How to survive that tough round…
Unfortunately every round of golf is not going to be great. Some days you drive it good and putt bad, other days you get bad breaks and some times you just make bad decisions. That is just golf.
The key is to get the most out of each round you can so here are a few suggestions.
Full Swing
Figure out what the most important basic fundamentals you have to perform to strike the ball decent,not great but acceptable. Most of us will have different lists but it is important to know what you need to know your keys. My list is
- Make sure to extend right arm through impact
- Get weight to left heel early in downswing
- Keep left arm from separating on back swing
- Turn right hip away on take away.
This is not the full list but it is how I prioritize my hierarchy of golf swing basics. If I can I may get to number 6 or 7 on my list but most times if I can get the arm extended, get to my left heel on not overly rotate the forearms on the back swing I will hit the ball pretty well.
I was playing with a good friend Saturday and he was hitting it awful on the front 9 trying to get his legs more active, not sway and finish the swing. On the 10th tee I mentioned if he didn’t get any extension at impact the others items probably didn’t matter. He went from well over par to under par with just that thought.
Use your brain
If you know you’re struggling don’t take big risks. Give yourself a chance by eliminating risky shots by making better decisions. Don’t go for the pin, aim towards the middle of the green until you start swinging better. Hit three wood off the tee not driver if it is the better choice.
You also need to understand that even with good decisions you are probably still going to miss your target. So choose targets that if you miss you can recover from. If there is water on the right side of the green maybe aim a little extra left to keep the ball in play.
Chipping and Pitching
Chipping and pitching can save those “bad” rounds. If you make good decisions, hit bad shots and chip and putt good. Missing a few greens in a row and still making par can really keep your momentum going and you attitude positive. So never underestimate how important your chipping and pitching are and practice them a lot.
Attitude
Nothing worse than when you play with someone who hits a few bad shots on the first few holes and declares it is going to be “one of those days.” I hate that defeatist attitude. What you should think is wow, today is going to be challenging so I better up my mental game and make good decisions.
Don’t be surprised when you don’t hit the ball great. If you’re honest with yourself you probably don’t hit it that solid all that often? You should be prepared to hit the ball OK, not great and to get the most out of your game.
If you are whining, bitching, complaining and making excuses your are not helping yourself. Find a way to get the most out of your round. Some of the most satisfying rounds of golf I have ever played have been when I hit the ball poorly and produced a good score.
Putting
When your struggling with the putter many times players focus on the line and not the speed creating three putts. If you are having a tough time on the greens prioritize speed not line and you may be surprised.
Remeber to read the greens by judging the speed first not the line. So you could plan on rolling the ball at a more conservative speed at the hole so play a little more break.
Get the most out of it
It is said that we play to our potential or handicap only about 25% of the time. We should not be surprised when we struggle and should feel blessed when we play great. So be ready for a little adversity next time you tee it up and be ready for the challange.
Jim Hartnett, PGA
