rsvman Out of curiosity, have you ever read the book "Golf is not a game of perfect?" It's a good read.

I can't remember. Sounds familiar, but I've been out of the scene for so long I don't recall.

FWIW, I know what you mean about scoring well when it doesn't all come together. I wish I could find my scorecard from my 77 that I shot in 2010. I honestly doubt I hit more than 4-6 fairways and maybe 5 or 6 GIR. Point being, I've learned to score fairly well even when I'm not hitting the ball perfectly.

"All coming together" for me doesn't mean 12+ GIR and 10-12 fairways. That'd be more of a divine intervention. I've had rounds where I had no 3 putts, no lost balls (OB, water, or just plain lost), and nothing worse than a double with fairly good contact on every shot. I just want it again... and I want it now!

      Learning how to turn a double-bogey into a bogey is a huge part of the scoring equation. Part of that relies on knowing what you can/can't do, and the rest of it comes down to short game. If you give yourself a par-putt on the bad holes, you're beginning the process of figuring it out.

      You can do it.

      puttnfool got it. Totally doable, but it takes a little patience.

      I read another book one time that talked about concentrating only on things you can control, and not thinking about things that are out of your control. For example, you can control your tempo, your balance, your aim, which clubs you choose and what type of shoot you try to hit, but you can't control the temperature, the wind, bad bounces, bumps on the green, etc. On the list of things you can't control was your score.

      The idea is that a good score comes from careful planning and thoughtful execution of each shot, rather than from trying to score well, if that makes sense.

      The book advocated a planning box and a playing box. Standing behind an approach shot you are in the planning box. You are gauging the distance, the wind, the elevation change, the location of hazards and the pin, etc, and planning your shot. It encourages the golfer to plan very specifically, thinking, for example, "for this shot I'm going to take a six iron, aim at that tall pine in the distance, and allow the wind to move it slightly left, landing it 20 feet right off the pin position." Then, when you step into the playing box, no further planning takes place. You just play. You just swing the club and hit the ball. No second-guessing the plan is allowed.

      Lather, rinse, repeat, regardless of the outcome of said shot. I think it's pretty sound advice.

        14 days later

        Got out again yesterday for a round. More of the roller coaster that I've become accustomed to.

        Started out +8 over the first 4. Went par, birdie, bogey, bogey, birdie (with a kick-in from <1' on a 200+ yard par 3) to round out the front at +8. Originally, had planned on playing 9 before deciding if I wanted to play a full 18. Figured I should keep on going since I finally "found it".

        Well, to make a long story short, I completely screwed the back. I had four 3-putts in the first 5 holes. Came in at +18 for the back and +27 overall for a 97 total.

        The good side: I can't recall how long it's been since I've had 2 birdies in a round much less 2 in 4 holes, I hit the TaylorMade Burner TP driver fairly well for the first time out. Only hit one really bad shot with it, a quick hook on the last hole.

        The bad side: I hate 3 putts. Hit a handful of really fat shots that cost me several strokes.

        Going back out this evening to try to figure it out again. I love these long summer nights (and having a job that I can get up and leave whenever I want).

        So, I played the past 3 nights. It's starting to come together. The 97 three days ago was so-so. Two days ago, I followed that up with a 100.

        Went to the other course here on base yesterday. I shot a 77 on this course in 2010 right after I arrived here in Jersey, so I know what I'm capable of, but I haven't come close to that since.

        I took a routine par, something that is far from routine for me, on the first hole. I had 3 doubles and 2 triples, but nothing worse. That, in and of itself, is an accomplishment for me. Only 1 penalty stroke all day for me. I hit a hybrid into the wind, into the sun, from 183ish out and never saw it. Looked straight up into the sun and though it felt like a good strike, I have no clue where it went an after about 5 minutes of searching, I decided to let it go and hit another. That was one of my triples... ugh...

        With 9 one-putts and 29 putts overall, I feel like the putter is serving me much better. I had two 3-putts on the day. One was from 60'+ away and the other, though it was only about 5' away, was just a stupid side-hill putt that had about 1' of break and I blew it by the first time. Stupid rookie mistake!

        Anyway, I can feel it coming. I'm gonna break into the 80's soon. Simple fact is, I've gotta shoot an 87 on one course or 88 on the other to break the "bogey-golf" threshold.

          puttnfool With 9 one-putts and 29 putts overall, I feel like the putter is serving me much better.

          Are you sure it was the putter? Or was it your short game finally materializing again? Length of putts will determine. If these 2 phases are coming around, it won't be long before the rest comes easier also.

              Par4QC Probably a little of both. I am hitting some better shots into the greens, but I hit a 30'+ and a couple in the 10'-15' range yesterday.

                Puttnfool, You seem so consumed with the results. That just puts on more pressure in a game that nobody beats! And, the game's tough enough. Maybe focus more on just the process - the process of the next shot - nothing more. There's always time to add 'em up after the round is over.

                  image /assets/images/0-150-m4Gqw0t8GJHvkk1r.jpg
                  Good advice Prof
                  I was in rut, scores just wouldn't fall.
                  Tried something different today

                  Walked nine with an old carry bag lightened to bare bones essentials, limited it to 3W , 5 hybrid , 7 iron , pw , putter.
                  Fun 9 holes, shot 10 over, 3 better than I've been. 90* here and still didn't get too winded on hilly course.
                  Add some fun with something different , might generate a better score too.

                  professor

                  Yep, took the words right out of my mouth.

                  Jeremy, I can sense that you're starting to get some rust off of your game and you're making excellent progress. Taking only one penalty in your last round would seem to indicate that you're also making better swings and managing your game better.

                  Just try to avoid sabotaging all of the work and effort you've put in with allowing your focus to be distracted by fixating on a number. Keep it simple. Control the things that you can control, and also accept the things you can't.

                  You can control the amount of pressure you put on yourself internally. You can control your focus. That's a lot easier to do when you're not worried about the end result.

                  Yet I also admit that most of us fight that same demon from time to time. But I also know that my best rounds the past year have come with me not worrying so much about my score, but focusing more on just controlling the way I think and not getting too high or too low whether it's a birdie or a double bogey.

                  It's one of the things that impresses me the most about the guys we watch on tv. None of those guys go out there expecting to shoot 62 on Thursday in the opening round of a tournament. They just get off to a good start, and then stay out of their own way and keep the good flow moving in the right direction.

                  But, they even fall victim to it, as great as they are. They follow up that 62 on Thursday with a 74 on Friday lots of times. Why? Because they either expect to shoot another low round, or they expect to struggle after such an incredible round the day prior.

                  The guy shooting 68's all four days is often the guy who cashes the biggest check Sunday evening. 😉

                    puttnfool If you are playing chess on the course.....give it up now, go home! Sorry, but that's not the way it's done. Except maybe on the Par 5 holes. Let's say a Par 4 hole, you are on the tee,....how can you be thinking about your next shot when you only have a very minimal idea where that tee ball is going to end up?? You give yourself choices? If so, go home now. Or, you have teed off and in the fw, are you now thinking how long of a putt you want or might have? You really think you are even going to hit the green? If so, go home now. Ok, so you are on the green, are you now thinking about the next putt while standing over the 1st? If so, go home now. On the tee of a Par 3, are you thinking about your next shot then? Where will that be from....bunker, rough, or green? You just as well put those clubs back in the closet and eat supper...... you've cooked your own goose!

                    You can only HOPE that your next shot will be from where you'd LIKE it to be, you can't think about the shot itself. It is a 'one shot at a time' game.

                        Par4QC you just made the point.

                        On a par 4 hole, I look at the yardage and decide if it's worth hitting driver or if the length of the hole dictates that I might put myself in better position with a 3wd or even a hybrid. On a par 3 tee, I'm definitely thinking about my first putt. If the pin is in the back, I don't want to hit too little club and leave myself a long first putt. On my first putt, I'm thinking about where the ball is going to go should I miss. I'd definitely rather leave an uphill 2nd putt than a downhill or sidehill 2nd putt.

                        Are you saying that you simply hit driver off the tee on all par 4's and par 5's? If so, I'd make the argument that THAT is not how it's done.

                            puttnfool No, your thought process is fine, but you are still only hitting one shot at a time, and thus only thinking about the shot in front of you.

                            I'll go back to rehash a post I put in earlier in this thread.....You have the "planning/thinking box" and the "playing box." Do ALL your planning/thinking BEFORE you get into the "playing box."

                            In other words, it's perfectly fine, perhaps even commendable, to think about whether you should hit a driver or a 3-wood or even a hybrid off the tee on the short par 4. Take into account wind, even pin position if you want to. Say, for example, that the pin in tucked on the back right of the green. Go ahead and think about how nice it would be to place your 3-wood shot on the right side of the fairway to open up the approach. Go through all those thoughts, etc., BEFORE you step up to the ball.

                            Once you step up to the ball, you have only ONE goal, and that is to execute the shot you planned in your mind. There is no more thinking about the plan, or any other shots. Just focus on what you can control with regards to this ONE SHOT.

                                rsvman Well, duh. You obviously can't think about mechanics of the next shot, but you have to think ahead of the current shot to commit to the current shot.

                                I think we're saying the same thing in different words.

                                  You seem to all be in agreement. Plan your strategy for the hole, then focus on the shot at hand. If that shot goes awry, replan the strategy, then focus only on the shot at hand. It is a game if plans and recoveries, but don't get out in front of your headlights!

                                  puttnfool Are you saying that you simply hit driver off the tee on all par 4's and par 5's?

                                  Yessir! Stupid me, I guess, for hitting a high % of fw nowadays.

                                  puttnfool On a par 3 tee, I'm definitely thinking about my first putt.

                                  You should be thinking only of hitting the green. 1st and foremost.

                                  puttnfool On my first putt, I'm thinking about where the ball is going to go should I miss. I'd definitely rather leave an uphill 2nd putt than a downhill or sidehill 2nd putt.

                                  Bad thought pattern, imo. Putt to make them all. I doubt you are playing PGA greens that are an acre.


                                          puttnfool

                                          If the focus of your current shot you're playing is related to the target/position from which you're hoping to play your next shot, and it is within your abilities to execute that shot, then you are technically still focused on executing the shot at hand.

                                          No need to split hairs here.