I am finding that I "lose my swing/whole game for a few holes in the middle of a round" and then "find it" again. It's driving me crazy. Example, I start off Par, Birdie, Par then double (misfit short on Par 3, bad Chip long 3 putt), then another double (pulled drive into woods, recovery blocked into right woods, recovery knockdown short, Chip long, putt burned edge). Then I sink a 16 foot putt for birdie that gets me going again and get it to 1 over after making an "unmakeable" birdie putt on 17 and lose it again on 18 for a bad bogie, 74. Next day I am 6 over after 5 holes despite a good warmup and find it to shoot 80. This is just a small example of what has been going on for months. I won't mention the 85's when I never seem to find it.
I'm reading a book now by Dr Raymon Prior, "Golf Beneath The Surface" and I think it may explain my issue. Best Mental Game Book I have ever read. I highly recommend it. You can do a search on Apple podcast or Spotify Podcasts for Raymond Prior and he has given some recent interviews while hawking his book and they are excellent to get his science based perspective. I am finding that these interviews augment the book to aid the learning process as well. Here's hoping my answer is in the pages of his book but I'm wide open to suggestions.
It's shown in Part 3 of Stage 1 of the new school. Basically, it is a drill to help you maintain the straight arms and the trail wrist "flying wedge" through impact. Doing this ensures crispy contact and a club head trailing the hands through impact. No flip and no forearm rotation. It is a golf swing to master before doing the power accumulators that come later in the curriculum.
Thanks Tom, I especially appreciate your "translation" of the whereabouts of the 2.8 drill. It would have been a long search 😀.
I have both books you recommended in my library and yes, they do a very good job with the mental game. The reason I recommended the new book by Raymond Prior "Golf Beneath the Surface", is that I found it to dispel myths of the mental game that have been espoused by many coaches and Mental Game advisors. He uses actual scientific studies to back up his approaches. I have, for decades, been trying to understand how to deal with the occasional "fear" I feel on the golf course. I've read many books and have seen a lot of explanations and advice that don't quite work for me.
After reading Prior's book I now know why. I need to recognize the difference between nervousness and anxiety while working on acceptance of an outcome. Why is nervousness inevitable while anxiety is different from nervousness, detrimental to performance and needs to be dealt with to achieve stable confidence. I have an approach that I think will finally help me to work through it and it is very different from what I have been trying to do. I'm not done learning and working but I feel like I am on a good path now.
This podcast is a good summation of his book and contains some real valuable nuggets that will stimulate your thinking.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5DxVk7ebl285yHyntfbye3?si=ctDp1YE8Qhap-yRpOM46sA
Thanks
Ed
With you…it’s a horrible mystery.
Always eager to promote the 2.8 Drill swing. I use it a lot. Probably should use it more than I do.
i have posted a comment in the past about “losing my swing” during the round. My go to remedy is to execute the 2.8 drill for the rest of the round.
I have posted scores in the 70 s numerous times using that swing. As I sit here now writing this post I am asking myself why do you not use it on every swing. Hmmmmm…
Thanks for sharing that, @edzebrow !
Another excellent book that may help you with your overall approach to the game and navigating through the hiccups is "Fearless Golf: Conquering the Mental Game" by Dr. Gio Valiante. I’ve recommended it to many of your fellow online school members and have received excellent feedback from them. I also like "Play Your Best Golf Now" by Lynn Marriott & Pia Nilsson.
Beyond these resources, it’s a good idea to have a reliable “default swing” that you can dial up mid-round when you sense that you are beginning to leak some oil. Many members use the swing provided by what was known as Drill 2.8 in the old platform, which is actually the full swing minus just a couple of power accumulators. @burkholder.ronald may be able to testify to this as he has played numerous rounds using just 2.8 and regularly shoots in the 70’s. You'll find old Drill 2.8 in Part 3 of Stage 1 in the school.