I'd Be Scratch with a Better Mental Game

[iacas]

Hole 1: Good driver, bladed a wedge that rolled 120 yards to 10 feet

Hole 2: Pull-hooked into a hazard, three-putt

Hole 3: Thin driver to forward tee, hybrid to my 3W, topped the ball so badly it went straight down into the ground (he had to dig it out with a tee), blade 3W next shot

Hole 4: Hybrid, wedge, par.

Hole 5: Hybrid, wedge into hazard over the back of the green.

Hole 6: Push that bounced onto green, two putts.

Hole 7: Pull-hook to shit on the left. Makes a 7 or 8 from there.

Hole 8: Pull-draw. "Figured out that he has to hit quickly after his practice swing" and pipes one. Plays that. Makes routine par with second ball.

Hole 9: Pull-hook into the crap. Has to pitch out.

Hole 10: Skipped for now.

Hole 11: Routine par.

Hole 12: Driver pulled into hazard. Third shot thinned into another hazard. Then played off a tree. Short of the green with the next shot.

Hole 13: Flare 30° right. Three chips to get back to the fairway.

Hole 14: Pull-draw to left bunker. Thins ball over green. Good pitch, putt for bogey.

Hole 15…

I give up. At some point (I believe on hole 12), he tells me "I would be a scratch golfer if I could just have a good mental game."

I could not hold it in any more, and said "no, you wouldn't. C'mon. Be honest with yourself."

[JetFan1983]

Yep. The mental game barely exists when you stink at this game. That's a luxury for decent-to-good players IMO.

[saevel25]

Delusional golfers!!!

[boil3rmak3r]

Hole 1: Good driver, bladed a wedge that rolled 120 yards to 10 feet Hole 2: Pull-hooked into a hazard, three-putt Hole 3: Thin driver to forward tee, hybrid to my 3W, topped the ball so badly it went straight down into the ground, blade 3W next shot Hole 4: Hybrid, wedge, par. Hole 5: Hybrid, wedge into hazard over the back of the green. Hole 6: Push that bounced onto green, two putts. Hole 7: Pull-hook to shit on the left. Makes a 7 or 8 from there. Hole 8: Pull-draw. "Figured out that he has to hit quickly after his practice swing" and pipes one. Plays that. Makes routine par with second ball. Hole 9: Pull-hook into the crap. Has to pitch out. Hole 10: Skipped for now. Hole 11: Routine par. Hole 12: Driver pulled into hazard. Third shot thinned into another hazard. Then played off a tree. Short of the green with the next shot. Hole 13: Flare 30° right. Three chips to get back to the fairway. Hole 14: Pull-draw to left bunker. Thins ball over green. Good pitch, putt for bogey. Hole 15… I give up. At some point (I believe on hole 12), he tells me "I would be a scratch golfer if I could just have a good mental game." I could not hold it in any more, and said "no, you wouldn't. C'mon. Be honest with yourself."

Did you golf with my father today

[David in FL]

At some point (I believe on hole 12), he tells me "I would be a scratch golfer if I could just have a good mental game."

You just can't make up stuff like that..... :-$

[cipher]

Finally, someone more delusional than myself! Or...wait...? ;)

[iacas]

He was dead super serious too.

I don't get people sometimes.

[Shindig]

Maybe he meant "if I were a scratch golfer, I'd have a better mental game"? Probably not what he meant.

[MS256]

I hate when my "mental game" tells me to hit pull hooks, tops, thins or 3 putts like that and it turns out to be a bad decision.

[Vinsk]

@iacas......lol! I think I've played with that guy! Did this guy say anything to you regarding your game? Did he even realize he was playing with a skilled golfer? Similar scenario I had, guy was just all over the place, never even close to par. I'm 4over headed to 18 guy says " play this hole...for drinks?" I made the mistake of suggesting I give him a stroke....he grins and says " ha! Don't need it...lets go!" I par......he fires a snowman. "Thanks buddy, nice playing with ya" I said. He responded " yeah....you got me on that one.....but I think overall we were pretty close." Different worlds.

[flopster]

With a better mental game .  Yeah like pay attention would be a good place to start.

[Lihu]

He was dead super serious too.

I don't get people sometimes.

Very strange, but a very common thought amongst golfers.

Did he know you are an instructor?

[mvmac]

I give up. At some point (I believe on hole 12), he tells me "I would be a scratch golfer if I could just have a good mental game."

Yeah thinking happy thoughts is going to change those path and face issues.

@iacas......lol! I think I've played with that guy! Did this guy say anything to you regarding your game? Did he even realize he was playing with a skilled golfer?

lol yeah I think we all have. Probably just thinks Erik has a better mental game than him.

[iacas]

He knew I was an instructor. We'd worked with him in the past… four years ago or so. After a few lessons he'd learned all he thought he could learn, to the point where he started giving lessons to his friends…

[late347]

Well... my lasr round went little bit sour as well. I had many wasted strokes due to topping the ball and some hooks as well. But I only lost 2 balls on the full-18. So i avoided the water quite nicely. Those balls flew into the thick of the forest. And i made an amazing rescue shot from the deep woods - from a really bad lie - it was like a rock formation with moss and it was sunken deep down there... This hole was a par4 teeshot too short. Approach overshot into the forest. The ball flew exactly past branches, rolled to the green about 6 yards from flag... Long par putt, and I sunk it... :D

[nevets88]

The lack of self-awareness of people in general... sigh...

By strong mentally, he probably thinks @iacas is telekinetic, jedi master moving the ball.

What was his response to your be honest with yourself? Denial?

[JetFan1983]

What was his response to your be honest with yourself? Denial?

Probably walked over to the nearest sand trap and did this:

[Lihu]

He knew I was an instructor. We'd worked with him in the past… four years ago or so. After a few lessons he'd learned all he thought he could learn, to the point where he started giving lessons to his friends…

How do his friends play? I hope they're at least injury free? :-\ That's more dangerous than the scratch part, I think.