narrominded
How do you handle poor rounds?
Can you get the possible best score
when you’re hitting it all over the
place? How about when you can’t
get it up and down from anywhere?
I do pride myself on being able to
get a score when I can’t seem to do
much right. I’m not sure why I’ve
been able to scratch out rounds before, but it seems to happen from
time to time. I think it’s part luck
and part competitive nature that
allow me to hang in there and get
the most out of a bad round. Below
are a few examples of that luck and
competitive nature that have been
good to me.
First of all, I’ve never been accused of being too smart. I think
that helps me on the course when
things are going south. For the most
part when I play, I may carry one
swing thought with me, if even
that. I like to just “play” golf versus “swing” golf. Visualization is a
big part of hitting good golf shots.
I do my best to see where I want the
ball to end up instead of worrying
about the trouble that is lurking.
Having an uncluttered mind
allows you to focus on the task at
hand, hitting a good shot. Even if
the shot doesn’t come off as you
may want, it’s a lot easier to handle
the negative outcome if you had a
good plan for each shot.
Another good approach would
be swinging aggressively and aiming conservatively. There’s no reason to shoot at a flag if you don’t
know where it’s going. However,
trying to “steer” a golf shot generally results in more off line ball flights.
Two positive results could come out
of this practice. One would be you
actually hit a couple of good shots
throughout the round, which can
build confidence.
Gaining a little momentum
during your round will certainly
help you finish those last few holes
when you’re trying to post your
score. The other would be hitting
a shot that actually ended up by the
flag or away from the trouble when
you were aiming at a different target. Remember, we’re not hitting
too good today.
Another way I have saved a few
rounds over the years would be
to stop trying so hard. I can’t tell
you how many times I felt like my
game was in good shape going into
a round and my expectations were
high. Then I hit the first tee shot.
Oops! Well, five holes later, I was
wondering how I was 5 over and
praying to break 100. Then after a
couple of more bogeys, all my goals
are gone, and I feel as if there’s
nothing left to play for. And then
the feeling comes. I actually relax.
It’s very easy to say and even harder to do, but having a loose grip,
loose arms and a loose attitude goes
a long way in a tournament.
I have a recent example of just
such an occasion.
I played in the U.S. Open sectional qualifier at The Bluffs because a couple of the kids on
the team were playing. For some
strange reason, I thought I could
beat them. I hadn’t played a tournament round in nearly 8 months,
and I didn’t play well. However, my
game was in decent shape, but who
really knows until you get that official scorecard?
If you know The Bluffs, you
know how challenging it is off the
tee, especially the first few holes.
I got through one with a fairway,
green, and two putts for par.
The next seven holes were a blur.
Triple on two, double on three, bogey on four. A lucky birdie on five
and a par on six, but then a bogey on seven and another triple on
eight. Nine-over after eight holes.
Wow, am I gonna shoot 100?
I wouldn’t say I quit trying, but
I do say that relaxed feeling came
over me, and I just started trying to
simplify things as much as possible.
Aim conservatively and continue to
swing aggressively.
Another key component was
that I stayed somewhat positive. I
wouldn’t describe myself as Mary
Poppins, but I wanted to be a good
playing competitor to be around.
Some how or another, I played the
last 10 holes in two-under with a
birdie on 18 to shoot 79. A lot better than 80.
I missed the qualifier by 9 shots
but had a decent feeling of accomplishment on the way home. I also
feel as if the next time I play will
do a lot better. I don’t think I would
have felt that way if I would have
continued the same way I started.
I’m not sure why my round turned
around so drastically but I do know
what I must feel like in order to play
my best. If I would not have keep
plugging along, I would not have
been able to have that fee