Huge Meltdown today

Had an entire round where I couldn’t get the ball airborne. It happens. Forgot how to play golf for 4 hours that day

I played my worst round of the year, a 93, right after a 78 and just in front of an 80.

Golf is hard.

We struggle. In the handicap system there are 20 rounds. 8 count. Most of anyone’s golf is mediocre to bad. Of the 8 counting rounds, 3 are our best. 1 has to be the worst. It is what it is.

In general, go back to basics. Aim, stance, grip, posture, etc.

Try to become better at putting. It definitely saves strokes.
Chipping and pitching next.

Get a lesson to help keep full shots on the course. Penalty shots are unnecessary.

quote:

---

My goal was to break 90 and it seemed like I had that in the bag today.

---

This is where you went wrong. Stay focused on the shot in front of you on the course, not counting your score in the clubhouse.

When I lived in Baton Rouge over a decade ago, I noticed on the first tee of Santa Maria I had on a green Adidas that I had played some bad rounds in, the seed was planted in my mind that I had to overcome my former struggles and will a good low round together. That did not happen because I was thinking how to score low rather than think my way around the course, one shot at a time, in a way that could potentially minimize mistakes and capitalize on opportunities when they presented themselves, even an easy up and down rather than positioning yourself for a double or worse.

I learned several things that day that started the process of implementing into my game of envisioning the shot before I ever swung: (sometimes it doesn't pay off but tightening up on scrambling skill will help resolve your misses): 1. never take a swing in that shirt again was priority #1

2. I will play the course with the swing I had that day (if it was off, I'd revert back to a knock down 3/4 swing
feel that I would use to sync my timing up that was still aggressive while dialing my back swing a notch improve timing)


3. Work on punch shot techniques such as low hook/low cut/low straight shots to get out from under trees and even give a chance to hit the green. You should approach this is as putting the ball in a place that gives you best chance for up and down

3. Ball placement: Never keep reminding yourself what you must score because you take focus off letting the scores come to you. You must think your way around the course to give the best opportunity. Watch how pros discuss course management and take the same approach. This streamlines confidence. From the tee, I pick my targets based on the hole location. While considering and locating my tee shot target that gives my an out on hazards/trouble in my fairway line that I want to avoid, I align and fire at a small target so that I my concentration on hitting a small target usually pays off. In addition, based on your shot shape (draw for me), I take an approach off the tee that gives me the best chance of hitting the green based on how I'm striping it that day or that gives me an easy up and down. If I'm confident of being able to hit a cut into a right-side hole location, I try to position my tee shot that gives my the best approach angle into the green, especially based on hole location. If I'm not confident, I still am focused on positioning myself attack the green, but not make stupid mistakes like a short-sided approach that makes an up and down harder. You always want your misses to be calculated in to give the easiest up and down. Sometimes a miss in a bunker with more green to work with is calculated in as a bail out spot verses something like taking on a hazard that could make scores worse.

It takes a while to learn how to think your way around a course through trial and error, but this was an approach that helped me reach a 5 handicap in a short amount of time versus a handicap that was double that before I started doing so.

4. Building confidence on getting up and down. If you have the time, work on your bunker game to give you a bail out spot you're confident in bailing out. Work on short-sided shots in the event you face them (for example, flop shots). Work on <60 yard shots to build timing and confidence on placing the ball in best spot to get up and down (sometimes this involves keeping the ball below the hole to avoid slick putts).


5. Work on lag putting (within 3 feet on long putts, while also envisioning a line where you see the putt dropping.
Work on holing out short putts on the putting green to build confidence to see the ball drop.

TL;DR: Although this is more than enough information, I'm just trying to relay a strategy to envision the shot you want to hit before you hit it. This may take time at the range in executing to build confidence. Envision holes you're playing and try to execute the shot. I always tee off thinking where I want to place it to give me the best angle of attack for approach or the next shot. If you can see it before you do it, it takes your mind off the score and puts your focus on the task at hand. Let the scores come to you by minimizing mistakes and capitalizing on opportunities to score, even if that means chipping in or easy up and downs.

When this happens to me, it's almost always due to my grip pressure being way way way to strong.


I've taught myself to check grip pressure first now after about 2 back strokes. I can normally salvage a round by 3rd hole since doing thins.


Holdin' stick of melting butter.

have a beer my friend

quote:

---

Holdin' stick of melting butter.

---

Have you ever held this?

I went 31-42 a few days ago. And the 42 was with an eagle

quote:

---

This is where you went wrong. Stay focused on the shot in front of you on the course, not counting your score in the clubhouse.

---

As good advice as you can get.

The moment you focus on a score it’s over.

quote:

---

I went 31-42 a few days ago. And the 42 was with an eagle

---

Wow! I was coming to post that I shot 37 (with a double), 46 today, but yours may have been worse even still, shooting 73 with a 42 on one side is pretty sweet.