I always try to remember this. Shot may not come out the way I wanted but I have to trust it once I commit to it. The other one is, accept the outcome. Be a goldfish on the bad shots.
Where It Went Wrong - Course Management Edition
JonMA1
World’s Highest Vanity Cap
I like the goldfish analogy. And it does tie into strategy.
I won’t pretend to know what’s best for others. I read better players describe how they’ll adjust strategy based on how they’re hitting on a given day. For me, I can’t let a couple bad shots - or good ones- drastically change my strategy. I mean, there are days when I’m hitting longer or shorter than average and that might impact decisions on shots that are between clubs. But switching to an overly conservative or aggressive approach will not yield better results.
Then there is the frustration factor which - as you noted, Josh - is closely connected to expectations. I have to believe that whatever swing I bring to the course is the best swing possible and stick with it the entire round. If the problem persists, address it after the round. That’s what practice is for.
Expectations… If I know I’ll hit a green 35% of the time with my 7i, I can’t get upset with a result that lands just off the green. Mentally, that’s pretty easy to process. But I also have to remember that I’ll duff that 7i a percentage of the time as well. I shouldn’t get too disappointed by that either. That’s been a tougher mental challenge.
Likewise, I might decide to take a lower percentage shot with my 5w because there’s room to miss. Occasionally, I beat the percentages and stick the green. That result cannot allow me to forget what my normal dispersion is and pull that same club later without room to miss.
It can be a cruel game if we let it. Ha.
I think with your comment on "better players adjusting their game" is that if they are struggling to hit their stock shot and its doing "X" that they just trust that days swing for X.
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Stop trying to shape shots with driver based on the hole layout. Sometimes it works and it makes me smile, other times it goes horribly wrong. Just play the shot you play most dummy
I think a mistake a lot of people make, especially now that everyone has rangefinders---is hitting shots to the flag yardage. It's a mistake i still make sometimes too
For example if it's 147 to a back flag, in most cases you really shouldn't take a club you could easily hit 153yds. At most courses where trouble is usually long, it's better to hit a club you max out at like 145, for example.
Sometimes it's easy to get lost in the "rangefinder" yardage.
For example if it's 147 to a back flag, in most cases you really shouldn't take a club you could easily hit 153yds. At most courses where trouble is usually long, it's better to hit a club you max out at like 145, for example.
Sometimes it's easy to get lost in the "rangefinder" yardage.
Going for it, like the hero shot.
Not clubbing up, that just kills me.
Not clubbing up, that just kills me.
I can't hit a fade at will to save my life, but I'm most likely to hit a nice big fade when I'm trying to hit a draw on a dogleg left.
When faced with the smart play or the hero shot, always choose the hero shot. That’s what I tend to do.
As far as course management for me my issues would be paying too much attention to where pins are vs just firing at the middle of the green.
And getting too aggressive with second shots where I’m not in ideal situations wether it’s picking bad layup spots, trying to get too much out of high rough, or not paying enough attention on those punch outs instead of just taking the safest route.
And getting too aggressive with second shots where I’m not in ideal situations wether it’s picking bad layup spots, trying to get too much out of high rough, or not paying enough attention on those punch outs instead of just taking the safest route.
This should be the next THP shirt.
lol what’s a consistent shot shape
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- #39
We all hit crap shots now and then. Take your medicine and limit the damage. Don't cause more damage attempting an ill advised miraculous recovery.
Unless its skins or match play, then have at it!
Unless its skins or match play, then have at it!
My last tournament in league last year is a perfect example of how golf is brutal. Every shot I hit gave me the worst possible result. Hit a shot short, it spun back. Hit a shot pin high, big bounce and runs out. Hit into two fairway divots, and not nice tour divots but backhoe level divot. Hit great putts all day, didn't make anything over four feet.
Course management doesn't mean much when the golf gods are mad at you.
Edit: shot my worst round of the year by seven shots.
Course management doesn't mean much when the golf gods are mad at you.
Edit: shot my worst round of the year by seven shots.
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- #42
What did you do wrong to upset them?!?
Unknown, but possibly had a bit of confidence going into the tourney.
I played Torrey north last weekend and the rough is brutal getting ready for the farmers. I’ve played there enough to know anything but a wedge or short iron out of that rough will be a disaster so I swore to myself I would be taking my medicine anytime I was in the rough.
Ended up trying about a dozen hybrids or mid irons out of the rough and every single one was a mess. I don’t know why it’s so freaking hard to play smart once you get out there.
Ended up trying about a dozen hybrids or mid irons out of the rough and every single one was a mess. I don’t know why it’s so freaking hard to play smart once you get out there.
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- #45
I played South about 2 months before the US Open. Never before have I see balls roll off the fairway and be impossible to find. That rough is BRUTAL!
I played the south the last day before they closed for the us open and it was even crazier than the farmers set up. I remember losing balls when I knew exactly where it landed.
WLG1952
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Sometimes a straight shot at pin is just too inviting to pass up. I know better than to try it, but will do it anyways. Usually costs me an extra stroke or two.
I have a management scenarior I use that involves three windows on an approach shot to a green. (actually any shot) . the three indows are left, center, and right of the green. Which ever window is free of trouble is the one I target.
I have a management scenarior I use that involves three windows on an approach shot to a green. (actually any shot) . the three indows are left, center, and right of the green. Which ever window is free of trouble is the one I target.
I find the times that in my haste, I will not look at a putt from the side and ignore the slope. I guess what I’m trying to say is maybe if I took a few more seconds to recap in my mind the various conditions that the putt could follow. For example, I might avoid some obvious misses such as coming up short because I didn’t factor in a slight uphill slope to the hole. I know I am guilty as any when I will maybe pay too much attention to the line and not enough to the speed because on the surface it could look like it’s a fairly level, but it could have a little bit of of uphill slope as well as grain into the line, both causing more resistance.
Always going for the hero shot. It’s a lot more fun but results is a big score when it doesn’t go right.
Golfers are better off hitting it 15 yards further than they are hitting 1 more fairway. Stop laying up.