Losing Composure or Just enjoying it

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By wormburner

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  • 23 Replies
  1. wormburner

    wormburner
    hawaii

    Lately while playing the last year or so I've been having problems during my round. I start the evening before getting psyched up for my next day's round thinking of "going low".

    I try to sleep well, eat a good breakfast before heading out, stretch a little at home, hit the range to get loose. I usually do well the first three or four holes, then the blow up hole occurs and I can't get back in sync.

    Old habits seem to creep back in, the swing goes off track and I can't seem to concentrate in forgetting the blow up and sooner or later another blow up hole occurs, this ends the race to shoot in the 80's and I end up in the mid to high 90's or just over the century mark.

    I've had lessons from a very reputable pro, the swing is decent at the start of the round, but the old baseball out to in swing comes back and I have a hard time getting back on plane.

    Do you think its just frustration setting in, or it this golf's reason why I play this crazy game. Maybe I'm putting too much pressure on myself to shoot a low round. I do enjoy the outdoors so I liked to shoot better, but sometimes its whatevers and it is what it is mentality. I am getting older so GIRs are down to par 3s and 5s. The par 4s are a luck of the draw. Maybe I should more time playing more? Range time seems decent when I practice. Its just when I'm playing a round when everything gets funky. Any thoughts or help????

  2. Allan

    Allan
    California

    Team Titleist Staff
    Love this post. I think this is why we all love the game. I've been in your same shoes and revisit them frequently. Do your best and appreciate how difficult the sport is when you struggle. You're gonna have good rounds and bad rounds; and I'd bet the good ones will happen when you least expect it. Enjoy the walk!
  3. Guy W

    Guy W
    Statesville, NC

    In the same boat. Anticipate a good round, start decent, blow up on a couple, get frustrated. I have often muttered to myself "you should just quit and sell your clubs". That's usually when I say f*@k it, just hit the ball and then everything starts working again and I can't wait to come back. That's golf. I need to stop thinking that if I just do "this" I will shoot my best score and just enjoy it. Easier said than done lol.
  4. Jim S

    Jim S
    East Point, GA

    Keep a good attitude and understand that golf is golf. I keep telling myself I could be working or doing honey doos.Play well in 2022 golf season is just beginning.
  5. Frank P

    Frank P
    Port St. Lucie, FL

    Military
    Chill! Just do the best you can. Enjoy the good shots and the heck with the bad ones. The other day, the people that I played with talked about the shot I hit a foot from the hole, not the chunked 8-iron or the bladed wedge that also happened. Besides, anyone that judges you by your golf score is not worth being around.
  6. GMaynard

    GMaynard

    Military
    When I get in that type of funk , I tell myself that I should just be happy that at the age of 72 , I should be happy to still be healthy enough to be playing and that I have many friends who passed before their time that would love to make a double bogey!!

    I still like to go low but I have no bills that are dependent on what score I shoot on the golf course!

    Relax and enjoy the game

    Semper Fi !!!
  7. Mike M

    Mike M
    Marblehead MA

    Right off the bat, two things struck me about this post. First was thinking of going low at the start of the round.Maybe it's me, but I try and hit one shot at a time (hit the fairway, hit the green, make a decent putting stroke and repeat) and let the score take care of itself.
    Secondly the first three or four holes are fine and then self-doubt creeps in and your swing gets off kilter.Try and clear your mind and focus on the shot at hand after making a bogie.Take a little less time at address, not allowing self doubt to creep in.Don't over think it.

    When this happens to me,I mutter to myself to think of the KISS method........Keep It Simple Stupid!
  8. Eric H

    Eric H
    Ridgway, PA

    Just by the way you typed this it seems to me you're putting way to much pressure upon yourself and into your round. The fact is that golf is very hard. Its hard for high handicaps and low handicaps. Everyone who plays is frustrated with something out on the course. You shouldn't be getting worked up out there man. Easier said than done, but the best advice Is to just stay in the present state of mind. Don't worry about golf the night before, then when you do go to play its truly gotta be 1 shot at a time. How can you do the best you can on the first shot. After you've hit that one, then you concern yourself with the second shot!
  9. Jerry M

    Jerry M
    Dallas, TX

    I am with Allan on this one. This is a difficult sport and even the pros have bad rounds. You might talk to your teaching pro about what he/she does during a round. But please above all else.....Enjoy the walk!
  10. Erich F

    Erich F
    NY

    Hi Wormburner,

    I agree with the above, you seem to be pressing. I am guilty of this as well, as I think most are who play this great, frustrating game. I always try to think of when I watch the early rounds of pro tournaments. These are guys whose job is golf. If they don't have it that week, you will see shots as ugly as the rest of us hit.

    Give yourself a break, breath, enjoy the outdoors and being with your buddies. The game will come to you.
  11. John M

    John M
    Asheville, North Carolina

    Military
    With 40 years of golf experience, I've had my share of moments where I yelled or called myself names over a bad shot. This past year, I started playing again after a 5 year absence. I was doing a lot of mountain biking and surfing. When I came back to playing after moving to North Carolina, I decided to use my surfers mind when I played golf. That doesn't mean I started talking like Jeff Spicoli, but, I decided to appreciate playing golf in a beautiful setting and enjoy experience. In practical terms, I remind myself before each round that I will try to follow a poor shot with a good one, that I wouldn't hit give up shots. I'm competitive and I want to win and keeping an equilibrium with my emotions is the best way to do that and it makes me a better playing partner. I'd be happy to play with anybody from Team Titleist at my home course-Asheville Muni. All the best.
  12. Jim V.

    Jim V.
    St. Marys, GA

    Wormburner...your problems are very typical of 99% of Team Titleist Members. Even the tour pros, who hit 100's of balls every day, hit some horrible shots and make double or triple bogeys. Like many have said, be thankful that you are physically able to enjoy this wonderful game.
  13. Madhatter

    Madhatter
    Edderton, Highland, Scotland

    Ha sounds just like I used to be. My problem was between the ears, the red mist would come down after hitting a poor shot. I never got to the stage where I would throw things about but I would have shall we say a few choice words to myself...out loud. This would just make the situation worse and could not have been very nice for my playing partners. I then read one of Dr Bob Rotellas books where he recommended saying the word "Accept" to myself after every shot, good or bad. The first time I tried this my playing partners commented that I appeared to be a different animal during that round. I still do this after all these years....well it works for me.


    Madhatter
  14. Joe M

    Joe M
    Fire Lieutenant (Ret)

    I try to keep the focus by SWNS. I write it on the underside of the bill of my hat. “So what, next shot”. We’re all allowed bad shots, it’s how we are able to regain composure and hit the next one. This game can frustrate even the greatest players in the world!
  15. Jack

    Jack
    South Australia

    This perfectly sums up us weekend players. Only having time to play once or twice a week while having a real desire to improve makes for a deadly combination. Obsessing about your score during the round never ends well. No one has an error free round, so when that error comes you can't start thinking about how it's going to ruin your card, otherwise you'll tense up and lose composure. You're never out of it if you focus on playing the next shot the best that you can. I couldn't count the amount of times I see players throw a tantrum after a bad shot before proceeding to par the hole anyway. I have found that good scores tend come automatically when I don't obsess about my card and simply play hole by hole. Plus I have been getting more enjoyment out of the game as a result. These elements are what make golf the greatest game.
  16. Alex N

    Alex N
    Florida

    Military
    It sounds like you’re describing a large number of how amateurs rounds go. They prepare for and expect to have a magical round and going low. Then a bad hole happens and they get in their own head and it’s all downhill from there. If I start to feel things getting rocky I try to rebalance myself by focusing on my next shot. I don’t allow myself to dwell on the bad shots. I can’t take those back but I can control the outcome of shots to come.

    I’m curious, how much time do you spend practicing your short game and putting? You can beat balls all day long but for so many it comes down to a solid short game. Amateurs don’t hit as many greens as the pros so you need to focus more of your attention to short game and you’ll start to see the strokes go down.

    And remember, you don’t have to rely on winning to earn a paycheck and put food on the table so just have fun with it! I hope this helps and you have a better season. Hit ‘em well!
  17. Tyler_S

    Tyler_S
    Cypress, TX

    Allan said something pretty accurate. Good rounds happen when you least expect them to. I am sure we have all had warm up sessions where we can't miss, hit everything perfect only to go to the 1st tee and duff one. Similar to where we have bad warm up sessions and head to the first tee and stripe one and turn in a solid score. Welcome to golf....

    Arriving at the golf course with a particular score in mind is too difficult to manage. If you plan on shooting 72 and you triple the first hole, plans immediately change and you go into grind mode and try to get everythinck so soon and it makes it worse.

    I would say, enjoy the walk, being outside with friends. This game will frustrate you to no end. Adding to the natural frustrations make it worse.

    If anything be 100% committed to each shot, regardless of what happens, yo or where the ball goesu will start to shot lower scores because you are playing one shot at a time.
  18. Former Member

    Former Member

    I'd try to limit the 'hype' the night before, you're putting too much pressure on yourself. Once you have the blowup hole you know that the score you were getting hyped for is probably out of reach so then the disappointment sets in and that's hard to recover from. I know it's hard, but try not to think about a target score, just play and the scores will take care of themselves. This game is hard enough without sabotaging ourselves. And this is coming from someone who used to get really mad on the course when things went wrong. It gets you nowhere.
  19. Andy Gregory

    Andy Gregory
    Perth, Western Australia

    Great post, I concur with what others have said and just try to 'Enjoy the Walk' and don't worry about where the ball goes. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself and accept the good vs the bad shots. Once you start getting frustrated or mad, the games got you and it just leads to even more bad shot. Say to yourself before each shot, I'm going to do my best here and I accept whatever outcome happens.
  20. JYoung

    JYoung
    Ohio

    Lots of great advice here. I have experienced nearly all of these things that have been mentioned. Funny how when I started golfing I enjoyed every round. I never expected too much and was just glad to be out there. Once I started getting pretty descent at it is when all these things creeped in for me. Loved golf but hated it too. If I didn't shoot in the 70's I was miserable. Ended up making me take a 7 year break from the game.
    Now fast forward 7 years and I have a new love for the game. The 2 rounds I've played so far, a 91 and 88, would have made me run the golf cart into a tree 7 years ago. Haha. Now with more realistic expectations and realizing that golf is a hard game I'm fine with it. Also, I'm 52 now so maybe that has something to do with it too. Keep playing and enjoying it.
  21. Deno

    Deno
    New Jersey

    Military
    Seems like you're playing the entire round right from the first tee hoping to score better. You're waiting for those bad shots to show up, putting too much pressure on yourself.

    Deno
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