The Pressure Shot

[njrose51]

I'm surprised nobody has asked what kind of duff! and is it the same kind of duff shot you do, such as a fat or thin in these circumstances?

I think identifying that goes someways to eradicating it, for example, if it's what we all describe as 'knobbing' it you are simply anticipating the shot far too much and looking for it before you've hit it by coming up, this is very common, especially when your telling yourself you should now being putting this shot on the green and are thinking about a birdie opportunity or par before you've even taken your shot!

If you hit a great drive that leaves only a mid or short Iron into the green then forget about the drive and getting all worked up in anticipation to make a birdie or par, imagine it now as a par 3 with a fresh mind set, what the worse you do on a par 3? play to your strengths, golf is and can be more about a state of mind than anything else.

Thanks Fish, I might try this Par 3 thought. also I tend to fat the shot by just flapping at it with the arms!

 

[njrose51]

I understand everyone's comments, and value them. Yes I must learn to relax on the course, and not beat myself up, but and here's the big thing for me, I want to get better and know that I can play good shots. If I play in a comp, even the Roll ups, I want to do well and finish top ten or higher. Therefore I kind of expect nearly every shot tee to green - not to be perfect, not to be 10 ft from the flag - but to at least be good! If I am an 8 iron or less from the green, I expect to be on the green. 7 and 6 iron, I expect to be on or close. ​If I don't put this pressure on myself, and just try and have a relaxing game with no worries if I duff a shot, I duff even more shots!

Somehow need to balance the high expectations I put on myself, against learning to relax. A bit of mind training is needed I feel!

 

[MadAdey]

I think one of the big problems is that people expect to hit 14 good drives and 18 good approach shots. Reality is you'll probably hit 4 good drives and 10 good approach shots.

I think people expect far more at more than is reasonable. A tour pro will only hit 6/7 good drives a round, yet we get annoyed when we have a bad one.

 

[njrose51]

I think one of the big problems is that people expect to hit 14 good drives and 18 good approach shots. Reality is you'll probably hit 4 good drives and 10 good approach shots.
I think people expect far more at more than is reasonable. A tour pro will only hit 6/7 good drives a round, yet we get annoyed when we have a bad one.

I agree in principal, its just the real duff shots that annoy me - topping of the tee, fating an approach. Play each as it comes I suppose!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I think one of the big problems is that people expect to hit 14 good drives and 18 good approach shots. Reality is you'll probably hit 4 good drives and 10 good approach shots.

I think people expect far more at more than is reasonable. A tour pro will only hit 6/7 good drives a round, yet we get annoyed when we have a bad one.

Change your name from MadAdey to WiseAdey :thup:. True words.

 

[MadAdey]

Change your name from MadAdey to WiseAdey :thup:. True words.

I wouldn't go that far, but I do try and apply some logic to this crazy game that we play

 

[MadAdey]

I agree in principal, its just the real duff shots that annoy me - topping of the tee, fating an approach. Play each as it comes I suppose!

you have to get that annoyed feeling out of your game. So what you've hit a crappy shot, forget it and move on. Remember 9 pars and 9 bogeys is a single figure handicap. So your stood on a 400 yard par 4 and you knob it 100 yards off the tee, forget it. Just reset your self and look at it as a 300 yard par 4 now. Get a club out that is not going to get you in trouble and knock it toward the green, a good wedge or a good putt and you still make par, but at worst a bogey.

I have a mental philosophy that good golfers know how to make bogeys, basically they do not mess holes up and make double and triples when they hit a bad shot. Everyone gives tips on how to get your handicap down like practice your putting, get better with your wedges etc etc. I'm more of a believer that higher handicappers can be better just by getting the mental side of the game sorted.

 

[Papas1982]

you have to get that annoyed feeling out of your game. So what you've hit a crappy shot, forget it and move on. Remember 9 pars and 9 bogeys is a single figure handicap. So your stood on a 400 yard par 4 and you knob it 100 yards off the tee, forget it. Just reset your self and look at it as a 300 yard par 4 now. Get a club out that is not going to get you in trouble and knock it toward the green, a good wedge or a good putt and you still make par, but at worst a bogey.

I have a mental philosophy that good golfers know how to make bogeys, basically they do not mess holes up and make double and triples when they hit a bad shot. Everyone gives tips on how to get your handicap down like practice your putting, get better with your wedges etc etc. I'm more of a believer that higher handicappers can be better just by getting the mental side of the game sorted.

Spot on for me. Its how i dropped from 28-18. Always used to hit my fair share of pars, but far too many doubles or worse. Now i start a hole aggressively, but if and when i hit a bad shot a reevaluate my expectations. So if i hit good drive then i'm relaxed thinking no worse than bogey, if i hit a bad one, i just use the club most comfortable to get me to within 10 yards of green.

To get lower i obviously need to hit less bad shots, but its been a while since I've had a round miles off my handicap. So its working (for me).