how do you keep from choking on a good round?

[ajbirken]

I was even par after 13, then a group asked us to play through (kiss of death). We rushed and I got a double. Carried over to the next hole where I hit one in the water...finally closed with a 79, but was bleeding out and a little nervous standing over the ball.

I don't gamble, but wondered if friendly betting is the best way to "apply" a little pressure to myself.

I never really thought about entering tournaments, but as I get a little better it might be fun.

How do you guys/gals keep your focus?

[right handed phil mickelson]

what I do is if I'm having a good round, I don't think about it. I try and sing songs in my head to keep from thinking too much about my scores. I also try and keep the same tempo through the whole round. If I have some negative thoughts or am thinking about other things than the shot I'm on, I'll back off and start my routine over again. Just try and play comfortably. If you feel uncomfortable or tentative over a shot, step back, take a deep breath, and focus. Works every time ^_^

[itzzzberny]

commenting on betting during a match, i think its a good thing. doesn't have to be for money (i.e. dinner,beer, or even cleaning clubs). when you bet on a round, you have to keep score (for those who tend to not count all their strokes ) it also helps keep things competitive and makes you focus more on each shot. but usually when i play against lower skilled friends, i usually will add strokes to keep its competitive, i tend to lose focus.... i need to find some low handicap partners....

[Ben]

I was even par after 13, then a group asked us to play through (kiss of death). We rushed and I got a double. Carried over to the next hole where I hit one in the water...finally closed with a 79, but was bleeding out and a little nervous standing over the ball.

I like the idea of playing for something. It gives the round a little more of an edge. My nemesis and I play a Nassau with dots. Front and back 9s worth $5, overall worth $10 with $2 dots. Dots are for birdies, sand saves and closest to the pin. Two dots for an eagle. Subtract a dot for a 3-putt.

As far as focus in a regular game. I try to focus on my breath. Stay calm. No major lows, and no major highs either. As cliche as it sounds, just take it one shot at a time. That is your goal, make this shot, the shot.

[beachbreak]

I don't know how the pros can do it. A few weeks ago I had a great chance of breaking 80. I knew I just needed a par and bogey on 17 and 18. I haven't broken 80 in a long time. I three putted the last two holes and shot 82. I totally lost my mind on the last two holes, out of my routine and all. And this was for a round that in essence, didn't mean anything. So my answer is to probably stick to your routine and don't think about the result but just concentrate on the target and the shot to be played.

[Jay-Bird]

how do you keep from choking on a good round?

Keep it out of your mouth.

[CG031]

Want to know? I cared less. I cared less about shooting a great round, and just take each shot one at a time. I say to myself, "hey, if I screw up I screw up. I'm going to give it my best effort and see how it goes. I'll get more opportunities at having a good round. If I don't get it this time, whatever."

I've found I've shot a ton more good rounds when I've used the "care less" strategy...

I'm not saying I completely shatter my confidence, but I don't put a lot of pressure on myself. Unless your playing for a golf team and they need you to come through with a certain score to win your team the match, then the pressure you have for shooting a good round during a casual round on a Sunday is completely put on ONLY by yourself. To be honest, your the only one who really cares if you complete the "good round."

[microcrayfish]

I don't worry about my score until I add it up at the end. Take each shot as it comes and concentrate on hitting that one shot where you want it to go. Why put unnecessary pressure on yourself? As soon as you start worrying about what you need to shoot to break this or that number you're not focusing properly on the task at hand which is hitting this drive in the fairway or sticking this one on the green or sinking this putt.

Perhaps a little anecdote will illustrate my point. I was playing with a couple of guys a few weeks ago and we get to the 16th tee box. One of them is looking at his scorecard and says "I've got 15 shots to break 90".

The other guy says, "It's a bit early to be thinking about that isn't it?"

To which the first replies, "Nah I love pressure, gimme some pressure and I'll come through". All the while I'm standing there quiet because I've seen this scenario too many times before.

What happens? Character number one proceeds to hook his drive into the trees and double bogeys the hole. He shot 5 over for the last three holes while I went 1 over for the last three.

People choke when they're put under pressure. If you're having a bad round and you duff a shot you don't consider it choking because you've been playing crap all day and your score's going to be bad anyway. It's only when the pressure of a good round is on you that you choke. Don't put any unnecessary pressure on yourself and you won't choke.

[phil.smith]

I used to kep my stats on a spare score card for every hole. Fariways, greens, putts, and so on. I got so involved in measuring what I was doing I forgot to do what it was that i was there for in the first place. I was consistently getting ahead of myself and ruining good rounds.

So I stopped doing my stats during the round and now wait til I get home (using Scorecard of course!). Its remarkable how calmer I am during the round - not getting uptight about that poor shot and immediately calculating the impact on my score.

Have had my best scores focussing only on the hole and the shot that I have. Stats are great for review - when its time to review.

[ajbirken]

Interesting ideas (wide range of opinions).

I don't really have a pre-shot routine to speak of. I don't take practice swings. I just visualize, align, grip it and rip it.

I am guessing that more playing will be the key for me. I have only been playing a little over a year (I actually seem to hit the ball worse as I go through a bucket of balls). In other sports I've played my confidence just grew over time as I got better.

It's just shocking the wide range of scores that I can get so it is hard to get really confident. This past month, I have broken 80 twice, but also broke 90 (ie 90+) twice!

I believe that golf might be the "hardest" sport that I have ever played!

[Big_M]

what I do is if I'm having a good round, I don't think about it. I try and sing songs in my head to keep from thinking too much about my scores.

sing songs in my head... that's priceless.

I don't gamble, but wondered if friendly betting is the best way to "apply" a little pressure to myself.

I am ultra competitive so if someone is better or of the same skill... then beating their as$es keeps me focused. (I hate losing, not a bad loser, just hate it). I will almost always play better than my ability when playing someone better than me.

If someone is not as good... a friendly wager is always fun with me giving strokes or something to level the playing field (I like gambling, so that helps). Tournaments will certainly help, but they are not necessary. I remember when I would get nervous teeing off with big groups and when my scores were low. The group thing just went away as I got better and realized I was better than most of them. The low scores thing hasn't really bothered me since I started breaking 80 consistently. Before I broke 80 anytime I shot 38 on the front I would get nervous and have a bad hole, then one day I just got in a zone (hole looked like a coffee can) and I broke 80. I still got nervous next time I got close to 80, but less so. Eventually after breaking 80 4-5 times, I quit getting bothered by such a prospect. I have played about 12-13 holes at level par and didn't get nervous one bit... so I think that part of me is gone for the most part... I guess someday I'll start birdie, birdie, par, eagle... then we'll see if I'm truly fixed.

[JaY_B]

sing songs in my head... that's priceless.

And can give you me one reason why this is a bad thing to do?

the reason a lot of people 'bottle it' is because they change the way they do things, they might hit the ball a bit harder than they have been, try to fade it when they have been drawing it all day, do slightly different things in the pre shot routine etc The best way to perform under pressure is to stick to the same routine you have been using for the lat 14'ish holes and not to change anything about your game.

[Prairie Golfer]

Start double, double, double....

On my course the #1,3,5 handicap holes start the round. A common round is a double average start on those holes, a bogey average on holes 4-13 and a double average on the last 5.

[shortstop20]

I don't ever add my score up until the round is over. I write down the score for each hole and immediately put the scorecard away. The less I see the numbers and think about them the better I play.

[srjorion]

Same here for not adding up my score until the end. When I shot my best round ever I had a four foot putt to break my previous best. I had no clue until I sank the putt and then starting adding the numbers. I imagine that putt would have been a lot more difficult knowing I needed to sink it to break my previous best.

[Paddymaster]

I don't gamble, but wondered if friendly betting is the best way to "apply" a little pressure to myself.

I dont always like playing for money but push ups are fun. My friend and i do 10 pushups a hole, because they r annoying and you dont want to have to do them but ur not losing much (maybe your dignity). As for tournaments, I would say the single most thing to help peoples golf game is to enter them. Its the most realistic competitive golf you can have. It makes people learn a little bit about themselves. I HIGHLY recommend it

[Eore]

do the opposite of kenny perry ;)

jk, props to him, good guy. but make smart club choices. don't attempt a hero shot on a par four when a lay-up and chip gives you a good shot at par

[thumper07]

Its hard to not add up score when your only shooting 3-7 over par regularly, 85's and shit yes but as you get better you'll know what you are shooting so you better come to terms with it quickly.

Golf lf is not a game of Perfect
Your 15th club

These two books, read, then re-read, then apply. You'll learn to enjoy situations like that and instead and trying to just get by, like by ignoring what is actually happening. You'll learn that you can go lower and keep going because you enjoy the moment and your aren't scared of it. I have 5 books at home on golf and only one is about the swing. Mental game is what got me to the next level after years of beating balls as a 10-11 handicapp.

-matt