Frustrations of the Game

[Sandpiper3]

Well, ive been practising hard lately, and i've been feeling as though its starting to pay off. Ive been hitting the ball about the best of my life lately and my putting and chipping is coming back after a short stint of retarded loss of feel at my last tourney this past week. Been missing an avg of 1 fw a round, piping my drives with a nice draw every time. Most of my irons are well struck, everything perfect on the range.

Then I actually go out and play... Still piping every drive, hittin on average 280-290 right now, my shortest drive of my day today was 275 down the centre, missed no fairways. Putting was pretty good, had 31 putts with the new Red X2 (but played at 33" until I get the belly shaft).

But then get this... shot 85. Freakin crap shoot out there. Today was our Jr British Open, and two of the other 0-10 hdcp players were away at the Cdn Jr, all that were left were me and my other friend. So its match play pretty much. So im already 4 over through 5, and I havent missed a fw yet, I think i effed up every single approach shot on the course... I was 8 back through 9, and then kept having chance to get back into it, as I was in the middle of the fw EVERY HOLE and then he kept having problems off the tee.

Problem was that I'd chunk like every approach shot, hit an entire 5 GIR after hitting 14 FWs, NOT ONE HOLE i had more than a 6 iron in... 3 of the par 5s had irons in, one of them had a 6 iron in, and bogeyed them all. I was seriously contemplating just leaving and dumping my irons out the window on the way home, it was completely retarded...

Range warmup didnt miss a shot, practise after didnt miss a shot, on the course couldnt hit an iron for my life, I'd have literally had a better chance punching drivers off the fairway...

Wow... I've narrowed it down to either my mind sucks royal @$$ (which it probly does anyway), or my irons hate me, I know physically of why I kept hitting it fat, I kept dipping into the shot (which is why I pure every drive cuz I stand straight up and dont really move to swing down the line for a little nice draw)...

GAHHHHHHH....... freakin rant's over....... Maybe I can sort this out sometime soon so I dont show up in PA a choke artist...


edit- wow thats a long rant... watta waste of time to read

[Greydawg]

Sandpiper, as frustrating as it is to play a "bad" round,
remember there are guys like me that would give up their first-born to shoot an 85!!!!!

Hang in there, my friend...
Better days are a'comin'!!!!

[clemsonhacker]

i dont think the range finder can help this...lol

[JEFF4i]

Pfff, MAN UP! I had an 11 in a state tournament...ON A PAR 3!!!

Hahaha. Honestly, this sounds really sucky, but age does help man, and the coaches in PA will know it.

One question though, and it's a must for honesty. How do you react to a bad shot?

[Sandpiper3]

Originally Posted by JEFF4i

Pfff, MAN UP! I had an 11 in a state tournament...ON A PAR 3!!!

Hahaha. Honestly, this sounds really sucky, but age does help man, and the coaches in PA will know it.

One question though, and it's a must for honesty. How do you react to a bad shot?

The first handful of them are just kinda look at them and think about what I did, usually make a joke to myself and move on, after doing it for about 5-6 straight times out of the middle of the fw I just kinda start to stand there in amazment about making the same mistake over and over again. Ill usually ask myself "wtf is all this stupid sh*t" (but in french so ppl dont understand/hear that im swearing, just talking level, not yelling or anything).

I keep trying to get out of it, but it just kinda sticks around, ill maybe play 2-3 holes better in the middle and feel like him getting back on track, then ill do it again and just pretty much completely deflates me (this point yesterday was when I was +12 through 16).

[Sandpiper3]

The only positive though is im not making big numbers, just lots of bogeys, I finally solved always having big numbers in tournaments two weeks ago, havent made worst than a bogey in 5 straight tourney rounds now.

Although it doesnt really help when your making 10-14 bogeys a round....

[JEFF4i]

Well, you gotta keep it on an even keel. It's really hard, I know, but every shot, good or bad, is meaningless after you've hit it. All that matters is the next one.

What helps keep this attitude? Don't get so worked up you can't have a bite to eat or something to drink. Also, I'm not a big talker on the course, so instead of internalizing and being frustrated, I just focus every ounce on what lies ahead.

Also, if you start to get back on track you know you can. One shot "can" deflate you, but don't let it. Think to yourself that you've begun getting it back, and that one shot was just the pisspoor mistakes of earlier getting their last bits. Probably my best example would be getting a 43 on a front nine of rec play, getting a 8 on the next par 4, and then parring out (with the exclusion of one birdie). During the par-run, I had one just terrible approach shot that I lost way right and into the bushes. Forced myself to focus and made a nice shot for an amazing up and down. Why did I do that?

Forgot about the last shot, and moved on. Easier said than done. Simple advice. But integral.

Also stress-relievers help. You've got a girlfriend, don'tcha?

[JEFF4i]

Originally Posted by Sandpiper3

The only positive though is im not making big numbers, just lots of bogeys, I finally solved always having big numbers in tournaments two weeks ago, havent made worst than a bogey in 5 straight tourney rounds now.

Although it doesnt really help when your making 10-14 bogeys a round....

True. However, I was talking to my brother about golf and pretty much said this...

The matter between a bogey and a par is inches, sometimes feet. How far did you miss the green? What about the chip? What about the putt? Those are three things that give you three different chances to make par. Iron them out, as best you can, and it'll be so much easier.

Same really goes for birdies and pars, though, much harder to get a birdie from off the green.

Also, don't beat yourself up on every bogey. I used to, but that's why you get birdies or solid pars. Counter-act.

[Sandpiper3]

Originally Posted by JEFF4i

Also stress-relievers help. You've got a girlfriend, don'tcha?

She's more stress than reliever at this point....

And you said in ur second post about missing the green, the tough part about that is im barely getting within 50 yards of the green most of the time, thats how fat im hitting it...

Just gota stop tihnking about it, problem is im not guna have a round that means anything now for awhile.. So who knows. The problem has been I havent played a practise round and shot worst than 76 all year, but as soon as the round means something (tourney, club events etc) i seem to start just making bogey after bogey.....


grrrr.......

[JEFF4i]

Funny. I'm the other way around usually.

Honestly dude, just take it easy. Work on your game, and put something on the line every time. I made a deal with my girl, for every birdie she gives me a dollar, and bogey I give her a dollar. That way I try and break even, and I have something challenging me to do well on each shot.

The best I can really say is work, really really really really really, hard, on moving on from each shot. Let the mental game work on the individuals, and you'll see less bogeys.

[Sandpiper3]

Alright. Any advice on forgetting the last shot and moving on? Or is it something where you just kinda have to do it?

[clemsonhacker]

its just something you have to do...its hard but you have to do it

[JEFF4i]

Originally Posted by Sandpiper3

Alright. Any advice on forgetting the last shot and moving on? Or is it something where you just kinda have to do it?

Tiger gives himself something like 6 steps to be angry about the shot he had, then forgets it after.

[MoreGolf]

Whatever routine you have on the range take it to the course. Maybe you are rushing your shot and maybe you are thinking to much about the shot. I would work on a routine to do before every shot, something maybe to calm you down and take the stress of the shot away.

I know some people that set up to the ball and start there back swing but I like to get my club behind the ball look one last time where I want it to go and then bring my club back. Just find you a rhythm.

[Dannykos]

i fell into this stupid trap on sat. playing a round with my brother in law. Shot +2 for the front 9 - then, the starter came to ask us something, and was basically being a plonker - smoked the next drive, thinking all was well - and then shanked a chip into a bunker - skulled that into the lip and off the green - duffed the next chip - left the next chip about 1yd on the green, and 2 putted!!! triple bogey. OUCH!

then - drilled my next tee shot into the lake - duffed the 7 iron drop into a ditch, lost that ball - chipped on and 2 putted for ANOTHER 7....

needless to say - i ended the day +12. (not actually too bad playing off 14, but you get the point!)


i think the solution is to learn to accept that once the ball is struck, the shot is OVER. Channel all your desire to make it all better - by committing to concentrate and make a proper swing on the next shot.