This Is Becoming a Problem Now

[HomerJSimpson]

Many of you will have read about my adept skill in throwing away the monthly medal and stableford last month with an inept finish. Sadly this malaise has spread to team events. I played today in our Jubilee Cup (4 ball better ball stableford) and the trend continues.

My partner and I played really well and I have to say we were feeling extremely optimistic. I got off to a flyer and was out in +3 gross (again) and we had a team score of 23 points for the front nine. We had amassed another thirteen points already by the time we stood on the 15th (a normally straight forward par 5). I had a nightmare after hitting my 2nd into the thick cabbage but my partner was greenside in three (with a shot). Five minutes later (and a thinned chip, a duff and three putts) we left the hole empty handed. Criminal in this format.

To make matters worse I hit my only hook of the day OB and my partner followed. Neither could make par with our 2nd balls and so we blobbed a 2nd consecutive hole. I got a solitary point on 17 and managed a net par on 18 for a measly 16 points.

Where did it go wrong? Neither of us had changed our game plan and personally felt I was swinging ok. We just seemed to fritter shots away. I've had a real bitter taste in my mouth all afternoon especially as this was a gold letter event and really was there for the taking. We finished on 39 which may be good for top 5 at best. Gutted.

 

[birdieman]

I think you're possibly talking yourself into these poor late shots, eg subconsciously worried about hooking you set up looking right and hey presto you're set up for a big draw and ball goes left! Focus on fundamentals - grip, alignment and aim and less on the result before its actually happened.
Seems tension is creeping in at the business end of a round. No quick fix, in US colleges they get students to do 100 press ups then go and chip and putt - this recreates the feeling of high pressure situations by making you wobbly and short of breath - you could try that (but not in front of the clubhouse ).

Relaxation is key - you've got to find some way to relax more on the course.

 

[Andy]

Interesting Birdieman, don't fancy 100 press ups though.

Andy

 

[mono217]

Maybe it might be your energy levels towards the end and your lacking on that side and being lazy swinging or something.

 

[AlchemyGolf]

Emergency!!!!
Call Transco theres a gas leak at Royal Ascot GC every weekend!

 

[dandpl]

"Where did it go wrong? Neither of us had changed our game plan and personally felt I was swinging ok. We just seemed to fritter shots away. I've had a real bitter taste in my mouth all afternoon especially as this was a gold letter event and really was there for the taking. We finished on 39 which may be good for top 5 at best. Gutted."

Homer

May be your too aware of the score and what might be>

Try and stay in the present, on the shot in hand....I know its not easy but it seems to work!

dandpl

 

[Imurg]

Do you think maybe you we feeding bad vibes off each other on the back 9? After one hits a poor shot - and lets face it we all do - the pressure to play a good one increases ten-fold.

This will only become a problem if you let it. What's done is done. Let it go, focus on your next outing and think of all those good shots you played on the front 9.

 

[CrapHacker]

Are you all trollied up yet ?

Have you done anything to help with the late round energy levels that was mentioned before, or are you happy that lack of energy isn't a factor ?

Do you actually have a game plan for your run in holes ? Are there any holes you can play a 3 wood off the tee, rather than a driver for example ?

Have I run out of questions yet ?

Yes !!

 

[Hendy]

Homer had a problem something the same few months back. You could head out some evening play the back 9 holes. Try and do that for a few times over the next week or so see if that helps you..

People are asking about your energy levels etc, like i said try the evening thing out on the back 9, I found it helped me maybe i had something in my head stopping me hit as well on these holes or maybe i was getting tired who knows. All i know is a few weeks of playing these holes in (non-comp) mood helped my game alot..

Try it and see you dont have anything to lose.

 

[freddielong]

This happens all the time I don't want to use the word choke but thats what you did - you started trying to protect what you had and it is always fatal.

Try not to tink about your score until you have finished the round, after all a good score only exists once it is signed for.

 

[Faldo_Fan]

I always refuse to work out Medal or Stapleford scores until the round has finished, that way it doesn't affect me mid-round. I don't become defensive of a good score or aggresive of a bad score.
Pro's always talk about 'staying in the moment'.

 

[Cernunnos]

I always tot up at the end. Never really thank anyone for telling me how well I've done over the first 9 or 15 holes or whatever. Only once has keeping me informed of my score been a positive piece of information for me.

Id rather feel I'm doing well than know the exact score out there, if the match were important I'd rather focus on maintaining each hole in turn.

For instance when away with the Missus I played the shorter StEnodoc(Holywell course as she doesn't have a handicap) & although I wasn't striking the ball well, I played logically around the course, it was only when I totted up the scores when I got back in, that I realized with all the multipul points I hadn't realized I earned I'd totted up a 44. Had I sat down after 9 holes & realized how many points I'd been on I probably would have choked, as over my first 9 holes I scored more than on some days I would get over an entire round.

 

[CarpeDiem]

I never ad up my scores after nine holes because if I'm doing well then I feel the need to continue it by taking on sucker pins which usally end up as blobs. Where as if I feel that i'm playing well i'll aim at the middle of the green and have my two putt par and the three points that goes with it . However if you have say 20 pts on the front nine you may start to proctect it and end up shooting 15 pts because you lost your attacking play which got your 20pts in fear of messing up a good round.

 

[birdieman]

I always know where my score is relative to par, I find it impossible to not know how I'm scoring, that is after all the purpose of the game! I think all lower handicappers know exactly where their score is at all times. That doesn't mean you can't relax.
Every club I've played at after 9 holes you always add up the front 9 score and agree it with your partners. That's simply in case there are any anomalies and you can recall your shots more easily if your number doesn't concur with the player you're marking fors number. Dont all clubs do this?
Of course when you're told you've gone out in 42 you get all cross and try to jump on the birdie bus which more often that not ends up the bogey bus as you try too hard to recover your score and avoid a 0.1!

 

[freddielong]

There is a difference between knowing something and thinking about something. Try not to think about it yes it can be difficult but knowing your score is at best a distraction.

18 numbers shouldn't be that difficult to correct and add up at the end should it?

 

[Herbie]

Happens to everyone, in a comp I just play one shot at a time and try to think of only that one shot, if you cant get that one shot right your not likely to get all the other things right that you may be inadvertantly thinking of.

You think only of one shot, when you get it right let your opponants do all the thinking.

 

[Faldo_Fan]

There is a difference between knowing roughly where you are during a round and what your exact score is to that point. I don't think that knowledge is exclusive to low handicappers, some people put more emphasis on it than others. I agree with freddielong, it's not hard to tot up scores at the end of the round and still havie ti in your mind what you did on what hole.
I can usually sit down in an evening and recount in my mind what shot i hit and where, yardage and club!

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I always know where my score is relative to par, I find it impossible to not know how I'm scoring, that is after all the purpose of the game! I think all lower handicappers know exactly where their score is at all times. That doesn't mean you can't relax.
Every club I've played at after 9 holes you always add up the front 9 score and agree it with your partners. That's simply in case there are any anomalies and you can recall your shots more easily if your number doesn't concur with the player you're marking fors number. Dont all clubs do this?
Of course when you're told you've gone out in 42 you get all cross and try to jump on the birdie bus which more often that not ends up the bogey bus as you try too hard to recover your score and avoid a 0.1!

I do the same Birdieman.
I always know my current score and confirm scores with playing partners after 9.
After all some people have a bad memory of their score just after playing the hole !

 

[Farneyman]

Homer, Just on a tangent, what would you prefer winning a comp or getting cut and lowering your handicap. You have mentioned Gold letter comps on threads and they seem important to you. Maybe if you take your focus of the win and just think about the golf that may help.

Personally I would be happy to finish 2nd 3rd 4th in fact anywhere aslong as I got a cut towards a single figure handicap.

 

[medwayjon]

Late round fatigue???

I dont endorse carrying a bag as why make something harder than it needs to be? Get a leccy trolley mate and you will be surprised at the difference it makes.