Peak performance, what works for you?

[Curls]

I've been thinking a lot about when I play my best golf and what preceeds it. Sometimes I think I overthink it and practice too much coming up to Club Champs for example, by the time I get out I've built it up and rarely perform as well as I could. Conversely I can't just pick up sticks and shoot 77. I've been playing 7 years now, member of a club 5 and every day is a school day when it comes to competition golf. Last year I averaged 82 for 18 rounds and had 2 shockers, so consistency is way up but handicaps get cut in dramatic big cuts from what I can make out, so I'm looking to shoot a few rounds in the low 70s next year.

So far I think the best practice for me for a Saturday Medal is playing 9 holes at a local course Thursday evening, trying different shots, getting a feel for carry distances. Even at that I neglect certain parts of my game because unless you're at it full time you can't practice everything to the same level imo. I work away a lot, so time is precious. Luckily I have a great other half who is very supportive and doesn't mind me heading off while she does her thing.

So, am I missing something? Is there a way to prepare for that Board Comp you really want your name on? What's worked for you?

I fully realise there will be the "bacon roll and a coffee" brigade, I tip my cap to every one of you but I'm not there yet so interested to hear what folks do ahead of the comp that makes them more likely to shoot the lights out.

Oh and get the fricking white tees out already.

 

[Scozzy]

Always play my best when I've practiced lots of short game stuff the night before, but I suppose it's a mindset thing as I don't really look at medal play the same way as matchplay....sure I'm trying to score well in a medal but never get the feeling I'm in a comp to win and the guys next to me are in the way of that, rather I'm enjoying their company and we are all trying to play well.Matchplay ties however are right up my street and I definitely approach them differently.Like you, when I get a cut its usually a decent one as I have a good round in me but I practice more diligently with a do or die tie to play rather than knowing ive got to face a long day Saturday at a time not necessarily of my choosing

 

[pokerjoke]

Pretty simple really.
You want it too much,building yourself up and heaping pressure on yourself will have an adverse effect.

So many people build the club champs up like a major,I include myself in this.

I always find the practice I put in usually kicks in weeks later when it becomes more natural.

 

[Joeadams92]

As above, self pressure, i tend to play better when its poor conditions or ive been playing poorly the previous week
If ive been practicing all week and the conditions are good i expect myself to play well whch rarely happens

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Biggest factor I see for myself, is getting over excited for a 'big' game (whether a comp or society or a forum meet).

It plays havoc with tempo and feel.

EDIT So for comps I try to be as evenly balanced as possible and for society/forum meets I couldn't give a fudge and just get excited as that is more fun!!!

 

[Imurg]

Pretty simple really.
You want it too much,building yourself up and heaping pressure on yourself will have an adverse effect.

So many people build the club champs up like a major,I include myself in this.

I always find the practice I put in usually kicks in weeks later when it becomes more natural.

Nail + Hammer....
We try too hard.
Medal, Club Champs, whatever....
If we all relaxed more wed score better.

 

[patricks148]

agree with what has already been said.

I don't ever prepare for anything or put pressure on myself, one of the reasons i don't hit balls before playing and rarely practice full stop.

go out, try your best and make sure you enjoy yourself, you will be relaxed and so play better, whats the worst that can happen??? you go up 0.1

 

[Curls]

agree with what has already been said.

I don't ever prepare for anything or put pressure on myself, one of the reasons i don't hit balls before playing and rarely practice full stop.

go out, try your best and make sure you enjoy yourself, you will be relaxed and so play better, whats the worst that can happen??? you go up 0.1

That's fair enough if you're playing regularly, but I'll go weeks without a competitive game and often a week or two without swinging a club when Im away. So I'm trying to find the magic formula for the week before a big game. And it sounds like the entire choir is saying the same thing here, which is not to build it up at all. It's a great point, easier said than done but rings true nonetheless. I was just wondering if there was anything I'm missing, like someone might say playing a different course that week helps, or an hour just putting that morning, or something.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm another who has got himself into knots wanting to achieve good results in events an not letting my natural (such as it is) game flow. Its usually tempo thats the root cause and I get tense and swing far too fast. Annoying when you are practicing a few days before hand and have a smooth rhythm. I also get twitchy on the short game when I'm tense and again, because its an area I'm not comfy with anyway, I always feel mentally stronger if I've done some productive practice a few days before.

These days, I am trying to be far more easy going an play as I would in a roll up on a Saturday. I'm finding in competition play, if I focus solely on one hole at a time and let a bad hole go. Nothing I can do and the next is a chance to make par (net birdie, gross par depending on SI) and steady the ship again. Much harder to do especially if you are either playing well or conversely struggling but I found a lot of the issues came down to trying to work out what I needed to make buffer, qualify etc

I still warm up, but have cut the number of balls I hit right down so I don't hit a bad one and then suddenly panic and start worrying about technique etc and instead hit maybe 15-20 in total and then focus more on some pitching, chipping, a few out the sand and then a few putts.

 

[patricks148]

That's fair enough if you're playing regularly, but I'll go weeks without a competitive game and often a week or two without swinging a club when Im away. So I'm trying to find the magic formula for the week before a big game. And it sounds like the entire choir is saying the same thing here, which is not to build it up at all. It's a great point, easier said than done but rings true nonetheless. I was just wondering if there was anything I'm missing, like someone might say playing a different course that week helps, or an hour just putting that morning, or something.

personally and i can only go by my own experience, if i go out with zero expectations i do far better than if i were to prepare TBH.

I have done practice rounds, range sessions, even planned my rounds in advance before, all failed miserably

playing other course before a big comp also didn't do me any good. when i was a member at 3 courses i'd sometimes play at one of the others the night before and comp at my home course, i don't think i ever did well in any.

so now i try not to play the day before if its a big comp, but i love playing so i don't always take my own advice

 

[Bxm Foxy]

Having only really got back into golf after a 10 year lay off, I try to have a hit mid-week at the range, and chipping/putting practice every other week. However, any preparation is usually offset by having a hangover after playing League darts on the Friday night

 

[Orikoru]

I seem to play best when we're playing a friendly at a course we haven't played before, or haven't played often, and there's absolutely nothing riding on it, we get there nice and early, have breakfast and a bit of a warm up and then enjoy the round. I think when I don't know the course that well I focus on playing my way around it better, which in turn takes the focus off my own golf game and swing, which I see as a good thing.

This doesn't help me one bit when it comes to playing competitions at the home club of course.

I also seem to play better when I don't have a raging hangover. If only there was a lesson to be learnt from that.

 

[Curls]

Having only really got back into golf after a 10 year lay off, I try to have a hit mid-week at the range, and chipping/putting practice every other week. However, any preparation is usually offset by having a hangover after playing League darts on the Friday night

You know, you make a decent point there, I had a few rounds last year ruined by being ruined on the morning.

I would vow to behave but you know...

 

[Bxm Foxy]

You know, you make a decent point there, I had a few rounds last year ruined by being ruined on the morning.

I would vow to behave but you know...

Yep, I do know. I turn up at darts, saying to everyone steady night for me, golf in the morning, 4 pints in and i'm warming up, and couldn't care less about golf in the morning

 

[rksquire]

Best rounds comes in waves for me, and is a mix of consistency and confidence. Once I've a had a couple of good weeks on the bounce I then start to over think it, and there's a gradual deterioration. I don't bother with the range anymore, unless the grass area is available and even then it's only for driver / teeing up woods; I don't bother hitting balls before a round either as I found that did nothing for me. What does make a difference is 6 holes come the good weather on a quiet evening. I've found I've been able to take something from that into the weekend.

So what precedes a good round for me is previous decent rounds where things are starting to come together, and then boom!, I think I've cracked it, and then it wains again. My best round in the winter league came from having little to no sleep the night before, rushing from the car park to the 1st and not even thinking about the score until someone commented around the 11th that I'd a great score going.

 

[MendieGK]

i treat every competition the same now, I no longer hit balls on the range before I play, I hit them in the nets so that I am purely focused on getting loose and not where the ball is going

It’s helped me a crazy amount

Increasing practice the week before etc doesn’t work. It puts added pressure on your game and sets you up to fail

 

[duncan mackie]

The only thing to practice is pressure - not off the tee but on and around the greens (where it has it's biggest impact on competent golfers).
Head out on the course and record the total length of putts made (paces will do, don't need a tape measure!)
Record the average distance you leave any chips from the hole.

For most it will somewhat alien to record these specific stats - the pressure you put upon yourself is an excellent build up to the tasks ahead.

 

[Wolf]

For me the key is all in my head. I go to the range once a week anyway so I do that the same and I don't worry about hitting it perfect just ensure rhythm and timing feels about right.

Short game I love practising anyway but as mentioned in other threads I never play all shits from same perfect spot, I literally chuck my balls into alsorts of lies around short game area even in the crud, always did this as a junior and found when I got on course I never then had a lie I couldn't play or find a way to play it.

So basically for me nothing changes from a normal week to a big comp week that way it just feels like any other day no extra mental pressure as my practise has been the same and not seeking a fix or perfect game for that day, and when I'm on the course I work on picking my line and hitting the shot once it's hit, I distract myself thinking about other things as I've found I literally cannot concentrate on the round at hand for a full 18holes (4hrs+)including those between shot moments , but what I can do is concentrate for 40secs at a time for each shot. Also found this has helped me forget bad shots and not worry about what I may find when I get to the ball.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

You can practice as much as your lifestyle allows but we are all handicap golfers. One day you hit every fairway and miss every putt, next day it is the other way round. All you can do is focus on every shot, relax and most importantly enjoy the game.
What will be will be.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The only thing to practice is pressure - not off the tee but on and around the greens (where it has it's biggest impact on competent golfers).
Head out on the course and record the total length of putts made (paces will do, don't need a tape measure!)
Record the average distance you leave any chips from the hole.

For most it will somewhat alien to record these specific stats - the pressure you put upon yourself is an excellent build up to the tasks ahead.

I always record my putting stats from 2-7 feet when I practice. I am working on some more pressure drills for chipping rather than block practice focused on technique. Par 18 (trying to get up and down over 9 holes is a good one) and I'm working on scrambling from good, moderate and bad lies and recording the numbers. Early days on that. I've also been collating stats on my pitching from 20-50 yards and usually try and set up a 12 x 12 square and record how many I get in out of 20 balls and how many are in the "bullseye" and so three foot or closer to the middle. I record whether I miss left/right and short/long and also whether I fat/thin any. Easy to do on the practice ground but not so on the range so I tend to use that for my block work on technique. Some interesting trends emerging