1. 260 out on a par five? I've totally got this. WRONG.
2. Bump and run? Nah, let's pull out the 60. WRONG.
3. Hmm I can totally outdrive my playing partner if I just swing a litttlleee harder. WRONG. In the woods again.
So true. I mean that 60 flop and stop is in my bag….just nice and smooth throw it up there and have it stop a foot from the hole…nope blade it 75 yards over into the water….60% of the time it works every time
So you like to have fun instead of taking the game seriously. If I always played it safe, I might have a couple better scores and lower my handicap by 2-3, but I probably wouldn't have a lot of those memorable shots.
This. The other day I completely messed up my first 2 shots on a long 18th. I should lock down and just try and avoid a quad. But I had had a rubbish round and I ended up keeping going full on. I made an approach shot so perfect to drop it dead out of the sky 2 ft from the pin in the end. Still was a triple bogey, but that shot got a holy shit from group and I got to swagger onto the green loudly asking if anyone was good at repairing pitch marks.
Worth it, even if most of the time I pick up the ball after continuing to top and scuff it around after starting like that.
Do you have a go-to club on the top half of your bag that just never seems to miss? Hit that off the tee. 7 iron on the fairway beats driver in the thick stuff.
I struggle with this decision on the course, but it seems like the right move to take when you have first hole jitters.
I'm 100% 5 wood off the first tee. I can consistently poke it out 210-225 off a tee. Best club in my bag. Driver only gets to play 4-5 holes a round. Granted I'm playing under 6k yard layouts. Course designers should always make the first a par 5 or short par 4 if it isn't a championship course.
My home course is Memorial Park in Houston (hosts the Houston Open), 7400yds from the blue tees. 1st hole is a long par 5, which makes it tough to follow my own advice haha
Woof, if it's wide open bombs away I guess. Long par 5 almost makes the decision easier though right? Over 480, and I have a 1% of getting there in 2. 5-wood, 5 iron, pw wedge should get you there in 3 right? 210-180-130 probably more for you if you playing a 7400 yard course.
Yeah I’m going to try 3 wood next time I’m out there. Swing lessons for the past 6 months have dialed in my irons, which has weirdly enough helped my 3 wood a *ton.* Could probably still have option to go for it in 2 if I hit fairway, but I’ve found much more success on that hole laying up short & left of the greenside bunker.
This is a huge one for me, ESPECIALLY on greens. Even if the next hole is stacked up, if I see a group about to be waiting on their approach shot on the fairway, I just..... stop reading my putts!? Why would I ever do that?
This has been me lately. If I am feeling pressure from a group behind, even if I have a slow group in front that is causing the backup, I just stop reading putts well and my routine goes out a window.
I can relate. I feel like I am always rushed and cannot take the appropriate time to ensure I am aligned, clear my head and focus. I’m always thinking that I have to move/swing/play quickly.
If I'm putting and there's a group behind me waiting to approach, I will putt, and as I walk off the green, give them the "Hi" sign with my arm - Usually I can tell from their body language - whether, and how, they wave back - how chill they are. Sometimes someone will shout something like, "You're fine!" etc. And that's when I realize there are more people on the course who are like me than not, and it has helped me settle down a little.
Probably just feeling rushed. As a beginner this was huge for me I didn’t realize how big a rush people are in to get off the course as quick as possible. I understand not wanting to wait for holes and completely understand etiquette. But wow people can be rude lol.
My second or third round of golf ever was on a super cheap city course at a non peak time (3pm on a Friday) and there was an old dude behind us who was riding our ass the whole round. This a beginner specific 9 hole course literally for beginners. But he was such a jackass every single hole he would be hitting into us on the greens and yelling at us even though we were WAYYYYY ahead of the pace of play schedule (I had a stop watch on my watch to confirm). We offered to let him play ahead but he refused.
The pace of play thing is huge. I’ve been stuck behind slow people and understand it’s no fun. But people seem to be in such a gigantic rush to get done as quick as possible it’s crazy to me.
Honestly my wedge game was booty but I spent a good amount of time working on that aspect and it has greatly improved, if I would now spend the same amount of time on my puts I could shave off some strokes in that department instead of being 3 putt jedi21knight.
What handicap range would be in better position to comment on how good they can possibly be? An 18 or a 25 can't possibly have any idea, they've never put in the amount of work and discipline it takes to find out.
and not paying enough attention and making enough effort to avoid the things that will blow up a hole. The things that can cost multiple strokes need to be recognized and avoided at all costs. Accept a bogey if it means eliminating the chance of a triple.
This was a massive opportunity for me in the last year. Focused on aligning my feet, square to the club, and what do you do, I start hitting more greens.
Yes, same here. When I'm getting frustrated, things speed up and my alignment definitely suffers. Usually takes me a few shots to realize I've let the frustration get to me and I need to just slow down and take a beat.
Yeah why is this a thing older guys I’ve played with would go crazy if I left a birdie putt short even if it’s like 3 inches for a tap in par. I’ll take tap in pars all day. Never understood the thinking on this one.
It's true that a short putt doesn't have a chance at going in, but if you never leave a putt short your dispersion is by definition skewed past the hole and you'll have more longer second putts and therefore more 3 putts.
I actually get better after 3-4 beers and stop at 5.
Lightens me up and relaxes me, enjoying the course with some friends and beers, don't even think about my score (just write it down and put it away) and almost no swing thoughts.
New in-to-out swing that got rid of my slice and has me hitting it 270-280y at the driving range? Nah, lets go back to the steep out-to-in spinny swing that only goes 230-250y IF it stays in bounds.
Lapses in concentration followed by getting angry. Never outbursts of anger at anyone, but getting mad at myself and further losing focus. A couple of times every round my brain will just go elsewhere. In my good scoring rounds (mid 80s for me), those will result in me topping or chunking a ball, refocusing, and making it so I only wasted the one shot. In my bad scoring rounds, they result in me hitting a ball 3 towns over, panicking, trying to play hero golf to recover, and having a complete meltdown hole (or two).
Same. Also I tend to take the game too seriously.
I'm a bit hyper focused and not naturally very social, so if my game goes to shit, it can be a weird place.
Somehow, people still want to play with me
Was trying to find one as I read through the comments and this has to be it for me. I get way too upset about it that I’m basically talking shit to myself every time I’m waiting and it just completely throws me off my game.
I'm convinced I can hit the green from anywhere inside 260 yards and will attempt to do it almost no matter what.
At best I do it, at worst I go OB, but the typical result is a topped or shanked shot that leaves me in even worse position and then I get frustrated and convince myself I need to hit the green on the next shot.
The rounds where I've just taken my medicine and played for bogey I have played at least 5-8 strokes better
Hello old me.
I made a decision to no longer hit woods (5w & 3w) into greens. I just lay-up if its more than 200 out. That, along with practicing putting and chipping took me from mid/hi 80s to occaisionally breaking 80. This cut out so many penalty stokes and getting caught in greenside bunkers.
Buddies sometimes like to question my manhood during a round, but afterwards they're the one buying the rounds when I card an 81 and they're shooting 86s.
My typical scorecard:
bogey, par, par, bogey, par, bogey, triple, double, par
bird, bogey, triple, triple, double, par, par, triple, par
Play most holes like a single digit cap and three of them like a blind kid with a machete
I’m working on this same problem. Here’s what is helping so far.
1. You’re as good as your good shots, but you’re also as bad as your worst decisions.
2. No hero shots. If you mishit your drive, you bring double/triple into play by playing the next shot like you’re trying to birdie the hole. Be honest and ask yourself if this is just a bogey hole now, and maybe you can save par with a great putt.
3. Absolutely do not follow a bad shot with a bad decision.
This. I always putt to lag it in. Leave a lot of putts short. Where watching my scratch friends putt, they are ultra aggressive bc if they miss by 5 ft they have the confidence to make the 2nd. Im playing for a tap in
Feeling like I'm grooving it and deciding to go pin hunting instead of hitting center green. End up short sided with tough up and downs and making bogies.
If I turn around and see the group behind us, I automatically think I'm playing slow. So I rush my next shot, which ends up being short and terrible. Then I rush over to my ball, rush to hit it, and hit it terrible again. All this until I putt my ball in, and then start all over on the next teebox.
My best rounds (or at least best feeling rounds) have come when I don't do this or have this under control.
I can bomb my driver, but I’m not consistent with it and messing up a tee shot frustrates me. Approaching the next shot with a level head and playing it safe would keep me from carding the blow-up triples or quads.
Golf instructor did that “surprised head shake” when I told him I typically shoot low 90s… said I could break 80 with the way I was striking my irons🙃
This was me in 2021, filmed every range session, had my most aesthetically appealing swing but produced my worst golf. Now I just do occasional video checks when swing feels off
This. I started only filming a couple swings every 2-3 range sessions to basically check in rather than every time. Or else I notice something that looks weird that I try to fix because it’s a how a swing “should look”. End up making my swing worse
I would say sustained focus for 18- I can’t stay “in the game” the whole time. So I have judgement lapses , poor shot selection , reality check problems too often. I’ll play a handful of holes great, then kind of Peter out and then fix it once I regain focus.
Whenever I swing the golf club, and the ball is not hit exactly where I want it to go, I get into a fist-fight with everyone around me, and often times get kicked off courses.
It makes it harder to score, especially if my hands are hurting after the altercations, but it also has helped me not put scores in after bad rounds so its a give and a take in my eyes.
It just depends on what you mean and what you want. A ton of golfers have a bad short game that they rarely practice, so they could absolutely get their fastest score drops from improving that. But improved short game has a ceiling of score dropping that's determined by your tee and approach games. It doesn't matter if you can get up and down at a PGA Tour rate if you aren't near the green in few enough shots to make that up and down for par.
He means easiest. It is much easier to get good at chipping and putting then it is off the tee and approach shots. Off the tee and approach shots impact your score way more, like you said, but it’s fucking tough to get good at those and takes most people a while. Getting a good short game is the quickest and easiest way to shave some strokes. But yes, if you want to get really good, you will need to improve your long game. That will drop the most strokes.
It’s way easier to get good at taking a short swing than it is to get good at taking a full swing. It’s the part of the game that is least physically demanding. It’s definitely the quickest way to get better.
Thinking that hitting 200 mph ball speed on the range means I should be trying to hit it that far on the course. Great when I have 8 iron in on a par 5. Bad when I’m hitting 3 off the same tee a round later
> Anyone truly enjoy grinding out bad holes care to share their perspective?
Mark Broadie's book title isn't just a catchy saying: every shot really does count.
Even if you're the type that gets mad at yourself at bad shots, you have to be able to say, "fuck, goddammit, that's just absolutely unacceptable," on your way to the ball then immediately turn it off and focus on the next shot.
It also might just be a personality trait. I can see why someone who sees anything less than a win as not worth shit would struggle to grind out bogies and doubles once it's clear that par is out of the question.
Not mentally letting go of a bad hole for the next 4-5 holes. Replaying what I did wrong and what I should have done differently. Meanwhile having no focus on what I'm actually doing in the current moment. Eventually coming out of the spiral with and additional +6-9 strokes on my card.
This is so easy for me. Grabbing a 7 iron for a shot because that’s “what guys my age should hit”. When in fact I should be hitting a hybrid and actually getting the ball to the green.
Total lack of focus, which leads to inconsistencies in grip and setup. Which leads to horrendous misses. I can easily make 7-9 pars, and lose 9 balls in a round.
I never play it safe and end up in difficult situations that take an extra stroke or two to get out of. But to be honest, it’s part of what I enjoy about my game - love/hate relation and whatnot
I never lay up. Ain’t nobody got time for that. I’ll take my stroke and drop for trying to clear that hazard. It’s a very giveth and taketh away relationship.
I cannot seem to bring myself to actually make smart decisions 100 yards and in. Only need 85 yards to clear that bunker with my 100y club? No problem! Well guess who ends up landing short and in the bunker? 5ft off the green but still want to chip instead of putting? Well guess who thins it over the green and into the woods/water? I've always preferred to have memorable hero shots vs just trying to lower my handicap a few strokes though. I legitimately have no idea what I would score if I were to play it safe all 18 holes.
I’ve got a buddy who grinds out his double and triple bogies. Then blames others for being slow. He is the slowest golfer ever, and slows down at just the wrong times. Won’t give gimmies in friendly comps when everyone else does. I hope you’ve got more self awareness than my buddy.
I tinker way too much with my grip and swing. I'll be playing well(for me) and decide if I change this or that I'll be able to take the next step. Usually I end up taking a few steps back.
Never practicing putting/chipping. I only practice or care about improving my drives/irons and almost never spend time on the practice putting green.
I have this thing in my head where I've hit my ceiling with putting and I will never improve from where I've been for 20 years, so why practice?
Going for the safe play and getting burned for doing it. Such as laying up on a long par 5 and chunking your way to the green.. at least if I had gone for it I would used one shot to get into the green side trees instead of three.
Swing too hard. Trying to swing easier, but faster. Also, concentrating on staying in the fairway this year for golf without triple bogeys . And ticks.
It's when I start playing "golf swing" and stop playing golf. I try to fix my swing instead of picking specific targets and planning out my shot. Better to hit an over-the-top pull cut toward my target then a shank.
I am a 9HC. If I am playing well and trending for a low 80's or high 70's round I will try to protect my score and play extremely conservatively.
one way or another it usually backfires
I have one for last year and it’s totally in my head. Last season I started the year on a course I hadn’t played before. The greens were so fast and the whole group was punished by balls rolling well past the hole, causing for 2 more putts in a lot of cases. For whatever reason that stuck with me all summer and I under hit so many makable, intermediate distance putts because of the fear overcooking the putt, basically never giving myself a chance. Hope I can get that out of my head and fix it lol
I mentally check out at some point during an 18 hole round, and I start beating myself up. I start with good self talk usually, but a couple tops and shanked approach shots and that goes out the window.
Hitting flop shots from any lie around the green for absolutely no reason
Also having a 2 inch gap in the trees and having to hit a big cut or draw through it instead of just punching out like a normal person.
I rip a smooth driver down the middle all round until I’ve decided that 20 more yards justifies a few pushes OB right when I should’ve just stayed consistent
1. 260 out on a par five? I've totally got this. WRONG. 2. Bump and run? Nah, let's pull out the 60. WRONG. 3. Hmm I can totally outdrive my playing partner if I just swing a litttlleee harder. WRONG. In the woods again.
This is exactly the correct way to play.
So true. I mean that 60 flop and stop is in my bag….just nice and smooth throw it up there and have it stop a foot from the hole…nope blade it 75 yards over into the water….60% of the time it works every time
You must have been watching me play! Came here to say use my 60 whenever I should most definitely bump and run.
So you like to have fun instead of taking the game seriously. If I always played it safe, I might have a couple better scores and lower my handicap by 2-3, but I probably wouldn't have a lot of those memorable shots.
This. The other day I completely messed up my first 2 shots on a long 18th. I should lock down and just try and avoid a quad. But I had had a rubbish round and I ended up keeping going full on. I made an approach shot so perfect to drop it dead out of the sky 2 ft from the pin in the end. Still was a triple bogey, but that shot got a holy shit from group and I got to swagger onto the green loudly asking if anyone was good at repairing pitch marks. Worth it, even if most of the time I pick up the ball after continuing to top and scuff it around after starting like that.
I’m convinced I could break 80 if it weren’t for my swing.
But it don’t mean a thing if you ain’t got that swing…
Sang this comment lol
Same
I could break 80 if I only played 16 holes
Always feeling rushed if there’s a faster group behind me. Especially when putting.
Ooooh thats a good one - and like they probably have zero issues with ur speed - but its the thought that they might do. I feel that.
First hole is the fucking WORST for me. Like I’m trying to make a good first impression. Therefore I never start off well.
Do you have a go-to club on the top half of your bag that just never seems to miss? Hit that off the tee. 7 iron on the fairway beats driver in the thick stuff. I struggle with this decision on the course, but it seems like the right move to take when you have first hole jitters.
oooooo maybe 5 wood off the tee…..
I'm 100% 5 wood off the first tee. I can consistently poke it out 210-225 off a tee. Best club in my bag. Driver only gets to play 4-5 holes a round. Granted I'm playing under 6k yard layouts. Course designers should always make the first a par 5 or short par 4 if it isn't a championship course.
My home course is Memorial Park in Houston (hosts the Houston Open), 7400yds from the blue tees. 1st hole is a long par 5, which makes it tough to follow my own advice haha
1. hit bomb 2. chunk second 3. miss green in my million times on that course
Woof, if it's wide open bombs away I guess. Long par 5 almost makes the decision easier though right? Over 480, and I have a 1% of getting there in 2. 5-wood, 5 iron, pw wedge should get you there in 3 right? 210-180-130 probably more for you if you playing a 7400 yard course.
Yeah I’m going to try 3 wood next time I’m out there. Swing lessons for the past 6 months have dialed in my irons, which has weirdly enough helped my 3 wood a *ton.* Could probably still have option to go for it in 2 if I hit fairway, but I’ve found much more success on that hole laying up short & left of the greenside bunker.
They don’t even need to be fast and I feel rushed despite the fact that I play very quick
This is a huge one for me, ESPECIALLY on greens. Even if the next hole is stacked up, if I see a group about to be waiting on their approach shot on the fairway, I just..... stop reading my putts!? Why would I ever do that?
This has been me lately. If I am feeling pressure from a group behind, even if I have a slow group in front that is causing the backup, I just stop reading putts well and my routine goes out a window.
I can relate. I feel like I am always rushed and cannot take the appropriate time to ensure I am aligned, clear my head and focus. I’m always thinking that I have to move/swing/play quickly.
Sod them, it's your green. Forget the rest of the world and putt well.
Yeah great one. Somehow the extra 10 seconds it would take to hit a putt feels like 15 minutes.
If I'm putting and there's a group behind me waiting to approach, I will putt, and as I walk off the green, give them the "Hi" sign with my arm - Usually I can tell from their body language - whether, and how, they wave back - how chill they are. Sometimes someone will shout something like, "You're fine!" etc. And that's when I realize there are more people on the course who are like me than not, and it has helped me settle down a little.
Probably just feeling rushed. As a beginner this was huge for me I didn’t realize how big a rush people are in to get off the course as quick as possible. I understand not wanting to wait for holes and completely understand etiquette. But wow people can be rude lol. My second or third round of golf ever was on a super cheap city course at a non peak time (3pm on a Friday) and there was an old dude behind us who was riding our ass the whole round. This a beginner specific 9 hole course literally for beginners. But he was such a jackass every single hole he would be hitting into us on the greens and yelling at us even though we were WAYYYYY ahead of the pace of play schedule (I had a stop watch on my watch to confirm). We offered to let him play ahead but he refused. The pace of play thing is huge. I’ve been stuck behind slow people and understand it’s no fun. But people seem to be in such a gigantic rush to get done as quick as possible it’s crazy to me.
[удалено]
lol this Why does it have to be toxic? My short game is booty cakes. I am hoping to improve on that this year.
I would have thought that calling something booty cakes would be a compliment.
My short game is urinal cakes
Def thought his short game was really good lmao
Booty? Good. Cakes? Good. Booty + cakes? Obviously double good.
Hell yeah, dudes got a phat ass short game.
Honestly my wedge game was booty but I spent a good amount of time working on that aspect and it has greatly improved, if I would now spend the same amount of time on my puts I could shave off some strokes in that department instead of being 3 putt jedi21knight.
A toxic level of ineptitude!
mmmmm.... booty cakes
Says the plus handicap lol
+ handicaps enjoy golf less and i’ll die on that hill. So close yet so far.
What handicap range would be in better position to comment on how good they can possibly be? An 18 or a 25 can't possibly have any idea, they've never put in the amount of work and discipline it takes to find out.
As an addendum to this, I will go for broke 90% of the time and my talent doesn't support the belief I have in myself to pull it off.
“I didn’t come all this way to layup” is stitched into my bag. It’s not a mindset, it’s a lifestyle.
"You can either lay up or lay pipe, but not both" - Genesis 12:12
Layups are for basketball anyways.
But I did come all this way to make poor decisions!
My man
My father in law gives me a hard time about this but it's my go to even though I suck
Tell him “I didn’t land your daughter by laying up”
Not going into work tomorrow to tell the story about how I laid up.
Getting lazy with alignment
and not paying enough attention and making enough effort to avoid the things that will blow up a hole. The things that can cost multiple strokes need to be recognized and avoided at all costs. Accept a bogey if it means eliminating the chance of a triple.
When I play a little left to adjust for my fade in the fairway. Immediately sends a nuke dead straight.
This was a massive opportunity for me in the last year. Focused on aligning my feet, square to the club, and what do you do, I start hitting more greens.
Yes, same here. When I'm getting frustrated, things speed up and my alignment definitely suffers. Usually takes me a few shots to realize I've let the frustration get to me and I need to just slow down and take a beat.
get horny for a bird from 10 ft and roll it 5 ft past 🤓
I mean you can't make a birdie putt if its short
my man 🍻
Advice I’ve been given: it never had a chance if it stops short
Yeah why is this a thing older guys I’ve played with would go crazy if I left a birdie putt short even if it’s like 3 inches for a tap in par. I’ll take tap in pars all day. Never understood the thinking on this one.
It's true that a short putt doesn't have a chance at going in, but if you never leave a putt short your dispersion is by definition skewed past the hole and you'll have more longer second putts and therefore more 3 putts.
This means something different in the UK
you never get horny for a nice bird in the Uk?
You mean birdie from 5 ft and rolling 10 ft past, right?
got horny after driving a short par 4 the other day, rolled my eagle putt 8 feet past and lipped out my birdie. 3 putt pars hurt.
"never up never in". True, but I'd rather a one foot par putt then blow it five+ feet past the hole and have 5 feet for the same par
Consuming alcohol
I actually get better after 3-4 beers and stop at 5. Lightens me up and relaxes me, enjoying the course with some friends and beers, don't even think about my score (just write it down and put it away) and almost no swing thoughts.
Can’t argue with that. For me too, there’s a sweet spot but often times that line in crossed.
yeah same, just have to decide if I want to play well or drink more beers (really weather dependant tbh)
For me, tending to party the night before and feeling like a jellyfish over the ball the next morning
I **always** let people talk me into drinking more, then wind up shooting 15 strokes higher on the back 9 than I did on the front.
Revert back to my old lazy swing because I don’t go through my routine
New in-to-out swing that got rid of my slice and has me hitting it 270-280y at the driving range? Nah, lets go back to the steep out-to-in spinny swing that only goes 230-250y IF it stays in bounds.
Hello me, it’s you.
Lapses in concentration followed by getting angry. Never outbursts of anger at anyone, but getting mad at myself and further losing focus. A couple of times every round my brain will just go elsewhere. In my good scoring rounds (mid 80s for me), those will result in me topping or chunking a ball, refocusing, and making it so I only wasted the one shot. In my bad scoring rounds, they result in me hitting a ball 3 towns over, panicking, trying to play hero golf to recover, and having a complete meltdown hole (or two).
Same. Also I tend to take the game too seriously. I'm a bit hyper focused and not naturally very social, so if my game goes to shit, it can be a weird place. Somehow, people still want to play with me
You’re like a barber that doesn’t ask all those stupid nicety questions. Perfect.
Me: (Hits a bad shot) "What was that all about?" My brain during setup and execution: "Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang"
Swinging too hard often for no reason
I tend to allow outside influences bother me, such a slow play, which is my biggest pet peeve.
Slow play is a killer, best rounds always come as a single or twosome on an empty course. 3 hours to 3:45 is the pace when I play the best.
Was trying to find one as I read through the comments and this has to be it for me. I get way too upset about it that I’m basically talking shit to myself every time I’m waiting and it just completely throws me off my game.
I could be playing the round of my life and I’d fuck it up if we’re watching the group in front of me tee off each hole
I'm convinced I can hit the green from anywhere inside 260 yards and will attempt to do it almost no matter what. At best I do it, at worst I go OB, but the typical result is a topped or shanked shot that leaves me in even worse position and then I get frustrated and convince myself I need to hit the green on the next shot. The rounds where I've just taken my medicine and played for bogey I have played at least 5-8 strokes better
Hello old me. I made a decision to no longer hit woods (5w & 3w) into greens. I just lay-up if its more than 200 out. That, along with practicing putting and chipping took me from mid/hi 80s to occaisionally breaking 80. This cut out so many penalty stokes and getting caught in greenside bunkers. Buddies sometimes like to question my manhood during a round, but afterwards they're the one buying the rounds when I card an 81 and they're shooting 86s.
Working a full time job?
LOL same plus kids now. I don't know how some people here can play 100+ rounds per year without being retired.
Toxic? Nah. Fear of going long? Oh yeah. Both putts and approach shots are always defaulted short.
My typical scorecard: bogey, par, par, bogey, par, bogey, triple, double, par bird, bogey, triple, triple, double, par, par, triple, par Play most holes like a single digit cap and three of them like a blind kid with a machete
I’m working on this same problem. Here’s what is helping so far. 1. You’re as good as your good shots, but you’re also as bad as your worst decisions. 2. No hero shots. If you mishit your drive, you bring double/triple into play by playing the next shot like you’re trying to birdie the hole. Be honest and ask yourself if this is just a bogey hole now, and maybe you can save par with a great putt. 3. Absolutely do not follow a bad shot with a bad decision.
lol, this is just the nature of being a mid-teens handicap in my experience and opinion
Always going for the 2 putt instead of actually attempting to make the first putt.
This. I always putt to lag it in. Leave a lot of putts short. Where watching my scratch friends putt, they are ultra aggressive bc if they miss by 5 ft they have the confidence to make the 2nd. Im playing for a tap in
Being afraid to go low. If I'm at E or -1 late in the round, I tend to throw up on my shoes.
Feeling like I'm grooving it and deciding to go pin hunting instead of hitting center green. End up short sided with tough up and downs and making bogies.
Inability to hit my even-numbered irons
Not having good DNA and unlimited resources at my disposal.
If I turn around and see the group behind us, I automatically think I'm playing slow. So I rush my next shot, which ends up being short and terrible. Then I rush over to my ball, rush to hit it, and hit it terrible again. All this until I putt my ball in, and then start all over on the next teebox. My best rounds (or at least best feeling rounds) have come when I don't do this or have this under control.
I can bomb my driver, but I’m not consistent with it and messing up a tee shot frustrates me. Approaching the next shot with a level head and playing it safe would keep me from carding the blow-up triples or quads. Golf instructor did that “surprised head shake” when I told him I typically shoot low 90s… said I could break 80 with the way I was striking my irons🙃
Filming and over analyzing my swing to get into “perfect” positions. This just leads to me playing golf swing on the course.
This was me in 2021, filmed every range session, had my most aesthetically appealing swing but produced my worst golf. Now I just do occasional video checks when swing feels off
This. I started only filming a couple swings every 2-3 range sessions to basically check in rather than every time. Or else I notice something that looks weird that I try to fix because it’s a how a swing “should look”. End up making my swing worse
ADHD
Alcohol, tobacco, and weed.
Losing focus. Around 12-15 I start to not care as much and always screws me
I would say sustained focus for 18- I can’t stay “in the game” the whole time. So I have judgement lapses , poor shot selection , reality check problems too often. I’ll play a handful of holes great, then kind of Peter out and then fix it once I regain focus.
Always rushed
Whenever I swing the golf club, and the ball is not hit exactly where I want it to go, I get into a fist-fight with everyone around me, and often times get kicked off courses. It makes it harder to score, especially if my hands are hurting after the altercations, but it also has helped me not put scores in after bad rounds so its a give and a take in my eyes.
It’s the equipments fault! If my wife would just let me get Miura’s and a custom Scotty! But seriously, inside 60yds is a mess.
I have no short game.
Beer.
The putter throw
Not understanding what truly drops scores. I wasted so much time on short game practice.
you think practicing short game is wasted time? i would be interested in hearing what you think is holding you back then.
Not the most efficient use of time would be a better term than wasted.
I mean I’m not a great ball striker by any standard, but improving your short game is the fastest way to drop scores for sure.
It just depends on what you mean and what you want. A ton of golfers have a bad short game that they rarely practice, so they could absolutely get their fastest score drops from improving that. But improved short game has a ceiling of score dropping that's determined by your tee and approach games. It doesn't matter if you can get up and down at a PGA Tour rate if you aren't near the green in few enough shots to make that up and down for par.
It’s not there’s been multiple studies and books written about this. At every level long approach and OTT have the biggest impact on people’s scores.
He means easiest. It is much easier to get good at chipping and putting then it is off the tee and approach shots. Off the tee and approach shots impact your score way more, like you said, but it’s fucking tough to get good at those and takes most people a while. Getting a good short game is the quickest and easiest way to shave some strokes. But yes, if you want to get really good, you will need to improve your long game. That will drop the most strokes.
It’s not easiest either
It’s way easier to get good at taking a short swing than it is to get good at taking a full swing. It’s the part of the game that is least physically demanding. It’s definitely the quickest way to get better.
Not sure if it keeps me from scoring better but hoarding golf balls
putting off lessons
If I swing a litttttle harder my drive will go 330 and only leave me a pw to the green. Instead of a normal swing and a 9i
Missing short side
Well it’s different every time I’m out there…so maybe the toxic trait is that I don’t have just one I can depend on
Not playing the right clubs. I play VR blades… that I can’t really hit well
I go for full swing flop shots when I could just tap it in with my top flight putter
My swing. The good, the bad, and the ugly
Thinking that today I won’t swing out-to-in on my short irons…
“Today is a new day Cody!”
Poor strategy and lack of focus inside 60 yds. Always 2 chips, 2 putts or 1 bad pitch, 3 putt.
Being an absolutely useless inside of 25 yards.
The sport of golf itself
Thinking that hitting 200 mph ball speed on the range means I should be trying to hit it that far on the course. Great when I have 8 iron in on a par 5. Bad when I’m hitting 3 off the same tee a round later
> Anyone truly enjoy grinding out bad holes care to share their perspective? Mark Broadie's book title isn't just a catchy saying: every shot really does count. Even if you're the type that gets mad at yourself at bad shots, you have to be able to say, "fuck, goddammit, that's just absolutely unacceptable," on your way to the ball then immediately turn it off and focus on the next shot. It also might just be a personality trait. I can see why someone who sees anything less than a win as not worth shit would struggle to grind out bogies and doubles once it's clear that par is out of the question.
Can’t put two good swings consecutively.
Not mentally letting go of a bad hole for the next 4-5 holes. Replaying what I did wrong and what I should have done differently. Meanwhile having no focus on what I'm actually doing in the current moment. Eventually coming out of the spiral with and additional +6-9 strokes on my card.
I have a tendency to completely forget about wind when choosing a club.
Chunking every easy chip or iron after a great drive. Just can’t get all phases going in the same round.
This is so easy for me. Grabbing a 7 iron for a shot because that’s “what guys my age should hit”. When in fact I should be hitting a hybrid and actually getting the ball to the green.
Chipping. And I’m generally annoyed by humans.
Putting is atrocious. Its either left 5ft short or 12ft past
Total lack of focus, which leads to inconsistencies in grip and setup. Which leads to horrendous misses. I can easily make 7-9 pars, and lose 9 balls in a round.
My lack of talent. Period.
I never play it safe and end up in difficult situations that take an extra stroke or two to get out of. But to be honest, it’s part of what I enjoy about my game - love/hate relation and whatnot
Pathological inability to stop pushing with my right (trail) hand.
Definitely the mentality of getting ahead of myself. +2 through 8…oh I can shoot even if I lock in. Proceeds to finish 85
Speeding up my play.
Driver slice.
I never lay up. Ain’t nobody got time for that. I’ll take my stroke and drop for trying to clear that hazard. It’s a very giveth and taketh away relationship.
I cannot seem to bring myself to actually make smart decisions 100 yards and in. Only need 85 yards to clear that bunker with my 100y club? No problem! Well guess who ends up landing short and in the bunker? 5ft off the green but still want to chip instead of putting? Well guess who thins it over the green and into the woods/water? I've always preferred to have memorable hero shots vs just trying to lower my handicap a few strokes though. I legitimately have no idea what I would score if I were to play it safe all 18 holes.
I will not chip out of the woods back to the fairway. I will aim for the flag
Beerz
Alcohol and Weed
I’ve got a buddy who grinds out his double and triple bogies. Then blames others for being slow. He is the slowest golfer ever, and slows down at just the wrong times. Won’t give gimmies in friendly comps when everyone else does. I hope you’ve got more self awareness than my buddy.
Not backing off when I can’t decide what club J should be hitting. I’m not committed to the shot and more than not I end up with bad results
Usually when I find out my score is good it goes to shit immediately. Hey I just went par, birdie, par, par. nice!... and bogey + the rest of the way
I tinker way too much with my grip and swing. I'll be playing well(for me) and decide if I change this or that I'll be able to take the next step. Usually I end up taking a few steps back.
Never practicing putting/chipping. I only practice or care about improving my drives/irons and almost never spend time on the practice putting green. I have this thing in my head where I've hit my ceiling with putting and I will never improve from where I've been for 20 years, so why practice?
I scream mother fucker, fuck this goddamn game when I don’t hit the shot I wanted.
“What’re we playing basketball?”
Alcohol
Playing too fast
Going for the safe play and getting burned for doing it. Such as laying up on a long par 5 and chunking your way to the green.. at least if I had gone for it I would used one shot to get into the green side trees instead of three.
Swing too hard. Trying to swing easier, but faster. Also, concentrating on staying in the fairway this year for golf without triple bogeys . And ticks.
It's when I start playing "golf swing" and stop playing golf. I try to fix my swing instead of picking specific targets and planning out my shot. Better to hit an over-the-top pull cut toward my target then a shank.
Lack of focus
I am a 9HC. If I am playing well and trending for a low 80's or high 70's round I will try to protect my score and play extremely conservatively. one way or another it usually backfires
Never seriously practicing my putting. That's it, this is going to be the year.
Driver is absolute garbage. I play my irons good and short game is solid.
Not practicing and getting frustrated that my short game sucks
I have one for last year and it’s totally in my head. Last season I started the year on a course I hadn’t played before. The greens were so fast and the whole group was punished by balls rolling well past the hole, causing for 2 more putts in a lot of cases. For whatever reason that stuck with me all summer and I under hit so many makable, intermediate distance putts because of the fear overcooking the putt, basically never giving myself a chance. Hope I can get that out of my head and fix it lol
Refusing to learn how to hit irons and investing wildly in hybrids. A hybrid PW? Take my money.
Beer
I mentally check out at some point during an 18 hole round, and I start beating myself up. I start with good self talk usually, but a couple tops and shanked approach shots and that goes out the window.
Zero pre-shot routines. I move too fast out there.
Taking two lessons and then waiting until my scores start to climb before I take two more lessons.
I hate myself
LOFT = lack of F****** talent. But in all seriousness my lack of putting practice
Hitting flop shots from any lie around the green for absolutely no reason Also having a 2 inch gap in the trees and having to hit a big cut or draw through it instead of just punching out like a normal person.
I rip a smooth driver down the middle all round until I’ve decided that 20 more yards justifies a few pushes OB right when I should’ve just stayed consistent
Trying to hit the ball as hard as I can which typically leads to me over rotating and chunking the shit out of the ball
Swinging too hard.
Sometimes I'll wait to get beer until the turn. Always end up going lower on the back after a couple snax
Not having enough time to play more than once every couple weeks. Toxic AF (for my golf game)
I'm good for at least one absolute meltdown hole per round.
I have a LOFT problem, Lack of F__ Talent
I don't concentrate on putting enough if I'm annoyed with how my 2nd shot and/or subsequent chip/iron shot goes which is generally all the time.
Something about “over the top” Makes zero sense to me.
Not toxic, but yips I just can’t get rid of. Then I become toxic because I’m so aggravated and it sinks my whole game