Question:
Hi Jim, Thanks for your response. Made some good points and I’ll take heart (and note)! BTW, what do you play off? Surely you are a scratch marker? I think you need a round where you recover to a near personal best final result, personally. Or something like it.
I’m getting closer to that since the last post. I think my problem as mentioned in my little story, came from a simple error in technique on the short stuff that made me very susceptible to the ‘yips’. I’ve had a lesson since on just that and now the technique is far more solid. Lots of drills, chipping the ball around the house (my SO loooooves me for it) and now I’m looking at those shorter shots with confidence. I don’t often completely fall apart two holes in a row any more, but I used to, a lot. When I do, it’s because I’m doing something outrageous with my swing repeatedly, but it’s a mechanical problem, normally, when things really go south. But it wasn’t always so, as I’ve said.
Yes, this is a concern. My mental side is probably not that bad – I have many years of competitive A-grade sports behind me. It’s the inexplicable that I’ve perhaps let get under the skin. There is however, IMHO, no substitute for a solid technique – gives you a greater margin when those butterflies appear! What did it for me were rounds that gradually gave me a habit of hope. Perhaps I was just maximizing too much before, thinking that perfection had escaped me yet another day, and a bad hole just ruined a perfect day and so forth. As you note, it’s not the bad hole that killed you, it was the bad holes afterward. So you need a round where that doesn’t happen, where there is a memorable success at bouncing back from adversity. I have quite a few now, where once there were none, and I don’t seem to react that way any more at all.
Good points here – can try too hard to make the perfect shot every shot and raise expectations too far. To wit, I was four over after six one day, then all of a sudden, I had finished the round with a 3 under 69. Just amazing. First time I had broken seventy on that course, too, after a LOT of tries! And then, one year, I really pulled it out, after missing a two foot birdie on the first hole of the final round of the club championship, I frenzied myself into a *hard* triple on the second, then three putted the third from 10 feet. I walked over to my SO, playing the third behind me on her way to victory in the women’s section. I was pale, shaken. My lead was gone. She calmed me down, telling me that I just had to play normal and I’d win. So shot two under the rest of the way and won by seven! 8^)
Nice stuff. I’ve had similar – including a club matchplay final in the playoffs, where I was behind and things seemed to be against me all the way. I turned off the negative thoughts and dropped a tough bunker shot. The poor guy, who’d almost asked me to concede at 4up after 13 (arrogant bastard) watched me string 3 birds in a row and kick his sad ass into next week on the 18th! That felt good… (but was a few years ago!). But maybe you don’t need to have one under your belt. Look on it as a challenge! "Christ with a bad stance! I shot even par on the back after tripling the tenth! Whodathunkit?" Anyhow, the best medicine may be to try to birdie in after a disaster, even if you’ve never actually done it yet. It’s a lot better attitude than being afraid you’re going to have another bad hole.
It sure is hard to string 18 well thought out and considered holes in a row. Solid technique certainly helps, and especially at times when you are feeling a bit nervous – lobbing off a poor lie, over a bunker to a green sloping away with only a few yards to play with… :) Cheers, Dave E
Response:
I’m a high handicapper, but, for what it’s worth… I have to remind myself after a bad hole that the next tee is the start of a new hole, entirely independent of what happened previously, and that one bad hole doesn’t translate into a bad score for the whole game.
"Missing a short putt does not mean that you have to hit your next drive out of bounds." – Henry Cotton (quote from memory, may be slightly incorrect) — http://rec-sport-golf.com/?rc=hayesd
Response:
I’m a high handicapper, but, for what it’s worth… I have to remind myself after a bad hole that the next tee is the start of a new hole, entirely independent of what happened previously, and that one bad hole doesn’t translate into a bad score for the whole game.
Hi Eliyahu, Indeed. That’s why matchplay is such a different game, and one I’ve won on a number of times in local comps. :) I guess I’d love to understand how to manage the psyche that seems to take control when you do something unforgivable and explicable. I have a relatively low handicap game on a mechanical front – good swing, consistency, solid short game etc. and it’s taken years to get there. It is the sudden collapse, usually 1/2 way coming home that is pushing the scoring upwards. Why, lord help me… why??? Cheers, Dave E
Response:
I’m a high handicapper, but, for what it’s worth… I have to remind myself after a bad hole that the next tee is the start of a new hole, entirely independent of what happened previously, and that one bad hole doesn’t translate into a bad score for the whole game.
What’s harder to remember is that in medal (stroke) play, the 6th shot on the hole you’re on is independent of what happened previously, and that your previous 5 strokes don’t mean you have to hole out to salvage this hole. It’s just as much a new game as the next hole will be – and needs to be played that way.
Response:
[Sad, sad stuff…know the feelin’ I’ve read Shapiro’s book on the mental game, and have read "The Inner Game of Golf", but it may be more useful to seek insight from you low markers on how you keep the bad shots from bending your mind during a game. Any links would be greatly useful. Cheers, David E
I think you need a round where you recover to a near personal best final result, personally. Or something like it. I don’t often completely fall apart two holes in a row any more, but I used to, a lot. When I do, it’s because I’m doing something outrageous with my swing repeatedly, but it’s a mechanical problem, normally, when things really go south. But it wasn’t always so, as I’ve said. What did it for me were rounds that gradually gave me a habit of hope. Perhaps I was just maximizing too much before, thinking that perfection had escaped me yet another day, and a bad hole just ruined a perfect day and so forth. As you note, it’s not the bad hole that killed you, it was the bad holes afterward. So you need a round where that doesn’t happen, where there is a memorable success at bouncing back from adversity. I have quite a few now, where once there were none, and I don’t seem to react that way any more at all. To wit, I was four over after six one day, then all of a sudden, I had finished the round with a 3 under 69. Just amazing. First time I had broken seventy on that course, too, after a LOT of tries! And then, one year, I really pulled it out, after missing a two foot birdie on the first hole of the final round of the club championship, I frenzied myself into a *hard* triple on the second, then three putted the third from 10 feet. I walked over to my SO, playing the third behind me on her way to victory in the women’s section. I was pale, shaken. My lead was gone. She calmed me down, telling me that I just had to play normal and I’d win. So shot two under the rest of the way and won by seven! 8^) But maybe you don’t need to have one under your belt. Look on it as a challenge! "Christ with a bad stance! I shot even par on the back after tripling the tenth! Whodathunkit?" Anyhow, the best medicine may be to try to birdie in after a disaster, even if you’ve never actually done it yet. It’s a lot better attitude than being afraid you’re going to have another bad hole.
Response:
Hi all – this is my first post to rsg and so cheers from Sydney, Australia. I was off 7 about 4 mths ago but have blown out to 12.4 since having my game pulled apart by one of this country’s top coaches. I require enormous volumes of patience right now, let me tell you. Time should hopefully bring the rewards of all my endless work – aiming to be down to 5 in early ‘04. BTW – I’m sure the coach’s work is going to take me to the next level – how else would I sleep at night after the endless $$ and time thrown into this new direction?? :) One thing eludes me though – this is the element that’s not related to the mechanics of striking the ball. I would be interested to hear a few comments from you very low ‘cappers. A recent example (I’m sure we’ve all been there…): On Monday I played Riverside Oaks – a fairly long (by Sydney standards) resort-style course. At 2 over through 11, I’d played a great tee shot on 12 – a par 5 dogleg left with water on the right on approach. I was left with a relatively easy 3-iron to the green for possible eagle – great ball location/lie etc. I hit 2 identical fades/slices which rolled into the water before putting the 3rd ball to within 10 feet. This was not a hard shot but I stood there feeling like I’d just lost a close relative. The illogical nature of such a terrible lapse weighed heavily and I ended up triple and double-double, 7 shots in 3 holes. From the moment I hit the 2nd ball into the drink, it was as if I knew I was about to play shocking golf for the rest of the round. Not being a club thrower or dummy spitter, it is crazy to me that I find it so hard to recover from an ‘illogical’ hole and think that perhaps these things happen in the first place because I expect to have a collapse at some point during a round. Normally I lose all my shots on a string of 2 or 3 very bad holes, usually after playing very good golf. The other day in a comp, I had 4 birdies but ended up with 31 points, thanks to 16-18 being shockers! How is that possible?? I’ve read Shapiro’s book on the mental game, and have read "The Inner Game of Golf", but it may be more useful to seek insight from you low markers on how you keep the bad shots from bending your mind during a game. Any links would be greatly useful. Cheers, David E
Response:
The other side of golf? Is that the side that’s NOT racist, sexist, eliteist, exclusionary, and pompous? Oh, and bald?
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all – this is my first post to rsg and so cheers from Sydney, Australia. I was off 7 about 4 mths ago but have blown out to 12.4 since having my game pulled apart by one of this country’s top coaches. I require enormous volumes of patience right now, let me tell you. Time should hopefully bring the rewards of all my endless work – aiming to be down to 5 in early ‘04. BTW – I’m sure the coach’s work is going to take me to the next level – how else would I sleep at night after the endless $$ and time thrown into this new direction?? :) One thing eludes me though – this is the element that’s not related to the mechanics of striking the ball. I would be interested to hear a few comments from you very low ‘cappers. A recent example (I’m sure we’ve all been there…): On Monday I played Riverside Oaks – a fairly long (by Sydney standards) resort-style course. At 2 over through 11, I’d played a great tee shot on 12 – a par 5 dogleg left with water on the right on approach. I was left with a relatively easy 3-iron to the green for possible eagle – great ball location/lie etc. I hit 2 identical fades/slices which rolled into the water before putting the 3rd ball to within 10 feet. This was not a hard shot but I stood there feeling like I’d just lost a close relative. The illogical nature of such a terrible lapse weighed heavily and I ended up triple and double-double, 7 shots in 3 holes. From the moment I hit the 2nd ball into the drink, it was as if I knew I was about to play shocking golf for the rest of the round. Not being a club thrower or dummy spitter, it is crazy to me that I find it so hard to recover from an ‘illogical’ hole and think that perhaps these things happen in the first place because I expect to have a collapse at some point during a round. Normally I lose all my shots on a string of 2 or 3 very bad holes, usually after playing very good golf. The other day in a comp, I had 4 birdies but ended up with 31 points, thanks to 16-18 being shockers! How is that possible?? I’ve read Shapiro’s book on the mental game, and have read "The Inner Game of Golf", but it may be more useful to seek insight from you low markers on how you keep the bad shots from bending your mind during a game. Any links would be greatly useful.
I’m a high handicapper, but, for what it’s worth… I have to remind myself after a bad hole that the next tee is the start of a new hole, entirely independent of what happened previously, and that one bad hole doesn’t translate into a bad score for the whole game. Eliyahu