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Quit trying to golf

Snickerdog

Snickerdog

Team THP 2019 Grandaddy Alumni
Albatross 2024 Club
Joined
Dec 8, 2015
Messages
37,315
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37,721
Location
KS
Handicap
6.9
The last two months I have only been able to play one round a week on Sundays because of the busy harvest schedule. Something I have noticed though is that I have been much more relaxed and don't try as hard but have been playing better golf. My scores have been closer to my HC and has traveled much better on the courses played outside of the home course.
Hopefully I can get this to carry over when I can get back to playing more than once a week.

How are you staying relaxed to help you play better?
 
Snickerdog said:
The last two months I have only been able to play one round a week on Sundays because of the busy harvest schedule. Something I have noticed though is that I have been much more relaxed and don't try as hard but have been playing better golf. My scores have been closer to my HC and has traveled much better on the courses played outside of the home course.
Hopefully I can get this to carry over when I can get back to playing more than once a week.

How are you staying relaxed to help you play better?
Click to expand...

 
Despite rough greens and fall conditions, my scores to end the season are usually pretty good. I attribute those results to lowered expectations. With the added layers, I tend to just swing and play the result, without caring how well I executed. For whatever reason, I score better with that mindset. Now if I could only apply that same mindset to when the greens roll true...
 
I tend to play better on new courses because I am focused on target golf, not trying to overwhelm the course, and play to distances, not being influences about what I "could do" or "have done" on a course. That's on days where my swing is not complete crap and I can actually hit a ball somewhat straight. :)
 
I don’t scoreboard watch. I’m pretty erratic on the course and don’t keep a cumulative score as I play. I go shot to shot and try to execute each one. Keeps me from getting too high or low as the rounds goes along.
 
I've learned to accept that my swing is variable and that trying to change this upcoming swing to correct what went wrong on the last swing just adds variation - in a bad way.

I've learned to take my medicine after a bad result - punch back into the fairway instead of trying to reach the green through the trees.

I've really tried to focus on making this swing a good one and not to worry - as much - about how I'm scoring.

It's shown in my handicap this year.
 
Reframmellator said:
I've learned to accept that my swing is variable and that trying to change this upcoming swing to correct what went wrong on the last swing just adds variation - in a bad way.

I've learned to take my medicine after a bad result - punch back into the fairway instead of trying to reach the green through the trees.

I've really tried to focus on making this swing a good one and not to worry - as much - about how I'm scoring.

It's shown in my handicap this year.
Click to expand...
Course management is important, and smart golf.
 
I try to build up to goals in cycles, and I've had good success with that and golf, but I can definitely get wrapped up in the constancy at build up and lose a little of what keeps it fun and relaxed. I listen to the people around me, and THP to keep my head right and light about it all. It definitely helps. Once the goal is passed and I cycle down I almost always play a couple rounds nearly as good as I just did completely tuned up, with about half the perceived effort, and it's obviously just from being relaxed and enjoying it and the people in a different way. It reminds me to keep playing and talking about the game with people that I enjoy and who bust my balls, focus more on helping others where I can, and read and share in fellow THP struggles and successes more than my own. Helps me take my **** less seriously, and probably play better in the end. So that's what I do.
 
When I finally convinced myself I'm never gonna be a scratch golfer, it became more enjoyable. Not as frustrating when you shank one. I just tell myself "Oh well, the life of a high handicapper". Then move on to the next shot. I'm always looking for that shot that brings me back. Most times its not that booming drive or the one that lands smack dab in the middle of the green. Last week I was in the trees about 40 yards out. I couldn't hit any higher than 4 or 5 feet because of the low hanging branches. The bunker was between my ball and flag. I figured I'd just hit a low putt type shot with my hybrid at the bunker and see if I can manage a double bogey out of the sand. The ball rolled really fast, went up the slope in front of the trap, bounced over and on the green to about 10 feet. Now my intention was to hit out of the bunker but I tell everyone I meant to do that. Oh, and I made the putt for par. For some reason I get a bigger kick out of the lucky shot than the good one.
 
InTheRough, nice. Thanks for sharing. Talking of golf, few weeks ago, I could find this web resource with San Diego Golf Lessons and could even find some professionals of golf there, whom I know personally. What do you think about such resources and offerings of golf teaching process? I find it's pretty interesting idea.
 
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My game has improved considerably once I convinced myself I wasn't going to buy any new gear for awhile. Go on out there, hit the golf ball, keep the swing together, and enjoy the round.
 
The cliche is “one shot at a time”. I didn’t figure out how to 100% truly do that until I had been playing the game over a decade and I still often fail to do that for the entire round. I would guess 60% of my bogies or doubles are mental mistakes. When I can keep my head in the right place for an entire round I almost always play to my index or better.
 
I am learning to relax as I play. There are better and worse days. 🧐 Two things help me more than anything else. First, the work is paying off and my consistency has improved significantly. I know that if I hang in there during those “wheels off the bus” days, I can find something in my game to work with. I’ve also embraced that golf is not a game of perfect. I decided to like recovery shots and self-created challenges. Some of my favorite holes are the ones where I end up saying that was the best double bogey I have ever played! Sure I hit my tee shot in the water and then hit my second shot in the water, but after that I played a heck of a hole! 🤪
 
I have stopped playing golf for a low score. I play golf to have fun. If that means trying insane shots, going for pins, hitting driver on every par 4&5, that's what I do. My scores have gone up a little, but I really enjoy hitting driver and just trying to pull off insane shots, I even pull off those shots every once in a while.

Also, golfing with my kids kept me happy all year. Hard to get made when they smile.
 
I have made a "desktop" link of the Worst shots of the 2020 Masters and will now visit it every time I have a less than stellar round. On second thought I might just watch it after the really bad rounds lest I spend all my time watching. Unfortunately, that video looks a lot like my back nine yesterday.
 
Golf in Ohio is hard to come by recently and if I get to go out and play it will be an enjoyable experience where scores might not go my way but I'm golfing...
 
I try to go out every round with zero expectations and let the score just happen - sometimes it can be a really good day, but don't let yourself get worked up when it doesn't

We don't make a living from the game so why get annoyed when things don't go as you would want
 
in my haydays of drinking i played much better golf, now a days there's that 1 factor that just gets in the way, my clear sober head!
 
It's just a fun game to play. When I'm playing I don't think much about my game, or even my swing stuff. I leave all that "thinking stuff" on the driving range, and short game practice area.

I have a preshot routine that lasts all of maybe 15 seconds for each putt/shot. Maybe a little longer for some putts. In between those shots/ putts I'm just enjoying what's going on around me.

Hit the ball. Go find the ball. Hit the ball again. That's pretty much my golf game. My serious days of playing golf, and worrying about this, and that, are long gone
 
 
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