how do you guys finish off a good round, help!!!

[kwcsports]

Hi guys, Over the last 2 weeks I have had 6 rounds where if I finished strong I would break 80. All 6 times I struggled over the last 3 holes and shot- 82, 84, 82, 83, 83, 84. Today I finished double, double, bogey on a par 4, par 5, par 4 finish. I don't feel tired but seemed to lose focus or concentration. Today I was hitting my driver great, but on the last 3 holes I hit it thin on the 16th, thin again on the 17th and almost topped it on the 18th. I am happy with the scores overall, being an 11 cap but I need help from you guys on how to get over this hurdle. Any and all advice appreciated.

[cypressperch]

1. This sounds impossible, but stop knowing your score until the round is over. Some suggest leaving a score on a hole off the card, or perhaps a few holes. Anything to get yourself to play shot by shot, hole by hole without looking ahead. When you look ahead, you start to think about outcome for the round rather than putting your fullest concentration to the problem at hand. The most important shot is always the NEXT SHOT.

2, Those whose golf swings are geared to what the big muscles are doing will often find their swings more reliable when under pressure. I first heard this on a Curtis Strange video WIN AND WIN AGAIN. That video had a big impact on my thinking, and I believe it accurate concerning big muscles. Some swing thoughts can accomplish the same thing, even for the arm-swingers. Examples: "Complete my back-swing", "get my left shoulder over my right knee when I coil back", "swing to a full finish."


3. You say that you do not seem tired. To be on the safe side, get a good night's rest the day before an important round. Do not practice an excessive amount the day before. A warm-up before an important round involves far fewer shots than the usual practice session (A small bucket would be plenty and a lot of those will be pitch shots of different lengths.). Good breakfast in the morning that would be somewhat less filling than the one Jim Furyk had stollen from him on TV. Drink water often during the round. A banana and/or a Power Bar during the round will maintain your energy level. Regular arobic exercise is a great cure for fatigue problems a golfer might have.

4. DO NOT THINK ABOUT GOLF ALL THE TIME YOU ARE ON THE COURSE! Between shots, get your mind off of the round. If you are thinking golf the whole round, you will burn out mentally even if you are physically OK.

5. Very closely related to #4, DEVELOP A PRE-SHOT ROUTINE. Use this on every shot during practice and actual play until it becomes part of you. Use it for every shot in your round. Think about and evaluate each shot after you hit it, then stop thinking golf. As you approach your next shot, turn on your golfing mind and go right into your pre-shot routine. The key word is "routine." You are making the execution of all your golf shots a matter of routine, and this can take a lot of pressure off since it is the way you always do things, your routine.

6. Avoid tension. You will see good golfers sometimes shake their arms real loosely. That little exercise can get tension out of the arms. A fairly loose grip along with the little arm exercise can really help get you to playing tension-free golf. A really nice word to have on your mind as you are about to execute is "smooth" while having a nice, clear image of the shot in your mind.


7. From what you have just said and from the fact that you even posted this piece, I know full well that you are perfectly capable of shooting a round below eighty. You know it too, so just do it. Again, one of the things that will help is to not even be thinking 80. If you can do this, I have some very good news for you. Your first score below 80 will probably be around an 86 or 87.


The best of luck to you with your game. Sincerely, Cypressperch

[footballking732]

ha, cypress that is funny you mention # 3, i hit 1 1/2 large buckets, or one pyramid of balls while i was waiting for my group members to show up..

hey, they were free, and im used to paying out of the nose for balls, so i was happy about it...


and oddly enough, i wasnt tired or worn out after 18 holes, which i played pretty well considering it was my first time on the course, with it hosting a PGA tour event(it was super hard, but relatively short)...

[Dave Ireland]

Originally Posted by cypressperch

............. If you can do this, I have some very good news for you. Your first score below 80 will probably be around an 86 or 87.

The best of luck to you with your game. Sincerely, Cypressperch

Fantastic article once again Cypress .. but I have the feeling that you too lost focus/concentration towards the end

[Bravo]

A good way to relax when you are facing a tough shot is to tell yourself you will be happy with the shot no matter what happens. Also, tell yourself you have successfully hit this shot before and you know how to do it...

This can help put you in a relaxed but confident mindframe.

[kwcsports]

Thanks everyone for the advice especially Cypressperch. Great tips that I will try this afternoon weather permitting. We had the worst thunder and lightning storm in Nova Scotia last night so the course might be too wet.

[$2 Nassau]

Usually by drinking a beer in the parking lot.

[cypressperch]

more arobic exercise or a Power Bar. Footballking, you sound as if you might be as tight as me. If I got to hit a pyramid for free, I would have thought I was the winner and been on cloud #9 without a care in the world, including getting tired. Certainly, age and physical condition will produce variations in how much of a warm-up a player can "endure." It would be more accurate to say that quite often, players warm up with an excessive amount of practice shots during the time right before they tee off on a given round. Whenever I did this, it was because I was not hitting shots the way I wanted to, and foolishly, I thought that if I could just hit a few good ones, I would have found a way to hit great shots on the course. For most, a warm-up is all about finding what one's tendencies are for that day, and if one goes by that, they will score better because things are more predictable.

If I was not clear above, I meant to say that the first time you break 80, do not be surprised if you shoot 76 or 77 rather than a 79. The reason is that when you break 80, you are most probably capable of a lower score than 79 so that when you are in the proper frame of mind and body and spirit to go lower than 80, you truly break the barrier rather than just make it past. Again, best of luck to you. Sincerely, Cypressperch

[Fuzzyseats]

Originally Posted by $2 Nassau

Usually by drinking a beer in the parking lot.

thats what i was going to say! lol

yeah when i know my score you do tend to look into the future of your score... so now i pretty much only want to know hao many stokes i have to make up against who i am playing, the rest i try to not notice.

My handicap has been spiraling down this year. I started out at 19 and now i am 15.... my goal is to be a 10 by the end of the year... so we'll see...

[kwcsports]

[quote=cypressperch;153433]1. This sounds impossible, but stop knowing your score until the round is over. Some suggest leaving a score on a hole off the card, or perhaps a few holes. Anything to get yourself to play shot by shot, hole by hole without looking ahead. When you look ahead, you start to think about outcome for the round rather than putting your fullest concentration to the problem at hand. The most important shot is always the NEXT SHOT.

This is the one that I cannot stop doing. I grab the scorecard on the 16th hole and figure out what I need to do to shot under 80. I also have my friends telling me " your playing great, finish the last 3 holes at 2 over and you shot 79" Of course this gets me thinking and I think I try too hard and of course struggle. I am going to forget score coming down the stretch and try very hard to stay in the present.

[$2 Nassau]

Seriously though....it's very tough for me. Not knowing my socre just isn't an option, mentally I can not help but keep track of the score in my head. Really need to work on this. I've tried just going out and "having fun." That doesn't work for me either.

[JEFF4i]

Just don't think about it. No matter how hard, how aweful or great each hole was, don't be a fool and think about it. Focus every itty bitty nitty gritty ounce of attention on the next shot. Just don't think about it so much you duff it.

Oh, and something no one has mentioned. EAT AND DRINK! Food and hydration are critical to golf. When I walk, I generally drink 4-5, sometimes more, bottles of water and a gatorade.

[kwcsports]

Originally Posted by JEFF4i

Just don't think about it. No matter how hard, how aweful or great each hole was, don't be a fool and think about it. Focus every itty bitty nitty gritty ounce of attention on the next shot. Just don't think about it so much you duff it.

Oh, and something no one has mentioned. EAT AND DRINK! Food and hydration are critical to golf. When I walk, I generally drink 4-5, sometimes more, bottles of water and a gatorade.

Thanks Jeff, I am going to play in about 2 hours and I am going to try hard to stay in the present and forget about everything else. Thanks again to everyone for the help.

[JEFF4i]

Goodluck! If you break 80 I'll buy you a bag of tees.

[twogreen]

Originally Posted by $2 Nassau

Seriously though....it's very tough for me. Not knowing my socre just isn't an option, mentally I can not help but keep track of the score in my head. Really need to work on this. I've tried just going out and "having fun." That doesn't work for me either.

I have a similar problem. I can force myself not to keep a running total of my score; but instinctively know if I am playing well or not. Therein lies my problem. Somewhere around hole 5 or 6, if I am playing well, a little guy on my shoulder will whisper, "Keep this up John; and you will have a really good round". At that precise point, I usually start trying to force the swing, instead of just letting it happen.

OTOH, if my game starts weakly, the same little guy will tell me, "John, you need to get with the program, or you're really going to screw this round". Well, we all know what happens then. Trying to play "catch-up" golf rarely works.

I hate that little bastard on my shoulder; but I cannot seem to shake him off.