Just cant handle the pressure???

[Sir Scoop-A-Lot]

So I have been trying to lower my handicap forever and after putting in a lot of time and effort (and not to mention money!) I thought I had gotten to a level to reduce my handicap by a shot or two at least.

I have played in 3 competitions now and have done terribly in them all. I have played twice this week and on both occassions played really well.

On Monday I played 18 holes and scored 37 points (21 on the front and then 16 on the back) so I decided to play another 9 holes and scored 23 points!

Today I played 9 holes with a mate and scored 24 points (including a chip in birdie on our Par 5 6th, I was dead chuffed! :thup.

Why oh why can I not shoot scores like this when playing in the club comps. We get to choose our tee times for the comps and have played all 3 competitions with the same group of guys that I normally play with so can it really just be knowing it a competition thats making all the difference?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am already planning to hand in a couple of supplementary cards over the next few weeks to try and get the ball rolling.

 

[the_coach]

Sounds like the focus in the wrong area. Cliche but true, stay in the present, one shot at a time. Give your best to the immediate shot in hand. That's what you're actually doing when playing with no 'counting card'.

Go out projecting what might happen to your handicap from the start, that will more likely result in you playing a good ways over it.

Difference is the 'mindset', don't look to the future of your handicap coming a ways down as the goal. Make the goal, the focus, to do the best that you can for each shot, stay in the present, don't if halfways round & you're playing well let your mind go to you being able to be about to record your best ever score, cause if you do, the wheels will come off.

 

[Evesdad]

This was me when I started playing in comps. I put do much pressure on my self to get the handicap down it had the opposite effect. Played worse and the enjoyment was nil. Now I just try and treat it as just a round of golf with my friends and what will be be will be. Yes I've had mostly 0.1's but most have only just been short of buffer but I've enjoyed them. I had a right shocker the other month in the medal, whole game just vanished. I just had to laugh it off, or cry! Worse thing have add going on in the world. Think about the shot in had and nothing else. Do what you need to do, take your medicine if out of position and get back by the easiest route, no hero shots.

 

[DAVEYBOY]

It seems mad but the more times you fail or stumble to cross the line the better you will handle pressure in future... I remember more or less shaking to hole a 2 ft putt to break 100 for the first time. Tonight I holed two 6 footers on the last two holes in a comp to help me shoot 37 points after a poor round and didn't really feel any pressure, I can only put it down to the times I've had pressure before and learnt from it.

It will come :thup:

 

[HomerJSimpson]

New Golf Thinking. It will change your approach and talks candidly about taking range form onto the course and dealing with bad shots.

 

[JCW]

Its a learning curve , it takes time and comps are a different mind set , hands grip the putter harder , try too hard , I can go on , it takes time to learn about yourself , play every round as a medel and hole out and keep a card , sit down after and see where you could have save shots

 

[Jabba]

Good advice above, the more comps you play, the more they start to resemble your bounce game form.

I was bad for "rushing" my scores. In Stableford I wanted to get 2 or 3 points in front of 2's ASAP, thus putting pressure on myself. Play one shot at a time and your practice work will pay dividends.

 

[Oddsocks]

So I have been trying to lower my handicap forever and after putting in a lot of time and effort (and not to mention money!) I thought I had gotten to a level to reduce my handicap by a shot or two at least.

I have played in 3 competitions now and have done terribly in them all. I have played twice this week and on both occassions played really well.

On Monday I played 18 holes and scored 37 points (21 on the front and then 16 on the back) so I decided to play another 9 holes and scored 23 points!

Today I played 9 holes with a mate and scored 24 points (including a chip in birdie on our Par 5 6th, I was dead chuffed! :thup.

Why oh why can I not shoot scores like this when playing in the club comps. We get to choose our tee times for the comps and have played all 3 competitions with the same group of guys that I normally play with so can it really just be knowing it a competition thats making all the difference?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am already planning to hand in a couple of supplementary cards over the next few weeks to try and get the ball rolling.

I think it's very easy to become hc focused and nothing else and if I'm honest when I was there it ruined my golf,

I think you need to focus on enjoying your golf, enjoy the surroundings, the sunshine, the banter .... These are the times when great scores come.....


I've had some of my best golfing days in groups when in the 19th my ribs hurt from the sheer banter between the playing partners.

 

[chrisd]

I think it's very easy to become hc focused and nothing else and if I'm honest when I was there it ruined my golf,

I think you need to focus on enjoying your golf, enjoy the surroundings, the sunshine, the banter .... These are the times when great scores come.....


I've had some of my best golfing days in groups when in the 19th my ribs hurt from the sheer banter between the playing partners.

Oddsocks is right I believe.

You know when Sky interview the leader on a Sunday lunchtime and ask what his plans for the final round are, and he says that he's just going to go out and enjoy the round and hopes that will be good enough to win. I used to think that was a load of guff and that, like me, he would try harder to post the best score. I soon learnt that you do need to relax, enjoy the round, concentrate when it matters and smell the flowers when not actually hitting the ball. Every win I've gad have all felt easy compared to the crap round which always seems so much harder work

 

[Sir Scoop-A-Lot]

Thanks for the advice guys. I am certainly going to just relax and enjoy myself more. Being fairly new to competitions I see I am probably just expecting too much of myself.

PMA all the way from now on!

 

[chellie]

Thanks for the advice guys. I am certainly going to just relax and enjoy myself more. Being fairly new to competitions I see I am probably just expecting too much of myself.

PMA all the way from now on!

Good luck I'm also very guilty of expecting too much from myself plus everyone I've been out with (we only go out with the same person twice in ladies comps) is always telling me that I'm going to get my HC cut so that has been piling the pressure on as well. I found that having a matchplay attitude helped me yesterday as I was much more relaxed and didn't really dwell on any bad holes. Whether that will work again is another matter though.

 

[Khamelion]

Since I did the New Golf Thinking event and having read the book and then focused on the areas the book suggested. I'm enjoying my game a lot more, I feel more relaxed when playing, I'm not letting the things that used to get to me, annoy, frustrate or irritate me any more.

Each shot is taken as it comes, I'm not thinking ahead, I look at the shot in front of me, picture what I want to do, select a club and play the shot. I'm not saying that just because I want to bend a ball around some over hanging branches, that picturing the ball in my mind doing just that is what'll happen, I'm not a pro, but having the belief that I can do it, is better than thinking well that's me screwed and my card ruined.

Take the game you know you can play with you to the course, not the game you think you can play.

When you stand above the ball with club in hand, picture the best shot you have played with that club and replicate it. You've done it once, so you can do it again.

 

[Chris1980]

Try to eradicate silly shots, I found this, is if your in trouble off the tee say in the trees justplay the simple shot out. Also use the shots you have to your advantage. Esp on holes where you may have 2 shots. Play to get onto the green safely instead of flag hunting.