How do you prepare

[longshot]

How do you prepare for a competition ?
I must admit i dont practise beforehand.Unless it is one of the major comps and i fancy my chances.I just go out and enjoy myself nowdays.I am the lowest handicaper at my club so i dont stand a chance most of the time.But i did win one major this year plus a monthly medal and a couple of runners up prizes.Not as good as good as last year but maybe i am just getting old or because a seen it and done it mentality is creeping in.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by longshot

I am the lowest handicaper at my club so i dont stand a chance most of the time.

I probably couldn't play in the same league as you, but my thought is this may be one of your biggest flaws I see from what you mention. If I were the lowest handicaper at my club, I would expect to win everything. Not that I would be upset or pout if I didn't, and having fun would still be my main objective, but I am not even close to being the lowest and have always expected to compete well. In the end I have usually done so and had my lowest round in a club championship, and lowest net in a tournament 4 years ago. I did win the lowest net with a 56, and tied that net again just a few weeks ago for the only other time. On the club championship, I was in fourth after the first day competing straight up with people 10-12 strokes better than me, I guess the 62 on the front nine the second day ruined the thoughts I had, but I did recover with a 33 on the back.

I do nothing different than normal, although I do make it a point to go through my ideal round and every hole in my head the night before. Probably something I should do with every round.

[emc]

Originally Posted by FKA Pa Jayhawk

I probably couldn't play in the same league as you, but my thought is this may be one of your biggest flaws I see from what you mention. If I were the lowest handicaper at my club, I would expect to win everything. Not that I would be upset or pout if I didn't, and having fun would still be my main objective, but I am not even close to being the lowest and have always expected to compete well. In the end I have usually done so and had my lowest round in a club championship, and lowest net in a tournament 4 years ago. I did win the lowest net with a 56, and tied that net again just a few weeks ago for the only other time. On the club championship, I was in fourth after the first day competing straight up with people 10-12 strokes better than me, I guess the 62 on the front nine the second day ruined the thoughts I had, but I did recover with a 33 on the back.

I do nothing different than normal, although I do make it a point to go through my ideal round and every hole in my head the night before. Probably something I should do with every round.

over this side of the pond Jayhawk, we play all our tourneys net so the low handicapper must play out of his skin to have a chance. Longshot, I played a practice round for one comp this year on a course I hadn't played and it helped me phenomenally. It gives you the little boost knowing where you are going on the hole and where you should avoid

[Sandpiper3]

Generally i believe most clubs play off handicap, because the whole membership generally isnt very close in handicap, and they want to include everyone.

For tournaments i arrive usually around an hour and a half to two hours before my tee time. I check out wats going on and doddle about, get a drink, for about 10 minutes (im a minor, by drink i mean a poweraide or water or something, NVR pop b4 a tourney). Then i head over to the range to practise/ loosen up. Generally spend about 20-30 mins. Then i go get the speeds of the green, so i practise different putting drills ive been taught to get the speed of the green, and keep my stroke solid at the same time. Another 30-40 minutes. By now ive gotten loose and understand how the greens (more or less) react. If i have anything im working on, ill go check back into the range again and work things out (BTW, i nvr actually do anything im working on during a round, ill play to the flaw of the swing). Ill go get a quick snack after this, check whose on the tee, then i go hit 2 25 ft putts with my drill, then 4 10 ft, then i MUST make 6 straight 2 foot putts around the hole before i leave (i give myself a little extra time just in case im having trouble), just to get the idea of the ball going in and hearing that sound and getting my mind into it.

Head to the tee, by this time its usually the group in front in the midst of teeing off, so i check it out, meet with the tourney ppl and my playing partners, then have at'r.

Forgot to mention, when i go back over to the range, i usually play a few key holes on the range, if im in a tourney, im damned if i dont know the course, so if i havent played or at least walked it yet, i shouldnt bother to be there in my mind. Usually 3-4 holes that i find will be key to my round (ie- harder/tough holes where par is the goal, or easy holes before or after a tough stretch).

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by emc

over this side of the pond Jayhawk, we play all our tourneys net so the low handicapper must play out of his skin to have a chance.

That is usually the case in this area as well, although most of the ones I have played, outside of club championships, are done at 80%. So you still have a slight advantage the lower you go. There is also a matter of better consistancy once you reach a lower handicap.

Obviously no one is going to win every tournament, although I think you are far better off going into it expecting to win. In doing so you are more mentally prepared than the competition. If you are going in expecting otherwise then it is obviously just for fun and really requires little preperation if that is the case outside of loading enough beer in the cooler. With my handicap, if I am playing for prizes or money I would expect to be getting strokes from some and giving strokes to others. If I am not I would consider it nothing more than a leisurely fun round. Even at 80% I go in fully expecting to win, in the same sense if I were only giving 80% to someone who is worse I expect so even more.

Again, I think per the title of the thread, the biggest preperation going into a tournament is mental IMO. If you go in expecting nothing, that is likely what you will achieve. Nothing wrong with only expecting to have fun, just make sure you achieve that goal. If what you desire is to win but only treat as though you are there to have fun, you may leave having done neither.

[demon]

Originally Posted by FKA Pa Jayhawk

That is usually the case in this area as well, although most of the ones I have played, outside of club championships, are done at 80%. So you still have a slight advantage the lower you go. There is also a matter of better consistancy once you reach a lower handicap.

Obviously no one is going to win every tournament, although I think you are far better off going into it expecting to win. In doing so you are more mentally prepared than the competition. If you are going in expecting otherwise then it is obviously just for fun and really requires little preperation if that is the case outside of loading enough beer in the cooler. With my handicap, if I am playing for prizes or money I would expect to be getting strokes from some and giving strokes to others. If I am not I would consider it nothing more than a leisurely fun round. Even at 80% I go in fully expecting to win, in the same sense if I were only giving 80% to someone who is worse I expect so even more.

Again, I think per the title of the thread, the biggest preperation going into a tournament is mental IMO. If you go in expecting nothing, that is likely what you will achieve. Nothing wrong with only expecting to have fun, just make sure you achieve that goal. If what you desire is to win but only treat as though you are there to have fun, you may leave having done neither.

Every tournament I play in has lower handicap flights and it is just scratch golf from there (usually around 2.0 index and lower)

[demon]

Originally Posted by longshot

How do you prepare for a competition ?
I must admit i dont practise beforehand.Unless it is one of the major comps and i fancy my chances.I just go out and enjoy myself nowdays.I am the lowest handicaper at my club so i dont stand a chance most of the time.But i did win one major this year plus a monthly medal and a couple of runners up prizes.Not as good as good as last year but maybe i am just getting old or because a seen it and done it mentality is creeping in.

I get there about 2 hours before tee time and the first thing I do is get the feel for the weather around the course, I then go to the range and hit a large bucket and hit mainly my 6-Iron to warm up. Then I check in with the starter and then while I am waiting I practice my putting. I usually do not talk to anyone (unless some one asks me a question) and never enter a tournament with a friend.

[Sandpiper3]

Originally Posted by demon

I get there about 2 hours before tee time and the first thing I do is get the feel for the weather around the course, I then go to the range and hit a large bucket and hit mainly my 6-Iron to warm up. Then I check in with the starter and then while I am waiting I practice my putting. I usually do not talk to anyone (unless some one asks me a question) and never enter a tournament with a friend.

Here's the two things where we differ, im more like a Trevino, and im guessing if you dont talk much in warmup you dont talk much during the round either? More like a Tiger or a Nicklaus (how come the "better" players are the quieter ones? haha, not fair!). I talk to anyone I know more or less, but then again, the rounds i've played with quiet people were rounds i usually played better in...

You say you warmup mostly with you 6 iron? Do you have a reason for that? middle club so you kinda get a feel for the whole swing? I have a warmup routine I go through for tourneys, sw-9-7-4-2-3w-driver, then i'll hit a couple specialty shots, then ill hit whichever club I hit best 5 more times (this is the only time i get in a type of "groove" on the range, as mentioned in the "on one day off the next" thread), then hit my first tee shot with whichever club im going to tee off with.

[HighTopFade]

70 balls at the range to figure out the bad shot of the day. About 15 minutes of chipping. And about 15 minutes of putting.

[demon]

Originally Posted by Sandpiper3

Here's the two things where we differ, im more like a Trevino, and im guessing if you dont talk much in warmup you dont talk much during the round either? More like a Tiger or a Nicklaus (how come the "better" players are the quieter ones? haha, not fair!). I talk to anyone I know more or less, but then again, the rounds i've played with quiet people were rounds i usually played better in...

You say you warmup mostly with you 6 iron? Do you have a reason for that? middle club so you kinda get a feel for the whole swing? I have a warmup routine I go through for tourneys, sw-9-7-4-2-3w-driver, then i'll hit a couple specialty shots, then ill hit whichever club I hit best 5 more times (this is the only time i get in a type of "groove" on the range, as mentioned in the "on one day off the next" thread), then hit my first tee shot with whichever club im going to tee off with.

I dont like to talk to other players during my round, but I wont be rude about it. I just mind my own business and make the appropriate compliments. The reason why I warm-up with my 6 Iron is because I am grooving my swing. I only spend about 10 - 20 balls shaping shots. If my groove is on my tempo is on so I know I will shoot a decent round, if the groove is off then my tempo is off and I know I am really going to have to work for a good round and I shouldnt try anything spectacular.

You have to watch out for the quiet ones, they are the ones with the major concentration.

[Sandpiper3]

Originally Posted by demon

I dont like to talk to other players during my round, but I wont be rude about it. I just mind my own business and make the appropriate compliments. The reason why I warm-up with my 6 Iron is because I am grooving my swing. I only spend about 10 - 20 balls shaping shots. If my groove is on my tempo is on so I know I will shoot a decent round, if the groove is off then my tempo is off and I know I am really going to have to work for a good round and I shouldnt try anything spectacular.

You have to watch out for the quiet ones, they are the ones with the major concentration.

Yea, a lot of guys on the jr. tours i play on are fairly talkative, because were teens its all fun, but still crazy competitive. I talk a lot between shots and stuff, and compliment when it's due.

For me, like a minute before and 30 sec or so after im completely immersed in my shot at hand, I can go through my routine and such and not hear a sound, my friend came and watched one of my tourney's one day and said after the round I seemed completely normal, like it was sunday out with the friends, but then he paused, and his gf interrupted him saying "but that look in your eye before/when you hit the ball...", I said that look in my eye is the only reason im good at golf.

[gwlee7]

I'd have to shoot a gross 62 to shoot a net 56. That's a "16" handicap shooting even par on a par 72 isn't it? That sure seems mighty low to me. And people wonder why single digit handicappers don't like playing in "net" tournaments. Pre-flight the tournament and let the best man win.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by gwlee7

I'd have to shoot a gross 62 to shoot a net 56. That's a "16" handicap shooting even par on a par 72 isn't it? That sure seems mighty low to me. And people wonder why single digit handicappers don't like playing in "net" tournaments. Pre-flight the tournament and let the best man win.

Remember first that your net is based on the course handicap and not your index. Both were on par 70's, one was an 81 the other an 82. Not really too far out of the question if you are drastically improving. I've had numerous rounds in the 50's, although most where about 4 years ago.

Edit 1 - but then again, your point is well taken on why one may find it difficult to win. You will possibly find someone improving at that rate to raise the bar. Can't say I disagree that they shouldn't flight most events to find who is best in their class. That is just not the case in what I usually see up here where I have only been in a couple that were flighted. In the same sense I always feel the same when I play in scrambles with 3 of my friends roughly the same calibur, and we are competing against teams with very good golfers with no adjustment. So I guess they have to decide if they want the extra finances and play at 80 % at the expense of not playing straight up. Kinda hard to please everyone. Do you really want to win an event with the finances of 2-3 other golfers, or take a chance at winning a pot with 40-50 giving or taking 80% of the strokes. Remember in flighting it, you are also dividing the winnings as well. Personally you may fair better just playing a weekend Nassau.

[benk]

I agree with all of what they said, but I think I can add something to that. Alot of people tense up all the time with tourneys, getting really serious and not talking to anyone. If that is your personality, then thats fine. But I always say that I have more fun in tournaments than I do in practise rounds. I joke around, and smile, and generally just have a good time.

I think that is the main reason that I've been able to do well in some [SOME, lol ] of my tournments in the past. I smile before every golf shot, because that relieves tension [ its proven ]. If you have fun, you are bound to play the best you can play on that given day.

I remember when they talked about tiger not doing well at the ryder cup, they talked about this specific thing. At tournaments, he usually is happy and talkative [ if thats the word ] until he gets to his golf shot, then he can put all his focus into it. At the ryder cup, he was serious the WHOLE time, and didn't play well. I think that had as much to do with it as anything.

[emc]

For some reason I don't like playing with supremely talky players because I'm thinking about our conversation instead of setting up right. When I'm with silent people, I get cracking. I remember I shot -1 on front 9 with no conversation apart from 'good shot' and checking score. I was just so focussed I forgot i had a partner