Looking For Some Mental Advice...

[adamgoodman]

Lately, my mental game has been in a funk. I'm the number one golfer on my high school golf team (terrible team, but still), but I seem to be having trouble focusing early on in matches. The last two matches I have shot mediocre scores, but only one hole away from being a decent score. Last match I triple-bogeyed the first hole, and today triple-bogeyed the second. Both matches I recovered pretty well and consistently played decent for rest of the round, but the bad hole took a big hit in my score, and both occurred early in the round. Any advice for me here? Could it just be jitters, or something else? The blow up hole today was the difference between me being the match medalist.

[saevel25]

Thats tough to say, it sounds like its not a swing problem. Can you describe the triple bogeys? Was it a lost ball, penalty??

[weavej2]

Begin early, begin when you get in the van to go to the match, you are the best on the team the others will look up to you and mimmick your behavior. Try to get in a competitive state of mind on the way, dont allow the feeling of being rushed or hurried in. Close you eyes and see what the first hole will be like, you either know the hole because it is at home or you have most likely been there since you have some experience. Play the holes and allow the feeling of peace and purpose to reign. Take that mind set from the van to the range and stay in that focused zone, i am not implying to be uptight, douchy or full of your self , I am just saying get your head into the match before you tee it up.. You are the best make sure you relay the team plan to the others as they tee up as well. Roll some putts for confidence. If you play 9 hoes remember to mentally divide the card into 3 3 hole matches, if the 1st 3 holes dont go well ,,,move on to the 2nd 3rd

[KD Epic]

It could just be you had a bad couple of holes in back to back matches and it's just a coincidence they're early -- I would be careful not to convince myself I'm having confidence issues because... well... that would lead to confidence issues.

Good luck, I hope you do well your next match.

[motteler621]

you are probably too cold when you start. Happens to me alot when I first start. It might be a good idea to warm up for awhile before you play, like hit some balls at the range or something. I know kobe byrant shoots around for hours before he starts a game. Most pro golfers are on the driving range hitting balls before they tee off and most of the time us golf players as in me and you just warm up by stretching, putting/chipping around and swinging, lol. We need to hit balls.

[adamgoodman]

saevel25: It's definitely not a swing problem at this point. The triple bogeys were bad triples, no lost balls no penalties. Yesterday on a par four it was a drive sliced into the edge of the woods, punch-out, skied third shot left shot, weak approach to the pin, and a three putt (very difficult, aerated, wet greens). It was ugly.

weavej2: I really like that 3 hole divisions idea...Thanks a lot.

KD Epic: What is uplifting is that I was able to recover, but disconcerting is how the one bad hole is changing decent scores into mediocre ones.

Motteler621: I completely agree with your theory, but unfortunately, the vast majority of our matches are played at courses without ranges, and I'm only a sophomore, so I can't use my study halls for early release.

[ericstamper]

I know the feeling too well......started golf my freshman year, varsity my soph, #1 junior and senior year........I was notorious for starting off bad, finally one round made a 10 on the first hole (senior yr) on a short par 5. Followed it up with 4 birdies and a eagle on the last hole (short par 4 downhill hit a three wood to about a foot).........shot 1 under 35 with a 10.......it was that day that i realized that i was one of the better players in my area, and the pressure was on the other guys and not me......i just needed to go out and play golf and let them try to press......hope this helps

[authentic_golfer]

Hey Adam,

Bet we've all been there, in competition or not. I'd be curious to know how you approached each shot once you had made a couple of mistakes and brought the possibility of a big number into play. I can speak from experience, both playing and observing, that young players often quit on a hole, rush shots in anger, or otherwise give in to their worst instincts.

Just asking, of course. You may be the most level-headed kid on the planet -- and goodness knows, I've seen guys much older than you pack it in after a bad shot or two. (Looking at you, John Daly...)

Good luck, regardless. If you figure out the issue, PLEASE fill us old guys in on the secret.

Sean

[adamgoodman]

Eric Stamper: Great mindset advice there, but unfortunately, I'm not quite one of the best in the conference yet. :P I made Varsity my freshman year, but only as the number 5 with a team full of seniors. So this year, with all the graduation losses, I was really rushed into the lead man role and I know it, despite my best efforts to significantly improve over the off season. Is it wrong to be aware of being less skilled than most of my opponents? Maybe I'm subconsciously making myself think my opponent is better than I am, instead of making them prove it. I guess we are all on an equal playing field until the first score is written. Thanks for the help.

Authentic_Golfer: To answer you're question, I would like to think I approached my next shots pretty well. I vividly remember my train of thought during that position... Shot 2: Just get it out and safe and go from there. Shot 3: Just get this close enough for a chance to save par or bogey. Shot 4: Just give yourself a chance for bogey Shot 5: Just leave yourself a gimme Shot 6: Makable putt. Make it. Shot 7: $#%! I'm sure there are ways I could have approached it better, but it was a hole that had the potential to destroy the entire round.