Loss of Wheels

I've recently started playing with the MGA group on Saturday mornings. I've been struggling, shooting around 100. The last couple of weeks I've been striking the ball great and finally Keeping the Ball in bound on my drives (real narrow course winding through a neighborhood).
Last Saturday I was smoking hot. I shot 43 on the front. I was playing as well as the Top player in our group. When we Tee'd off on 10 I sliced one Out of Bounds into someones yard, Flubbed a chip and putted poorly to end with an 8 on the hole... All of a sudden nothing would work I was hitting in front of the Ball hit four balls into Water hazards, etc and shot a 60 on the Back.
43 on front 60 on back, Man! Is it Mental? What causes that kind of thing?

Ronnie

I'm guessing it's a mental issue. You've proven to yourself that you're capable of making shots with the 43 on the front. It sounds like you let a bad shot get into your head and began to overcompensate and tried to hero everything after that.

mental.. you saw on the front that you were capable of shooting low 40's. So what you did on the back was try to imitate doing that, trying to hard to score that again rather than just letting it come to you and flow like it did on the front. I can gurantee you that on the first you didnt say to yourself that you have to make 45 or below, you most likely said that you want to keep your shots straight/in bounds(or something along those lines) but then you came to the tenth tee saying to yourself, "alright i need to imitate that first 9 to show these guys i can really play" and in turn messed you up.

^ Bingo. I was just thinking how if I shoot 44 or better on the front, Im ALWAYS telling myself that I need to shoot 45 or better on the back in order to stay below 90. It always kills my game by 1 or 2 shots too. I now have a different approach to playing the back 9 lol

That's pretty valid, no matter what your handicap is. Years ago, I sure know I felt the pressure when there was a decent chance of breaking par. All of a sudden you're wishing the ball into the hole rather than hitting it. Candidly, most of my best rounds were ones that snuck up on me on the back nine.

O.P., Have you read 'Golf is not a game of perfect?' Bob Rotella can be a bit much but there is a lot to be said for enjoying the process rather than getting so caught up into your score. We all hit some tragic shots out there but there is a lot of satisfaction that can come from taking your lumps and getting on with getting on. The other thing you might consider is your course management. Obviously I don't know your course, but if it is very tight are you better off with a fairway wood off the tee on some holes and dealing with a longer approach versus the risk of being O.B.?

that is so true ctyankee, i have that mental hurdle when i start a round really well. i start to think about shooting par then the wheels start to come off. i recently was -1 after 4 holes, then once i got excited i started struggling. all of my best rounds i started off slowly on the front 9, then finished the last 9 strong to make a good score. but recently i found that i play much better when i hit a bucket of practice balls on the range first and then practice chipping and putting for an hour before i play. i go to the first tee nice and loose, and i feel much more confident. it is so mental, this game of golf.

Could be that a bad tenth hole just drove out all the positive thoughts and got you doubting yourself. Maybe asking yourself "What was I doing right before?" rather than just doing it. All of us average players are capable of wild swings between nines. Be encouraged by your first nine success. It is a good sign.

Too true... I've gone 84, 98 on consecutive days.

Seems you've gotton your answer...or at least MY answer. I've shot a 79 on one day and a 101 3 days later! All in my head...just knowing I could do it again, and again, and...NOPE!! Tried too hard, questioning everything from my grip, stance..etc. hang in there man, if we were great all the time..or even damned good all the time, we'd be on TV, not the internet!

I played 18 today with 2 guys I had never met before. They both started off strong with long, straight drives and making mostly pars and a couple bogeys on the front 9. On hole 10 everything fell apart. The first guy topped his drive, took a mulligan and topped that one, too. The second guy skulled his drive out to about 100 yards and then pulled his second shot OB.

These guys were decent players, too . .not like me who had been hitting crappy shots all along. I guess it happens to most of us and the key is keeping positive. Neither of these guys got down on themselves or too negative and both had regained thier stride completely by 12.

Thanks for the Tips. I've read the Rotella stuff before and really liked it I guess I need to re-visit it. I should be glad I'm not the only one that has gone through this, although I wouldn't wish it on anyone : )

The part that it is weird is I did so well on the front that my team won the match and I got 3 Net Skins and 2 Gross Skins. I feel kind of guilty winning those because I'm such an inconsistent golfer at times ,that I'm capable of shooting a birdie on one hole and an 8 or worse on the next.

Now where is that Rotella book : )


Ronnie

My GF and I were paired with another couple who fell apart on the back 9. They were very long off the tee but the rest of their game wasn't so great. I'd estimate both of them to be mid teen to bogey handicappers, playing off of the blue tees; my GF and I played white.

My GF and I played consistent on both halves: me with a 46/47 (got a half point drop in handicap thanks to this round), my GF with a 56/53. They had fallen apart on hole 10 as well, but they just could not recover. I am glad that I didn't let their bad shots affect mine. I am usually not so good at not riding someone else's tempo on the course, but I've been spending enough time at the range lately to know what I need to do. So Ronnie, do you think maybe your rhythm was just off because of these new playing partners?

Maybe you messed up their tempo? LOL Just kidding.

I've given it some thought...part of it may be that I feel guilty for having such a high handicap. Because I can play well at times and other times not so well. But that means I tend to win skins. I can hear the guys grumble when I do win. I wish we didn't play for money. it isn't much, but I don't like getting 2 strokes on some holes and then parring that hole for a net Eagle.

Why? Do you think a single digit handicapper is feeling guilty when he birdies a hole for a net eagle? If your handicap is legit, don't sweat it.

There are golfers that pretty much score close to their mean score round after round and others that are all over the place. That's golf. And the reality of how handicaps are calculated, your good scores will affect your handicap much more than steady Eddie (when he has virtually the same mean score). So, the grumblers can stick it. And I'm sure they're not complaining on the days you suck out there. That said, there are always golfers that will come through and those that won't come through (as often) under pressure. Some, will fold with the carry over water, some won't. And we've all played with guys that simply fold knowing that they have a stroke on a hole (when their competitor doesn't). If I'm playing a ABCD 4 - ball event, I would much rather get paired with erratic C and D players than steady Eddies. That's because I want to win the *&$^ing event. And if that doesn't happen I can live with being last because I don't give a &*it about getting second place. Do you change up things and play teams rather than your Skins game? At least that way, there will be one less person to grumble at you when you win.

My game is a wreck at the moment. I mean a total wreck. I'm an 11 and was flirting with lower and all of a sudden I can't do squat!!! My driver is working well but my irons, OH MY GOD!! shanking, topping, hooking, I want to run and hide and I'm not playing again until my golf coach can fit me in next Tuesday. I think what I'm trying to say is, the wheels can come off at any time for no apparent reason (that is apparent to you) and if you keep playing without an instuctor seeing what the problem is, you can just make it worse. See your pro and have him figure it out. That's why he's the pro.

I'm saving right now to get some more lessons, about halfway there.