18th hole catastrophism

[BroD]

Last 7 games; I've blown up on 18th. Double and triple bogies. Don't think I'm nervous... but often looking at high 70's game in (which is my goal) and coming out in the 80s... All kinds of mistakes... trees, water, 3 putts,, wrong fairway...you name it...
any thoughts???

 

[*Range Rat]

Do you know your total score standing on the 18th tee? Maybe you are putting unnecessary pressure on yourself (subconsciously) by knowing if you make par on 18 you'll shoot in the 70's. I don't know, that's just my initial thought. Maybe not knowing how you stand on the final hole will take the pressure off and let you play loose & free.

 

[BroD]

Do you know your total score standing on the 18th tee? Maybe you are putting unnecessary pressure on yourself (subconsciously) by knowing if you make par on 18 you'll shoot in the 70's. I don't know, that's just my initial thought. Maybe not knowing how you stand on the final hole will take the pressure off and let you play loose & free.

I don't know my exact score; but know it a good one for me... I don't feel pressured ... but....in the back of my mind....

 

[wadesworld]

Try to concentrate more on this shot and this shot only.

That's all I got.

 

[Gyro25]

Swinging a little extra off the tee? Maybe just play a smarter club to minimize risk ie a 3w or iron off the tee instead of driver?

 

[lockstockrye]

Last 7 games; I've blown up on 18th. Double and triple bogies. Don't think I'm nervous... but often looking at high 70's game in (which is my goal) and coming out in the 80s... All kinds of mistakes... trees, water, 3 putts,, wrong fairway...you name it...
any thoughts???

Well...assuming your profile hc is still correct, you are an 11 HC. Getting to 18 with a chance at the 70s means you have exceed your potential on previous holes. So maybe it's just statistics....you just are coming back into the norm on 18 as opposed to 4, 9 or 13.

To the particular issue at hand - when you get to the last few holes (or last hole) and have a chance to exceed or far exceed your hc, many different things can happen mentally and physically without you even knowing. So you can either recognize and acknowledge where you are and then mentally get focussed for the final stretch; or you can employ a conservative strategy for the holes.

In my experience, I have noticed that when players have a chance to greatly exceed their hc (like a PB, or breaking a milestone score), they wil make a mistake, then compound it by trying to make dramtic shots to achieve the score they want. So next time you get to the last holes with a chance, make sure you don't compound the mistakes.

• Have you noted if you compound the first mistake?

An option is when you get to these points, take your best clubs regardless of the hole. i.e. take an iron off the tee, hit your 8iron instead of the 6iron, putt from off the green instead of chip and risk a chunk, etc.

In the end, just know - not blowing up is part of making the leap to single digit and lower. Getting over these humps are just as important as the practice you put in. You have to practice these situations too.

Keep grinding...you'll get over it and become single digit!!

 

[YukonLiving]

Last 7 games; I've blown up on 18th. Double and triple bogies. Don't think I'm nervous... but often looking at high 70's game in (which is my goal) and coming out in the 80s... All kinds of mistakes... trees, water, 3 putts,, wrong fairway...you name it...
any thoughts???

I'd do the same thing, and I realized I was putting pressure on myself to score well. I played a couple rounds last year and purposefully didn't keep score - I just played.

Then I went out and played my round but purposefully didn't look at the score. I had a buddy keep tally... Helped keep my mind clear for the entire round.

 

[RayG]

Never, EVER, EVER... know your situation before teeing off on 18. "All I need is such and such for an 'X''.." Kiss of Death.

If you've been 'in a groove' all day, keep those thoughts as you go along. Don't chase the score- don't add up as you go, or mark whether you are + or - par, etc...

You can mark your stats, putts, etc... Maybe mark the scores a few at a time so you aren't always thinking about it.

Here's an idea- Ask if you can start on 18- get it over with before your brain knows what's going on.

 

[OneFootShort]

Sounds like you're trying to guide it on that hole to finish "strong". You still have to be aggressive and swing your swing. In our case, we have a gettable par 5 as our 18th hole. I'm always trying to make birdie, regardless of if I'm -1 or +9 on the day, I'm always staying aggressive.

 

[Nick20UK]

If you think you're on for a good score on the 18th then play the last hole conservatively. Make sure you don't make more than bogey. Swing easier, lay up, chip to the middle of the green, etc.

 

[badolds]

I do not tally my score until after nine and again after eighteen. I know in my head when I have a good round going but not if I need a par to break 80 etc.

 

[rollin]

I do not tally my score until after nine and again after eighteen. I know in my head when I have a good round going but not if I need a par to break 80 etc.

Due respect but how can you possibly not know? I mean even without writing down your scores playing 79/80 golf I'd find it very difficult to not know.
Keeping score in relation to par and only being 5/6 strokes over.....yet you wouldn't even know that while on 18? And to boot you also said you know what your score was on 9.
I'd think it's impossible to not know it on 18.

Being plus3 after 9 and you really wouldn't know you were only plus 2 or 3 more on the back? Heading into 18?
Sorry but im funding that very odd. I'd have to intentionally work hard at purposely not knowing.
It would be a chore to not know.

I get it if ya added 10 strokes. A triple and 3 doubles scattered about. But being just 6ovet par while also knowing what you were after 9? Sorry again but very strange. Unless you suffer sjort memory loss in which case my apologies.

 

[PatsFan]

Due respect but how can you possibly not know? I mean even without writing down your scores playing 79/80 golf I'd find it very difficult to not know.
Keeping score in relation to par and only being 5/6 strokes over.....yet you wouldn't even know that while on 18? And to boot you also said you know what your score was on 9.
I'd think it's impossible to not know it on 18.

Being plus3 after 9 and you really wouldn't know you were only plus 2 or 3 more on the back? Heading into 18?
Sorry but im funding that very odd. I'd have to intentionally work hard at purposely not knowing.
It would be a chore to not know.

I get it if ya added 10 strokes. A triple and 3 doubles scattered about. But being just 6ovet par while also knowing what you were after 9? Sorry again but very strange. Unless you suffer sjort memory loss in which case my apologies.

Didn't He say He Knows even though he doesn't tally it.
I am the same way. I don't want to know my score but I know where I am at in relation to a decent round.

I guess my question to the OP would be Are you getting Tired at the end? I know that Fatigue can be a issue for myself at times.

 

[rollin]

Didn't He say He Knows even though he doesn't tally it.
I am the same way. I don't want to know my score but I know where I am at in relation to a decent round.

I guess my question to the OP would be Are you getting Tired at the end? I know that Fatigue can be a issue for myself at times.

Said he wouldn't know he needed a par om 18 to break 80.
That's only 6 over and I don't know how it's possible to not know. Especially after knowing your tally at 9.
I mean...what's to tally?

But to be fair perhaps he never kept score in relation to par.
The thing about par relation scoring is that once you do it it's too easy and your hooked for life. But having never done it which I see many people do thry have to tally. But even still being just 6 over i find it odd.

 

[Nice 2]

Due respect but how can you possibly not know? I mean even without writing down your scores playing 79/80 golf I'd find it very difficult to not know.
Keeping score in relation to par and only being 5/6 strokes over.....yet you wouldn't even know that while on 18? And to boot you also said you know what your score was on 9.
I'd think it's impossible to not know it on 18.

Being plus3 after 9 and you really wouldn't know you were only plus 2 or 3 more on the back? Heading into 18?
Sorry but im funding that very odd. I'd have to intentionally work hard at purposely not knowing.
It would be a chore to not know.

I get it if ya added 10 strokes. A triple and 3 doubles scattered about. But being just 6ovet par while also knowing what you were after 9? Sorry again but very strange. Unless you suffer sjort memory loss in which case my apologies.

You are correct, one knows where they stand. The key is not thinking or dwelling on it, as previous holes are in the past and what’s done is done. Cannot allow yourself to start adding scores in your head at any time, and that is controllable. Think happy thoughts of any kind, not necessarily golf related but something that relaxes you and brings back good memories. Oh, and don’t forget to breathe

 

[ddstanford]

I agree with Patsfan, make sure you're not mentally and physically tired coming into the last couple of holes. Maybe chow on a caffeine containing bar with 30 minutes to go.

 

[rollin]

You are correct, one knows where they stand. The key is not thinking or dwelling on it, as previous holes are in the past and what’s done is done. Cannot allow yourself to start adding scores in your head at any time, and that is controllable. Think happy thoughts of any kind, not necessarily golf related but something that relaxes you and brings back good memories. Oh, and don’t forget to breathe

well now your on to a different point all together. Sure many peoples play is affected by the last shots or holes and many struggle to let that go.
For me...none of it matters. Ive learned a looong time ago my last shots or holes (good or bad) have zero to do with the next shot i face. Being happy or sad or cheerful or angry about the recent shots or hole/s has absolutely no bearing on whether or not my next shot will be good.

I could be on a run pf 3 oir 4 pars in a row (maybe a bird in there too) and feeling great and all the birds are singing to me. And absolutely blow up from tee to green with a quad or worse (perhaps a 9, whatever) on the next hole. Conversely I can be upset as all heck, angry disgruntled at my recent blowup hole or holes and yet then bird the next hole. Good or bad feelings about my last hole/s has zero affect on my next one either way. No matter how great or poor i feel I always hit the next shot with nothing (at that moment of adress and swing) on my mind except to try to execute a good swing. I can feel great or angry again afterwards (continuing how i felt prior) but at that vey moment I only feel nothing but focus to make a golf swing.

Ive simply learned soooooo many countless times it doesnt matter and for me that holds true for both poor feelings and also good feelings. I dont need to make myself feel good or stop feeling upset or anything because it never made any difference so im numb to it all and no matter how im feeling I dont (for the moment of that next swing) feel anything. I just swing then go back to whatever feeling i feel....lol..probably good if its a good shot and probably whatever if its not.

 

[rlefig]

Didn't He say He Knows even though he doesn't tally it.
I am the same way. I don't want to know my score but I know where I am at in relation to a decent round.

I guess my question to the OP would be Are you getting Tired at the end? I know that Fatigue can be a issue for myself at times.

when we gonna get in a game o golf @PatsFan

 

[Bosco...]

Next time start on 18 and see how you finish.

 

[TheDoctor]

I keep my score on my watch, so it is hard to ignore where I am at, but you just have to try and not let it get into your head and just play the hole the best way possible