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Do you 'game plan' for a round... and if so, do you stick with it?

cyoung2ty

cyoung2ty

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When I'm playing a tournament, I like to use Google Earth to give myself an idea of what I would like to do during my round(s). I'll typically try to pin-point trouble I can reach from the tee and which club I should be hitting... and then what club I'd like to have in for my approach shot. I'll then decide which side of the green is safer and whether long or short would be a better miss.

In my head... this is all good. I get myself psyched to play, believing that if I just hit the shots as I know I am capable of hitting, I should make no worse than a bogey.

I then get to the course... and if I'm hitting my driver well on the range... I tend to abandon my game plan. If I try to stick to my game plan (which typically calls for a lot of 4 irons from the tee for safety) and I mishit a shot, I'll leave myself way too long into a green and once I do that... I abandon my game plan.

I need to stick with what I know should work and stop quitting on myself.

Do you game plan? Do you stick to it, regardless of how you're playing? Do you believe it would be beneficial to stick to a game plan or switch it up to become more aggressive if you're "feeling it" during a round?
 
Battle plans tend to survive only first contact with the enemy. My battle plan is to keep the ball in play.
 
I always have the same game plan which basically boils down to hazard management.

My only game plan for tomorrow is to kick Gulby right in the hand-me-downs...figuratively speaking of course.
 
I have a game plan but rarely stick to it. About the only way I stick to a game plan is if I am playing for meaningful money.
 
For general rounds, I don't "plan" per se, but do try to utilize my preferred shot shape to get in general spots and manage misses. When I played tournament rounds, I definitely did a little research on the course, so that I at least knew where hazards were, and if there were approach shots where I needed to absolutely avoid bad angles.

ArmyGolf said:
I always have the same game plan which basically boils down to hazard management.

My only game plan for tomorrow is to kick Gulby right in the hand-me-downs...figuratively speaking of course.
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That was funny, right there. :laughing:
 
Yes, golf my ball and don't over think it. Do I stick to it? For the most part, or at least I try to. Sometimes if I start hitting real bad shots though I start to think too much and get in my own way.
 
I do, but if things get off the rails I usually fall back on the grip it a rip it idea. Plus, sometimes trying that doesn't work well for me, so there's that, too. EX. Wanted to hit a hybrid off the tee to the 150 mark, but I miss hit it and end up in the rough around 170 instead. So, rather than hitting an easy 9 iron from the fairway, I'm trying to hit a 7 iron out of the rough with some spin to back tucked pin...which usually doesn't work out as well.
 
Usually don't make a plan other than to try to have a good first tee shot that lands in the fairway. I have been trying to play course management a bit more and staying out of trouble.
 
InTheRough said:
Battle plans tend to survive only first contact with the enemy. My battle plan is to keep the ball in play.
Click to expand...

Haha! That's exactly how it is with my game. One miss (which is typically pretty early on) and I abandon ship in a hurry.

* shrug *

Guess I gotta learn to not miss.

:act-up:
 
My game plan is usually "Don't swing like an idiot". Sometimes it works, sometimes, not.
 
No I try not get ahead of myself. One shot at a time and whatever is in front of me I deal with

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 
I pretty typically try to play it safe. That's the sum total of my game plan. "Don't **** it up". It's not a very successful game plan if I'm honest.


Sent from the magic know everything box in my pocket
 
I game plan for serious rounds (Tournaments, Events) but not for my normal rounds. The only thing I'll do for my normal rounds is
look at the first few holes and make sure that I take it easy off the tee. My bad holes tend to be in the first 4-5 holes b/c of bad shots
off the tee. If I can stay steady through those first few holes, my rounds turn out pretty decent.
 
dazeedmonds said:
I pretty typically try to play it safe. That's the sum total of my game plan. "Don't **** it up". It's not a very successful game plan if I'm honest.


Sent from the magic know everything box in my pocket
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Your always going to mess up everyone does even perfect rounds have a shot that could be hit better. Don't hit a shot with fear or trying not to make a mistake know that you can pull it off and if a mistake happens recover from it . That said way easier said than done haha.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 
I have an overall game loan for every round on club selection off the tee and then focus on the next shot when I get there.
 
lightningbolt44 said:
Your always going to mess up everyone does even perfect rounds have a shot that could be hit better. Don't hit a shot with fear or trying not to make a mistake know that you can pull it off and if a mistake happens recover from it . That said way easier said than done haha.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
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One shot is no big, I can recover from that. It's the next 108 shots that really make it hard. LOL.
 
I game plan for about any important round. Overall I do a pretty good job at sticking to it. Depending on the situation or how I am swinging it. I may scrap the game plan completely or alter it somewhat.
 
I have all the tools to play a mindful round. I am a numbers guy and planner by nature. I think my way around a course for the most part and limit my exposure to danger. Lately I have gone brain dead and i am playing a poor brand of golf. I actually think about golfing more when I am not golfing. Working on ridding myself of this nonsense.. & getting on to the golf I am capable of playing... which is decent, enjoyable golf. I do this for fun and competition against myself. Lately it has not been fun.. nor competitive.. Nutshell-- Trying too hard. Tough shots are easier that stock shots. I am experiencing what I believe drives people away from golf... I have practiced more... practiced less... cared more.. cared less. Nothing is moving the needle and that is what bothers me the most. Three 3 years ago I came back from a 6 year layoff from golf. Did not touch a club. Had kids to raise and a career to advance. Within that first year I was back to a single digital. I am playing like an 18.. 18 is good golf.. but I am not having fun with it. My swing feels fine but the ball goes like Sh*t.. I am not getting any younger and know that I left something behind in the 6 years not playing. I also know that I gained something in that time..... Played some nice golf in Feb.. In April its gone? Bummed In Michigan!!!!
 
On a new track I will preview it on my golf buddy and get a bit of a plan and can usually stay with it pretty good. The GPS doesn't show hill and mound and such so I make a few adjustments as I go.
 
My game plan is to try and keep my ball visible from tee to green.
 
Wyzyguy said:
I have all the tools to play a mindful round. I am a numbers guy and planner by nature. I think my way around a course for the most part and limit my exposure to danger. Lately I have gone brain dead and i am playing a poor brand of golf. I actually think about golfing more when I am not golfing. Working on ridding myself of this nonsense.. & getting on to the golf I am capable of playing... which is decent, enjoyable golf. I do this for fun and competition against myself. Lately it has not been fun.. nor competitive.. Nutshell-- Trying too hard. Tough shots are easier that stock shots. I am experiencing what I believe drives people away from golf... I have practiced more... practiced less... cared more.. cared less. Nothing is moving the needle and that is what bothers me the most. Three 3 years ago I came back from a 6 year layoff from golf. Did not touch a club. Had kids to raise and a career to advance. Within that first year I was back to a single digital. I am playing like an 18.. 18 is good golf.. but I am not having fun with it. My swing feels fine but the ball goes like Sh*t.. I am not getting any younger and know that I left something behind in the 6 years not playing. I also know that I gained something in that time..... Played some nice golf in Feb.. In April its gone? Bummed In Michigan!!!!
Click to expand...

Funny thing is that I'm kinda battling the lack of love right now too. I've been playing since I was 14, so... 23 years now. I've never been lower than a 16.0 index unless I got tagged with the 'R' on my index because of some good tournament scores. My best round came earlier this season, a few weeks ago, during a casual round. That day... everything seemed to click. Since then (and prior to that), I've struggled. My index is 16.8 now, trending to a 17.0 at the next revision... which I'm fine with. I'm not fine with shooting triple-digit scores more often than low 90's scores.

I made some grip and swing changes in January and February that seemed to have been a good thing, but any and all consistency (as much as a 16+ index can have anyway) has gone away. I used to know that I was going to fade the ball. Sometimes it would fade more than others... but I knew it was going to be a fade. Now... it's a guessing game from shot to shot. I am capable of hitting it right at my target... or slicing the crap out of it... or pulling it... or hooking it... or topping it... or thinning it... or shanking it... or popping it up...

It's just brutal right now and I'm finding myself coming home and being glad it's over rather than looking forward to the next round at times.

All that said... I am playing in a 2 day tournament tomorrow where I finished tied for 3rd last season. I know that to have any shot, I'm going to need to be in the vicinity of a 170 total. I played 4 rounds this week already to try and 'find' consistency... but instead, I put a lot of doubt in my head, especially when it comes to my driver. I took a look at the course today and tried to plot out where I can get away with a 4 iron. I just need to remind myself to stick with it... even when I have an inevitable miss with that club. I can't afford to throw away shots on penalties from the tee.
 
Nope I've tried and I've always abandoned it at some point or another. Now I just play look at the hole from the tee figure out where I want I to be from there pick a club and hit. Seems to be working out better than playing grip it rip it golf.


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If I am playing a tournament at a course I don't know, I will find a scorecard and make a rough idea of what clubs will be used off the tee for each hole.

If I have played the course I will go over it and make notes of what clubs I want to tee off with. I don't make plans for 2nd shots, as there is no point for my game at this time.

When I have gotten into the round, I usually stay pretty close to the plan, but may alter it depending on where the tee box actually is and where the pin is on a par 3s in particular.
 
I do. I always like to see a course from google earth otherwise I wouldn't say I have a true plan and stick to it
 
At my home course I do depending on the tee boxes and pin placements. When I play other courses I tend to play a bit more conservatively.
 
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