Hello to all members of this great forum,
I have decided to come out of the closet again and hopefully we can get some good posts to my topic. The post in the "are you a lurker" post by "cam" had me thinking about this topic. This happened to me many years ago as I do not play that often anymore but I would be interested if this has happened to any current day golfers either recently or in the past.

Years ago I played about four times a week. driving range twice a week and everyday after work I would go hit balls with 7 to 9 irons in a school field. I would consistently shoot in the low 80's but I could not break the 80 barrier. I decided to take a lesson and it really caused havoc with my game. This may sound unbelievable but I could not break 100 for a whole month. Yes, I stated 100. I was as close as one could get to giving up the game for good. I remember a grip change and not sure what else I had to change. Has anyone else in this forum experienced such a drastic decline in their game to lower your score? It does not have to be from the 80's to the 70's as I would gladly play with a 25 handicap who enjoys the game of golf and knows and wants to learn the true meaning of etiquette.

I would hope that all of you would get the ultimate joy out of helping and making a better golfer out of all your golf partners and friends. I still think about this drastic regression of my game to get better to this day 30 years later. I hope to hear some good stories from everyone including the lurkers. I too lurked for many years on many forums.

Again, hope I am not the only one that experienced this situation. I am really looking forward to hearing similar golf game changing stories.

I experienced something very similar...but not as dramatic. For the last few years I've stayed between a 0 and a 3 handicap but felt I needed swing doctor help to consistently shoot low scores. I wanted the mid 60's for a low round and to routinely stay around par the rest of the time...that meant I needed to find 4 or 5 shots per round. I've got a good short game and can putt well but didn't have enough birdie chances so I went for swing help. No grip changes but had significant (or what felt like significant) posture and swing plane changes. I knew I would digress somewhat but was completely unprepared for what happened...I couldn't keep my score out of the 80's and felt like I couldn't keep the ball on the planet! BTW...I keep extensive stats on my performance and have for years and the stats showed not enough GIR or fairways hit...that's why I went for swing help and have had very, very few lessons over the last 10 years. After a few months or so I gave up on the changes I had worked so hard to engrain and went back to my old posture and plane. Sometimes the swing doctor help doesn't help. I've gotten the handicap to +.4 this year and have pretty much stayed there all summer.

Hey Michael...nice to see you back on! I was "suffering" from a few problems earlier last year. I am the worse single digit you can find. I can easily shoot in the red and the next day shoot a smooth 85. My game has been like this since I competed in high school. I took a few years off while I was married and when that was over and done with, decided to get back on the course. My game as expected was lousy. My clubs were probably about five years technologically outdated. I started playing with my buddy "PM Hacker" and although my game wasn't showing it, my mental state was still that of a good shooter. I started hitting the range every other day and playing at least two rounds a week. My whole bag changed and I got a little of my competitive fire back. I was again shooting low and high the next day. Some might think that was fine, since I had been at it for only three months again, but I couldn't stand it. I wanted to get some consistency back in my game so I decided to take some lessons.

I went through what I thought was a drastic swing change, but most people would agree that they were mainly basics that I had to be reminded of to get rid of the bad habits that were ingrained from years of swinging the same way ....and also from years away from the game. My scores immediately went sky high. I was beating balls till my hands ached. My back was killing me, but I figured the only way to get my scores out of the ridiculous 90's was to battle through the change and get something going again. Needless to say......it didn't work! I was over thinking my swing. I couldn't even take my club back without thinking of a swing thought. I had to take another break from the game. I absolutely stopped touching a club for two weeks. The only thing I did was practice putting. I would take a few practice swings in the back yard, but I wouldn't hit a ball. Let me tell you, this really helped me relax once I did get back on the course. I went to the first tee imagining a good drive with a good tempo on my swing and it came. I wasn't over thinking, but only letting everything flow and going with pure feel. I'm back shooting "good" again. I still might have a blow up round and shoot in the 80's but with the "new" swing and a rested mind, I'm shooting a whole lot more consistent rounds once again.

Michael, you'll get a kick out of my version. Unfortunately I'm revealing my weakness...my patience for a swing change. I don't have the mental dogedness like Tiger to hang in there long enough. I've tried a few major overhauls including as recently as this year with the "one" plane swing. To stay on that recent change earlier this year. When I am swinging correctly with the one plane, I can throw darts at pins, but when I'm off, hello snap hook. I played in a few tournaments and shot a couple of 79s and canned the swing. My regret is not having the patience to see the change through. Whether that swing was right for me is a whole other thread.

I have quite the opposite story but then again my game was and still isn't anywhere near yours.

I was shooting about 120 per round (really bad), 2-3 Put everything, skull some balls, and basically just use my 3 Iron off the tee so it doesn't go into the woods. I decided to start taking lessons b/c I wanted to get serious about my game. I took 4 lessons in 2 weeks, and hit the driving range every day to work on those lessons. The next time I went out I played 132 for 18. I was very dissapointed and frustrated. I still kept with my lessons and my practice and alittle over a month later I shot a 95 on the same 18 I shot a 132. For me I just had to continue to work throught my lessons so that they become more natural and then everything started to click.

Thanks,

It's great to read all of your stories and know that I'm not alone. I started this year playing well, around a '4'. Well I wasn't satisfied with the fact that I could go out and shoot 82 or 72 so I took a few lessons in the hope of getting more consistent. And just like most of you, it all went to h*ll. I mean just aweful! I coudn't get our of the 90's for few weeks or so. I was close to just posting my whole bag in B/S/T. So I just set down the sticks for 2 weeks knowing I had a trip planned for Myrtle Beach. Well after a first round debacle, things came around. The next 3 rounds, I hit it great...tons of fw's and greens and whipped everyone.

Well, after returning and thinking 'hey, it's back. I'll start hitting balls and practicing like I used to'--things are going south again. I'm afraid my decline is a result of a couple things: too much practice of not the right things, not enough playing, and too much junk floating around in my noodle!

So like it or not, I'm just going to have to suck it up and play more, think less, and not hit balls just b/c I have the time....stupid game.

Good day fellow members,
Thanks so much for taking time to reply to my topic. It is really interesting to hear all these great stories.

First of all, 3jack you are one blessed man to be playing the caliber game that you are currently playing right now. The best I ever shot was a 76 and I cannot conceive of shooting such low scores.

Reid, you are such a great representative of this great from. I know things always look great from the outside but to be living in Hawaii and being the great person you are is such a blessing. You are one lucky man. Golf can really play games with your head.

Evil R1, you are what this great game of golf is all about. Everyone one in here had to start from day one with their game of golf and I can tell you will improve and really get the full enjoyment from this great game. I must say that using a 3 iron off the tee really surprised me as the low irons to me are the toughest clubs to hit but continued success to you my friend. High handicappers should not be afraid to post here and kudos to you my friend for posting and wanting to learn each and everyday.

Thanks also to Golfchicago and Putt4dough as I know I was not the only one to experience a change. I know my change was drastic but it was worth the time and energy.

One last thought. I have no way of telling the caliber of the courses anyone plays on this forum but this game can be very humbling. I played the majority of my golf on public tracks which were only in the 6100-6300 yard range. I was blessed to be able to play a very private course that was 7100 yards. We played from the 6800 yard tee boxes. I was a 6 handicap public and the best I shot was an 89. I also played with two close to scratch public golfers and the best scores they posted were an 84 and 85. No matter how good we think we are there are some very humbling golf courses out there to set us all straight.

Hope to hear some other humbling stories. Thanks guys for the great stories and keep them coming. Michael

My story isn't too dramatic in terms of scores sliding upwards, but I can go through some VERY frustrating periods where I CANNOT seem to hit anything consistently.

What I mean is.............I can drive the ball perfectly down the middle of the fairway, and the next hole is a horrible slice 50 yards into the woods.

I'm in that mode right NOW. My #$#@$@# Driver isn't cooperating, and I'll get blocks left, or either wicked slices. My irons will either hit low and right, wicked slice, or block left. It's VERY frustrating, as my handicap has gone up several points, and my scores have gone from the low 80's to the low 90's (or higher).

(sigh). It's hard to get out of these phases, and I've never found the secret.......................Sometimes, it helps to "grind it out" at the range, other times it helps to focus on short game, and other times it helps to give up the clubs for a week or so to regroup my composure. Who knows? I guess this is what keeps us coming back to this game.

PS: Thanks for allowing me to vent - hearing other people's stories helps me figure out my issues, and try new things.