Re: Nightmare Day


Having been there (see my "Car Crash" post - bet your day wasn't so bad) I'd advise:

a) forsake the driving range for the pub (BrianW is a good GTO companion)
b) just play another round somewhere different (clears the mind of the nightmare)
c) then think about it.

And don't worry. Think of Dustin Johnson and Bradley Dredge - we at least just play for fun.

Re: Nightmare Day

Sounds sensible. Thanks, will give it a go.

Bri

Re: Nightmare Day

I agree the pub is my usual place to drown the sorrows but I think it is important to have a quick think about what went wrong, was it just a bad day where nothing went right? if so just forget about it, or was there something wrong with your strike, grip, short-game that you need to do something about? If so now is the time to analyse what that is and do something to rectify it - but def don't 'overthink' it. We all get bad days, I probably get more bad than I do good!

Re: Nightmare Day

Hi Bri
if having a nightmare on the course what i do is slow everything down, even my walking to the ball is slowed. i find that swing slower helps and you can get round without the 6s and 7 on your card. walking a little slower also calms you down a bit too.
you often find when you start playing good for a few weeks you do have the odd bad round and when that happens it a case of playing to your handicap, if it a par 5 and you get a shot then play the hole as if you have 4 shots to the green. same with a par 3 and you get a shot. don't hit the driver if your having a bad day finding the fairway, hit a club that will leave you a short pitch with a club you feel good with. if that is playing a 200 yard par 3 with say a 5 iron and a short 9 then thats what to play.
its not allways about getting under you handicap sometimes it playing to your handicap.
all the best
Bill

Re: Nightmare Day

Often a bad round will be down to a certain part of your game. It may be that you are hitting drives into the trees or deep rough. In this case club down to something that can land the ball in the fairway, the main difference will be the shot to the green. If you use say a 3 hybrid off the tee and drive it safely 180/200 yards on a par 4 the difference will be the club you hit to the green, it may well be another 3 hybrid instead of say a 5 iron but if both shots are in the fairway then the game feels easier. On a par five it may need a hybrid and two 6 irons but it may well be a better way to play.

If putting is lacking good weight then imagine the hole is 3 ft in radius and all you need to do on your first putt is get inside that 6 foot hole, your second putt will be from within 3 feet. If its line then imagine a tee peg stuck in the green at the back of the hole and putting the ball up to the tee, forget the hole.

If it's chipping then only chip with your 8 iron so that you are taking the choice of club out of the game, pick a landing position and a length of swing for the roll out and focus on dropping the ball on the landing point.

It may be a little boring but is a bad score exiting