Mentality

[WGC]

Mentality. A golf partner of mine has played the course anout 6 times with me. Each time on the first tee box he tells me: 'oh no it's the first, i usually mess up on this hole.' And invariably he does!
The other week he played in a competition and had no trouble on the first. I asked him did he think about previous 'attempts'. He hadn't.
Does anyone else have eperiences like this?, if so please post I would love to read your views.

 

[haplesshacker]

Yep first hole on the Greenwood course at East Horton. I always (except once) have pulled it left into the woods, occasionally it bounces out onto the fairway, but mostly I'm left with a low punch shot sideways back onto the fairway, which leaves me with a 150 to 160 yard shot with over hanging branches. So it has to be a roller of a shot.

I don't conciously doubt myself on the hole, I net birdied it 2 weeks ago, but I can't help but think that I sub conciously put the ball into the woods.

Mind you my normal shot shape is a pull, draw, hook, and the hole really needs a fade to be played.

 

[WGC]

Thanks for letting me know

 

[Parmo]

80% mental 10% technique 5% club choice 5% luck.

 

[haplesshacker]

Parmo, I'm sure that there is some mileage in some very bad taste jokes there. But I just won't do it!!

 

[vig]

I've played with a few people who, when they come to tee off over water say "i hate this hole, always end in the drink". they invariably do!

Just focus on a point on the fairway/green and swing smoothly, don't try to hit it too hard, especially on the first tee until you have got loosened up

 

[theeaglehunter]

I used to hate playing this one hole where you have to clear a 50 yard pit, (it is the 2nd hole on one of the courses at my club) it wasn't far at all but just used to phase me, now I don't even look at the pit I just place my ball and keep my eyes on it, you can't see the fairway anyway (it's a blind tee shot) so there is no need to look up. I find the centre of the fairway nearly every time now. I still can't hit my driver over it though I end up topping it straight in or something silly. Since I have become more confident in my ability though the hole has been a breeze. I still know one guy who just can't clear it though, only time I have seen him manage it is when he hit a pw to the other side lol.

 

[Kaizer_Soze]

1st hole 2nd shot. The 1st is a 373 yard par 4 thet doglegs to the left with the approach uphill. Generally I hit a reasonably good drive away to be left with a shot in the region of 7 - 9 iron distance. I always mess up the 2nd shot in medal play because I think about it too much. I have never hit my 2nd onto the green apart from in practice play (where I have birdied twice)

My feeling is that it is a mental block, inevitably I struggle for par and leave a knee trembler for bogey which is often missed. The first time I secure a comfortable tap in for par in competition play will be a huge weight off my shoulders.

 

[RGuk]

Thankfully, I don't think about these things too much and I never get the heeby jeebies about certain holes.
Off the whites at mine, there is a par 3 over TWO ponds/lakes. One in front of the tee (between white 190 and yellow 130) and one short of the green. I've never seen such stress from less good players!!
I just step up, hit one club more than necessary and spank the thing.....haven't visited the drink yet.....
There's all sorts at mine waiting to ruin your card; internal OOB, copses just off the fairway, ditches, all sorts. I don't ever think about them.......once it's in your mind you are well and truly doooooommed.

Manny (the mammoth) "What, and you've got 2 mellons?"
Dodo: If you weren't smart enough to plan ahead, then doom on you.
Other Dodos: [chanting] Doom on you. Doom on you. Doom on you. Doom on...

Ice age......great film....

 

[HomerJSimpson]

One of the things I've learnt from reading the articles from mind coaches in the various golf magazines is that a negative thought will lead to a negative action. Therefore if you stand on the tee and say "please don't slice out of bounds" or "please don't go in the water" you are actually telling the brain sub-consciously to perform that very act.

On the other hand if you stand there and say something like "nice and easy just like you did on the range" or "swing smooth and turn" you are sending reinforcing messages to the brain which sub-consciously reacts and the likelihood is a better shot.

A great way of training your brain is to go on the putting green and find a 2-3 putt that is nice and straight. If you go ahead and make the putt with your eyes closed the thought goes that on the course when faced with a tricky one in a pressure situation the brain goes onto auto-pilot because it has done it without sense of vision and the muscles all work freely making a smooth swing.

I have read that the majority of the top pros have all used this technique (think it is something Butch Harmon championed). I've tried it and to be honest for a while it did work

 

[haplesshacker]

Not so much Homer, more like Yoda. Apart from the height (and the intelligence of course) there ain't that much differnece to look at them.


Just to clarify I mean between Homer off the telly and Yoda. Not met this H yet.

Oops, that could have gone so wrong.

 

[Wilf]

As I think I've mentioned before on this site I seem to have problems with 14, 15, 16 on my course. Was stood in middle of 14th fairway on Sunday with a score of 12 over gross (handicap23) with an 8 iron in my hand and contrived to finish 8,7,8,4,9. 18 isn't normally a problem but I think my head had gone by the time I got to that tee.

Couple of weeks before had 36 points after 13 and finished with 40 points.

Not sure why not consciously thinking negative thoughts and the bad shots are not even in a consistent direction.

And (in case there is any cheek) no I'm not trying to protect my handicap (got accused of that on Sunday which was not wise of him considering the mood I was in when I finished the round), my brother is off about 8 and my possibly unrealistic target is to be able to beat him without needing to rely on being given shots.

 

[RGuk]

Can you pin-point the issues with 14/15/16?.......I have had similar trouble with a run of holes (before) and we might be able to offer up some course management ideas.

 

[theeaglehunter]

whilst on this subject has anybody tried the 'black box' method of mentally overcoming things that is mentioned in this months mag. Surely it doesn't work! I may give it a go though.

 

[Wilf]

Dave,

It's basically down to being wonky off the tee whether it be with a driver, iron or fairway, 14,15 and 16 have water down one side and oob down the other. I get away with it more on the earlier bit of the course but not these, thinking of taking wedges off the tee just to get into play.

14 is a 5 wood
15 197 par 3 down hill water all around anything from 5 iron to 5 wood depending on wind
16 - Driver short par 5 ended up going wedge, 5 wood, 9 iron on Sunday just to stop going OOB.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Wilf

I'm pretty sure from what you have said that you are not committing to the shot fully on these tee shots because of previous traumas. This means you are not making a full and proper turn and therefore will either come over the top more (slice) or get over active with the hands trying to steer the ball (hook).

My advice is to take a club you are hapy with (3 wood, 5 wood, hybrid - not much lower than that unless you are really desparate) and pick a point in the distance either on the fairway or to the left/right edge (bunker/tree etc).

As I have stressed on previous posts negative thoughts = negative actions and by making yourself aware of the OB or water you are sub-consciously putting those areas into the thinking part of the brain which will help dictate the inevitable outcome as the ball goes left or right.

If you focus on an area in the fairway, and perhaps think of yourself standing in the bay of your local driving bay hitting good tee shots with no pressure and think about how smoothly you swing there, you will begin to associate positive thoughts with the shot. This will make you less tense over the ball and more able to commit fully to the shot and (hopefully) make a more successful drive.

 

[WGC]

Thanks everyone for their help.

 

[vig]

I agree with HJS. Just focus on a point and blank everything else out.

I took a mate round the course a few weeks ago, never played before, he was spraying the ball all over the place, then on three longish holes I told him to take the driver and aim for (i) bunker (330yds) didn't reach but boy he got close. (ii) Dead tree in middle of fairway, he nailed it. (iii) conifer on the horizon again nailed it.
I told him to pick his own landmarks after that. It did work though.