Losing / Gaining Shots : The mental side of things

PARlance

So I was just recalling my rather mental, mental approach, to losing / gaining shot(s) last year when I started:

I've mentioned this to a few low guys and they look at me as if I've two heads: but as a beginner and a high HC it was all very real.

Maybe some low guys will have some helpful hints (once they stop laughing at us ) and I'd be interested to see if anyone has this irrational thought process.

Thankfully I'm no longer in that mindset, but it took me a full year to get out of it.

While I had plenty of debates with a certain mod around my disagreement of playing "bogey golf"
I definitely had a "bogey mindset".
I think the two are different.
In short: One being playing for a bogey and the other being happy that a bogey was 2 points (or a "fear" that a par was required for 2 points)


****** Story Time ********
My only concern is getting lower but that said, I drifted to 18 shortly after getting my initial HC of 17 last year.
While I was a bit gutted for a few days, it was contrasted against a totally unexpected feeling during my next round.
I was playing poorly and was walking to the Par 3 17th, index 18. I came across with a sudden buzz..... I have a shot here!!!!
I had about 23 points at the time with 2 holes left, a hole in one and an eagle on the last would have still meant another depressing plus 1..... But here I was buzzing because I didn't have to par for 2points!!!!!

I couldn't explain it, it's just madness.

Conversely, when I got my game together and got cut a shot towards the end of the year my next few rounds were filled with "I've no shot on index 18 now" panic.

I was relaying that story to a guy off 10 (who has been yoyo'ing between 8-12 for a long time) recently and he just couldn't believe it.
Thankfully there was another higher HC'er with us to confirm that he had this same irrational thinking.
***** The End *******

So, was I just lucky to have another lad there to confirm he felt the same or is it a thing we struggle with?

dcrosskid

I stopped thinking about points a long time ago. I start thinking about strokes now and aim to Par or birdie after every shot rather than prior to every hole. For example I was playing last Saturday, hit a good drive on a par 5 but shanked the 2nd right when I was going for the green. Still had a shot to the green luckily enough so all I was thinking about how can I give myself a birdie chance here, got it onto the green for a 25ft putt that I missed. Very simplistic way of looking at it but I find it works for me.

Keano

Well I think if you stand on the tee box and immediately think I've a shot here it can at times be negative thinking. You've already subconsciously told yourself a bogey on that hole will give you 2 and even better a par will give you 3. Rather than just hitting you tee shot and finish out the hole then to write down your score to discover you had a shot.

PARlance

dcrosskid wrote: »

I stopped thinking about points a long time ago. I start thinking about strokes now and aim to Par or birdie after every shot rather than prior to every hole. For example I was playing last Saturday, hit a good drive on a par 5 but shanked the 2nd right when I was going for the green. Still had a shot to the green luckily enough so all I was thinking about how can I give myself a birdie chance here, got it onto the green for a 25ft putt that I missed. Very simplistic way of looking at it but I find it works for me.

Are you a low HC'er dcross?
I just ask because I generally find that it doesn't come into a low guys thinking as they're well used to not having shots.

I'm getting to the stage where it's shot by shot thinking myself but it hasn't come easy.

mafc

I never look at indexes, just play the course shot by shot.

Wichita Lineman

I am playing better now off 14 / 15 than I ever did off 18 as the loss of the 'comfort' shots has really helped to smarten up my game. (some of the time anyway!)

GreeBo

I'm 10 (have been 8) and never think about shots for two reasons:

1) We rarely play stableford, vast majority of comps are strokes. (Cat 4 always have the option of Stableford)
2) it doesnt change my plan for the hole.

the only time it will enter my head is if I've had a bad hole and have a putt/chip etc left for a point.

Also, for the (broken?) record.
I dont specifically advise playing to avoid a par, but off 18, hitting a driver on every hole or anything more than a 5-6 iron for your second shot is madness

PARlance

GreeBo wrote: »

I'm 10 (have been 8) and never think about shots for two reasons:

1) We rarely play stableford, vast majority of comps are strokes. (Cat 4 always have the option of Stableford)
2) it doesnt change my plan for the hole.

the only time it will enter my head is if I've had a bad hole and have a putt/chip etc left for a point.

Also, for the (broken?) record.
I dont specifically advise playing to avoid a par, but off 18, hitting a driver on every hole or anything more than a 5-6 iron for your second shot is madness

I play my stroke comps by keeping my stableford points in mind (we're just too similar ) as a preventive measure of losing heart after a disaster hole if it happens.

I've hit 8 drives in my last 3 rounds Sensei.

FixdePitchmark

I'm in and have had a major battles with this.

When I was given my first handicap in my club , I was given 8. I couldn't actually handle been a single figure golfer at all. Didn't think I was good enough (probably wasn't) . I was freaked out by it and was playing like a 15 to 18 handicap player for a month or so.

I almost missed the ball on my first drive as a single figure player :D

I eventually got the hang of it and then got cut to 6 and the same thing happened again.

It was like holly **** - I've to go out and break 80 most of the time.
I hit another wall then. Most of this was mental - because i was going from a 76 / 78 one week to a 84 / 85 the following.

So there is a massive adjustment when going down. You have to believe you are good enough to play off the handicap you have. If not, you won't.

Some people also say , "now drive on" after a drop. But that is not as easy as people say. Sometimes if you drive on too hard - you fall apart with burn out.

You have to teach yourself that you can do what you are suppose to be able to do. There is a funny irony in that doubtful statement .

Most of us have days of doubt - you return 28 points and , it is a bit embarrassing, or you top a 3 wood or blade a couple of wedges.

Some golfers look like good golfers and you think , he looks like a single figure golfer.

But , you have to realise as a friend said to me - most lads off lower handicaps have bad days and weeks and months too.

It is hard work at times , and in your lower moments you go. I was better off on this + x handicap - this is just too hard.

Then you wake up next day and have 9 holes in level or have an eagle or something. Then you feel on top of the world.

It is why we love the game. In a way, there is never an end point. You just have to be happy that at one stage I could play to x.

The fact there is no end point also has a trap - that some people are just never happy. This is when it gets a bit dangerous , as we love golf. And this can cause us to fall out of love with the game and begin to resent it.

So - trust yourself. As somebody else on here said to me - you are at a handicap because you earned it. Never forget that.

FixdePitchmark

PARlance wrote: »

I play my stroke comps by keeping my stableford points in mind (we're just too similar ) as a preventive measure of losing heart after a disaster hole if it happens.

I've hit 8 drives in my last 3 rounds Sensei.

BORING.

Russman

I find that if, for whatever reason I go out in a stableford mindset, I'm aware of where I used to have a shot on certain holes, whereas if my head is in a strokeplay mood I'd never be thinking of shots.

I guess there's also holes where we have a shot and feel we don't really need one on that hole, and other holes where we don't have one but would love one ! I know I do anyway !!

I think, for getting lower, its important not to put too much importance on your shots or handicap. If you've dropped a shot, its great, but its also nothing in a round of golf - a putt you might have missed, an extra up & down you make etc. Its very rare to come off the course and not feel you didn't leave at least one shot out there.

ssbob

I am the complete opposite, I generally play to birdie every hole from the outset, obviously that doesn't happen but on the holes where I have shots it does come into consideration for definite. It is the difference in going for a par 5 or not in a competition scenario or if in trouble playing to the front edge rather than over a bunker to a tight pin.

It has to come into peoples thinking when playing stableford.

The mental game is so mental

m r c

I don't think this is exactly off topic ParLance but I go through this over most strokes. I have to believe I'm good enough before playing it properly.
I have literally had to walk off and me set up because in my head I'm doubting myself. I'm not talking about glory stuff either. Anything from driver down to putter. Problem is when I'm confident I can hit bladed 2 iron off the deck and when I'm not ill hit my putter fat.

the lawman

I'd agree 100% with Russman. I used you to battle with myself about having to get a par for 2 points on high index holes or my life is over! It's just a waste of energy and you end up not focusing on the real battle as in choosing the right shot, the right club etc etc.

Now I just think about strokes and making it around in whatever over. Never chasing anything.

Fact is if you play off 12 and shoot 12 over you're getting 36 points no matter which holes you score on.

dan_ep82

I never think about the index of the holes, sometimes I find some of the higher index ones are the harder ones. I've par'd the Index one on headfort new a couple of times.

Generally I try to get to the green in the least amount of shots I can comfortably (no 3w from the rough )

Generally If I'm over 200yds out I'll be of the mindset that I'll use the club for the distance (ie 3hy) but with the thought that if I mi**** it I'll still only have a pitch in.

Seve OB

Even in stapleford comp's I generally play strokes in my head. Shots on particular holes never come into it for a simple enough reason. Some holes will play easier on a particular day and others harder, or you might play the index 1 with flawless shots and the index 18 with a couple of tops. one will balance out the other. Just try not scratch a hole

EG. 14 holes with 2 points each + 2 holes with 1 point each + 2 holes with 3 points each = 36 points. perfect round

In stapleford it actually doesn't mater a damn where the shots come, because if it was strokes, would you beat yourself up at the end of the day to finish nett level par???.

THE ONLY TIME INDEXES & SHOTS ON A HOLE REALLY COUNT. = Matchplay.

ssbob

stevieob wrote: »

In stapleford it actually doesn't mater a damn where the shots come,

Of course it doesn't matter in "STAPLEFORD" Stevie:p:p:p

GreeBo

stevieob wrote: »

Even in stapleford comp's I generally play strokes in my head. Shots on particular holes never come into it for a simple enough reason. Some holes will play easier on a particular day and others harder, or you might play the index 1 with flawless shots and the index 18 with a couple of tops. one will balance out the other. Just try not scratch a hole

EG. 14 holes with 2 points each + 2 holes with 1 point each + 2 holes with 3 points each = 36 points. perfect round

In stapleford it actually doesn't mater a damn where the shots come, because if it was strokes, would you beat yourself up at the end of the day to finish nett level par???.

THE ONLY TIME INDEXES & SHOTS ON A HOLE REALLY COUNT. = Matchplay.

Well it does matter in stableford, the same number of strokes in a stableford comp doesnt necessarily mean the same score (if you are over par)

An OOB ball on a hole with a shot is better than an OOB ball on a hole with no shot in stableford. In strokes its meaningless.

FixdePitchmark

GreeBo wrote: »

Well it does matter in stableford, the same number of strokes in a stableford comp doesnt necessarily mean the same score (if you are over par)

An OOB ball on a hole with a shot is better than an OOB ball on a hole with no shot in stableford. In strokes its meaningless.

Agree with GreeBo here. except when you are a very low handicap player you are going for every hole in regulation.

But the index of holes - has to act as guide to a player and feed into his strategy for a hole.

In my opinion the index of a hole is more important to higher handicap players.

When you get low enough , you are aiming to play the hole in regulation.

Wichita Lineman

always remember

"Golf is 90 percent mental and the other 10 percent is mental"

Carpo86

GreeBo wrote: »

Well it does matter in stableford, the same number of strokes in a stableford comp doesnt necessarily mean the same score (if you are over par)

An OOB ball on a hole with a shot is better than an OOB ball on a hole with no shot in stableford. In strokes its meaningless.

If I was going to hit it OB I'd prefer to hit it on a hole where I didn't have a shot then one where I did. Better to have 'the disaster' on a hole where double bogey is the worst possible result than one where you can take triple.

dcrosskid

PARlance wrote: »

Are you a low HC'er dcross?
I just ask because I generally find that it doesn't come into a low guys thinking as they're well used to not having shots.

I'm getting to the stage where it's shot by shot thinking myself but it hasn't come easy.

Not really Par, playing off 12 but reckon I can play a bit lower if I got the chance, only other sports and work are half hindering me is what I keep telling myself anyways.

slingerz

PARlance wrote: »

So I was just recalling my rather mental, mental approach, to losing / gaining shot(s) last year when I started:

I've mentioned this to a few low guys and they look at me as if I've two heads: but as a beginner and a high HC it was all very real.

Maybe some low guys will have some helpful hints (once they stop laughing at us ) and I'd be interested to see if anyone has this irrational thought process.

Thankfully I'm no longer in that mindset, but it took me a full year to get out of it.

While I had plenty of debates with a certain mod around my disagreement of playing "bogey golf"
I definitely had a "bogey mindset".
I think the two are different.
In short: One being playing for a bogey and the other being happy that a bogey was 2 points (or a "fear" that a par was required for 2 points)


****** Story Time ********
My only concern is getting lower but that said, I drifted to 18 shortly after getting my initial HC of 17 last year.
While I was a bit gutted for a few days, it was contrasted against a totally unexpected feeling during my next round.
I was playing poorly and was walking to the Par 3 17th, index 18. I came across with a sudden buzz..... I have a shot here!!!!
I had about 23 points at the time with 2 holes left, a hole in one and an eagle on the last would have still meant another depressing plus 1..... But here I was buzzing because I didn't have to par for 2points!!!!!

I couldn't explain it, it's just madness.

Conversely, when I got my game together and got cut a shot towards the end of the year my next few rounds were filled with "I've no shot on index 18 now" panic.

I was relaying that story to a guy off 10 (who has been yoyo'ing between 8-12 for a long time) recently and he just couldn't believe it.
Thankfully there was another higher HC'er with us to confirm that he had this same irrational thinking.
***** The End *******

So, was I just lucky to have another lad there to confirm he felt the same or is it a thing we struggle with?

Very similar to you as I'm recently off 17 and always brings the index 18 into view than ever before. I would have previosly hit driver on what is a reachable par 4 however lately I'm fearful of getting stuck behind a tree and getting a scratch. at the weekend i hit a 5i from the tee but its downhill so overhit my wedge to beyond the gree and had an impossible chip back with trees guarding the green and with the green falling away. had to play a speculative shot into the bank of the green and hope for the best. ended up with a scratch anyway.

Seve OB

GreeBo wrote: »

Well it does matter in stableford, the same number of strokes in a stableford comp doesnt necessarily mean the same score (if you are over par).

Ah but it does if you don't scratch any holes... that was part of what i was trying to say.

I do take your point about the ball OOB though.

I still think strokes is the best way to play golf though.

GreeBo

Carpo86 wrote: »

If I was going to hit it OB I'd prefer to hit it on a hole where I didn't have a shot then one where I did. Better to have 'the disaster' on a hole where double bogey is the worst possible result than one where you can take triple.

I dont follow this logic at all? What does it matter if its a double or triple? The number of strokes is irrelevant for all metrics? Score, handicap...?

In stableford you have 18 chances to score.

Scoring 1 on a hole is much, much, much better than scoring 0.

The worst possible result in a stableford comp is 0, doesnt matter if thats a double, tripled or more, 0 points is 0 points.

You want to double the holes you have shots on so you still get 1 point. If you double the others you get zip and now need to get two nett birdies to catch up.

slingerz

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Agree with GreeBo here. except when you are a very low handicap player you are going for every hole in regulation.

But the index of holes - has to act as guide to a player and feed into his strategy for a hole.

In my opinion the index of a hole is more important to higher handicap players.

When you get low enough , you are aiming to play the hole in regulation.

I cant say i wholly agree. In principal then yes you are correct but at my home course for example I can only think of 3 maybe 4 max where I would be playing longer than an 8i in order to make the green in regulation. And that is with taking irons off certain tees.

For a high handicap I find the par 3s to be the holes that i score worst on with regularity

ssbob

slingerz wrote: »

For a high handicap I find the par 3s to be the holes that i score worst on with regularity

Me too, par 3 scoring is terrible.

GreeBo

ssbob wrote: »

Me too, par 3 scoring is terrible.

Simple reason for that, with a par 3 you have less chances to make up for a bad shot.
Also, it should be nigh on impossible to have worse than a bogey on a par 3, but people get themselves into snowman numbers by chasing a GIR when they have no business doing it.

webels

GreeBo wrote: »

Simple reason for that, with a par 3 you have less chances to make up for a bad shot.
Also, it should be nigh on impossible to have worse than a bogey on a par 3, but people get themselves into snowman numbers by chasing a GIR when they have no business doing it.

And yet we've all done it!

Senecio

The only mental issues I have with shots is that scratching a hole that I have a shot on drives me mental. I only have 6 to play with so it drives me insane to throw one away.

Carpo86

GreeBo wrote: »

I dont follow this logic at all? What does it matter if its a double or triple? The number of strokes is irrelevant for all metrics? Score, handicap...?

In stableford you have 18 chances to score.

Scoring 1 on a hole is much, much, much better than scoring 0.

The worst possible result in a stableford comp is 0, doesnt matter if thats a double, tripled or more, 0 points is 0 points.

You want to double the holes you have shots on so you still get 1 point. If you double the others you get zip and now need to get two nett birdies to catch up.

Of course it is better to have a double bogey on a hole that you have a shot on than a hole were you do not.

That's not the point I was making though. To clarify, the logic of the point I was making is quite simple.

Lets imagine two golfers of the same handicap playing two hypothetical rounds. In both we assume that at some point in the round each golfer is going to have 'a disaster' and take say a quadruple bogey.

In both of these hypothetical rounds, each golfer is going to have 17 pars on the other 17 holes (the score itself is irrelevant, as long as they take the same number of shots per hole).

If one player has his 'disaster' on a hole where he has a shot and one player has his on a hole where he does not have a shot, the player who has his disaster on a hole where he does not have a shot will score one point more.

GreeBo

Carpo86 wrote: »

Of course it is better to have a double bogey on a hole that you have a shot on than a hole were you do not.

That's not the point I was making though. To clarify, the logic of the point I was making is quite simple.

Lets imagine two golfers of the same handicap playing two hypothetical rounds. In both we assume that at some point in the round each golfer is going to have 'a disaster' and take say a quadruple bogey.

In both of these hypothetical rounds, each golfer is going to have 17 pars on the other 17 holes (the score itself is irrelevant, as long as they take the same number of shots per hole).

If one player has his 'disaster' on a hole where he has a shot and one player has his on a hole where he does not have a shot, the player who has his disaster on a hole where he does not have a shot will score one point more.

Forgive me, but your previous post said the exact opposite of "of course it's better"!
Anyway, it can't be better in one scenario and worse in another. I think your example is flawed, you don't get to choose where the pars are and are not, you can't assume 17 pars are going to happen. Each hole in stableford is completely unrelated to each other hole, unlike strokes.

You might as well have said, two players have 72 strokes, one guy has 17 holes in one and then a disaster, the other has all pars, who do you want to be? It just doesn't work like that...

ssbob

GreeBo wrote: »

Simple reason for that, with a par 3 you have less chances to make up for a bad shot.
Also, it should be nigh on impossible to have worse than a bogey on a par 3, but people get themselves into snowman numbers by chasing a GIR when they have no business doing it.

You have tried selling me this before but I don't agree on a number of reasons, on a par 3 I will always er on the side of caution but as a high handicapper I am much more likely hit a real bad hook slice into the ditch even if playing safe on a par 3.

My latest round for example where I shot 42 points off my high handicap, there are 5 par 3's on this particular course:

4th hole, 110 yards, complete cliff face drop of about 30 yards to a green in front, anything chunked is in a ditch, anything topped is through the green in the water.................I topped my tee shot into the water behind the green, I was just trying to get it down there.

I don't think you understand sometimes that higher handicappers can just hit really bad shots even when playing safe..........

Russman

ssbob wrote: »

You have tried selling me this before but I don't agree on a number of reasons, on a par 3 I will always er on the side of caution but as a high handicapper I am much more likely hit a real bad hook slice into the ditch even if playing safe on a par 3.

My latest round for example where I shot 42 points off my high handicap, there are 5 par 3's on this particular course:

4th hole, 110 yards, complete cliff face drop of about 30 yards to a green in front, anything chunked is in a ditch, anything topped is through the green in the water.................I topped my tee shot into the water behind the green, I was just trying to get it down there.

I don't think you understand sometimes that higher handicappers can just hit really bad shots even when playing safe..........

I think I'd agree with this.
Trying to hit a green on a par 3 may well, in theory, be the wrong option for a lot of players, but there are many reasons we all do it.
Not least of which would be that its traditionally perceived as a "one shot" hole and I think for many or most golfers the notion of laying up on a par 3 simply wouldn't enter their head. Not through any sense of ego or macho, but I reckon it just wouldn't dawn on most players to hit a mid iron into a safe area on a long dangerous par 3 rather than have a slash with a 3 wood.

The other end of it, is that golf is supposed to be fun. Some players get their fun out of going for shots, others get it by the final number on the card and most I'd say fall somewhere in the middle. Different strokes and all that, there's no one size fits all with regard to strategy. Its like the difference between playing to win and playing not to lose, neither is right and neither is wrong, you have to judge which is best suited to you as an individual.

benny79

Surely you would have to go for the green on all par3's in 1! sure if you lay up you have 2 get up and down for par which would nt be possible for most high HC ie me unless its 210+ yards

slingerz

Russman wrote: »

I think I'd agree with this.
Trying to hit a green on a par 3 may well, in theory, be the wrong option for a lot of players, but there are many reasons we all do it.
Not least of which would be that its traditionally perceived as a "one shot" hole and I think for many or most golfers the notion of laying up on a par 3 simply wouldn't enter their head. Not through any sense of ego or macho, but I reckon it just wouldn't dawn on most players to hit a mid iron into a safe area on a long dangerous par 3 rather than have a slash with a 3 wood.

The other end of it, is that golf is supposed to be fun. Some players get their fun out of going for shots, others get it by the final number on the card and most I'd say fall somewhere in the middle. Different strokes and all that, there's no one size fits all with regard to strategy. Its like the difference between playing to win and playing not to lose, neither is right and neither is wrong, you have to judge which is best suited to you as an individual.

dont have that problem in my course as the par 3's are short enough, the first is a PW but its a tight narrow green with nowhere to layup to, the 2nd is a decent 4 hybrid/5i again with no area to lay up to, the 4th is a 9i again with no where to layup to while the 5th is a decent 5i/6i but it does have a 'fairway' in front of it to layup to.

Makes only 1 hole from 5 that I can realistically play short of the green to leave a little chip on

GreeBo

ssbob wrote: »

You have tried selling me this before but I don't agree on a number of reasons, on a par 3 I will always er on the side of caution but as a high handicapper I am much more likely hit a real bad hook slice into the ditch even if playing safe on a par 3.

My latest round for example where I shot 42 points off my high handicap, there are 5 par 3's on this particular course:

4th hole, 110 yards, complete cliff face drop of about 30 yards to a green in front, anything chunked is in a ditch, anything topped is through the green in the water.................I topped my tee shot into the water behind the green, I was just trying to get it down there.

I don't think you understand sometimes that higher handicappers can just hit really bad shots even when playing safe..........

I'd hardly advise laying up on a 110yrd hole, exactly for the reasons you state.
Its the guys hitting a 3 wood to a par 3 that I laugh at.
On a long hole, a shorter club hooked or sliced will not be as bad as a longer club hooked or sliced.

Also, I think you forget that I was a high handicap golfer for far, far longer than I have been a mid handicap golfer!

GreeBo

Russman wrote: »

I think I'd agree with this.
Trying to hit a green on a par 3 may well, in theory, be the wrong option for a lot of players, but there are many reasons we all do it.
Not least of which would be that its traditionally perceived as a "one shot" hole and I think for many or most golfers the notion of laying up on a par 3 simply wouldn't enter their head. Not through any sense of ego or macho, but I reckon it just wouldn't dawn on most players to hit a mid iron into a safe area on a long dangerous par 3 rather than have a slash with a 3 wood.

The other end of it, is that golf is supposed to be fun. Some players get their fun out of going for shots, others get it by the final number on the card and most I'd say fall somewhere in the middle. Different strokes and all that, there's no one size fits all with regard to strategy. Its like the difference between playing to win and playing not to lose, neither is right and neither is wrong, you have to judge which is best suited to you as an individual.

Makes a lot of sense.
I think Pros play to win, handicap golfers should play not to lose.

GreeBo

slingerz wrote: »

dont have that problem in my course as the par 3's are short enough, the first is a PW but its a tight narrow green with nowhere to layup to, the 2nd is a decent 4 hybrid/5i again with no area to lay up to, the 4th is a 9i again with no where to layup to while the 5th is a decent 5i/6i but it does have a 'fairway' in front of it to layup to.

Makes only 1 hole from 5 that I can realistically play short of the green to leave a little chip on

What course?
I find it hard to accept that a 4 hybrid hole has no layup area?

benny79 wrote: »

Surely you would have to go for the green on all par3's in 1! sure if you lay up you have 2 get up and down for par which would nt be possible for most high HC ie me unless its 210+ yards

If you are a high handicap you dont need to get up and down for par on a long par 3....thats the whole point!
You need a par far, far less than you need to avoid a 6

kieran.

GreeBo wrote: »

handicap golfers should play not to lose.

I have to say I think this is the most ridiculous comment I have yet to see in the Golf forum. Every time you step on to the course in a competition your goal should be plain and simple to win, the only way you can win is to do it for yourself. By your reckoning the winner of a competition is not in fact a winner but indeed the person who lost the least on any given day,that’s just plain wrong IMHO. [

Russman

GreeBo wrote: »

I find it hard to accept that a 4 hybrid hole has no layup area?

Depends on how far you hit your 4 hybrid.....:D:D !!

FixdePitchmark

I've never layed up on a par 3 and never will.

ssbob

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

I've never "intentionally" layed up on a par 3 and never will.

I adjusted your statement

benny79

I know I have a shot on the hole, but I play every hole to try and par it except index 1 & 2 were id have 2 shots my aim is 1 over for each!

GreeBo

benny79 wrote: »

I know I have a shot on the hole, but I play every hole to try and par it except index 1 & 2 were id have 2 shots my aim is 1 over for each!

So why play index 1 & 2 differently than all the others if you are aiming to Par each hole (which I think is madness off 20 hcap btw!)?

Without being rude, off 20 clearly you cannot bogey each hole, so why are you trying to par them instead?

ssbob

GreeBo wrote: »

So why play index 1 & 2 differently than all the others if you are aiming to Par each hole (which I think is madness off 20 hcap btw!)?

Without being rude, off 20 clearly you cannot bogey each hole, so why are you trying to par them instead?

This forum goes around in circles

We can all birdie/par holes so I see no issue in playing for a par as long as there isn't a more sensible option available when trying to shoot a score in a comp.

GreeBo

ssbob wrote: »

This forum goes around in circles

We can all birdie/par holes so I see no issue in playing for a par as long as there isn't a more sensible option available when trying to shoot a score in a comp.

Thats because none of you ever listen to me!!! :P

We can all birdie and par holes, but we cant all avoid doubles and worse.

If you goal is to try to win whatever you are playing in on the day then going for everything is fine.
If your goal is to get to the lowest handicap you can (and whatever you win on the way is a bonus) then that requires more management.

Can you agree that if your handicap is higher than 18, it doesnt make sense to try to play to 10 every day?

/edit
If there was no down side to going for it (casual round for example, or non qualifying) then by all means shoot the lights out, I know I do. But my responsibility as a CONGU golfer is to try to shoot my best score everytime. Going for everything will demonstrably not achieve this, it will in fact leave me playing off a higher handicap than I would have if I played more conservatively.

ssbob

GreeBo wrote: »

Can you agree that if your handicap is higher than 18, it doesnt make sense to try to play to 10 every day?

/edit
If there was no down side to going for it (casual round for example, or non qualifying) then by all means shoot the lights out, I know I do. But my responsibility as a CONGU golfer is to try to shoot my best score everytime. Going for everything will demonstrably not achieve this, it will in fact leave me playing off a higher handicap than I would have if I played more conservatively.

Agreed and this is exactly how I play for the most part but I think sometimes I might aswell hit driver than hit a 6 iron as I am likely to hook a 6 iron into the ditch whereas a hooked driver would clear the ditch!!


In society outing and casual outings, I use the driver 14 times and sometimes more if I want to have a crack at a no way reacheable green:D

Hit one once:D

FixdePitchmark

Absolutely crazy stuff.

If you are laying up on a par 3, there is a bigger issue at stake. That is your mid iron / long game problem. Laying up should be an interim , only for extreme situations. Yes there are holes like the 4th in The Heritage and as the legend now dictates, the 1st at the Grange - that are very hard holes.

But, this forum is suppose to be lads more into their golf than the Sunday golfer - look at the handicap thread.

I'd even go as far as saying , if you are off 18 etc, and are hitting balls in water / short - go to the range and hit a couple of 1000 balls , get lessons. Sort out your issue.

Maybe if you have a physical problem or lack speed - fair enough , maybe if you are in your 50s or 60s or 80s fair enough.

But - I watch a few amateur sports. And most people in mid 30s - 40s , don't give up on playing a sport, and start playing it wrong. Particularly golf , when they are improving at this age.

Most of us are in 30s / 40s.

It is unfathomable - that a person would take up golf , and lay up on a par 3. If they are , sort it out. Lay up for a while, but the target for all on here - should be to hit 18 GIRs. Only when you have exhausted every effort to try do this, should you ever consider laying up on a par 3. If you don't have a club that can carry 180 to 210 . Your going nowhere.

Anyway - not for me, each to their own.

GreeBo

ssbob wrote: »

Agreed and this is exactly how I play for the most part but I think sometimes I might aswell hit driver than hit a 6 iron as I am likely to hook a 6 iron into the ditch whereas a hooked driver would clear the ditch!!


In society outing and casual outings, I use the driver 14 times and sometimes more if I want to have a crack at a no way reacheable green:D

Hit one once:D

Hitting the driver because its safer in that scenario is totally fine (by me)
I do that on the 5th in Grange, a bad drive will still carry most of the trouble, anything else mi**** will be in the middle of the trees or bunkers.

Im not saying dont hit it, just that you should hit it when it makes sense, not "just coz"

benny79

cause index 1 & 2 on my course obviously are the 2 hardest but also are 2 par 4's and very hard to reach in 2! so I find if I play for position I'll have a better chance of getting +1 on each obviously a bad tee shot I am screwed, plus I have par every hole on my course at some stage so I play to par if I get +1 Im happy +2 not so, my problem is by scratching 3/4 holes a round usually by oob or in the trees then a duffetc

And Im 21hc:(

I really would love to know how people go from high hc to low as im just finding it impossable and have been playing for a few yrs now! had lessons (loads) etc and am playing 2/3 times a week + range Have yet to break 90 came close a few times. and im only 34!