Format: Stableford
Venue: [Home course]
Score: 37pts (2nd)
Handicap mark: 3.5
Themes in reply: Coaching via e-mail; facts; indecision
Hi Colin,
Here’s some food for you!
Stableford. Weather was good but a bit cold, slight westerly wind. Played with GH and IJ.
1st – Very good 3 wood into the fairway. Hit a wedge just a short of the green – thought it was plenty but probably the ball wasn’t flying quite as far in the cold. Putted up but short and missed the 4 footer. 5 for 1 point
2nd – Ok drive and a 5 iron just short. Putted up a bit long and missed again. 5 nett 4 for 2 points
3rd – Drive was a bit right followed by a 4 iron just right of the green. Chipped up to 4’ and missed again! 5 for 1 point – very frustrated!
4th – Good 4 iron into the green, putted up a bit short but holed for a par 3 and 2points
5th – Drive was a bit right but quite long, 5 iron just over the temporary green. Putted down nicely and holed for a birdie 4 and 3 points (this is a par 4 really until they get the green back)
6th – Good 3 wood followed by a v. good 9 iron to about 6’ – missed the birdie but 4 nett 3 for 3 points.
7th – Wedge to the green and 2 putts for a 3 and 2 points
8th – Good long drive to the RHS of the fairway. Hit a lovely 6 wood to the middle of the green and holed a long putt for an eagle 3 and 4 points.
9th – Good drive and a lob wedge to about 8’. Temp green and just left the birdie putt short. 2 points giving a total of 20 points for the first 9.
10th – Good 3 wood followed by an excellent gap wedge to 3 ‘ – holed for a birdie 3 and 3 points
11th – Cocked it up – hit an 8 iron right of the green. I wasn’t sure if it was an 8 or a 7 which didn’t help. A bit wet and the pin was tucked behind the bunker. Hit it heavy to the side of the bunker and then chipped to about 5’ but missed the putt – 0 points.
12th – Good drive followed by 3 wood a bit right and close to the bushes. Managed to get the ball just short of the green and 2 putted for a 5 nett 4 and 3 points.
13th – Drive was a bit left and it was lying down a bit. Tried to get my 6 wood at it but I only succeeded in moving the ball about 2’! Hit it again right and short of the green. Chipped up to about 6’ and missed the putt – 0 points.
14th – Good 7 iron to the middle of the green – almost holed for a 2 but got a 3 and 2 points.
15th – Good drive followed by a poor 3 iron pin high to the right of the green. Not a great lie but I managed to get the ball onto the green and holed a really good putt for a 4 nett 3 and 3 points.
16th – Hit a lovely long 3 wood into the fairway and then a good 6 wood to about 8’. Left the putt in the jaws but a par 4 and 2 points.
17th – Good drive but then not a great 3 wood – I was trying to get it on the green. Chipped up with a 9 iron but the ball died a little when it pitched. 2 putts for a par 5.
18th – Drive was into the right rough bit I was lucky and found a good lie. 6 iron past the pin and putted up to 3’. Tricky little putt across the break but I managed to sink it for a par 4 and 2 points.
So 20 points going out and 17 coming back = 37 points. I think I was 2nd – a mate of mine finished birdie, par, birdie to get 38 points. I think I came down .1 to 3.5 exact.
I played well again – not quite as well as I would have liked. The putting makes such a difference but 37 points with 2 blobs isn’t bad. The conditions were pretty easy though.
Regards,
John
Dear John,
Many thanks for your wonderful hole-by-hole transcript. Fantastic stuff!
To begin with I am going to set out the facts about this round so that you are clear about your achievement and so that we can acknowledge you for it.
[I am becoming quite excited about this somewhat unforeseen aspect of e-mail coaching. I have mentioned before that the effect of you having to write about your performance is that you get to “face up to yourself” and take responsibility for the outcome of your actions. I get to comment on your assessment and between us we get to fully and clearly acknowledge what happened. The effect of this clear acknowledgement will be to have you on the first tee of your next round completely “free” of the events and consequences of the last round: be they good or bad. And that is the objective at all times: to have a completely clear mind before every shot.]
Facts
1. The conditions were favourable and the course is shorter because of temporary greens. Those favourable conditions did not help all the other players bar one to outscore you. In effect, there is no such thing as “conditions”. When you reach your ball it will occur to you where it needs to get to. There will be a number of factors to consider. One of these factors could be described by the catch-all term “conditions”. They are neither favourable nor unfavourable: they just are. Sometimes the “conditions” will fall in such a way that scoring is easier but even that is irrelevant because they will be easier for everyone. Occasionally, within a round or a competition there will be a change in “conditions” that significantly alters the ease of scoring. So what?
2. First hole – It would be interesting to collate your scores on the first 3 holes. You seem to be playing well without scoring well on these holes, but it might just be an impression. Playing competitive golf comes in two parts. First you need to make good decisions about where the ball needs to get to; then you need to find your pendulumic “timing” rhythm and carry it from shot to shot. It is interesting to me that you are now finding your rhythm on the first shot of the day because earlier in the year you were having problems on the first tee. So, it would seem that there is an issue with taking that rhythm to the second shot and then crucially to the first putt of the day. Of course, these comments are in the context of pursuing perfection.
3. Your first chip of the day came on the 3rd and you put it to 4’.
4. On the 4th you hit a green with a 4-iron
5. On the 6th you put a 9-iron to 6’
6. On the 8th you put a 6-wood on to the green
7. On the 8th you holed a long putt (remember my essay on putting that basically boils down to: 2 putts – good; 1 putt – fluke; 3 putts – abomination. If, at all times, you visualize the hole as the preferred destination of the putt and you “time”, then you will begin to get a bigger percentage of flukes and a lower percentage of abominations.)
8. On the 9th and 10th you hit two successful wedges – a lob and a gap (whatever they are!).
9. On the 11th you blobbed and then hit a good drive on the 12th tee.
10. You played a few less successful shots from the 12th to 15th holes but still managed to hole a long putt on the 15th. For me the most pleasing aspect of your play is your ability to spring back from disappointment. It signifies to me that you are looking to find “timing” at every shot, which has the effect of preventing “collapses” in form and scoring. On the 16th you get to 8’ with a 3-wood and a 6-wood, which is fantastically accurate hitting.
11. 37 points with 2 blobs is very good scoring.
12. You came 2nd.
13. Your handicap came down 0.1
Indecision
On the 11th you blame your failure to hit the green on being unable to decide between a 7-iron and an 8-iron. Of course, the real reason you failed to hit the green is because you failed to find perfect “timing”. You could have hit a perfect 8-iron which may or may not have found the green. As it was, you allowed something to corrupt the process of “timing”. That something could have been your discomfort with your club selection, and so that is worth looking at.
What does one do when one really can’t decide between clubs? The first thing to do is to face up to your indecision there and then because it is a red flag signal that your “timing” process is at risk. Then you have to decide where is the preferred place to be, short of the green with an 8 or through the green with a 7, given that both are a possibility. Then you have to commit to the “timing” process, giving yourself a piercing image of the centre of the green and the swing that will get it there. Then you accept the outcome so that you are clear for your next shot.
Regards,
Colin
