Avoiding the blow up holes?

[Dr Draw]

Hey guys,

For the past week or so, I've been having some trouble with getting past the blowup holes, and just overall coming down the stretch. I played a round today and I parred the first hole, and then the second hole was a shorter par 5. I hit it into the fairway, hit a pretty good lay-up to about 85 from the pin, and i took out my 56 degree wedge and wanted to hit about a 3/4 wedge. I skull it and the ball flies OB. I hit another shot from where I was and pulled it into the left rough. I then proceeded to duff the little chip shot and left myself about a 15 footer for double bogey, and two-putted for triple (heck it might have been a quad depending on if the rules differ and if I took the correct penalty). Through two holes, after making a pretty good sand save, I am already +3 on the round. I ended up the round shooting 87 with 2 triples and 2+ double bogeys I don't know how many of those I had but at least two. It's just those holes, it's hard diagnosing the problem because it's a compilation of things. Short game, approach game, (putting?). It's been my goal for a little while to break 80 for the first time this summer, and I have been so close so many times! Whenever I get on a good run, I always end up messing it up somehow. For example I was playing at my local course and I was +2 thru 5, and the 6th hole was a par 5 that I played pretty well and ended up birdieing it. The next hole I also birdied and was even with two to go.... 8th hole, par 3, I pull my tee shot left, and still have an opportunity for up and down, but didn't get the pitch close enough and had a 10 footer or so that I missed... the 9th I don't even remember what happened but I ended up double bogeying it to be +3 for nine... it seems that whenever I have the opportunity to shoot a number around par, I screw it up within the final stretch of 2-3 holes. How do I keep a good run going?

[kpaulhus]

It's all in your head. Don't keep track of your score and just write down the numbers? I suffer from finishing strong as well. Had a great round this weekend, but like you mention, it could've been so much better.

[whatwoodtigerdo]

You appear to better than me but when I get in a tough spot or have a bad shot I actually take something from Happy Gilmore and find my happy place lol. I take a deep breath and think about the good things in my life which brings me off the golf course. Then I come back and remind myself that I am playing golf and that is awesome and I love it and just hit the shot in front of me like I have so many times before. Usually works pretty well. As far as finishing well, especially when trying to break 80 or par or whatever it is, just let the nerves go. Stand over the ball, get the jello feeling in your arms or legs or whatever, then back off the shot and laugh about the feeling and remind yourself it's just a golf shot and go make it.

[Dr Draw]

It's all in your head. Don't keep track of your score and just write down the numbers? I suffer from finishing strong as well. Had a great round this weekend, but like you mention, it could've been so much better.

Damn there's no way you're an 11 with a scorecard like that! That's a great round. Yeah I don't know it's a tricky thing and it might be just something mental. Sometimes we get too excited about what the score looks like it will be other than just thinking about what we're doing in that point in time.

[Dr Draw]

You appear to better than me but when I get in a tough spot or have a bad shot I actually take something from Happy Gilmore and find my happy place lol. I take a deep breath and think about the good things in my life which brings me off the golf course. Then I come back and remind myself that I am playing golf and that is awesome and I love it and just hit the shot in front of me like I have so many times before. Usually works pretty well.

As far as finishing well, especially when trying to break 80 or par or whatever it is, just let the nerves go. Stand over the ball, get the jello feeling in your arms or legs or whatever, then back off the shot and laugh about the feeling and remind yourself it's just a golf shot and go make it.

Thanks for the advice. Haha finding my happy place sounds like a good idea, especially since whenever I have a bad hole I tend to get down on myself really easily.

[vangator]

From 85 yards I play the ball slightly back of center and hit a knockdown straight at the pin with a quick checkup. You obviously need a good angle into the pin for that. Course management. Take your chances when you can. I rarely go for par 5's in two anymore because there is so much trouble designed to protect against that. Lay up, hit your wedge and make your putts. I don't have the game to hit 230 to a tight pin.

[Patch]

The pros have blow up holes, so amateurs should expect to have blow up holes too. Now what constitutes a poorly played hole by one golfer, may not not be the same for another golfer. Right now in my game, one or two double bogies are not a surprise. That's just the state of my game right now. My goal is to not have a double or two in "most" of my rounds. I want to start playing a bogey and par game with emphasis on more pars. I know I will never get rid of poorly played holes, but I know I can limit them.

Being in the right mental frame of mind before each shot helps to avoid big numbers on a hole. I never worry about my last shot. Good, bad, or indifferent, that last shot is over, and done with. If anything I might think about a very good shot I pulled off, but that is usually after the round is in the books.  I figure if I am in a good mental place, I am also mentally relaxed.  Right now physical fatigue is my biggest adversary. Although I might not actually feel tired, my swing gets tired, which create a loss of swing control. It is my belief that with fatigue there is also tension.

[chspeed]

The pros have blow up holes, so amateurs should expect to have blow up holes too. Now what constitutes a poorly played hole by one golfer, may not not be the same for another golfer.

Agreed. Tiger started with 2 bogeys today at the Open, which must have felt like a blow-up opening for him. But he was able to steady the ship and then have a great round.

There is rarely a 9-hole stretch in which I don't have a triple bogey, or worse, which I consider a blow-up hole. I think it's easier to learn how to forget about them, and mentally rebound than it is to eliminate them.