Very Low HC Mindset

[Region3]

With qualifiers starting up again in a week or 2 and poor delusional me thinking I ought to be able to get lower, I started thinking about what I think I could play to and be able to stay there.
I know getting there is harder because you have to beat it but I'm ignoring that for now.

As my handicap has come down it's been a fairly easy (imo) adjustment to make mentally. Off 12 I used to think "only need half a dozen pars and I'll be thereabouts". Pretty much the same thoughts (but with more pars) all the way down to where I am now but gradually turning into a mentality of each hole is an opportunity to 'hang on' to my shots. As Snelly once said, if you can get the ball near the green in regulation and have a half decent short game, it shouldn't bee too hard to just drop one shot every 3 holes.

I must add that I don't think this way while I'm playing, apart from maybe the odd daydream inbetween shots. I'm pretty good at the 'one shot at a time' idea and don't let bad shots/holes get me down.

So how do the very low players think?

Do you not think about it at all?
Think on the tee that each hole is an opportunity to get a shot back?
Something else?

One thing that I'm becoming more and more certain of, is that if I keep thinking that I'm hanging on to my shots for as long as I can, then I'm going to get more disillusioned with the game the lower I get, in much the same way that I imagine jammydodger did, and I don't want to end up not enjoying it.

All thoughts welcome, but particularly from anyone 3 or less, or who has been there.

 

[Keeno]

I'm also interested in this. I got down to 5.3 on 2 occasions last season and in each of the first 2 medals playing off 5, my game crumbled and went back to 5.5 Next medal playing off 6 got cut back to 5.3 and had another 2 howlers

Bottle merchant

 

[garyinderry]

it may seem obvious but the very low guys around my old place always made 2/3 birdies a round to make up for any dropped shots.

the first comp of this year was won by last years GOTF with a level par round, 2 bogies and 2 birds playing off 4.

 

[duncan mackie]

had pretty much this discussion with our low handicapper ...

his view was that once he needed to get his handicap down, and keep it down, every Q round became a pretty stressful event! Given that the difference between gaining or loosing 0.1 was so small he didn't feel that there was any benefit from a pre-set hole by hole strategy ie the tee shot on the last could still decide everything anyway, so it simply came down to hole by hole play on the way round and a healthy risk/reward approach to individual shots (in the same way as a snooker professional does).

 

[Doon frae Troon]

When I played well I had a grim determination to recover with a par whenever I miss hit a shot.
I was a good chipper and bunker player but not a great putter.
I got great satisfaction in squeezing a par out of a certain bogey.

Never ever think of a hole as an easy par/ birdie chance and get ahead of yourself..
Remember that you can birdie the toughest pars.

 

[upsidedown]

Back in NZ when I was down at 3 I just used to go out with the mindset of shooting as low as possible gross score and not worry too much about handicap as that will take care of it's self.

Our first opening hole could easy result in a bogey but then there was a very birdieably hole next, followed by tough par three, get through on level par and a good score generally resulted .

Now back in UK and having to start all over again, still have same mindset but will take what I get with a " it is what it is " attitude then try and learn from where I made my mistakes.

Also have faith in your ability and be in your own mind a little arrogant, when faced with tough up and down say to yourself " yeah I'm good I can do this " :thup:

 

[Junior]

Was chatting to a guy of +2 at our club about the same thing Gary. His mentality is that if he gets in really tough situation, his thought process is firstly can I make par ? if not, make sure its nothing worse than a bogey. His mindset being that he makes enough birdies in a round to make up for the dropped shots.

He also prepares thoroughly and knows which holes to be attacking and making birdies on (usually par 5's and shortish par 4's.)

Easy game aint it !!!!

 

[Swinger]

I won't comment too much here Gary because I think if you have the 'take one shot at a time' thing going on prety well than that is the right place to be.

I would say that not every hole/shot is a chance to pick a shot up but not far off it for me but will asses the risk/reward factor before pulling the trigger.

One thing as you get lower is to not be afraid of 'going low' as when your on a good round or playing well some of the time or a lot of the time you will be around level par or under par which for some can make them a good bit twitchy. Enjoy playing well and seeing how low you can go on any given day.

 

[Swinger]

When I played well I had a grim determination to recover with a par whenever I miss hit a shot.
I was a good chipper and bunker player but not a great putter.
I got great satisfaction in squeezing a par out of a certain bogey.

Never ever think of a hole as an easy par/ birdie chance and get ahead of yourself..
Remember that you can birdie the toughest pars.

Big fan of that comment, never turn your nose up at a par!

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Another 'bleeding obvious' one is always play for the middle of the green.
90% of the time you will have a birdie chance from there.

 

[sweaty sock]

Conservative confidence.

 

[The Sclaffer]

Category 1 golfers tend to have a sharper short game so even on a bad day a score can still be salvaged. Mental strength, natural talent, physical abilities - all of these are factors but we're all human and some days when we wake up we feel more positive than we do on other days. This latter "unknown factor" can also determine on how a golfer reacts to the challenges he/she faces during the course of a competitive round.

The next shot is always the most important shot and that single thought helps to focus the mind on the task in hand.

 

[CMAC]

not off 3 as per your OP, lowest I got to was 2.7 but had time and a younger body

currently 4.6 but I'm really going to try my best to get back down this year especially as my club is 10 mins away instead of 80 mins each way for the last 14 years:angry:


Anyway, 3 key thoughts I've always stuck with.....

1) Always, repeat always try and get as close to the par 5's in 2
2) anything under 330yd par 4 I take a 'guaranteed to hit the fairway' club, usually a 3 iron
3) never follow a bad shot with another bad shot.


a + h/capper I know always attacks holes after a birdie, never protects it, he attacks as he now has a safety nett

 

[Wayman]

not off 3 as per your OP, lowest I got to was 2.7 but had time and a younger body

currently 4.6 but I'm really going to try my best to get back down this year especially as my club is 10 mins away instead of 80 mins each way for the last 14 years:angry:


Anyway, 3 key thoughts I've always stuck with.....

1) Always, repeat always try and get as close to the par 5's in 2
2) anything under 330yd par 4 I take a 'guaranteed to hit the fairway' club, usually a 3 iron
3) never follow a bad shot with another bad shot.


a + h/capper I know always attacks holes after a birdie, never protects it, he attacks as he now has a safety nett

Some good advice that

 

[cookelad]

a + h/capper I know always attacks holes after a birdie, never protects it, he attacks as he now has a safety nett

I like that!

I'm also interested in this. I got down to 5.3 on 2 occasions last season and in each of the first 2 medals playing off 5, my game crumbled and went back to 5.5 Next medal playing off 6 got cut back to 5.3 and had another 2 howlers

Bottle merchant

I've said for a while that there should be an amnesty period after a reduction even if just a fortnight - I've lost count of the number of times I've been cut to x.4 then the following week it's a missed buffer and back up you go!

 

[Region3]

Thanks for all the replies, some good stuff there :thup:

 

[scratch]

1) Always, repeat always try and get as close to the par 5's in 2
2) anything under 330yd par 4 I take a 'guaranteed to hit the fairway' club, usually a 3 iron

That's an interesting strategy and a bit strange at the same time.

Most decent players will lay up to a favourite wedge distance if they can't hit a par 5 in 2, my preferred distance is around 110-115 yards which is a smooth PW for me. I would rather be there than 50 or 60 yards away.

So if you attack par 5's, how come you lay up on sub 330 par 4's?

 

[CMAC]

That's an interesting strategy and a bit strange at the same time.

Most decent players will lay up to a favourite wedge distance if they can't hit a par 5 in 2, my preferred distance is around 110-115 yards which is a smooth PW for me. I would rather be there than 50 or 60 yards away.

So if you attack par 5's, how come you lay up on sub 330 par 4's?

quite simple really....

I dont drive the ball 330yds so lay up to wedge/9 iron distance and ensure its from the fairway.
I don't know I can't hit a Par 5 in 2, might hit a PB drive 290/300 with a decent bounce then a 260yd+ 3 wood if it all comes good, plus I'll never get an albatross by laying up

..also, I'm not a decent player

 

[Keeno]

I like that!



I've said for a while that there should be an amnesty period after a reduction even if just a fortnight - I've lost count of the number of times I've been cut to x.4 then the following week it's a missed buffer and back up you go!

Cracking idea Fingers crossed this year will be better.

Some other good stuff posted here.

 

[rickg]

OK.....could you all now please stop giving Gary tips how to go super low, seeing as I have to take him on in the Play your best challenge this year..........Gibbo, are there any nuggets you would like to give Gary to redress the balance here?........... :rofl: