Golf Mental Breakdown Today :(

[dlow206]

I was at my club today first thing at 6:30 AM to get the first or second tee time. Found out there was a frost delay, so I went to the range and hit some balls. Experimented with a few changes to my grip and then was hitting the ball really well. As time passed, all of a sudden everything went to hell. It came to the point where holding the club didn't feel right, the backswing didn't feel right, nothing felt right. All driver shots on the range became snap hooks or grounders, it looked like I never played golf before. Mentally, I am a mess right now. Rationally, I was at the range too long (almost 4 hours) and hit way too many shots and got physically tired. However, still not able to think rationally yet. And after 4 hours, I left because the delay was still in effect.

Anyone else ever have something like this happen?

[sirchunksalot]

I've had meltdowns on the range before, especially with irons and wedges. I would go out one day and be striping them and the next day I felt like I couldn't do anything right. I felt like I had never hit a club before and got really frustrated.

With the wedges, I had to completely shock my system to get them back. I would take the club back, pause, then focus on making ball first contact. I started seeing better results and my confidence come back.

The thing to remember is this game is as much mental as physical and it can really get in your head. I know you are part of the shaft test and the pressure to perform can really mess with you because you don't want to disappoint all of us. I remember my first round with the Tommy Armour Atomic Irons I completely bombed. I had serious thoughts of giving up the game and wondering what I was doing. It got better, as I'm positive yours will to. I'm really enjoying your quest to break into the 80's. Keep it up! You'll get there.

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[fixyurdivot]

1 minute ago, sirchunksalot said:

I would go out one day and be striping them and the next day I felt like I couldn't do anything right

@dlow206, take solace in the reply above. It happens to everyone... to varying degrees mind you (i.e., @chisag's off day might look like our stripe days), but it happens nonetheless. 

[Kenny B]

1 hour ago, dlow206 said:

I was at my club today first thing at 6:30 AM to get the first or second tee time. Found out there was a frost delay, so I went to the range and hit some balls. Experimented with a few changes to my grip and then was hitting the ball really well. As time passed, all of a sudden everything went to hell. It came to the point where holding the club didn't feel right, the backswing didn't feel right, nothing felt right. All driver shots on the range became snap hooks or grounders, it looked like I never played golf before. Mentally, I am a mess right now. Rationally, I was at the range too long (almost 4 hours) and hit way too many shots and got physically tired. However, still not able to think rationally yet. And after 4 hours, I left because the delay was still in effect.

Anyone else ever have something like this happen?

Yep!  We had frost delays every day this last week.   

Seriously though, it's not a good idea to spend a lot of time on the range, especially 4 hours.  You not only get physically tired, but you start losing focus mentality.  If you experiment, only change one thing.  Your brain can't handle multiple new neural patterns.  Take breaks if you have a long time to wait.  Work on other parts of the game if you can.  Our club can usually tell us how long the delay will be.  If it's longer than an hour, I will find something else to do.

I think you'll find that the next time you head to the course, your brain has forgotten all of the experiments and your normal swing will show up again.  Happens to all of us.

[LeftyHawk]

2 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

Seriously though, it's not a good idea to spend a lot of time on the range, especially 4 hours.  You not only get physically tired, but you start losing focus mentality.  If you experiment, only change one thing.  Your brain can't handle multiple new neural patterns.  Take breaks if you have a long time to wait.  Work on other parts of the game if you can.  Our club can usually tell us how long the delay will be.  If it's longer than an hour, I will find something else to do.

Very true !!!!!!!!!!

Chris

[PlaidJacket]

I don't understand why anyone would have a meltdown on the driving range of all places. If you're not hitting the ball all that well.... pack up and go home. What's to melt down anyway? You hit a bad shot - you drop another one. It's the only place where you get a mulligan. If your ball striking is off the mark - then leave. It's not your day. It happens.

I hope you never do.... but a "meltdown" or more appropriately, a collapse usually occurs on the course under pressure during a match or tournament. The range is easy street.

[tchat07]

I've had the same thing going on recently with my wedges. I will all of a sudden start hitting these wicked bladey slices. Just need to clean up the mechanics is the best way out that I've found.

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[tony@CIC]

I've had meltdowns on the range before, especially with irons and wedges. I would go out one day and be striping them and the next day I felt like I couldn't do anything right. I felt like I had never hit a club before and got really frustrated.  

With the wedges, I had to completely shock my system to get them back. I would take the club back, pause, then focus on making ball first contact. I started seeing better results and my confidence come back.

 

The thing to remember is this game is as much mental as physical and it can really get in your head

 

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Spot on. When it's not going right and I start getting down on myself I stop. Continuing results in two things - builds in lack of confidence and reinforcement of things I might be doing wrong

 

 

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[hckymeyer]

Matt Every goes 65 - 83 a week ago.  Last year Kevin Chappell goes 59 - 73 (I think, can't remember exactly what he shot the 2nd day)

If pro's can do that from day to day why do we expect to shoot lights about every time we step on the course or range?  Let alone after a 4hr session on the range??

Enjoy the time's you're striping it, realize we are amateur's for a reason when you aren't and just try to have fun or walk away if you can't.

[Jbmullin]

I think it happens to everyone , I had it happen to me last year before a 9 hole round I actually cancelled my tee time and went to the shop where my instructor works and had a lesson instead. I was a mess.. every shot looked like I was swinging the wrong way (RH instead of LH).
After that I really limited my range time to a specific warm up and then go golf.


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[dlow206]

Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement and stories. After getting home, I took a nap and am feeling better. But my body is hurting, definitely hit too many balls haha.