Can't concentrate in a group....

[James_Black]

Was playing with my friend and I was playing great, 3 over for the first 7 (3 pars in a row) and then I just couldn't concentrate for the rest of the round.

anybody else get this problem?

If I was playing by myself I'd have been able to keep going without things falling apart.

[Dave H]

I tend to have the exact opposite problem. I can't stay focused playing alone. Sorry, that's not very helpful.

[westcyderydin]

yes i do have this problem. i have a very hard time concentrating on the golf course. and if i do have a good round where i did a great job of concentrating i just get so mentally drained and tired. i know when i am not concentrating well because i end up gaining strokes in my short game. i just wont get up and down and i will make bad attempts at putts. i also try to do way to much on shots i should be laying up on and those two things cause bogeys and double bogeys. i feel like i am a 20 handicapper in a better golfers body sometimes just by some of the stupid mental mistakes i make. these things are compounded when i golf with the wrong people.

how do u guys think when your on the course? any tips? whether it is when golfing with others or just your mindset while playing the course. i have a feeling i should speed up my routine and think less, but there has to be some good mindset tips to make this easier.

[mship]

I've had this problem for awhile as well. I always play so much better, with much better focus, when I'm by myself. I think I've finally figured out why. When I'm in a group I hurry my shots too much. I'm always worried about being that guy that takes forever to line up and hit the ball. I've asked a few people and they've told me I'm not any slower than anyone else so it's all in my head.

Had this in mind when I played nine today. Got paired with another single. I forced myself to take my time and stick to my pre-shot routine. It worked, I had one of my best ball striking rounds in quite awhile.

[Fourputt]

I'm not going to be very helpful, because I don't like playing alone. It's very rare that I will have the opportunity to play alone, which is good because I much prefer to play with a full group. I don't feel the need to have tunnel vision and focus 100% on the game. I like to talk with my companions between shots, reserving my moments of concentration for when I'm actually in my routine when setting up a shot. I find that I stay much more relaxed that way. I enjoy golf for its social as well as its competitive aspects, so it's when I'm playing alone that I tend to lose focus. Sometimes I even get a little bit bored playing solo.

[sean_miller]

It depends on the group. One of my best rounds last year was in a group of strangers where I walked the front nine, and shared a cart on the back nine.

On the front, it was 3 guys in power carts, and me with a pull cart. They'd race off to find their balls, and I'd head straight to my ball - never having to help search for sprayed tee shots all day - it was awesome. I didn't bother with a scorecard, but had the honor most of the day.

[James_Black]

shot 11 over today playing alone.

had around 4 three-putts

[DFinch]

It helps to have a consistent and repeated pre-shot routine. It is the "concentration trigger" that helps you go from "casual" to "focused".