Playing your best

[CrapHacker]

This from another thread :

All my best scores have been made (unsurprisingly) in bounce games. I guess if I was seriously in contention for a PB in a club comp, I'd probably not want to know the exact situation t.b.h. ....

The word that struck me was 'unsurprisingly'.

Does that mean it's the same for most golfers ?

Personally I find that bounce games are when I try to play better, and therefore try shots that a 'decent' player would go for. They rarely come off for me.

If it's a game that 'matters' for whatever reason I tend to play more within myself, and rely on course management and keeping out of trouble to get the ball round in a respectable number. Dull, but effective.

So for me it's the opposite. I score worse in most bounce games.

Surely that's the norm for most ? Or am I even more weird than I thought.

If a bounce game is for fun, then surely it's just too boring playing safe all the time.

GFI big time, and then suffer the consequences. But when you're in the bar afterwards you forget the bad stuff and go on and on and on about that one miracle shot that actually came off.

 

[colint]

It's swing and roundabouts for me. Played a bounce game yesterday and I was truly dreadful, basic shots from sub 150 to the green were going all over the place. But my best shots of the day were ones I wouldn't try in a strokeplay comp, hit the 230 yard par 4 1st with a hybrid, when I'd normally lay up before the stream. Then hooked a 7 iron around a dogleg to set up a birdie on a par 5.

 

[CrapHacker]

But my best shots of the day were ones I wouldn't try in a strokeplay comp, hit the 230 yard par 4 1st with a hybrid, when I'd normally lay up before the stream. Then hooked a 7 iron around a dogleg to set up a birdie on a par 5.

Show off

 

[haplesshacker]

Yep. I tend to play the riskier shots when not in a comp. I also 'experiment' when in bounce games. Yesterday was a case in point. New driver to me, MP600, nailed it 270 yards, much to the annoyance of he folks in front as it rolled passed them on the ground! I've never hit a ball that far into the middle of the fairway ever. I did run up to them and apologise. I would have used my 3 wood normally as it's a 'known' entity to me. Luckily the smiled and said that 'bet you can't do it again'.

Two holes later, the big stick comes out again, I wait until they are well out of range, 300 yards! Just in case, I now had the wind behind me. Another fourball already stacked up behind us, probably wondering what I'm waiting for!

Guess what. I scalfed it sharp left into the trees 20 yards in front of me. Oh the shame!!

This is what I mean about pace of play and how I feel about being a potential cause of it. Paranoia!

Back to the OP. I'm learning to take less risks when it matters and only experiment in bounce games. Having a driver that I've not even had the chance to hit on the range was that risk! Thus the two OOB's.

 

[colint]

But my best shots of the day were ones I wouldn't try in a strokeplay comp, hit the 230 yard par 4 1st with a hybrid, when I'd normally lay up before the stream. Then hooked a 7 iron around a dogleg to set up a birdie on a par 5.

Show off

I wish ! To put the 2 decent shots in context, I lost 6 balls and scored a NET 83 !!

 

[haplesshacker]

No. It's great that you remember the positives and not focus on the negatives.

 

[RGDave]

LOL

Let me re-arrange your words to fit my style.

"Personally I find that bounce games are when I try to play better, and therefore try shots that a 'decent' player would go for. They often come off for me. "

I go for all sorts of crazy stuff in bounce games. Drivers on short holes, high cuts with short irons, attacking first putts when 3 putts are on the card.....sliding fades around dog-legs with OOB on the right....all the fun stuff.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I tend to use bounce games for taking what I've been practicing into a gme situation and so I'm usually pretty inconsistant. I tend to not concentrate particularly well with no pressure on. It has been known to work where I relax and it all flows but not often and I prefer the intensity of a competition to focus mind and body

 

[Bobirdie]

I play a bit better in bounce games to be honest as im not constantly checking my score.

Worked alot this year on the mind side of things and its paying off.

And i tend to take my medecine more now in medals than i did before.

like: accept a bogey from where i am as a good result instead of trying to flop a 60 degree over a bunker and stop it dead

 

[Spinn77]

im usually better in comps, like to focus properly. i can be truely awful when not paying attention

 

[Yerman]

Pardon my ignorance and assuming its not done on a space-hopper, what's a "bounce" game??

 

[CannyFifer]

Pardon my ignorance and assuming its not done on a space-hopper, what's a "bounce" game??

a friendly

 

[Yerman]

Pardon my ignorance and assuming its not done on a space-hopper, what's a "bounce" game??

a friendly

Can't be golf then.

 

[CannyFifer]

you may well be right there

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Makes no odds to me, I'm equally as crap from the whites and yellows.

 

[Imurg]

To be honest I try and play my best whether its a bounce or a medal. I'm out there to shoot as low a score as I can. If a risky shot comes up I'll play it on its merits. Why ruin a good score trying a 1 in 10 shot?

 

[HawkeyeMS]

To be honest I try and play my best whether its a bounce or a medal. I'm out there to shoot as low a score as I can. If a risky shot comes up I'll play it on its merits. Why ruin a good score trying a 1 in 10 shot?

Me too, I always try to play my best. I used to play better in bounce games cause my head went to pieces in comps but I don't have that problem anymore and wouldn't say I play better in either.

 

[CrapHacker]

To be honest I try and play my best whether its a bounce or a medal. I'm out there to shoot as low a score as I can. If a risky shot comes up I'll play it on its merits. Why ruin a good score trying a 1 in 10 shot?

Me too, I always try to play my best. I used to play better in bounce games cause my head went to pieces in comps but I don't have that problem anymore and wouldn't say I play better in either.

How do you inprove at your rescue shots then?

Cos I don't know anyone who goes to the practise ground with a tree to stick the ball under ?

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I suppose in bounce games you are more relaxed as you've no pressure re: handicap, play from yellows and as a result can play better. Most of my best scores are from friendlies.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

To be honest I try and play my best whether its a bounce or a medal. I'm out there to shoot as low a score as I can. If a risky shot comes up I'll play it on its merits. Why ruin a good score trying a 1 in 10 shot?

Me too, I always try to play my best. I used to play better in bounce games cause my head went to pieces in comps but I don't have that problem anymore and wouldn't say I play better in either.

How do you inprove at your rescue shots then?

Cos I don't know anyone who goes to the practise ground with a tree to stick the ball under ?

I have a very basic philosophy when it comes to rescue shots. If I stick my drive under a tree and have no realistic chance of getting to the green. I play the safest shot possible to get it back into the fairway and play for bogey from there. My thoughts when evaluating the shot are

(1) Can I get the ball within 100 yards with no risk? I still like my chances at par from here.

(2) Can I get the ball to 150 yards with no risk? Still got an outside chance at par but bogey will do.

(3) Where's the nearest point of fairway I can safely get to? Even if I can't get to the green from here, I can get it close enough to like my chances of up and down.

A bogey isn't going to hurt my scorecard, a double isn't the end of the world, treble or worse cause I tried an impossible shot that you rightly say is practicaly impossible to practice is not acceptable. No matter how much you practice, you're never gonna find the same situation on the course. Take you're medicine and move on is my theory. I don't know why any amateur golfer would think any other way?