Preparing for Club Champs

[User 105]

My club champs are in a few weeks, 8th\9th Sept. 18 holes one day, 18 the next.

Really looking forward to it as my game is starting to finally turn round.

As with every year I plan my prep for the couple of weeks before.

• 1 lesson - But only a check up, no major changes.
• 2 Range sessions a week (more if I can find time) - 1 more on technique, the other just picking shots and hitting targets.
• 1 Session a week chipping and putting. Again more if I can find time.
• Fit in as many holes as I can.
• The day before I'll play 18 holes.
• Before each days round I'll just warm up with 25 balls and no more.

Then just go play and see what happens. Don't go in with any pre-conceptions about doing well. If I play well then great, if not then so be it.

That's worked well for me the past two years and placed top 10 in both. The first year I played in them I practised so much and got myself so stressed about it all I inevitably fell apart.

Does anyone else prepare for their champs / Or do you just show up and play ?

 

[pbrown7582]

Sounds ideal prep to me, just wish I had time to go through this sort of schedule have done in past and put in decent performances but this year just rolled up 25 balls and out parred the 1st which is novel in itself but all downhill from there!
Good luck turning top 10 into top 5, 3 or top dog!

 

[Fader]

This year was my first, but due to my current work schedule couldn't prep as well as I wanted to other than a single range session midweek and 30 balls before the tee off.

Resulting poor first round, so just let loose in the 2nd and played well.

Will certainly be preparing in the correct manner next year if I manage to qualify. Your schedule sounds good to me though there are 2 things I would possible tweak.

I'd maybe change the 2 ranges sessions down to 1, and the 1 short game session up to 2 as it always comes down how well we can chip and putt.

I also think I'd only do 9 holes the day before as not to feel to over golfed come the Sunday round.

But that’s personal preference I think, good luck though.

 

[User 105]

Thanks for the advice fader. I was thinking about that on the short game dropping a range session for more short game and may well do that. My chipping and putting are good at the moment, could always do with improvement, but if there is 1 point in my game that could let me down it's my driving. So I want to spend a bit more time on that this year.

The only reason I do 18 is that they mark the greens with the sat\sun pin positions they day before so I get a sneaky peak and have a little putt to work out the breaks .

plus it's my birthday on the Friday and I always play 18 on my birthday

 

[fundy]

Have to be honest Im quite a regular on the practise area at our place and find it hilarious that the week before club champs people who never practise all year round suddenly are out there practising, some as if they own the practise ground that they never see for 51 weeks of the year. They change the routine they usually have when they play, they have a new warm up routine on the day (rather than the bacon sarnie and fag they usually do) they go through the whole bag, then hit 50 pitches and chips, 15 mins on the putting green etc, then completely unaccustomed to whats going on they snap hook it out of bounds on the first tee.

By all means add a little more structured practise in, I always think a putting MOT lesson a good idea but changing your whole approach and routine is not the solution and its quite amusing seeing those who have done their one weeks practise amazed it hasnt transformed them into Tiger Woods.

 

[Fader]

The only reason I do 18 is that they mark the greens with the sat\sun pin positions they day before so I get a sneaky peak and have a little putt to work out the breaks .

plus it's my birthday on the Friday and I always play 18 on my birthday

Fair do's 18 on the birthday what better way to say happy birthday to yourself. Very good idea about the pin placements though, hadn't thought of that one.

 

[User 105]

Fundy, to be honest I'm on the range a few times a week anyway and fit in the occasional short game session, so it's not a dramatic change for me, just more of a commitment to do it on the run up to the champs.

I know what you mean though. The range at our place is the same the week before club champs and the morning of both days it's packed out. I think in a normal comp there is maybe me and a couple of others who will hit balls before the round, at least around the teetimes I have.

Last year I was 2nd after the 1st day so was last out. When i showed up at the range the other 2 i was playing with where on there and they told me they had been there for 1.5h. I hit my 25 warm up, went had a coffee, 15 mins chip and putt and was ready.

The other 2 sprayed it all over the shop for the 1st 6 holes before they relaxed.

 

[fundy]

Fundy, to be honest I'm on the range a few times a week anyway and fit in the occasional short game session, so it's not a dramatic change for me, just more of a commitment to do it on the run up to the champs.

I know what you mean though. The range at our place is the same the week before club champs and the morning of both days it's packed out. I think in a normal comp there is maybe me and a couple of others who will hit balls before the round, at least around the teetimes I have.

Last year I was 2nd after the 1st day so was last out. When i showed up at the range the other 2 i was playing with where on there and they told me they had been there for 1.5h. I hit my 25 warm up, went had a coffee, 15 mins chip and putt and was ready.

The other 2 sprayed it all over the shop for the 1st 6 holes before they relaxed.

Sorry wasnt implying that was you Westy, just about 50 or so at our place I could mention lol. Im just jealous am not fit enough to get through 36 holes this weekend for ours

 

[swanny32]

As and when I get down to a single figure handicap then I'll practise and try to win it, until then I'll just turn up and play with no extra practise or prep.

 

[Hobbit]

As and when I get down to a single figure handicap then I'll practise and try to win it, until then I'll just turn up and play with no extra practise or prep.

Maybe you've got it the wrong way round. Practice now might just get you to single figures...

 

[6inchcup]

just go and play as being a cat3 golfer you have no chance of winning,just enjoy the game.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Sounds a sensible approach although I wouldn't have the lesson, even an MOT as I'd be worrying about technique.

 

[User 105]

just go and play as being a cat3 golfer you have no chance of winning,just enjoy the game.

We have a scratch champ and handicap champ. Obv no chance of scratch champ but certainly stand a chance of handicap champ.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Didn't play in my club champs this year, found a good scratch open instead

 

[Oddsocks]

Having just moved clubs I've got my first club champs next weekend, 18 holes stableford Saturday , 18 holes medal on Sunday. Last 4 games there I've shot over 36 points with blobs on all occasions so I'm pretty keen to play. Now for the prep. My biggest problem ATM is knowing where to hit the greens, for this reason alone I'm getting a stroke saver tomorrow and a sharpie and noting all undulations on the Greens so I know whereas the best to aim to give easier putts. I also need to note bushes and trees so that if I miss fairways, at least on a blind approach I'll know what to aim at

 

[Doon frae Troon]

So Westy was it the Scratch or handicap section that you finished in the top 10.

I strongly believe that there should only be a scratch element to a clubs championship.
Don't get this 'finished 3rd in my club championship section last week' when they have not broken 200 for the two rounds.

 

[User 105]

So Westy was it the Scratch or handicap section that you finished in the top 10.

I strongly believe that there should only be a scratch element to a clubs championship.
Don't get this 'finished 3rd in my club championship section last week' when they have not broken 200 for the two rounds.

Not in the scratch, that would be banditry of the highest order. . I was probably top 20 in scratch.

As I say we have two champions. The club champ is the scratch champ and we also have a handicap champ as well. But it's all settled over the club championship weekend.

That way everybody has something to play for rather than the 5% of cat 1 golfers. So I'm not sure I agree with a scratch only club championship weekend.

There is also a 6 qualifying rounds in the season entry criteria for the champs which prevents a lot of the banditry. It seems to work as the handicap champ for the past three years has won off what I'd call a genuine handicap rather than a 24 hcp suddenly putting together to back to back rounds in the low 80's.

 

[Andy808]

When we were coming up to our club championship I spent most of my time practicing chipping and putting with only my normal 2 or 3 range practices. When I turned up I had my normal 25 warm up balls and half hour chipping and putting. Finished the first round 4th and finished the comp 5th. Even though I didn't play my best I was more consistant than I normally am in big comps so I wassn't disappointed at all.
I'm already looking forward to next years event!

 

[CMAC]

I think you are over planning it, just some gentle practice each day, turn up 45 mins early and warm up, then...........enjoy it!

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

Have never entered ours, no point really unless your Cat 1