I had an interesting conversation on Saturday regarding how we play this game, and I guess, the expectations we put on ourselves.

A fellow golfer who shall remain nameless, said to me “I hit some great shots today, and some very ordinary ones … and I would rather just play somewhere in the middle”.

That struck a something of a chord with me, as I believe that we all strive to play those great shots, but are we truly being realistic with ourselves, in what we hope to achieve on any given golf day?

At times when I’ve been struggling with certain aspects of the game, I’ve gotten to the course and said to myself, “okay I’ll allow myself six absolute shockers today”. Sometimes I’d even mark them down after a nasty shank or a “big Jessie duff” …... just to keep track of them.

What I have found is that, going in with that sort of mindset, it can be very beneficial, as I think a lot of the time, we go into our rounds with such high expectations. (I’m just as guilty as anyone on that scorecard) and in doing so, we put more pressure on ourselves than is needed.

By giving myself those crappy shots, when I’ve really been playing badly, it takes the pressure off, and makes me not take those really bad ones to heart.

At other times I’ve gone to the course and said to myself, okay, go for everything today, what’s the loss of a few balls or a high score, pull off some great shots and those will be the ones you will remember …. and that’s how I’ve gone on and played.

While all of us deep down, want to go around in the least amount of shots possible, at times I find myself having other priorities such as those mentioned, depending on either my mood, or how the body is feeling.

For instance, there is nothing that I enjoy more, than hitting a well struck iron shot, and if I get to play a few of them each round, (even if they just miss the target, but they felt good,) then I’m happy. At times I’ll deliberately lay up short, just to get another chance for a nice mid iron into the green.

In doing that as well, I can still get the enjoyment out of any round, no matter what score gets written on my scorecard, .... so long as I hit a few nice ens’.

And so, onto the practice round plan for this evening’s 9 holes (if the weather holds) .....

Driver and 3 wood can slip the comfy slippers on, prop themselves in front of the TV, and have the night off …........ as it will be “irons” all the way around.

I’ve been hitting the odd nice long iron of late, so it will be interesting.

Instead of driver then short iron or wedge into some greens, I hope to play 3 or 4 irons, and then have quite a few drawn and faded mid irons into the greens.

I’ll allow myself a couple of “duffed ones” so as not to put too much pressure on myself, and see what effect using irons has on the old scorecard.

So, fingers crossed …... the weather gods will approve of my plan for this afternoon’s practice.

GPJ, more than OK to sledge your mate.

If he duffs one, I’m sure going to give him both barrells… just after I drain mine down the middle.

I too hope to get out tonight for a bit of a praccy, but weather doesn’t look inspiring out this side of town. Not sure if I should go Speed Golf, Ambrose or perhaps like yourself… driverless. May even go 4-club challenge to try and get me playing different shots and differences…

Was just looking at the radar Smergs, and the odd scattered shower on the horizon ….... but nothing that would really stop us from playing I figure.

It’s good to mix up the practice though, it gets you playing all the shots, although I don’t know how I’d go huffing n puffing up the hill and then playing a shot, like you’re speed golf …... a bit of a younger man’s game I reckon ….. not to mention a nice flat course.

Go the speed golf tonight Smergs, as it may come in handy in order to outrun any possible rain …..... aside from that …...... I am eager to see you break your next “speed golf target”.

Flat? You haven’t been to the Marsh have you GPJ? Well I suppose compared to Beacy it might actually be considered pancake flat…

Could do with burning a few more calories prior to Xmas. I’m wondering if I could combine a few to help me out. For example, if I was only going to carry 4 clubs, and speed golf, it would really help me out not having to push the bag around. But to be honest, I like having them all there to open up manufactured shots…

Apparently not too bad out in the Marsh according to the boss. Fingers crossed.

3 wood, 5 iron, 8 iron, putter.

GPJ I am with you on the allowing for crappy shots. It was one of thereasons I improved so much on the way down to my current handicap. I allow exactly that number of crap shots per round as my handicap is. Including shanks, tottal jessie’s or putts that just miss, this has worked for me and kept my ability and ambitions on even keel. No temper tantrums from this golfer because he can’t play par rounds even if he expects to coz I don’t have that ability.

Was thinking more 3w, 6i, PW and putter Goldy personally. But to be honest, I think I’ll just push the bag around swiftly and see how I go.

GPJ I am with you on the allowing for crappy shots. It was one of thereasons I improved so much on the way down to my current handicap. I allow exactly that number of crap shots per round as my handicap is. Including shanks, tottal jessie’s or putts that just miss, this has worked for me and kept my ability and ambitions on even keel.

Am I to understand that on a handicap of 20 therefore you would allow yourself 20 crap shots? That is certainly a bigger number than I would have thought – did you find it helped you concentrate on the 72 good shots you had to achieve?

GPJ I am with you on the allowing for crappy shots. It was one of thereasons I improved so much on the way down to my current handicap. I allow exactly that number of crap shots per round as my handicap is. Including shanks, tottal jessie’s or putts that just miss, this has worked for me and kept my ability and ambitions on even keel.

Am I to understand that on a handicap of 20 therefore you would allow yourself 20 crap shots? That is certainly a bigger number than I would have thought – did you find it helped you concentrate on the 72 good shots you had to achieve?

Yes I would allow myself 20 crappy shots when on 20 hcp. With practise and all that entailed I kept having less crappy shots and got down to the current 12 hcp. Now I allow for that number of crappy shots and am working (it’s a lot harder now though) to get a lower handicap.

It was not about concentrating on the 72 good ones in my mind Just trying to keep the crap shots to a minimum. IE. only have 18 crap shots and the good ones happened any way.

Cheers for that Talart, might pop that one in the bag of tricks when trying to work my own handicap down from the stratosphere.

Cheers for that Talart, might pop that one in the bag of tricks when trying to work my own handicap down from the stratosphere.

You are welcome it was passed on to me by another golfer as well. I am sure many here will say something similar ie on 36 hcp that means a par 4 is a par 6 so every time you have a 5 on a par 4 that is one stroke better than your handicap. Or one less crap shot. then on to the next hole and try to stop one more crap shot.

The logic made sense to me right from the get go. Practise and that develops consistency. Simply that means most of your shots are good enough. Then there is the 36, 20 or 12 whatever your handicap is crap ones. It is easier to concentrate on the lesser number of bad shots and improve them than the 72 good ones you are already playing each round. There is 3 other goldfers who started when I did and I am the only one who stuck with the ‘handicap’ method. They are all still in their 20’s I am on 12. So it worked for me at least.

I Apologise for the temporary hijack of your thread GPJ.

No problems Tal …......... any time buddy, (I always enjoy hearing someone else’s voice in here, as you guy’s thoughts and opinions make me think about my own game in relation to your comments).

I guess too, as we (hopefully) improve, how we define a “crappy” shot also changes.

For some it might have been a topped 3 wood that goes 20 metres …..... but a year down the track and one that qualifies might go 120 metres.

It’s all relative, I guess to our average game at any given point in time.

I never went to the extent of having the number of allowed crappy shots equal my handicap …...... I generally allow for probably half my handicap ( so six absolute shockers a round at the moment.)

Onto last nights practice 9 now, and while my driver and 3wood were reclining on the couch at home, watching Ellen on TV, my irons and I were out in the breeze trying to tame the wilds of Beacy.

Standing on the 1st tee (par 4 367m) and the wind was pretty much directly into my face. Time to get cracking.

A nice solid 3 iron off the tee to begin with to the left half of the fairway. Still 165 to go into the wind …. hmmmm.

A 4 iron aimed right at the back right pin, started nicely then faded to plop down into the left hand greenside bunker. A great smooth SW out to a metre from the flagstick …... and a nice straight putt for par. Phew one down – 0 (Usually driver then wedge)

This is going to be a tad hard playing into the wind with just irons.

2nd Par 3 204 downhill (playing to 170) ....... 5 iron aimed to the right edge of green, and it faded beautifully with the cross breeze. Oh wow …... it landed within a metre of the mid green pin position, and stopped within 2 metres. As I stood over the pretty straight 2m putt I told myself to focus on the shot, not the score …...... birdie, you effin beauty – 1

3rd hole 447M Par 5.
Teed off up the steep hill with a 3 iron, and hit it straight ….... 258 metres left to the greens frontage. Over the dogleg’s crest and down the hill with a beautiful 3I draw shot. 50 metre downhill fast chip shot using a 9 iron. Hit it nicely, dropped it well short, but it rolled on … and on, and on….. and then thru …...... bugger. SW chip back up onto the green to within five feet, but all downhill ….... nailed it, thank you Victoria …. phew, par (-1)

4th hole 491 m uphill par 5.
3iron to right rough (dragged it). Hit a lovely 3I draw up and around the trees, and up onto the flat section ….... but the draw straightened out late, and it finished over a side ledge and the trees now blocked me from going for the green. Tried to bump a low 4I fade around the tree for the last 100m but caught the tree …..... a nice 3/4 gap wedge with the breeze for the last 85 metres to within 12 feet … 2 putts for a six …...... 0

5th holed bastard 317 metres – Blocked a 4 iron into the left hand trees, followed by a “big jessie” chip out that fell well short of being out in the wide open spaces ….. a smooth 8I thru the last couple of trees got knocked down by a branch to finish just short of the green, chip on, 2 putts … bugger +2

6th hole 112m to pin with the wind
PW draw shot off the tee to mid green, birdie putt lipped out, tap in par (Note to self ….got to allow a couple of more inches for the cross green breaks) .......... +2

7th hole 358m Dogleg right.
3I to centre of fairway just short of the dogleg, 144 uphill to go. A 6 iron draw shot of sheer and utter delight . up and onto the green, and an easy cross the slope 2 putt par ….... +2

8th hole 343m into the wind.
3iron to left half of fairway, 160 still to go ….... and an easy 4 iron into the breeze failed to fade, and finished just right of the green. Easy SW chip on, but a bit short, and a 12 footer straight uphill putt for par ….. nice ….. +2

9th hole ….. 3Iron to mid left fairway 118m uphill to go. Duffed my 9 iron draw shot when I roled the hands right over it (played another practice ball and hit that one to 6 feet of the pin damn it!!) ...... back to reality though, and I had a PW bump and run the last 40 or so metres up to and onto the green, and then a steady 2 putts for bogey ….... +3

And so, to the stats …..
No drivers, or 3 woods
FIR 5/7
GIR 3/9
Putts 14
Sand Saves 1

If you’re not in single figures by WV, I’m considering calling the cops…. just sayin.

Looking back at my round I was very happy to have gotten around in just a few over par. Hitting into the wind I clubbed up the correct amount, and made a lot of nice swings, both off the tee, and on the deck.

I figure there were only two notable shots that really “cost me” from the round yesterday.

My 2nd shot on the par 5 4th.
With the ball well below my feet I still managed to hit the shot I wanted, it drew around 30 or so metres as planned, it just flew with the breeze a tad longer than I’d planned for, and finished up falling off the ledge and blocked me out from the green.

The main shot of “less than distinction” though …... was my 4 iron tee shot on the bastard 5th hole(which I blocked leftward into the trees). Got to eradicate that one.

Aside from those two shots, my misses were more than acceptable, and I hit them really well the whole the way around.

There is nothing I like more than hitting a nice iron shot, and I hit them all pretty much where I wanted, “working them” from right to left, and from left to right, on every shot and every type of lie …....... I just love the “fizz” I get out of the MP 68’s, and the workability I am now being able to achieve with them.

The putter was once again on song as well. I didn’t have a 2nd putt over 2 feet in length, and I felt like I could attack each and every hole when on the green with my 1st putt …..... it’s so nice to have the confidence to go for it on every putt and feel that you have a chance of either making them, or in finishing up close.

Having scored a solid 34 and 35 points in my recent comp rounds at Beacy (witha couple of notable wipes in each) ... I’ve just got to keep working my game, keep the wipes to a minimum, and I should be looking forward to getting some higher points in the coming weeks.

As we come into xmas, I look back over my golfing year just gone, and I can see all the ups and downs, but with more and more learning being achieved thru the year, my overall game has never been in better condition … and with my newly acquired iron skills, and more confidence with them … for 2012, I figure it’s time to put the head down and “make hay while the sun shines”.

Nice work GPJ.

Ended up doing some weird Ambrose/Speed Golf combo last night as I didn’t get on the course until later than expected.

Finished -3 after 14, and found quite a bit out about my game. Full details coming shortly in my handicap thread, rather than pollute this one.

If you’re not in single figures by WV, I’m considering calling the cops…. just sayin.

“Do not let a flattering woman coax and wheedle you and deceive you; she is after your barn”……Ed Rayner
Goldy. G-Oldy? Godly? Goldenrod? Goldfinger? Numbnuts? Whatever.
No ponies were harmed in the making of this post.

I think I’d have to agree with you Goldy. I can’t remember a time when its all coming together so nicely.

While my driver is on song a fair bit these days, and my putting has now come back to where it should be, my iron shots were always the missing link in my game, and I’d struggle to know which way they were going to go, as I stood over the ball.

I now believe that I have that sorted, at long last …... so it’s time to really work my game, and get the improvement in the scores.

Looking forward to taking my new level of game to WV as well, as I’ve always liked that course.

It’s funny but I always play the front 9 well there (around par), but then blow out by lots on the back 9. Given my new found skill with the irons, and a bit more consistency with the driver …. I’ll be looking to see some scoring improvement around there for sure.

I might not wait for the OOM though, as I might try to slip in a round during over festive season …...... just to see what happens there.

Nice work GPJ.

Ended up doing some weird Ambrose/Speed Golf combo last night as I didn’t get on the course until later than expected.

Finished -3 after 14, and found quite a bit out about my game. Full details coming shortly in my handicap thread, rather than pollute this one.

http://www.golflink.com.au/...

2011 ISG Weight Loss Challenge Participant.

2011 ISG Vic OOM Midtable Mediocrity Specialist.

Great effort there Smergs -3 …....... wow, very nice indeed.

I’ll look forward to reading the full account.

Ambrose / speed golf ….. now that would have been something to see, two mad men running about all over the place.

Give me a call if you want some company out there big fella.

Give me a call if you want some company out there big fella.

“Do not let a flattering woman coax and wheedle you and deceive you; she is after your barn”……Ed Rayner
Goldy. G-Oldy? Godly? Goldenrod? Goldfinger? Numbnuts? Whatever.
No ponies were harmed in the making of this post.

You coming running with me Goldy?

GPJ, more than OK to sledge your mate.

If he duffs one, I’m sure going to give him both barrells… just after I drain mine down the middle.

I too hope to get out tonight for a bit of a praccy, but weather doesn’t look inspiring out this side of town. Not sure if I should go Speed Golf, Ambrose or perhaps like yourself… driverless. May even go 4-club challenge to try and get me playing different shots and differences…

http://www.golflink.com.au/...

2011 ISG Weight Loss Challenge Participant.

2011 ISG Vic OOM Midtable Mediocrity Specialist.

Always…......I say….....Always make sure you HAVE gunned your shot before you give out mouthful.
If ya dont,it will bite you on da ass….....sure as

Ha !!!

Yeah, I’m sure that’s what he meant Smergs, you, him, some spandex, and speed golf.

You could always hang a donut off a fishing rod …. just in front of his face, just to keep him on track.

Now that game I would love to see!!!

Yep, too true Brownman.

My thread is duely updated GPJ.

Yep thanks Smergs …..... I dropped on by when I saw your light on.

Nice to see you’ve dusted it off and plan on bringing it back for 2012 …. lots of good stuff in those pages.