I've started a BLOG (bear with me)

[HawkeyeMS]

Over the last couple of months I've been playing well for 14 or 15 holes, only to mess up my round with double and treble bogeys. I've been thinking about starting to record stats again but I'm not really big on that so I've started a Bogey Log.

I've played 3 rounds since last Thursday, 2 comps and a bounce game. I scored 34 points on Thursday, 30 on Saturday and 33 yesterday. On Thursday I had 3 doubles, Saturday 4 and yesterday 2. If I'd thought better on the course and made bogeys instead of doubles my h'cap would have dropped from 7.2 to 7.0 and not gone up to 7.3. Not a huge leap but big enough.

So rather than worrying about GIR & FIR I've started a spreadsheet where I intend to record the score, the score I would have scored if I hadn't made any doubles, the hole I made double on, what caused it whether it be a bad shot or a mental error, and what I should have done. Obviously, there are sometimes when it's unavoidable but even from my last 3 rounds I can see that all but one could have been avoided with better decision making.

It's not rocket science and is something I should be able to work out on the course but clearly I can't so opefully this will force me to make better decisions and avoid those doubles.

 

[Tiger]

From a psychology perspective I think you'd be reinforcing negative thoughts so it wouldn't be helpful. Your best bet would be to note the holes you played really well or the ones you rescued through great recovery shots or good holes you've played in 14-18

 

[HawkeyeMS]

From a psychology perspective I think you'd be reinforcing negative thoughts so it wouldn't be helpful. Your best bet would be to note the holes you played really well or the ones you rescued through great recovery shots or good holes you've played in 14-18

I hear what you're saying but I don't see it like that. For instance, 2 of the doubles came from trying to go for the green from heavy rough. What I should be doing is laying up and taking double out of the equation. Twice in the last 2 rounds I've made par after being forced to lay up. I remember quite clearly telling myself that before taking on the miracle shot that cost me double yesterday. Hopefully this little exercise will force me to think differently.

P.S. it also highlights the areas I need to work on with keeping stats (like bunker shots)

 

[Tiger]

I hear what you're saying but I don't see it like that. For instance, 2 of the doubles came from trying to go for the green from heavy rough. What I should be doing is laying up and taking double out of the equation. Twice in the last 2 rounds I've made par after being forced to lay up. I remember quite clearly telling myself that before taking on the miracle shot that cost me double yesterday. Hopefully this little exercise will force me to think differently.

P.S. it also highlights the areas I need to work on with keeping stats (like bunker shots)

See what you mean but I'd try and keep the statements positive. Like lesson learned play the percentage shot or know when to take your medicine and then maybe a description you can re read of when you took the safe option and made par

Good luck with it though :thup:

 

[DAVEYBOY]

It's official you have turned into Homer

 

[HawkeyeMS]

See what you mean but I'd try and keep the statements positive. Like lesson learned play the percentage shot or know when to take your medicine and then maybe a description you can re read of when you took the safe option and made par

Good luck with it though :thup:

Thanks Tiger, certainly makes sense to make note of the times I made par against the odds. If I'm honest, I doubt it will last that long but I often need to write things down before I find myself taking notice. Sounds strange I know but that's seems to be how my mind works. Playing again tomorrow so will see how I go

 

[HawkeyeMS]

It's official you have turned into Homer

That would mean publishing http://nowtworsethanbogey.blogspot.com

 

[mcbroon]

That would mean publishing http://nowtworsethanbogey.blogspot.com

Clicked on the link, like a mug :facepalm:

I do exactly what you're talking about, Hawkeye. The psychological benefit is that it shows me how much easier it would be to shoot lower scores, i.e. if I'd made 2 better decisions on any given day, I might have shot 77 instead of 80. That tells me that a lower h/c is within my grasp without working on any part of my swing.

 

[Tiger]

Thanks Tiger, certainly makes sense to make note of the times I made par against the odds. If I'm honest, I doubt it will last that long but I often need to write things down before I find myself taking notice. Sounds strange I know but that's seems to be how my mind works. Playing again tomorrow so will see how I go

If you only did it for three months you csn still re read and reinforce the positive memories. So next time your faced with a hero shot your only memories are of when you chipped out sideways and made a brilliant par save

 

[Ian_S]

I hear what you're saying but I don't see it like that. For instance, 2 of the doubles came from trying to go for the green from heavy rough.

Ahh but what of 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'? It might be that the risk of a double is outweighed by the gain of a more likely par, depending on the balance of probabilities (although in general, heavy rough is so hard to get out of that you are almost certainly better off by just taking the shortest route out - I'm just saying risk-averse isn't always the best thing).

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Clicked on the link, like a mug :facepalm:

I do exactly what you're talking about, Hawkeye. The psychological benefit is that it shows me how much easier it would be to shoot lower scores, i.e. if I'd made 2 better decisions on any given day, I might have shot 77 instead of 80. That tells me that a lower h/c is within my grasp without working on any part of my swing.

I knew someone would

This is what I'm hoping. For several weeks now I've been thinking that sooner or later I'll have a round without the bad holes and shoot a really low score. But last Thursday I made 12 pars and shot 2 over my h'cap, yesterday 11 pars and shot 3 over. With that many pars I decided it was about time I started being honest with myself

 

[HomerJSimpson]

To be honest having seen how well you are striking it, I would forget it all. It's getting a bit too psychological now and you just need to play with freedom and not worry about what you did or didn't do on any particular hole in previous rounds. If I was being brutally honest, the double on 9 last Thursday was more about a sloppy bunker shot than poor course management following the drive.

I think the more you think about it, the more it will play on your mind when you are playing. I've gone the other way and stopped using SS2 so much and just playing, putting the card in and waiting for the 0.1 back without stewing over where it went wrong. As long as the swing itself is behaving, which it wasn't when we played on Thursday, I'll take whatever I score on the day. I'd rather swing as consistently as you are recently and know there is more in the tank if you cut out the errors than play with a swing you aren't trusting.

 

[Region3]

Ahh but what of 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'? It might be that the risk of a double is outweighed by the gain of a more likely par, depending on the balance of probabilities (although in general, heavy rough is so hard to get out of that you are almost certainly better off by just taking the shortest route out - I'm just saying risk-averse isn't always the best thing).

I used to think like this, and it's a sure fire way to have people tell you that you're a better player than your handicap suggests.
When you don't have many shots to play with, doubles are a crime when 90% of them are avoidable with some good management.

Going for the green from a terrible lie or behind a tree can easily lead to double, and if the lie is that bad you're not very often going to give yourself a realistic birdie chance anyway.

If you have a 6 iron to the green, you only need a wedge to leave it 10 yards short and take any bunkers etc out of play. If you have tree trouble and can't see the flag settle for missing left or right and have a simple chip.
A low half swing running fade or draw with a mid iron is also a great way of playing a low risk shot to get within pitching distance.

 

[Region3]

In response to the OP.... I'm not sure I'd be keeping a permanent record, but I do think its a good idea to think about where it went wrong after the round.

Don't dwell on it though. Think about it for long enough to learn from it, then forget about it.

Also, thinking about the things you did right - making par from trouble for example - is worth remembering as it'll help talk you out of miracle shots in the future.

 

[Junior]

I like the idea of you making a note about where you had the doubles or worse. Going forward, do you think you will be able to identify a similar situation and then be brave enough to play for a bogey or a pitch and putt par as opposed to take on the miracle shot to the green ?

I think having a mind set of not making worse than a bogey in a round should see your handicap plummet. You will no doubt make a birdie or two to even them up.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

To be honest having seen how well you are striking it, I would forget it all. It's getting a bit too psychological now and you just need to play with freedom and not worry about what you did or didn't do on any particular hole in previous rounds. If I was being brutally honest, the double on 9 last Thursday was more about a sloppy bunker shot than poor course management following the drive.

I think the more you think about it, the more it will play on your mind when you are playing. I've gone the other way and stopped using SS2 so much and just playing, putting the card in and waiting for the 0.1 back without stewing over where it went wrong. As long as the swing itself is behaving, which it wasn't when we played on Thursday, I'll take whatever I score on the day. I'd rather swing as consistently as you are recently and know there is more in the tank if you cut out the errors than play with a swing you aren't trusting.

It's easy to say the bunker shot was to blame, but out of the lie I was in coming from the angle I was at and knowing that bunker play isn't my strong point I should never have taken the shot on. 7i the 70 or 80 yds I'm making bogey at worst.

It's not like it's a one off either, every round for the last few months I've been making doubles and trebles, if I ignored it, it would just keep happening. You just can't play off 7 when you're making 2,3 or 4 doubles or trebles every week, it doesn't matter how well you play the rest of he holes.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

In response to the OP.... I'm not sure I'd be keeping a permanent record, but I do think its a good idea to think about where it went wrong after the round.

Don't dwell on it though. Think about it for long enough to learn from it, then forget about it.

Also, thinking about the things you did right - making par from trouble for example - is worth remembering as it'll help talk you out of miracle shots in the future.

I won't be dwelling on it, I very much doubt I'll even read it, the action of writing it down and having to think about it should be enough to get me thinking on the right lines. I like the idea of noting the positives too.

I like the idea of you making a note about where you had the doubles or worse. Going forward, do you think you will be able to identify a similar situation and then be brave enough to play for a bogey or a pitch and putt par as opposed to take on the miracle shot to the green ?

I will be yeah, because I know I have the game to do it, I just have to make the right decisions.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Ahh but what of 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'? It might be that the risk of a double is outweighed by the gain of a more likely par, depending on the balance of probabilities (although in general, heavy rough is so hard to get out of that you are almost certainly better off by just taking the shortest route out - I'm just saying risk-averse isn't always the best thing).

There's no future in double bogeys and risking one to make par is a bad mental mistake. These are the things I'm learning. 1 double is nearly 1/3 of my h'cap, 2 is more than half. Not only does it make playing to your h'cap difficult, but do you have any idea how frustrating it is shooting +9 with 3 doubles? Or, as I did in an Open the other week, +13 with two trebles and a quad?

What is it they say, only an idiot does the same thing over and over again and expects a different result - I have been that idiot and the only way it is going to change, is if I change.

 

[JustOne]

I think if your doubles are coming because of issues off the tee then that's one thing, if it's because of your choice of 2nd shot then that's an entirely different thing. I think it's worth tracking unless you already know, in which case it's an exercise not worth pursuing.

With your 2nd shot (specifically a recovery shot) it's sometimes worth taking the risk BUT all you have to do is look at the dangers around the green and your chances of the shot not coming off but the ball still being in play. Getting into a greenside bunker in 2 isn't a bad play from a bad lie as it happens when you're in the middle of the fairway anyway. Then knifing your bunker shot doesn't mean that your choice to be in the bunker was a bad one - it just means you're lousy from bunkers and need to strengthen your bunker play, not avoid them.

The lower your h/cap generally means that you're already learning to make better decisions. It also means that you're likely to play a better recovery shot than you used to because you are more aware of your strengths and will tend to play to them... even if you're laying up further away from the green you have 'more game' then you used to.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I think if your doubles are coming because of issues off the tee then that's one thing, if it's because of your choice of 2nd shot then that's an entirely different thing. I think it's worth tracking unless you already know, in which case it's an exercise not worth pursuing.

My driving is generally good but like everyone, I hit loose ones that get me in trouble. The pattern that is forming is that I compound that error with a another one by trying to be too greedy. It will be interesting to see how the pattern starts to form over the next couple of weeks.

With your 2nd shot (specifically a recovery shot) it's sometimes worth taking the risk BUT all you have to do is look at the dangers around the green and your chances of the shot not coming off but the ball still being in play. Getting into a greenside bunker in 2 isn't a bad play from a bad lie as it happens when you're in the middle of the fairway anyway. Then knifing your bunker shot doesn't mean that your choice to be in the bunker was a bad one - it just means you're lousy from bunkers and need to strengthen your bunker play, not avoid them.

I know I have work to do out of bunkers but I think I made a bit of a breakthrough on that front over the weekend (another story). But in the situation I was inon 9, knowing that my chipping\pitching is one of my strengths and my bunker play is one of my weaknesses, my first thought should have been to avoid the bunker.

The lower your h/cap generally means that you're already learning to make better decisions. It also means that you're likely to play a better recovery shot than you used to because you are more aware of your strengths and will tend to play to them... even if you're laying up further away from the green you have 'more game' then you used to.

I'm hitting better shots but I'm not making better decisions, I think, and this is what I hope to find out with this exercise, that I'm still thinking like the 10\11 h'cap I had a few months ago. Back then I always thought I was better than my h'cap and what I see now is that I was making the same mistakes, but my h'cap masked some of the issues because I could still make buffer despite the mistakes. I've always been of the opinion that if I keep playing well, I'll have days when I don't make the mistakes and shoot a good score, the days I made the mistakes it was just one of those days and I hit the buffer anyway more often than not. I think I said to you a couple of years ago while I was going through a good year that I felt like buffer was the worst I could shoot.

Th h'cap was almost a comfort blanket which someone has taken away and I have to be honest about the mistakes I'm making. The harsh reality is, if I'm making 10\11\12 pars in a round, I shouldn't be missing buffers.