Re: One year on: Improvement & Disappointment

Sounds like you need to recreate a bit of pressure while you are practicing.

Maybe say to yourself, I am not leaving this driving range until I hit 10 tee shots in a row to my intended target. I'd bet as you start getting low on balls those last few (of he 10 in a row) would have your nerves jangling knowing you'd have to start over and probably get another bucket of balls.

Re: One year on: Improvement & Disappointment

A great idea... although I tend to get nervous over ball number 4.

Re: One year on: Improvement & Disappointment

bdbl: look like you have the the same problem i had before YOU PUT TOO MUCH PRESURE IN YOURSELF.
try to relax duirng the whole game
try to "don't care" attitude
beliveme it is work wonders
take one shoot at the time
bad driver slice onto trees line tell youself fine, i will make a decent up and down and most important always remember golf is a game betwen you and the golf course NOT AGAINST YOU FRIENDS that is where the whole enchilada lies!!
it is you versus the course!!!!
don't worries how the play...nothing you can do about it

Re: One year on: Improvement & Disappointment

Hi Robin,

Slowly slowly catchie monkey mate. You should be pleased with your improvements over the year, I can remember a different Robin some time ago who was despairing at his game and considering taking up one handed knitting

I consider the average Joe like you and I and most others will take around 4 years to get a fair game going and at least a couple more to build some consistency.. OK if we can afford to pay huge amounts of money and have enough time at our disposal we could shorten the learning curve but not many can do that.

I have read about your journey at arms length and what I like is the fact that you are passionate to improve, you are in good company there with the likes of Slats, Bulldog (Hmm, two Ians?) Lowpost et al.

Nil desperandum, you are doing OK.

Re: One year on: Improvement & Disappointment

hi robin
brian stole my thunder a little there
i was about to say thats for the likes of you and me its pretty much one round at a time mate!
i think we get a little greedy at times and its good to look back and remember when we were a lot worse than we are now!
for my part i hadnt picked a golf club up until 3 years ago and when i started i used to hack my way around a par66 muni where i would regularly shoot in the 120's, so i have to be happy with my 21 h/cap and shooting 80/90's on a long technical course
stick with it mate you are going in the right direction for sure!

Re: One year on: Improvement & Disappointment

Ah I think you have hit the nail on the head there Ian; two years ago I'd have killed to have still been in scoring touch of my brother coming down the straight let alone break 90 from time to time as I do. Now I just want more NOW, but of course Brian is correct, it will take time, practice and patience.

The pressure / mental arguments are interesting, and thanks guys for the input, tbh I suspect that it is more that my swing isn't solid enough to cope rather than the pressure as such.

The up & down 1 putts, even if only for bogey, of which there were 8 in that round were pressured but I believe in my putting; even after bad putting rounds or a 3 putt I still think "I'll hole this" on the next one - its that mental belief with the driver that I need to find.

Re: One year on: Improvement & Disappointment

I say this not as a bolster to you, but as a genuine observation from one who walks the same path...

Success at Wentworth, better repeatable swing, more consistent scoring, more consistent short game, fewer blow-ups, advice and support to others walking the same path, an ability to stand back and laugh...

It's not always easy to see what you've achieved over the course of a year when you're stood too close to it, is it? You - like many others on here - have been (and continue to be) genuinely inspiring in your attitude and approach. I could only dream of approaching Wentworth in the mindset you did, and only hope to match your game that day.

It seems to me that golf is 'just difficult enough'. It's childishly simple - get this little white thing into that hole over there using as few shots as possible. It's earth-shatteringly complicated - I still have no real understanding of what a 1P or 2P swing is. Every round, everyone plays at least 18 shots that Tiger couldn't improve on (that is, if it goes in the hole, it's a perfect shot). Every round, everyone (inc Tiger) plays shots they wouldn't drag out of the bottom of the dustbin.

And the beauty of it - the absolute magic - is that Foxy Mama Golf reveals just enough of herself to tempt us - to keep us going, to know we can do this, that we can go just a little harder, better, faster, stronger. And then she - rather teasingly, I always think - covers herself up, leaving us always striving for what we imagine and hope, rather than what we know.

Genuinely, congratulations. You've achieved an AWESOME amount in a year, and there are plenty on here who envy you greatly, and wish they had your game - and I'm just waiting for your sarky comment back at that one, but it's true!

Best thing is, we're only halfway through the season! Let's have this convo again at the beginning of October, and see the state of the nation then!

All the best, mate

Re: One year on: Improvement & Disappointment

Bulldog, it is rare that I'm speechless but I pretty much am now. Thank you for that it was really appreciated.

Re: One year on: Improvement & Disappointment

really is a shame you guys cant make the the GTO open.
then we could been "****" together!

Re: One year on: Improvement & Disappointment

Relying on you to carry the high cap flag for us mate

Re: One year on: Improvement & Disappointment

Went down to my brother's again yesterday so thought I'd report on progress at the end of the year.

On the face of it no improvement whatsoever; scored a 92 as opposed to August's 93 and the driver deserted me even earlier than before. Still playing to 24 but this time I came away feeling more optimistic.

1. In August I was really hot on and around the greens and came in with 28 putts; today I carded 41 putts; 5 3-putts and not one single - at the moment the greens on my home course are deadly slow and it took me to the back nine to come to terms with proper green speeds.

2. This sounds immodest, but the quality of my iron play (3Skills working?)- including one eight iron 160 yard carry to the centre of the green, and a 100 yard sand iron that bit and stopped 6 ft from the flag (I missed the putt ) that I'm going to dream about - was commented on by my playing partners. Anyone just watching that part of our round would have had me down has a mid teen player.

3. The driver. I started with 3 good drives and 1 cracking rescue wood to the green on the par 3 - the drives longer than my partners. I also 3 putted 3 of the greens. The 5th is a dogleg where you have to reach the corner to set up the hole. Straining for it I pull hooked my first and the 3-off-the-tee over the shrubbery. Amazingly I found both and managed to scramble a bogey anyway - but the doubts had set in. On the next available driving hole I went to the other extreme and just steered the ball weakly about 120 yards. Followed on the next hole by a sky balloon that went higher than it went forward. Driver in bag for rest of round. BUT, and its a BIG BUT I HAD those first 3 drives so clearly what I'm trying (see posts with Todd) is starting to work - I just lost it trying too hard.

4. The rescue wood then held up for me on the tee; in the past the knowledge that I have to hit one at the top of my range even to be within 20-30 yards of the others would have taken its toll, today I kept it together.

So, an end of season conclusion.

On and around the greens, I'm not worried because I know I can putt much better than yesterday where even just "regulation" would have seen me close to a PB; my normal 32 ppr (let alone a hot round) would have seen me break it.

On the fairway, I just need to keep doing what I'm doing and improve my descision making.

On the tee. Well it sucks. But it sucks less than it did.

All in all I think I'm getting there. Slowly.