Yeah, I'm still here...
I'd like to post my second year review, but there's not that much to write about. I suppose it could be summed up by saying I've become an average golfer in just two years. I generally shoot in the low 90s upper 80s and occaisionally have good days (low 80s), and bad days (100+). I feel like I'm a 12 handicap, but my stats tell me I'm a 17.
I'm going to start playing from the tips on several courses. I feel 6800+ yards is where I belong and the couple times I've played them I've scored 88 and 91 and had the same number of penalty strokes as I normally do.
Does a 17 handicapper have any business playing from the tips? I've heard both answers and for me, I feel it's the best way to drive my handicap down.
The main reason I'm posting today is because I played today and had a bit of an epiphany...
Most of us consider the long par four a difficult hole, a tough par, a take bogey and be happy hole right? Then we turn right around and call the short par five an easy hole, an easy par, a good chance at birdie. Can you see what I'm geting at here? The short par five is always longer than the long par four and we have a mindset that we have a good chance at birdie. Doesn't that mean that we should look at the long par four as perhaps a tough birdie hole, a good chance at par, or at worst, a bogey?
Dad will be down the second week of August, I think the 7th. I'm working STS-118 which launches August 7th. Houston, we have a problem...
-Greg
posted by Greg @ 7/18/2007
7 comments
7 Comments:
Great observation!
My belief is that when we perceive things that way, we're setting ourselves up to meet that expectation. Then, when we fall a little short, the result is worse than it might have been.
However, I'd encourage you to take it one step further (which I'm trying to do myself). I'm trying to completely ignore the expected outcome. That long par four starts with a drive, all planned out in my imagination, with thought paid to my strategy for the hole, but not to the possible outcomes. Then the second shot is the same thing all over again without regard to the previous shot with thought paid to my overall strategy, but not on the possible outcomes. And so on.
As you know, I'm not successful yet, but I think that's where I need to get to.
Oh, and about playing from the tips: as long as you keep pace, play from wherever you want to play from. The tee boxes aren't meant to stereotype us by ability or age or sex. They're there to present a different set of challenges on the same course.
If you can work up the nerve, play from the front tees once. Depending on your course, it could present a set of challenges you might not be used to.
I'm not sure what you mean when you say to completely ignore the expected outcome. What is the expected outcome? The score for the hole, the target for the shot??? I'm confused.
I have played from the shortest tees and I've blogged about it :)
for the average golfer who shoots about 95-105 a long par 4 415 yards or longer means a good drive (200-225), fairway wood (180-200), chip (inside 50 yards) and 2 puts for a bogey. I short Par 5 475 yards or shorter means a good drive (200-225), fairway wood (180-200), chip (inside 100 yards) and 2 puts for a par. If the first putt drops they might birdee the par 5 or par the par 4 but an average golfer who has a 25-28 handicap very rarely birdees a long par 4.
A 17 handicapper is well above average accordign to all studies by the USGA, PGA and all other golf organizations.
Greg,
I don't know what happened there but the part about the expected outcome is pretty unclear. Heh...
What I meant was that after each shot, not getting hung up on where that shot put me in relation to an outcome for the overall hole. For instance, if I duff one, I'm not thinking about how I can still bogey. And if I bomb a drive, I'm not thinking that a par is a foregone conclusion.
I might plan a series of shots for a hole. Say I plan for a good drive, good approach, two putts and a par. That ignores the fact that if my approach is a success then I actually have a good shot for birdie.
So when I get up to hit my approach, I ignore the fact that my expectation for the overall hole was a par and just try to hit the best shot I can at the time.
Or, if I don't hit a good drive, I don't then think that I've automatically ruined my chance for par.
As I re-read that, I'm not sure it makes anymore sense (It's been a rough day). I think I'll just leave it there and look up your post about playing from the front tees. ;)
Here's some stuff about hitting from the shortest tees with some similar links.
http://new2golf.blogspot.com/2006/03/green-tees-at-green-caye.html
I think I understood what you were talking about... Just focus on one shot at a time and the results, or the outcome, will take care of itself.
Once again...
http://new2golf.blogspot.com/2006/03/green-tees-at-green-caye.html
Ok, that didn't work...
http://new2golf.blogspot.com/2006/03/
green-tees-at-green-caye.html
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