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Do You Quit?

JB

JB

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Albatross 2024 Club
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Let's say you start out with a rough first 3 holes. If you are a low handicap player think a double and a couple of bogeys. For a high handicap player think multiple OB off the tee and some 3 putts. How do you turn it around? Or do you basically phone it in and "have fun"?

I have watched this at multiple THP Events and it seems that its very different for different golfers. Some quickly "quit" and point out that they are "just having fun" and others grind to get it back and see when the switch flips.

Now keep in mind that neither is right or wrong, but I was curious after witnessing it on a few occasions.
 
Grind grind grind.

Never quit. May start drinking.....but I don't quit.
 
my PB started Double, bogey then shot lights out. So I will try to grind it out (most of the time)
 
Try to right the ship and think about giving myself birdie opportunities.... This usually leads to pars and gets me on the right track. If this doesnt work, I usually try to just get myself in the right frame of mind and have fun
 
Rough first 3 holes is a little early for me to mail it in on the round. Rough front 9 is a completely different story....if that happens, I really don't care what happens for the rest of the round because I know my score won't be good and my handicap won't come down, so I'll phone it in at that point and try shots that I wouldn't normally try if I was attempting to post a number.
 
I've had this happen at several THP events. Just gotta keep plugging along...the having fun was the point from the beginning, and nothing is less fun than moping around a golf course beating yourself up.
 
I don't have that quitting mentality. I will grind it out and play every hole like it's the first. Can't quit if you want to get better!
 
never quit per se but I have been known to play the last couple holes a little too nonchalantly at times...

EDIT: this does not apply to competitions of course. Gotta finish those out.

EDIT EDIT: always keep score
 
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At one point in time, I would quit pretty easily. Now I've gotten to where I'll grind it out and try to get things going in the right direction. If, however, I get to holes 14 or 15 and things still aren't working, then I'll just say screw it all and go through the motions to get the round done.
 
Never quit.
 
I know for me personally it's very tough to turn it around, it just seems like you don't have it that day, but when I do grind it out, it's much more satisfying in the end, then if you just give up, have fun, and write the round off before you've even begun.

This is much easier to do in match play than stroke play, so depending on the event, layout or format it may be easier to grind your game back into shape than not!
 
If I had a goal of a score for the round, that is probably blown with a start like that. I won't "quit" but I will readjust my expectations. I won't change how I play though. Start with a good shot, then add another. Minimize the big numbers. Maybe I end up with number closer to my goal than I thought would happen.

I will say that when I hit a blowup hole I almost always pick up after 7. That's the max I can record for a handicap anyways, so a good spot to start over on a new hole.

It has happened many times that things don't click until the final couple of holes. I didn't stop grinding but I have that thought "gee, would have been nice to have this happen an hour or two ago..."
 
If things go REALLY sideways (we're talking shanks and balls going into the woods all over the place), I'll stop keeping score and try to get things worked out. It's still a grind, just a different kind of grind.

Otherwise, if it's just sub-par play for me, I'll keep working and try to turn it around. It's amazing what a couple birdies will do. I had a round a few weeks back where I went out at +12, and finished the round +13.
 
#Cookie said:
Grind grind grind.

Never quit. May start drinking.....but I don't quit.
Click to expand...
^this... sometimes a few beers to lubricate the swing... then give me hell on the back 9

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
 
Ain't go pretend, quitter here
 
For me it depends if it is a friendly round with some buddies, or if it is a scramble, or league or some tournament. If it is a round with some buddies i almost always just play for funa nd relax, not get mad over horrid shots. If its something else that actually has some competition to it I will continue to grind and focus.
 
Sometimes the "just having fun" angle is the only way to start playing better. Sometimes that means relaxing and having a beer and laughing at yourself.
 
Lately I have been looking forward to the aspect of saving a round. We all make bogeys and its just part of the game. Since playing again seriously I have been putting together birdie runs that are deeper and longer than at any time in my golf life time. So sure,, going down a quick three strokes gets me grinding. Cause I just as easily could go -3 on the next 3 or 4 holes. Doing that has given me a much higher tolerance of making a bad bogey, years past I would have packed it in.
 
I have quit before but quickly learned that that's not who I am, I fight to the end because my opponent may not fully be able to take advantage of the situation. The tables can change quickly
 
I actually tend to have a few bad holes at first and then get into the swing of things.

For example, a few weeks back I took two doubles in the first 3 holes and ended up shooting 76.

Bad holes used to bother me a lot to the point where they would just compound, but now I just remind myself that there are birdies to be made and keep moving ahead.
 
I never quit just keep grinding, sometimes it gets better and sometimes it gets worse. I have left the course excited for my next round and other times frustrated and needing a break.

Always keep a score though even for practice rounds that don't count toward my handicap.
 
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I'm really trying to focus the rest of the year on playing every shot individually as well as every hole... Letting the past, or what could happen in the future has never worked out for me and usually makes things worse... So to your OP, i'd keep going and hope i turn it around.
 
I keep at it. try to forget the last hole and focus just on the hole in front of me.
 
It's definately a buzz kill to start off with a double or triple bogey. However, all it takes a is a par for me to get right back on track and have time to put up a decent scorecard.
 
I don't phone it in and just try to have fun, and I don't grind it out to turn things around. Instead, I further implode and draw into myself, cutting all communications and being an all-around sourpuss. But if I can hit 1 good shot, that turns the whole thing around.
 
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