Cutting out the silly mistakes..

[Orikoru]

All true
The really tough part is when that ‘mistake on one shot’ already costs the player 2 shots (i.e stroke and distance / 3 off the tee)
Most players when hitting a fat/thin etc it just turns any chance of par into a bogey & that’s fine. But 3 off the tee is a different beast.

You single figure guys can often still target bogey (maybe even par) when 3 off the tee (not jealous at all) But us folks with less ability its a double/triple at best, all from one errant shot



(I’ve always felt a bit of injustice at S&D, it feels like a real treble kick in the clackerbag. I’ve got to reload from same place and give a penalty stroke to the field and I’ve lost a piggen ball!)

Exactly this. When you've been driving well all day and then carve one out of bounds from nowhere it's a real kick in the teeth as you re-tee it up knowing the best you can really expect is a double and you need to play it well just to get that.

On Rick Shiels podcast they spoke about that a few weeks back. Obviously I doubt it will ever change, but they put forward a pretty good argument that you should just be hitting two off the tee when you lose one like that. The extra shot penalty isn't really necessary. It would also speed up play indirectly as people wouldn't spend quite as long looking for a ball if their provisional was on the fairway for 2 rather than 3.

 

[Slab]

And that’s why you will get shots in a competition on these holes

Yes lower guys will try and still get a bogey but with shots then the higher handicaps can still get a net bogey

3 off the tee is a kick in the nads

Yeah we do... but all too often no we don't

i.e On stroke 1-2-3 etc we'd both get a single shot. If we're both shooting 3 off the tee you'd quite often beat my 14 handicap game by about two shots


Yup, just about the most painful penalty in golf. I mean if there's water way right i get to toddle off and forget the 'distance' part of S&D but change water to 1ft high grass in same place and its a double whammy reload. Never made sense to me, both balls are lost

 

[Slab]

Exactly this. When you've been driving well all day and then carve one out of bounds from nowhere it's a real kick in the teeth as you re-tee it up knowing the best you can really expect is a double and you need to play it well just to get that.

On Rick Shiels podcast they spoke about that a few weeks back. Obviously I doubt it will ever change, but they put forward a pretty good argument that you should just be hitting two off the tee when you lose one like that. The extra shot penalty isn't really necessary. It would also speed up play indirectly as people wouldn't spend quite as long looking for a ball if their provisional was on the fairway for 2 rather than 3.

Yeah at first read i'm in favour of that. Although I've worked pretty hard with driver to keep it in play most of the time but we all have games or PP's that are wild off the tee and it is time consuming

I reckon the reload (lost distance) is enough penalty, no need for the extra stroke too

 

[bobmac]

50 yards is a half-swing 50° for me, but that's a totally different shot and different process.

Not really.
If you can do a half swing and a full swing, you should be able to do an in between swing, it may take practice though.

Yeah - I do think the swing changes I made earlier in the year have been good, but it is that mental checklist to remember to do it each time, if I switch off for a second I'm back to hitting out-to-in and slicing the ball.

I'm afraid to say that will always be the case, that's why I normally encourage people who slice to aim right, strengthen the grip and let the swing go where it wants. That frees the mind up to concentrate on keeping the head still

 

[Orikoru]

Not really.
If you can do a half swing and a full swing, you should be able to do an in between swing, it may take practice though.



I'm afraid to say that will always be the case, that's why I normally encourage people who slice to aim right, strengthen the grip and let the swing go where it wants. That frees the mind up to concentrate on keeping the head still

It's different the way I do it, as I keep my weight all on lead side in the half-swing pitch shots, I wouldn't do that on a full swing.

I do play a fade so I'm generally aiming at the left edge of the fairway to fade it back anyway. Still though, even aiming there if I forget the process, swing out-to-in and open the club face a smidge then it's just gone to the right. Especially if it's windy. I have been getting better lately, I'm down to one or two horrific slices per round instead of 3 or 4 at the moment.

 

[MadAdey]

This is very much Golf Sidekick philosophy

As annoying as he is I do actually like his channel. If you can get past how annoying he is and listen to him then he talks so much sense when it comes down to how to be a better golfer and he actually goes out and proves it himself. People need to go look up GolfSidekick on Youtube.

 

[Orikoru]

As annoying as he is I do actually like his channel. If you can get past how annoying he is and listen to him then he talks so much sense when it comes down to how to be a better golfer and he actually goes out and proves it himself. People need to go look up GolfSidekick on Youtube.

I don't think he's annoying, he's funny. Never heard anyone else say he's annoying before.

 

[bobmac]

As annoying as he is I do actually like his channel. If you can get past how annoying he is and listen to him then he talks so much sense when it comes down to how to be a better golfer and he actually goes out and proves it himself. People need to go look up GolfSidekick on Youtube.

I've never seen him before, however I'm not surprised he misses left and right, his alignment needs help...

 

[VVega]

I've never seen him before, however I'm not surprised he misses left and right, his alignment needs help...

He doesn’t need help - he has “confidentiality”

 

[garyinderry]

Knocking the ball OB is not a silly mistake. It's a mortal sin. It needs to be avoided at all costs.

Usually its on one side of a hole. Sometimes you have killer holes with water left and ob right.

Learning to dunt one off the tee to keep the spin down is a skill well worth learning and using.
You might leave a longer approach but you will cut out the big costly miss and you still mignt make your par but importantly you should make bogey at worst.

 

[Hobbit]

Be realistic with your recovery shots. Whether you have a good score or an average/bad score you will still miss a similar number of fairways & greens.

A scenario; you’ve missed the fairway off the tee. The ball is in light-ish rough and you’re 200yds from the green. The high risk shot is a 5 wood but the ball looks so inviting. How many times are you going to hit the green from 200yds out of fluffy rough? But how many times does the grass grab the club head and you find yourself 160yds from the flag in an even worse lie? You’ve turned what was probably a bogey score, with only a low chance of a par, into a double bogey or worse.

Same scenario but this time you’ve resisted the urge to grab the 5 wood and decided on the 7 iron. Virtually guaranteed hitting the fairway and only 60yds from the flag. You’ve now pretty much guaranteed a bogey at worst, and a reasonable chance of an up and down for par.

Another scenario; you’ve put it into a green side bunker, and you’re short sided. By playing a delicate shot you can land it a few feet short and still get that par. Oh dear, it’s still in the bunker and now we’re looking at a double bogey or worse.

Same scenario but this time you’re going to play the shot a little harder to guarantee it comes out, maybe looking to finish 5-6 feet past. A good par putt chance.

It’s boring golf but does give you a better score. Hollywood shots look great, and are very satisfying when they come off but Hollywood also made horror movies. Be boring for better scores.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Look at the Karl Morris podcast - loads of good advice on better thinking

 

[jamielaing]

Interesting thread. Things I've picked up while battling similar-

A sports psychologist wrote about how your brain likes your comfort zone. We are designed to want to be comfortable. Golf gives you a number that you should hit by way of a handicap. All the talk of playing well and blowing up is this, your brain isn't happy being 6 under expected and freaks. Likewise when you are playing terribly, how often do you rally on the back nine and bring it back to a respectable score?

This for me is a big deciding factor to forget your score.

Additionally, if you tell your playing partners not to tell you your score they wont talk about how you are playing. If you were playing with someone with a shot at the course record you wouldn't mention it. I don't know why people feel the need to comment that a 14 handicap is playing well when they wouldn't do it at the lower end.

If you have a two way miss you need to get this down to one. Then you can hug the right knowing you will fade or vice versa. It makes the game easier if you can aim at the safer side expecting a fade. If it fades you are middle of the fairway. If not you are in the 'safe' rough.

Consider where you are aiming. The pin is a fool's option at least 4 or 5 times a round. Play for the middle of the green, back of the green, whatever suits. I'll give an example, a hole at my course has a two tier green that is very fast back to front but it is uphill playing onto it. Most guys are determined to hit the green and end up with a long downhill putt if they have overshot a front pin. I like to play it for the front, often leaving a chip on rather than a putt. But i prefer a 15 foot chip to a 40 foot downhiller any day.

Pay attention to what's around you. Fade/ Draw off of bunkers hazards etc.

Work out how you play a hole best. There are holes at my course where I will play irons when my mates hit drivers and vice versa. Because I feel I have a better chance the way I play. My mate has a better chance the way he plays. It all comes down to what works well for you.

Stats can be your friend. I have identified my poor holes based on states from my club's app. These were wildly different from what I would say my bad holes were.

Remove scar tissue. We play the same courses over and over again. If you regularly hit into trees on the 16th, use a club that won't hit those trees. Because I can guarantee you are thinking about them and then I can guarantee where the ball is going.

And when a bad hole does come along your objective on the next is the safest possible way of hitting the fairway, then the green, then two putting. Steady the ship then carry on.

Also always remember, you are paying money to do this. I'd rather be rubbish with a smile than brilliant with a frown.

 

[PaulMdj]

Unless they are “lucky” and naturally talented, most low single figure golfers or scratch and better have worked hard to get to that level.

What they then have is consistencey, condistencey from set up, club selection (they know their distances), strike, just about all parts of the game.

Bad shots at the level above come from nowhere sometimes because we’ve moved or changed something without realising.

If we haven’t got natural talent we have to work harder, practise all parts of the game, not just focusing on one part.

 

[hairball_89]

I can hit my driver 290 in a straight line. I can hit my irons to kick in distance. I can chip in from off the green. I can hole stupid putts. I have never combined these. if I cut out stupid mistakes I'd be on tour*!

*some exaggeration maybe included.

For me, it's not so much the random big driver slice off the face off the planet from nowhere that annoys me, but when I'm playing the numbers - the simple chip, the putter from off the green because it makes sense, and then the break in concentration because I'm doing the easy and sensible thing. That's what really gets to me.

 

[TigerTime]

Low sample size.l so far but after 3 rounds with Arccos…

14 handicap and comparing me to scratch…strokes gained

Driving -3.7
Approach -5.2
Short game -3.2
Putting +1

Although it’s only 3 rounds the pattern is forming. Arccos says I need to work on distance off the tee, driving accuracy and approach play 150-200 yards.

I’ve always been a solid putter so I’m not really surprised that’s the strongest part of my game. Although to actually gain strokes on a scratch player is pretty mad.

 

[Mel Smooth]

I won a medal last week with a nine on the card. 14th hole at our place, it's 419 yards into an island green, no way whatsoever of rolling it up. I'm not sure if I've managed to make it in regulation more than a handful of times. I'd just made 2 doubles and a bogey in the previous three holes so guess what, I totally went after my drive in a pointless attempt to give me a chance of having a look at getting there in 2 - even though it was into a breeze. Tee shot was sliced right onto the 17th fairway. I hit a 7 iron to get back over the trees but was still about 130 yards from the front of the green, hit an 8 iron from the semi rough that was pure - but it drifted right into the water. As it's a yellow hazard my drop position would have been under a tree - no bueno, so I took the drop zone option and sculled another into the wet. Finally got my 7th shot on the green and two putted for a german.

I ALWAYS hit driver there...Why??

Average score on that hole is a 6, best is a 5. With the greens firm as they are at the moment, the only thought I should be having on the tee is 'leave yourself a full wedge, off the short stuff, into the green'

It's two 7 irons and a wedge - but I guarantee tomorrow, I'll pull the driver out of the bag on the tee...

 

[PaulMdj]

Low sample size.l so far but after 3 rounds with Arccos…

14 handicap and comparing me to scratch…strokes gained

Driving -3.7
Approach -5.2
Short game -3.2
Putting +1

Although it’s only 3 rounds the pattern is forming. Arccos says I need to work on distance off the tee, driving accuracy and approach play 150-200 yards.

I’ve always been a solid putter so I’m not really surprised that’s the strongest part of my game. Although to actually gain strokes on a scratch player is pretty mad.

It’s nice to see how we compare to scratch players, but why not compare yourself, initially, to someone closer, ie, a 10 handicapper, tackle your issues in smaller chunks and possibly make quicker gains.

 

[pendodave]

Average score on that hole is a 6, best is a 5. With the greens firm as they are at the moment, the only thought I should be having on the tee is 'leave yourself a full wedge, off the short stuff, into the green'

It's two 7 irons and a wedge - but I guarantee tomorrow, I'll pull the driver out of the bag on the tee...

sounds like me at our 17th.
Similar length, with a pond in front of a raised green.
Also OB left and some nasty undergrowth right at 200 odd yards from the tee.
I average 5.8 on my hdid cards (which are mainly comps). For ref, I have a HI of 8.6
There has to be a better way.... than whatever my current approach is.

 

[MadAdey]

It’s just not possible to cut out silly mistakes, even the best will have it , people naturally drop concentration

But the key thing is once you have made a mistake you don’t compound it with a second one

bogeys are scores that you can get over - doubles aren’t

The weekend for me was perfect example - I had two doubles in the first 3 holes through a combination of poor mistakes and sheer bad luck

If you have made a mistake on a single shot - they the next shot look to play the sensible shot , keep the ball in play

I think that is wrong. It is cutting out the silly mistakes that will lower your score. I agree that mistakes cannot be removed from your game, nobody is perfect even tour pros make mistakes.

There is a difference between a silly mistake and a mistake. A silly mistake is trying to knock your country best 3 wood over water onto a green and walking off with a double or triple. A mistake is trying to lay up to the water and hitting it too far and it goes into the water.

It was when I noticed the difference between a mistake and a silly mistake and how to cut them out that took me form a golfer that was trying to break 80 regularly to one who is trying to shoot par.

What I am trying to say that you can cut out the silly mistakes by making better decisions on the course. Mistakes will just happen though.