Goals

princess poppy

After talking to Fix having played in the Royal Curragh today I got to thinking. He was talking about the importance of goals.
I have decided to act on your wisdom and am setting myself the challenge of a top five finish at the next boards outing. To achieve this I am going to ditch my current routine of 18 holes once a week, and for the next month I will play at least twice a week and also practice my short game and putting at least twice a week.

While I appreciate that this is of no interest to you out there, I feel that by putting it in writing I will be more likely to follow through - excuse the pun.

FixdePitchmark

Lol

Goals - should be smart.

Achievable - realistic. A top 5 in a boards outing is near impossible .

You should say a top 5 - in an outing , work towards it.

Sorry my voice was gone a little earlier. So I should type it out.

You have to play twice a week . You have to go down to club for a few hours twice a week also :eek:- even 1/2 an hour and practice the bad part of your short game the most. It is too easy to do the things we like to do. For me it was playing a round of golf with 1 ball and counting that score. Doing this is such an inefficient use of practice time.

If you only have time for 1 round - give up the 2nd round and hit short game area and putting green. It works , it works.

My short game is still very very poor - but lost 2 shots from just practicing putting and short game area.

Anyway - not sure a boards outing is good goal - but I'm very goal centric - a bit of an issue for me at the moment is , I have no real goal.

Maybe - no harm just enjoying the game for a while and avoid goals. That may be a goal for me.


Anyone any goals ?

FixdePitchmark

And after saying that - my goal in background of no goal time.

I'd like to win a boards outing and the Jug before I wrap up in September.

I'd like to make Category 1 soon.

princess poppy

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Lol

Goals - should be smart.

Achievable - realistic. A top 5 in a boards outing is near impossible .


Anyone any goals ?

Ah Fix, you've given me the momentum, telling me thats unachieveable for me - huh. Maybe I won't do it, but right now I know that I can. We'll see .....

FixdePitchmark

princess poppy wrote: »

Ah Fix, you've given me the momentum, telling me thats unachieveable for me - huh. Maybe I won't do it, but right now I know that I can. We'll see .....

Of course you can - what did you score today. Sure you are close to it now.

I guess your playing in the rest of the outings ?

The point I would make is - if you have a goal , give yourself a few chances at it. Because a goal with such a deadline has too high a risk of failure. I'm all for goals , but goals with deadlines in golf are dangerous. Because - as mafc said to me , and is so true - we can just turn up and not be able to turn it on. Setting an exact day to do a performance in golf - is very very hard.

If you look at the group of golfers there - or any group of golfers - a player who is near say 36 all the time, is rare enough.

A player who scores most the time is rare.

But - up to you , go for it.

Best of luck.

ForeRight

My goal was to drop a full shot this year. Mid way through the year now and my new goal is to not go out by 2 shots the other direction.

I'm not really too worried though as I'm really enjoying playing a lot lately. Probably to do with the great weather.

Goal adjustment just now.

Enjoy every round as if it's my last no matter how bad I'm playing. There's always a few shots out of the top drawer every game.

FixdePitchmark

Fair play ForeRight - you are spot on. For so long (as we all know too bloody much) , goals became almost too much for me.

Is there anything wrong with just playing the game. I'm just talking from my own view point here Poppy - I think people who haven't had goals - it is a great way to improve.

If - I'm being 100 % honest - goals went OTT with me.

Still is hard for me to get my head around , going out and just playing.

The funny thing - since I have had no goals , I've played my best ever golf. It is all a bit strange.

Played Friday and Saturday this week was a total pleasure, (ok the golf was good) - but two great courses , great company, stunning weather and locations.

All a bit idyllic at the moment - (LOl)

But - post your goals away - good idea for a thread.

Senna

My recent goal is to play a comp without a double bogey, still yet to achieve it and feel its a very easy goal to make (I'm a 12hcp) but I just haven't been able to do it.

redzerdrog

my most immediate goal is to reach the buffer zone in a qualifying comp off my current hcap.

I have played 1 qualifying comp and 3 society outings since getting my hcap and in each of them I have yet to break 30 points

Tom.D.BJJ

My current goal is to play a round with no scratches.

My next goal is to play a round in 30 putts or less.

Mashie

Tom.D.BJJ wrote: »

My current goal is to play a round with no scratches.

My next goal is to play a round in 30 putts or less.

Only playing social golf at the mo but goal has also been for no scratches. Probably need to readjust to at least one....

slave1

ForeRight wrote: »

?.....Enjoy every round as if it's my last no matter how bad I'm playing. There's always a few shots out of the top drawer every game.

+1, not getting pissed on, out in the fresh air my goal is to stay positive even if not playing well and to enjoy those few tops class shots, ones a pro would be happy with, makes it all worthwhile

OffalyMedic

Bar getting to single figures I have a couple of other goals for summer:
- a round with no doubles
- a round with no scratches
- a round with 30putts or less
- break 80

charlieIRL

shaunac93 wrote: »

Bar getting to single figures I have a couple of other goals for summer:
- a round with no doubles
- a round with no scratches
- a round with 30putts or less
- break 80

Similar goal here except the single figures!!!

FixdePitchmark

princess poppy wrote: »

Ah Fix, you've given me the momentum, telling me thats unachieveable for me - huh. Maybe I won't do it, but right now I know that I can. We'll see .....

Well done princess , very close to your target at last outing.

Have you any plan to get there . Maybe just playing as well will do it. Did you do anything different ?

For once good news from me. Positive stuff.
I achieved nearly every goal I set out to do.

Eagle , par and under rounds , under 5 handicap.

Didn't get picked for a club team . (Not sure something I can control)
2 more chances to win a boards outing. This is looking hardest of all:D

Dublin Spur

I have 2 goals every time I play:

1. no double bogeys
2. no 3 putts

the rest of the round will look after its self
I play off 5 but you'd be surprised how hard it is to achieve both goals in a round

Boskowski

With me its also about the scratches. I have played without scratches a good few times, becoming more frequent even, but a goal would be to play without scratches a lot. Score usually takes care of itself if I can keep the scratches away.

As I'm rarely destructive its obvious I will have to improve short game to make the scratches go away.

galwaylad14

Dublin Spur wrote: »

I have 2 goals every time I play:

1. no double bogeys
2. no 3 putts

the rest of the round will look after its self
I play off 5 but you'd be surprised how hard it is to achieve both goals in a round

I play off 4 but I could virtually guarantee that any day I achieve both of those I'll have a good score. I never worry about bogeys, as will nearly always sneak a birdie or 2 to get those back but the doubles are a killer

galwaylad14

My goal is just to try and take it one shot at a time and totally forget all thats gone before it. Play each shot as it comes.

The reason I say this is that I've noticed a few themes in my rounds lately. I play off 4 and I'm playing to that very regularly at the moment, but the way the rounds seem to be going is that I'll get off to a bad start and be maybe 4 over after 5 holes but then I'll play great from here in and maybe finish at 4 over. Or I might have a great first 7 or 8 holes and then I'll go and drop 3 shots in the next 4 holes or something like that and then go and play the last 7 or 8 in level par or 1 under or something. I seem to be dropping all my shots for the round within a space of maybe around 4 holes.

I think it's mental as much as anything (isn't nearly everything in this game?) As in I seem to be expecting myself to shoot maybe 4 or 5 over and if it looks like I'm going to do better than that I'll manage to drop a few shots out of nowhere to get myself back to where I "should be" and then I can go and play away making pars again. Or if I have the bad start I'm able to just go and start playing well then with no hassle at all. It's madness really.

So I feel if I could just hit each shot as it comes and forget all about my score I'd do better. Easier said that done but the most positive thing is that I don't feel like I'm playing all that well at the moment but I'm still generally hitting my handicap which is good.

OffalyMedic

shaunac93 wrote:

Bar getting to single figures I have a couple of other goals for summer: - a round with no doubles - a round with no scratches - - round with no 3putts-a round with 30putts or less - break 80

Make a few of my goals today in our presidents prize.
- shot an 80 (par 73)
- No 3 putts
- 29 putts
Close to other goals too
- 1 scratches (triple bogie)
- 2 doubles

denishurley

galwaylad14 wrote: »

My goal is just to try and take it one shot at a time and totally forget all thats gone before it. Play each shot as it comes.

The reason I say this is that I've noticed a few themes in my rounds lately. I play off 4 and I'm playing to that very regularly at the moment, but the way the rounds seem to be going is that I'll get off to a bad start and be maybe 4 over after 5 holes but then I'll play great from here in and maybe finish at 4 over. Or I might have a great first 7 or 8 holes and then I'll go and drop 3 shots in the next 4 holes or something like that and then go and play the last 7 or 8 in level par or 1 under or something. I seem to be dropping all my shots for the round within a space of maybe around 4 holes.

I think it's mental as much as anything (isn't nearly everything in this game?) As in I seem to be expecting myself to shoot maybe 4 or 5 over and if it looks like I'm going to do better than that I'll manage to drop a few shots out of nowhere to get myself back to where I "should be" and then I can go and play away making pars again. Or if I have the bad start I'm able to just go and start playing well then with no hassle at all. It's madness really.

So I feel if I could just hit each shot as it comes and forget all about my score I'd do better. Easier said that done but the most positive thing is that I don't feel like I'm playing all that well at the moment but I'm still generally hitting my handicap which is good.

In one of his books, Bob Rotella pinpoints exactly that, we self-correct and revert to the norm.

sydneybound

Dublin Spur wrote: »

I have 2 goals every time I play:

1. no double bogeys
2. no 3 putts

the rest of the round will look after its self
I play off 5 but you'd be surprised how hard it is to achieve both goals in a round

Two really good goals there. I'm going to try implement that into my weekly rounds.

Kingswood Rover

I think a lot of us expect less and relax after a poor start and consequentially play better. recently i have being playing really well and am seeing improvement in my game. BUT i have also come to the last few holes a lot recently trying to defend what i have trying to get my cut and then made a complete snollox of it. But i am now getting to the stage of starting to think right here we are again last few holes "come on lets have it" attack no NON COMMITTAL/DEFENSIVE shots and just see what happens, which is kind of liberating. Golf is a funny game 6 weeks ago i despaired of getting to single figs now i know that i can make it to the Nirvana of 9.4.

FixdePitchmark

Won my friend's golf society goty
Lowest ever handicap
hole in one
lowest competition round
Top 10 on boards

What a fantastic week.

New goals needed