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Water - Does It Get In Your Head

Water doesn't bother me at all.
 
Water doesn't mess with me too much. I can usually avoid it with no problem. The one thing that bothers me more than water is OB. It doesn't make a lot of sense because OB is usually off to the side where you don't want to hit the ball anyway and water is a lot of times right in your line of flight, but OB has a lot bigger effect on me than water does.
 
I don't play courses with water very often, so it is definitely a mental thing. Which I then try to block out. Down the side of a fairway, I'm not worried. It's when the water is in the 130 - 200 yard range that I can get spooked because of my lack of consistency.

I played a course in October that had water on 70% of the holes. Some of the placement really made you think about your shot, and I would like to go back and play that course a couple more times to show that I learned something and have the confidence to play with a lot of water on the course.
 
I don't usually let water get in my head but that doesn't mean I won't feed it a few balls every once in a while. I am playing a course later today called Kauai Lagoons and I'm pretty sure it has more water than fairway so we'll see how that goes.
 
ArmyGolf said:
I don't usually let water get in my head but that doesn't mean I won't feed it a few balls every once in a while. I am playing a course later today called Kauai Lagoons and I'm pretty sure it has more water than fairway so we'll see how that goes.
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It really only has a couple of holes with water....notably 17 and 18. There is a big carry over water on I think 14. The front nine is pretty dry, but there are couple of forced carries over jungle/barrancas.
 
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Guess I should have read this before answering, but YES once again. Water off the tee certainly get's in my head, more so down the sides than just a carry.
 
Honestly, I don't focus on water hazards when I play. If my ball is going to go into the water, so be it. But, I'm not going to focus on the water while thinking about the shot.

For approach shots in particular, I don't even "see" the water. I know the number that I need to hit, and I focus on that number and the landing area. When I start thinking about water, bunkers or some other hazard, by ball typically ends up there.
 
It doesn't really bother me, though I admit I hit one in the water yesterday. Not sure why, I certainly wasn't focusing on it. Just made a bad swing.

With that said, I am conscious of water if I have to carry it. I may take an extra club and swing easy rather than depending on a perfectly struct "correct" club.
 
On courses that I play regularly, the water does not phase me since i know where I am usually and adjust for it. During my first few times out on a course, though, I may be wary of water in landing zones off the tee, but I have been tryuing harder to play smarter and reduce the chance of making it rain.
 
Water doesn't get "in my head", maybe I'm weird but I think water holes are fun. Especially if it is one where you choose how much to "bite off" crossing part of the water. Eaglebrooke in Lakeland is a heck of lot of fun with just about every way water can be incorporated. Also, I liked #4 at True Blue with two chances to cross the water.

The things that get in my head are tight OB, especially right but tight left is not much fun either. And the big thing that really gets me thinking and second-guessing and screwing up shots is winds 20+mph.
 
When I first started golfing I would think about the water ( especially hitting over water on a par 3), but now I just block it out. Doesn't effect my shot at all now.
 
Strictly speaking on your initial post JB, I don't really find myself bothered by water hazards. I've learned to really just block them out and, even if I hit into one, to just continue playing the hole as if I never did in the first place (aside from the stroke difference!).

On the other hand...water in general...I HATE playing in rain. Nothing gets in my head more than rain when I'm playing. I hate wet grips, I hate how the ball rolls (or doesn't roll) on wet greens, and I hate sloppy fairways. I don't think I've ever played well in the rain because I focus far too much time on trying to keep my equipment dry haha.
 
I think it doesn't about 80% of the time. It just depends on the round though too. If I'm hitting the ball well I won't think about it at all.
 
It depends on the layout of the hole. My typical miss is right and if there is water all down the right side, the answer is yes - most of the time it gets in my head. I usually won't hit a driver on those holes and tend to pull out my 3w or 3h because I know I can hit those straight. Also, for some reason when am teeing off over water to a dogleg left with water all down the left side - I get really nervous. Just a mental thing. I just really seem to struggle with hitting a good tee shot on those holes. I don't worry about putting it in the water but for some reason can never hit the ball well off the tee to get a good approach shot.
 
I used to fret water, but not really anymore....unless it's left because I'll get out of control and snap hook one before I slice one away into the drink. But that's only with long fairway clubs (hybos, 3i, etc)

What I fear now, more than ever (thanks to True Blue) is damned sand! I used to have a decent sand game. After playing Hickory Stick in Indianapolis and True Blue in the span of about a month, I've lost all my confidence in there. Need some trap time.
 
JB said:
Playing the other day with War Eagle, we were talking about playing these courses that are littered with water on every hole and how it seems to really get in the head for some golfers. Are you a golfer that comes to a teebox and sees water down one side and immediately starts to think about it? Or are you able to safely just block it out with little thought?
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I, unfortunately, am one of the golfers that lets water get in my head. I try to not think about, but it seems the more I try the more it gets in my head. Drives me nuts.
 
JB said:
Playing the other day with War Eagle, we were talking about playing these courses that are littered with water on every hole and how it seems to really get in the head for some golfers. Are you a golfer that comes to a teebox and sees water down one side and immediately starts to think about it? Or are you able to safely just block it out with little thought?
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My normal shot from the tee or fairway is short and straight. Therefore, I normally do not have to worry about lateral hazards. That being said, on Thanksgiving I hit both my tee shot and drop into the water on the right side of a dogleg left par 5.

Forced carries off the tee, unless I can use an iron, wreck havoc with my mental game. Those shots will almost always cause me to "give it just a little more" in the last 6 inches before impact resulting in topped balls, slices or the ever popular "practice swing".
 
I would say for me that it gets in my head on par 3's. But not on 4's or 5's. I guess it's because I'm more confident with my driver. :act-up:
 
My college coach effectively taught me to block water out of my thoughts. I don't always avoid it but I don't fear it either. If and when I find myself on a tee box with water in play immediately pick a point on my intended line and focus on that and only that. I setup to that and pull the trigger. This allows me to swing free and without tension. Tension and indecision will cause one to miss, more often than not, into the water.
 
No I always focus on where I want my ball to land.
 
If I'm hitting the ball poorly that day and its in my miss zone it can bother me a bit. In general I'm not too distracted by it.
 
Water doesn't seem to bother me. I do take it into account when planning my shot, but I guess I'm lucky enough for it not to cloud my mind.
For you guys that really want to test your "water thoughts", head for Myrtle Beach and take on Man o' War.
There is more water on that course than I have ever seen, but I really liked it when I played there a few years ago.
 
Wake said:
If I'm hitting the ball poorly that day and its in my miss zone it can bother me a bit. In general I'm not too distracted by it.
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Say that after playing Waterlefe this weekend...:D
 
Water doesn't get into my head anymore than any other hazard/obstacle. OB is what really gets in my head. If I'm on the tee with a narrow fairway and OB on one or both sides, I'm a headcase.
 
A lot of the courses up in my area don't have much water. A typical course in my area only has water on a few holes. As a result, water can get into my head, more so on my approach shots. I'd say if there's water down the right side off the tee or left side on approach shots it could get in my head. It really depends how I'm swinging. If I'm feeling good about my swing I can block it out but if I'm all over the place then it starts getting in my head.
 
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