At what point should we stop?

[jamielaing]

How many poor tee shots are acceptable to a cat 1 golfer in a round? Reading kid’s posts it would seem, none

The way it reads you had a good round going and hit a poor tee shot on a par 3 and dropped 3 shots (not just 2 or even 1 shot but 3!) then 4 more over the next 2 holes!

I don’t know you at all but it could be that you need to more easily accept the odd bad tee shot is inevitable even at the highest level and more effectively (& importantly) manage your performance after the inevitable happens

You can look at the technique all you like but don’t dismiss that it could also be what happened in your head that caused the subsequent poor shots and cost you the round score

You can ignore this opinion because it comes from a cat 4 player or you can give it 5 minutes of your time to think through... Your score with the second ball from a re-tee or drop on the par 3 should have been a par at worse but with chance of birdie, you got bogey with it! (& pretty much did the same for two more holes)

Unless you really think it’s just poor technique that turned you from a cat 1 golfer to a cat 4 golfer for 3 holes then back to cat 1 player again?

The issue here for me is not necessarily hitting the poor shot it's whether the ball is in play or not. This is where the good miss/bad miss comes into play. I see good golfers play bad shots which cost them 60 yards off the tee or they are playing from the rough rather than fairway. One some occasions they block themselves with a tree and have to take their medicine.

I however always put myself out the game with a bad shot. I played a medal about a week ago and buffered. I didn't putt well so this should be considered a result. However when I look over the round I wasted 4-6 shots due to only 3 bad shots because my bad shot is so wild at the moment.

Without those bad shots I would've had a healthy cut. Obviously there will be bad shots in a round, if however they stay in play you can accept them and move on. When the ball is out of play regularly it does grate you, especially when you are there or thereabouts with the rest of your game.

It's not about trying to perfect the swing, it's about reducing the damage these shots cause you. And if they are wild, that means some swing alterations.

Good luck Kid, I feel your pain!

 

[kid2]

This game takes so much commitment to play at the lower levels, sometimes the sacrifice for some isn't worth the reward. For others who have the time I say go get it! I will enjoy watching you play some shots I simply cannot pull off. There might come a time when I can afford to spend more time practicing and as well as have a good family balance, but for now I will stick to what I have and enjoy it.

luckily I have the time and also a pretty flexible better half.. when I say time I still have the 9 to 6 job and the 2 kids but I'll always try fit practice in when I can. I play twice a week competitively and because my son who is 8 also plays I get to throw in a few hours practice with him on a Saturday as well..
So even though I have not got every hour in the day to practice I still consider myself lucky enough to be able to hold a 5 handicap with the hours I do have.
Most of my practice revolves around the short game as it's where I need it because of the inconsistencies in my swing from one week to the next..
I've represented the club heaps of times over the past few years and I suppose that's where the competitiveness with myself always comes in. I can't shake that and also don't really want to as I enjoy the pressure of it and also how it helps the game.

It's those freak one's during rounds that I would like to eradicate though.. I feel if I don't have the odd blow up off the tee then I'll score much better.
Also it's not course management. I'll pick my way round courses pretty well. But nothing worse than nailing a drive perfect on one hole and then setting up for the exact same on the next feeling like you haven't changed a thing in your swing or setup only to hit one off the planet or for forbid knock it down with a fairway wood. 😠😀'

 

[garyinderry]

I am not even sure I could just 'accept what I have' in a swing as my swing seems to change from one year to the next.

2 years ago I played with a huge hook. Everything was a draw. I somehow have flipped that right round and would struggle to play a big hook and am now fighting a slice.

My left hand grip was super strong now I can't even hold the club like I did.

Some people seem to have a stable, repeatable swing. My one seems to change like the seasons, for better or worse. not always entirely intentional.

My swing history looks something like

God knows, most likely a slice to start
Huge slice
Manageable slice
Intentional pull
Strong draw
Hook
Bit of a fade
Losing it further right
Slicing it again (current)


I would love to click my fingers and get back to the swing flaws that give me a repeatable strong draw/hook. That isn't going to happen so I will have to put in some range time this winter. I just have not done any in a long time so my swing has progressively got worse.


For me, stand still in this game and I go backwards.


There are other people who I play with who have the same swing every day they step out on the course. Jammy sods.