It's never what you expect !

[RGuk]

There are two Golf sayings I tend to remember over some of the others.
1) It's not how good your good shots are, but how bad your bad ones are!
2) Learn to take your medicine.

Well, today's round (the last card for my H'cap) proves just how odd golf can be.

I was expecting a run of the mill round, but as was the case 13 years ago playing for a first ever handicap, things just never quite happen as you'd imagine. I made the normal collection of pars and a birdie (can't go without, can you!) but b***** me, when it went wrong, it did in spectacular style. I'd kind of forgotten just how punishing a bad shot can be to your card. In the old days, it was "scramble a bogey, whatever", but not having that sort of confidence these days, I made some whoppers!!! I didn't moan once, but chipping out sideways, backwards, to another fairway from the only tree for 100 yards is just depressing.

This is all quite boring, but the relevence is that I just know I'm going to end up with a poor(ish) handicap.

My best 9s are both under 40 (so that's 2 out of the 6 9s)
My eclectic (which over only 3 comp' games is relevant i.m.o.) is 2 over par (which means I've parred 'em all, bar two - that I can't reach).

If you make 18 bogeys, you'll play = off 18.
If you make 9 pars and 9 trebles(or worse) they'll be adjusted to doubles and still = off 18.

Now I'm going to be miles short of 18, 'cause my average was 83.66, but sh**, take the whoppers out (with a single bogey) and my average would be 78.66.
I know that's golf, I know it's not how but how many, but I'm so frustrated....one minute realistic birdie putts, the next....??????

I'll post the news when it comes.

 

[FLOPSHOT]

how many cards have you posted in total.


Im lookin to get a single figure handicap next year i know i got the talent just need to put it all together

Haven't had time to focus on golf enough this year cos of work etc

 

[RGuk]

3 in total.

I don't feel I have the talent to put it all together (just now) and you do need a solid game, one that "hangs in there" when things just won't swing your way.

 

[FLOPSHOT]

with me a i can go play and shout a 40 on nine holes sometimes a 50 i think my mental game is stronger now tho. every game is different, I played friday bogeyed everything almost one par and a couple of doubles, yesterday i started of dbl, then i scrapped hole two then back to back pars then i had a birdie put on a par 5 and 4 putted mind you the green was v difficult but should still of pard it. then i dbl on a par three messed the next one up then bogeyed after a birdie chance a b it like that you know.. you'll all understand that my putting is panse at the mo. Its been a lot better and it will be again.
just keep practising.

 

[RGuk]

I would say (with the greatest respect to your enthusiasm and ability to make pars) that if you are getting anywhere near 50 on a 9, then single figures could be way off. A bad 9 for me is about 44-46 worst. I'm not trying to criticise you, I'm criticisng me, because I shouldn't be going worse than 42-ish ever if I'm looking to get to 9.4 eventually.

It's a pain in the proverbial...yesterday I parred all the 3's and 5's (plenty of birdie opps) but had some silly results on the (easy-ish) 4s after some tough luck. It's hard to scramble a bogey when you are playing backwards or some s*** after a slightely off-line drive. The guys slicing it were on the adjacent fairways with shots it, I'm trying to just get it out of a tree root!!!

Putting....yes, this is important. 1 x 3 putt in 54 holes, not too bad.

Dave

 

[ianmc]

ive lost count of the amount of times ive been under par with 4 or 5 to play and ended up 2over used to struggle to keep concentrated especially if its a round against mates youve just got to try and hold it together if youve played off single figures before theres no reason why you cant again.ian mc

 

[viscount17]

ah, yes ' the I've done it before so there's no reason why I can't do it again' rears up to haunt all of us I expect.
I beat myself up with that all the time - even though I know it to be wrong.
a guy who's a lot better than me (at the moment!) tells me to forget the last hole, forget the last shot, all that counts is this shot. Now I know this to be true, as do you, but try to convince that nagging demon you're carrying around!

 

[RGuk]

ah, yes ' the I've done it before so there's no reason why I can't do it again'

This is where less experienced players suffer particularly badly. When i was off "plenty" i used to get cross if i missed a fairway or green i'd hit almost every time out. the best thing about improving (for me) was also becoming more philosophical (which i'm not right now if you've followed the thread). Poor players think the good shots are their skill, good players know that skill doesn't promise anything other than increasing you chances of hitting a great shot.

 

[FLOPSHOT]

I would say (with the greatest respect to your enthusiasm and ability to make pars) that if you are getting anywhere near 50 on a 9, then single figures could be way off. A bad 9 for me is about 44-46 worst. I'm not trying to criticise you, I'm criticisng me, because I shouldn't be going worse than 42-ish ever if I'm looking to get to 9.4 eventually.

Dave

Once ive finished my winter swing training dave which im working well hard on im gonna be pleased . combine that with my relaxed attitude and good focus with my short game yesterday which i will maintain then i be on my way. Should of mention im average probably 40- 44 on nine holes at the mo with lack of play this year the 50's arent as regular as i might of made out but they occur. I know it will be tough to achieve a single digit but im well well determined i got the right coach the right environment and the right focus.

do wish me luck cos i'll need a pinch off that too

 

[madandra]

FLOPSHOT, what is your handicap?

 

[USER1999]

It is nice to have ambitions, and to set targets, but you need to be realistic. Single figures is a heck of a big ask, especially if you currently play off more than about 12. Law of diminishing returns applies the nearer to it you get.

A hot round every now and then doesn't make a handicap, it is consistency every time you go out. This is the hard part.

 

[RGuk]

t.b.h. you either need to be a very consistent straight player or have a s*** hot short game.

I remember hitting the range (years ago) and not missing the flag by more than 10 yds either side (at 175), even that was no guarantee of shooting under 10.

Also, single-figure players make quite a lot of birdies.

Dave

 

[FLOPSHOT]

ON paper its 19. but when i meet medway john for a game its gonnna be 28.

Its more like 14 at the moment and my club courses are effin difficult. if i went to say cobtree local pay and play regular, i'd probably be an 11ish at a guess cos its a lot shorter and the par threes will probably be no more than 8 irons for me now.

 

[RGuk]

One thing worth mentioning floppy is that shorter courses = lower SSS. My new course doesn't do medium par 4s, they're either long or short. All the shorts are 3W wedge, style. Take a driver and you need to pitch 60-80, take an iron/hybrid or 5 wood and it's an 8 or 9. BUT our scratch is 2 under the par. I played with a guy off 7 the other day. He has to go round to 5 to stay there. If I want to get to 9.4, I'll need to play to 7 quite often. It sucks, but that's the system.

Dave

 

[madandra]

Here is my problem

When my putting is hot my irons go off.
When my irons are hot my driver goes off.
When my driver is hot my putting goes off


When EVRYTHING is HOT ......






My F*****G alarm goes off, cos I am dreaming.

 

[FLOPSHOT]

One thing worth mentioning floppy is that shorter courses = lower SSS. My new course doesn't do medium par 4s, they're either long or short. All the shorts are 3W wedge, style. Take a driver and you need to pitch 60-80, take an iron/hybrid or 5 wood and it's an 8 or 9. BUT our scratch is 2 under the par. I played with a guy off 7 the other day. He has to go round to 5 to stay there. If I want to get to 9.4, I'll need to play to 7 quite often. It sucks, but that's the system.

Dave

thats ok 60yrds is a full lob wedge for me and 80 yrds is a choked down sandy no probs easy as that!!!

 

[USER1999]

Well good luck, but taking off ten shots in a season is a big ask.

It is easy to knock it round with the lads 5 under your h/cap and think this is where you should really be, but with that medal card burning a hole in your pocket, off the back tees, with the tight pin placements, thats when it all gets a bit interesting.

 

[FLOPSHOT]

I got quite a long long game so i m just looking to tidy up my short game im chipping in more and getting it close. putting is where i can improve.

Ive sorted out my mental game a bit better. when i got frustrated i used to get tired quick now i can play loads with out that mental issue.

 

[RGuk]

thats ok 60yrds is a full lob wedge for me and 80 yrds is a choked down sandy no probs easy as that!!!

I wasn't looking for a breakdown on your game....what length of shot suits your game is irrelevant.
The point I was making is that you, like me and just about everyone on here would rate their chances on a short course.

BUT, if you play on a short course, you h'cap will be higher than the score you "go round in".

The proof, if needed is to examine the Birmingham Alliance (all the public courses in B'ham). The team that invariably wins is the team from the easiest (shortest) course. They go round every week to 10 but play off 12 or 13.

If you were at the "easy course" down the road from you as opposed to the serious course (where you are now?) you'd think you'll easily score much better, but your handicap would be based on the SSS or the CSS NOT the par.

I hope this makes sense, I'm not having a dig, I was pointing out that easier courses don't give you a lower handicap necessarily.


If there is someone who can explain this better ... can you have a crack please? I can't get the words out right.

Dave

 

[FLOPSHOT]

Im with you dave , understand where your coming from now.
sorry for banging on about my game so much.