I Always End Up In the Water

[noobgolfer]

When ever I come up to a hole that has water on it in my mind I freak out. I make all these adjustments to my screen so that I don't hit the ball in the water. But it always ends up in the water. I think it is some kind of pyschological thing that makes me question myself. Does anybody have an solutions?

[In the woods]

I was watching the golf channel a couple of weeks ago and someone said something that really made sense to me and actually helped my next time out.  The next round I played had a ton of water on it.

The guy giving the Driver lesson said, "if you come to hole where there is water left, OB right and a fairway down the middle, instead of saying there is the fairway... oh wait water left OB right..." you should say "Ok I have water left, OB right but look at that pretty fairway in the middle."

He pointed out that the first way you acknowledged the fairway but the last thought you put in your mind was either water or OB.  Therefore more often than not you find water or OB.  The second way, you acknowledge the water and OB, but this time the last thought in your head before you swing your club is that pretty fairway dead center.  More often than not your body will follow your mind and there goes the ball, down the pipe.

I don't know how well this works but I am simple minded and it worked well for me to have a picture of the fairway in my head instead of the picture of water before I hit the ball.

[mchepp]

I have a friend, he is former mini-tour player, and he gave me a tip that really works. I cannot explain why but it does.

Lets say that you have a hole with water on the left of the green and a bunker guarding the right side. He says to start off visualizing yourself hitting in the water. See the splash, and try to get that feeling where your stomach just sinks, for me when I do this I sort of get a relief, sort of like I knew I would do that. Then get ready to hit the ball and at the last second before pulling the trigger look at the bunker. For me, my mind splits the difference and I hit it right between them.

You may think I am crazy but it has worked almost 100% of the time. I find when I mess it up is when I doubt this and maybe try to steer it toward the bunker. If I trust it, it always seems to work for me.

As a side note I think that giving yourself the feeling like you hit it in the water already is like playing a provisional, I always find that I stripe my provisional because the stress is off and I can just swing freely.

[meenman]

What I have done lately (that has helped me immensely) is to aim my body before my pre-shot routine and then step over to set up position without ever lifting my head and looking down the fairway. Last few rounds it has kept me from donating any balls into the water.

[Ctp722]

I feel like it's all confidence. If you know you can hit that shot you ignore the water imagine your best club is in your hand when you get to the tee box. Imagine it's a shot you hit a high percentage. It's all in your head if you hit that shot a few times all the sudden it becomes easy

[NI4NI]

Originally Posted by mchepp

I have a friend, he is former mini-tour player, and he gave me a tip that really works. I cannot explain why but it does.

Lets say that you have a hole with water on the left of the green and a bunker guarding the left side. He says to start off visualizing yourself hitting in the water. See the splash, and try to get that feeling where your stomach just sinks, for me when I do this I sort of get a relief, sort of like I knew I would do that. Then get ready to hit the ball and at the last second before pulling the trigger look at the bunker. For me, my mind splits the difference and I hit it right between them.

You may think I am crazy but it has worked almost 100% of the time. I find when I mess it up is when I doubt this and maybe try to steer it toward the bunker. If I trust it, it always seems to work for me.

As a side note I think that giving yourself the feeling like you hit it in the water already is like playing a provisional, I always find that I stripe my provisional because the stress is off and I can just swing freely.

That is a whacked way of looking at it, but I get the reasoning.  The point is to take the pressure off so that you can swing freely (no stress or fear).  Playing with house money if you will.

Over time player confidence should build, leaving only the target in sight.

[imtomtomim]

I know it's scaring you right now, but just try to have one thought, one target, one line.  Commit to it.  This is where you want to hit it.  Put the ball there.  Simple positive thoughts.

[roobatooba]

As someone with firsthand knowledge of the ''hydro-magnetism'' of teed-up golf balls, i can tell you that splashing a few into the drink will do you good. First off , you'll get over that bad shot and focus a little better for the approach and subsequent shots . I know once i got over the initial embarassment , i took that shot for what it was worth : a bad shot not worth repeating but nothing more than that. Failure motivates success , in fact there's a Michael Jordan quote somewhere on how many shots he'd missed in his career and how he wouldnt quit . Good luck . There's a hole at a course i play regularly ,and when i pull up to it in the cart , i always make a point of saying to my playing partner '' you know i used  to toss my balls into the water here all time  but i know it wont happen today ! Good luck!

[Paradox]

90% of the time, shots over water will have a bail out area of some kind on the opposite side.  It might have some kind of trouble there(a bunker, down hill lie, whatever) but the ball will still be in play.  On holes with water, I don't even look at it.  I look at the green or the fairway and the side opposite the water.  I say to myself that if I'm going to miss, I missing on this side and know that I'm still gonna be in play.  its better to wind up in a bunker and able to play Shot 2 than be in the water with a penalty.  Don't fear the bunker!

[soloredd]

I think I'm blessed with the ability to look out from the tee box and completely blur everything but the fairway. I used to be wary of water off the tee as well. I could be killing my tee shots all day and on this one hole completely duck hook it in or top it. It's amazing stuff how the brain is working. For me now, I just look out and see the fairway and where I want the ball to go. And I committ to the swing. It's a rare occasion these days that I go in the water - usually it's from a wedge from about 100 yards over the water to the green.

And I agree with the above, if it helps you to go long, do it.