Addicted and frustrated!

[golf_bug]

Hi all.
This is my first post on the forum. I started playing golf about 1 year ago, and now have the 'bug'...in fact I am riddled with it!
I have had a decent year golf wise, getting my first handicap of 28 and getting it down to 17. However, this progression has had a negative effect - I now have far too high expectations for my rounds and become frustrated easily. The quality of my golf and my enjoyment suffers as a result.
Does anyone have any advice? I want to play to the best of my ability AND enjoy it!

 

[Farneyman]

Retrain your brain to a new way of thinking. It will help you greatly. Without getting all gobblidy gook its as easy as changing your mind.

Could also try reading/surfing the web for tips.

Hope it helps as reading helped changed my way of thinking

 

[Macster]

In my experience, its time to stop worrying about 'lowering your handicap', or at least 'trying' , just enjoy your golf, and play your best without getting frustrated, and it will come down.

Oh, and practice.....

and some more.

 

[TonyN]

Your handicap is 17 for a reason, I expect when you go out, your trying to par every hole, Thats not likely is it?

Use the shots you have available to you to score net pars, I bet your results are better.

Alternativly, you could play a few rounds without scoring, that works wonders.

Welcome to the forum, its a great place to be!

Tony

 

[minty18]

Throw some clubs and slam them into the ground, there..... that should do it.

 

[Robobum]

What was the reason you started to play golf?? If it was to become a professional then you've got a long way to go and getting annoyed at this early stage won't help.

If it was as a sporting hobby/ pastime then relax and enjoy what you are doing i.e 4 hrs or so in the fresh air getting away from daily shite like work, bills, nagging wife etc.

If you do relax and enjoy it you may notice another big improvement and if you don't you'll be too relaxed to care!!

 

[golf_bug]

Thanks for your advice guys. Maybe a few rounds without a score card may make me chill out a bit!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Try playing a 4 ball matchplay with your mates where the scores don't matter and its about winning the hole. The banter should help you relax and I bet you score well.

I guess if you are serious about improving further you nees to look at your weak areas and work on those (ideally under a PGA pros guidance). Alternatively work on the short game as that is where the scores are made

 

[HomerJSimpson]

BTW if you are interested, there is a GM Forum day not too far from you at Royal Ascot on Friday Arpil 3rd if your up for it. Get to meet a few names from here and have a decent day out.

 

[jammydodger]

Hi golf_bug

Which course do play in Wilts ? I used to live there a few years ago and played pretty much all the courses.

 

[golf_bug]

jammydodger
I play at Cumberwell Park in Bradford on Avon - did you play that one?

 

[jammydodger]

Sure I know Cumberwell very well !! 27 holes and a nice track , love that long par 3 over the water (8th on one of the 9's I think)
Are the James boys still there ?
There was always stacks of 2 and below h/caps there , probs still are.

 

[golf_bug]

There are 36 holes now! They opened another 9 holes a couple of years back.
I believe the James' are still there, but I don't know them.
Yes the par 3 over the water - always interesting when the wind is in yer face and you can only reach it with a driver!
There seem to be a lot of low handicappers at the club, especially the teenagers...very good standard. I am in the 'not so good' standard!

 

[jammydodger]

I played at Kingsdown , so only a few miles up the road from you.
If you get the chance just watch them lads around the practice area , keep an eye on their tempo and rhythm and you'll learn a lot.
We all hit walls in our h/caps as we came down , but you just adjust your mindset to believe that you belong lower. If your technique is sound then just practice like stink around the greens and it wont be long before your off on a nice reduction curve again.

 

[Herbie]

Hi all.
This is my first post on the forum. I started playing golf about 1 year ago, and now have the 'bug'...in fact I am riddled with it!
I have had a decent year golf wise, getting my first handicap of 28 and getting it down to 17. However, this progression has had a negative effect - I now have far too high expectations for my rounds and become frustrated easily. The quality of my golf and my enjoyment suffers as a result.
Does anyone have any advice? I want to play to the best of my ability AND enjoy it!

After playing for a year or so I got my h/c down to 16 so I know at what point you are at now, I also got fired up really easily when playing back then as I was only 19. Old golfing sage told me, "never get upset by things you cannot change, but change the things you can change, dont get uptight about it". As a young bloke, I looked at him agog and it took me some time to work out what he may have meant.

You cant change what has been, your results etc.
You can change your future results.

If you use your past results or speed of achievement as a measure you are effectively starting from then and not NOW.

I hope you get my drift.

Focus on how you are going to play each individual shot from here on and nothing else, the rest will come on its own, if you stay in the past with frustartions then you will peobably stay there.

 

[jeffc]

on a similar vain " if something doesn't work don't keep doing it"
this applies to the mental side as much as the physics/mechanics

 

[bobmac]

Confooshis says
'The definition of someone who doesnt practice is someone who does the same thing every day and expects a different result'.

 

[ball_basher]

Hi , sounds like the problem i have had in the past , i have been playing the game seven years now , my first year was , well quite a good start my first handicap was 14. and i was convinced i could be playing at a good standard within a couple of years ..... not to be , over night i lost it and i was regularly playing far worse than when i first started , absolutley gutted but never the less i soldiered on and on and on , for four years to be honest ,shooting 110's and even as bad as 130 , god this was so depresing , the game i had fallen in love with had departed me and i had practically packed it in because i no longer enjoyed , i on many occasions walked off the course after 3 or holes ..... i stopped playing out of embarrasment and about 18 months ago , i hadnt picked up a club for 6 months then decided to give it another go playing with my brothers clubs. this round transpired to my best ever year .... the point i am getting at is , try to remember it is only a game , try to relax and not put to much pressure on your self , sometimes the harder you try the worse it gets , so maybe take a little time away from the game and go to the range and work on the basics , grip alighnment, posture start with half swings and nothing more until you are hitting consistently , you will find you are hitting the ball further and straiter than ever ...

happy bashing

 

[viscount17]

a Confoosis for bob'
"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop"

 

[HomerJSimpson]

For me its all about making sure when I play I'm putting into operation the things I practiced and when I practice I'm not ingraining bad habits but using the drill and tips from my coach. In the summer I usually have a lesson every 4 weeks or so (more if it goes horribly wrong) and go through what I've been working on and what else needs fixing. A good PGA is your 15th club.