What do you do when the wheels come off?

[bobmac]

There you are on the 10th tee, level par gross and you start to plan the winning speech.
Of course it all goes breasts up.
What do you do?
Hit the self destruct button?
Lower your head in shame?
Think ah well?

What you musn't do is panic. Your whole swing hasn't just left you in 2 minutes flat.

Self Analysis

There's only three things to worry about in golf....
Contact, direction and tempo.
Decide which has gone awol and have a plan.

Contact.
If that goes, there's normally too much body movement.
Try and stay more centred over the ball

Direction.
If it starts off with a mind of it's own, then the clubface is wrong at impact.
Check your grip hasn't slipped.

Tempo.
Dont start trying to hit it further and further. Relax and swing at a comfortable speed.

That way, by the 11th/12th tee, you'll be back on track and wondering what all the fuss was about.
In theory

 

[Smiffy]

It's much more fun to lob a club, kick your bag and throw your ball in a lake.
Trust me

 

[haplesshacker]

Generally it's, smoke a fag, call myself a blithering idiot, and look at the basics. It's normally grip.

Nice little piece though Bob.

 

[chipsandegg]

Definatley some good food for thought their Bob, much appreciated. It has only happened to me a couple of times where i am going great guns only to realise im on for an awesome round and completley bottle it. I was talking to one of the young single figure lads at my club about how he copes with it and he said the more he found himself in that position the easier it became and the less he worried about it.

 

[andiritchie]

If it all goes to pot with me i dont really care too much whats the worst that can happen +0.1

Golf is my hobby its not like i playing to put a roof over my head or anything

 

[Tiger]

Bob if at any point in the near future I'm level par gross after 9 I'll be calling it a day and heading to the bar seriously though useful food for thought with me it's usually tempo that goes and everything else follows swiftly after.

 

[Yerman]

obvious aphorisms to remember

"one shot at a time"

"If you don't take it with you, you won't find it out there"

"The middle of a round is not the time to give yourself a lesson"

"don't play golf swing, play golf"

 

[drawboy]

When did all this 10th tee level par stuff happen? Last time it happened to me I woke up half hour later.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I know what you mean Bob although level par nett is about my limit. Good advice though probably something I could have done with on Sunday. I am trying to be better but like anything if you've being doing something, especially mentally, for a long time it can be hard to break down the barrier and accept a more trusting approach.

 

[Sponge1980]

Some good tips there Bob. This happens to me a lot. Play well for 9 holes and then sometimes play the back 9 like I've never played before. Had a couple of rounds when there has been a 10 shot difference in the two 9's.

 

[kid2]

I usually have a laugh at myself....Clear the head and then play the next hole like im stepping onto our first tee box again for the full 18....
That way iv set myself a new challange again...Mind you it doesnt always run smoothly....Like yesterday for instance...
Turned with 19 points...
Put 2 balls OOB off the tee on 11 a par 4
Went to knock the name off the ball on 12 a par 5 and nearly killed the two ladies putting on the 11th green.
On 13 a 200mtr par 3 put 2 more balls into OOB on the left
Par'd 14 and 15
bogied 16 and 17
doubled bogied 18
But i was a lovely walk in the fresh air and i was off work for the day so i was all smiles after the round...

 

[JustOne]

At my place if you clip one tree (and there's about a million of the buggers) then you're waving goodbye to your score. If you want to put a decent score together then you need to take on the trees on many holes.

Played ideally then the tee shots have to be...

fade, draw, straight, fade, draw, straight, straight, draw, fade, fade, fade, fade, draw, straight, fade, draw, draw.

*Simples*

 

[AliB]

What you musn't do is panic. Your whole swing hasn't just left you in 2 minutes flat.
Self Analysis
There's only three things to worry about in golf....
Contact, direction and tempo.
Decide which has gone awol and have a plan.

Interesting advice. I'm learning not to hit the panic button and tend to plod on hoping things will sort themselves out. Sometimes they do. The mid-round lesson doesn't usually work for me. But looking at it your way simplifies it a bit. Might give it a whirl.
(My main probelm is putting!)

AliB

 

[richart]

Thinking about your game in mid round, now there's a novel thought. I just think one shot at a time, but then i'm a inveterate liar.

 

[RichardC]

I think I have a hidden panic button and someone else pushes it!!!

 

[JT77]

My mid round wobble usually happens when some polite person tells me I am level par through 9 or on to break 80, then the bad one happens and I try and remain calm and focused, but then the little man in my head starts holding a big trophy and cheque and is dancing and.........oh well I am sure you get the idea! I need a green pill to take the bad dancing man away! lol

 

[JustOne]

My mid round wobble usually happens when some polite person tells me I am level par through 9 or on to break 80,

LOL, I have done this twice recently and it worked both times. It almost has an INSTANT effect

"but then the little man in my head starts holding a big trophy and cheque and is dancing and........."

Love that description!

 

[JT77]

Thanks lol,

I played with the same fourball a lot last year, always the same one letting me know......good gamesmanship/bad sprotsmanship! ha ha ha

 

[JustOne]

I thought it was obligatory to inform someone if they were doing well.... especially if there's a fiver on the match

 

[JT77]

true true..

I still usually took the money though! lol