Mental Strength - Dissapointed With Myself

[HawkeyeMS]

Over the last couple of years, I've really changed my attitude on the course. My response to bad shots\holes has been more positive and I never give up trying to get to the buffer until it's impossible.

Yesterday we had our monthly medal, I started well playing the first 6 holes in 1 over gross but then had a debacle on the 7th and ended with a treble. I managed to brush it off and go to the 14th tee having only dropped one more shot. The drive on 14 is difficult but I nailed it and had between 9 & 8 iron to the middle of the green. I went with 9, hit a horrible shot that plugged under the lip of the bunker and without talking you through every shot, I ended up with another treble. This time I didn't react very well and started making stupid decisions. Even though I was still playing well enough to get into the buffer I started chasing a score, I don't even know what score I was chasing I just seemed to go back to my old attitude of not trusting myself to get out of it.

I don't know why I did this and didn't realise until afterwards what I had done as I wasn't thinking clearly at all but I had given up on getting into the buffer. I haven't had a meltdown like that for ages and ended up dropping another 6 shots in the last 2 holes.

I'm not really expecting any words of advice as I'm sure they have all been said on here before, I've probably said most of them so "practice what you preach" is probably the best advice.

I am just really annoyed with myself and had to get it off my chest, just think of this as the Internet equivelent of me going into a quiet area of the course and having a damn good swear at myself

 

[AmandaJR]

Put it down to the heat!! I too have improved my mental robustness but yesterday lost it on a hole for no real reason. Yes I'd messed up my tee shot and hit the next in temper without changing club and smacked it beautifully into the clag. 4bbb though and David well in the hole but chuntered and cursed my way to find my ball and totally irrational things like "what is it with this flipping game...why does it always do this to me...why when I think I might just be getting topside of it does it do this to me...why do I ever expect anything more from this game...that's it I'm NEVER going to ever expect anything but misfortune to happen to me" - like a crazy woman I was (other 3 playing well away from me thank goodness).

So on it went for a few minutes! Felt better afterwards but last couple of holes I still wasn't really back in the moment with it. All very emotional stuff and just a mental meltdown - heat induced

 

[Curls]

The thing is we can all sit at our computers and realise exactly what we should have done, how we should have reacted, but in the heat of the moment it's so much more difficult to do. Add to that the fact that we all have unreliable swings/games and you can't regain the focus you might have had on the way to the course. Finding a reference point, a trigger that makes you completely forget every shot (and treble) taken and every shot to come is like gold dust. I do it sometimes and its like my brain has started working in the way a golf brain should. Its beautiful, effortless focus, great decisions, play, bridies, par-saves, man I should be scratch golfer here.... and then 3 holes later I've scuffed one into the trees and find myself taking on a Bubba hook to a protected green 200 yards away the result of which is too painful to speak about. A 10 later and the heads down, wondering what might have been, what the lads will say at the bar. whats for tea...

Where did the Zen go?

Only human chap, chin up.

 

[Iain.faulkner]

I feel your pain, I do exactly the same thing.

Playing in the presidents weekend competition this last weekend, I'd started out well (for me) with a bogey, bogey, double through the first three holes (playing to handicap if it were stableford). Played the 4th and shot a quad with some poor shots, not selection, just poor execution. Played the rest of the round very well, and the back 9 was some of the best I've ever played it and I got to the 18th in very good shape having taken 86 shots to get to that point. I nailed my tee-shot down the hill to the correct side of the corner and was left with about 230 yards to the green (18th is a longish par 5). From here, I proceeded to take a further 9 shots to get the ball in the hole! As you say, I started to chase the game, trying to eek out a score and did everything I could possibly have done to throw it away...I had OOB, 2 bunkers, 2 shots out of a bunker....really disappointing.

The rest of the round was so good for me to have an 8 and a 10 on the card and still only be 2 over handicap!

As to why we do it, I don't know, but it is so insanely frustrating!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Similarly was going well yesterday until I got to the same 14th and was perhaps one or two over handicap so buffer definitely on. Hit a lousy drive left and lost ball. Then chopped the rest of the hole for an ugly 8. Mullered a drive down 15 and could have got there in two (par 5). Pulled the 5 wood and chopped it right. Another lost ball. Ironically I hit a 7 iron as the provisional and was only 30 yards short so a 5 iron would have down the job. Case of wrong club and wrong decisions and compounded the 8 with a double bogey 7. Managed to par the tough 16, should have parred 17 but three putted and parred the last so finished well.

Two bad decisions really cost. to be honest going for the green on 15 was out of character and I am usually quite conservative. I'm more annoyed as I started 4,7,6 (bogey, double, double) and grinded it back to be level handicap before chucking a double on nine from 20 yards short of the green in two. I was pleased on the whole on the way I played. Just seemed to make a few bad calls in the heat. It happens and I'll move on

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I'm not going down the heat route, it would be too easy and also I'd be kidding myself.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

The thing is we can all sit at our computers and realise exactly what we should have done, how we should have reacted, but in the heat of the moment it's so much more difficult to do. Add to that the fact that we all have unreliable swings/games and you can't regain the focus you might have had on the way to the course. Finding a reference point, a trigger that makes you completely forget every shot (and treble) taken and every shot to come is like gold dust. I do it sometimes and its like my brain has started working in the way a golf brain should. Its beautiful, effortless focus, great decisions, play, bridies, par-saves, man I should be scratch golfer here.... and then 3 holes later I've scuffed one into the trees and find myself taking on a Bubba hook to a protected green 200 yards away the result of which is too painful to speak about. A 10 later and the heads down, wondering what might have been, what the lads will say at the bar. whats for tea...

Where did the Zen go?

Only human chap, chin up.

Those books haven't arrived yet, that must be where the issue is

 

[wheyward]

I really used to struggle with the mind game of golf and whilst I still beat myself up over duff shots, I find myslef thinking, what would the pros do. start thinking about your next shot (which is always the most importnat shot of your round) establish the risks and think of all of the options available to you weighing yup p the pros and cons. scrambling is supposed to be the creative part of the game of the game, so try to make it fun and interesting without letting the red mist come over you.

failing that I listened to a couple of bob rotellas audio books in the car, for some subconscious help.

will

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I really used to struggle with the mind game of golf and whilst I still beat myself up over duff shots, I find myslef thinking, what would the pros do. start thinking about your next shot (which is always the most importnat shot of your round) establish the risks and think of all of the options available to you weighing yup p the pros and cons. scrambling is supposed to be the creative part of the game of the game, so try to make it fun and interesting without letting the red mist come over you.

failing that I listened to a couple of bob rotellas audio books in the car, for some subconscious help.

will

Thing is i don't do this anymore, that's why I am annoyed. I've had many a good round after a bad start and had already overcome the treble on 7, it seems that twice in the same round is too much for me

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

I kind of know what you mean, I think i'm missing a bit on the mental side!

Stood on the 18th yesterday with 35 points, knowing that getting a 6 on the par 4 would be enough to play to 20 for the first time ever! Decide to take an easy 6i to avoid some bunkers, and suddenly a wild hook appeared out of nowhere! Luckily, it stopped a few feet from the OOB that ran up the left hand side! I'm putting it all down to the pressure, my usual bad shot is left to right!

Luckily, I soon focussed on my PP, who had put himself in teh position of needing 4 pars on the last 4 holes to play to his handicap of 14! Chatting to him about his shot (friendly round) soon made me forget about my position, and I managed to hit 2 easy 7's and putt in for a par! Shows what happens when I stopped thinking about my own score and just hit the ball.

I think you should also blame the heat

 

[HomerJSimpson]

If Hawkeye is looking for the real reason surely the answer is clear. He is mentally scarred from carrying Homer every time we play in a pairs event or having to see me make a bad score out of a potentially good one. Think I've sent him to the shrink's chair

 

[BubbaP]

I'm not going down the heat route, it would be too easy and also I'd be kidding myself.

Nooo don't say that. I was firmly blaming my Sunday meltdown (conveniently) on the heat.

Last weeks game plan was to play all 4 dangerous par 5s as three shotters - result one under par for them.
Sunday - three putted the 1st par 5 after deciding not to go for it in two, snuck another 3 putt in before the next par 5 arrives so after a good tee shot, went for green and lost ball. Reload, lay up to semi, then flyer + hard bounce OB. End of. Splitting headache also despite all the water.