My golf is such a mixed bag

[Canary_Yellow]

The weekend before last, I got under 90 (an 89) in a medal for the first time at my course. Needless to say I was delighted with this! It also got me a nice little cut and took me down to 19.2 - the lowest I've ever been.

I spent the whole of last week with a smile on my face - and I felt that I could score even lower than 89, my score was based on solid golf, nothing spectacular and I struggled to hold it together a little bit on the back 9 knowing that I was on a good score (43 out, 46 back - which included a 4 putt!!).

I was away last week so not able to practice at all, but I went and played yesterday - what a disaster that was! I was terrible! Right back to being as bad as I was all winter! I still enjoyed myself, but it was a bit frustrating to feel like I'd taken one step forward and then a great leap back!

I think I was trying too hard and that killed me. I'm in the process of trying to really improve my swing and this time last week I thought I was getting there - this week however, it all feels very strange and awkward again and I don't feel like I know what I'm doing at all. Trying to force it only made things even worse!

Silly old game - I know I can do it, just got to work out how I can do it again, I don't think that overthinking it is the way to go though. I'm booked in for a lesson tomorrow and I'll go from there. Might read a bit of Dr Bob while I'm at it too, and dig the V-Easy out for a bit of putting practice!

I'm sure what I'm going through at the moment is perfectly normal, can anyone offer me a little reassurance? My main concern is that last week was the one off and yesterday is the norm!!

 

[Whee]

You just went out with expectation, guaranteed to help you rack up large numbers!

After a PB, the round after it is always an anti-climax!

 

[Sid Rixon IV]

Hi Canary,
Twice last week I broke 100 for the first time (both 96) after being just a few shots away for many games previous.
I had a new putter and had seven 7's on one card (putting errors) and chipped into water (from close up) three times on the other.
But I was delighted that I'd broken my first barrier.
I treated myself to new clubs, I'd been set on it for a while, with a fitting from our pro and a flight tracking analysis on his electronic gizmo by hitting in full on the range.
I was delighted with, and astonished by the results.
Saturday morning I played in a comp totally eager to do my best with my new clubs.
I shot ................... 120+ and was 7 off the tee one one hole ending in a 12 - a total and utter setback.
I was so dejected and ashamed afterward.
A year ago I would have hid for weeks.
I'm out tomorrow and I'm determined to sort it.

 

[Scrindle]

Wednesday last week I played 20 over par and was really chuffed (best to date). Played on Friday and was 33 over, then again yesterday and was 30 over!

I think the best thing to do is to try to forget about what you're scoring and see what happens on the day! Thinking about it certainly seems to make me play worse.

That and using a golf buggy seems to throw me off for some reason (walking from shot to shot seems to relax me).

 

[garyinderry]

it just takes one part of your game to be off colour to hurt the scoring.


one day you might hit it well off the tee but struggle around the greens. the next day you might hit it in the rough but your short game can save you.

other days it will all come together. that's golf im afraid. its what keeps us coming back :thup:

 

[dotty001]

tell me about it , shot 85 in a medal on the weekend with 2 triple bogeys on par 3s ,elimanate them and a couple of missed putts and im breaking 80

but all i can think about is the shambolic nature of how i played those par 3s and i got cut .6

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Thanks everyone - going out with any kind of positive expectation is definitely the killer! I’ve got a lesson tomorrow night and a medal on Wednesday, so lots of golf to look forward to this week.

I was in a buggy yesterday too, so that could have been a factor – I do find concentration harder when it’s just a case of bash it, speed off, bash it again.

I missed out a cracking bit of yesterday’s story too – so there I am on the first tee, feeling confident and expecting to boom one off into the distance, so I havea great big swish at it, top the thing, it has loads of top spin so a loopy flight about 50 yards with a fair bit of pace, it hits the stone distance marker by the ladies tee and the ball balloons straight back over my head and about another 20 yards beyond me off into the trees.

Unbelievable. I bet that’s never been done before and may never be done again!!

The important thing is though, I still had a good time going round on a beautiful Sunday evening – the score isn’t everything.

 

[Sid Rixon IV]

I do hope that you and your party managed to laugh at that, CY.
We're sticklers for etiquette but sometimes you just have to give in to a good bout of hysterical laughter!

 

[Canary_Yellow]

We certainly did! But there was an a few moments of disbelief preceding that, and also a couple of moments of wondering what was behind those trees (thankfully the answer turned out to be more trees - but no-one knew until that moment!).

As you say, sometimes all you can do is laugh!

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Ooops - somehow posted the same thing twice (ignore this one - or even better, mods could you delete?)

 

[Region3]

"If you must have expectations on the golf course, expect to make some mistakes" - Dr. Bob

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Some days you can hit it poorly and score and other days you'll hit it great and not make a total. Sounds like too much expectation after the good round, and maybe course management went AWOL as a result. Might just be the golfing gods balancing the ledger

 

[ScienceBoy]

That is golf, everyone's is a mixed bag (even the pros)! It is why we play, for those good holes amongst the average and worse! In other words if you could do that every week your handicap would already be far lower.

Just enjoy the good and work through the bad. I have done that more times than I care to remember this year and I ended up shooting 77. My good shots were no better than normal but just that day my bad shots did not lead to many dropped, I holed out from off the green three times and got plenty of "good" lies in the rough.

Who knows what I will shoot this weekend but as long as its under 90 I will be happy! Just because I broke 80 my usual target of sub 90 isn't going to change.

 

[Sid Rixon IV]

Hi Canary,
Twice last week I broke 100 for the first time (both 96) after being just a few shots away for many games previous.
I had a new putter and had seven 7's on one card (putting errors) and chipped into water (from close up) three times on the other.
But I was delighted that I'd broken my first barrier.
I treated myself to new clubs, I'd been set on it for a while, with a fitting from our pro and a flight tracking analysis on his electronic gizmo by hitting in full on the range.
I was delighted with, and astonished by the results.
Saturday morning I played in a comp totally eager to do my best with my new clubs.
I shot ................... 120+ and was 7 off the tee one one hole ending in a 12 - a total and utter setback.
I was so dejected and ashamed afterward.
A year ago I would have hid for weeks.
I'm out tomorrow and I'm determined to sort it.

Went out today - 97!
For me, that's a result in terms of overcoming Saturday's humiliation.
(plenty of c**k ups in there too)

 

[ScienceBoy]

Went out today - 97!
For me, that's a result in terms of overcoming Saturday's humiliation.

Trying to break 100 frequently?


... Erm... I know I am supposed to mention or link to something here...

 

[Sid Rixon IV]

Not sure what you mean ScienceBoy.
Its progress for me.

 

[Jack_bfc]

After my shock 82 last wednesday I havn't been able to hit a ball since.

Playing tonight back at my course which is longer and requires a much differnt game plan.

I need to break 90 to go into Sat comp off the whites (much longer) to see if I can get up there and get a cut.

So expectations are high but hopefully realsitic.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

So I had a lesson last night and played the medal this morning - I managed to get it round in 92.

Was hitting it woefully off the tee, but my short irons were good enough to get me round in a decent score. When I set off, my goal was to be no worse than buffer and I did it, so that's the main thing!

 

[ScienceBoy]

http://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/showthread.php?51871-Trying-to-break-100-The-3-Goals-Method

 

[Jack_bfc]

After my shock 82 last wednesday I havn't been able to hit a ball since.

Playing tonight back at my course which is longer and requires a much differnt game plan.

I need to break 90 to go into Sat comp off the whites (much longer) to see if I can get up there and get a cut.

So expectations are high but hopefully realsitic.

As good/lucky as I was last week, i was poor/unlucky this week.

Never been in so many bunkers or has so many 'lost balls' in areas you would normally walk up to straight away.

Got frustrated and lost rythym..

Positives, I drove the ball well and ball striking was generally good.
Negatives, course management, club selection and putting....

Oh well, on too the comp on sat with confidence and hope...