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What messes with the mental side of your game?


SixtySomePing

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There are different theories on what % of the golf game is mental, but it certainly is a factor. What messes with the mental side of your game? Trying to avoid hazards? Trying to be bogey free? Noise, or chatter? Slow play? Self pressure to play a low score or maintain or lower your handicap? Something else or a combination of things?

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Great idea for a thread.

 

For me, it is more often than not expectations I create for myself. When I feel like I have to live up to some imagined standard, thats normally when things fall apart. For example: "You ought to be making birdie on this par 5", or, "You can't aim at the middle of the green with this wedge shot".

 

I play my best rounds when I simply hit the shot in front of me. No external, big picture thoughts. It sounds cliche, but for me it really is one shot at a time.

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Self pressure and slow play.

 

One of those I can control, the other I obviously can't. I've done better over the last few years just focusing on the next shot instead of what it means, or my score.

 

For me, the slow play issue isn't a frustration thing, it's a rhythm/flow thing. Cruising right along, then sit on a tee box for 10 minutes and it all falls apart.

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Trying to figure out if I inhale or exhale on the backswing.

Driver: Callaway Paradym 9 set to 10 Draw

3W Callaway  Epic Flash

5w Callaway Epic Flash
Hybrids: 4-5 Epic Flash    
               6-7 Big Bertha 

               7 Ping G430 played as an 8 

Irons: PXG Gen4 XP 9-GW

Wedges: PXG 0311 52 56 degree Forged

Putter: Odyssey Rossie Pro 2.0 

 

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Lately I've focused on not knowing my score, not allowing my mind to figure out all of the potential finishing scores. Hard to 'not' do something.

 

So, I double down on PSR and making smart decisions.

 

This hurts a lot of people (myself included). So many times I’ve had a chance going into a final hole knowing I needed a certain score to break 90,80, whatever the goal was and then just destroyed my round trying to score rather than play

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Out of bounds. Holes that have houses in play. The worst is when there is a road with car traffic running alongside the hole.

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TaylorMade M5 15* - Fujikura Motore Speeder 7.2TS X
Callaway 815 Alpha Hybrid 21* - Mitsubishi Tensei Pro White 90TX
Miura Baby Blade 4-P - KBS $-Taper X
Miura Wedges - 52*, 56* - KBS $-Taper X
Callaway MD4 Tactical 60*
PXG Darkness Operator

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Hot cart girl...

 

Don’t tell me you’re one of them??? I go on golf trips with guys who act like they never seen a woman before. I’m getting ready to hit and two carts about run me over every Frik’n time they appear. Rant over. I’m better now. That is all.

Driver: Callaway Paradym 9 set to 10 Draw

3W Callaway  Epic Flash

5w Callaway Epic Flash
Hybrids: 4-5 Epic Flash    
               6-7 Big Bertha 

               7 Ping G430 played as an 8 

Irons: PXG Gen4 XP 9-GW

Wedges: PXG 0311 52 56 degree Forged

Putter: Odyssey Rossie Pro 2.0 

 

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One bad shot! Then I'm trying to make swing changes/thoughts all day!!

Driver: 9* Callaway Rogue sub zero w/ hzrdus yellow 6.5
3w: 15* Callaway epic w/ aldila rogue 110 s flex
Hybrid: 19* Mizuno Jpx 900 w/ fujikura s flex
DI:  Adams dhy 21* w/ aldilla green S flex
Irons: Mizuno mp 18 sc 5-pw w/ Nippon modus 3 120x
Wedges: Vokey sm7 raw 50 F, 55 S, 60 M w/ dynamic gold black s400
Putter: Scotty Cameron newport 3 w/ super stroke

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I've discovered the book The Power of Now. Life changing stuff but let's see if it translates to the golf course

 

https://www.stack.co...he-power-of-now

 

I can see the benefit of staying in the present which will enhance focus and prevent flinching. But, this is a tough concept to adopt to. After 30 years of golf and in anything in life, we want to learn from our mistakes and do better next time which means dwelling on the past.

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Persistent two-way miss. Missing greens with wedges. 3-putts.

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Taylormade Stealth Plus (19) - Tensei 1K Pro Orange 80

Srixon Z945 3-PW - DG Tour X100

Taylormade MG3 54.11 - DG Tour S400

Taylormade MG3 60.08 - DG Tour S400

Scotty Cameron Studio Style NP2

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Not trusting my talent. Whether it's hitting a poor shot or a shot that I don't feel comfortable with, trusting my talent to hit the shot that I have hit a million times before causes me to start lose focus at the task at hand.

 

 

 

 

 

RH

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Expectations. That's all. I expect to play well...shoot near par. If I hit a shot poorly I let it start to rile me up. I let bad shots affect the next shot.

 

Recently re-read a couple key chapters of "golf is not a game of perfect". Good book. I am working to find the right balance of having fun and taking the game seriously. It's not easy...unless I'm 3 under thru 7.

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When I feel like I`m being rushed. I tend to play early and sometimes the grounds keepers are still mowing, those bastards will seriously drive up,stay about 50 yards away and sit there while idling the mower engine..asshats..

 

As a former grounds crew grunt who mowed greens before sunup for several years I can telll you. They feel the same about you. Lol. I say that with a smile. Not to be mean.

 

They have a mandate to get out and get done and out of the way. The only way you can get around this interaction is for them to not allow groups off until around 9 am or later. The course doesn’t maintain and setup itself. And they absolutely cannot shut off a mower every group. The wear a tear alone would cost thousands a year on starter and engine work. Be glad they wait for you. At a private I was at we did not. We pulled up and pulled the pin in front of you. Mowed and or blowed and then replaced the pin. While you waited in the fairway. Period. It was policy and posted that it was. Dew sweepers waited at least 1 hole. We worked backwards against play. Sometimes jumping around when we could to catch holes that adjoined others. 36 holes to walk mow before 10 am is a crap ton of work during leaf season.

Callaway epic max LS 9* GD-M9003 7x 

TM Sim2 max tour  16* GD  ADHD 8x 

srixon zx 19* elements 9F5T 

Cobra king SZ 25.5* KBS TD cat 5 70 

TM p7mc 5-pw Mmt125tx 

Mizuno T22 raw 52-56-60 s400

LAB Mezz Max armlock 

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With me it’s the struggle to know when to be aggressive and when to not be. I’m naturally aggressive with sports. I’m not the guy who believes hitting the middle of every green is the answer to anything except 3 putting 4 of them to shoot 76. Lol.

 

 

Callaway epic max LS 9* GD-M9003 7x 

TM Sim2 max tour  16* GD  ADHD 8x 

srixon zx 19* elements 9F5T 

Cobra king SZ 25.5* KBS TD cat 5 70 

TM p7mc 5-pw Mmt125tx 

Mizuno T22 raw 52-56-60 s400

LAB Mezz Max armlock 

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