Am I a BOTTLER ?????????

[madandra]

Let me fill you in !!! y 1st medal was an unspectacular affair in which I had blown up before the turn and staggered back with an 86. Off 11, this was annoying as I was pinging the driver well. I went out last week for my 2nd outing of the season and turned +4. However at 14 was back to +2. I knew I was playing well and was in control until IT happened. Even before I type what IT is, I am sure up and down the country people alreay know ......... My marker announces to the group 'The big man's only 2 over'

I am sure the bar manager in the club house must have thought the tumbler tray hade collapsed when my bottle crashed on the 15th tee. I came home double bogie,double bogie, par, bogie. I have been too traumatised to lift a stick in almost a week. I need some reassurances that I am not a bottler or a good sports Psycologist to straighten me out !!!!!!

 

[birdieman]

Only a bottler if you keep repeating it. We've all been there - combo of nerves, pressure, mental and physical tiredness, thinking ahead etc have ruined many a scorecard.
You dont say what went wrong specifically - was it tee shots, irons or putting that went awry?
You probably became defensive and subconciously started steering the ball instead of swinging normally.
Put it down to experience, next time play more strategically if pressure is on e.g. 3 wood and leave a full shot to green, not a half pitch that you can get twitchy on, dont flaghunt just go for the safe large part of the green. Focus hard on each shot but keep the grip pressure light and distract youself between shots to relax by humming or think about something funny you saw on tv etc the night before.
Bob Rotella's book is 'Golf is not a game of perfect' is helpful and good at 'keeping it real' as AliG would say.
Good luck!

 

[PaulOHagan]

I think we all feel your pain- i find it really hard to go back out to play after loosing it late on-The joys of amateur golf! If its any consolation it does happen to all of us.

 

[Teetotal]

so hard to pull it back when it starts to go pete tonge... I feel for you

 

[Eagleat10]

Madandra - firstly, the last thing your fellow-competitor should have said aloud was your score! If the player whose card you're marking is playing well, you keep quiet as more often than not, he'll be FULLY aware he's 'on'.
However, we've all been there and sympathise. Try taking a couple of deep breaths before each shot as that relaxes your muscles and make sure you keep the same pre-shot routine. Finally, try not to walk quickly which usually happens when you're playing well. Good Luck!

 

[Billio]

AS has been said this happens to everyone. Early in his career Nick Faldo was known by his peers as 'Foldo' due to his ability to squander winning positions; he went on to be renowned for his mental strength. Get yourself into good positions often enough and you will deal with it, you must put this behind you.

 

[madandra]

Birdieman, I didn't feel like I crumpled. I did however make poor decisions on a couple of shots. I even played the par 5 18th defensively with a good drive, lay up with a 9 and 155 to the pin I nailed an 8 or so I thought. It just cought the front of the green and I had a 3 jab. I am out in 6 hours ..... BRING IT ON !!!!!!!!!!

 

[birdieman]

I think I've just discovered your problem - posting messages at 4.10am!! Gordon Bennett, no wonder you're falling apart by the end of the round - you've gotta get some shut eye! Are you a milkman or a dairy farmer per chance?
Good luck with today's round, playing myself tomorrow am, praying for no wind.

 

[birdieman]

Am i a bottler? April medal yesterday, nice conditions - no excuses. Play off 5, sss 69. Was 5 over par after 5 holes but steadied the ship to be on the 16th tee at only 4 over par, bang on for my handicap. Good drive up 16, pulled an 8 iron into sand, out and 2 putt for bogey. Pulled 6 iron shot on par 3 17th , 3 putted for bogey and scrambled a par up the last to finish +6 and miss my buffer by one shot again! Was sick as a pike after blowing it late again. Last season I missed the buffer by one shot 8 times, rather miss it by 10 than 1 = very frustrating.
So much for all my advice!

 

[Junior]

IT, happend to me on Saturday but in the worst way possible...I play of a steady 17 and am not renowned for my putting. I can honestly say I was stabbing putts, left right and never centre I i had 40 putts in total, I hit 6 greenside (steep) bunkers, fired 2 balls out of bounds on the 18th and walked off carding exactly 100.

Played a friendly match 2 days later, holed almost everything and shot 10 over, 7 better than my h'cap !!

Why can I never do that when it counts !!

 

[madandra]

Junior,

If golf was easy and precictable, would we bother our 4R$E doing it????? I don't think so. It imitates life. When you are up, it kicks you in the shins, but when you are down, it gives you just enough hope to keep going.

 

[USER1999]

I think on this occasion, the answer has to be ....yes.

 

[Up_Point_1]

Am I a BOTTLER ????????? – I believe I just might be :-(

My last 2 medal rounds have almost brought me to despair. I play off 8 (7.5 exactly) and am desperate for that 1 round that’ll bring me down 0.2 of a shot to get me back to 7. Can I do it ?? Appears not !!!!

My last 2 medal rounds were as follows:

Sat 12th – Stood on the 16th tee i’m 4 over par and really playing well. Suddenly the prospect of a handicap reduction loomed into my mind, the game suddenly deserted me and I finish Bogey, Bogey, Double Bogey. Finishing with a total of 8 over and with no reduction in handicap.

Sat 19th – Again stood on the 16th tee 5 over and playing really well. Again the thoughts of a handicap reduction pops into my head, again I finish Bogey, Double Bogey, Bogey. 9 over par and again no reduction in handicap.

Everyone says to try not to think about your score but that’s easier said than done when you’re within touching distance of a handicap reducing score.

Just feel like chucking my clubs in the river and locking myself in a dark cupboard for a good cry

DHM.

 

[birdieman]

Duck hook, that's nothing, last Wednesday I was 4 over par, playing steady, hit a good drive down par 5 16th. Second shot I hooked a 3 wood into the hay, it was after 9pm and getting gloomy, I walked over , saw the ball easily and hacked it further into the rough. When I went to play the next shot I found a ball but it wasn't mine. After about a minute I got that 'lost wallet' feeling when it twigged I'd played the wrong ball. Went back and sure enough my ball was in a shocking lie by a tree. Without pausing for a second as the red mist came down I swiped it off a tree and backwards and ended up taking a 9. Mentally tortured I gave up and finished bogey bogey for another [****] score. Just felt so unfair. I too would have lobbed the sticks in a river had there been one to hand.
As Les McQueen from League of Gentlemen would say..." Eeeeh, it's a [****] business"...

 

[Up_Point_1]

Birdieman - Am so glad i'm not in alone suffering this fate.

If you want to send me your misbehaving clubs i'll happily send them to a watery grave for you. I have the River Frome right next to my house

DHM.