so close....

[Andyonfire]

My goal this year is to break 80. I have been so close several times but this was the worst. Standing on the 16th tee, 6 over par on a par 72 course. i then proceed to finish with bogey bogey bogey. for a nice 9 over 81. Perhaps i am not mentally ready to break this score, although the whole round i was feeling really good. Hitting greens, fairways, gettin up and down. I thought today was the day. I felt i had to rant on here. I just wanna see that 7* score.

[StrmStlkr]

Did you know you were sitting 6 over par on the 16th tee or did you figure it out after the round? If you knew, that could have been your problem. I find its always better to know after the fact then to have it in my head before the fact. Added pressure usually never really helps anyones game.

[Fredguay642]

I had one of those days a few weeks ago. I have the same goal to break 80. And I was on 16 and a three putt bogey which was pathetic, but the worst was on 18 I left a 10 ft uphill birdie putt short that was for 79. I didn't realize I was that close becasue my front nine was so bad. I went out in 43 and in with 37. So I will next time make sure I know what I am putting for. Plus I wanted to shoot par for nine this year.

But, Just to let you know, This last week I went to visit my parents and played the nine hole course I first learned how to play one and shot 34 (-2). It was awesome. I even missed a couple more birdie chances (Less than 15'). I hit 7 out of 9 greens and was putting from the fringe on the 2 misses. I haven't been out since but I know my 79 is coming. Good luck. You will get it.

[wedge player]

  Andyonfire said:

My goal this year is to break 80. I have been so close several times but this was the worst. Standing on the 16th tee, 6 over par on a par 72 course. i then proceed to finish with bogey bogey bogey. for a nice 9 over 81. Perhaps i am not mentally ready to break this score, although the whole round i was feeling really good. Hitting greens, fairways, gettin up and down. I thought today was the day. I felt i had to rant on here. I just wanna see that 7* score.

if you arent playing alone have the other person mark your score,therefore you dont know where you are and the mental aspect of it is gone.

[HSip]

  wedge player said:

if you arent playing alone have the other person mark your score,therefore you dont know where you are and the mental aspect of it is gone.

What he said. You've got to think about the next shot - not what you need to "make" to break 80, 90 or whatever. Good luck

[slide13]

That sort of thing happens to me a lot. I'm nowhere near that level but I blew up on the last few holes of a round of 9 tonight. Started off great (for me) by going bogey, par, par, par, bogey. I was thrilled with that start. Then I went double bogey, bogey, quadruple bogey (lost a ball OB) and double bogey for an 11 over 47. I thought I was so on track for a good score in the low 40's but it was not to be unfortunately. I did only loose one ball tonight which is a big improvement for me because I often have some terrible drives.

So basically, it happens and it sucks. It's such a mental game and my head just isn't ready to play well yet evidently.

[Williamevanl]

Yep in the same boat here, maybe its best not to keep track and add it all up at the end but I can't help but keep track.

Everytime I'm about to finish under 40 on nine I blow up, I had to make bogey for a 39 most recently and I got a triple. Like you said, psychological...

[Andyonfire]

i don't know how you guys don't keep track of your score. Mine is in my head constantly. I find golf you improve very fast, and then you hit a plateau. Once you hit a stage in your game when your shooting a consistent score, you need to practise more/harder etc to break that stage. wether its breaking 100, 90, 80, etc.

You hit stages in your game, and its harder to improve that stroke after every level. Anyone understand what im tryin to say?

[CG031]

  StrmStlkr said:

Did you know you were sitting 6 over par on the 16th tee or did you figure it out after the round? If you knew, that could have been your problem. I find its always better to know after the fact then to have it in my head before the fact. Added pressure usually never really helps anyones game.

Not really sure how people play like that? I always know how many over I am, if I'm playing great, or absolutely terrible.

We are the same handicap, and I've only broken 80 a few times, but I have done it. My advice would be this: Don't worry about breaking 80 so badly. Eventually, it's going to happen if you just relax and don't really care so much to break it. Just keep putting in the hard work on the weak parts of your game/swing and your game/score will improve a lot. Unless you are like Tom Coyne and are trying to make it through Q-School, don't worry so much if your round is under 80. Eventually, it will come. I guarantee it.

[deronsizemore]

It will come when you least expect it. Stick a couple wedges closer or make a couple more putts and you've broken 80.

Like others have said, just don't worry about it. I had a similar struggle breaking a barrier and just kept telling myself that it's no big deal and that many golfers break this score each year and my doing so was nothing special. It took me two years to do it, but I finally did it and now it really is no big deal and I do it all the time.

I think you'll find the same once you break 80. I remember when I first broke 80 and from then on out, it seemed much easier to break 80.

[MPforthewin]

I know it sounds hard but you have to literally focus on every single shot. Everytime you step over the ball, you have never hit another shot and you are not going to hit another shot. The only thing that exists is the shot right in front of you. Then on 18 green you will add it up and it will be a 77 or something.

The pros fight the same thing all the time except they are 7 or 8 under after 11 and have to not think about it too keep it going. They focus on only the shot at hand.

[CarlSpackler]

I try (don't always succeed but getting better) at focusing only on the shot at hand. I think you will subconsciously know that you might break 80 even if you aren't looking at the card, so it is better to know what your score or your opponents score is and learn how to turn that off before making your stroke. There will always be thoughts out there like, "I can bogey this hole and still...".

I think what makes Tiger so good is his ability to turn off these thoughts and focus on the shot at hand, not to mention forget a bad shot almost immediately after. Not to take anything away from his physical ability to swing a club and a large arsenal of shots to use, but his mental game is phenomenal and his main asset IMO.

[lumpuckeroo]

  MPforthewin said:

I know it sounds hard but you have to literally focus on every single shot. Everytime you step over the ball, you have never hit another shot and you are not going to hit another shot. The only thing that exists is the shot right in front of you. Then on 18 green you will add it up and it will be a 77 or something.

I agree, I actually shot a 77 on Saturday and had no idea I was close to breaking 80 until the score was added up at the end of the round. I was playing with my brother and a guy we picked up as a single. The three of us chatted during the round and my mind was not on the score, just hitting a shot, and finding the ball and hitting again.