match... finger's crossed.