What goes on in your head when you slice?

[mattthegolfer]

Hey all!

I’m doing research for a golf book and wanted to know:

What are the words you find yourself saying to yourself after an ugly slice?

What are the feelings you have? Where do you feel them?

Those little phrases that bounce around in your head… Destroying your game…

This new book is going to have targeted exercises and routines based on exactly what you’re experiencing - So the more specific the better.

[Shankster]

Interesting…

[Kenny B]

I don't slice.

[fixyurdivot]

3 hours ago, Shankster said:

Interesting…

That's one word to describe it .

[SlowNLow]

At first, self-loathing, then quickly concern for my fellow man takes over and I try to access if anyone within the county is in danger.   If so, I scream "fore", if not I will mutter a couple words that the moderator would blip out.   

Then I watch the ball until it comes to a stop or it disappears into the abyss where I try to fix on exactly where it disappeared.   I'm usually off by ten yards.   At this moment, self-loathing returns.

Snap hooks are equally as bad.   Just don't last as long.

Physically, my forehead gets hot.   Seriously,  I've noticed that when I play badly, my forehead is hot (not a fever).    But no, applying something cool to this spot doesn't turn things around,  need to cool down from the inside out, if you know what I mean.

 

 

[MNUte]

Depends on the group I'm with, to be honest. 

My normal playing partners, I tend to joke about it along the lines of "looks like I'm playing a power fade today." 

For some who make me way too competitive, I'll think "shoot" and get in my head. 

Overall, the average tends to be alon the lines of "ah well, let's figure out the next shot."

[Paul Hedrick]

I tend to use 'Navy words'

[Headhammer]

I used to be a huge slicer with the driver, but have totally fixed it.................................... now I have a straight left pull! What used to go through my head is I didn't turn on the ball and then I'd spout a few expletives. 

 

Edited February 4, 2022 by Headhammer

[RickyBobby_PR]

Samething that goes thru my head when I hook a shot, block one, thin or chunk one which is pretty much nothing and I just worry about the next shot when I get to my ball

[Kenny B]

11 hours ago, Riverboat said:

Same. My miss is a hook and pretty much always has been. 

I used to have a huge slice or pull left.  I decided I didn't want to play that way and that if I couldn't eliminate it, I would give up the game.  That was 20 years ago.

[cnosil]

16 hours ago, mattthegolfer said:

Hey all!

I’m doing research for a golf book and wanted to know:

What are the words you find yourself saying to yourself after an ugly slice?

What are the feelings you have? Where do you feel them?

Those little phrases that bounce around in your head… Destroying your game…

This new book is going to have targeted exercises and routines based on exactly what you’re experiencing - So the more specific the better.

I’ve thought about this question for a few days and find myself wondering what the angle of your book is going to be.   Also, based on comments people don’t always hit a slice as their bad shot.  Since you focused on slice, I am guessing you are targeting you mental health/mental preparation book on the newer golfer who, typically slices.

so let’s go down the general bad shot route.  What I internalize really depends on where in the round it happens or if I have been hitting that shot frequently during the round.  What I say out loud will depend on who playing partners are and how comfortable I am around them.  I don’t have any particular phrases, just mostly expressions of mental frustration.  
 

the real question I think you should be asking is what do you do as you are preparing for the next shot.  Are you mentally in the right place and is that last shot gone from your mind.  These are the types of things that Bob Rotella discusses in his books and the mental preparations that Scott Fawcett talks about in DECADE via the teachings of Brett McCabe.  

[Golfnerd]

for me it is usually saying something not nice to myself.  then after i calm down i tell myself to stop being lazy and follow through.

 

when i was younger my slice happen because i cleared my lower body too quick and my arms couldn't catch up.  now i slice when i'm lazy and don't clear my body and follow through.   i go over the top and don't clear fast enough.....lazy swing.

[mattthegolfer]

15 hours ago, SlowNLow said:

At first, self-loathing, then quickly concern for my fellow man takes over and I try to access if anyone within the county is in danger.   If so, I scream "fore", if not I will mutter a couple words that the moderator would blip out.   

Then I watch the ball until it comes to a stop or it disappears into the abyss where I try to fix on exactly where it disappeared.   I'm usually off by ten yards.   At this moment, self-loathing returns.

Snap hooks are equally as bad.   Just don't last as long.

Physically, my forehead gets hot.   Seriously,  I've noticed that when I play badly, my forehead is hot (not a fever).    But no, applying something cool to this spot doesn't turn things around,  need to cool down from the inside out, if you know what I mean.

 

 

@ the rest of yous... THIS is an example of a good response.  lol

[mattthegolfer]

3 hours ago, Kenny B said:

I used to have a huge slice or pull left.  I decided I didn't want to play that way and that if I couldn't eliminate it, I would give up the game.  That was 20 years ago.

What problem did you run into AFTER you fixed your slice/pull?

[Kenny B]

52 minutes ago, mattthegolfer said:

What problem did you run into AFTER you fixed your slice/pull?

LOL  As a beginner golfer at age 45, I had all kinds of problems.  I thought I could play this game by watching others and just playing.  I was wrong.    It wasn't until I took lessons that I eliminated the slice.  The lessons also fixed other problems, but not all.  I've been working on my swing for 25 years.  By concern at the moment is an inconsistent strike on the ball.  With the driver my tendency is to hit low on the club face.  Ball goes straight-ish, but not my usual distance.  With irons my tendency is to hit fat-ish, which also loses distance.  Generally, these issues arise at the most inopportune times (corollary to Murphy's Law).    My feeling is frustration because I know I can execute the shots.  If I play another ball, the results will usually be perfect.  I call that my "dumbass shot"... as in "Well, why didn't you do that the first time Dumbass?"

I can usually let the frustration go by the time I get to the next shot, but if I string several poor strikes in a row, the frustration mounts and my game goes south for the rest of the round.  I tend to "give up" because I know that I will not be able bring the score back to my usual number.  I am not a golfer that makes many birdies... if any.  A good game for me requires eliminating doubles or worse and using my short game to salvage pars or only get a bogeys.

[tvansky]

"Gambling is illegal at Bushwood, Sir, and I never slice!"

 

Seriously, that's what I think of.  I play well over a hundred rounds a year and, for the most part, the only slices I hit are intentional for recovery purposes.  But maybe a half a dozen times a year I'll get a little bit too close to the hosel and, UGH!  There it is!  And, yep, the Judge Smails quote is the first thing that goes through my mind.  

[tony@CIC]

21 hours ago, mattthegolfer said:

Hey all!

I’m doing research for a golf book and wanted to know:

What are the words you find yourself saying to yourself after an ugly slice?

What are the feelings you have? Where do you feel them?

Those little phrases that bounce around in your head… Destroying your game…

This new book is going to have targeted exercises and routines based on exactly what you’re experiencing - So the more specific the better.

Doesn't matter whether it's a slice, hook or sky ball - the first words are WTF. Then after calming down I quickly review my notes on my phone so that the same doesn't happen on the next hole. Note; using this approach I can generally quickly diagnose what happened and how to correct. 

[Paul Hedrick]

9 hours ago, Paul Hedrick said:

I tend to use 'Navy words'

For those of you unfamiliar with 'Navy words', they were the vernacular of US Navy personnel when I served.  Not suited for mixed company.  When I first separated, it took me a long time to get past it.  Now as I age, and getting closer to retirement, I find myself slipping back into that way of talking, especially when I slice!  LOL

[dlygrisse]

 

[rmswenson747]

i say to myself immediately... "why do you think you have to swing so hard..."  my slice is caused by the urge to swing really hard, starting at the top, with my right arm.  it amazes me that somedays my subconscious urges overrule my conscious efforts.