Tips on Making Each Shot Count?

[xian]

There was a new year's resolution thread a while back and several people mentioned that a goal for the coming year was to really focus on each shot and make it count. When I am off the course, I think to myself, "Yes. Let's do it right and really bear down, focus, and stop throwing away so many strokes." Butt then, after a round I realize that I have flaked out on a huge proportion of my shots. My brain seems to check out for a few hours.

So any tips or strategies that you all have found to be useful for making each shot count?

[jamesduncan]

1. Follow your routine - Allow your routine to focus mainly on things like "target" and hole stragey. Also allow your routine to accomidate for sucessful thoughts. See the shot you want to hit then hit it.

2. Always: Inspect your lie, find your yardage, THEN select your club.

3. Plan for sucess, accept the results and then start planning the most important shot in golf, the next one.

4. Allow you mind to wander between shots, relax and enjoy your day as you move (walk/ride car) between shots. Theres no way one can possible stay fully focused for 4+ hours. Inbetween shots allow yourself to relax then regroup during your routine.

5. When playing safe, dont play "half safe". When laying up, really lay up to your fave distance to the green. If that brings more trouble into play, make sure youre also taking that trouble out of play.

6. When hitting the ball badly, play to bail out areas around the green. Dont complicate problems and try to play for the solid bogey. Remember, the "solid bogey" can get the round back on track just as much as the solid par.

7. Dont give yourself a lesson on the course. Pre round, warm up on the range by getting your swing going and seeing what you have that day (it might not be much). Play the round with what you brought to the course (this means yes taking an extra club if needed). Only after the round, go back to the rangre and try to fix things.

8. Golf is about one thing at the end of the day:

Making a number.

Dont take yourself out the round by hitting shots you havent planned for and dont worry about bad swings or missed shots. Get yourself back into the hole, finish, and start the next hole fresh again. Again, no style points unfort in golf.

Play to make the best number you possibly can that given day and you'll be amazed how much more you can focus and how literally your handicap will drop. Plus you'll be amazed at simply how much more you enjoy the game of golf. Accept the challenge and always plan for sucess. Then simply accept the result and being again.


Hope this helps.

[Deep Stuff]

I am in no position to give advice, but I can feel with for ya and tell you what happens to me.

The biggest issue I have is when there are people behind me. I do not play slow but I feel the need (for some reason) to play quicker to try and NOT hold them up. This causes me to break my routine and shots suffer.

other stuff:

Ego: Sure I can take my 8 iron out and have to make a great shot and really get into it, but I could also use my 7 and be a little less agressive and do the same thing.

Bringing the last hole to the next: 2 weeks ago, I had a tough but makeable putt for birdie. I played it on a perfect line but it hit the back of the cup and did not fall. I made the par but was upset. I may or may not have shown but my mind was on the near miss. I sliced the next shot into the rough, had to take my medicine and settle for a lucky bogey.

Fatigue: I never ride. I enjoy walking a course especially with my good pals. It allows us to catch up and have some good times thatn we would not if we were in to seperate carts. HOWEVER, I had let my diet slack over the last a bunch of months and this is causing me to fatigue to much on the course.