Do you find yourself hitting the same shots over and over?

[O.B. Right]

I play the same 9 hole course all the time and have noticed that I tend to play the same exact shots almost every time I play it. For example:

Hole #1 - short par 4
I always hit a good drive here. 170-180 in the fairway. Seriously - the last 10 times I played this hole I have hit my drive in the fairway.

The second shot is usually blocked right and lands just short of the green. I usually chip on in one more and then 2 or 3 putt.

Hole #2 - mid (~165) Par 3
I almost always top my tee shot and hit my second shot from the fairway about 140 yards out. I usually hit the green from here or land just short. So far, have never topped the second shot.

Hole #3 - short par 5
Almost always flub the drive here. Usually top it and have it land just where the fairway begins. Second shot is always with a 5 wood and I usually hit it down the fairway just short of the 150 yard marker. From here, I always grab the 4iron and block it way right. I usually chip on from there with an 80-90 yard wedge.

Hole #4 - long par 4
Usually get a good drive here. Fairway about 75% of the time or right fringe. My second shot is good but never enough. On in 3 almost every time.

Hole # 5 - long par 3
Always hit the tee shot way right. Am often chipping onto the green from the next hole's tee box.

Hole #6 - long par 4
Usually get a good drive here. Almost always have a makeable second shot but never make it. Usually block it way right and get on in 3.

And so on . . . .

I play this course almost every day lately and can almost script the round. Just sort of wondering . . does this happen to you?

[deronsizemore]

Golf is a tough game; maybe the toughest game out there. It's tough to improve and majority of golfers have a habit of doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.

With that said, yes I'm the same way. I have a few holes where I typically hit the same shots every time.

[double_j]

It's sad, but I could do this for every hole at either of my two home courses:

Hole 1: Drive, 9 iron into green, 7 iron if normal miss. Since it's the first hole, I'll usually blow the chip if no GIR and settle for a bogey (sometimes double if I'm an idiot). +1

Hole 2: 3 iron to 130, PW in, if GIR par, if not bogey. +2

Hole 3: Drive to 8 iron, par or bogey, double if normal miss loses a ball in one of the laterals on either side. +3

Hole 4: drive, hybrid to lay up, SW approach par or birdie if good 3rd shot. +3

Hole 5: 4 or 5 iron par three depending on tee/pin placement. Tough up and down +4

Hole 6: #1 HC, 440 par 4, straightaway, lateral on right, thick woods on left. Bogey at best, double if lost ball +5

Hole 7: drive, 5 iron lay up, 8 iron approach, par or birdie depending on pin placement +5

Hole 8: 6 or 7 iron par three. up and down depends on miss, otherwise par. +6

Hole 9: 3 wood to edge of water, PW approach, par. +6

42 for 9 holes.

hole 10: Drive to 9 iron into protected green. Par or bogey if missed FIR +7

Hole 11: drive to 6 iron, very protected and tiered green. bogey +8

Hole 12: Drive to 8 or 9 iron, 7 iron if normal miss. Par or bogey if unlucky +9

Hole 13: 7 iron par three. Par +9

Hole 14: 3 wood off tee, 52 degree approach, tough green and bunkers, par/birdie if GIR, otherwise bogey +9

Hole 15: drive to 5 iron layup, SW approach, birdie or par. +9

Hole 16: 3 iron par three, bogey, par if lucky bounce. +10

Hole 17: drive to 7 iron, 6 iron if normal miss. Par or bogey depending on pin placement. +10

Hole 18: drive to 5 iron lay up. SW approach. Par or birdie depending on pin placement +10

40 for back nine.

And that, my friends, happens almost every time I play...

[allin]

Is this the definition of perfection or insanity?

[double_j]

Is this the definition of perfection or insanity?

Definitely insanity - I'm not sure why repeating this sequence over and over again never gets tired but I truly look forward to every single round I play.

Maybe we golfers are blessed with extremely short memories!

[sean_miller]

Mix it up guys. Play from a different set of tees or just use a different club off the tee. Heck, play the holes backward (PW, 3-wood). Get outta your funk!!

[eprobation]

I play at a small 9 hole CC. For fun we pick a tee box and a green and make up a par. Its fun when you get a group of guys and the course is empty... Go from 1st tee box and hit for 5 green... and everyone agrees on a 8 for par... things like that.

[Fourputt]

Nope. Since the tees get moved up or back, and my drives lack some consistency, I play a myriad of different shots, even though I play the same 18 hole course 90% of time. I never seem to get bored there even though I've been playing the course for 30 years. I guess that's the sign of a good design, or at least one that suits my game.

[WUTiger]

Not the entire course, but there's always three or four holes where I have recurring disappointing shot patterns.

On the short par 5: Take back-to-back 5 woods, and set up your third shot from the fairway. Then, wedge on and get a birdie or par. Short par 5s can be the worst, because we think we could get home in two if we hit a super driver... which rarely comes when pressing.

[delav]

I believe Nicklaus said that 90% of the shot is determined before you move the club. Obviously grip, setup, alignment, posture, tension... all of these things play a role as well, but I think he was really suggesting that mentality has a great deal to do with shot (swing) results.

Make sure you've got a vision of the ball flight you'd like, a purpose for every shot. Those holes that get you every time, (OB right, water left, beer cart girl... whatever...) create a positive image in your head before taking the tee.

[chilly]

You know, thinking about it, I do hit some of the same shots on the same holes. Not talking about the same "high fade" drive, I'm talking the same topped 7 iron on our #2 par 3, or the fact that I have not once this summer hit to the right side of our #13 par 3...every time it's a draw or hook to the left side. Interesting.

Thinking more on it, I will go left on our #11 very frequently, even though I rarely go left with driver.

[O.B. Right]

You know, thinking about it, I do hit some of the same shots on the same holes. Not talking about the same "high fade" drive, I'm talking the same topped 7 iron on our #2 par 3, or the fact that I have not once this summer hit to the right side of our #13 par 3...every time it's a draw or hook to the left side. Interesting.

That's sort of what I mean . . especially the bad ones. There's really nothing different about the tee shot on hole 1 and hole 3 but, for some reason, I always flub the tee shot on #3. Maybe because #3 is a par 5 and I'm subconsciously trying to kill it? Maybe I learn my lesson, temporarily, which is why I almost always get a good one on #4. It is interesting . .there must be something to it.

[markpf189]

Yep, every now and then I get a real bad slice on my drives and it always seem to happen on this long par 5 with water on the right side. I go up there thinking I'm going in the water, and that's probably why it always happens.

[jamo]

Maybe not exactly the same, but I when I play a hole a lot of times my misses all tend to be in the same spot. That doesn't mean I always hit my ball there, but when all my bad shots go to the same location.

[Leftygolfer]

Not really for me. I usually hit the same clubs off many of the tees but where it goes is changing. On one par 3 in particular I miss it right alot and have a similar shot but I miss it right ALOT so that isn't something unique. This particular green is narrow and left has some really tricky bunkers and 3 tiers. I have perfected hitting really bad pull hooks into many greens and making many O doubles from that shot.

[wrx_junki]

Lot of it is in your head. Certain holes you have confidence in and some you just lack confidence in. I have a 310 yard dogleg par 4 that I've been consistently driving onto the green/fringe over fairly tall trees even on days when I am driving the ball horribly. Then there's a 200-210 yard par 3 that I have never gotten on the green/fringe except for one time when I thinned my shot and it rolled up onto the fringe. Confidence does a lot for your golf game. Now I just need to hit one good shot on that par 3 for me to help support my visual aid.

[chef35ca]

I think Mr.Miller has it right- mix it up.

Isn't the clinical definition of insanity doing the same thing over & over & expecting different results?

Play different tees or change it up off the tee.
Example my home course

#1-Short par 4 310 blue/287 white. The green sits perpendicular to the fairway & is guarded by three large bunkers squenced in front. Bunkers, steep downhill & finally hazard behind. So the approach has to be flown accurately to have any real chance at bird or par. Woods up the left side, watery death on the right.
I've teed off with everything from 8i to driver. Generally i hit 6i to leave me a sw on. If i'm feeling frisky or bored i'll pull out the driver & go for it. Haven't put it on yet, hit the front & bounced off once.

There's another course we play frequently with the 17th hole from hell. 224 yd par3 with a hump in the middle of the green. Green is 52yds deep. Death left & right. Everybody pulls out driver to hybrid(except my father inlaw who hits 4i dammit...). So i started hitting pw twice. Puts me in the middle everytime putting for par. Having to retee from 224 is not appealing.

There's endless creativity in this game, you've just got to let go of what seems logical sometimes.

Also if you tee with the same club everytime & average bogey on a hole, doesn't that just seem wrong?

[ohiolefty]

I would think with the wacky weather in Northern California, you've gotta have a lotta different shots in your bag for the same distance(s).

I know on my home course, a short-ish course with small, slopey greens, I have to have many different approach shots. Plus, course conditions (firmness) change wildly which changes your distance off the tee.