Things going south quickly

[mhenrickson]

Yes, this is another one of those "I suck at golf and need to vent" posts. Enjoy!

My goal for this summer was to be a double bogey golfer - shoot consistently in the 50's (nine holes obviously). I've been playing for a year and shot mostly 60's last summer, but late summer finally had some rounds in the 50's, so I thought this was a realistic goal going into this year.

The season started out well, with me posting 58, 56, and 52. Since then I've played eight rounds (again 9 holes), and only broken 60 twice. Last three rounds were 64, 66, 66. Last night was probably the worst golf I've played since...well...ever. I couldn't get the ball in the air on probably half my shots. Chipping was all over the place, and putting was even worse than usual (which is NOT good).

I have taken lessons (both this year and last year), and am working on setting up one more (since I've already paid for it). But, I can't keep paying for lessons forever, right? I mean, at some point I have to put what I know to use on the course.

I guess I either need encouragement, a good kick in the ass, or maybe to find that my goals aren't realistic. But it kind of hurts the confidence to read on this board that so many have broken 100 in a short time, while I still struggle to break 120. I know I shouldn't compare myself to anyone else, but in some ways it's hard not to. I KNOW I can play better golf than this, since I've done it in the past, but to be in this strech of such poor play is very frustrating.

End of rant.

[bshack]

I would relax and play a round without scoring... I know it seems hard because even if you dont use a scorecard you will keep track in your head. But at least try for one round to just play.

Before each shot I would take a breather and focus on that one shot. Take practice swings until it feels right. If someone is pushing you along they can go forward. Dont take too long but play smart.

Also a tip for when im struggling I walk to course instead of using a cart. That way if I have a bad shot I have time to cool off before I get to my ball and think instead of jumpin in the cart gassing it to my ball and take another wack still aggravated.

Remember its a tough game the average person cant swing a club. Your ahead of the curve just relax and enjoy it.

[mhenrickson]

Thanks for the tips. I almost always walk the course, and last night I really tried to focus on relaxing and keeping my swing tempo smooth. In my head I think (emphasis on THINK) it's just a bad spell, but the results were just so bad lately that it's really hard to stay confident.

[NI4NI]

For me, the difference between shooting 42 and 51 on the same 9-hole stretch comes down to course management, patience, and focus. I used to lose many strokes chasing a hero shot after a bad one in order to recover - it only put me deeper into the hole. Sometimes, you need to take your medicine, re-focus on salvaging what you can on a blow-up hole, and learn from your mistakes.

Given the scores you provided, there is a 10 stroke average differential - that's roughly one stroke per hole. Try focusing on making the smart shot versus the "hero" ones, and go one hole at a time. Small steps of progress add a lot to the confidence and mind set...

Good luck

[mhenrickson]

I also do that...try to play smart. I don't hit my driver anymore off the tee, usually play a 7-iron from the fairway. Try to hit the middle of the green instead of going for the pin, chip out when my line is blocked, etc. It's just that nothing is working for me right now. Hopefully it will pass!

[grizfan]

keep hammerin' away at the lessons, they do tend to have a cumulative effect. Also, you could try a different approach on the course. Bshack's advise is sound, but you could also go the other direction and get very analytical about your game. bring a notepad and log each shot. This will slow you down quite a bit. And as someone who's struggled with my game, I know that can build up the frustration when you're playing slow, so be sure to do this on a light day at your local course and let folks play through. But, anything you can do to better understand where the problems are will help. The thing with golf is it can really ratchet up the emotions when things go poorly, so it can be tough to rely just on memory to recall the parts of your game that cause you the most problems.
I think you have reasonable goals, but when things get off track in this game, it can really snowball on you. Maybe mix it up, try something different. stay off the course for a few days and hit the driving range. work on a routine for practice, etc...

[drglew]

wow mhenrickson, you suck at golf and should find someplace to vent... ;)

as one who has posted similar rantings (85, 85, 102--what the f**k), i've learned that my most terrible rounds are primarily due to short-game blowups; more importantly, i've had plenty of decent or even good scores with erratic ballstriking just because of being able to get up & down from off the green. Sounds like your chipping/putting aren't working well from your description either. Yes, keep up with the lessons, but make sure (if you haven't already) that some of that lesson time is focused on the short game. I'd bet if you reduce your "double chips" (i.e. didn't get on the green with a pitch/chip) and 3-putts you'll get to your goal and probably beyond it, even if you're still spraying it quite a bit.

[mhenrickson]

So I go out today for my work league, and shoot a 48, which is my best score ever. Now granted, it's a tainted 48 because they concede putts, so maybe I miss one or two of them, but it still was my best round ever (previous best was a 50). And this after not having broken 60 in almost a month. Golf makes zero sense!

[Meddle]

Great job on the 48! By the way, how often do you frequent the range? I spent a good six months hitting balls before I ever hit the course, and I bet that a bunch of those guys who broke 100 quickly had a bunch of range time first.

[WUTiger]

Everyone says that short game is the #1 most important part of golf.

Not sure what #2 is, but #1.2 is put it in the fairway off the tee. This doesn't mean 300-yard drives, it means get it into the sunshine off the tee.

As you already suggested, go with a 3W if your driver doesn't work. If you hit your 3W off the tee and for longer fairway shots, you'll get more practice on the club.

On shorter par 4s, try to get distance off the tee to set up your money club. If the 7 iron is your favorite, try to set things up on a 320 yd. hole so 7i is your approach tool.

If you have a longer par 4 with trouble around the green, lay up short of the green and chip or pitch on.

Set your personal par for each hole, and mark it on the score card ahead of time. For most holes, this will probably a bogie. If you play for bogie except on shorter holes, you take less risks, and you should be breaking 50 soon.

If you think you should hit a 5 iron and your little voice says, "Oh no!", back off and hit a 6 or 7 iron (set up to chip on). If you lack confidence in a shot, it rarely comes off successfully.

And, try to have fun when you play. That's allowed.

[McGolf-Doggie]

Great job on the 48! By the way, how often do you frequent the range? I spent a good six months hitting balls before I ever hit the course, and I bet that a bunch of those guys who broke 100 quickly had a bunch of range time first.

Funny you should say that, but I didn't go near a course until the end of the first year. And even the second year my range time, was 95% vs 5% course. That all changed the third year. Then I got the hook in, and now I play much more frequently, but I still like range work. Plenty of them near me, though I've grown to dislike mats. Last year I got a backyard net, which is useful for grooving certain things without worrying about distance. Also chip regularly short distances in the backyard. Sometimes it's hard to see progress Last year I hardly veered from a 44 average. 42-46 generally, with lots of 44s and 45s, with a 50 thrown in for good measure just to keep me honest. Only injuries, though, keep me from spending more time at the range. Scored my best last week a 39 over 9 holes. I don't put much stock at all in one score, but I had to wait a year to break 40. It'll be a process to bring it down incrementally, but I like the process, so no big deal. Anything can happen at any given time. It's golf. PS. In the process of scoring that 39 my golf buddy opened me a nice cold Stella Artois on the 3rd hole. And as far as I know that's a perfectly acceptable performance enhancing substance on the course. Thanks mate! Clearly, it had no ill effects on my game.