We've all been there when we've gotten off to a hot start only for our swing to feel like it has deserted us mid-round. It can often feel like it comes out of the blue however if you pay attention closely, there are always clues leading up to this point. My own personal example, this often happens by the 9th or 10th hole no matter how much I've practiced or prepared. My tendency is for my swing path to start moving more in-out which tends to start the ball further to the right resulting in a 'push' or a 'hook'. If I leave my swing unattended by the 10th hole, it can start to get worse.
Now because I have practiced and received many lessons on a consistent basis (especially when on Tour), I am quite aware of my swing habits. Now of course it's one thing to know your swing habits, but more importantly it's knowing what swing feels you need to resolve the problem quickly. For myself when the ball starts too far to the right, I know my alignment is starting to get a little closed and my body is getting slower in its rotation. Therefore when I notice my game starting to deteriorate, I may check my alignment while waiting for the group in front (This is of course in a practice swing) and practice rotating my chest during the backswing.
Once I'm happy with my alignment, I make sure I build this into my pre-shot routine for all shots moving forward. Now with the rotation of the chest, I may deliberately turn my body during one to two practice swings before each shot at least up until the 12th or 13th hole. From the 14th hole onwards I may not think about this as much and just rely on swing feels that I had when I commenced my round. The idea is to add a swing feel that you know will improve your swing and then once it's installed, allowing your body to once again rely on its natural instincts. In this way you can ensure that your swing never loses it's feel by being too technical.
The biggest takeaway is if you have consistent lessons and practice, you can stay on top of your swing and know exactly what to do when your swing swing inevitably goes awry. You will often hear from professionals that golf is not about the good shots but by the quality of your misses. This simply means that golf is more about mitigating mistakes rather than trying to hit a perfect shot each time. One real key if you're not sure what is causing your bad shots mid-round, is choosing a longer club and grip down. For example if it's usually a 7 iron distance, grip down on a 6 iron. By doing this it will make you swing slower with greater tempo. Once you start striking the ball better, you can go back to your original club of choice.
If you'd like any further help in how to manage your game mid-round just contact myself at David Waters Golf located at Emerald Lakes Golf Coaching Centre.
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