Tourny prep, my take, FWIW.

There's a lot of Tourny talk going around lately, I suppose it's the 'season' in more places than not right now. I forget that, being the south east and never really having any winter. Anywho....

I get asked pretty regularly what my tourny prep is and/or handling pressure and such. I figured I'd go ahead and post a short summary of my thoughts on it here for others to see. This is just how I generally do it and I'm sure there are many others who do different things just as successfully so this is not a right or wrong or whatever kind of thing. Thanks.

(Mostly C/P from previously answered PMs, fyi )

Initially I would say it starts with getting as much experience as you can in similar situations, which it does sound like you are if you're playing a lot of Tournies. It helps greatly if you can understand what your tendencies are when you feel pressured. Do you get quick with your swing? What is your miss most likely to be? Do you lose focus? That kind of thing, what ever it is. Once you become aware of your tendencies, you can either attempt to counter them in advance or compensate for them as a possible outcome prior to the shot. For example, if you tend to get quick and maybe leave the face open a hair, pick a line that gives you a little extra room to the right just in case, especially if there is trouble over there. This will help with first tee stuff especially.

Secondly and in the same vein, I think you need to chart your performance in detail and determine what things you have done well under pressure and what you need to work on. If you are making bad decisions, then track those and use that to form a game plan for future events. A game plan you develop with a level head and out of the moment. Take those notes with you when you play and trust them. I used to write motivational notes on the back of my glove with a sharpie that I would see every time I looked down. To this day I still write notes on various things, typically on my range card which I keep hanging on my bag, it's something I look at regularly without having to remember to look at it.

I am a Huge believer in having a structured pre-shot routine, I feel like that might be the most important tool in the game, period. It can be whatever you choose and it doesn't have to be long or complicated. It does have to be religiously consistent and grooved until you can't imagine how to hit a ball without it. Mine is pretty simple and takes very little time. To summarize, AFTER I've determined the lie condition and established total yardage based on all variables, have chosen the intended shot, I get into my PSR. From behind the ball I visualize the shot completely, the flight of the ball, the shape of the shot, where and how the ball lands and finishes. I see it or I don't go until I do. I take a practice swing to get the feeling of the swing I want to put on the ball, I pick an intermediate target for alignment and take exactly 4 steps to get into the ball. Let out a breath and go. I do it every time no matter what, it becomes like a meditation thing almost where everything around me disappears. I hear nothing and I see nothing else.

For actual tournament prep, I start by spending time on the event course if possible. I'll take a cart and drive the course backwards from 18th green to 18th tee and so on. I take notes I feel are important about the hole design, green details such as contours/levels/possible pins/etc, approach landing zones and preferable angles, hidden trouble and so. It's amazing how much more info I get seeing the holes in person backwards. I'll then start my practice round and refine those notes during play if need be.

On the day of the start, I do my full warm up routine. I figure out what kind of swing I'm going to have that day. Minor issues I may try and work out but overall, I really never try and 'fix' anything the day of the event. If I have a slight cut or draw or something about my ball flight that is slightly out of the ordinary, I most often will just go with it for the day. I try and find one or two at most, swing thoughts I'll take with me out there, I write those down in my notes also.

Just before I head to the first tee, I imagine precisely what shot I'm planning to hit on #1. I hit that shot on the practice tee until I feel comfortable with it and that I'm confident it is the correct shot. Then off the tee, PSR and let 'er rip.

Pretty much that's my process in (some) generality.

Maybe that will help others in some way.

Thanks. :)

*Edit :

Cross linking Issacbcm's thread on a similar subject...

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1059831-the-difference-between-tournament-golf-and-recreational-golf/

Mmm kay. Clearly over estimated the interest in my methods.

Thank you, Goodnight !

No, THANK YOU, LMAO

I got tired of telling peeps to wait till you dropped in and to read your words.

I am also at fault if you've gotten more PM's from members than usual. Lol

And to the Gentleman who PM'd me this afternoon and asked, "Who the hell is Fireblade," this is him.

Read it, commit what helps ya to memory, and thank him for taking the time-

Now it's time for my meds-

Have a nice evening

My Best,
Richard

Youre never a bother Richard, don't ever think that.

:-)

Good thread..
Waiting for more opinions..

Good stuff, I think another problem people have is they put a tournament on a pedestal. In my opinion, better players should be deliberate all times that they play and no more deliberate in tournaments than they are in regular play.

Started a thread about this a few days ago. Was hoping you'd post over there. I'll add a link from this thread to that one so that people can get you opinion as well

Cheers!!

Thanks RRF. Thoughts on the greens and PSR for putting in tourneys as well? Seems like for many of us, that's what gets us in trouble. I know it's personal to each player, but I've really been working on visualizing the full swing shots (in a fashion pretty similar to yours) so I'm curious what you do on the green.

Great post--

can apply to even us playing in our Member/Member or Guests, or in our club Ryder Cup matches. Knowing your tendencies is important I think, as you point out.

How well one executes on what you describe can determine the score of the round. I will add that doing that for 18 holes, is harder than it sounds. As I get older, I find it harder to concentrate on every shot--it's mental "work" even as I say, in a casual round. My mind can wander to work, after round responsibilities (gotta get home and walk the dog, etc). Sometimes I don't "feel" like "trying that hard" on each shot, and it's lazier/easier to just walk up, shoot the yardage, grab a club and hit.

Any thoughts on staying in the round between shots? I think I remember Annika saying that her process was about 30 seconds, and in between, walking the fairway, she was free to talk to her caddy, look at the gallery, whatever. What do you guys do in the time before you get to go time?

[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1407083174' post='9845661']
To summarize, AFTER I've determined the lie condition and established total yardage based on all variables, have chosen the intended shot, I get into my PSR.[/quote]

RRFireblade, thank you for your post. Can you elaborate on this part please? I am trying to nail this down for my own game. Far too often, I take the yardage first, grab a club second, then try MAKE the ball do whatever I need it to do.

172 yds? Grabs 7 iron. Into slight breeze, hit it a little harder. Water on the right? Aim a little farther left and play a fade. Lie not perfect? Hit it REAL hard now. So now I'm trying to hit a cut 7iron out of a dicey lie, into the wind, really really hard. Yeah, um, hello splashdown and double bogey. And I never get up and down for bogey because I am fuming about my terrible decision making on the previous shot.

I think maybe it should be more like:

Lie - most important, so 1st thing considered?
Shot shape and trajectory - if the lie allows?
Wind & green firmness to get true yardage
Club selection last

Does that sound like what you go through?

[quote name='Dan Drake' timestamp='1407171075' post='9854305']
[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1407083174' post='9845661']
To summarize, AFTER I've determined the lie condition and established total yardage based on all variables, have chosen the intended shot, I get into my PSR.[/quote]

RRFireblade, thank you for your post. Can you elaborate on this part please? I am trying to nail this down for my own game. Far too often, I take the yardage first, grab a club second, then try MAKE the ball do whatever I need it to do.

172 yds? Grabs 7 iron. Into slight breeze, hit it a little harder. Water on the right? Aim a little farther left and play a fade. Lie not perfect? Hit it REAL hard now. So now I'm trying to hit a cut 7iron out of a dicey lie, into the wind, really really hard. Yeah, um, hello splashdown and double bogey. And I never get up and down for bogey because I am fuming about my terrible decision making on the previous shot.

I think maybe it should be more like:

Lie - most important, so 1st thing considered?
Shot shape and trajectory - if the lie allows?
Wind & green firmness to get true yardage
Club selection last

Does that sound like what you go through?
[/quote]

Why are you trying to swing harder into the wind, and then after you decide to fade it into the wind, how does that not make you decide you need more club and instead swing even harder? I don't understand your method at all. I'm not RRF, but It's algebra, I don't really think the order of steps matters as long as you consider them. If you say you hit your 7 iron 175- 10 for dicey lie - 5 for breeze -5 for cut , I don't really see how the numerical order matters as long as you just think about each factor. It sounds like you just need to accurately assess how to respond to each situation and how each one of them matters. But for starters, hitting it harder into the wind is almost never a good idea...

[quote name='isaacbm' timestamp='1407168653' post='9853919']
Started a thread about this a few days ago. Was hoping you'd post over there. I'll add a link from this thread to that one so that people can get you opinion as well

Cheers!!
[/quote]

Sorry about that, I wasn't really searching the topic beforehand. Just answering PMs and figured I'd toss this up. I'd be glad to add it to yours as well. Honored you would ask.

Ha! Great post. I like to focus on little things that give me confidence - like getting a good nights sleep and eating a good breakfast. Too much "thinking" on the course always hurts me. Preparing properly beforehand allows me to remind myself during the round that I'm prepped to play great golf. I don't worry about bunkers, water, and lie angles, etc... too much. Just routine, visualize, and hit.

Easier said than done sometimes. ESPECIALLY on greens. I over-read and agonize over putts way too long. Anyone have good advice to build confidence with the putter?

[quote name='sscott43' timestamp='1407168874' post='9853957']
Thanks RRF. Thoughts on the greens and PSR for putting in tourneys as well? Seems like for many of us, that's what gets us in trouble. I know it's personal to each player, but I've really been working on visualizing the full swing shots (in a fashion pretty similar to yours) so I'm curious what you do on the green.
[/quote]

My approach on the greens isn't terribly different but let's see.....

Specifically, I pretty much just look from one side unless I'm confused but I always deliberately walk up to the hole. I can feel a lot about the grade and pitch with my feet that are sometimes hard to see or even misleading visually. I check the basics like grain, drainage, runoff or whatever is applicable....usual stuff. Speed is my first priority and then I try and see the line for that given speed. I pick the exact (as best as I can) part of the hole I want the ball to pass over. Pretty much, I'm trying to put the hole somewhere on the line of the putt, visualizing the hole as just getting in the way of the ball. My putting line includes the line past the hole and I do think that detail is important.

My PSR is pretty much the same after that, I make sure I can see the line and put full trust in it. I take a practice swing from behind the ball to feel the swing and tempo, pick an intermediate target, step in and replicate the picture in my mind.

For whatever reason, I've never been a practice swing at the ball kind of guy. I hate the idea of setting up, alignment, etc after all the prep, taking a swing and then moving and starting all over. Seems like automatic room for error. When I step in and align and all that, I want to hit the shot I pictured asap. But that's just me.

[quote name='pinhigh27' timestamp='1407173214' post='9854627']
[quote name='Dan Drake' timestamp='1407171075' post='9854305']
[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1407083174' post='9845661']
To summarize, AFTER I've determined the lie condition and established total yardage based on all variables, have chosen the intended shot, I get into my PSR.[/quote]

RRFireblade, thank you for your post. Can you elaborate on this part please? I am trying to nail this down for my own game. Far too often, I take the yardage first, grab a club second, then try MAKE the ball do whatever I need it to do.

172 yds? Grabs 7 iron. Into slight breeze, hit it a little harder. Water on the right? Aim a little farther left and play a fade. Lie not perfect? Hit it REAL hard now. So now I'm trying to hit a cut 7iron out of a dicey lie, into the wind, really really hard. Yeah, um, hello splashdown and double bogey. And I never get up and down for bogey because I am fuming about my terrible decision making on the previous shot.

I think maybe it should be more like:

Lie - most important, so 1st thing considered?
Shot shape and trajectory - if the lie allows?
Wind & green firmness to get true yardage
Club selection last

Does that sound like what you go through?
[/quote]

Why are you trying to swing harder into the wind, and then after you decide to fade it into the wind, how does that not make you decide you need more club and instead swing even harder? I don't understand your method at all. I'm not RRF, but It's algebra, I don't really think the order of steps matters as long as you consider them. If you say you hit your 7 iron 175- 10 for dicey lie - 5 for breeze -5 for cut , I don't really see how the numerical order matters as long as you just think about each factor. It sounds like you just need to accurately assess how to respond to each situation and how each one of them matters. But for starters, hitting it harder into the wind is almost never a good idea...
[/quote]

Thanks, pinhigh. I'm pretty sure I realize that hitting it harder into the wind isn't a good idea (unless you believe Monte and Frank, but that is a whole 'nother can of worms). My "method" as you called it, was more a caricatured version of the bad shots I hit on occasion.

I have figured out how the situations affect me and I know how to read lie and wind fairly well. The problem is that once I am into my process, I find it very hard to stop and start over. So, I asked a question about doing my process in a different order. You say the order doesn't matter. It might not for you, but it does for me.

So, does anyone have any insights into what order they do their "assessment" process and why?

Thank you in advance.

[quote name='hankmoody' timestamp='1407169596' post='9854083']
Great post--

can apply to even us playing in our Member/Member or Guests, or in our club Ryder Cup matches. Knowing your tendencies is important I think, as you point out.

How well one executes on what you describe can determine the score of the round. I will add that doing that for 18 holes, is harder than it sounds. As I get older, I find it harder to concentrate on every shot--it's mental "work" even as I say, in a casual round. My mind can wander to work, after round responsibilities (gotta get home and walk the dog, etc). Sometimes I don't "feel" like "trying that hard" on each shot, and it's lazier/easier to just walk up, shoot the yardage, grab a club and hit.

Any thoughts on staying in the round between shots? I think I remember Annika saying that her process was about 30 seconds, and in between, walking the fairway, she was free to talk to her caddy, look at the gallery, whatever. What do you guys do in the time before you get to go time?
[/quote]

Really, everything about PSR and stuff is about keeping my mind busy so nothing else can negatively creep in. I've always been pretty OCD and have a running mind so I do try and get lost in the process as much as possible. In between all that I pretty much focus on like environmental stuff, might sound weird, IDK. I focus on the course, the weather and wind, temps even.

I take notes in between often too. I keep a range card with an area for notes and I might go over shots from earlier in the day in regards to distance, like if I felt I really had the number right but flew long or short. So I make a note of + or - 1/2 (yard) and see if it's a pattern or a fluke, then I can use that as the day goes on. 5 hours of golf and a lot of things change that many people take for granted, temps can change dramatically as does your body over the day, energy levels and whatever.

Almost everyone has peaks and valleys and if you can figure out why and anticipate them correctly, you gain a couple strokes on the field just that easily. Over the years, I have pretty good idea how my game sways throughout a typical round and this is pretty much why I do. Otherwise, It's pretty easy to get lost when a few different variables stack up together and the next thing you know, you are scrambling to save the round.

[quote name='Dan Drake' timestamp='1407171075' post='9854305']
[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1407083174' post='9845661']
To summarize, AFTER I've determined the lie condition and established total yardage based on all variables, have chosen the intended shot, I get into my PSR.[/quote]

RRFireblade, thank you for your post. Can you elaborate on this part please? I am trying to nail this down for my own game. Far too often, I take the yardage first, grab a club second, then try MAKE the ball do whatever I need it to do.

172 yds? Grabs 7 iron. Into slight breeze, hit it a little harder. Water on the right? Aim a little farther left and play a fade. Lie not perfect? Hit it REAL hard now. So now I'm trying to hit a cut 7iron out of a dicey lie, into the wind, really really hard. Yeah, um, hello splashdown and double bogey. And I never get up and down for bogey because I am fuming about my terrible decision making on the previous shot.

I think maybe it should be more like:

Lie - most important, so 1st thing considered?
Shot shape and trajectory - if the lie allows?
Wind & green firmness to get true yardage
Club selection last

Does that sound like what you go through?
[/quote]

Lie is always number one. You have to know what your options are before anything matters. If you have many options (good lie) then you can move on. If not, then you have plan an exit route.

We'll assume all is good so.....

The next IMO is a package deal. You have to know where you want to land it, like specifically where on the part of the green that gives the best margins for error while allowing potential to hit one tight if so desired. Hitting the right area of the green is paramount IMO, the pin is sometimes the last thing you should look at. This is going to cover your green contours, the ability to hold a shot and pretty much if wind direction and such will allow it.

Then you have to decide if you can get it there and how. That's where shot shape and trajectory come in, which is going to have to include spin and roll out (if any).

I have no magic formula at this point but this is about where your going to come to a final number and ultimately the club selection.

All the obvious stuff is obvious but the numbers just aren't, sorry. Grade at the ball (stance), slope to the green, wind direction, shot shape, traj, lie of course, all force you to add or take off something. It is really important to do the math and keep track of how well you did it so you can start to figure out if your doing it right. If you are unsure, take out all the variables you can and keep it as simple as possible. Figure out how much room you have to land a ball in and shoot at the middle of that spot with a stock shot. Forget the pin and hit the part of the green that gives you the easiest putt.

Hell, there might only be a handful of pins in the whole day I might even shoot for. I don't know how often I might hole out from the fairway but i can be pretty damn sure how often I'm going to have to putt when I get up there. So I'm way more concerned about leaving the putt I want.

[quote name='tony1579' timestamp='1407174136' post='9854779']
Easier said than done sometimes. ESPECIALLY on greens. I over-read and agonize over putts way too long. Anyone have good advice to build confidence with the putter?
[/quote]

For a very visual person, you just gotta practice seeing the ball go in the hole....a lot. Hit putts all day inside of 6', see them all go in the hole constantly. Take that image with you out on the course. The last picture you want in your head is of a dozen putts lipping out from 15-20' all day.

I have no idea why so many people just play putt putt golf from hole to hole on the practice green all day. It's not good for distance control, line or anything really.

Find the flattest longest section of green you can find, stick a tee in the ground at each end and have a dozen putts back and forth.

Green speed.....check.

Take the same line and move a tee to 6' out from the other and hit from tee to tee till your alignment and set up is such your hitting each tee, each time.

Stroke....check.

Now go find a hole (which will look huge now compared to hitting a tee) , set up a circle ~6' out around the hole and play around the world (half dozen locations maybe) till you can get around without missing.

Confidence....check.



(Hopefully)

[quote name='pinhigh27' timestamp='1407166639' post='9853593']
Good stuff, I think another problem people have is they put a tournament on a pedestal. In my opinion, better players should be deliberate all times that they play and no more deliberate in tournaments than they are in regular play.
[/quote]

Really, you just have to play how you play, always. The game is all about consistency so be consistent, on the range, on the course, where ever.

Don't give a crap about what you look like or what you think other people think you like like, they don't owe you thing and have no idea what your goals are.

Be committed. Heck, you wanna learn to handle pressure, then do your full PSR on the range to a crowd of smirking wise-en-hymers, and pull off the shot you intended. Then it will seem easy to do on the course.

[quote name='Dan Drake' timestamp='1407175174' post='9854917']
[quote name='pinhigh27' timestamp='1407173214' post='9854627']
[quote name='Dan Drake' timestamp='1407171075' post='9854305']
[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1407083174' post='9845661']
To summarize, AFTER I've determined the lie condition and established total yardage based on all variables, have chosen the intended shot, I get into my PSR.[/quote]

RRFireblade, thank you for your post. Can you elaborate on this part please? I am trying to nail this down for my own game. Far too often, I take the yardage first, grab a club second, then try MAKE the ball do whatever I need it to do.

172 yds? Grabs 7 iron. Into slight breeze, hit it a little harder. Water on the right? Aim a little farther left and play a fade. Lie not perfect? Hit it REAL hard now. So now I'm trying to hit a cut 7iron out of a dicey lie, into the wind, really really hard. Yeah, um, hello splashdown and double bogey. And I never get up and down for bogey because I am fuming about my terrible decision making on the previous shot.

I think maybe it should be more like:

Lie - most important, so 1st thing considered?
Shot shape and trajectory - if the lie allows?
Wind & green firmness to get true yardage
Club selection last

Does that sound like what you go through?
[/quote]

Why are you trying to swing harder into the wind, and then after you decide to fade it into the wind, how does that not make you decide you need more club and instead swing even harder? I don't understand your method at all. I'm not RRF, but It's algebra, I don't really think the order of steps matters as long as you consider them. If you say you hit your 7 iron 175- 10 for dicey lie - 5 for breeze -5 for cut , I don't really see how the numerical order matters as long as you just think about each factor. It sounds like you just need to accurately assess how to respond to each situation and how each one of them matters. But for starters, hitting it harder into the wind is almost never a good idea...
[/quote]

Thanks, pinhigh. I'm pretty sure I realize that hitting it harder into the wind isn't a good idea (unless you believe Monte and Frank, but that is a whole 'nother can of worms). My "method" as you called it, was more a caricatured version of the bad shots I hit on occasion.

I have figured out how the situations affect me and I know how to read lie and wind fairly well. The problem is that once I am into my process, I find it very hard to stop and start over. So, I asked a question about doing my process in a different order. You say the order doesn't matter. It might not for you, but it does for me.

So, does anyone have any insights into what order they do their "assessment" process and why?

Thank you in advance.
[/quote]

I feel like it's a holistic thing too. That might sound cheesy, but a lot of the variables seem connected to me. So I'm not sure your definition of dicey, but I'll just throw out a few scenarios. So let's say you ended up on bare dirt, basically the tightest lie you can possibly have. My thoughts are that the tighter the lie, basically the lower the ball will launch and the more it will spin. This has it's own inherent effect on distance (I'll play it -5 personally w/ no wind), but there's also an indirect effect. Since it's spinning more, if you're hitting into the wind, that's going to have an even bigger negative effect, than it would from just a normal fairway lie. So maybe there's a wind that takes 10 yards off typically, but when I'm hitting it off something extremely tight, I might play it 20 yards longer instead of the 10+5 that each individual factor would have.

Same thing but other direction for being in the 1st cut if your course or wherever your playing has one. Those are going to fly in my experience, and the ones that will launch higher and spin less. So it has it's own +5 for me, however I would play the wind to have less effect on it than from a fairway lie.
Same thing for shot shape in terms of affecting the effect wind has. Think I kinda oversimplified it in my first post. Anyway, hope this helps.

[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1407174591' post='9854835']
[quote name='sscott43' timestamp='1407168874' post='9853957']
Thanks RRF. Thoughts on the greens and PSR for putting in tourneys as well? Seems like for many of us, that's what gets us in trouble. I know it's personal to each player, but I've really been working on visualizing the full swing shots (in a fashion pretty similar to yours) so I'm curious what you do on the green.
[/quote]

My approach on the greens isn't terribly different but let's see.....

Specifically, I pretty much just look from one side unless I'm confused but I always deliberately walk up to the hole. I can feel a lot about the grade and pitch with my feet that are sometimes hard to see or even misleading visually. I check the basics like grain, drainage, runoff or whatever is applicable....usual stuff. Speed is my first priority and then I try and see the line for that given speed. I pick the exact (as best as I can) part of the hole I want the ball to pass over. Pretty much, I'm trying to put the hole somewhere on the line of the putt, visualizing the hole as just getting in the way of the ball. My putting line includes the line past the hole and I do think that detail is important.

My PSR is pretty much the same after that, I make sure I can see the line and put full trust in it. I take a practice swing from behind the ball to feel the swing and tempo, pick an intermediate target, step in and replicate the picture in my mind.

For whatever reason, I've never been a practice swing at the ball kind of guy. I hate the idea of setting up, alignment, etc after all the prep, taking a swing and then moving and starting all over. Seems like automatic room for error. When I step in and align and all that, I want to hit the shot I pictured asap. But that's just me.
[/quote]

Thanks a bunch. Just one follow-up - when you say "My putting line includes the line past the hole and I do think that detail is important.", could you elaborate on what you mean by that?

Thanks for contributing. This is very helpful stuff.

[quote name='sscott43' timestamp='1407178692' post='9855455']

Thanks a bunch. Just one follow-up - when you say "My putting line includes the line past the hole and I do think that detail is important.", could you elaborate on what you mean by that?
[/quote]

The line I see is the total line from point A to point B. I then put the hole "somewhere" on that line. I feel like reading the break all the way past the hole, instead of just up to the hole, is a more complete interpretation of the line and helps me do a better job. Here's a really bad MS paint pic.

[quote name='Dan Drake' timestamp='1407175174' post='9854917']

So, does anyone have any insights into what order they do their "assessment" process and why?

Thank you in advance.
[/quote]

I think it helps with continuity. If you have a regular process you might be less likely to forget something and I think it helps to build confidence before the shot.

It sounds like you are still second guessing yourself over the ball and that's why you get crossed up in last minute corrections, you should have never got over the ball unless you were 100% confident on your choices, period. Once you have the number, you must trust it, then start your PSR and all thoughts of anything before that point has to stop.

You should only imaging the feeling of the swing and see the shot in your mind while your over the ball. Maybe have a swing thought around the trigger point and let 'er go.

Thank you guys. I assumed "lie" was the most important, because it dictates which shots you can't hit, but was never really sure. From there, "other conditions" would seem to be next, including wind, elevation, temperature & landing area. Shot shape and trajectory follow. Actual distance and then playing distance would be next, followed lastly by pulling the correct club.

For whatever reason, I do this routine when my ball is in the rough, or in trouble. I tend to hit good shots as well.

From the tee or fairway, I seem to figure that the lie is good, so I skim over all the other factors and tend to hit poor shots.

I also do this better when walking, as well as when I only have a laser vs. GPS. When the GPS tells me 148 to the flag, I tend to just jump out of the cart and grab a 9 iron with little to no regard for whether that is really the right club or not. By the time I realize it's the wrong club, I'm over the ball ready to swing and I don't have the ability to back off at that point, for whatever reason.

I need to get consistent with my pre-pre-shot routine.

[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1407177652' post='9855263']
[quote name='tony1579' timestamp='1407174136' post='9854779']
Easier said than done sometimes. ESPECIALLY on greens. I over-read and agonize over putts way too long. Anyone have good advice to build confidence with the putter?
[/quote]

For a very visual person, you just gotta practice seeing the ball go in the hole....a lot. Hit putts all day inside of 6', see them all go in the hole constantly. Take that image with you out on the course. The last picture you want in your head is of a dozen putts lipping out from 15-20' all day.

I have no idea why so many people just play putt putt golf from hole to hole on the practice green all day. It's not good for distance control, line or anything really.

Find the flattest longest section of green you can find, stick a tee in the ground at each end and have a dozen putts back and forth.

Green speed.....check.

Take the same line and move a tee to 6' out from the other and hit from tee to tee till your alignment and set up is such your hitting each tee, each time.

Stroke....check.

Now go find a hole (which will look huge now compared to hitting a tee) , set up a circle ~6' out around the hole and play around the world (half dozen locations maybe) till you can get around without missing.

Confidence....check.



(Hopefully)
[/quote]Thanks. That is really great advice. I'm definitely one to "play putt putt" around the practice green. This makes a lot more sense. I putt best when I focus on visualizing the putt rather than "reading" the green. Much to scientific for me. I think your suggestion would really help me get out of my head and just let it roll.

[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1407173587' post='9854693']
[quote name='isaacbm' timestamp='1407168653' post='9853919']
Started a thread about this a few days ago. Was hoping you'd post over there. I'll add a link from this thread to that one so that people can get you opinion as well

Cheers!!
[/quote]

Sorry about that, I wasn't really searching the topic beforehand. Just answering PMs and figured I'd toss this up. I'd be glad to add it to yours as well. Honored you would ask.
[/quote]NO Prob!

I can add a little about tournament prep.

I've fallen so far now from where I once was. Since I've got the am status back, I find that i'm never really ready when an event rolls around. I just don't have the time to focus on a tournament like I did when I played golf 8 days a week. My mind is on my business way too much. Or it's on the family. I feel guilty now putting more time in then the actual event itself. Meaning, I don't really feel like I should be practicing leading up to an event when I'm already taking 4 days off work and I could be going camping with the family instead of golfing.

In the old days, I'd be putting 12 hours a day into it. I mean, I WAS READY! I'd be doing mirror work, I'd be going over the holes in my mind for hours each night while in bed. I'd be swinging a club nearly 90 % of the time that I was watching tv or at least putting. I lived golf. Now, I show up about 45 mins early and try not to tire myself out on the range before I go. I hit 10 putts maybe and off to the first tee. Then usually an hour after the round, I'm off doing estimates for work again.

To get really good at tournaments, you have to prepare and to really prepare, you have to have time. If you don't have time, you're best off just lowering your expectations and just trying to have a fun time.

I'm not trying to be negative, I'm simply saying that true preparation takes a lot of time and effort. I you half a** it, you'll get half a** results.

Jay, what do you do after a disaster hole, or worse, a stretch of holes where your swing goes sideways?

How bout a horrible round, same thing, not a matter of bad bounces or burnt edges, but the swing isn't there for you?

Does you mental visualization in your PSR change in any way, other than visualizing the swing, shot flight and outcome, and does your visualization of your swing and flight path change, from the preferred swing/flight to the actual?

Thank You very much,
Richard

Some of the things discussed here I can understand, some I cannot (like the 175 yard 7-iron or the 148 yard 9-iron!).

I do all the "right" things, it's putting a consistent swing on the ball that confounds me. In any case, I have a club championship to play in this weekend, and a team matchplay match a few days after (from round of 64 to 32 to ?). I use to really sweat over these events, but I can only do my best. Lord knows I practice enough, and it's frustrating when that practice doesn't bear "consistent" fruit, but I just need to focus on my process (as I said in a thread back in January), accept the results, and move on.

a great thread and a really interesting read, especially for me who struggles a little with the decision making side.

thanks very much!