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Attacking tough opening holes


johnclayton1982
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How do y'all deal with tough starts to courses?  I'm never a big fan of this, but the course I played yesterday killed me.  First hole is a 500 yard par 5, second hole a 380 yard par 4 with a 210 forced carry over water off the tee (taking it out of my 3 wood range), and third hole is a 560 yard par 5 (with my distance, very tough - good drive, good 3-wood leaves me a mid-iron in).  After double - bogie - double my round was basically screwed.  The rest of the course was pretty tame.  After my round, I went back and played 1-3 again (paid a 9 hole fee), and par, par, bogie.

I have a very difficult time coming out the gate, usually when the opening holes are hard, like at this course.  Gorgeous course, just started out like a bear (two of the hardest three holes on the course are 2 and 3 according to handicap index.  Hardest hole I don't find that hard - 147 yard par 3 to an island green).  Further, in reviewing my scores across four courses and 21 rounds, I shot three strokes lower, on average, on the back than the front.  Three strokes.

What do y'all do for practice routines before you step on the first tee?  Do you have rituals at the range?  How do you get ready to go?

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I always finish with the club I am going to use on the first tee.

Be it driver, 3 wood, 3 Hybrid ( or in shotgun starts maybe an iron if I start on a Par 3 )

:tmade: SLDR X-Stiff 12.5°
:nike:VRS Covert 3 Wood Stiff
:nike:VRS Covert 3 Hybrid Stiff
:nike:VR Pro Combo CB 4 - PW Stiff 2° Flat
:cleveland:588RTX CB 50.10 GW
:cleveland:588RTX CB 54.10 SW
:nike:VR V-Rev 60.8 LW
:nike:Method 002 Putter

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Well, seeing as how you went back and played those three holes with MUCH better results, it would seem to me, at first glance, that it was more of a mental thing as opposed to the holes being tough. Making sure your mind is in the right place before beginning the round is imperative imho...even more so when you are starting the round with three difficult holes. This, of course, is just my opinion, but I believe it can make or break the round.

The War Sticks:

 

Driver: Adams Speedline F11 9.5* w/ Aldila Voodoo stiff flex shaft

3Wood: Adams Speedline Fast 10 15*

Hybrid: Ping G10 22* 

Irons:Mizuno MP32's 3-PW (bought used for $189)

Wedges: Cleveland CG14 52*, 56*

Putter: An old Ram Laser...lol...but it works

Ball: Srixon Q-star

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Since moving to my new club last April, I don't get the chance to warm up before a round (They charge for range balls) although I can if I choose hit balls into a net....

The club always runs a two-tee start, morning and afternoon.

The 1st and 10th holes are pretty tough. The 1st hole is much easier if you club down a little to 3W or 2i, as the fairway has a massive right to left slope. 99% of balls that land on even the most upper right hand side of the fairway will be played from the left hand rough. Considering tall trees and a green side bunker to the left, the approach can get tricky.

The 10th has a similar right to left slope from about the centre, but the right side also slopes away from left to right. I have found that there is about a 5 metre range you can land your drive in to have it stay on the fairway. The hole often plays long, and again, a left sided bunker makes the approach a little more tricky.

The best advice I can give you as a fellow teen handicapper is to play for bogey. Try to get away to a reasonable start, play the percentages early on, and take the +1. Don't be afraid of backing off from the tee, or aiming away from the hole/green, and let your short game take over.

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I warm up with a few different clubs, going from something like SW to 6I to a hybrid to the driver and then back to the SW.  I'll usually finish with a few drives since I normally play courses that require me to hit driver off of the first.  If you need to be more controlled on the early holes play the par 5 with a 3 wood instead of driver and concentrate on tempo and grip.  When I'm nervous or tight I tend to unconsciously put the club in a death grip until I think about it. I think it was Ben Hogan who said to grip the club like it was a baby bird. I think that a looser grip promotes less tension which can lead to smoother swings.

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I always finish with the club I am going to use on the first tee.

Be it driver, 3 wood, 3 Hybrid ( or in shotgun starts maybe an iron if I start on a Par 3 )

This. If I can get to the range, I take my last couple balls to get a feel for the shot I want to his on the first tee. If I can't get to the range I just try to warm up as best I can.

In my bag:

Driver: Titleist TSi3 | 15º 3-Wood: Ping G410 | 17º 2-Hybrid: Ping G410 | 19º 3-Iron: TaylorMade GAPR Lo |4-PW Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo | 54º SW, 60º LW: Titleist Vokey SM8 | Putter: Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas H7

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Visualize and be confident off the first tee. Put yourself in a positive mindset. If you see a dogleg left on the first hole, say "I'm going to hit a great draw (for righties)" or "I can put this exactly where I want for my approach to the green".

When I walk up (or drive) to the first hole that's unfamiliar or difficult, I don't panic. I go through my usual routine of getting my glove out, my ball markers, tees, divot tools, etc. I keep in mind the shot that I want to play, and forget about what the hole looks like. Don't tense up, swing naturally.

Like may of the previous posters, going to the driving range beforehand helps a great deal. If I know what the first hole looks like, I will spend my last 10 or so balls hitting the driver, followed by my ideal approach iron. I will save two balls for the driver alone. When I go up to the first hole however, I still go through my routine, checking for my glove, ball markers, tees, tools, etc.

Driver: :tmade: R11 9.0 - Bassara Griffin UL - Tour Stiff 3-wood: :tmade: R11 Ti 15.0 - JAVLNFX M6 - Stiff Hybrid: :tmade: Rescue Hybrid - JAVLNFX Hybrid - Stiff 4-PW: :mizuno: JPX 800 PRO - Nippon 1150 GH Tour - Stiff Wedges: :edel: 50/56/60 - Nippon WV 125 Putter/Ball/RF: :edel: / :bridgestone: B330 / :leupold: GX-3i

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Well, you asked for our "rituals" so I'll give you mine. I honestly never use the range before I play. I will only use the chipping/putting green. I have 2-3 beers before my round to relax and quite honestly, without the beers my first few holes are TERRIBLE! Not to sound like an alchy as I apparently am always an advocate of beer+golf, but it really does relax me and take my mind off of everything. I usually use the chipping green for around 20 minutes and putt for around 10 and I'm good to go.

On the first tee, I make several practice swings in segments. Bring the club level with my waist line and stop - look at the club face to make sure I'm slightly closed. Take it higher and look up to make sure face is point at target and 90° with the ground. Come down to the first stopping point and make sure I'm still slightly closed to flush. Then bring the club to the imaginary impact point and make sure the club is square to closed. This just simply ingrains the perfect swing in my head and keeps me focused on my hand position and what the club face is doing.

After that "robot" type swing, I make a few full swing practice swings with hip rotation and all as if I'm hitting the ball. After those, I'm good to go for the round.

If you're thinking about the hole and what you need to do and what you need to play and your stance, your ball, the hazards, the next shot after the one you're about to hit, keeping a square club face, that you need to out-drive the person you're playing with, if you remembered your wallet, if your wife is at home wondering where you are, etc. etc. etc. - the first several holes (perhaps all?) will be a wash.

Your mind needs to be clear. Take a few practice swings to ingrain the path in your mind and just go blank. Norman used to say that he had no idea what went through his mind when addressing the ball. He said there are so many things to think about that he just always zoned out and thought of absolutely nothing except hitting the ball square (not all the technicalities that play into hitting it square). Your brain holds a lot of info so don't overload it with miscellaneous thoughts. You know what you need to do and you know what you can do - just do it (cheap Nike plug there I guess).

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Get to the course 3 hours early, warm-up, chip, putt, etc. then hit the range and get mentally prepared for the shot you want to hit.  If you don't do all that, just take an easy club and try to do as much of it as you can.  Coming up with a reasonable performance metric for a tough hole.  Maybe bogey is like par.  It's really that easy.

[ Equipment ]
R11 9° (Lowered to 8.5°) UST Proforce VTS 7x tipped 1" | 906F2 15° and 18° | 585H 21° | Mizuno MP-67 +1 length TT DG X100 | Vokey 52° Oil Can, Cleveland CG10 2-dot 56° and 60° | TM Rossa Corza Ghost 35.5" | Srixon Z Star XV | Size 14 Footjoy Green Joys | Tour Striker Pro 5, 7, 56 | Swingwing

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Originally Posted by johnclayton1982

How do y'all deal with tough starts to courses?  I'm never a big fan of this, but the course I played yesterday killed me.  First hole is a 500 yard par 5, second hole a 380 yard par 4 with a 210 forced carry over water off the tee (taking it out of my 3 wood range), and third hole is a 560 yard par 5 (with my distance, very tough - good drive, good 3-wood leaves me a mid-iron in).  After double - bogie - double my round was basically screwed.  The rest of the course was pretty tame.  After my round, I went back and played 1-3 again (paid a 9 hole fee), and par, par, bogie.

I have a very difficult time coming out the gate, usually when the opening holes are hard, like at this course.  Gorgeous course, just started out like a bear (two of the hardest three holes on the course are 2 and 3 according to handicap index.  Hardest hole I don't find that hard - 147 yard par 3 to an island green).  Further, in reviewing my scores across four courses and 21 rounds, I shot three strokes lower, on average, on the back than the front.  Three strokes.

What do y'all do for practice routines before you step on the first tee?  Do you have rituals at the range?  How do you get ready to go?


Most of the time I'm kind of in a similar situation, where I haven't had the chance to properly warm up and get the first tee feeling a little out of sync.  When I don't get to hit range balls or practice my putting, I focus a lot on stretching before I hit my first shot-- a variety of stretches targeting my hips, knees, shoulders and torso-- and when I hit my first shot, I try to swing confidently.

If I do have some time to properly warm up, here's how I do it:

- First thing you do is go to the practice green.  Start with your short putts and work your way back to longer putts (sink 5 short ones in a row before you advance).  Throw in a couple drills as well (Tee Drill or the Fringe Bump).

- The second thing you do is pull out your lowest wedge (for me, the LW), and hit baby chips, working your way back with both club and distance as you begin to feel comfortable.  Do the same with pitches if there is enough room.

- The third thing you do is get a bucket of balls and go to the range, assuming the golf course you're at has one.  I always hit off of grass and not the mats, just because it's a personal preference-- I focus on taking a divot and like to see that result to know if I'm hitting my irons as crisply as I'd like.  Anyway, when on the range, whether on mat or grass, I start with half swings with my pitching wedge, actually hitting the ball to get the lower part of my swing ready to go-- the hips turning at the right time without too much exertion and a backswing and followthrough.  Then I work my way up to my driver with full swings.

I really focus on building my game, starting with the shortest movements possible because they're just that, smaller movements within the actual swing that need to be tuned as well.  Hope this helps.

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Its just first tee jitters.  You could try spending more time warming up before your round or just accept the fact that your first hole isnt going to be your best and maybe play conservative on that hole.

I used to get first tee jitters but as much confidence grew the jitters went away.

Whats in my :sunmountain: C-130 cart bag?

Woods: :mizuno: JPX 850 9.5*, :mizuno: JPX 850 15*, :mizuno: JPX-850 19*, :mizuno: JPX Fli-Hi #4, :mizuno: JPX 800 Pro 5-PW, :mizuno: MP T-4 50-06, 54-09 58-10, :cleveland: Smart Square Blade and :bridgestone: B330-S

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The first hole always seems to get me. Most of the time if I can even come away with a bogey I'll be happy. I've actually doubled the first hole in my last six rounds...ugh!

Career Bests:

9 Holes--37 @ The Fairways at Arrowhead-Front(+2)

18 Holes--80 @ Carroll Meadows Golf Course(+9)

 

Home Course:

1) The Fairways at Arrowhead

2) Mayfair Country Club

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Still a beginner I played to the customs of my foursome (a steady tuesday game the last few weeks)  They dislike hitting any balls before a round eschewing the range for a few putts and perhaps pitches if the course allows.  I think that this has hurt me on opening holes (and perhaps the whole round).  When I go to the range I feel as if it takes a few balls to straighten out my swing and get the right feel.  I think from now on I will try to hit a couple of dozen balls before the round just to get my swing in order.  Hopefully this will take away first hole jitters as well.

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I used to always try to hit a few balls before starting a round, but my new "home course" does not have a range, but they do have a net. The first hole is the number 1 handicap hole, 435 par 4, slighty uphill tee shot, treelined that the perfect tee shot is a slight draw. The first few weeks playing this course I would ususally hit a few ball into the net to try to loosen up some. Now I've found that putting a few balls and maybe chipping along with some stretching and a few practice swings with the driver is all I need. The fact that I'm not "loose" I think I tend to swing a bit slower and smoother on the first few shots. Might give up a bit of distance, maybe even taking one more club on the second shot, but I think I'm consistantly straighter. It's later in the round when I find myself over swinging and loosing some shots.

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I try to always hit a few (20 or so) balls before a round just to warm up get in rhythm.  But not to develop or destroy confidence.  I notice your title included "attacking" and that, for me at least, isn't a good idea for a few holes.  I recommend just playing for par the first couple of hole regardless of their degree of difficulty to get a feel for today's game.  I guess what I'm trying to do is to take double bogie off the table to start even if it means reducing the possibility of birdie too.  Nothing will screw up a round (and your attitude) like a couple of doubles on one and two.

I suppose if you're playing match then go for it, nothing like putting your opponent on notice the are going to have to beat you and that you are not giving anything away.  But I don't personally recommend "attacking" in stroke play for a few holes.

Butch

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I try to hit some balls on the range prior to the round - if I don't I know I'm screwed for the first two holes. It's all mental for me. I got invited last second to play a country club course last week and was so befuddled! Didn't have my push cart with me, didn't have a hat in the car - lucky to have my clubs. Didn't have a chance to warm up...went +4 thru 2 holes LOL.

Ah well.

Callaway Org14 Sport w/ Clicgear Cart:

Callaway X 460 9* - Callaway X 15* - TaylorMade 19*/21* Hybrid - Callaway Diablo Forged 4-PW - Titleist 50/56/60 - Rife Cayman Brac - Bridgestone xFIXx/B330-RX - TRUE Linkswear Supporter!

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At my course, the first hole is a 465 yard par 5...out of bounds left and right. 2 elevation changes, a bunker protecting the top of the hill, a river cutting through the fairway, and bunkers protecting an elevated green...not to mention the out of bounds pinching in the further you go out. Needless to say, most players don't start off well.

However, the way I approach the tee shot, as I do every shot, is to totally block out whatever trouble presents itself. I picture flying my tee shot down into the landing area to have a nice short/mid iron to the green. And it has paid off tremendously! I've never had so many eagles in a year in my life thanks to this hole.

So the best advice I can give is to tune out the negatives of the shot and focus entirely on splitting the fairway.

Note: I don't usually like hitting balls before I play. I lace'em up and let'em fly!

Driver:  R9 Supertri 10.5* -  909D3 9.5*

2 Hybrid:  2009 TP Rescue 17*

Irons:  R9 TP 3-PW

Wedges:  Vokey 54* & 60*

Putter:  2Ball Vline 34"

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I usually warm up with at least half a bucket, but on the first tee my main focus is really to get the ball on the fairway.

Ogio Grom | Callaway X Hot Pro | Callaway X-Utility 3i | Mizuno MX-700 23º | Titleist Vokey SM 52.08, 58.12 | Mizuno MX-700 15º | Titleist 910 D2 9,5º | Scotty Cameron Newport 2 | Titleist Pro V1x and Taylormade Penta | Leupold GX-1

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