Singles/Four Ball Mentality

[dixie46]

My first contribution as a forumer - good evening everyone.
Why can I play near scratch standard golf with the comfort of a playing partner by my side and go to pot when an individual card is in my hand? In two years I have barely managed to shoot my handicap in strokeplay formats but, in four ball and match play situations, I'm a different player. Perhaps - in my fiftieth year - a mind guru beckons.......

 

[connor]

hello and welcome to the forum.

perhaps its prely down to pressure you put upon yourself. also with a partner you can get away with a bad shot in the hope theres is good. when playing purely for yourself you have just in your mind i hope this doesnt go wrong because.... perhaps aim for a posative thought approach when playing with a card in hand.. easy to say hard to do

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Welcome along. I know exactly where you're coming from. My long suffering partner Hawkeye is a very steadyplayer and richly reached single figures late last year. I tend to relax knowing not too much will go wrong and that seems to make me swing easier and with a better tempo and so I perform better.

I actually find I play better on my own under pressure. I was lucky enough to do well in the Golf Monthly centenary event last year and usually perform ok in forum meets. I put that down to a desire to not look foolish. I think with club comps, even though they are serious business, because its your home course and invariably you'll know at least one of the grouping, it doesn't quite seem to matter if it goes wrong. Put me in a matchplay situation where there is a result on the line and I focus much better than playing in a medal or stableford. Again I think its the fear of not wanting to be hammered

 

[dixie46]

Thanks - trying to analyse, in four ball and matchplay situations what's gone is gone where - when I've got a score going - I get into protective mode down the stretch which is when the problems start.....