Having had a great day out it was back to normality today in the monthly medal. I was partnered with Alan Cutler and John Munday and were off nice and early at 8.30. I've played quite a bit with Alan and he's usually dangerous off his 14 handicap. I hadn't had the pleasure of John's company on the course for a long time but he is very steady off 7 and is usually well up there in most events.
I hadn't been overly happy with my game at the members/guest day yesterday and so wasn't brimming with confidence. It came as something of a shock to the system when I stuck my tee shot at the first into the heart of the green. Knowing how quick the greens had been yesterday I was circumspect in my approach but made a solid par. It was squeaky bum time at the next though. I hit the tee shot well but it was very, very, tight to the trees and out of bounds and none of us saw it land. I hit a provisional and I was getting concerned when I couldn't see it. Fortunately the hole was playing down wind and it had managed to make it all the way to the corner of the dog-leg. I still managed to three putt when I got the green for a six.
Things were going too well and a double bogey six at the 3rd having hit the right hand bunker brought me down to earth. I parred the 4th and 5th and made a four at the seen of my nearest the pin triumph the day before at the 178 yard sixth having found another bunker off the tee. By the time we reached the turn I'd gone out in 42 which was only one over my handicap and so I was still in contention.
I hit a reasonable drive at the 10th and had 177 to the back flag position. I hit a good six iron and mentally congratulated myself as the ball was in the air and heading towards the green on the good execution. It landed on the middle of the green and I was getting ready for a safe par. However it kept on going and tumbled off the back. It found a good lie but with no green to play with and the green sloping sharply away from me I did well to get it to stop within ten feet and made a 5.
And then the trouble started. I hit a rubbish chip from the left of the 11th into the bunker and made a double bogey. I hit my second over the back of the 12th but had lagged my putt up to a foot away and seemed destined to make a safe and respectable 5. It's never that clear cut with me and I pulled the putt way left. I have to admit I did lose some of my competitive edge after that and even a great chip from 30 yards left of the 14th and converting the putt for par couldn't inspire me.
At the 16th I pushed my drive. I could have played safe and run one down towards the 100 yard marker but having nothing to lose decided to try and hit a right to left draw with my five wood. It was a high tariff shot and the fact that it sliced left to right and plunged into thick ferns tells you all you need to know about the merits of trying such a shot. The ball was lost and I ended up with a 7. The lost ball count increased down the last when I carved a tee shot right and out of bounds and finished with an ugly 8 and signed for a nett 79 (+9).
The funny thing was I hadn't actually hit the ball badly and definitely hit it more consistently than yesterday. I just seemed to fritter shots away and never really managed to get anything going. I've certainly had lower scores hitting it worse than today. I couldn't hole a putt and had more than my fair share lip out or shave the hole. I can't really complain though. My ball striking isn't too bad (6/10), my putting is decent despite the blip at 12 (8/10) but my short game has deserted me AGAIN (2/10). The season is more or less over now except for the monthly stableford and medals so I'm going to start thinking about my winter programme. There is a huge swing change I need to make (I lift my spine angle on the downswing which makes it so hard to constantly repeat the swing and make solid contact) but it's so ingrained after all these years I'm not sure if I can ever actually eradicate it. I need to find a simple chipping method as I've made a simple shot way too complicated and scrambled my tiny brain into the process. Plenty of work ahead but the rewards will be worth the effort. At least that's what I'm telling myself.
Total number of lost balls in 2010 = 68
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Hi Homer, I still think the issue remains pyschological. Either that or you have reached your natural handicap in and around the 11/12 mark. You were playing pretty well, you were still in contention and then you had a couple of bad holes and threw the towel in. It doesn't seem that you believed that you could actually go on a hot streak on the last part of the back nine and undo the damage. I'm exactly the same, realise it's going wrong and the wheels come off big time. You have to believe that you are capable of making birdie on every hole. Have you looked at your eclectic best round on SS2? That should tell you about your potential. You just have to believe in yourself that you can do it (wish I could practice what I preach!)
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested to know your eclectic best round would you be willing to share. Print it out and try and remember how you played the hole when you last made that score. Then sit down and write it out vividly for each hole, a really detailed description. Then read it every night before you go to bed, think about each hole in turn before you go to sleep. Remind yourself of how you have quite brilliantly played each hole at that course and then go out and do it, and if things aren't going to plan, just remember that you are owed some good holes and if they are accept you are on a hot streak and it will just get better and better. o what Rotella suggests and have it both ways. I look forward to hearing about your next round.