Manic-depressive golf

[Piz]

My good passes are better than ever.  They have thrown the less than effective efforts into disquieting relief.  This is a problem for me: the more the good shots bolster my confidence; the greater the disappointment with the poor ones.  Time was I shrugged off the bad ones; now I seethe.  That makes no sense whatsoever.  I have to come to grips with expectation while accepting whatever happens.  Or so I thought.  I now realize that I am a head case.  Perhaps everyone is...to some extent.  Cold comfort either way.  I think the one thing, about this game, that I never understood, is that it is played in the head.  It matters not how one performs...it is the perception that influences our actions.

[dbuck]

Bobby Jones said that golf is played on a 6 inch course--the space between your ears. While it is true to an extent for everyone, it applies more to his level of play than mine. I just need to make my arms, legs, hips, and shoulders obey or even perform in spite of my mind. My good shots are pretty good; I need to make my bad shots less bad.

[saevel25]

9 hours ago, Piz said:

I have to come to grips with expectation while accepting whatever happens.  Or so I thought.  I now realize that I am a head case.  

Then maybe your expectations are still too lofty. A 12 handicap can play some truly good golf and truly bad golf. That handicap range is were they might shoot in the mid 70's one day, but then shoot near 90 the next. They can hit a great ball, then hit a horrible one. Their swing is in that zone were when face to path are in sync they play well, and when it is not it can be horrible. This is not a mental issue.

[Piz]

Thanks @saevel25  I believe that is exactly what is going on.  I should be happy that I'm capable of playing well; not upset that I don't do so all the time.  

[Patch]

Manic depressive?

Anyone who plays golf just to be playing it, who does not make a living playing this game, but who takes the game so serious, that they become sick from not playing well, should give it up. That, or give up on the mental part, and just go with the physical part of part of the game. Just play neanderthal golf. . 

They should take up hiking, camping, kite flying, or pole washing if that suits them better. Anything they can do that keeps them happy, as past time.. 

I play some pretty piss poor rounds these days. Not many, but enough for me to take notice of them. I just grin about those poor rounds. I am glad they are out of the way till the next ones show up. I go have a beverage, maybe read a book afterwards. Bad round. Who cares. 

My wife and I watched a guy totally destroy a TM driver the other day, because he sliced everything. At least $500+ wasted. The guy needed a fishing pole more than a driver. 

No, golf is a special game. It's a hard game to play for great scores. It's a game that demands respect from those who play it. That said, it's a game that is not hard to enjoy. Gosh, you are alive. You are outdoors. The fresh air thing. Ma Nature. Lot of folks much worse off than the golfer shooting that large number. 

[The Hook Meister]

Golf can be frustrating, annoying, it can drive you crazy. Yet we must be gluttons for punishment because we keep on coming back. Why? We will have one or two great shots and we think we are getting close to where we want to be. Instead we may be getting closer to being put into a mental health facility. The trick is to not worry about the bad shots so much and really enjoy the god ones. Remember when you hit a bad shot and you get annoyed it's just a reflex, of course it coulod be the ball.

[Patch]

34 minutes ago, The Hook Meister said:

Golf can be frustrating, annoying, it can drive you crazy. Yet we must be gluttons for punishment because we keep on coming back. Why? We will have one or two great shots and we think we are getting close to where we want to be. Instead we may be getting closer to being put into a mental health facility. The trick is to not worry about the bad shots so much and really enjoy the god ones. Remember when you hit a bad shot and you get annoyed it's just a reflex, of course it coulod be the ball.

I tend to agree with you. However, I don't know how much return value there is in  having 1, or 2 great shots. If it we're just a few great shots, I could save a bunch of money just hitting those few great shots at the driving range. 

It seems to me, it's the whole enchilada when playing golf. The good, bad, and ugly together are the drawing force. 

You hit a good shot, that makes you feel special. You know you can do it. You may not know how you did it, but you did. 

Then you hit those pesky bad shots. Some are worse than others, but all are part of the golfers' game, relative to their talent. You accept it, and move on. 

As for those ugly shots, well, they are just that, U-G-L-Y. The ones where you ask yourself where did that come from? Who hit that? They do have a silver lining. You get to figure out how to extricate your ball, assuming you can find it, from 30+ yards off the fairway, sitting on a tree root, and get it back to golf civilization. After an ugly shot, double/triple bogey is a great score. 

No matter how you play, or what your talent level is, if you are indeed a golfer, you are having a great time. . 

[NEhomer]

Every week I see tour players make terrible shots. If those are in their bags, you know they're in ours. On all levels of the game, accepting poor shots and moving on to the next is the key to success.

 

 

[Buckeyebowman]

Like na NFL defensive backs, golfers need to have a ashort memory. Just go to the next shot and play it to the best of your ability.

[Piz]

The thing for me is accepting that I'm hot under the collar.  I used to think I was Mr. Calm.  Now that I know I am anything but I can face the problem.  Sort of.

[JonMA1]

On 2/22/2018 at 9:34 AM, dbuck said:

Bobby Jones said that golf is played on a 6 inch course--the space between your ears.

I think this is true for how we enjoy the game.

I've heard of low single-digit players quitting the game because it became too frustrating. That's almost unfathomable for those of us on the opposite end of the spectrum. But in a way, I kind of understand it. "Good" is never good enough, and "normal" can suck - if we let it.

I shot the lowest 9 hole score I may ever see recently. What kept my sanity through the following "normal" round a few days later was the knowledge and understanding beforehand of what that previous round was all about. It was fun and maybe even a glimpse into what the game could be with a bit more skill, but it wasn't my game of golf.

I think frustration just comes with playing one of the most difficult games in the world.

Edited March 3, 2018 by JonMA1

[Buckeyebowman]

It kind of comes with the turf, no pun intended! Reminds of something I read in one of the Michael Murphy books. On the tee of one hole his playing partner announced that he wanted to kill himself he was playing so poorly. Then, after holing out, announced that it was the happiest moment of his life! I've been known to call myself names that I would never call another human being.