Getting use to going low

[Tball88]

ok, I have a bit of a dilemma, although many people will say"damn, I'd love to have that problem".

I'm starting to break into a new scoring area, my last three scores are 72,73,73, and my combined last two back 9's are 67.

For the last 3-5 years, I've been a pretty consistent 5-8 handicap, but due to hard work, I'm starting to break into a scoring area, that quite honestly, I'm not real comfortable with. I'm also scared to death that come tournament season, I'm going to get smoked because I'm going to be giving up so many strokes.

just wanted to ask those of you who are scartch or bettter if you have any advice or tips on how to start to believe you really are good enough to consistently shoot par or better.

 

[suns11111]

Now challenge players equal or better than you, little money games, take the punishment and fiscal loss or gain, learn what happens to you and your scores .................Keegan Bradley states the same thing with all the wed practice games he has with Phil, yep losses money but gains the experience. Tournament season......just get to believe it doesnt matter what you shot as what you gain from the current tournament helps with the next.

Nice to hear improvement stories......
JeffS

 

[ZAP]

Just call this the new normal and move on. Seriously I think we all limit ourselves in a lot of ways. Maybe we make a couple of birdies early and try to protect our score or whatever. One of my personal goals for this year is to spend more time in the present and let the scorecard take care of recording history.

 

[Tball88]

Interesting comments. what's really amazing to me, is that I have piled up some double bogeys, including 3 when I shot 72. However, I've had a very good attitude about it, almost not caring, and had 7 birdies in that round. I use to put a ton of pressure on myself to try and par every hole, now I'm approaching it more with the attitude of just play and what happens happens. Seems to be relaxing me quite a bit and keeping me in the present.

 

[goley]

From my experiecne there is two types of good golfers. The first guy makes birdie on the first hole and is then trying to par everything else to shoot one under and then there is the other guy that birdies the first hole and then tries to birdie the rest of them. Stay out of your own way and dont try to protect.

 

[JEREMY5577]

Interesting comments. what's really amazing to me, is that I have piled up some double bogeys, including 3 when I shot 72. However, I've had a very good attitude about it, almost not caring, and had 7 birdies in that round. I use to put a ton of pressure on myself to try and par every hole, now I'm approaching it more with the attitude of just play and what happens happens. Seems to be relaxing me quite a bit and keeping me in the present.

For me part of the pressure I was putting myself was from the huge amount of energy I needed to pull off each shot. When I handle drug I had so many swing thoughts and it just became too exhausting after about 12 holes. Now I just do a few no tug drills and swing, takes very little energy and I actually start thinking about other things while trotting along the golf course. Completely different from last year. Love it.

 

[Lindsey Newman]

The key is to continue to focus on your short game. Diversify your pitching techniques. Those saved pars will give you the confidence to stay aggressive approaching the greens.

Really learn the meaning of one shot at a time. Don't take on the mental weight of the whole round- just the shot at hand.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Go play a short course with easy greens from the front tees, try to make as many birdies as possible. Start training yourself and allow yourself to make multiple birdies and prove to yourself you can go low. This usually helps break a mental barrier however on harder courses/greens make sure you identify certain holes as birdie or par holes and play accordingly. Sometimes the biggest blowups are when you are trying to make birdie when the pin location that day has par written all over it.

 

[spktho]

Go play a short course with easy greens from the front tees, try to make as many birdies as possible. Start training yourself and allow yourself to make multiple birdies and prove to yourself you can go low. This usually helps break a mental barrier however on harder courses/greens make sure you identify certain holes as birdie or par holes and play accordingly. Sometimes the biggest blowups are when you are trying to make birdie when the pin location that day has par written all over it.

I'm not on your level...yet, but I found the book "Double Connexion" by Carey Mumford that uses "clear keys" to get to 'automatic' on every shot very helpful. Using the "clear keys" is a technique to not be thinking about the past, future, or even the present. You are just playing golf when it matters--during the execution of the stroke at hand.

 

[dschultz6072]

My teacher told me pretty much what Jim said. Get comfortable shooting par or better from the forward tees, proving to yourself you can pick the course apart. Play one shot at a time, and really take the time to assess the situation at hand and stay in the moment. Some days are easier than others, but as long as you can get up and down from some screwed up scenarios, the crux of the matter is waiting for a hot putting streak. He's not afraid of hitting it all over the place because he knows his short game is up to snuff, and he is good at making decisions so as not to bring the big numbers into play. A bogey here and there, a few birdies, the rest pars, and you've got a 71. His mentality is go for par on each hole, but at least try to give yourself a go at birdie. Sometimes those 30-40 footers drop. He holds the course record 65 at my home course.

 

[drewyallop]

Accept the possibility that you have just had a run of good luck. It is going to take many more scratch rounds to confirm that the improvement is sustainable. I hope it is but don't forget regression to the mean.

 

[SteveT]

just wanted to ask those of you who are scartch or bettter if you have any advice or tips on how to start to believe you really are good enough to consistently shoot par or better.

Currently, I'm only a "scratch" bogey golfer, but it's like anything else that requires physical and mental excellence.

To get to "scratch" or better, you must essentially double your practice and play times... it's The Law of Exponential Returns.

Was it Hogan who said "The more I practice, the luckier I get."? It's not "luck"... it's plenty practice more... believe it.

 

[dschultz6072]

Wow really?

 

[ekennedy]

Currently, I'm only a "scratch" bogey golfer, but it's like anything else that requires physical and mental excellence.

To get to "scratch" or better, you must essentially double your practice and play times... it's The Law of Exponential Returns.

Was it Hogan who said "The more I practice, the luckier I get."? It's not "luck"... it's plenty practice more... believe it.

Did you also stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night?

If anyone needs medical advice, I'm a big fan of House.

 

[BrendanC]

Is it Regression to the Mean or the Law of Averages which suggests that some day, SteveT will hit the nail on the head with a post.

Either way, I don't see it happening anytime soon.

 

[niblick1]

The first guy makes birdie on the first hole and is then trying to par everything else to shoot one under

Guilty as charged.

Had a round a couple months ago where I birdied 4 of the first 6 holes on my home course, something I'd never come close to doing before and started thinking "can I hold on for 69?" and got nervous. Shot a 74. I know I am happiest and most comfortable a few strokes over par.

Lately when I play "practice rounds", i just try to see how many birdies I can make.

 

[Tball88]

Interesting comment "I am most comfortable a few strokes over par". I think we all want to go as low as possible, but when it happens it throws us out of our comfort zone, which is what is happening to me. I just don't think of myself as a 0-2 handicap, but lately the scores say different. I keep thinking, I'm about to shoot 85, I'm due to blow up. Damn, just mentally fragile...

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

My teacher told me pretty much what Jim said. Get comfortable shooting par or better from the forward tees, proving to yourself you can pick the course apart. Play one shot at a time, and really take the time to assess the situation at hand and stay in the moment. Some days are easier than others, but as long as you can get up and down from some screwed up scenarios, the crux of the matter is waiting for a hot putting streak. He's not afraid of hitting it all over the place because he knows his short game is up to snuff, and he is good at making decisions so as not to bring the big numbers into play. A bogey here and there, a few birdies, the rest pars, and you've got a 71. His mentality is go for par on each hole, but at least try to give yourself a go at birdie. Sometimes those 30-40 footers drop. He holds the course record 65 at my home course.

Just to add to this because of the short game comment, once you get to the point where you are actually "trying" to go low you really have to think about ball placement; not just on the green but also from the fairway. Meaning, work backwards from the green to the fairway to the tee:

Where's the pin today?
Is it a birdie pin?
Where do i have to place the ball to get a a makeable birdie putt?
Where do i have to be in the fairway (rough maybe) to get the ball to that place on the green to get that makeable birdie putt?
Where do i aim/setup on the tee box to get the ball to that place in the fairway (rough) to have the right angle to get to the green.

I know that the above is a lot to think about but as the difficulty of the course goes up i've found you have to think about these things. I've mentioned before playing on this course which has ridiculous greens and i was able to shave off like 3-5 shots from doing the above based on what the club pro told me to do (it's a friends course). Also keep in mind it wasn't 3-5 shots every time, i just meant from what i was shooting there before. Little things like, be below the hole on this one or if you can't make it on x part of y green then go long it's an easier putt no matter pin location, etc etc.

 

[SteveT]

Interesting comment "I am most comfortable a few strokes over par". I think we all want to go as low as possible, but when it happens it throws us out of our comfort zone, which is what is happening to me. I just don't think of myself as a 0-2 handicap, but lately the scores say different. I keep thinking, I'm about to shoot 85, I'm due to blow up. Damn, just mentally fragile...

Tball88.... How do you play your round of golf... riding a cart, pushing a cart, remote control cart, carrying your bag, or with a caddie?

Fatigue can be a factor that will raise your scoring, and a caddie could help shave strokes off.

Btw... riding a cart is deleterious to your spine, because sitting and bouncing around on a cart is anatomically more stressful than standing and walking.

Riding a cart can destabilize and ruin your golfswing posture and dynamic positions as you get later into a round of golf.

Another factor is your physical conditioning because playing a slow round of golf is also fatiguing.

 

[drewyallop]

Is it Regression to the Mean or the Law of Averages which suggests that some day, SteveT will hit the nail on the head with a post.

Either way, I don't see it happening anytime soon.

Black Swan or Fat Tails - your choice.