Worried about the medal on Saturday

[Gregolf]

I need moral support. I don't know what's happened but my consistency has gone out the window. I took the day off yesterday to practice and I'd hit one fantastic shot, followed by a shocker. I seem to be slicing or pushing my irons out to the right occasionally and it's driving me bonkers.

Start of the season: irons good, driving poor, putter average.
Mid season: irons good, driving better, putter average.
Now :driving good, putter good, irons poor!

WTF. Irons have always been my strongest club, always been able to hit a 3 iron well. Why, now that I've sorted everything else out do they leave me!?

 

[Tommo21]

Thats golf..........play it through.

 

[HickoryShaft]

Saturday will be a serene day
The driving will be straight,
The putts will fall,
The irons will be flushed every time

Believe..................


Does that help? - never much been into all that psycolgical mumbo jumbo but hey it worked for Darren Clarke

Now recite once an hour between now and Saturday and you will be fine.

 

[Gregolf]

lol cheers. I guess this mantra of "my handicap is definitely going up, my irons are terrible, it's going to be a disaster' isn't helping for sure.

 

[bladeplayer]

Whats the very worst that can happen , .1 back to 10.3 stil playing off 10 .. 2 shots better than you started the year , breathe out & relax before you hit the shot & just hit it .. make your mind up to enjoy it whatever comes & do just that , forcing things when you not hitting the ball well will only compound the problem .. good luck with it

 

[AmandaJR]

Head up, chest out, shoulders broad and stride down the fairway purposefully. I think "act like a champion" and try to hold that thought regardless of what is happening to my score.

Also, google "NLP peripheral vision" which really works for me to calm my anxiety.

Also, going up .1 won't kill you and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger

 

[USER1999]

Well, I'm on 9.4, and also playing the medal on Saturday. The last til March odd next year. 0.1, and I'm off 10 for the next 5 months.

Went to the range last night, to decide which shaft I want in my driver (silly, but I like to swap them around as I never know which I am going to hit best). Had a few warm up 6 irons, and shanked every single one of them. 3/4 of an hour later I think I may have sorted the shank, and I still don't know how I want my driver set up. Hopefully the shanks are gone for the weekend though.

Any guesses what my handicap will be come Saturday night?

You are not alone.

 

[bladeplayer]

Well, I'm on 9.4, and also playing the medal on Saturday. The last til March odd next year. 0.1, and I'm off 10 for the next 5 months.

.

Murph If its a shocking day , blowing a gale etc will you still out head . even though .1 is nearly guaranteed .. i do and when i get my .1 i then go "i shouldnt have went out" .

 

[USER1999]

Yep, I'll go out what ever. At least it will get the 0.1 out of the way. No point in sitting on 9.4 til March and then going up to 10. Get it over and done with in my view.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

So you're options are +0.1, buffer or a cut.

I think that, whatever happens, you'll live.

 

[USER1999]

Nope, I'll exist in the twilight world of the double figure handicap. That's got to be worse than death.

 

[Tiger]

Greg don't worry fella. The only medal I played all year without worrying I got cut, all the others (when I worried) I got 0.1 back or just made buffer. I'm playing a medal on Sunday knowing full well my handicap makes me appear to be a bandit. But for once I'm not bothered. Rock up, enjoy the round and que sera sera...

 

[SonicBoom]

I always think it's like spinning plates. Take your eye off one plate and it starts to wobble. Sort it out and another plate wobbles.

So that's me usually. Forlornly stood on the 18th green surrounded by broken plates ha ha.

 

[Monty_Brown]

It has taken me far longer to realise than it should have, but I know that my mental game and physical game are totally interdependent.

When I play badly, it's not bad technique per se that is the problem. It's fear /anxiety / doubt, call it whatever negative emotion you like, stopping me from properly executing the good technique I know I have.

As an example, I was on here last week bleating that I had the wrong shaft in my rescue and it put too much hook spin on the ball, blah blah blah. Bob pointed out that my mental doubts were having a direct effect on my physical game ... fear of hitting the ball left was stopping me turning through the shot, for fear of hitting it further left, so instead my hip turn stopped, the arms went through independently and turned the ball even further left. Went to the range and hit 50 balls with it without a care in the world, and guess what, I can hit it Thanks Bob.

Getting in a good head space that allows us to play relaxed and happy is a massive part of the secret to good golf, IMO.

Not sure how that helps everyone play better this weekend but it's something to work on long term.

 

[AmandaJR]

I always think it's like spinning plates. Take your eye off one plate and it starts to wobble. Sort it out and another plate wobbles.

So that's me usually. Forlornly stood on the 18th green surrounded by broken plates ha ha.

Ha - I like that analogy

 

[AmandaJR]

It has taken me far longer to realise than it should have, but I know that my mental game and physical game are totally interdependent.

When I play badly, it's not bad technique per se that is the problem. It's fear /anxiety / doubt, call it whatever negative emotion you like, stopping me from properly executing the good technique I know I have.

As an example, I was on here last week bleating that I had the wrong shaft in my rescue and it put too much hook spin on the ball, blah blah blah. Bob pointed out that my mental doubts were having a direct effect on my physical game ... fear of hitting the ball left was stopping me turning through the shot, for fear of hitting it further left, so instead my hip turn stopped, the arms went through independently and turned the ball even further left. Went to the range and hit 50 balls with it without a care in the world, and guess what, I can hit it Thanks Bob.

Getting in a good head space that allows us to play relaxed and happy is a massive part of the secret to good golf, IMO.

Not sure how that helps everyone play better this weekend but it's something to work on long term.

I've worked hard this year in my mental approach and robustness. With a healthy amount of Dr Bob Rotella fixation and more recently listening to Dr Karl Morris plus an NLP workshop I find I panic less and can keep my head together even when my game seems to desert me. I used to think a bad shot would equal a bad hole would equal a bad round and then bad rounds and an sos lesson with my coach. These days I know I'm human and will have days when I'm at the back of the bus hanging on for dear life but also know I can play this game and have way more belief in my own ability to work things out - even if it aint gonna happen there and then in the middle of the medal when I want it to !

In summary I agree the mental approach is very important and was for sure the weakest part of my game.

 

[Monty_Brown]

Amanda you've obviously put a fair amount into addressing the mental game. Out of the things you listed - Rotella, Dr Karl or NLP, which did you get most out of?

 

[AmandaJR]

Amanda you've obviously put a fair amount into addressing the mental game. Out of the things you listed - Rotella, Dr Karl or NLP, which did you get most out of?

I'd say Dr Bob pips Dr Karl but only just. Much of the same stuff to be honest and have only listened to Dr Karl CDs and kind of liked his delivery. Earlier this year we did well in the Daily Mail competition and singles matchplay and I was quite honestly feeling sick to the stomach with nerves on the morning of the match as my previous couple of rounds had been shaky at best. I listened to Dr Bob's Golf Is A Game Of Confidence CDs and felt so much calmer and prepared to play. I played out of my skin and by the time I won on the 13th hole was 7 under handicap

I used to really beat myself up and was very hard on myself which is so damaging. These days I'm nicer to myself and a nicer player to while away a few hours on the course with too

 

[Yer Maw]

I reckon trying too hard is the cause of many problems. Go out and enjoy or have a few days off the course which can often be the best way. It's the end of the season anyway so don't know what you're worried about.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Well, I'm on 9.4, and also playing the medal on Saturday. The last til March odd next year. 0.1, and I'm off 10 for the next 5 months.

Same for me on Saturday but weather permitting I've still got another couple of comps in December. Still I don't intend on going up so nothing for me to worry about. Positive mental attitude Murph (and pray the forecast rain and wind stays away)