On the verge of giving up again

HomerJSimpson

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Well despite all my efforts I still can't convert good striking into a good score or get it round ugly. Totally fed up with the lack of pay off from playing and practicing I'm seriously thinking about jacking it in again for good. Played well in the comp today up to a point. Went out in 19 points (six over gross including a double on the easiest hole on the course for a no pointer). Lost another shot at 10 got it back at 12, and was one under my handicap playing my second on 15 from the first cut of rough. Hit a low hooky one and we never found it. No points. Then went OB on 16 and 17 to have three holes on the trot without scoring. Three lost balls off my supposed standard is frankly embarrasing. I played with a renowned chopper today and even he didn't lost a ball.

Totally p****d off that I keep finding ways to ruin rare good scores or more often than not can't get anything going from the start anyway and so usually out of the buffer zone by the 12th or 13th each week. I'm tempted to honour my committments to Hawkeye in the GM team for the Volvo, play Bearwood Lakes and Blackmoor and the trip to St Pierre and call it quits. Although the lessons have taken my ball striking on leaps and bounds and I can stand over a chip without breaking into a cold sweat I'm fed up of not getting out what I put in. Why bother and accept that 11 was as good as I could be this time around and go and find something more rewarding to do with my time
 
How much for the wedges?

Why not practice a little less - its obviously not paying off. Take golf less seriously and relax. Or play a lot of comps badly and get some more shots added to that non competitive hcp of yours - with a poor showing in 17 comps you could be off a much more comfertable 15.
 
Homer, you have enough troubles at home without worrying about your golf. Why try to compete? Why not bash it round for a bit of fun, no pressure, no scoring, no worries. Golf is a hobby, not a lively hood. Good job, or we'd all starve.
Eventually it will all come good, and if it doesn't, does the world end?

Stop playing comps, and it just becomes a bit of tim off.
 
Can I get the Anser putter :D


Must be something in the air, i had a mare today aswell.
3 lost balls, another out of bounds, finished with a net 77.
BooHoo.
 
Homer, you have enough troubles at home without worrying about your golf. Why try to compete? Why not bash it round for a bit of fun, no pressure, no scoring, no worries. Golf is a hobby, not a lively hood. Good job, or we'd all starve.
Eventually it will all come good, and if it doesn't, does the world end?

Stop playing comps, and it just becomes a bit of tim off.

Murph I see exactly where you are coming from. However the problem with that is that if there isn't anything on it and I don't have to focus I tend to get lazy with my technique which leads to more bad shots and everything is compounded. I also tend to go for the high risk shot as there is not penalty for not pulling it off and invariably that is exactly what I do and so lose another ball. At least with the comps it focusses the mind a little more and I proved for 14 holes I can do it but why bother if I can't make it for 18 holes. I haven't looked but I can't remember the last time I made the buffer zone or got a cut and even the practice or social rounds tend to either start badly or disintegrate at some point. I've cut right back on practicing to play more holes but even that isn't helping. I've just reached the end of my rope with golf
 
"Golf is not a game of perfect". "We all reach our own level of incompetence". Accept this and enjoy the chance to play in the best countryside in the world in a temperate climate. We do not do this for a living.
 
it must be more mental than ability HJS, if you can knock it round well for 14/15 holes. I usually start of crap and hit my stride after 7 or 8 but as I play off 28 then I expect to be pants. Just play each shot as it comes along, hit a bad one forget it and concentrate on the next.

All easier said than done mind you. If you arent enjoying it then take a break. You will get the bug soon enough and it may well be the best you ever played :)
 
The way i look at it is we're all crap, just different levels of crap, hence us all playing handicap golf every week.

Like footballers, generally the higher-up you get standard wise, tye difference is that they make less mistakes. We're expected to make mistakes at our level.

Stop heaping pressure on yourself to score well and taking it so seriously.

Golf is a past time which is to be enjoyed and you make it hard for yourself to enjoy with the pressure,practice,technical thoughts etc.

Just my tuppence but im with the others, just play and to hell with what u score, enjoy the company, banter and (hopefully) some sunshine.
 
Homer, you have enough troubles at home without worrying about your golf. Why try to compete? Why not bash it round for a bit of fun, no pressure, no scoring, no worries. Golf is a hobby, not a lively hood. Good job, or we'd all starve.
Eventually it will all come good, and if it doesn't, does the world end?

Stop playing comps, and it just becomes a bit of tim off.

Murph I see exactly where you are coming from. However the problem with that is that if there isn't anything on it and I don't have to focus I tend to get lazy with my technique which leads to more bad shots and everything is compounded. I also tend to go for the high risk shot as there is not penalty for not pulling it off and invariably that is exactly what I do and so lose another ball. At least with the comps it focusses the mind a little more and I proved for 14 holes I can do it but why bother if I can't make it for 18 holes. I haven't looked but I can't remember the last time I made the buffer zone or got a cut and even the practice or social rounds tend to either start badly or disintegrate at some point. I've cut right back on practicing to play more holes but even that isn't helping. I've just reached the end of my rope with golf

You clearly not getting into the zone either when in a competition so chillax as the good man murph says.

We all have days where it goes tits up.
 
As the putters gone can I have the woods please.....

Seriously though there is nothing worse than going through a bad phase at sport. As has been pointed out there are more important things in life...take a couple of weeks of without doing anything related to golf and ull be itching to get back I promise. And if not and the putters still there I will have thatbtoo.

:D
 
If you think I am going after Homers balls you are wrong.
Its supposed to be fun or relaxing, if its not then change something to make it fun or relaxing. If you cant do that then perhaps you are right, but just remember that many people (me included) would be very happy with a handicap like yours, and dont beat yourself up about it when things dont go how you want.
 
Homer.....



Shut up you Pillock!!!!


Everyone has bad times, everyone has good times. You had a good time for 14 holes - ok it went to Rat Sh1t after that. That's our Good Lady Golf kicking you in the nuts again.

Stop worrying about Golf - as Murph says there's so much more going on that needs worrying about.
Just play. For the fun. Don't practice much, if at all. If it works , great. If it goes sideways just shrug it off and smile. Don't pressurise yourself - we all want to improve but sometimes you have to plateau for a while. A you say, you may have rached your peak - that's ok, 12 isn't bad - it's better than Fragger will ever be and a lot better than a lot of other people. So the handicap goes up to 14 or even 15 - it doesn't matter, it's a game, a hobby, something to keep you from frightening old Ladies...

Get a grip Man!
 
Honour your games, take some time off, wait for some hunger to return, roll up those sleeves and start all over.

That's the Dave way. :)
 
I saw the title of the thread & I thought I'll have first dibs on those clubs. It seems like the rest of you vultures have got there first. ;)

Nothing left to say except chin up Homer !
 
Homer, it sounds like you're putting yourself under so much pressure that it's affected your enjoyment. You've set yourself certain targets and are failing to attain them. The trouble may be that you have pressure at home, and then pressure during pleasure time.

What to do if we can't reach our targets? Why not forget them (for a while), or set unrelated targets.

How about these for practice ideas:
a. Play solo, and practice. When you hit a poor shot, drop three balls down and replay. Don't even keep score.
b. Play a whole round with just two clubs.
c. Play a whole round having to fade/draw each shot.
d. Go short off the tee, and play longer shots in.
e. Lay up short, so as to practice the wedges.
f. Get a swing radar and increase your swing speed.

You'd play loads of golf and have zero pressure to score, practice lots of different shots from different positions, and increase your skill without even realising it.
 
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