It's Not Over 'til the Fat Lady Sings

Hi people,

Thought I'd swan on over to the psychology section to post the story of my most recent round and see what sort of chat I can have. I'm bored with reading arguments in the technical section .

For those of you in bonny Angleterre, you will know that almost every low-lying golf course in the country is shut at the moment because of the persistent rain. I did, however manage to get my 3rd round of the year in on Saturday at a place called Birchwood park in Kent. I had played there once before 3 years ago and remembered some of it before I got there.

I am in the fortunate position this year to be able to spend a lot of time on my golf (if the new "British monsoon season" ever goes away ) and I've set myself a goal of reaching a handicap of 2 or better by the end of 2007. I currently play off 5. I say that this was my 3rd round of 2007, but only my 5th since November 2006.

I have, however, been doing plenty of swing practice over the last 5 months. Both physically and mentally, as well as preparing my mind for on-course situations and attitudes.

We arrived early for breakfast and I was quite chilled. Enjoying the company and surroundings, although it was cool and windy. Ten minutes to tee-off and I had a putt, then went to play.

When I hit the first tee I got a little nervous. I suddenly realised that I'd hardly played at all. Practice is fine, but putting practice into practice can be a different ball game. On the first tee, I made a decision to tell myself that I was great at this game and left it at that.

Well....... after 7 holes I'd dropped 5 shots........nice. Not the best start as I only had 5 handicap shots to play with anyway! I wouldn't say I was relaxed over the first 7 holes, but I hit the ball OK. Didn't put myself in any trouble. The only thing letting me down was my short game. Lack of on-course practice due to the prevailing conditions was showing. There was only one major difference between me on the 8th tee on Saturday, and me in the same position 5 months ago. It was the paradox of both wanting to score well, but almost not caring if I didn't. Just that conflict of views was enough to put me in the zone. I would say that if I hadn't said to myself at the start "I'm great at this" the same two thoughts would have panicked me.

The upshot of it was that I shot level par for the last 11 holes and came in bang-on handicap! The conditions were not easy either. I just knew I wasn't going to "lose" (against my handicap) and produced some wonderful golf to prove that fact. I never let myself entertain the thought of shooting +10 (or worse). That's not to say that I had to fight to keep those thoughts out of my mind. Those thoughts didn't even occur to me.

To give you an idea of how I played in the last 11 holes:

Hole 8 - Lipped out birdie putt that, by all accounts, should have gone in. Talk about a slow-motion horse-shoe!
Hole 9 - 135 yard 9 iron to 8 feet and burned the edge.
Hole 10 - Up and down for par (5 inch putt).
Hole 11 - 7 foot putt for birdie holed.
Hole 12 - Up and down for par (5 inch putt).
Hole 13 - (The longest toughest par 4 on the course straight into the wind). Hit driver to the fairway. Pushed 3 wood short and right. Pitched on to 15 feet and sunk the putt for par. That was a big boost. Parring that felt great. It carried the momentum on big-time. the putt was never missing.
Hole 14 - Holed out from greenside bunker for birdie.
Hole 16 - lipped out birdie putt.

The rest were OK, but not worth mentioning!

I realised after holing the bunker shot that I was doing well, but I had lost the score in my mind, so I had no idea how I was doing against my handicap. T'was a pleasant surprise when I totalled it up behind the 18th green.

So, on a course I'd only ever played once 3 years ago, I dropped 5 shots in the first 7 holes and still shot to my 5 handicap. "What a rescue!" I initially thought to myself. But then I thought some more. As far as I was concerned, it was never a rescue mission, because I never thought I'd shoot worse than my handicap, regardless of the start I had.

I feel like I'm finally starting to clear my mind of the unnecessary all-harming chatter and just playing the game. Each shot in each moment is all that counts. Execute it and move on, regardless of the result. I've gotten pretty good at celebrating my good shots and ignoring my bad ones too. I think thats a really big help.

I guess my key was that I picked my attitude before I even started. I gave my brain a simple, holistic goal that was not focused on physical action. It paid off.

Yours

A Happy Golfer

Hi Neil,
First, well done on what sounded like a good enjoyable round.

Also, you may have just mentioned something there that will help me as I go forward in my golfing journey. I often am unable to quickly move on from a poor shot. I need to find a way I can just accept the odd poor shot I might hit and move on as if it never happened. I seem to really struggle with this aspect of the game.

In the past I have avoided this by chatting with my playing partners about anything BUT golf with some success. But, now at a new club with mostly unfamiliar playing partners I find that the chat during a round is still somewhat forced.

Seems I need to find a way to say right I've done that, now let's move forward and deal with the result and play the next shot with no regard for how the ball came to lie where it is......

Cheers

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Every time a golfer makes a birdie, he must subsequently make two triple bogeys to restore the fundamental equilibrium of the universe....

I think you have hit right on the head. Three times last year I shot my best round of 76. The first time I finished the front nine in 40. I didn't feel real good about it but figured I could still shoot my handicap of 10. Started out the 10th hole with an easy two putt par and things just flowed from there. All I thought about was drive, figure out how what I needed to get to the green and two putt. A couple of birdies and two bogies thrown in and I played the back nine in even par. Now I know that even if things don't go quite right on the front things can and will even themselves out on the back. If they don't, thats alright to, there is always tomorrow.

Scragger,

I'm having the same chat with my brother at the moment.

He played with me on Saturday in the same round. He proper lost it when he 4 putted from 8 feet. Putter went flying and everything!

He said to me that he has to do that to get it out of his system rather than keep it bottled up so it affects the next 5 holes. I understand that approach, so the next step for him is not letting it bother him in the first place.

Seve Ballesteros said of a 4- putt once: "I putt and miss. I putt and miss. I putt and miss. I putt and make".

He was the best short game exponent around and practiced every day to play for a living. If he can have that attitude about a 4 putt, then the guy who plays once a week on his local course can.

The difference in the long term is also association. Turns out my brother had remembered the 4 putt but forgotten the fact hat he put 2 balls OB off the 10th tee. He forgot it because he was cool about it. He remembers it now I reminded him but the difference is that there is no emotional attachment.

It's just a golf shot.

Iktomi,

Spot on.

Good things happen if you let them.

Tell that to the bloke who is 20 yards away from the green at the 15th in two and takes another five to get down, it was me this morning and I can assure you it WAS all over.

I think your title is fairly accurate. I'd just have to change it a bit.

"It's Not over until the Fat Lady is in the Club House."

I'm talking about the fat lady paired up with the old lady that I've been waiting on for every shot the last 7 holes. When there in the club house I'm putting out on the last hole and it's over.

I had a very similar round the other day, actually a better round for me as my handicap is considerably higher, but this was only on 9 holes. 1st hole I duffed my drive. But instead of following a bad shot with another bad shot. I decided to just take my medicine and shot for bogey. Parred the 2nd with some good short game action. 3rd hole, in position for easy par. Managed a bogey. After that I didn't even look at my scorecard except to write down a number. Didn't add anything up on what I could shoot. I just kept playing without bringing anything good or bad from the last hole.....Reviewed my card at the end. I put together 6 straight pars after that and finished 2 over on 9 holes. Lipped out a birdie on the last hole or it would of been my best round ever.

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