The mental game...

I was just wondering about how you guys react after experiencing good and bad holes on a golf course? Now i know you could answer this question by starting with "well it depends upon what the next hole is" or "it depends on what score i'm on", but let's talk generics, and for the purposes of enabling golfers of all abilities to contribute, let's talk nett scores.

So, after you hit a nett birdie (or gross birdie if you don't stroke), how do you generally approach the next hole? Conservatively, to consolidate on the good score...or do you take that positive vibe and play more aggressively. I don't need to tell you the pros and cons or either approach, you know what might happen in either case.

And after a nett double-bogey...do you play a more considered game, to steady the ship...or do you go chasing pins in an attempt to claw back some lost ground? Again, the consequences of either approach can be sparklig or round-ruining.

As i say, i know these are quite generic questions so i'm only guaging opinion. For me though (and knowing that some may argue), there's no such answer to this question as "it doesn't bother me either way, i jusy play the same way regardless". It's almost impossible to not let a double or triple play on the mind, even if it's not a "mental issue"...it can be something very subtle, like a stiffening of the grip or, at worst, even a touch of nausea!

Similarly, good holes. I made back to back birdies the other day and felt invincible, which is a great feeling and can do great things for your game, until you realise that you're not actually a pro and that trying to carry 230 yards over water isn't a sensible option. :606laugh:

Me? I'm probably always a little conservative - in good and bad times - and generally it is to my detriment. The other day, 1 over through 8, i stepped onto the 9th green and, despite having driven well all day, i decided to "take a little off my drive, make sureyou hit the fairway" (i had no reason to worry about the drive, other than pure score protection creeping in). I got all out of shape and sliced into the water, and triple bogeyed. Feeling absolutely sick to the stomach, i then double bogeyed the next 2 holes, partly because i find it hard to shake the disappointment and partly because i went far too conservative and ended up making mistakes.

The flip side of this was the other day when we played a society scramble. My partner and i played very well and made gross 73. He's an older fellow and plays holes with religiously straight, but quite short, shots. With him putting us in good position on almost every hole, it enabled me to be a lot more aggressive than usual, and try shots that i probably wouldn't normally take on. And you know what, i was surprised by the amount of shots that i made, shots that i thought were beyond me, shots that i would otherwise think carried too much risk. If i could approach a few more of my strokeplay shots that way i know i'd make lower scores, but it ain't that easy is it? It's a very fine line between a sublime 7 iron to 3ft and a knifed 7 iron into the water! :crying:

Thoughts?

Well I'm going to give you the answer you didn't want to see (or don't think is the right answer)

I follow the old cliché of "one hole at a time". As such, I try to play each hole on merit, so regardless of whether I've just had a 2 or an 8, I don't think I'd let it affect me.

The only time I might break my own rule (and I really shouldn't) is if I've had a LONG string of good golf. Even then it could go either way; play safe (and risk messing up by being too conservative) or be aggressive (with similar results).

At my home course, the 17th is a real card-killer (longish par 3 with large pond in front of green). I've still not figured out how to play it when I've got a good score going. Getting a stroke there it's tempting to not take on the water and come up short, but even doing that I've dumped my second shot in the water. Similarly, being aggressive has it's own perils (a lot of rubbish over the back if you take too much club to take the water out of play)

So, generally, I take each hole on merit and try not to let previous good or bad holes affect me

As you say very generic questioning, and there is no real answer to the above. The only answer is its specific to the player.

I always play each hole as davie one at a time, and on each tee I know how I want to plot my way around that hole one shot at a time and where from regardless of whether the previous hole was a 3 or a 6. The previous hole can no longer affect my score its done and can't be changed, the only thing that can be done is stick to the plan, and trust your score will balance by the time you sign the card.

I don't dwell on bad shots, I don't focus on good shots I just concentrate and commit to the 1 shot that matters the next one. This is something I started doing at the start of 2010 and my consistency for good scoring improved greatly for it because I am now trusting my game to get me out of trouble by. Only staying in the moment not the past nor future not chasing a score nor defending it (which is what I used to do) but allowing it to come together 1 shot at a time

Not so much after the bad holes where I tend to try and drop it from my mind and do what I would normally do.

However, good holes do impact my game on the next few. You almost get on a little run, being in the 'zone' so hitting good shots and probably being more and more aggresive i what you are trying to achieve, up to the point of too much or lapse in concentration where it doesn't work out and you have a double bogey and fall back to normal.

Being inthe zone is great but the oddest thing can pop up to create mindbending nonsense...i was cruising at level par with 5 to play on saturday...happily doddering about - stood on tee, caught glimpse of an odd colour jumper some bloke wearing on nearby green, mentioned how odd it was to playing partners, all agreed the guy was odd anyway so nuff said etc - turned to hit drive snapped hooked it, had to chop out - fat wedge - 3 puts walked off with a 7.

Odd jumpers have a lot to answer for!

It's a fairly simple game.

You take the stick and the ball and whack the ball at the hole with the stick in the fewest number of whacks possible.

Anything else is just you complicating it. So stop thinking about it and just do it.

Yep fully agree, one shot at a time and how you scored on the last should have no bearing. You have your strategy for each hole, stick to it. Match play is slightly different obviously as you may have to take a more aggressive approach if your opponent has a shot and is in good position or vice versa, he finds trouble, you make sure of the score required to secure the hole.

All easy to say and I must admit I'm a work in progress on the mental side.typical example being there's a bit more venom goes into the driver after a 3 putt at the previous hole. Really working hard on trying to remain calm after a silly mistake.

What I'm finding at the moment, particularly in these inclement weather conditions; (blustery, pissing with rain, soggy underfoot sort of cack), is that the clubs I was hitting with relative ease in dry calm conditions I am really struggling with now. I particularly struggle with my fairway woods and especially in uncertain footing & slopy lie positions. Suddenly the trusty 5-iron seems to be the better, safer option because the downward blow with hands slightly ahead produces a much crisper strike than the sweeping cuff with a fairway wood. Means less distance, but more consistency for me personally. This has meant a bit of a mental shift, because this rules out hitting the long par 4s in 2 strokes and the par 5s are now Driver, 5-iron, 6 iron as opposed to Driver, Fairway Wood or Driver, Fairway Wood, Sand Iron. Another mental battle for me is not being afraid to hit low runners or punch shots with ye olde 7-iron rather than the higher wedge shots which just get killed by the wind unless they are hit spot on. It is very much a case of playing your own game. I'm out for my first comp this weekend with 2 people I have never met off 11 and 13, so will be an education to see how they navigate their way around our course with the urine-poor weather conditions prevailing at the moment. Does anyone else have to make the same adjustments in these conditions or is just Noshanking having a mare :crying:

NoShank

Ifear its a mare your having

But that said, we all have to make adjustments in these conditions softer ground, higher winds, I love the challenge of playing the punchy shots over the high wedges, that because I played links golf for so long, that said though, never nice seeing that beautiful shot you played hit a sudden breeze and blown nearly back at you meaning you have the forfeit of not hitting past ladies tees!

"you have the forfeit of not hitting past ladies tees! Shocked"

Yep and that just piles the pressure on even more Having your tackle out on full display while you hack your way up the long par-5 is one :yellow card: you could definitely do without? But all joking apart, do you change your club selection in the wetter, windier conditions or do you find you can hit the same clubs (if not to the same distances) no matter what Mav?

Noshanks I think it's a personal thing, and as an example I found out from playing through the rudey poo weather, and soggy fairways that I needed an extra 2 clubs for most shots. The ball was plugging at worst and getting no run at best. Windy conditions are also a problem, but you would be surprised to learn that you don't hit the ball as long as you think you do. Good conditions when the ball is running and bouncing is one thing, but in these conditions its all about how far you carry through the air. If you know this make a judgement from that because of no run and you'll probably find 2 or even 3 club difference at times. Once I accepted that I was ok, but I went from frozen fairways at the start of the year to soggy fairways and the difference was surprising

NoShank it really all depends on the day and course set up + weather conditions really. But in winter you will always be at least 1 club shorter due to air pressure so a 9 becomes and 8 etc.

I find that when its wet best thing to do is trust your a club longer and fire at the flag after all the ball will stop when it his the ground so you won't over shoot the greens.

Windy conditions are something I relish if its down wind don't take less take the same club you would normally and grip down and swing easy this will give you control and you won't come up short as most people do down wind when taking a club less.

Into the wind club up grip down swing easy yet stay right through the short 3/4 follow through to help keep it low and pierce the wind

Cheers Mav:
I will have an excellent opportunity to put this to the test in the medal on Sunday when the conditions are likely to be wet and breezy. Thanks for the advice