What do "you" do when you game goes south?

[otto6457]

Otto, have you always looked at golf this way? Or have you worked on it? My wife tells me I'm obsessed with the game and to just have fun. My problem is that when I'm not playing well I'm not having fun.

Well Curtis, I don't personally know of another person that works as hard at my game as I do (or did) I practice or play every day. My only restriction is that I don't play if it's under 32 degrees since my home course is closed. I have played in hail storms, snowstorms. tornado warnings, and 50mph wind. I submitted over 160 score cards to GHIN for handicapping last year. I am single (I was a single dad) and I my kids are grown and gone. Golf and work are the only things I do.

I get off of work M-F at 5:30pm. I change clothes at work and arrive at the course by 5:45pm. I play or practice until dark. On weekends, I play in the Saturday morning Dogfight that tees off at 7:30. I usually play with my usual foursome Saturday afternoon. If I walk both rounds, I am usually too tired to practice any more so I wobble home. (Walking and carrying 36 holes on a hilly 7400 yard course is tough on an old man) On Sundays, I get to the course by 9:00am. My foursome tees off around 10:30. After the Sunday round I always hit a few balls or work on my short game. Sometimes I will play another 18 by myself Sunday evening after the crowds go home and hit multiple shots into greens and work on my short game on the course. My routine is the same until Daylight Savings Time changes. Once the time changes, I take a longer lunch and work later since it gets dark too early play in the evenings.

I also have a lighted home hitting station with a Truestrike mat and a 10 X 10 X 10 net. This is where I use my video camera and CSwing software to work on the specific stuff Brian is trying to accomplish with my swing. This is also where I film most of my swings to email to Brian before I come down for a lesson, or when I am struggling a bit. I sometimes shoot video on the range when I can get a quiet day. I only use the mat for specific swing issues and video taping.

I have a 12 foot indoor putting green that I practice on when I watch TV. I probably hit putts for 30 minutes or so every day at home, besides the 30 minutes or so every evening on the practice green at my home course.

I eat lunch at my course several days a week. I wolf down a salad then go straight to the putting green or the short game area and work at least 45 minutes. I get an hour and a half for lunch so I have plenty of time.

I worked with my swing coach (pre-Brian) for many years. I drove 12 hours round trip, once a month, for lessons. I would go less in the winter. I would stay overnight and do two full days. This guy has several PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and LPGA Tour players in his stable and he isn't cheap. I found out about Brian from a buddy and I finally got a real teacher. I have been with Brian probably a couple of years, maybe a little more. I try and work with him twice or three times a year. I usually spend two or three days when Brian and I work together. Plus, I try and have one day where we go play some golf. If I'm going to travel that far, I want to play a little golf. Besides, Brian doesn't get to play enough...he is always teaching, so I am trying to do my part to keep him relaxed. I would see him more if it wasn't so expensive to travel that far.

I used to play in college. But that was a long time ago. I took 15 years off from golf when my two daughters became incredible soccer players. Both played at the State level with my oldest making it as far as the National Pool in 2000. Both played college soccer on scholarships. So, my golf game fell a distant second place to doing everything I could to make their soccer careers successful. (it was tough and expensive as a single dad, but I wouldn't change a thing)

After my youngest went away to college, I started playing a little golf again. Then a buddy of mine convinced me to play in the City Championship because he didn't want to be out there by himself. Well, the competitive golf bug came back and what we have here is the result of obsessive compulsive golf. So to answer your question, I have just recently changed my attitude.

I finally burned out last month, I was grinding like I never had before. I really wanted to qualify for the State Am this summer. With all the extra work, I just never felt like my game was there. I couldn't shoot the scores I needed to shoot consistently. Something always went wrong. I was incredibly frustrated. I have a couple of faults that I really fight and I just tired of the battle. Golf won.

So.......I called the Texas Golf Association and withdrew from qualifying. When I did, it was such a relief. I put my clubs in the trunk last month and closed the lid.

I am not sure when I am going to get them out. I am sure I will fairly soon. The weather here has been really nice and I need to re-dedicate myself to fixing my game. It's just that I have really enjoyed the complete de-pressurization.

I realize that I am quite obsessive about many things, and more so, golf. I am the kind of person that if I am not achieving at the level I think I should be, I would rather not even bother. I am very demanding of myself and that is not a good trait for golf. I am at the point in my game where I have to make a choice. I am 51 years old and my glory days are pretty much over. I will not be eligible for the Texas Senior State Am until I am 55. I am going to decide in the near future whether to give up on serious competitive golf and just play with buddies or commit to 4 years of full blown labor to see how good I can be as a 55 year old player.

I honestly don't know what I am going to do. I enjoy playing golf with my buddies, and by myself, but I miss that adrenalin of playing competitive golf. I don't know if I can accept playing average golf for the rest of my life, and I'm not sure I have the drive to keep working so hard. Kind of a Catch 22.

I don't have much sage advice for you. You know yourself better than anyone. If you have that inner drive to be a good golfer, you will find a way to feed it. Just be aware that there is a cost for commitment. It's possible that no matter how much energy you spend, or how much you want to reach a particular goal, you might not make it. Just make sure that the journey is as much fun as the goal. If it is, you can't lose.

good luck

 

[Bill Miracle]

Well Curtis, I don't personally know of another person that works as hard at my game as I do (or did) I practice or play every day. My only restriction is that I don't play if it's under 32 degrees since my home course is closed. I have played in hail storms, snowstorms. tornado warnings, and 50mph wind. I submitted over 160 score cards to GHIN for handicapping last year. I am single (I was a single dad) and I my kids are grown and gone. Golf and work are the only things I do.

I get off of work M-F at 5:30pm. I change clothes at work and arrive at the course by 5:45pm. I play or practice until dark. On weekends, I play in the Saturday morning Dogfight that tees off at 7:30. I usually play with my usual foursome Saturday afternoon. If I walk both rounds, I am usually too tired to practice any more so I wobble home. (Walking and carrying 36 holes on a hilly 7400 yard course is tough on an old man) On Sundays, I get to the course by 9:00am. My foursome tees off around 10:30. After the Sunday round I always hit a few balls or work on my short game. Sometimes I will play another 18 by myself Sunday evening after the crowds go home and hit multiple shots into greens and work on my short game on the course. My routine is the same until Daylight Savings Time changes. Once the time changes, I take a longer lunch and work later since it gets dark too early play in the evenings.

I also have a lighted home hitting station with a Truestrike mat and a 10 X 10 X 10 net. This is where I use my video camera and CSwing software to work on the specific stuff Brian is trying to accomplish with my swing. This is also where I film most of my swings to email to Brian before I come down for a lesson, or when I am struggling a bit. I sometimes shoot video on the range when I can get a quiet day. I only use the mat for specific swing issues and video taping.

I have a 12 foot indoor putting green that I practice on when I watch TV. I probably hit putts for 30 minutes or so every day at home, besides the 30 minutes or so every evening on the practice green at my home course.

I eat lunch at my course several days a week. I wolf down a salad then go straight to the putting green or the short game area and work at least 45 minutes. I get an hour and a half for lunch so I have plenty of time.

I worked with my swing coach (pre-Brian) for many years. I drove 12 hours round trip, once a month, for lessons. I would go less in the winter. I would stay overnight and do two full days. This guy has several PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and LPGA Tour players in his stable and he isn't cheap. I found out about Brian from a buddy and I finally got a real teacher. I have been with Brian probably a couple of years, maybe a little more. I try and work with him twice or three times a year. I usually spend two or three days when Brian and I work together. Plus, I try and have one day where we go play some golf. If I'm going to travel that far, I want to play a little golf. Besides, Brian doesn't get to play enough...he is always teaching, so I am trying to do my part to keep him relaxed. I would see him more if it wasn't so expensive to travel that far.

I used to play in college. But that was a long time ago. I took 15 years off from golf when my two daughters became incredible soccer players. Both played at the State level with my oldest making it as far as the National Pool in 2000. Both played college soccer on scholarships. So, my golf game fell a distant second place to doing everything I could to make their soccer careers successful. (it was tough and expensive as a single dad, but I wouldn't change a thing)

After my youngest went away to college, I started playing a little golf again. Then a buddy of mine convinced me to play in the City Championship because he didn't want to be out there by himself. Well, the competitive golf bug came back and what we have here is the result of obsessive compulsive golf. So to answer your question, I have just recently changed my attitude.

I finally burned out last month, I was grinding like I never had before. I really wanted to qualify for the State Am this summer. With all the extra work, I just never felt like my game was there. I couldn't shoot the scores I needed to shoot consistently. Something always went wrong. I was incredibly frustrated. I have a couple of faults that I really fight and I just tired of the battle. Golf won.

So.......I called the Texas Golf Association and withdrew from qualifying. When I did, it was such a relief. I put my clubs in the trunk last month and closed the lid.

I am not sure when I am going to get them out. I am sure I will fairly soon. The weather here has been really nice and I need to re-dedicate myself to fixing my game. It's just that I have really enjoyed the complete de-pressurization.

I realize that I am quite obsessive about many things, and more so, golf. I am the kind of person that if I a not achieving at the level I think I should be, I would rather not even bother. I am very demanding of myself and that is not a good trait for golf. I am at the point in my game where I have to make a choice. I am 51 years old and my glory days are pretty much over. I will not be eligible for the Texas Senior State Am until I am 55. I am going to decide in the near future whether to give up on serious competitive golf and just play with buddies or commit to 4 years of full blown labor to see how good I can be as a 55 year old player.

I honestly don't know what I am going to do. I enjoy playing golf with my buddies, and by myself, but I miss that adrenalin of playing competitive golf. I don't know if I can accept playing average golf for the rest of my life, and I'm not sure I have the drive to keep working so hard. Kind of a Catch 22.

I don't have much sage advice for you. You know yourself better than anyone. If you have that inner drive to be a good golfer, you will find a way to feed it. Just be aware that there is a cost for commitment. It's possible that no matter how much energy you spend, or how much you want to reach a particular goal, you might not make it. Just make sure that the journey is as much fun as the goal. If it is, you can't lose.

good luck

Kind of similar obsessiveness here but just stated playing 3 years ago. I recently learned to let it go as well. The results are that I play much better and I'm not so knotted up in the back muscles. I've gone back to making work my obsession and golf my joy. I had a torn muscle in my right lat and the 3 weeks off from that is where all this started for me. It came at the right time.

I still look at this website every night and swing on a daily basis. Play golf 2-3 times per week. Just cut back on all the nights spent at the range. I get more out of a short bucket of balls now than I did hitting 4 of 'em.

I give you 2-4 weeks and the fire in the belly will come back. Just learn to ENJOY it.

 

[Robbohank]

Ahhhh yes, the ever elusive game of golf. I find the responses to the original question very interesting.

Those that choose to simply "quit" and walk off the course simply don't register with me. I see it happen, but I never understand it. If I'm not playing in tournaments, I'm in a regular game with 15 to 20 other buds. Handicaps range from +1 to 12 or so (more toward zero). You walk off the course with this bunch and you'll be looking for another game. Personally I hate the quitter and see no excuse for it. You can say "yea, but" all day long, but to me there is no excuse for quitting unless your physically hurt or you have an emergency that crops up. Plus it's dis-respectful to the rest of the group your playing with. Sorry.... just my opinion.... I'm certain some won't agree.

Otto.... as a fellow Texan I've followed your trials. I qualified for the state Am last year but played like a chop in my qualifier this year and missed it. When you live in Texas it's a bitch to qualify for it anymore. I'm your age and it is truly a big deal when you realize that as a 9-to-5'er you find a way to make it to a tournament that more and more is strictly for college players. But it doesn't keep me from trying. And I figure the WORST thing that can happen is that..... I don't qualify!!!! No biggie... there's always the Mid-am, next year, etc, etc. In the state 4-ball this year my partner and I finish 11th and I hit it like an absolute DOG the last 2 days. I felt like a total boat anchor. On the drive back I was ready to load up Ebay with all my stuff, but that attitude only lasted a day. It's a wierd and fickle game, but I find that quitting is never the answer, for me anyway.

Bottom line... you never know when things will turn in this game. As quickly as you seem to "lose it" you can just as quickly "find it". For me I have so many good friends that play at a similar level and enjoy the battle that walking away from it when things aren't going well would be like telling my friends to get lost. I can't do that.

My 3 cents,

Robbo

 

[holeout]

otto,

Thanks for sharing that.

 

[curtisj76]

otto,

Thanks for sharing that.

I agree, that was one of my favorite posts in a long time. Not sure why, it doesn't even involve the "swing". Thanks otto.

 

[otto6457]

Hey Hank!!

I thought of you the other day. I was wondering how your run at the State Am turned out? After I withdrew, I remembered telling you that I might run into you in Houston. Didn't quite work out did it? LOL!!

Nice job at the 4-ball. If you hit as bad as you say and still finished 11th, you did OK. Either that or your partner is awfully good with a saddle on his back!! HA! Don't feel too bad though. I have played so badly at a partnership tourney that my partner started calling himself the "Mayflower". He said he felt like he was having to carry me to the New World.

I also have a question for you. Do you know Robert McKinney from Houston? He has won the State Am several times and is still playing incredible golf at age 62. He came up to Lubbock for the first Jerry S. Rawls Classic Tournament last month. He almost won the thing over an "all college player" championship flight! The most amazing part was watching him out-drive most of the kids. He was the only player in the championship flight to walk and carry the whole tournament. He may be my new idol.

Of course you realize that seeing you make it through to last year's final doesn't help with my decision right? LOL!! Are you making a run at the Mid-Am?

Anyway. I'm glad you are doing well and that you are still out there holding up the banner for us *cough*, *cough* "senior citizens"! Maybe next year I'll make it down......Maybe.



Curtis

It was my pleasure. I hope you can find your game where you want it to be. Have fun and work hard.

good luck

 

[dashfan87]

wow, you guys make me feel good about my "obsession" with golf... Im 21, I try and play every weekend... but for the most part, I play on average 2 times a month. I practice about once a week, on lunch from work. My handicap is about 8 getting closer to 7 now. But in retrospect I really dont have as much of an obsession as I thought... I mean, everyone has dreams... even silly dreams, even at 21 I still see myself playing in the PGA one day, should I get blessed with an emence amount of talent with minimal practice.
I hope the best for you really fighting to follow your dreams, even at 50+, thats amazing, insperational, gutsy, and a little bit crazy.

 

[Garth]

Ahhhh yes, the ever elusive game of golf. I find the responses to the original question very interesting.

Those that choose to simply "quit" and walk off the course simply don't register with me. I see it happen, but I never understand it. If I'm not playing in tournaments, I'm in a regular game with 15 to 20 other buds. Handicaps range from +1 to 12 or so (more toward zero). You walk off the course with this bunch and you'll be looking for another game. Personally I hate the quitter and see no excuse for it. You can say "yea, but" all day long, but to me there is no excuse for quitting unless your physically hurt or you have an emergency that crops up. Plus it's dis-respectful to the rest of the group your playing with. Sorry.... just my opinion.... I'm certain some won't agree.

Otto.... as a fellow Texan I've followed your trials. I qualified for the state Am last year but played like a chop in my qualifier this year and missed it. When you live in Texas it's a bitch to qualify for it anymore. I'm your age and it is truly a big deal when you realize that as a 9-to-5'er you find a way to make it to a tournament that more and more is strictly for college players. But it doesn't keep me from trying. And I figure the WORST thing that can happen is that..... I don't qualify!!!! No biggie... there's always the Mid-am, next year, etc, etc. In the state 4-ball this year my partner and I finish 11th and I hit it like an absolute DOG the last 2 days. I felt like a total boat anchor. On the drive back I was ready to load up Ebay with all my stuff, but that attitude only lasted a day. It's a wierd and fickle game, but I find that quitting is never the answer, for me anyway.

Bottom line... you never know when things will turn in this game. As quickly as you seem to "lose it" you can just as quickly "find it". For me I have so many good friends that play at a similar level and enjoy the battle that walking away from it when things aren't going well would be like telling my friends to get lost. I can't do that.

My 3 cents,

Robbo

I totally agree and am in the same situation. We will only give 10 to play in our group though so our caps range from +2 to 10. Last year I had my best year ever firing a 68, 69, 70, 71, and multiple par rounds. I finished 2nd in our club championship to our +2 who shot a pair of 71's.

This year is just a mess. I'm struggling to break 80 just about every day and I play about 6 days a week. I'm trending at a 7 but got re-rated and have to play off of 3. How do I handle it? I just keep asking myself what Hogan would do and I keep trying to "dig it out of the dirt." I don't know when It's going to click and turn around for me this year; but I know it will eventually. (hopefully tomorrow!) If you really have a passion for this game, you learn to be a glutton for punishment.

 

[Robbohank]

Staying with it

Hey Hank!!

I thought of you the other day. I was wondering how your run at the State Am turned out? After I withdrew, I remembered telling you that I might run into you in Houston. Didn't quite work out did it? LOL!!

Nice job at the 4-ball. If you hit as bad as you say and still finished 11th, you did OK. Either that or your partner is awfully good with a saddle on his back!! HA! Don't feel too bad though. I have played so badly at a partnership tourney that my partner started calling himself the "Mayflower". He said he felt like he was having to carry me to the New World.

I also have a question for you. Do you know Robert McKinney from Houston? He has won the State Am several times and is still playing incredible golf at age 62. He came up to Lubbock for the first Jerry S. Rawls Classic Tournament last month. He almost won the thing over an "all college player" championship flight! The most amazing part was watching him out-drive most of the kids. He was the only player in the championship flight to walk and carry the whole tournament. He may be my new idol.

Of course you realize that seeing you make it through to last year's final doesn't help with my decision right? LOL!! Are you making a run at the Mid-Am?

Anyway. I'm glad you are doing well and that you are still out there holding up the banner for us *cough*, *cough* "senior citizens"! Maybe next year I'll make it down......Maybe.

Otto,

I've been playing incredibly mediocre golf this year, but as of about 2 weeks ago I think the tide is beginning to turn. I'll be trying the mid-Am and there are a few big local events coming up.

I don't know Robert personally, but I certainly know of him. I did see him in Houston and as usual he was walking and carrying his own bag. I went there to caddy for my best friend who had qualified. We played with the eventual winner on day 1 (my friend actually beat him by a couple of strokes that day).

A little story about my friend who qualified this year. This guy had played in 2 USGA amateurs after he got out of college. He's in his early 40's and finished 7th in the state am back in 1987. Shortly after that he got a case of the driver yips that I doubt I will ever witness again. I mean this guy would hit it 1 to 2fairways to the right every time he hit driver. He would hit drives that I couldn't hit that far right if I tried my hardest. But on the range he piped everything.... and I mean everything!!! Now... he loves this game as much as I do. He had (and still does) a "tour quality" short game which allowed him to keep in the high 70's, low 80's even when he was hitting it off the earth from the tee box, but he had NO chance of going low with his tee-ball doing what it was. It was driving him nuts to not be able to truly enjoy the game like he was used to. He and I were usual partners in the big 4-ball events, but he stopped playing in them because he was "ball-in-pocket" so often that he felt like too big a burden. He was trying different things to fix the driver, but nothing seemed to work. Rather than beat a ton of balls on the range, he decided to try and "play his way" thru it, meaning he played whenever he could and spent less time on the range. It slowly got better and better until about 2 years ago it started to get pretty good. He drives it so good now it's scary. Not super long, but very straight. He was like a surgeon at Houston CC in round 1 of the state am this year and had his putter not been so balky on day 2 he would have made the cut and possibly have been in contention. I don't think any of us that had seen his driver "issues" thought he could come back like he did. (And yes he did carry us in the state 4-ball this year).

Anyway..... I've been witness to someone who's really hit rock bottom with his game and come out on top. It's what keeps me going when I think the game has beat me.

Robbo

 

[Robbohank]

This year is just a mess. I'm struggling to break 80 just about every day and I play about 6 days a week. I'm trending at a 7 but got re-rated and have to play off of 3. How do I handle it? I just keep asking myself what Hogan would do and I keep trying to "dig it out of the dirt." I don't know when It's going to click and turn around for me this year; but I know it will eventually. (hopefully tomorrow!) If you really have a passion for this game, you learn to be a glutton for punishment.

Amen brotha!!! Couldn't agree with you more.

Getting a taste of the 60's is a big deal... so congrats to you! But it does tend to make you "raise your personal bar". When you get a peek at what your potential is like that it makes you want to do it more often. That can be a good and bad thing. Bad in that you can become frustrated when you're not repeating that kind of performance more frequently, but good because you know you can do it so it keeps you going.

You'd fit in well with our bunch Garth. I hope things turn quickly for you.

Robbo

 

[welshdentist]

Well, here's my story as I see so much of muself in Otto from playing TOO much

I know this may be the opposite of you guys but an injury forced me to be less of a range junkie earlier this year. I missed near to 4 months and at one point didn't know if I'd ever play again.

I used to hit balls most lunchtimes and on way home from work always "working on something" hitting bucket after bucket etc etc etc

Since my comeback I can't do that anymore for both fear of injury and knowing what I do now.

I really do believe that hitting too many balls can hurt your game (and yourself) and I now try to minimise practice to short focussed sessions of no more that 100 balls. It now takes me a long time to hit those 100 and I work on one "mechanic" at a time using the Carey Mumford 32 ball drill.

I've found hitting less balls keeps my desire high as I always "want " to hit more balls. It also took me a long time to disassociate from bad shots when "practicing" and not "playing".

The 32 ball drill I use has me hitting 4 balls or doing 4 swings focusing specifically on a mechinical thought, I then hit 4 balls to a target/hitting the shot i'm working on without thinking of that thought. I repeat this 4 times (totaling 32 balls/swings) and forget about that thought for the rest of that session. I feel this ingrains habits MUCH faster. I never hit the same club/shot/target twice in a row unless i'm doing the 32 ball drill. This is "practicing" golf for me.

How many of us actually practice "playing" golf?

And by that I mean full preshot routine including club,shot and target selection. I'm not very good at this yet but i'm getting better.

I know everyone plays this game differently but I had a LOT of time to read during my lay off and read not only a lot of good technical material but a lot about how to practice and play this crazy kooky game we all love.

I write down everything I worked on, and also how well it went. It amazed me how un-focused I had been when I started doing this.

I have a much higher desire and love for this game that I can't wait to go to the range to work on the stuff Brian has given me to work on, just as I went to the course yesterday to play a few holes on my own and on the first hole ended up spending an hour around the green hitting loads of different shots with my 58' But only in short focussed sessions, not hitting ball after ball after ball trying to make one perfect swing/shot. I used one ball for my short game.

I also can't wait to test "playing" in the medal on Sunday with my friends.

I don't want to sound judgemental but we are all guilty sometimes of practicing and becoming good at "hitting" balls at the range, which has no bearing on "playing" golf of the course.

I always thought why can't I hit my driver on the course like a do on the range?

Took me a long time to realise that on the course I don't get to hit it 5 times in 2 minutes to warm up and hit ball after ball on the course building a rhythm and swing thought/groove like I do on the range.

I've settled down to getting a great swing coach, practicing that in the best way. Working on my short game and wedges and putting a fair bit working on short putts on my truthboard and long putt practice at the course.

That doesn't even include mental game practice!!!!!!

If my golf isn't going too well in the future i'm going to ask myself how well i'm sticking to the above. If all i'm doing is searching for a perfect swing on the range hitting ball after ball i'm going to kick myself in the ass and re-read this post.

Practice playing golf............or practice hitting balls.........

Anyone who thinks this a lot of crap or how we can practice better wade on in. Just don't think, i'll do that WHEN I can hit it well enough.

I know that burning out is easy to do trying to do too much and hoping to see results. Golf doesn't work like that some times

 

[Robbohank]

Welsh,

Lot's of good stuff in that post. It is so easy to get into a "timing groove" on the range as we rake another ball in, position it into a perfect lie, then swing away without a care about where it goes. Yet on the course it tends to be a few minutes between full swings and the ball now finds a "cuppy lie" below our feet, and wait a minute..... this shot really means something now!

And we wonder why we don't perform as well as we did on the range?

I'm as guilty as the next and need to be reminded of it.

Thanks,

Robbo

 

[curtisj76]

Welsh,

Lot's of good stuff in that post. It is so easy to get into a "timing groove" on the range as we rake another ball in, position it into a perfect lie, then swing away without a care about where it goes. Yet on the course it tends to be a few minutes between full swings and the ball now finds a "cuppy lie" below our feet, and wait a minute..... this shot really means something now!

And we wonder why we don't perform as well as we did on the range?

I'm as guilty as the next and need to be reminded of it.

Thanks,

Robbo

Yep, I used to hit a hundred balls in my garage almost daily. Gave that up and I'm playing better. I'm still going to do some range work but it's definitely going to be outside on grass and maybe only once or twice a week.

 

[Garth]

Amen brotha!!! Couldn't agree with you more.

Getting a taste of the 60's is a big deal... so congrats to you! But it does tend to make you "raise your personal bar". When you get a peek at what your potential is like that it makes you want to do it more often. That can be a good and bad thing. Bad in that you can become frustrated when you're not repeating that kind of performance more frequently, but good because you know you can do it so it keeps you going.

You'd fit in well with our bunch Garth. I hope things turn quickly for you.

Robbo

Thanks for the encouragement. I did manage to have my best ball striking round of the year the next day. Only managed a 78 due to the flat stick, but I was very happy with that round - nothing worse than bogey and had multiple lipouts. I'm taking a couple days off and staying positive.

If you just keep plugging away something will click. Usually it seems to be something very simple and often it's in the fundementals.

 

[birdie_man]

Carey's got some good stuff!!

Maybe you will get lower than your wife eh welsh??

 

[welshdentist]

Let's not get stupid birdie man

Although I beat her on a Par 3 course last night (she had a week in hospital before that though)

 

[niblick1]

Lots of good points, I think, Mr. Welshdentist.

For me, taking success on the range to the course is one of the hardest things in golf. I have definitely been a "Ranger Rick" lately. I have been trying to fix that by focusing on how to create a more fluid and more easily repeated motion instead of focusing so much on positions and parts and by playing more and practicing less. And by playing during the week with fewer clubs so I have to try more shots.