[Gintovtosik]

Well it finally broke 40* here in the NE so I went and hit balls at the range for the first time since mid-November. Overall I did pretty poorly. Most of my shots were worm burners or low screamers which is scary since I was using nothing below an 7 iron. This is my 4th year playing and I consistently played in the low to mid 90's last year. I have had marked improvement each year I've played so I have high expectations this year (i.e breaking 90) but I'm now worried that I need to 're-learn' my swing considering how poorly I hit yesterday. So after a lengthy break from hitting balls due to weather, illness, etc....how soon do you get your swing back or how soon can one expect to get it back?

[BegeMoT]

excellent thread here thanks, especially after this wild weather that most of us have received over the past couple of months. when i start getting my game ready for a new season i typically start my first few sessions working on my short game. i find that when i pitch and chip a lot my swing tends to come back quicker rather than hitting balls on the range. we all know how mental this game can be and for me, hitting poor iron shots on the range does more harm than good. obviously my weather and situation is different than yours but i just like focusing on my short game first and foremost.

[intmarkworkk]

Thanks - If it's too cold to play Winter golf, I go to the heated range, play on the sim or just swing carefully inside. Are any of those options available to you? I wouldn't recommend the latter because no matter how careful I try to be - I always hit something.

[BegeMoT]

Thanks - If it's too cold to play Winter golf, I go to the heated range, play on the sim or just swing carefully inside. Are any of those options available to you? I wouldn't recommend the latter because no matter how careful I try to be - I always hit something.

what is there to hit? you know i'm somewhat obsessed with these indoor ranges b/c i've never seen one. Can you hit full shots?

[Intiltern]

It really just depends on the person, skill level, and desire. I don't ever play over the winter because of what you just described. You go out after not playing for a few months, suck at it, then take another couple months off. Having to start and then restart is nothing but frustration for me.

The official opening of my personal season is Easter weekend. I play the two days before, every year, with a group of friends, no matter what the weather. I try and be prepared for it, so I am not too awful. Usually, I try and get to the range 2 or 3 times, and hopefully a full 18 in before then. Sometimes that doesn't happen, but that is the goal. I don't want that weekend to be the first time I hit balls. Does that put me in mid-season form? Not by a long shot, but it is usually enough to play decent for the first time out after winter.

My best advice when you are coming off a long layoff -- don't hit any full shots. My first time on the range I will only hit 1/2 and 3/4 shots just to get the feel back and muscles loose. Plus, it help focus on making solid contact. I won't touch the driver or 3-wood until I can hit mid irons like I want to.

[intmarkworkk]

what is there to hit? you know i'm somewhat obsessed with these indoor ranges b/c i've never seen one. Can you hit full shots?

I meant I hit things in my living room - end table, chairs, etc.

Yes, you can hit full shots. There are domes - ask Esox to describe them. Heated ranges - same as any other, but they are heated in the part where you are standing. Indoor ranges - they use a sim.

[BegeMoT]

I meant I hit things in my living room - end table, chairs, etc.

Yes, you can hit full shots. There are domes - ask Esox to describe them. Heated ranges - same as any other, but they are heated in the part where you are standing. Indoor ranges - they use a sim.

I'll leave that to another thread, but thanks for answering anyway. i feel like a tool "what kind of things do you hit". i've been up with foster since 6 this morning. amazing how kids don't care whether or not it's the weekend.

STLFAN-i really like your advice here. there should be no rush to go out and pound golf balls after hibernation.

[fuslssdfaa]

I usually play my best golf of the year in spring just because I don't have swing thoughts confusing myself. My key is a very loose grip to start the season off and keep the body loose and force myself to keep my head still and don't sway to much left or right. Late in the season I usually start to grip tighter and swing harder.

[poRmawayncmop]

I might lose my chipping touch a bit after a long layoff, but I don't seem to lose the full swing or my putter. Mostly I just go out and pick up where I left off. If I feel I need to practice, it's usually at the chipping green.

[Todilrdc]

I usually am pretty bad the first few rounds as well. I can definatly get the ball in the air, but most of them being severely off target. I play hockey so converting from a hockey shot to a golf swing is really weird.

For the past few seasons I have been hitting balls indoors so I am not as rusty. It usually takes me a good 5 or 6 rounds to get my game back.

[kvitacencia]

Take tcalloway1 and StLFan's advice and mesh them together. Aim for a target date that scoring will be important. Work on short game and work up on irons then hybrids/woods. Important thing for short game to irons transition, I like to hit wedges and low irons at 1/2 to 3/4 shots before hitting full. I'd say that's about 4-5 at the range. Hopefully by then it'll be warm enough to play 9/18 and play your first out without keeping score and just hit without bearing down (kind of ease into it). Make note of your swing while playing so you can go back to the range to seriously work on it. To me that's about a month's worth of work.

Good luck on the new season.

[VowJoyday]

It usually takes me about a week of practice before my swing comes back. My full swing comes back pretty quickly, its my chipping, pitching and putting that typically takes the longest to come back to life.

[intmarkworkk]

Thanks - I've been thinking about this. I love the Spring and a new golf season. Even if I've played in the Winter - when handicap season opens, it's a new start - every single year. It's like that first day of school all over again - everything is shiny and new. Cmacdonald is right - there is nothing to confuse you and your slate has been wiped clean. I don't think you need to worry about having to learn everything over again.

[Gskdmidd]

After I take a long break, I find that my initial issues are with my grip and initial set-up. Although I am more aware of it now, after a long break I would often use a slightly weaker grip than I prefer using. If I didn't catch it right away, I would begin to unknowingly flip the wrist a bit early in order to square the club face at impact. This leads to a high ball flight that lacks maximum distance.

But... when I come back from a long break, I stay at the range until I am satisfied. This could be 100 balls or 500.

[PolPitasc]

Pretty hard for me to say, my layoff before last season was about 10 years, lol. However, I started on the range and what interlooper said above was very similar. Everything was very sloppy until I started remembering the small things like head still, turn instead of sway, elbo's in. I actually stopped using any intentional wrist cock for the first few outing and slowly regained the feel of the club before even trying full swings. The hardest part for me was getting back to the left side without feeling like I was going to fall forward, hehe.

[Unwiseevove]

Well I can play year around and guess what? I still lose my swing from time to time. I have a few things I do to recover it. One is to work on my LW flop shots. The one where the ball goes vertically sky high, but only travels a short distance horizontally. If I can hit that shot, then I know my tempo, and timing are getting back on track with each other. Those two issues (tempo & timing) are usually what is missing in a golfer's swing after a lay off. If that drill does not work, then I just don't pick up my clubs for a few days, and then try that flop shot again. I might just spend a few days of nothing but putting before working on that short game shot again.

Worst case scenario is I start with chip shots, and work my way back to full swings with the longer clubs.

That's the way I roll when that problem creeps up on me.

[Gintovtosik]

I went to the range again yesterday to beat another 100 balls into submission while trying to incorporate some of the feedback received on this thread. After halfway through and teetering on whether to quit the game or not, something clicked. Tempo got better, set-up got better, etc and shots started to get more consistent. Distance isnt there yet (short by 10-15 yds vs. my normal distances) but I'll take what I can get right now. Couldn't hit my gap wedge to save my life as everything was painfully a low slice but at least I could chip/pitch with it. The strange thing was my best and most consistent shots came from my 5w and 3 hybrid. thanks to everyone for their input!

[enentique]

I went to the range again yesterday to beat another 100 balls into submission while trying to incorporate some of the feedback received on this thread. After halfway through and teetering on whether to quit the game or not, something clicked. Tempo got better, set-up got better, etc and shots started to get more consistent. Distance isnt there yet (short by 10-15 yds vs. my normal distances) but I'll take what I can get right now. Couldn't hit my gap wedge to save my life as everything was painfully a low slice but at least I could chip/pitch with it. The strange thing was my best and most consistent shots came from my 5w and 3 hybrid. thanks to everyone for their input!

That is weird being to hit your longer clubs the best. Sounds like you're making good progress.

When I'm at the range and my shots are going all over the place, I pull out the SW and start hitting lobs like Prov does with his LW. It helps me to feel my swing a little better (since it's the heaviest club in my bag) and slow the swing down a bit.

[Gintovtosik]

That is weird being to hit your longer clubs the best. Sounds like you're making good progress.

When I'm at the range and my shots are going all over the place, I pull out the SW and start hitting lobs like Prov does with his LW. It helps me to feel my swing a little better (since it's the heaviest club in my bag) and slow the swing down a bit.

Aside from my longer clubs, my SW and LW were the most consistent clubs for me yesterday for chipping/pitching. Full shots are still not there but baby steps right now

[VowJoyday]

You definetly wont need to re-learn your swing, it will just take a while before you are playing at the same level you were at the end of last year.
Over the winter months your skills and your senses are going to dull a little bit, but it shouldnt take long for them to come back.