Another case of what might've been!

Achilles

Challenge Tour Pro
Joined
Feb 9, 2011
Messages
733
Location
Cirencester, Gloucestershire
www.cirencestergolfclub.co.uk
Monthly medal today and with the weather forecast as it was, I wasn't sure about playing. Figured nothing to lose though and luckily the rain held off.

I came flying out of the traps parring the first 3 holes and missing the birdie putts by millimitres. Carried on in a similar vein for the front 9 and ended up 4 over gross at the turn, with a double bogey on the card. I parred the SI 1 10th and bogeyed 11 and 12 so was set up nicely.

And then it happened. Stood on the 13th tee, 156 yd par 3 (SI 17), 7 iron in hand....and I topped it about 40 yards. I've no idea what happened. The swing felt ok, but the result was horrible. I almost missed the ball!! My 2nd shot was even worse..a duffed wedge which went nowhere. Ended up walking off with a triple bogey 6!! Then went par, double, par, double, bogey (my birdie putt on the last hit the back of the hole but popped up and span off 6 ft away, so a 3 putt ensued!).

I'm pleased in general as ended up with a nett 69 (38 points adjusted on the computer, so should get a cut) but the tee shot on the 13th literally came out of nowhere. I was battling to not think ahead and felt fine on the tee. I cannot explain how random it was. I'm hitting the ball great at the mo but these unpredictable triples are really holding me back! I'm putting it down to a lapse in concentration but boy is it frustrating!!!

How do people keep a good round going and avoid these sort of moments?
 
Just laugh it off with good playing pals, play with my dad in comps and he's the best at doing so. Just tells me forget about it, and if it happens again, it just fuels him for more abuse later! If I'm with playing partners who aren't as relaxed, I just try and cut out the doubles out of the game. If I'm in a situation which par is virtually impossible, make sure I take my medicine and play for the bogey.
 
I'd take some positive from the fact that you didn't let it get to you once you got off the hole. I'd managed +2 over the previous 4 holes when I reached the par 3 12th. Topped my tee shot into the s**t and was 3 off the tee and went triple, double, triple over the next three holes.
 
Happens to me usually once per round. A complete duff always from a good lie in the middle of the fairway. Hugely frustrating because it's a totally wasted shot. Annoying as it is I don't get put off by it and the next shot is always a good one.
 
something similar happened to me last week, going along very well and then come to shortest hole on course and make a completely mess of tee shot and the recovery.
Maybe its because we are going well and relax too much on a relatively straight forward par 3. Its probably best to keep the concentrate the same for every shot.
 
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