Confidence if your game??

[Oddsocks]

how does confidence effect your game? For me if I am playing well and turn up full of confidence I normally hack/explode or if I'm really lucky both, yet when I turn up with no expectations I can play some good golf.

Saturday is a prime example, After a major case of the shanks at the range on Thursday night I turned up Saturday expecting a very bad game, extra balls in the bag and not filled with any inspiration at all. On the front 9 despite missing 4 or 5 little putts I still got to the turn with 17 points, no blobs and the same ball. on the 12th despite having to take shelter from a mental storm for 40 mins which left the course flooded I still rolled in with 15 points on the back 9 too. Now this is one of the harder course I have played, is long, greens were the fastest i have ever putted on, yet 32 points on a course with a flooded back 9 after the storm and finishing with the same ball as i tee'd off with was rather unexpected

Is it a case that due to a bad build up i was so much more focused on pre shot routine?

To my recollection i only played 2 bad shots all day.

whether its the fact that

 

[ademac]

I play much better if I turn up full of confidence, even a touch of arrogance to my game, especially around the greens.

If I'm not really expecting much and I hit a bad shot I just kind of think "oh well, never mind its only a game" sort of thing and more likely hit another bad one because I'm not focussed enough.

I dont really get frustrated if I am confident and focussed and hit bad shots, it just makes me concentrate more and try harder.

Finding the balance is tricky though as I have been playing with very little confidence lately and would really like some back!

 

[brendy]

Low confidence in my 20-70 yard pitches at the moment. Last week was a great example.
I decided rather than risk shanking, I would try to run a lot more of the approaches up to the hole.
I duffed one and left another 3 short. No shanks but on a score of 82, I had two treble bogies and a double on a par three..8 shots wasted in three holes. Rightfully disgusted but managed to miss gaining .1 back.

 

[Oddsocks]

ah now the shanks are a hole different ball game, dont get me started on them ***** ***** ***** ****!!!!!! sums it up nicely.

its crazy how some people need to be confident, others confidence can be a killer. The worst is when people talk them selves into a bad shot.

Dont duff it, Dont duff it, Dont Duff it, DUFF!!! Mother *** **** ***** !!!

now that makes me giggle.

 

[Alex1975]

@OP I like you will suffer from having expectations, if I have hit the ball well all week I will expect to do so on the course and usually don’t. I am not sure if it works the other way though. I think I seem to play well if I am happy but am usually only happy if I am playing well.

It could be that if you start with confidence there is only two things that will happen mentally, you will stay confident or you will lose confidence. The last few games I have tried to stay patient, it has been my little mantra so that I keep my emotions in check. I hope that if I make a poor or steady start that if I stay patient and on control (two things that if you knew me you would not associate with me) I will find form. Last week I had to wait till 15 to get paid if I had lost my mental composure by then I may not have got paid at all.

I was given a compliment the other day although when you look at it it’s kind of a back handed compliment “for someone who drove the ball so badly today you did a great job of staying in control” .

Confidence is everything I remember last summer when I beat my mother and father in law at home that they said I was so confident is was hard to compete and that I was strutting about like I owned the course, its everything.

Overconfidence is as bad as no confidence maybe?!

 

[Alex1975]

The worst is when people talk them selves into a bad shot.

!!!!!

 

[jeardley]

Gonna start taking a leaf out of Rory's book, play with that much confidence that you almost swagger round the course lol.

Shake hands with your playing partner and say play well on the first tee, inside be thinking 'I am going to bury you!!'

That will probably last 2 holes and I'll go back to my very negative plotting around the course

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Got great confidence in everything that doesn't involve chipping a ball. Gone back to a dark place with that. I tend to play better if I'm loose and there is a bit of banter going on. If I'm in a group especially comps or matches which are all totally blinkered on their own game I tend to get distracted and think too much. I'm not asking them to have a massive party between shots but a chat about footie, cricket or the golf on the box just helps. I am always confident in my own ability and always think I'll play well. I'm use to not fulfilling my expectations and so don't get too down now when it resorts to type.

 

[Oddsocks]

Homer, you seem very much like me in the fact banter within the group inspires good/better golf.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Homer, you seem very much like me in the fact banter within the group inspires good/better golf.

You playing Camberley. Sounds like we could have a good round between us! (providing we can nobble the random draw)

 

[Region3]

Homer, you seem very much like me in the fact banter within the group inspires good/better golf.

You playing Camberley. Sounds like we could have a good round between us! (providing we can nobble the random draw)

You should tie your balls together!

 

[chris661]

Confidence if my game what?