Start badly, finish well - why???

[chipin1]

Recently I've been having a spate of starting my round badly then finishing well. Last week I played at Walton Heath - beautiful course, it was a privilege to play there. I started with three double bogeys in the first six holes and by the time I reached the 8th was 9-over. ( I play off 5, so as you can imagine I wasn't particularly chuffed).

However, I played the 10 remaining holes in 1 over and this included a double bogey on 17.

What I want to know is why my game flicks from being useless to pretty good. One minute I can't stike the ball properly the next I'm making birdies and smashing long straight drives. Why?

 

[HTL]

Do you warm up at the range fully first? Is it you just relaxing into your game giving you the improvements?

I play my best at the start of the round when im totally relaxed.

 

[Parmo]

subconsciously knowing you played bad at the start before will reflect into your conscience and you start to believe before you start the game that you will play badly the first few holes and you do, its the same as slicing, if you think you will or worry you will nine times out of ten you will.

I tend to not think about anything other than the shot I am about to play, but if I let doubt creep in things generally go down hill and it’s a up hill battle to get back to a clear head.


The above may or may not be correct and be total bo**ocks but its what I think any how.

 

[MVP]

Do you warm up at the range fully first? Is it you just relaxing into your game giving you the improvements?

I play my best at the start of the round when im totally relaxed.

ditto
I start the first 6 holes at my club in no more than 2 over. they are a bit easier i suppose but in general i play well to start.

 

[Dave3498]

I think it's commendable that you stuck with the task and finished with a reasonable score after such a bad start. Many people I know would mentally give up after such a disappointing first 9. Walton Heath is not a pushover and it is aparently a strange course for you. Don't worry about it.

 

[muttleee]

Could it be a mental thing? Perhaps you're tense at the start of a round and feel under pressure to play well but the effect of this nervousness is that the opposite happens. Then once things have gone wrong, the pressure eases because you know it's not going to be a great game and you ironically start to play better.

Just my twopennyworth.

 

[Teetotal]

I think it takes a while to get 'into the zone'. Once you get into your swing, feel comfortable and don't let the demons in everything goes okay. I think the pro's must fee like this all the time, but then they probably don't have the devil on their shoulder saying "into the trees" on every hole!

 

[USER1999]

Difficult to play badly for the whole eighteen, takes real stamina to do this. I only know one person who has the shear talent to grind out 18 totally cr*p holes of golf.

 

[Dave3498]

I only know one person who has the shear talent to grind out 18 totally cr*p holes of golf.

Who's that Murph?

 

[viscount17]

I only know one person who has the shear talent to grind out 18 totally cr*p holes of golf.

Cheer up murph, you're not alone!

 

[Parmo]

Difficult to play badly for the whole eighteen, takes real stamina to do this. I only know one person who has the shear talent to grind out 18 totally cr*p holes of golf.

You been to Roundhay then, please dont tell the forum about my pink trousers & matching top

 

[madandra]

I am partial to a bit of 'front nine heaven, back nine hell'.
Last season I went out in 35 and back in 47

 

[USER1999]

Sadly it isn't me. However hard I try, the odd birdie creeps in when I loose my focus.

A mate of mine who will remain un-named has managed 11 blobs and 13 points stableford in our swindle. This is not an easy feat to achieve on your own track. There is no water or ob either.

 

[chipin1]

Sounds like I'm the only one who starts badly and finishes well...

 

[John_Findlay]

Know what you mean, Andy. Was out in 33 (1 under) back in 43 (7 over) the other day. How's that happen?

 

[madandra]

Frost bite ?????????


When I played with you John, I was fine til I got to the turn which is next to the clubhouse and I could smell the rolls and suasage.

 

[John_Findlay]

Maybe, Andy. Or it could have been the hipflask full of "Rusty Nail" my partner was dishing out at the turn. I think it could have put a stagger in my swing.

 

[RGuk]

I've played at Roundhay.....played like a dream both times around bar 1 hole.....messed up the 9th on both times!!
Something to do with intimidation on the drive.....at the time I was hitting big looping draws, i.i.r.c. you can't start the ball either left or right on that hole, 'cause there's a wood (??) either side.
Enjoyed the round, we (the club side) lost the match, the boys went out on the razz and I drove 4 drunkards home all the way to Brum......at 2 am!


Dave

 

[geronimo]

i used to worry about bad shots, so i gave up worrying about it and started treating every shot as an individual shot and every hole as a individual hole.

If i am in the bad stuff and make a bad shot and leave the ball in the poo for my next shot i refocus and try again to get a decent if not good shot, i can't change the past so move on and try again.

it works for me

 

[AliB]

It's all in the mind.
Lately I 've played better on the front nine, where I think the holes are harder and my expectations are low. On the back nine, there are a number of holes where I find the SI hard to take, and so I immediately feel under pressure, with the inevitable result!
The opposite scenario is that when you have a v. bad start, you mentally throw the round away, relax, and guess what, everything starts to work. That's when I do well on the back nine!

AliB