Deteriorating decision making

[Tiger]

Reflecting on my weekend round I noted that my course management decision making got worse as my round progress. I'm assuming that with the majority of holes to play I am more conservative thinking I can make up the shots later. However, on the back nine my decision making became increasingly cavalier (and stupid) as I chased a score. Bad habit I have to get out of. Anyone else found this?

 

[Imurg]

All the time....

 

[Oddsocks]

your playing for a card, not per hole.... Stop it!

well thats my fault anyway, a great front 9 and when i get to 10/11/12 i start thinking about the end score and not each hole and bang,,,crash.... the wheels are off.

i am getting better tho...

 

[kev_off_the_tee]

Reflecting on my weekend round I noted that my course management decision making got worse as my round progress. I'm assuming that with the majority of holes to play I am more conservative thinking I can make up the shots later. However, on the back nine my decision making became increasingly cavalier (and stupid) as I chased a score. Bad habit I have to get out of. Anyone else found this?

I found this but it was down to my mindset after a few iffy shots. My club choice and the route was good but the execution wasn't there. As my temper went up in smoke, so did my decision making.

 

[Society_Fan]

Oh Yeah, all the time. I find the decisions that I make if I am playing poorly from the off get really bad around the turn, and then when there is no hope, decisions become really good, resulting in a strong finish (causing more frustration when I analyse the round).
If I am playing well then it normally remains resonably good!

 

[goldenbare]

I often find that 20 something handicappers won’t take their medicine after a shot into the rough and instead of just getting back on the fairway with an 8/9 iron they pull a utility/wood out of the bag and compound the situation trying to play a shot that they can't.
Stick with your course management Tiger, it will pay off in the long run

 

[feary]

Try to take a lot of food and drink on board during the round as this will affect your decision making.

 

[robbest3offthetee]

I think it depends on how you start your round,if all is going well,you tend to make reasonable decisions,if however you have a bad start,you tend to go chasing a score and the decisions/course management tends to go out of the window(myself included)...

 

[goldenbare]

Try to take a lot of food and drink on board during the round as this will affect your decision making.

a lot of drink is not usually good for sensible decision making Feary

 

[Tiger]

Glad I'm not the only one. Ended up in two very similar positions in the rough, surrounded by trees. First time I played a sensible chip out and scored bogey. Second time on the 16th I went for the green with a punchy low drawn shot. Duffed it and blobbed. When will I learn!!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I agree with Feary. Make sure you are hydrated and eating plenty to keep mental concentration levels up. You need to treat every hole as separately. One tip I use to use was to treat it as a one off matchplay against yourself. Say it's a par 4 and you get a shot (effectively a par 5), you know that a six or worse is a defeat and a 5 is a half. Play your tee shot and assess it from there. Are you in trouble and playing for a half in which case get it out and try and make the green with the next. In good position are you happy to take it on and go for a win or would you settle for the half. Either way, it is about not making the 6 and losing that hole to yourself.

There is also the argumant that you can get too conservative. If you try too hard to keep the ball in play you can make a poor swing (not completing the turn, to armsy trying to steer it etc) and so you need to trust the work you've done and go for it.

I swung badly yesterday but it was matchplay and so took on a few shots I wouldn't have done in a stroke event. Some came off, most didn't. Thing was the shackles were off and it made no odds (an I was partnering the pro). Whatever format it is still about getting it play first and then deciding what to do from there

 

[crux]

You can't do the following in a comp, but if your having a friendly knock try this...

Once in trouble take your medicine, then drop another ball in the same spot and try the glory shot, keeping tabs on the results over time.

It will drive home the fact that trying the miracle recovery is a bad idea.

 

[Tiger]

You can't do the following in a comp, but if your having a friendly knock try this...

Once in trouble take your medicine, then drop another ball in the same spot and try the glory shot, keeping tabs on the results over time.

It will drive home the fact that trying the miracle recovery is a bad idea.

But that's the nub of it. I know taking my medicine is the most astute choice. Doesn't stop me chasing a glory shot on 17 though!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

But that's the nub of it. I know taking my medicine is the most astute choice. Doesn't stop me chasing a glory shot on 17 though!

It comes (allegedly) with experience and hoepfully you'll get to recognise when you can and can't go for the risk all shot. However it is easier said than typed and we all do it at some point. I think the secret is perhaps not to do it with regularity and hope the gods are on your side when you do. You've said you've followed Rotella and read some of his books before, his mantra is always one shot at a time. Like I say, easy to type and hard to do and I bet if I play tomorrow (back permitting) I do exactly what you did at some point