Start of Your Season

[mberube]

In a way you are correct and also in a way you are a bit off. For me posting a good score is reflective of playing well. And that is what I am after, I just want to play well again. And when I play well I have fun. Shooting 90 and having maybe three good shots in a round isn't fun, regardless of where my game is at. So playing well is what I consider fun. I've posted some higher scores, but still played well. Putts just didn't fall or chips didn't end up where I wanted them, and those rounds I can take. Ask Saint, LBH or Ginker about my round on Sunday. It was horrendous. I haven't played with LBH before, so he's got nothing to compare it to (but right about now he's probably thinking Lance and I are the two worst 4 cappers in the world ), but Lance and Chris have seen me play much better than this before. That's the frustrating part, knowing that I can do it, but it's just not happening. But maybe I'll have to accept my current level of play, I don't know. But I can't believe my game could fall this far south after one winter. It's not like I've taken a year or two away from the game. Oh well....going to give it another shot tonight after work.

I am in the same situation. My average “adjusted” score this year is 87.4. Let me tell you that it’s frustrating when you are a 4-5 caper. I could not believe my game would go south like that. Last year was bad but this year is horrible.

Last I lost it and I called my club Pro for a lesson. My club face was closed a bit and my swing plane was too inside. The results were pushing or hooking the ball. Let me tell you that at HP that’s a recipe for disaster. He easily squared up my clubface. Just that small adjustment made a difference. I’m still a work in progress BUT I’m starting to see my game coming back.

The moral of all this is go see a Pro. He might see something really easy to fix and you will be on your way to better golf.

Mike

[beefstuf]

I am in the same situation. My average “adjusted” score this year is 87.4. Let me tell you that it’s frustrating when you are a 4-5 caper. I could not believe my game would go south like that. Last year was bad but this year is horrible.

Last I lost it and I called my club Pro for a lesson. My club face was closed a bit and my swing plane was too inside. The results were pushing or hooking the ball. Let me tell you that at HP that’s a recipe for disaster. He easily squared up my clubface. Just that small adjustment made a difference. I’m still a work in progress BUT I’m starting to see my game coming back.

The moral of all this is go see a Pro. He might see something really easy to fix and you will be on your way to better golf.

Mike

I second this Mike. I have been a 4 for some time now and was shooting 87, 88 s. I saw my pro and he saw some minor things I could adjust. As a result I am finishing with a flatter wrist and controlling trajectories. As you stated I am still a work in prgress, but with effective practice I should be able to shave that in half by the beginning of next year. More GIRs = lower scores.

[downhillslider]

My index is 12.9. My last 4 rounds have been; 50 - 40, 50 - 40, 50 - 40 and 50 - 38. All on different courses. Outaouais blue, Marshes blue and white, Canadian orange. My short game is killing and always has and I accept that.

The fact that golf is 90% mental and 10 psycological should tell you something. The mind is very powerful. Figure out a way to defeat the inner demons affecting you on the course. Learn to control them somehow. It's all part of the game and I beleive that is the part of your game you need to work on. Begin by stop looking for reasons as to why this is happening, accept it, and move on. Instead of going to the course with a goal of shooting a number, try something like, " I will not throw a club today", or, " this is a social round today with nothing at stake so I don't care what I shoot, as long as everyone has fun ". In competition,turn the switch on baby, you know you can do it. I myself play mush better golf when some kind of $$$ is on the line. Personally, I need that pressure to perform to my ability. It just feels right inside. I really dislike casual rounds. That is not my idea of golf. For me, it's easier to play mind games with myself when I am competing.

You have a lot on your plate at this moment. Enjoy the next little while with the bride and come back fresh with a new attitude.

Bob Rotella

[justsomeguy]

In a way you are correct and also in a way you are a bit off. For me posting a good score is reflective of playing well. And that is what I am after, I just want to play well again. And when I play well I have fun. Shooting 90 and having maybe three good shots in a round isn't fun, regardless of where my game is at. So playing well is what I consider fun.

Playing well and posting a good score usually go hand-in-hand, so IMO its kinda the same thing.

One of the reasons I said "posting a good score" is because I know you don't like to practice. Now I realize that everybody prefers playing to practicing (myself included), but I think most golfers have fun hitting good shots at the driving range. I somehow get the feeling that a good range session doesn't do much for you - you can hit good shots but you can't "play well" at the driving range.

So if you can't afford a lesson right now, then FWIW my advice is to practice more. Not just to work out the kinks in your swing, but also so you can hit a few golf balls without the self-induced pressure to "make every shot count". Its amazing what a little less tension and more confidence can do for your golf game, and the driving range is a good place to find it. After the round I had today, I REALLY need a good range session.

Or you can practice on your course when its not busy - but it has to be REAL practice and not just "playing" without a scorecard. You're just working on your swing so there's no need to keep track of ANYTHING. Hit a couple off the tee, drop a few balls in the fairway and rough, maybe try a fairway bunker shot, chip and pitch a few to the green - just like what the pros do on Tuesdays. If you do this early weekday mornings on the back 9 or late evenings on the front 9, you'll avoid constantly having to let people play through and who knows - you might even have some fun!

[Big Johnny69]

On what could be a positive note, played yesterday and went +5 on the front then even on the back. And I actually got up and down a few times to save par. Wasn't real happy with the way I played on the front so I before I teed off on 10 I told my buddies I was playing with I was going to shoot under par on the back. Didn't quite make it, but was close. Hopefully a sign of things to come.

[BC MIST]

The fact that golf is 90% mental and 10 psycological should tell you something.

To all righties who think this overused statement is true, try playing left handed.

[hoolio]

I haven't scored all that well recently, but I don't care about that as much as my overall discomfort over the ball. I had some issues with shanks over the past few weeks so I've backed off the ball a bit and it feels foreign to me. I've been hitting a lot of balls off the toe and pulling the crap out of even more of them so I think I'm just going to go back to setting up over the ball where I'm comfortable and let the balls go where they will.

This should serve as fair warning for any of you who play with me to stand to the left of my ball and not the right from now on. I've hit one house already due to a chili-dip, it may not be the last

[Big Johnny69]

So I thought I'd take heed to all the "get out of your own way" advice during my nine holes last night. I started with a double (before I tried the advice given) and then proceded to play the next 8 holes at even par with one bogey and one birdie. I actually hit 4 greens in a row in regulation, not too often I do that. Basically all I did was pick a club for what I thought would be the appropriate yardage and then step up and swing. No thoughts, no going over the pre-shot checklist. Seemed to work. Will be interesting to see if it will work this weekend in Lake Placid at my bachelor weekend.

[John]

Oooh while in Placid grab me a case of Magic Hat Number 9!!!

[arcaign]

My putting is destroying my game. So much so that I have changed from my Odyssey 2 ball to something similar to a Malty distance master. Just got it today so I will see how it plays on Sunday.