Can't beat this guy in a match

[JerseyGolfer]

Played awfull

How is it that one day you can play so well and another day play like a first timer. I played a match the other day and could not hit a wedge to save my life. I felt nervous from the first tee on and could not stick to any sort of game plan. I was hitting driver and leaving half wedges instead of hitting 3 wood or hybrid to leave a full wedge. I was chunking my wedges because I was so focused on hitting half shots rather then on my tempo.

The guy I was playing is a good player but not any better than I am. What is it that makes you such a good player one day against one player and a hacker against another? I wanted to beat this guy so badly and ended up looking like a weak player. I hate playing that way,I feel like I don't deserve to even play this wonderful game sometimes. Am I being too hard on myself or do I need to be even harder on myself to become a better player mentally? I know I have the game to compete with single digit handicaps,(I'm a 9.5) I just make bad mental mistakes that they don't seem to.

Sorry for the rant but does anyone else get this down and what can I do to improve my mental toughness so I can beat this guy next time> Thanks and Happy New Year to all !

[Jim_0068]

simply sounds like you have a pattern that doesn't work under pressure. that's the one main thing brian manzella told me when i started teaching. He said, "jim, doesn't matter if you make them hit it better on the range or make it look prettier. It's about if you can make them better under tournament pressure."

[beachgrovejunior]

It's pressure, anyone can hit shots with nothing on the line.

[rankoutsider]

i don't think it's just pressure, although that might be a part of it. you might need to take a hard look at your swing mechanics and get some feedback from a pro. to really play this game well you need a good swing that you can count on, not an iffy one that gets you around the track, sometimes in one piece, and sometimes not.

what you need to discuss is what your bad rounds that are just fun or practice rounds look like. if you always play to your handicap in practice rounds, and blow up in tournaments or match play, then you have a problem with competitiion and stress. but if you play really poorly in practice rounds too, you need to really look hard at your swing and see what is going on there. you can obviously play well at times, but only you know if it's smoke and mirrors or good ball striking.


Last thing: you need to be less pessimistic all around. so, "can't beat this guy" should become "how can i play better" "how can i play to my strengths" "what am i doing well, and what can i improve on." make lists, keep your stats, devise a program for improvement....

[ApexGrind]

[quote name='rankoutsider' post='843955' date='Dec 31 2007, 08:15 PM']i don't think it's just pressure, although that might be a part of it.

Last thing: you need to be less pessimistic all around. so, "can't beat this guy" should become "how can i play better" "how can i play to my strengths" "what am i doing well, and what can i improve on." make lists, keep your stats, devise a program for improvement....[/quote]

feh... he said he "kept hitting driver and leaving half wedges instead of full wedges", "then couldn't hit half wedges under the pressure", "couldn't stick to any sort of game plan", "wanted to beat this guy so bad"... you need more?
Problem is all mental. No mental game. Not sure how one fixes that but if you played with anyone in my foursome you'd either be a basket case, shoot yourself, or shoot someone else.

[jcjr34]

I agree, it's all pressure you're putting on yourself. Happened to me in so many tournaments I've played in. Get "Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect" book (also comes in cd format) by Bob Rotella, it helped me a bunch. Basically, just live in the moment and trust your swing.

[rankoutsider]

yeah, you might be right. i read all of that too, and see the validity of the argument. trying to impress someone with your game is probably the second biggest mistake you can make in golf (thinking you are fantastic and are impressing everyone is worse). still, i would like to hear more about practice rounds that don't go well, etc. before stating anything to definitively.

rank

[JerseyGolfer]

[quote name='rankoutsider' post='843967' date='Dec 31 2007, 11:44 PM']yeah, you might be right. i read all of that too, and see the validity of the argument. trying to impress someone with your game is probably the second biggest mistake you can make in golf (thinking you are fantastic and are impressing everyone is worse). still, i would like to hear more about practice rounds that don't go well, etc. before stating anything to definitively.

rank[/quote]
I play my practice rounds at my handicap and have all the focus in the world. It's when I play in competitive rounds that I either feel superior or inferior to my opponent. There's no sure way to tell. It could be the way the guy carries himself that influnences my demeanor or even something as small as something he says or does. Crazy I know but I have to get beyond all that and just play my game and block out distractions. Thanks for all the great feedback. keep it coming.

[LucF]

I think playing under pressure is a bit like playing blades; it reveals our shortcomings. Although I don't particularly like playing for money, I like the challenges that betting puts on my game. There is no better way to validate where I am with my game, both physically and mentally.

"Zen golf" by Joseph Parent helped me quite a bit in having a better mindset when I play with and without pressure. While reading the book I also realized just how tense my hand, arms and shoulder muscles got when I was under pressure, and the disastrous results this tension produced on the course.

Made me realize and appreciate the magnitude of the delta between the pressure we feel as amateurs and what the pros go through on the tour. These guys are truly amazing. If we can build up just a fraction of their ability to play under pressure, I think it can really improve our game.

[willamette]

Some tips that might help

(1) Develop a rock solid pre-shot routine that you stick to on every shot in every practice round, and then can bring in to a competitive round. It can work like an ignition switch - one moment you're walking up to your ball thinking about the other guy, the next moment you're in your zone

(2) OTE - Opportunity To Excel...heard this one on a playing lessons with the pros...Tom Lehman I think....he's worked on viewing every shot as a new opportunity to excel. I.E. Did you chunk your last short iron and came up way short? Now you have an "opportunity to excel" on your hands. One key to golf is to NEVER hit two bad shots in a row...OTE has helped me with that. Just say it right after you hit that last poor shot....OK, now I have an opportunity to excel.

Quick story...I was playing for the first time with one of the higher-up partners at my law firm last summer....6th hole...blade a 100-yard fairway bunker shot about 40 yards over the green...over ANOTHER green (#4), now I'm sitting probably a good 50 feet below the hole 40 yards from the pin...I can only see the top foot of the flag. Totally embarrassing shot...this is at one of the best clubs in Portland and I'm out there looking like an idiot in front of a guy who might decide my employment future. Seriously thought about just grabbing my ball and calling a triple-bogey. I suck it up and cross over both greens, get in the bunker and just think about how to hit a pitching wedge out of this mess (how many times do you practice this shot? ). Anyways get in my routine and swing for it....perfect....I couldn't see it but I'm later told it takes a 3 hop skip and stops 2 feet from the hole. When I get up to the green the partner just looks at me and says, "That is the best golf shot I have EVER witnessed." Shot 4 or 5 over for the rest of the round and now the guy brings up that shot every time I see him. Talk about an OTE.

(3) Feed off your good experiences. What did it FEEL like last time you were in a pressure-cooker situation and you came through with flying colors? Try to replicate that.

(4) Personally I'm not a big fan of the "just relax, it's only a game" mentality. When I used to pitch in championship games as a high-schooler, I would feed off the intensity...it was a big deal to me and I wasn't afraid to admit it. However, rising to the challenge and not folding under the pressure...for me I just fed of the situation. Some people don't and you should think about what type of player you are.

[iyan7]

I would definitely go for item # 1 on willamette's list.

A solid pre-shot routine is what keeps you in the zone.

- Stand back from the ball and picture the shot you want
- Make a practice swing until you feel comfortable with the tempo (when in doubt make another one)
- Commit to the shot
- Make a deep breathe
- Hit it

[rankoutsider]

so stress and stress alone is the entirety of your problem. i think everything on williamette's list is a keeper. the only thing i would add is that it can be helpful to take a second before you hit a shot, or as you walk up to it, to decide what would constitute a successful shot (kind of what iyan7 is saying). if you are hitting a four iron over water to a small green, are you happy just clearing the water, hitting the green, or getting it close? i do this for every shot i play: it takes a split second usually, and helps me to see what the shot is going to look like before i hit it. it can also help me decide that a certain shot is too risky and not worth it, so i'll play differently. lastly, it really helps on the short game, because it is almost always the point at which i notice where the uphill putt comes from, etc. and shaves strokes off of my game for sure.

i would also read Gallway's The Inner Game of Golf, since you've got a case of what he calls "Golfer 1 and Golfer 2" syndrome. One internal voice is making it impossible for you to succeed, and you might not be able to turn that voice off, but you can catch yourself when it comes up and better deal with it. i know it sounds a bit abstract and weird, but it is very helpful knowledge.

[MrJones]

No one beats you in golf. They simply shoot a lower or higher score. Their actions on the course cannot affect the outcome of your round.

It seems simple enough but all of us struggle to keep this mindset. I play with a guy whose son can really drive the ball. Every time I play with him I make a mess of some of the easier holes by trying to destroy the ball off the tee. It's an ego thing. The playing partner I'm talking about is a better golfer than I am. However when his son is out there, even though I shoot worse than normal, my friend shoots even worse. I beat him every time. It's only because he wants to beat his son. Seems ridiculous when you think about it afterwards but during the round it's hard to get competition out of your head.

Try approaching every match you play in with the mindset that you're the underdog. Play the best you're capable of playing and hope the other guy falls apart.

[oregongolf]

[quote name='MrJones' post='845169' date='Jan 1 2008, 08:00 PM']No one beats you in golf. They simply shoot a lower or higher score. Their actions on the course cannot affect the outcome of your round.

It seems simple enough but all of us struggle to keep this mindset. I play with a guy whose son can really drive the ball. Every time I play with him I make a mess of some of the easier holes by trying to destroy the ball off the tee. It's an ego thing. The playing partner I'm talking about is a better golfer than I am. However when his son is out there, even though I shoot worse than normal, my friend shoots even worse. I beat him every time. It's only because he wants to beat his son. Seems ridiculous when you think about it afterwards but during the round it's hard to get competition out of your head.

Try approaching every match you play in with the mindset that you're the underdog. Play the best you're capable of playing and hope the other guy falls apart.[/quote]
I was going to mention this too.

Play yourself, not anybody else.

Some of my best rounds were with people who were way, way, way longer than me or were absolute sticks. I got to the point where I knew I wasn't going to be able to reach the same places they could, so I just played my own game. I think I hit more 3/4, controlled shots.