Playing better alone.

[welshjim22]

Recently my game has fallen apart i wasn't great before but now i really am awful. My last five games of golf are as follows

Ashford Golf club 99 2 ball for first nine (back nine scored 44 playing on my own)

Ashford Golf club 108 2 ball

London golf club 109 4 ball

Ashford Golf club 112 3 ball

Ashford Golf club 115 3 ball for first nine, 5 water hazard penalties (scored 51 on back nine alone).

I started playing last year and mostly played alone. I averaged mid 80's on par 64 with only two holes over 300 yards.

Any advice for dealing with the added pressure.

 

[MVP]

there is no such thing as pressure in golf.

pressure is a poor man trying to feed his family!!!

 

[Twire]

One of the ways dealing with the preasure of playing with other people is to play with as many different peeps as posible, then that preasure will fade.

I wouldn't take to much notice of what you used to shoot on that par 64. The course where I got my first handicap had a 9 hole course and that was 64 for 18 holes. When I put 3 cards in and they gave me a 24 H'cap I transfered over to the championship course and it took me over a year before I could play it to 24.

Sometimes your expectations are to high, don't worry about shooting good scores, just enjoy the game, and the scores will come.

 

[Spoff]

I've been playing a similar lenght of time to you Jim, and having spent a lot on kit and lessons I was not happy with the scores I was shooting, similar to what you put above.

A friend I play with with less time and effort than me beat me by 10 shots or so every time. A few times I was close or wining after 9 and fell apart.

Following an injury layoff I have cleared my head and no long play to beat him and low and behold the last time out our scores were tied.

I've found a lot less golf pressure playing my previous scores and not other players scores.

 

[minty18]

there is no such thing as pressure in golf.

pressure is a poor man trying to feed his family!!!

This is a harry redknapp qoute, obviously he was talking footy but it's right! Golf should also be something you enjoy. I enjoy stepping up on the tee and hitting a golf ball. pressure? nope, just enjoyment!

 

[need_my_wedge]

I play regularly with a mate, he can cane the ball big time. When we first started playing golf together a year or so back I used to try and hit big to keep up with him, all to no avail, he'd shoot 85 - 90 and I'd shoot 102 - 105.

End of last year I stopped trying to play him and just focused on a few simple things for myself, low and behold I'm shooting 89 - 91 at the moment, and beat him last time we went out together. Would have gotten down much lower for the first time on Saturday if I hadn't tried to be overly ambitious on one hole and ended up carding a 10

But hey, it's going the right way

 

[Cernunnos]

Welshjim ...You need to be able to bring the Solo game to the group game. In other words, learn to blank out what others are suffering with. Play your own game, no-one is really that interested in your game & if they are, then they are not concentrating on theirs, meaning stricktly speaking you have the advantage, & not the other way around, so there are no needs for nerves.

I at times need to practice what I'm preaching, but its true. There really is nothing to get het up about. Play your own game at your own pace & don't allow others to dictate either.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Try and ignore what everyone else is doing. Join in the banter on the tee and between shots but once you get to your ball it is just you and the course. If you treat every hole as a par 5 (= a par of 90) and try and shoot level 5's it might give you the confidence to use your shots and lay up on longer 4's and par 5's. If you make a 3 or a 4 on a par 3 you then have a few more shots in the bank to play with.

It makes it easier mentally to play to a par that is nearer your expectations and one you can be realistic with. That way you can relax more and I'm sure you'll soon not worry about playing in a group as you'll be playing to or below your handicap

 

[captgray]

I want to play better and have started lessons. I just realise that people hit the ball harder than me and are better than me.
However I love hitting or trying to hit that little ball its a game. It was lovely last week to play with Mawgan and medway john I had the best score for me and they were pleased for me. They hit much better than me but I remember reading an article saying make simple small targets so my target is to break a 100.
Yesterday I went out with mawgan and I was so bad I gave up on a couple of holes. My putting was so bad.
Mawgan had quite a good game and then on the last hole a long par 3 on the spitfire. MY drive was on the green from the tee and i putted out for a birdie it was fab. The rest of the game was crap. But I got a birdie for you guys who get them regularly its no big deal. To me it was like eureka why didnt I play like that all the way round.
What am I going to do ? go out early tomorrow morning and play on my own trying stuff out so if any one is about and wants a game tommorrow at West Malling message me its only £15 green fee tomorrow.
Keep going
CaptGray

 

[HartleyHare]

If you treat every hole as a par 5 (= a par of 90) and try and shoot level 5's it might give you the confidence to use your shots and lay up on longer 4's and par 5's. If you make a 3 or a 4 on a par 3 you then have a few more shots in the bank to play with.

I'll have that one Homer

As simple as it sounds i've never thought about it or looked at it that way.
I've never been one to try and compete too much with whoever i'm playing with, mainly because it's a difficult game to master and i'm only just beginning to learn.

however I, like probably a lot of us on here am quite competitive and I am always trying to beat the course.
I reckon this little POA could help my game.

Cheers fella!

 

[rob2]

Hiya James, I know exactly how you feel mate.

Whenever I play with my mate who has yet to break 100 I always card a good score, I think subconsciously I feel that I have nothing to prove and relax a little more.

Conversely when I play the brother in law who plays off of 7 and hits it a country mile my game falls to bits as I am always trying to match his shots! Forgetting the fact that he has been playing for 20 years and me 2!!

I have only recently learnt that I must play my own game rather than trying to match that of those around me. However it is still difficult to do! Stupid male pride!

It'll come mate. I agree with one of the previous comments, play with as many people at varying handicaps as possible, the anxiety will soon diminish.

All the best,

Rob2

 

[HTL]

Sounds like you just need to relax and play as much as possible, every time I have tried to play for my 3 handicapp cards I have blown it, would get given a handicapp of around 26 - 28. But when I play on my own im shooting between 15 - 18 over. I just need to get out and play much more.

Up for another London club meet soon? Im addicted to that course, its by far the best I have ever played, and having the 12th as my work desktop screen is just torture! We have to go back. Oh yes and Rob2 with that driver of yours your off the blues this time!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm up for the London club just need to know when

 

[rob2]

I would definitely go back, got a few shi**y weeks coming up at work though so would need a bit of notice to arrange the day off.

Not sure about playing off of the blues though, I got lucky last time

Rob2

 

[Herbie]

I need more match practice, recent event showed this though it was an extreme one off. I normally play to my h/c or thereabouts in comps, maybe 1 or 2 holes letting me down, but when I play on my own I usually come in well under h/c, regularly shooting between 73 and 77 gross so 99 to 108 for your h/c is a reasonable score.

In comps there is pressure even if you may feel there is not, you only have to watch the really cool dudes when they make a big mistake to know this.

 

[jeffc]

there is no such thing as pressure in golf.

pressure is a poor man trying to feed his family!!!

This is a harry redknapp qoute, obviously he was talking footy but it's right! Golf should also be something you enjoy. I enjoy stepping up on the tee and hitting a golf ball. pressure? nope, just enjoyment!

actually it's a Tommy Docherty quote

 

[bobmac]

I normally play to my h/c or thereabouts in comps, maybe 1 or 2 holes letting me down, but when I play on my own I usually come in well under h/c, regularly shooting between 73 and 77 gross

I suggest you get your handicap down to give you a challenge in comps.
If you usually play to your h/c in comps, it's to high.

 

[MVP]

there is no such thing as pressure in golf.

pressure is a poor man trying to feed his family!!!

This is a harry redknapp qoute, obviously he was talking footy but it's right! Golf should also be something you enjoy. I enjoy stepping up on the tee and hitting a golf ball. pressure? nope, just enjoyment!

Nope it was actually a Jose mourinho quote! but there you go

 

[bobmac]

I normally play to my h/c or thereabouts in comps, maybe 1 or 2 holes letting me down, but when I play on my own I usually come in well under h/c,

It doesn't surprise me you've had a good round. Keep it up mate