Intelligence

HawkeyeMS

HawkeyeMS

Ryder Cup Winner
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I like to think I'm a fairly intelligent bloke. I've always been good academically, I've got a good job and hold some pretty good networking qualifications. I tend to pick up new stuff quickly, can generally think on my feet and am good at coming up with solutions to difficult/unusual problems.

So why is it when I step on a golf course I turn into the village idiot? The number of shots I drop due to being a complete thicko beggars belief. I really need to learn that hitting good golf shots is only any use if you hit the right golf shot - and fast.
 
heard someone on tv say ''in golf it helps to be either pretty smart or thick as a plank''.

They were discussing dustin Johnson at the time :rofl:
 
Know what you mean H, I play with some guys who undoubtedly are very intelligent people but on the course make the most incredible bad decisions.
 
Tongo said:
What sort of things are you doing that you would class as being a complete thicko?!
Click to expand...

1 example from today. 14th this morning. 90 yds to the back pin into the wind. I don't want to go long so I aim for the middle of the green with my 56' wedge and hit it as pure as I can and land it right in the middle of the green: perfect...

...except that it's a full wedge into the wind onto a soft green and there's a big slope down to the front of the green so when the ball lands it zips back and trundles down the slope leaving an inevitable 3-putt.

In all my analysis of the shot I completely ignored the slope and possibility of backspin. As soon as I hit I knew it as the wrong shot, so why didn't I think of it before?
 
Blackmoor beating you up?
What are you doing differently to Ascot
Is it wrong shot at the wrong time,
Are you trying to blatt it into the next postcode?
Where do you see it going wrong?
 
PhilTheFragger said:
Blackmoor beating you up?
What are you doing differently to Ascot
Is it wrong shot at the wrong time,
Are you trying to blatt it into the next postcode?
Where do you see it going wrong?
Click to expand...

I'm not long enough to overpower a course. I'm hoping it's just that I need to learn how to play it. It's generally not the tee shots that are the problem, I'm pretty good at knowing when not to hit driver, it's from there in I seem to make the most stupid errors of judgement
 
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HawkeyeMS said:
Common sense isn't something I lack either :confused:
Click to expand...

You really are lucky then so like you say, why must you make stupid decisions.

Maybe when you take your practise swing imagine how the shot will react in the wind and course conditions. Just an idea, might add an extra 10 seconds or so to your shot, but may save time when you get to where it has finished.

I had a day like that today, played a shocker on the front 9 (9points), wind blowing, not thinking just wanting to get round. Then when I started to think more about the wind and results of the ball landing. Back 9 (22 points)

It might help to ask yourself before every shot what do I want to happen, if I use this club what will happen.
 
stevelev said:
You really are lucky then so like you say, why must you make stupid decisions.

Maybe when you take your practise swing imagine how the shot will react in the wind and course conditions. Just an idea, might add an extra 10 seconds or so to your shot, but may save time when you get to where it has finished.

I had a day like that today, played a shocker on the front 9 (9points), wind blowing, not thinking just wanting to get round. Then when I started to think more about the wind and results of the ball landing. Back 9 (22 points)

It might help to ask yourself before every shot what do I want to happen, if I use this club what will happen.
Click to expand...

I think that's the crux of it TBH.
 
HawkeyeMS said:
1 example from today. 14th this morning. 90 yds to the back pin into the wind. I don't want to go long so I aim for the middle of the green with my 56' wedge and hit it as pure as I can and land it right in the middle of the green: perfect...

...except that it's a full wedge into the wind onto a soft green and there's a big slope down to the front of the green so when the ball lands it zips back and trundles down the slope leaving an inevitable 3-putt.

In all my analysis of the shot I completely ignored the slope and possibility of backspin. As soon as I hit I knew it as the wrong shot, so why didn't I think of it before?
Click to expand...

I believe its just lack of concentration and taking in all the factors.
You say your not a big hitter well a 56 degree into the wind 90 yards that's a big hit.
I would say on a soft green hitting it that hard would produce a lot of spin definitely
into a wind.
Im the same sometimes analizing a shot after you've hit it usually gives you all the answers.
 
HawkeyeMS said:
I like to think I'm a fairly intelligent bloke. I've always been good academically, I've got a good job and hold some pretty good networking qualifications. I tend to pick up new stuff quickly, can generally think on my feet and am good at coming up with solutions to difficult/unusual problems.

So why is it when I step on a golf course I turn into the village idiot? The number of shots I drop due to being a complete thicko beggars belief..
Click to expand...
This seems entirely appropriate to your problem. Take heart for, you see, you are not alone. Here's a quote from the most preeminent philosopher of golf ever to put pen to paper😄😄😄 I refer to none other than Mr P G Wodehouse

image.jpg
 
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I don't really see the correlation between being an intelligent chap in the working environment to being a good golfer tbh. Comparing apples and oranges.
You're already a pretty good golfer so maybe just a wee bit frustrated just now????

Good judgement comes from experience, experience comes from bad judgement!
 
90 yards into the wind with a 56* wedge!?

Can you hit knock down shots? Or do you not like them so avoid hitting them??

You should try getting a general game plan before you even start the round. Get it set in your mind what challenges are new that day - windy/ soft greens/ thick juicy rough/ bone hard fairways?? And have that influence your decision on shot selection.
 
Robobum said:
90 yards into the wind with a 56* wedge!?

Can you hit knock down shots? Or do you not like them so avoid hitting them??

You should try getting a general game plan before you even start the round. Get it set in your mind what challenges are new that day - windy/ soft greens/ thick juicy rough/ bone hard fairways?? And have that influence your decision on shot selection.
Click to expand...

it was 90 to the back. I wasn't trying to hit it 90 yards, more like 80. This is the whole point of the thread really. I can hit knock down shots and have done it with some success over recent weeks. That would have been the right shot, I just didn't think about it. It's not the only example recently but I'm not going to bore you with them all :D
 
Oh how I can empathise with this! I learned a harsh lesson at last months monthly Stableford, I was playing with 8 and 10 hcp players and for the front 9 tried to play their game rather than mine - stupid stupid stupid. Back nine played mine and scored more points them Doh
 
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