Count as you go?

Dammo

Do you count your score as you go, say, in order to achieve a set goal for the round (e.g. better your handicap), or do you play shot by shot and see how you've done at the end?

Does counting as you go increase the pressure on you for the remaining holes if you've had one very bad hole?

I've tried both and can't settle on either.

IITYWYBMAD

Irrespective of the comp, VPar, S/Ford or strokes, I will know where I'm at. i.e. 1 over/under etc... It doesn't put me under any pressure one way or the other.

PhilipMarlowe

Some counting as you go is inevitable but I find it a distraction if I wander too far ahead.
I sometimes set myself targets for the next 3 holes but I'm a great one for moving the goalposts as I go
I'm more inclined to be aware of what I need to score to try and hit the buffer zone rather than worring too much if my score is going to be good... I mean, focusing on a target score is good for grinding out a score rather than posting a good one IMO.

Dammo

IITYWYBMAD wrote: »

Irrespective of the comp, VPar, S/Ford or strokes, I will know where I'm at. i.e. 1 over/under etc... It doesn't put me under any pressure one way or the other.

Do you set yourself a target score or just fire away and see what happens?

IITYWYBMAD

Dammo wrote: »

Do you set yourself a target score or just fire away and see what happens?

My target is always my handicap, or below.

Dammo

IITYWYBMAD wrote: »

My target is always my handicap, or below.

Same here but I find that if I have a bad start, I'm very conscious of how many shots I've left and I think it results in me putting too much pressure on myself.

If I try to forget about the score altogether, I've often found that I was doing better than I thought and then afterward wished I'd taken a bit more care over certain shots. Can't win!

Tom Ghostwood

Licksy wrote: »

Some counting as you go is inevitable but I find it a distraction if I wander too far ahead.
I sometimes set myself targets for the next 3 holes but I'm a great one for moving the goalposts as I go
I'm more inclined to be aware of what I need to score to try and hit the buffer zone rather than worring too much if my score is going to be good... I mean, focusing on a target score is good for grinding out a score rather than posting a good one IMO.

+1 to that. First 6 holes im shooting for a good round, 12 holes im shooting for my hcap, last 3 shooting for buffer zone

IITYWYBMAD

Dammo wrote: »

Same here but I find that if I have a bad start, I'm very conscious of how many shots I've left and I think it results in me putting too much pressure on myself.

If I try to forget about the score altogether, I've often found that I was doing better than I thought and then afterward wished I'd taken a bit more care over certain shots. Can't win!

Each to their own. I used to use a method, whereby I would try and shoot either par or +1 for 3 holes, and so on and so forth, that way if I achieved that I would be +6 at worst. However, I did find that a bit distracting. I think it's very easy to slip into putting pressure on yourself, if you consciously keep your score, that's not exactly what I do, but I'll know fairly quickly where I am score wise when I think about it.

I read a couple of the Rotella books, which really help with your mindset when on the course, and while I hate "Americanisms", which the books are full of, I find the practice of putting some of his ideas into play really helps my game.

Dammo

Licksy wrote: »

I sometimes set myself targets for the next 3 holes but I'm a great one for moving the goalposts as I go
.

Lol, I hear you brother. If a bad hole blows my target for a particular 3 holes, I'm trying too hard to make up for it on the next 3.

dvemail

Wether i like to or not i always know my score and im thinking about what score i need to have on the next set of hole to either get me back to Level or go a couple better.
But it is always the days when i dont think about these things that, i more often than not i shoot better than my handicap.

GreeBo

I rarely know my exact score but I will know if I am doing well or not, but I wont ever know if I am 1 or 2 over/under unless I take the time to think about it.

I've never felt the need and it has never helped. I've tried figuring out if I am near my buffer zone, but more often than not I take a chance to get within it and end up misjudging and missing it anyway.

Mister Sifter

The higher the handicap, the easier it is to ignore how you are doing. I think pretty much any golfer below a handicap of 5 or 6 knows at any given time how they are doing relative to par/points etc.

Whyner

How does setting a target change how you play the game?

Dammo

Mister Sifter wrote: »

The higher the handicap, the easier it is to ignore how you are doing. I think pretty much any golfer below a handicap of 5 or 6 knows at any given time how they are doing relative to par/points etc.

Not sure I'd agree with that. I'm a high handicap and so desperate to get it down that I can't ignore it most of the time, probably to the detriment of my game!

GreeBo

Mister Sifter wrote: »

The higher the handicap, the easier it is to ignore how you are doing. I think pretty much any golfer below a handicap of 5 or 6 knows at any given time how they are doing relative to par/points etc.

I would say the lower the handicap the harder it is to not know
If you are single digits then you know that any bogey has an impact that needs a biridie somewhere to counteract. If you are off 18+ then you dont know the impact of 1 bogey or double until you count up all the pars etc at the end.

Mister Sifter

GreeBo wrote: »

I would say the lower the handicap the harder it is to not know
If you are single digits then you know that any bogey has an impact that needs a biridie somewhere to counteract. If you are off 18+ then you dont know the impact of 1 bogey or double until you count up all the pars etc at the end.

You've merely re-arranged the words to re-state what i said. As a single figure golfer i'd love to walk around the course and not be aware of my score. Trouble is, the margins are so fine, however, that it's practically impossible.

In stableford, it is easier for all golfers to know how they stand relative to par, but in strokeplay i wouldn't imagine too many 24 handicappers wander along thinking 'i'm 20 over now'. I'd imagine they'd have an inkling whether they were doing good or bad or average, but most are able to switch off from their exact score or from what they 'need to do' in their remaining holes.

Daithio9

Op stop tyring so hard and let it happen, just go out and enjoy your golf and what will be will be.
I'd also echo what others have said about shooting their best rounds when not focusing too much on your score.

Russman

I've found its very, very hard to not know how you're doing yet IMO its definitely better if you don't.

The Rotella books are a good read and its one of his big things, basically just go out and play. The worst that can happen on any given shot isn't so bad when put in perspective, nor is the best that can happen so good.

4 or 5 years ago I went from 6 to 3 h/cap in about 2 months and I didn't do anything different swingwise but made a definite effort to try to have no idea of how I was scoring and just add them up at the end.

@ Dammo, thats definitely a problem, you find yourself doing well when not knowing but then regretting certain shots - I try to rationalise that by countering those shots with the good shots I may hit when relaxed and not knowing, that I possibly could have messed up on if I was "trying too hard".

GreeBo

Mister Sifter wrote: »

You've merely re-arranged the words to re-state what i said. As a single figure golfer i'd love to walk around the course and not be aware of my score. Trouble is, the margins are so fine, however, that it's practically impossible.

In stableford, it is easier for all golfers to know how they stand relative to par, but in strokeplay i wouldn't imagine too many 24 handicappers wander along thinking 'i'm 20 over now'. I'd imagine they'd have an inkling whether they were doing good or bad or average, but most are able to switch off from their exact score or from what they 'need to do' in their remaining holes.

actually I havent, but since you raise the point...

Its a very different thing to say that "its easy for a high handicap to ignore" than "its hard for a low handicap to ignore".

Depending on your personality you will want a running total or not, a high handicapper has that choice, a low handicapper does not IMO.
As I said, thats a very different thing than what you said.


Even in stableford I never know my total to within 1 or 2 shots, I dont do a 9 hole total either.

stockdam

I generally only focus on playing my best shot and try to ignore what my overall score is. I'll roughly know my score and will know exactly what it is if I think about it.

If I'm playing well I want to keep the ball in play and eliminate any mistakes. If I'm playing badly then I may go for a risky shot as it doesn't really matter if it goes wrong.

Mister Sifter

GreeBo wrote: »

actually I havent, but since you raise the point...

Its a very different thing to say that "its easy for a high handicap to ignore" than "its hard for a low handicap to ignore".

Depending on your personality you will want a running total or not, a high handicapper has that choice, a low handicapper does not IMO.
As I said, thats a very different thing than what you said.

Even in stableford I never know my total to within 1 or 2 shots, I dont do a 9 hole total either.

Didn't i just say it's practically impossible for a single figure player to not know how they are doing? Have a read.

Either that or you can carry on posting for posting's sake like you normally do, most likely in a bid to justify your mod status.

GreeBo

Mister Sifter wrote: »

Didn't i just say it's practically impossible for a single figure player to not know how they are doing? Have a read.

Yes. You just said it. It wasnt in your original post and so I clarified my viewpoint.

Mister Sifter

GreeBo wrote: »

I clarified my viewpoint.

Exactly. Posting for posting's sake.

IITYWYBMAD

Greebo, what is your handicap?

Dammo

Russman wrote: »

@ Dammo, thats definitely a problem, you find yourself doing well when not knowing but then regretting certain shots - I try to rationalise that by countering those shots with the good shots I may hit when relaxed and not knowing, that I possibly could have messed up on if I was "trying too hard".

Yeah, that's a fair point Russ, it probably does balance itself out over the round. A bit like we tend to remember the bad luck rather than the good (at least I do!)

GreeBo

IITYWYBMAD wrote: »

Greebo, what is your handicap?

8.1

GreeBo

Russman wrote: »

@ Dammo, thats definitely a problem, you find yourself doing well when not knowing but then regretting certain shots - I try to rationalise that by countering those shots with the good shots I may hit when relaxed and not knowing, that I possibly could have messed up on if I was "trying too hard".

I would say that unless all hope is lost on the hole or its a match where you always know exactly where you stand, these were probably always "bad" shot choices.

Assuming you are always trying to shoot your best score, taking everything into account (risk/reward) then I would say its very rare than the layup has the same percentages as the "going for it" shot.

Not that you should never go for it, but just that if its the right shot then its the right shot, no matter if you are -5 or +1 on the day.

soundsham

Licksy wrote: »

Some counting as you go is inevitable but I find it a distraction if I wander too far ahead.
I sometimes set myself targets for the next 3 holes but I'm a great one for moving the goalposts as I go
I'm more inclined to be aware of what I need to score to try and hit the buffer zone rather than worring too much if my score is going to be good... I mean, focusing on a target score is good for grinding out a score rather than posting a good one IMO.

+1

Russman

GreeBo wrote: »

I would say that unless all hope is lost on the hole or its a match where you always know exactly where you stand, these were probably always "bad" shot choices.

Assuming you are always trying to shoot your best score, taking everything into account (risk/reward) then I would say its very rare than the layup has the same percentages as the "going for it" shot.

Not that you should never go for it, but just that if its the right shot then its the right shot, no matter if you are -5 or +1 on the day.

Spot on GreeBo,
I was more referring to, say, a shot that you'd have to play anyway, regardless of risk/reward. Like you're standing over a mid iron into a green and, if relaxed etc, may well swing a little smoother and hit it close whereas if you're thinking "right, I'm 3 over and need a birdie, I'll stick this close" its possible to get a little tense and mis-hit it.

Hacker111

Dr Bob says concentrating on the numbers is the devil... I unfortunately am a numbers person...always know where I am and how I'm scoring... I must admit the times I have blown the lights out I haven't really being thinking about my score, more in the zone than worrying about if I am two under or two over my handicap...

GreeBo

Russman wrote: »

Spot on GreeBo,
I was more referring to, say, a shot that you'd have to play anyway, regardless of risk/reward. Like you're standing over a mid iron into a green and, if relaxed etc, may well swing a little smoother and hit it close whereas if you're thinking "right, I'm 3 over and need a birdie, I'll stick this close" its possible to get a little tense and mis-hit it.

Gotcha and I totally agree.
Its like they say, you gotta try really hard to not try....silly game really!

Daithio9

GreeBo wrote: »

Gotcha and I totally agree.
Its like they say, you gotta try really hard to not try....silly game really!

Or to put it another way "try less get more".