It's official

[Bert]

Good luck Sunday, try to remember that EVERY hole is an opporunity to score points, and lots of em if you have a shot or even two on that hole, so play 18 mini comps with yourself and forget about the score until you tot up at the end. A par on a hole you have two shots on is 4 points, so would wipe out a blob hole (if the aim was 36). While you can forget about your overall score, be mindful of your shots on any given hole. You may find yourself with a 6 foot putt for 1 point and there's no point leaving that short, its in or its 0, so if the putt allows then allow for less break and be firm. Most of all, enjoy it, its very exciting preparing for the first comp round and testing your game. Give it socks.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for advice & kind words. Looking forward to it even though I'll be bricking it come my first tee shot. Two guys I'm playing with I know so should settle me down.

 

[Curls]

I'll be bricking it come my first tee shot.

No worries, and if 27 was your lowest card then I really don't see what the fuss is about you h/c! We all start somewhere and like I say the fun is in the journey down.

I still get h/c jitters. Yesterday evening for example I played a 15 h/c in our club knockout. I've been hitting the ball really well at the range and I got the usual "what if I stripe everything down the middle and he calls me a bandit" fears. Well, this guy won the Feb medal with a nett 62 off his h/c of 15, and when I got out there I was swinging so wildly at times I thought if anything he's going to report me for having too low a number. In the end I settled into a good game, we were very evenly matched. Point is your fears may not be justified.

As for first tee nerves, we all get them and your first is certainly your most difficult to overcome, but there are plenty of things you can do.

1. Realise that even seasoned players get nerves, you won't be the only one who doesn't want eyes on them.

2. Realise that most people aren’t watching with that much interest. Many just want to get away themselves.

3. Realise that even if you top it 10 yards no ones going to make a big deal of it. You might get a gentle, well-meaning ribbing, but everyone there will have done it before and everyone there is acutely aware they could be the next to do it. Its not the end of the world. I've seen pars made off a topped first drive.

4. The main reason you might get a bad one away is you look up or are too quick. There’s a "get it over and done with" feeling and that’ll be what gets you. Im not saying take all day but just remember to breathe nice and deeply and evenly. Then when you get up to tee off imagine you're at the driving range. No one watching, no card, just you and the range on a quiet evening. And use a nice rhythmic swing, no need to kill it, no need to look up and see where its going, just send it down there. You'll soon be away and free to enjoy the round whatever it brings.

One last thing. Once you do get out hopefully you'll play great and turn in a load of points and get cut. If you start clocking up the points, don't get defensive, keep playing whatever game youre playing that made you those points. And if it all goes belly up and you blob everything keep playing, you're getting invaluable competition experience on every hole and you never know what you might learn that will stand you in good stead by hanging in there. No one ever learned anything by walking in. Game on.

 

[brendy]

27 is ok fella, 28 is the devils work as it encompasses a lot more than a 1 shot ability. 27 means there is potential, keep her lit and itll be category 3 before long.