Golf can beat you up. Take the case of Hal Sutton, a Tour player in the 1990s. Sutton went into a horrific slump early in the decade. It got so bad he almost lost his playing card.

Instead of doing what most guys would do (practice more, press more, keep plugging away), he took some time off. It was a game-changing decision for Sutton—maybe the best of his career.

While Sutton was away, he visited Jackie Burke, a gifted golf instructor. Jackie helped Sutton assess his game objectively and identify what he was doing wrong with his swing. He also provided Sutton with some fresh ideas on how to get his game back on track.

The visit paid off. Sutton found his game again, and went on to win a bunch of tournaments, including the Players Championship in 2000.

Weekend golfers don’t always have a Jackie Burke to turn to when their game goes south. They often have to make do with what they have, which is resources like this newsletter, and themselves. To help golfers in this predicament, I’ve provided six game-changing, self-diagnosing golf tips below that can help you get back on track and reduce your golf handicap:

1) Swing faster to regain distance: If you’ve lost some distance off the tee, it could be because you’ve lost some flexibility or strength as you’ve aged. Ramping up your swing speed will help you regain the distance you’ve lost. One exercise to do that is to hit 30 shots with your driver as hard as you can. Don’t worry about where they go. Just try to hit the shots on the clubface’s center.

2) Use a weighted club to regain strength: Another way to regain distance off the tee is with a weighted club. They’ve been around for years. But with the advent of lighter and lighter clubs, we’ve gotten away from using them. A weighted club can help you strengthen your arms, forearms, and wrists. Take 20 or 30 swings a day. Just make sure you swing it slowly and you copy your golf swing closely—don’t overcompensate for the extra weight.

3) Get help for a shank: If the reason you’re slumping is because you’re shanking, you’re in deep trouble. The shank is the worst of all shots because of the impact it has on your psyche. Shanking can completely obliterate your confidence. Stop trying to figure it out on your own. Take some golf lessons. You’ll be glad you did. A teaching pro can help get you back on the right track, and tailor the prescription to your unique needs.

4) Check your eyes to fix your putting: If you’re missing those critical five-footers, your eyes could be at fault. A subtle shift in your eye alignment can be the cause. At address, check that your eyes are parallel to the target line and that they’re directly over the ball or just inside the line of play. Correcting the change in eye alignment helps you aim more accurately and square up the clubface better. Within no time, you’ll see more and more putts drop.

5) Learn to play around injuries: Golfers seldom play a round where they don’t suffer minor injuries. We’re talking about things like the everyday bumps and bruises we’re all prone to now and then. If you want to go low consistently, you must learn to play around these injuries. Of course, if the injury is serious, stop playing and see a doctor.

6) Do the exact opposite: One Tour player recently went into a deep slump with his chipping game. Unfortunately, he couldn’t correct the problem by making minor adjustments to his swing. During the off-season, he practiced doing the exact opposite of what he was trying to do. This effort helped him get his chipping game back. Admittedly, he went to the extreme here. But sometimes that can work.

These six game-changing golf tips can help you get your back on track when your game goes south. They can also help you go low consistently and chop strokes off your handicap. One last game-changing golf tip: If you’re getting back to golf after a really long hiatus, expect a whole new reality. Equipment and even courses can change a lot in a short amount of time. Know that, and you’ll ease your transition somewhat, and help yourself go lower than ever before.