Are you playing to win / compete or making up the numbers? Pessimistic?

OnTour

OnTour

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Just wondered as we all have handicaps but made me smile when the questioned popped up and my friend said we had no chance before a ball had been struck.

Was he just being pessimistic or do people genuinely feel they have no chance ever to compete at any level? Surely we all have a good day in us.

2017 is the year of optimistic outlook :-)

Thoughts?
 
I start out hoping to win, then its to get a cut, then its to buffer, then its to break 80 gross, then its to break 85... probably missing a few full stops but no doubt you get the drift.
 
Personally I'm not turning up unless I feel I can win, as you said Hobbit. see how the front nine goes if it's bad make it happen on a new nine for me. shoot level par for 9 and still play over your handicap but never ever do I feel before a ball is struck I've got no chance :-)

I shoot mid 80s playing and striking it well most games then the magic happens twice a year :-)
 
In order of importance:

- Strike the ball well
- Show consistency
- Buffer
- Get cut
- To win

In short, Im not really in it to win. Im in it to get better, enjoy my golf and if I win anything, it's a bonus. I obviously want a cut too but when I start out, my first objective is to try and buffer. And in buffering, it's likely to be because I was striking the ball well (relatively speaking). Im far more accepting of a poor score than I am of poor ball striking. The latter should sort the former over the longer term.

Wild inconsistency is when my golf is least enjoyable so Im focusing or trying to be consistent (even if the scoring is very average) and enjoy it. The other benefits will hopefully follow.
 
I'm not the competitive type so for me it's the taking part that counts and as long as I've given it my best I'm happy...

On the flip side to that is that if I've played like a complete eejutt or I feel that I've been done over then I'm not such a happy bunny...

playing '28 handicappers' who hit just about everything in regulation is extracting the urine a touch and before you ask 'I dunno' is the answer to how they manage to maintain a handicap of 28 without getting cut...
 
I don't mind that much about winning, at the end of the day I play for fun and its not to support my family. Obviously winning is great but that will take care of itself if i play well. So my main aim is to hit the ball well and not make silly mistakes. Also try and work on what I have been practicing that week.

Obviously trying to get the handicap down, so if that means shooting 37/38 points then that is great, does not need to be a winning score for me to be very happy with my golf!
 
Surely as we AMs play a handicap game we all - each and every one of us - have a chance of winning. I go out knowing that to be the case - knowing that it is unlikely given that all other competitors are in the same boat with the same aspirations and same pragmatism. As a minimum I aim to play within the buffer and if possible try and get a couple of good shots in my areas of weakness. Just doing the latter is often sufficient to give me a wee boost.

And so my chipping has been rubbish - and I am/was always a pretty good chipper. But I have kept at it and out of the blue - one round a few rounds ago - I did a couple of crackers - the rest of the game was pretty poor but in my head I was on my way to sorting my chipping.

And three rounds later all is much better - almost grand...and my overall game has pulled together on the back of that confidence boost around my chipping,

Most of the time with me, the game I most want to win is the one I play against my most unreasonable and fretful head. And if I can start winning that one then I know that winning against others will most surely follow.
 
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My mindset is always to play the best shot/golf that i can. Regardless of what that results in, in the end.

This mindset helps to take the pressure off as i don't really think about anything other than that.
 
I'm someone else who's primary aim is to turn up, strike the ball well, and see what happens from there.

If I'm striking the ball well, and things that I've been aiming to improve upon seem to be getting better, I'm usually making buffer but even if I don't I tend to walk off the course happy. My short game is my biggest strength, so if it lets me down on a day where my long game is firing I'll of course be a little bit frustrated but optimistic about my game overall.

When I really start thinking about winning is when I string together a few very good holes on the front 9. But, alas, still no win for me thus far.
 
I don't necessarily play to win (unless it a gross comp), I play to reduce my h/c as that is the true measure of how good a golfer I am. I would take a cut over a victory thought both at the same time is very rewarding.
 
I have never played golf where I have ever thought of buffer, my aim when I enter a comp is to win purely because I'm capable of winning.

If I unfortunately play poorly I still play to get birdies or a 2 for some balls.

There are some really honest guys that will enter the comp to support the club without a thought of winning but just love the game, generally these guys are a pleasure to play with because they are stress free.
 
TBH i go out to get cut in every comp i play in, its nice to win, but a cut is more important, then if i've not got a great score after the turn i try for buffer
 
OnTour said:
Just wondered as we all have handicaps but made me smile when the questioned popped up and my friend said we had no chance before a ball had been struck.

Was he just being pessimistic or do people genuinely feel they have no chance ever to compete at any level? Surely we all have a good day in us.

2017 is the year of optimistic outlook :-)

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Initially, I aim to beat my handicap - hopefully by sufficient to win the comp, but that's not something i can control so not really a thought!

When the above is is out of the question, aim is to make buffer.

When the above is out of the question, it's to score at least 6 points in the last 3 holes (or 8 in the last 4 etc!).

When the above is out of the question, it's to play the last hole well!

So there's always a challenge!

I've had several rounds in each of the above 'categories', along with quite a few where'none-of-the-above' has applied!
 
I always play to the best of my ability.

As to views on chances of winning In club comps it depends on the comp, one without divisions I do not rate my chances.

In friendlies with full handicap stableford I see little prospect of winning but we still play three quarters every other gathering to give everybody a bit of a chance.

I mainly play swindles for the social side rather then to win the pot.
 
In stroke play golf we can firstly only play against ourselves, our handicap and the course.

A person can beat you who has finished their round before you even tee off. You can't control or affect their game so don't worry about it.

Someone out there will have a stellar day, shoot low and win. You never know if it's your day until the results are all in.

I would say that's the beauty and the curse of stroke play golf. Divisions help somewhat by seperating the 88s shot by a 24 handicapper and the 71s shot by a 4 handicapper.

In the end all you can do is go out and have fun, don't worry about winning or losing. If you beat your handicap or buffer anything else is a bonus.

Even in a medal you can get cut with an N/R on your card...
 
Foxholer said:
Initially, I aim to beat my handicap - hopefully by sufficient to win the comp, but that's not something i can control so not really a thought!

When the above is is out of the question, aim is to make buffer.

When the above is out of the question, it's to score at least 6 points in the last 3 holes (or 8 in the last 4 etc!).

When the above is out of the question, it's to play the last hole well!

So there's always a challenge!

I've had several rounds in each of the above 'categories', along with quite a few where'none-of-the-above' has applied!
Click to expand...

This is it. I can win the battle with my head - I have no control over what any other player does. So I'm happy with fighting the battles I can win.
 
Do i go out expecting to win? No, but i go out thinking l have a chance. I go out with the goal of a cut in my mind. If l could achieve a good cut, it would see me in with a chance of a win (handicap comp's obviously).

But this coming weekend is our club "championship" - played off scratch. I'll be playing for the secondary trophy - those with handicaps of 10-20 eligible. With my handicap at 18, and the comp over 36 holes, l haven't a scooby against a field who are generally 6-7-8 shots better than me. I may be able to beat a few , but not realistic to overtake all of them. But did l think of not entering? Certainly not. There's cuts to be got, and a test of how high up the field l can get.
 
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