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DuQuoin, IL, Carlinville, IL
Joined: 8/16/2007
Posts: 17
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Posted: Apr/13/2008 11:17 PM PST
Hello, I'm not really expecting to get the BIG answer to all my problems from this forum post but why not try?
I play golf for my college (Blackburn (division III)) and I've never been an AWESOME golfer but I have been decent.
Anyways, I had to make a decision on a sport to play my freshman year here, and I chose golf. I was really playing well this summer and thought I could really help this team. I played very much during the summer and improved quite a bit.
I've never been VERY long or anything but I could hold my own. Towards the end of last summer my 150yd club was an 8 iron. I was also good at hitting 3/4 shots with a club up (7i for 150). PW was about 125 or so. Driver did change occasionally but around 260yds.
well at the very end of the summer before school started I started playing a little worse. By the time the tournaments started I had become quite a bit worse than I had been. By the time the fall season was done I did not think I could get any worse. I decided maybe I should take a small break (it was winter anyways) and be able to come back a little better (maybe forget how to swing bad).
Well when I came back for the spring season I was even worse. When It was way worse than the fall season. I really felt like I played better the first month i began playing golf.
During the fall season the main problems were inconsistancy and just not scoring well. The spring season was different, my distance was COMPLETELY gone. I lost at least 50 yards off of every club. Instead of an 8 iron going 150yds it was a 3 iron.
I suffered through the spring season and now its over for me. I have not been able to figure out what my problem was. I do know i had a pretty bad mental game during the spring season, but who can blame me when i lost 50 yards off of everything and playing tough courses. I would play rounds and maybe do ok for a little bit, but makign the realization that it takes 4-5 good shots just to get to a par 5 just did so much damage to my head. Not to mention how embarassing it is to have to hit driver off of almost every hole ( including par 3s)
Before, I had a nice long shot with a little draw, and now its a big slice that i cannot cure. I have never been in this bad of a funk before. It drives me crazy, and if i cannot fix this problem i will probably not be playing competitively for awhile.
I dont think anyone can really tell me whats wrong without seeing my swing, maybe i will record it later and let you see.
I guess I dont really know the point of this post (desperation?)
edit: i've addressed many possible problems and nothing has really cured it.
i also wonder if it is somethign really screwed up in my head that is causing it. I've had a pretty bad winter between myself getting in big trouble for something dumb and my parents splitting up.
maybe what i need is a shrink not a club pro?
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San Angelo
Joined: 8/16/2007
Posts: 16
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Posted: Apr/14/2008 8:01 AM PST
Try a pro, you'd be surprised what they can see and I bet they've seen many people with the same problem.
There's gotta be something going on and it always helps to get someone else's opinoun
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DuQuoin, IL, Carlinville, IL
Joined: 8/16/2007
Posts: 17
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Posted: Apr/14/2008 10:05 AM PST
yeah thats the plan... it was just hard to do that while having tournaments all the time during the season, but now that its over I will do that.
also interesting that we joined this website on the same day 
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North Carolina
Joined: 8/16/2007
Posts: 91
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Posted: Apr/14/2008 10:31 AM PST
I'm sorry to hear about your personal troubles and your parents' breakup. That stuff does a number on the psyche, for sure.
(1) In my head, I agree with the other posters, that a pro will absolutely help you, and will probably diagnose your swing problems in an instant. Their tips will most likely have you regaining your game immediately, which in turn will help with...
(2) In my heart, having been through the things you're going through, I believe you're just carrying around a huge load of internal stress. You may logically rationalize and justify everything that has happened (which is a good thing to do) -- but your body never lies. I'll bet most of your swing problems are a direct result of accumulated tension in your arms, chest, and neck, causing you to tighten up and shorten your swing, losing the easy tempo and rhythm that once gave you the distance. So, perhaps try letting go of everything else in life when you play or practice, and just swing away with no expectations of performance. I'll bet your game will return as easily as it departed.
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Joined: 12/05/2007
Posts: 482
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Posted: Apr/14/2008 12:37 PM PST
you probably could use a golf pro and a shrink and I don't say that joking!
It would be one thing if you were driving the ball 325 and now it's down to 275. But for you to say you used to use an 8 iron from 150 and now your using a 3 iron is crazy.
I don't want to scare you but I would also be concerned that you have something PHYSICALLY wrong. How do you feel on a day to day basis? Are you energetic or do you feel lethargic. To lose that much distance you could be losing strength due to some kind of major illness (lymphoma, cancer, etc) This is doubtful, but possible.
Lastly, your a young guy in college. Are you partying hard, doing drugs, etc. Those could be part of the cause but probably not all of it.
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DuQuoin, IL, Carlinville, IL
Joined: 8/16/2007
Posts: 17
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Posted: Apr/14/2008 7:28 PM PST
thanks for all the advice. It all sounds helpful. I hope I don't have any bad illness or anything. On one side many days I do feel stressed and just bad physically, but on the other hand i've also been able to run 8 miles in a decent time without working out a lot beforehand.
The pro and the shrink sound like the best idea really. I just need to find money. Drinking, drugs, partying, etc. isnt a problem. I dont do any drugs nor smoke. I drink some, but only occassionally, not even once a week, maybe once a month, and its not a lot.
I guess one of my worst physical (or mental?) problems has been sleep and concentration. I can never sleep when I want to sleep. Which means at night I stay up and cant sleep, but then during classes or when im needing to do things i feel like im about to sleep.
I'm just going to take it easy and focus on these classes for awhile and not golf too much. Then i'll end up going to a shrink and a pro. I'll probably just wait until summer when i have time.
and my last comment is this: you dont know how screwed up you are until you write half of it down.
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West Lothian
Joined: 11/08/2007
Posts: 117
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Posted: Apr/15/2008 2:16 PM PST
For sleeping and concentration you can try bracelets.
There are lots targeted at golfers. Magnets, alloys, materials, ions etc.
I wear TRION:Z. They are cheap compared to some of the others and
'I think it works'.
Probably all in the mind, but Hey, isn't that golf anyway?
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Richmond, KY
Joined: 10/22/2007
Posts: 76
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Posted: Apr/18/2008 3:28 PM PST
Having gone through some life situations that really screwed everything in my life up not too long ago...I can only tell you what worked for me.
The only way I could keep sleep somewhat regularly was to spend every free moment I had during a day doing something. I walked, walked, walked, walked...and this may sound cheesy to some people, I talked to God. I'm not telling you that God is your answer or anything...I'm just saying that it never hurt anyone to vocally express things that are on their mind..even if no one else can hear them. Get them out of your mind and into the world. I spent a lot of time keeping my mind focused on something. Video games, sports, work, whatever. I found that focusing on something like school work made the problem worse..anything I tried to do that was serious, I failed at because my mind would wander about my problems.
Your situation isn't like what I went through but give yourself time to heal, and allow it to happen..don't try to force it..know what I mean? Even it if means looking at golf as a means of escape and not having a goal of doing this or that for a round..just get out and think about how lucky we are to be able to enjoy the world, the weather, a beautiful game...just have fun with it. Unneeded pressure is the last thing someone under a lot of emotional stress needs.
Lastly, for my sleep..I responsibly used sleeping pills to help me through the tough times. If I had a night where I couldn't stay asleep or couldn't fall asleep..I tried one tylenol PM and if it didn't work took the other. Some nights I'd be so tired from doing things I'd fall right to sleep.
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Joined: 8/16/2007
Posts: 136
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Posted: Apr/19/2008 5:53 AM PST
When stressed , I tend to grip the club much too hard and at the very top of the shaft.
I found that gripping down the shaft by an inch or 1.5" makes it a lot easier to load the club. For some strange reason, clubhead speed actually increases and ball go straight.
You're young, strong, and resilent. You'll get it back. Most answers are simple ones.
Good luck, logo.
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Maryland
Joined: 3/08/2008
Posts: 125
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Posted: Apr/22/2008 7:33 AM PST
It's definitely a job for a shrink. If you are consistently getting worse, it's a head thing. You're not confident in your shotmaking ability. This (among other reasons) is why golf needs cheerleaders.
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