Hitting a Plateau with Ability

[JonMA1]

Jon, I mean this with love, but that's horrible. :)

Lol. I know, I know. Part of me is thinking "stop being such a p@$$^. Get back out there and keep practicing until your fingers bleed!" (which of course they do after hitting in the winter).

But seriously, I need to tone it down. It had gotten to the level of an obsession towards the end of last year. I just wanted to see how others dealt with it.

As far as your situation, that's tough and I wish you all the luck. As I stated in my original post, I have no excuses.

Jon

Go visit the golf goo roo. Just google it. It will give an insight as to why you play, improve but most of all have fun

Cameron has been there done that. This guy had a +3 hc at one of Australas best and hardest golf courses.

Plus he's a personal mate of mine.

Enjoy.

Thanks @Nagah . I'll give it a look.

[Natural Patrick]

A lot of great post in this thread, I love TST!

[disco111]

I was told many moons ago that golfers come in two categories. Those that want to score and those that know how to score, there is a difference. Example; you perhaps want to chip with a wedge or sand wedge, because most folks you play with do and you see the pro's also, but your lousy at it. Use your putter if you can or maybe a hybrid or a 3 wood. Point being is that you can adapt to something different and make it work for you. Also, learning when to hit the right club. You have a hole where you most times hit your driver and you wind up in trouble. Leave it in the bag and depending upon the length of the hole, hit a club your not going to get in trouble with. Even if you lay up twice and then have to pitch or chip on and 2 putt, it's better than a double or triple because of the bad tee shot. These are just examples and I'm sure other's can offer more.

[dfreuter415]

Hey Jon,

I've always felt that golf is a journey, never a destination.

On your journey you have so many variables that can make a great difference. Here are three that are important to me...

Variable #1: Who do you want to share your journey with?

Variable #2: Time invested

Variable #3: The equipment

With whom you play is perhaps the most important element, because of the human factor. I golf with my wife, friends, relatives, and formerly in a golf league. The golf league taught me to be competitive. Golfing with friends and relatives is a way to hone my skills in a congenial atmosphere. Golfing with my wife teaches me patience and consideration for others.

Time invested to me is simple. Work at the range to improve your game. Never hit balls just to hit balls. Always have a focus on improving or maintaining a certain part of your game. Play at the course to implement what you worked on at the range. Have some sort of ratio in your mind. For me, I practice about 10% and play 90%. This formula has allowed me to maintain my current handicap. When I first started playing, the ratio was 33% practice at the range and 67% play. This allowed me to make consistent improvement, so that I could perform to my own satisfaction.

Equipment is another thing that influences my game. I have two sets of clubs: a winter bag and a summer bag. I play three different kinds of golf balls, and wear two different brands of shoes. I have one golf glove brand and 4 different putters that find themselves in my bag during the course of the year. All these variables keeps things exciting.

So in closing I think if you find equipment that you really like and come up with a ratio for practicing at the range/playing at a course, you will be taking the first steps toward personal improvement. Then, find golf partners who provide friendship and encouragement to help you reach your goals.

Best wishes on your journey.

[Nagah]

Hi Jon Golf is the only game you never ever master. Do we settle for mediocrity? Hell no. I know what you mean it's a journey. There will ce a day when we mightn't be able to play. So like you I take what I have make the most of it. There is a difference between Potential and reality. Always differentiate between the 2. Disco111 hit nail on the head about scoring. Read it and absorb it. Great post.

[rkim291968]

I played and managed a company soccer team for 7 years.  It was funded by the company money and the given goal was to have fun (and raise employee morale).   But half of the players are of the mind of win at all cost.   They will even berate a teammate when he made a mistake.   The other half of the players just wanted to have fun.   It was a huge struggle to get the two groups to play without a fight breaking out.   At the time, I was younger and hotblooded and may have putt winning ahead of fun.   10 years later, I can't believe I went through the same struggle with myself for golf.   Now, I have a good balance between the two.   What am I trying to say?   For us competitive guys, it can take years before we mellow out and just enjoy the journey.  So, give it at time, eh?  Cheers, fellow travelers.

[BuckeyeNut]

Jon, you also have to look at how much golf do you play?   When I said I first became an avid golfer, at least for me............I was playing 100+ rounds per year.  I'm not saying you need to play this much, but you do need to play regularly/a lot to see any real improvement.    IMO....... playing 18 holes a minimum of twice a week during prime season is needed to see any real improvement.   .....plus whatever practice you do.   If you play less?   ......it's not really enough to make any significant gains.

[Crim]

I put very very little stock into golf plateaus.

I feel like w/ golf, I'm just constantly climbing a mountain. A mountain that I occasionally have to set up camp and wait until I'm more prepared for another climb up. A mountain that I occasionally slip & fall downwards...only to catch myself and continue the journey onwards.

A plateau though? Nah. I'm never consistent enough to be on a plateau

[rkim291968]

A plateau though? Nah. I'm never consistent enough to be on a plateau

Chuckle.  That's good, Crim.  A good line.

[JonMA1]

Today was a pretty good test for trying to enjoy a round of golf without worrying (too much) about my score or improvement.

My playing partner was my youngest son who introduced me to the game a few years ago and is my favorite person to play golf with. We played the forward middle tees so, even if I were to score low, it wouldn't have been anything to brag about.

I will spare all the details, but the round began with the worst blow up hole in a long time. While I wasn't thrilled with it, I calmly accepted the score without cussing or throwing a temper tantrum. We just laughed it off and moved to the next hole.

The rest of the round went pretty well. Another blow up hole on 11, but mostly pars and bogeys mixed in with a some doubles and triples.

The real test came on the last hole where I knew I had a decent chance to break 100 if I played the hole safe. Instead, I pulled the driver and promptly hit a hook for a penalty. Didn't matter. With the way I was hitting the driver, it was the right club to play on that hole. The point is that it was more important that I played this hole the way it should have been played instead of worrying about a so-so score on a short course.

My game is what it is. If it improves with practicing, learning, and playing, then great. Those three things are enjoyable. But I can't do more than that. I can't will my game to get better. And today was proof that it's possible to have fun even at my level of play.

[rkim291968]

My game is what it is. If it improves with practicing, learning, and playing, then great. Those three things are enjoyable. But I can't do more than that. I can't will my game to get better. And today was proof that it's possible to have fun even at my level of play.

Outstanding, JonMA1.   My wife and I played with father and son pair today.   My only child does not play golf and I am always envious of father and son playing together.   Keep having fun.

[JonMA1]

Outstanding, JonMA1.   My wife and I played with father and son pair today.   My only child does not play golf and I am always envious of father and son playing together.   Keep having fun.

I think you're fortunate that your wife likes the game. Mine played once but just wasn't interested going out a second time.

My youngest son (who I played with today) is a great golf partner. He is extremely calm regardless of how well or poorly he's playing. HIs attitude is often contagious. My oldest son on the other hand, can hit a 285 yard drive down the middle of the fairway and somehow still gets pissed about it. He claims to have given up the game. We go fishing when comes home to visit. Lol..

[rkim291968]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkim291968

Outstanding, JonMA1.   My wife and I played with father and son pair today.   My only child does not play golf and I am always envious of father and son playing together.   Keep having fun.

I think you're fortunate that your wife likes the game. Mine played once but just wasn't interested going out a second time.

My youngest son (who I played with today) is a great golf partner. He is extremely calm regardless of how well or poorly he's playing. HIs attitude is often contagious. My oldest son on the other hand, can hit a 285 yard drive down the middle of the fairway and somehow still gets pissed about it. He claims to have given up the game. We go fishing when comes home to visit. Lol..

The 3 times I went fishing by my own, I didn't catch ANYTHING, zilch, nada, nil, zero, none.   I reached my plateau in fishing and gave up.  I wasn't having fun at it. I plan to give fishing another shot when I retire.   How hard can it be?  I can't be harder than golf.

[JonMA1]

Off topic, but I used to love fishing. Now I look at it as time better spent playing golf. Plus, fishing/boating can be every bit as expensive as golf.

[Crim]

Now I look at it as time better spent playing golf.

Funny...that's how I look at everything .

[inthehole]

I look at golf as the only "enjoyable exercise" I've ever gotten.     Enjoy your playing time & exercise.    One tip that helped me improve greatly - for us, it's simply not necessary to swing HARD like we see the guys on TV do.   Swing in a nice tempo, limit your backswing to the point where you can make perfect contact - when I take a big backswing, I can't hit the ball consistently in the center of the clubface.    I do come down hard at it, but its a much more accurate ball strike without the big backswing.    I find I don't need to take a big backswing at all to hit it as far as anybody I know ... secret to golf for all but the low hcps is hitting it pure with an easy tempo swing ... hope that helps.

[Grinde6]

I think if you really wanted to get better, spend most of your time at the chipping/putting greens.  This is where you are going to knock some serious strokes off your score.  If you can get up and down from 20-30 yards out, that takes ALOT of pressure off the rest of your game.  Go set up 20 yards out and hit to a pin, taking note of how big of a backswing is needed to get the ball there.  If you can consistently get it around 10 feet from the pin that is great...now go practice 10-15 foot putts with different breaks, uphill and downhill.  If you can master getting the ball to within 10 feet from 20-30 out, and you can master putting from 10-15 feet, your scores are going to come down guaranteed.  Now instead of going for the green on your approach shot, its ok if you come up short or long because you know how to get up and down...once you get better at that, then you can work on other aspects such as the driver, but keep practicing the short game as well...

Remember, most holes are played like this:

Par 3: Approach, putt, putt

Par 4: Drive, approach, putt, putt

Par 5: Drive, lay-up, approach, putt, putt

Putting is key!

[14ledo81]

I think if you really wanted to get better, spend most of your time at the chipping/putting greens.  This is where you are going to knock some serious strokes off your score.  If you can get up and down from 20-30 yards out, that takes ALOT of pressure off the rest of your game.  Go set up 20 yards out and hit to a pin, taking note of how big of a backswing is needed to get the ball there.  If you can consistently get it around 10 feet from the pin that is great...now go practice 10-15 foot putts with different breaks, uphill and downhill.  If you can master getting the ball to within 10 feet from 20-30 out, and you can master putting from 10-15 feet, your scores are going to come down guaranteed.  Now instead of going for the green on your approach shot, its ok if you come up short or long because you know how to get up and down...once you get better at that, then you can work on other aspects such as the driver, but keep practicing the short game as well...

Remember, most holes are played like this:

Par 3: Approach, putt, putt

Par 4: Drive, approach, putt, putt

Par 5: Drive, lay-up, approach, putt, putt

Putting is key!

@Grinde6 , would you like your chances better at a putting contest with a pro?  Or closest to the hole from 220 yards?