How bad is it when the wheels fall off?!

[selwood90]

As the title states, how bad is it when it all goes wrong? I ask because today let's just say I had a complete nightmare. Normally I would get through our front 9 from anywhere between 4 and 8 over (playing off 20) then leaving me plenty of shots for our longer back 9 (usually use between 8 and 12 shots) so when it all comes together I can finish well under my handicap. But today on the front 9 alone I shot a massive 14 over. Back out tomorow and sunday so plenty of times to put it all right! But how bad is it for the rest of you when the wheels fall off?

 

[Beezerk]

Accept that as a mid-high handicapper I'm going to hit bad shots, some days they get a good bounce, others they don't, some days the putts drop etc etc.

 

[Region3]

If 4 over handicap on the front 9 was "wheels falling off" time for me, I would be delighted.

 

[selwood90]

If 4 over handicap on the front 9 was "wheels falling off" time for me, I would be delighted.

That's not when the wheels fall off, that's on a good day. Was 14 over today for 9

 

[Region3]

That's not when the wheels fall off, that's on a good day. Was 14 over today for 9

Sorry, I thought you meant +14 gross, so 4 over hc.

You mean 14 over hc?

 

[Region3]

To answer the question a bit better, I scored 12 points at Carnoustie and 7 at Burnham & Berrow.

 

[davemc1]

I dont understand, if you normally shoot under your hc, why are you still at 20?


Bad day at the office for me? Its akin to the first time a toddler picks up a club and has a thrash. Having less bad bad days of late, but your average bad day is never more than a week away.

 

[selwood90]

I dont understand, if you normally shoot under your hc, why are you still at 20?

Should of said, joined my club and put 3 cards in and haven't yet played a competitive round of golf. Brushing up on rules and stuff as this is the first club iv ever been at. Haven't forced myself to play in a comp yet, but the fear of making a complete tit of myself as I did today has kept me away. So technically the handicap I was given hasn't changed, but obviously like today I can still play well over my handicap aswell as under on occasion.

 

[selwood90]

Sorry, I thought you meant +14 gross, so 4 over hc.

You mean 14 over hc?

Yeah that was +14 gross for 9. Hence my problem. Yet iv played 18 to +13 gross twice. Which is why the wheels fell off title is a must. Sorry should of explained better.

 

[davemc1]

Get yourself in the comps, a really good way to improve. Also good to see you arnt the only tit out there :thup:

 

[selwood90]

I'm going to have to as everyone I have spoke to has told me the same. Going to pick one to enter late June early July and get over my nerves. Once the first one is out the way sure I'll be fine

 

[Smiffy]

Playing in a medal, using up all your shots, and still having 12 holes to play is wheels falling off time.
For a very brief moment (about the time it took to play the next hole) I thought "now if I could make 12 straight pars".
How wrong was I???

 

[Hobbit]

4 over handicap at the turn, and 6 shots still in hand, and you know you can shoot some pars. I can't see your problem.

Have a look at the score sheet for this weeks European Tour event, but instead of looking at who's leading have a look at the bottom of the list. Everyone and his dog shoots poor scores.

Stop putting pressure on yourself by expecting to break handicap every time you play.

 

[MashieNiblick]

How bad is can it get. Here are some of my highlights over the years

Playing great for 17 holes then finishing with an 11 (still got a cut!)
Not making a single par
Finishing 8,4,8
Going 6,7,7,6 after the turn
Starting 6,3,7,6 (wheels never got properly fixed on in the first place)

By the way, never be afraid to play in case you make a tit of yourself. If we all did that most us would never tee it up at all. Golf is intended to humiliate those who choose to play it.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

23 points flat out on bank holday Monday is a definite wheels coming off type of round especially when I had 11 of those after the first four holes. Really have no idea hat I'm doing apart from losing distance with every club, slicing my drives and generally feeling rather hacked off about it all in recent weeks. At least I have a week away from the club and comps now to chill and relax and enjoy my birthday.

 

[Smiffy]

How bad is can it get. Here are some of my highlights over the years

Playing great for 17 holes then finishing with an 11 (still got a cut!)
Not making a single par
Finishing 8,4,8
Going 6,7,7,6 after the turn
Starting 6,3,7,6 (wheels never got properly fixed on in the first place)

I can beat that. Playing the front 9 in an invitational Stableford.... blob, blob, blob, 2 points, blob, 1 point, blob, blob, blob.
And I blobbed the 10th too.
That was one of my better days and Chris (Golfmmad) my partner was sooooo chuffed he had invited me to defend the cup he won the previous year with JustOne.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Never as bad as you think.

Your out playing golf so you could be worse places and your game is not gone forever.

Find a way to enjoy the rest of the round, even if you drop a ball at 150 instead of teeing off.

Help your playing partner our, hold the flag etc.

 

[VVega]

As everyone said - just play, there is not much to think about as in each comp there will be a handful only of players who scored to their hcp or better and many more who are over of which at least a half will be over by lots

Check your club results for yourself. In our recent medal, out of c.40 players in Div 2(cat 3&4), there 2 who scored CSS or better, 2 more who were in the buffer and the rest... suffice to say 14 (!) had N/R on their cards.

This is the game as it is imo, no point getting specially prepared before going to play in the comp - anyone can turn up any score (good or bad) on the day - but by playing comps more often you'd get a better chance to have a "good" day in a comp

 

[Capella]

I've gotten a lot better at just accepting the fact that there are days like that in golf. Everyone has them.

During the round I go through stages. When I first start to hit bad shots, I have kind of an emergency check-list in my mind that I work through to see if I can fix the problem (grip strong enough?, do I keep my left arm straight in the takeaway?) Those are ususally problems I know have messed up my swing in the past and sometimes I can correct myself that way and start hitting it better while still on the round. If that does not help and I cannot recover, I try to go back to shots that are normally foolproof for me. My 6 iron for example is my safety club. It very rarely fails me. Same with a 3/4 pw. So I try to make find my way around the course using only these shots that I feel comfortable with. I might not be able to actually score with those shots, but at least I still get the feeling that I am slowly progressing the ball in the direction of the hole instead of spraying it around all over the place.

If those shots desert me as well, I give up and just roll with it. If it is not a comp, I will stop keeping score at that point, admit defeat to my pp and just see the rest of the round as practice. Sometimes I will sit out a hole to collect myself, eat something and try to get my focus back.

Having a round like that does leave me with a hollow, unsatisfied feeling for most of the week, though, just like a good round can keep my spirits up for several days. But either way I am normally pretty eager to get out to the course asap to give it another try.

 

[Tashyboy]

Playing well and hitting the ball well does not equate to scoring well.

smashed a drive yesterday down the middle on a hole called "zig zag", up hill drive.
I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat til it hit the deck kicked massive right and ended up twenty yd behind a three hundred yr old oak tree. Little 3 wood to dink it under the tree. It went like a flippin rocket = lost ball and a blob.

if you are hitting the ball well, your halfway there.