Like it was yesterday…...basically because it was :)
I thought I’d put this up as it wasn’t planned or outstanding efforts that got me there, like I thought it would be.
A Tuesday comp, my current weekly(if I’m lucky) golf outing. I have a five hour shift beforehand. I’m a baker so up at 2am. Start work at 3am. Finish 8am then off for a 9am tee off.26 hcp
Yesterday I worked back a bit and got to the club. Checked in and paid fees and was off. No chance for a practice putt or chip n pitch.(my normal warmup)
So cold I go to the first tee. A par 3. I hit a poor 5 ir that’s lucky to go 80m. Good start but I know I can salvage a score. Pitch on and two putt bogey 4/2
2nd par 4. Was going to play safe and use 3 wd but thought I need to see how drivers behaving and pulled it left of fairway. Had a shot to the green that fell short into a bunker. Out of bunker to green and two putt.5/3
3rd hole. Par 3 I over hit onto cart path. Relief would’ve given me a more difficult lie so played a pitch n run shot to green. Two putt 4/2
4th hole is index 2 and the one I consider most difficult. I play it safe by using irons up the par 4. Get on the green for 4 after a poor approach and get 6/2.
Decided here its time to switch off and go to what works. Play three and forget.
So my first round(of 3) I score 7.
Lets go to next 3 and forget. Result – 8 points :).
I don’t get excited or think. ‘This could be my day’
Refocus AB it’s the next round you’re on zero. Result – 5 total 20 points for first 9.
I actually didn’t want to know this. I didn’t want to go to far forward.
Tried to switch off the acknowledgement of the good start but it lingered until I hit my 10 th hole tee off into tight entwined trees! Doh! Reality check.
Found the ball but unplayable. Took my medicine and dropped. Got on for 4 and one putt for 5/2. Refocused and said ‘AB it’s time to get back to 3 hole rounds not dwelling on what if and I should’ve hit that better’
11th par 3. Over hit the green but a easy chip to the hole…..... If it wasn’t for the mud puddle left by the sprinkler between me and the hole. Pitch it Phil style, only option and pared the hole. :) 3/4.
Got all excited but calmed myself using techniques learned on isg ‘golf school’
Finish the 3 hole stretch on 9 points.
Refresh n refocus next 3 a 8 point round.
I wasn’t certain but was confident I was beating my previous round score.
Last round of three. 3/3 thanks to a bueatifully hit 8 ir to 3 foot from hole. Unfortunately liptout for a par but still happy. Got over eager on my drive down 17 th par 5. Recovered and hit green for three. Could’ve safely accomplished the same feat with less stress had I played safe but scored a 5/3. 6 points heading to the 18th. Wasn’t sure of my back 9 tally as I had forgotten and restarted. Thought I must be near 20 what do I need. The 18th I’ve hit OB and still carded a point. Decided to play safe with 3 wd. Right to under trees. Punch shot back onto fairway. Hit back of green.2 putt 5/3
Total 46 points and 87.
Things I noticed.
Only went for centre of green
Played safest option every time
Jus t put it in play (thanks Kiwi)
Played personal par on some holes ( thanks AB long driver)
Remained calm (thanks isg)
Rule of twelve and driver setup (thanks Node)
Water and nutrition (thanks Zen and RTL)
Knowing how to play the lies thanks to GPS
Swing it like a 7 ir(thanks Justlearning)
Knowing rules (thanks Pom)
Knowing my ball (thanks Boz)
All in all knowledge from isg and using that knowledge wisely helped this score not outstanding play. Smart play.
Next week 80??

In summary knowing my capabilities through practice and play and sticking to what I could achieve made this score. Every facet I’ve learnt. And 87 is not the limit.
Seeing I’ve been hitting between 97 and 103 this wasn’t expected or thought to be achievable.

well gone mate
now just use that exp every time you play,
and your next pb will be an 85

I try to play every hole as a par 5, only have to make a few pars on some easy 4s and play the par 3s near par and you’ll break 90 most times

I have been taking the each hole as a par 5 approach and wasn’t having success. I find with this 3 hole method I’m plaing a small round and am focusing on every shot individually rather than looking at ‘how can I make…..whatever score’
The ignoring the shot until on it and then assessing the best option. Regardless of what it is. Eg 200m out and putt 15 m to get it out onto fairway.

Well done AB. Such an awesome feeling of achievement when a PB is achieved. Don’t expect it every time you play but you now know that you can achieve it. Expectation brings pressure and leads o disappointment. Relax and enjoy.

Congratz AB awesome read mate….

You know I can’t remember breaking 90 but I’ll never forget when I broke 100…..

Nor will I forget breaking 80, that took an unexpected birdie on our index 1 hole the par 4 18th.

You said it wasn’t expected and I think that is when we all play our best when we are not actually trying to hard to get to a score.

Anyway well done and keep the head down!

Well done AB, the next mark will be achieved as it will.

In my experience, achieving a milestone rarely occurs when you consciously plan to, and also when you are counting your points/strokes during the round. A good round is often ruined when you know that you are in a good position, and your mind wanders to what score you may finish with, rather than on the hole you are playing.

It comes down to individual strokes…
Well executed shots will lead to well played holes.
Well played holes will lead to low score rounds.
Low score rounds will lead to lower handicaps.

Well done mate.

Geez it feels good.

It comes down to individual strokes…

I think that’s the best analagy of the round. I played each shot individually and then marked a score.
I recall debating a chip or pitch option and remembered something GPJ had said (sorry mate, left you out of the thanks run down)
He said, ‘what would you do if the shot was worth everything and you had to make it?’
I then pulled my putter out. No need for fancy. Just for more certainty.
90% of my shots were not the prettiest but smartest option on that individual shot.

Not sure if you have Fox sports but on the Golf Show this week Brett Ogle took a putter out from maybe 30m from the green and putted to within 2m he then chipped and bounced and stopped before the green So good choice to putt mate!

I hope 46 points was enough to win the comp?

If it wasn’t enough BGH …... he was robbed.

Nicely done Jimbo.

Solid, safe, comfortable golf ….... and nothing too flash.

No miracle “chip ins” or “monster par saving putts” needed to get you across the line to your PB …....

You just played steadily for the entire 18 holes .. maintained your focus, and played within your own capabilities …....... a great effort buddy!!!

Use that round as another stepping stone now I reckon.

Relax and try to follow the same mental approach and routines to your next round …... but first …..... analyse your bad ones from that PB round, and find just one area to work on, (and not ten areas) and put a little time into that one area …..... and then you’re good to go again.

Cheers Gaz
It is definitely a big stepping stone. It feels like a switch to ‘oh this is how to play it’ has been turned on.
The one thing my round suffered from was long putts(over 15 foot).
The practice green at the course isn’t long enough to sort this out but I think my next practice round I’ll spend time on our offer greens working it out. I hate it when my first putt isn’t inside 3 foot and it irritates me more when it’s outside 6, which a couple were.
Nothing was perfect but the most distinct fault was this.

Well done AB – great achievement as a payoff for all of the hard work that you have been doing.

Cheers Gaz
It is definitely a big stepping stone. It feels like a switch to ‘oh this is how to play it’ has been turned on.
The one thing my round suffered from was long putts(over 15 foot).
The practice green at the course isn’t long enough to sort this out but I think my next practice round I’ll spend time on our offer greens working it out. I hate it when my first putt isn’t inside 3 foot and it irritates me more when it’s outside 6, which a couple were.
Nothing was perfect but the most distinct fault was this.

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Jimbo …..... once you start to try and plot your way around a course ….... you’re playing golf ….. before that you’re just having a hit and belting balls.

Good to see that your game face is now well and truly switched on, and that alone, is one huge step to have taken.

Long putts are shots that can really effect not only your score, but more importantly I think ….... the pressure you feel on your next putt. A two foot putt to save par or bogey, is nothing like a 6 ft putt for par or bogey …. so you have picked a bloody valuable area to work on.

Getting them close is what its all about on your first putt ….. so pick a line, and once done, forget about it and then just focus on the pace you need to stroke the ball.

Get the pace right and you won’t ever be far away .. so however, or wherever you have to practice them, get yourself out there when you can, and just work on your distance control.

Just thought I’d offer this ...... A good drill I’ve found is ….... stick some tees into the green at various distances away (up to, and including, as far away as you’re likely to need on course) ..... and then putt one ball at each tee …...... (never putt to the same tee twice in a row). You only get one chance in a round, so that’s how you should practice.

Then, go up and putt each of the balls out until you hit the tees.

Once you start to get a good feel for the various distances and you’re getting them close, and hitting the tees with your short “par saver” putts … eithe rmove the tees to some other spots …..... or step off the green a couple of feet and then hit through the fringe to the tees and putt them out.

That will soon give your putting a very solid workout, and put pressure on you while you do it …. which is what you want to have in practice.

Practicing with no pressure is like hitting balls at the range I reckon, so a bit of pressure put on each shot is a good thing, as it increases our focus.

A flip side for that idea for putting is to practice a lot of putts inside 6 feet. Finish each putting practice session with the feeling of balls going in the hole. If you become really confident within 6 feet then it actually takes a lot of pressure off the first putts – meaning that you are more likely to feel confident going for them.

If your dominant thought on a long putt is “get it close” or “I hope I don’t leave myself a difficult second putt”, then the negativity tends to affect your confidence. When I was going through a period of low confidence like that, it meant I was bashing them past and leaving them short. At the moment I am trying to step up to them confident that I can make the second putt wherever it ends up, and as a result I am more confident and finding myself with a lot more tap ins and even making some of those longer putts.

Played safest option every time
Jus t put it in play (thanks Kiwi)

Congrats AB. These were the two main points which got me under 90 that first time. (Without Kiwi) Damn it felt good and the memory still is there of that day three years ago like it was yesterday.

Well done AB