First round in 2008

[acing1]

I played my first round Tuesday on a course I haven't played in fifteen years. I went into the round with no expectations and played relaxed golf, shooting an 82, which is a course best for me there. My previous best was an 84. Not having played it in so long, the course was not too familiar to me but some of it came back to me as we played. Regardless, I was astonished that I scored so well. Does anyone else have trouble expecting too much in regards to score?

[fjm039]

I ALWAYS expect too much in regards to score. That is one of my biggest problems that sometimes gets in the way of me enjoying a round. I always expect to shoot better than I do and when I see that I'm not going to finally break 90 but rather most likely have trouble breaking 100 (yet again) I get frustrated.

Finally comitted to getting some lessons yesterday after my round. My primary goals for this year are to enjoy golf more by playing more relaxed and to establish and get my handicap to an 18.

[acing1]

Combining the lessons with trying to relax and enjoy your golf rounds will guarantee that you score at least six strokes less per round. Once you get used to the new swing/grip/stance concepts and relaxed golf, you will probably shave even more than six strokes off your scores. Just do not expect immediate results from the lessons. Most reputable pros will tell you that lessons generally take 2 months to bear the fruit of what you have learned.
Regarding focusing too much on score, I have made improvements there but am always seeking other ways to do it. My problem was grip and shifting my weight properly but believe with the 82 I shot the other day that my scores will come down. When you sense you ar thinking too much about your score, just try to forget a bad hole and try positive self-talk. Say to yourself while on the tee , "I will par the next hole." You'd be amazed that just saying such a thing in your mind can result in a high percentage of success. Another thing is to just shrug off your bad holes. Always approach every round with the knowledge that you will hit bad shots and card have bad holes. Good luck.

[fjm039]

Thanks for the words. One of my biggest problems is the course I play most frequently has about 6 holes that are tree lined. It is either fairway or trouble, nothing in between. When I forget the trees and focus on the fairway, no problems. The trick is doing that every time.

Thanks again and good luck in '08.

[mikelz]

I played my first round Tuesday on a course I haven't played in fifteen years. I went into the round with no expectations and played relaxed golf, shooting an 82, which is a course best for me there. My previous best was an 84. Not having played it in so long, the course was not too familiar to me but some of it came back to me as we played. Regardless, I was astonished that I scored so well. Does anyone else have trouble expecting too much in regards to score?

Expectations are sure to ruin my day. The first round of the year, I usually don't expect a thing and play pretty well. Then the expectations can set in. I did that to myself (trying to play the last round over) for years. I read a book by Bob Rotella. He says every golfer would benefit from throwing away all expectations before teeing it up. I've been working on that and it works when I can clearly focus on hitting the shot in front of me. I really don't worry much about stats and scores saying much about my improvement. If I can come off the course knowing I was committed to every shot, I succeeded. If I keep doing that, I'll continue to improve. I went from 19 to 16 to 14 last year.

[Bill23]

I played my first round on Thursday and didnt even keep score because i didnt want to lose any confidence going into this year but when i think back to some of the shots i hit i didnt really play that bad.