Cutting out the silly mistakes..

[TigerTime]

I’ve been trying really hard to cut out the silly mistakes this year, in an effort to shoot less than 10 over par or 80 or less on a par 70.

I have broken 80 this year and shot a 75, but it was a par 67 course and I had 3 birdies to even get to that.

I get so close constantly, many rounds in the mid to low 80’s, but there’s just too many mistakes or bad luck involved. Whether I’m hitting the ball ok or not, I can get round the course relatively well thanks to a good short game.

The mistakes aren’t consistent. It’s not just one thing, it’s the stupid 3 putt, the over/under hit wedge, being too far back on a long hole and having a longer club in, the thinned/topped iron etc, the rare two out of a bunker, Some form of mistake happens 2/4 times a round and it varies for each mistake, it gets me a double bogey or worse.it literally costs me about 4-6 shots a round.

Attitude wise I’m ok. I try not to get too high or too low these days on the course, it’s amateur golf and we all suck so stuff is going to happen. If I make a mistake I tend to get frustrated in the moment but move on to the next shot pretty quickly.

Course management wise I don’t think is a problem, it’s not like I’m going for the shot I can’t play, or something out with my skil level.

Maybe a focus thing?

It’s a frustrating game at times. I feel like there’s about 10 rounds I could’ve and should’ve broke +10 this year and these silly mistakes cost me every-time. I wish it was the same thing costing me each time cos at least I could pinpoint it and work on it!

 

[Orikoru]

Same boat here, but blow-ups are coming near the end lately, which is super frustrating. Last round I had 32 points with three holes left, then sliced one out of bounds followed by two three-putts. Week before I had no doubles in the first 12 holes, then thew in 4 of them in the last 6.

I don't know if it's lack of concentration or focus, or maybe even the opposite and over-thinking it I'm doing well. Or it's just because playing six rounds and three driving range visits per month isn't enough to get the level of consistency that I want.

It's the hardest game in the world.

 

[Bratty]

1. After your last putt on 1st hole, write your score down.
2. Forget it immediately.
3. Repeat for 8 more holes.
4. Ask playing partners not to tell you what you're on.
5. Repeat step 1 for 10th hole.
6. Repeat steps 2 to 3.
Now you can play unencumbered by and not preoccupied with your score and the panic, frustration, etc.

 

[cliveb]

Everyone has the odd few holes when things go wrong. Tour pros sometimes get bogeys. We amateurs have doubles and triples. It happens. Accept it as part of the game. And rejoice those rare occasions when you escape for an entire 18 holes without cocking up.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Cutting down on doubles or triples…silly mistakes or clever mistakes whichever…is a sign of improvement - but it doesn’t happen overnight and they’ll never be eliminated. I’m rather plagued by them at the moment…but I know that’ll stop soon.

 

[Golfnut1957]

I feel your pain. I shot an 83 on Saturday, 3 doubles cost me a decent cut. Of the 3 doubles two of them came out of nowhere, one bad shot leading to two, then three.

Some of it is in my head. Being 140 from the hole for two on our par 5 9th and duffing the 3rd. I've doubled that hole for weeks now. It's in my head.

As for not keeping track of my score, I do that every round, but when you are playing well it doesn't matter. If I am only two or three over par after six holes I know it without consciously thinking about it. If I'm on a good score halfway around the back, nothing can disguise the fact, and I start to get cautious and deliberate and that is a recipe for disaster.

I suppose that's the difference between me and Scottie Scheffler

 

[Neilds]

From the sounds of your mistakes, I think that practise is the way forward. It doesn't sound like you are making bad decisions, just bad execution so that comes down to practise and confidence.

 

[steadyon]

Well, in my experience- that’s golf - it’s just a ridiculous game that will keep on kicking your butt until you’ve hold you’re last putt and passed on to whatever is next.

 

[pendodave]

Well, in my experience- that’s golf - it’s just a ridiculous game that will keep on kicking your butt until you’ve hold you’re last putt and passed on to whatever is next.

Yep.
If the OP is showing that level of consistent scoring, it sounds like they're doing rather well!
I'm not a big fan of not knowing the score. Much better to know roughly what it is and learn to ignore it/come to terms with it.

 

[Springveldt]

Same boat here, but blow-ups are coming near the end lately, which is super frustrating. Last round I had 32 points with three holes left, then sliced one out of bounds followed by two three-putts. Week before I had no doubles in the first 12 holes, then thew in 4 of them in the last 6.

I don't know if it's lack of concentration or focus, or maybe even the opposite and over-thinking it I'm doing well. Or it's just because playing six rounds and three driving range visits per month isn't enough to get the level of consistency that I want.

It's the hardest game in the world.

Probably a combination of the first two. I play twice a week during the summer (one during winter usually) with zero range sessions and I'm able to maintain an index between 4-6. Last lesson was back in 2019 although I have recently booked 4 lessons with our club pro but I've not used any of them yet.

 

[Orikoru]

Probably a combination of the first two. I play twice a week during the summer (one during winter usually) with zero range sessions and I'm able to maintain an index between 4-6. Last lesson was back in 2019 although I have recently booked 4 lessons with our club pro but I've not used any of them yet.

Mileage may vary though right? You've played to that level for a number of years - whisper it, but it may be the case that you have some degree of natural talent.

The real difference between me and a single-figure player I think is consistency of strike. I can get the ball around fine, but it's a cluster of heel strikes, toe strikes, and then dealing with the outcome. The driving can be good for 13 holes and then the big slice reappears and it's an instant blob. As I said above, that consistency I guess is a melding of getting enough practise time, and the mental focus being applied for all 18 holes.

On one hand, I feel like I lose focus sometimes when I'm having a good round, because I'm relaxed and enjoying it and you feel like all's going well and switch off for a second. But on the other hand, how many times do we have a poor front nine, stop focusing almost completely, and your new relaxed state produces some great golf out of nowhere?

Just a baffling, stupid game really. Whatever we do is wrong.

 

[Springveldt]

I’ve been trying really hard to cut out the silly mistakes this year, in an effort to shoot less than 10 over par or 80 or less on a par 70.

I have broken 80 this year and shot a 75, but it was a par 67 course and I had 3 birdies to even get to that.

I get so close constantly, many rounds in the mid to low 80’s, but there’s just too many mistakes or bad luck involved. Whether I’m hitting the ball ok or not, I can get round the course relatively well thanks to a good short game.

The mistakes aren’t consistent. It’s not just one thing, it’s the stupid 3 putt, the over/under hit wedge, being too far back on a long hole and having a longer club in, the thinned/topped iron etc, the rare two out of a bunker, Some form of mistake happens 2/4 times a round and it varies for each mistake, it gets me a double bogey or worse.it literally costs me about 4-6 shots a round.

Attitude wise I’m ok. I try not to get too high or too low these days on the course, it’s amateur golf and we all suck so stuff is going to happen. If I make a mistake I tend to get frustrated in the moment but move on to the next shot pretty quickly.

Course management wise I don’t think is a problem, it’s not like I’m going for the shot I can’t play, or something out with my skil level.

Maybe a focus thing?

It’s a frustrating game at times. I feel like there’s about 10 rounds I could’ve and should’ve broke +10 this year and these silly mistakes cost me every-time. I wish it was the same thing costing me each time cos at least I could pinpoint it and work on it!

The thing that made me start breaking 80 consistently was just keeping the ball in play and giving me a shot to the green in regulation, that cut down the doubles massively but it sounds like that isn't your issue. If you don't already, maybe start tracking some of your rounds to really pinpoint what the main issue is, although it doesn't seem like one thing when you think back, if you start tracking it something will show up.

Other than that, it's turning doubles or trebles into bogeys by having a decent game from 90 yards and in. Play around on a practice area of hitting shots in 10 yard increments that are easy to hit with what feels like a swing going back to 9 and through to 3. I've got shots from 40 right through to 100 that are simple to hit 95% of the time and will usually go within 5 yards of the distance I'm trying to hit. Obviously like every amateur hacker I'll have duffs with these shots as well but the vast majority of the time I'll hit a decent shot into a standard deviation with them that give me a chance of salvaging a par/bogey.

It sounds like you aren't far away and when you do it once it will feel like a monkey off your back, the mental part will be gone and you will likely start to do it more often.

 

[Springveldt]

Mileage may vary though right? You've played to that level for a number of years - whisper it, but it may be the case that you have some degree of natural talent.

The real difference between me and a single-figure player I think is consistency of strike. I can get the ball around fine, but it's a cluster of heel strikes, toe strikes, and then dealing with the outcome. The driving can be good for 13 holes and then the big slice reappears and it's an instant blob. As I said above, that consistency I guess is a melding of getting enough practise time, and the mental focus being applied for all 18 holes.

On one hand, I feel like I lose focus sometimes when I'm having a good round, because I'm relaxed and enjoying it and you feel like all's going well and switch off for a second. But on the other hand, how many times to have a poor front nine, stop focusing almost completely, and your new relaxed state produces some great golf out of nowhere?

Just a baffling, stupid game really. Whatever we do is wrong.

Maybe it's because I played a lot as a kid even although I also didn't swing a club for nearly 25 years? I'm not sure I've got any natural talent for any kind of sport, I was usually the kid that got picked last at football etc as I've got 2 left feet. It might be I've got decent hand to eye co-ordination through all the computer games I've played.

My consistency of strike is garbage as well, I hit more heels and toes through a round than I do the middle. I currently hit 16 drives at my club (only 2 par 3's) and a good round driving for me is having only 2 or 3 "recovery" shots as I know there will be at least 2 drives that I hit a massive pull or slice out of nowhere as well. What helps keep the score down is that my misses seem to be much better than they were when I took up the game 8 years ago, probably because of club face control as I focus a lot on my wrist angles through the swing.

 

[TigerTime]

The thing that made me start breaking 80 consistently was just keeping the ball in play and giving me a shot to the green in regulation, that cut down the doubles massively but it sounds like that isn't your issue. If you don't already, maybe start tracking some of your rounds to really pinpoint what the main issue is, although it doesn't seem like one thing when you think back, if you start tracking it something will show up.

Other than that, it's turning doubles or trebles into bogeys by having a decent game from 90 yards and in. Play around on a practice area of hitting shots in 10 yard increments that are easy to hit with what feels like a swing going back to 9 and through to 3. I've got shots from 40 right through to 100 that are simple to hit 95% of the time and will usually go within 5 yards of the distance I'm trying to hit. Obviously like every amateur hacker I'll have duffs with these shots as well but the vast majority of the time I'll hit a decent shot into a standard deviation with them that give me a chance of salvaging a par/bogey.

It sounds like you aren't far away and when you do it once it will feel like a monkey off your back, the mental part will be gone and you will likely start to do it more often.

This could be good advice and I'm going to give it a go.

Might be time to get some shotscope or arccos tags.

I can count on two hands the amount of 'stinker' rounds I've had this year, but more often than not I've been consistently decent, without getting through that +10 barrier. It's what is really holding me back to be honest. It might be something as simple as learning how to hit every distance from 10 yards to 120 yards better.

 

[Slab]

OP I know your pain, after shooting a pb of 80 just three weeks ago the only shot I remember now from the round is the duff chip from greenside first cut that 'cost me a double'… but was it really that shot that stopped me breaking 80 or did the 2 x par 3 birdies I had gloss over that it usually would’ve been an 82

I’m not suggesting you welcome the mistakes with open arms but we all know golf, there’s no eradicating them even on tour, in fact in order to shoot your 79 target on par 70, some of these mistakes actually have to be there. (how else do you shoot +9 without 2 -4 mistakes)

It reads a bit like without these mistakes you think you’d get par rather than a double. Saving you 2 shots but that’s not a given, so maybe also think about what’s stopping you turning more of your bogeys into pars rather than just the mistakes that turn (hopeful) par’s into doubles.
That way you’re only trying to improve one shot per hole rather than 2, much easier

 

[bobmac]

How long have you got.

We've all heard the clichés....
One shot at a time
Don't get ahead of your self
Don't write the winners speech half way through the back 9
Don't throw a good score away
etc

One surprising thing happened to my game after I turned pro, my scores dropped by 3 or 4 shots per round without getting better at golf.
I began playing boring golf.
Down the middle somewhere (you can't make birdie from the trees)
On or near the green somewhere
And the odd up and down or chip in
That was it, nothing fancy.
I went from Seve to Ken Brown overnight.
But the biggest change was I had no h/cap to play to or to protect.

Before, I'd stand on the 16th tee, level par and think 'don't mess this up''
Bogey bogey bogey finish.

After I had no handicap I would think ''birdie birdie birdie finish will pay my gas bill.
So, boring golf without the fear of spoiling a good round helped me.

Not easy to do but my pre shot routine was the key.
A good psr helps as it means you don't forget a swing thought..... If I do this, this and this on my rehearsal swing, I know the ball will go straight. It may be boring to watch... 250 down the middle again...boring. But the minute you try and hit it 270, you're in the rough/bushes/trees = double bogey.
If you know your honest yardages for each club, it doesn't really matter where you play, 150 is the same where ever you are. Obviously wind, temperature, elevation and lie all affect your club selection and hazards may decide where you aim but never forget your psr, aim it and give it your best swing without fear of messing up.
Success breeds confidence which breeds success.
But I'm afraid confidence only comes from practice

 

[Patster1969]

How long have you got.

We've all heard the clichés....
One shot at a time
Don't get ahead of your self
Don't write the winners speech half way through the back 9
Don't throw a good score away
etc

One surprising thing happened to my game after I turned pro, my scores dropped by 3 or 4 shots per round without getting better at golf.
I began playing boring golf.
Down the middle somewhere (you can't make birdie from the trees)
On or near the green somewhere
And the odd up and down or chip in
That was it, nothing fancy.
I went from Seve to Ken Brown overnight.
But the biggest change was I had no h/cap to play to or to protect.

Before, I'd stand on the 16th tee, level par and think 'don't mess this up''
Bogey bogey bogey finish.

After I had no handicap I would think ''birdie birdie birdie finish will pay my gas bill.
So, boring golf without the fear of spoiling a good round helped me.

Not easy to do but my pre shot routine was the key.
A good psr helps as it means you don't forget a swing thought..... If I do this, this and this on my rehearsal swing, I know the ball will go straight. It may be boring to watch... 250 down the middle again...boring. But the minute you try and hit it 270, you're in the rough/bushes/trees = double bogey.
If you know your honest yardages for each club, it doesn't really matter where you play, 150 is the same where ever you are. Obviously wind, temperature, elevation and lie all affect your club selection and hazards may decide where you aim but never forget your psr, aim it and give it your best swing without fear of messing up.
Success breeds confidence which breeds success.
But I'm afraid confidence only comes from practice

The bolded piece is very true. i played on Saturday in a 4 ball - three of us all similarish handicaps (mid to high teens) and a guy playing off +2 joined us. He was down the middle pretty much every hole, hit it a pretty long way and apart from once or maybe twice, he got it down in 2 pretty much every time he was within 30 yards of the green, whereas we were taking 3 or 4.

We were having a drink afterwards (the +2 guy couldn't stay) and one of the three said that he was expecting spectacular or miracle shots due to how low his handicap was - the spectacular bit for me was that he didn't have to rely on a miracle shot, so it was great watching him.

 

[Patster1969]

Same boat here, but blow-ups are coming near the end lately, which is super frustrating. Last round I had 32 points with three holes left, then sliced one out of bounds followed by two three-putts. Week before I had no doubles in the first 12 holes, then thew in 4 of them in the last 6.

I don't know if it's lack of concentration or focus, or maybe even the opposite and over-thinking it I'm doing well. Or it's just because playing six rounds and three driving range visits per month isn't enough to get the level of consistency that I want.

It's the hardest game in the world.

Silly question - are you drinking enough/taking on enough fuel, as this used to happen to me and since I make a point of having a couple of bottles of drink & a couple of bananas, the last few hole blow up has lessened somewhat

 

[Orikoru]

Silly question - are you drinking enough/taking on enough fuel, as this used to happen to me and since I make a point of having a couple of bottles of drink & a couple of bananas, the last few hole blow up has lessened somewhat

I think so. I carry a 750ml bottle of water and generally finish it across 18 holes. When it's been high 20's in temperature I brought an extra 500ml as well. And I normally eat a Grenade protein bar around half-way round.

 

[Patster1969]

I think so. I carry a 750ml bottle of water and generally finish it across 18 holes. When it's been high 20's in temperature I brought an extra 500ml as well. And I normally eat a Grenade protein bar around half-way round.

It's possible that that might not be enough - how thirsty do you feel/dehydrated are you at the end of the round? I usually get through pretty much two sports bottles of drink per round and added an extra one when it was hot and even though, I was still dehydrated.
I've not had a Grenade bar but you could probably add something else to see if that helps, as that doesn't seem much - also depends on what you eat pre-round I suppose.