What has this game taught you this year?

[Golfchicago]

Good or bad, what has this game taught you this year????

[sync71]

Well I have learned quite a bit about my swing this year like different things to do with my wrists and things of that nature. But what the game itself has taught me this year is not to get angry when a shot or a round doesn't go the way I want it. Because getting angry and hitting a club on a ground or get all P*ssed off just doesnt cut it and it messes you up. So I have learned to keep cool wether its in golf or not.

[tickyboy]

I guess positives first:

 

I figured out a repeatable setup which produces good contact and straight shots. I found longer, slower swings give me greater feel for pitches around the green. I found standing closer to the ball in the bunker makes greenside bunker shots a breeze. I found the putting stroke that I had a few years ago, where it seemed everything was going in.

 

negatives:

 

My tournament mental approach this year was not up to par. I need to concentrate on not thinking. I can hit the ball and score well if I dont dwell on negatives...where not to hit it, thinking about missed shots, thinking about tendencies. I found that I really need to stretch before hitting balls, otherwise I cannot get into a proper setup, but often rushed rounds caused poor starts and ingrained poor habits.

 

Overall I played very poorly this year, but I have some very positive things I can focus on this winter, as well as getting into better shape. I very much look forward to next year.

[Johnny]

my handicap still going down, dispite the ho'n :tongue:

[DemolitionMan]

Unless you are Tiger Woods, you must tee the ball well (find fairways) or you are not scoring well PERIOD

[DubaiGolfer]

I have been playing about 18 months and this season I have learnt that an hour a week at the range is not enough to improve my game, where as a lesson every three weeks or so, three to five hours on the range per week and playing once / twice a week has allowed me to knock ten shots a round off in three months...

 

I also learnt that there aren't many things that look / feel as good a catching a three iron flush of the fairway or the feeling you get (bearing in mind I am still a fairly high handicapper) see a ball heading straight to the middle of a green knowing that you are starting to hit more GIR than you miss.

 

Finally, I discovered that the improvement of my game has a direct impact on the addictiveness of the sport, which my wife has learnt also correlates to the amount of money I want to spend on it...

 

All in all one seriously addicted golfer at the moment.. :tongue:

[jarro]

i've learned that you only get out of the game what you put into it.

 

I've been real lazy and haven't even tried to get my handicap down, even though i made it my new years resolution last year :tongue:

[simmoboy]

the to biggest things i have learned this year is:

 

No matter how much you crack it you cant make your bad shot any better so unless you have heaps of money to replace clubs dont crack it.

 

And i also learned to put the old saying drive for show and putt dough into my game.

[Ascan]

to spend more time on the putting green.

[tokenasianguywhoplaysgolf]

I've learned that if something goes wrong on the golf course..you can't dwell on it because having negative thoughts lingering will not help you visualize making a good shot. If you think about a putt you missed 3 holes ago, and are about to putt, it will be a distraction towards your normal routine, hence doubting yourself and being unsure on how the shot/chip/drive/putt will come out. Pain is natural, but suffering is optional or however that saying goes. Yesterday, I played and was burning edges all day, of course I'm disappointed but I let it go after I walk off that green. Most of the time I laugh :tongue: !

 

Hope you got something out of that...

[GolfSLO]

Good thread!

 

I've learned (am learning) this year to enjoy and appreciate the game first, results second. Seems that in doing so, improved performance happens naturally. When I focus too much on results and performance, I loose the enjoyment since my game is never quite good enough. Learning that bad shots are just part of the game and that the next shot might be my best.