Tale of two golers in one body

millsan1 · Apr 8, 2019

This weekend, we played Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday, we played a course I am familiar with and one that has generally kicked my butt. My previous best on this course was a 97 or so. On the back 9, my best had been a 50.

I put up a 47 on the front, and went into the back in the hopes of keeping it under 100. I shot a 43 with 4 pars (very good for me) to post a 90! I was thrilled.

Sunday, we were going out with another couple, who are very much recreational golfers. We decided to play another course that is much easier. Short, at 6200 or so, wide open and pretty forgiving. Last year I posted two 86s on this course and always in the low 90s. It's not a challenging course.

I was licking my chops. I was thinking low 80s, given how well I had played the day before. Conditions were perfect. I was confident. Course was in good shape. And I shot a 97.

Saturday I could not miss my shots. Right on line, right at the distance.

Sunday I was push-o-rama, except when I hooked.

I am convinced a golf gnome visited me Saturday night and took some of my ability away to humble me.

blugold · Apr 8, 2019

Golf is hard

Snickerdog · Apr 8, 2019

Golf is hard and you where over confident. Thinking 6200 is short and would be easy is a mistake in mindset. The course paid you back thinking you could score well.

Rusty Dave · Apr 8, 2019

I’ve been trying to improve my mental game early this season. I’ve read a few of Bob Rotella’s books and one of the things that’s helping me is to honestly have no expectations that day for what I will score. Just focus on each shot with a solid pre shot routine and accept the outcome.
If you have expectations (break 90 or whatever) you now become focused on that goal instead of enjoying the moment and playing golf. If your score is not heading in the right direction, you get more tense and more focused on your score. Your enjoyment will suffer.
Sounds like you’ve done a ton of work this off season. Consistency will come. I wouldn’t worry about that score. Simply remember the good shots from that round and move on. Don’t have any expectations and accept whatever happens that day. Your scores will thank you for it long term.

lauzgolfer · Apr 8, 2019

Your story pretty much sums up my entire golf career. Always have ups and downs; which, to me, seem to get worse as I age. Seems like my golf game can be thrown off entirely if I sleep funny the night before now (swing isn't the normal swing). In my youth, I could have worked out the day before and be totally fine the next day golfing. I really like what Rusty Dave mentioned above, makes a whole lot of sense and I will try to be mindful of that going into this season!

Art M · Apr 8, 2019

that sums me up. usually it is not as frequent as day to day. i can go weeks doing pretty well followed by weeks of what the hell! I think better golfers have less of a swing from good to poor and shorter duration of it. i could be wrong

Smiter · Apr 8, 2019

Golf is insanely hard. And humbling.

I’m lucky to be good enough that I hit only good shots. Unless I hook, slice, top, chunk, block, whiff (I call those “practice swings”

), pull, shank, or hosel rocket it. And that’s just my putter

rollin · Apr 10, 2019

Golf is only as easy or hard as how well or not we can consistently make our shots. An easy course with too many failed shots isnt going to matter. Ive played some my worst golf on the easiest of my 5 county courses and some my best on the most difficult one. Whats hard about golf is our physical and mental ability to make it easy.

olperfesser · Apr 10, 2019

As my buddy would say: It's all because you're an amateur.

Supperman · Apr 18, 2019

Being process-oriented instead of goal-oriented could have a positive effect on your game. Often golfers will be irritated by the three-putt on the previous green, or what they need to score on the next hole to reach a certain score. They’re focusing on the results instead of the shot they’re about to make.

During your next round, once you’ve decided on club selection, trust your decision, and don’t think about the result of the shot at all, but focus simply on making a good swing.

Sox_Fan · Apr 18, 2019

It happens to the best of us. I quite often play great for 7 or 8 holes then stink it completely up for 4 or 5 holes before finishing well. Wish I could explain it. If I could I probably wouldn't do it...

Parrot · Apr 18, 2019

Sox_Fan said:
It happens to the best of us. I quite often play great for 7 or 8 holes then stink it completely up for 4 or 5 holes before finishing well. Wish I could explain it. If I could I probably wouldn't do it...

If you could bottle it, you’d make a dollar or two.