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Originally Posted by Trig
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I think you can use positive expecations to carry the round. I'm not talking about expecting to make 60 foot putts. I'm talking about taking the attitude that you are good enough to keep a good round going.
About a month after my first swamp visit I started the round birdie/eagle with a host of great shots. I was still -3 after 6 holes but then fell victim to trying to protect the score. I started leaving 10ft putts short because I was worried about making a bogey. I could have been -5 at the turn if I just had enough confidence to make my normal stroke. I ended up shooting 75, which is a very good round no doubt. But I think my mental attitude cost me a very great round.
My attitude now is: I'm good enough to break par. I expect it to happen. My goal has been for the last couple of years to break 80 every round. I think my sights are set too low. I find myself constantly doing what it takes to break 80 and then getting really protective of that outcome.
I also know I'm going to hit bad shots. Everyone hits them. But it's how I react to them that determines if I let it turn into a downward spiral.
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Semantics aside: Apart from the Swamp visit, your story is exactly the same as I've experienced on several occations. IMO, this mental challenge is the most fun and the most fascinating part of golf. I only wished I played well enough more often to get more of this experience. ANd nothing beats the satisfaction of a strong finish on a good round.
In a decent to good round I usually have a string of holes where the pars comes very easy and a birdie or two may drop. But I always have one or two periods with mediocre striking. And it's how I handle those periods that determines the outcome of the round. Do I manage to keep the ball in play and save pars - or do I start to bleed? It doesn't take many bogeys to turn a potential great round into a mediocre one. And the line between scrambling pars and posting bogeys seems very thin.
The thing is, on the front nine - provided the course is not to difficult - I can play close-to-par golf without striking the ball very well. And I believe that is because I don't pay to much attention to the score or to the ball striking quality in the start of the round. I only try to get the ball in the hole. So as long as I don't get exited about the score - and don't judge my ball striking - I can score well without playing well.
On the other hand: I am not unaware of the score if I am on par after 11 holes. As the round progresses and the score remains good, I get more exited. And I emphasise the ball striking more. So how should I handle the rest of the round?
To me there are only two options. Playing agressive (but not with an agressive strategy) in order to keep fear away. Hit it hard. Try to hole the chip. Go for birdie. Try to go as low as possible. Try to cancel out any anticipations that may disturb the flow.
The other alternative is to mentally restart the round every now and then. Try to play the next three holes on par or better. I read somewhere that Annika sorenstam played 6 3-hole rounds. I've tried it - but it hasn't worked out so far for me.
I must admit that I am no better in this department than the average 6 HCP-er. But I am working on it.