I’m still floored by @Tron 's shot on the playoff hole, nearly toe shanked it and it settled like 10 feet away? What an ad for T series irons.
(Bladesexuals don’t come for me, I have MP18s in the backup set)
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Apologies if this has already been said. But i have 5 holes left to see but @Tron was right there with @sundaybag if not for 3 or 4 boneheaded holes. This could have been tight down the stretch. I’m impressed with his overall game.
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An excellent set of two videos. So many good things to say, but i want to draw special attention to Randy’s “Ken Brown” contribution. While it’s always good to hear someone tell me how the best in the world tackle a given shot, hearing how the rest of us can approach it is also useful.
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@sundaybag gets to edit his own winning video? I smell a conspiracy. I bet the winning margin was actually 5 instead of 7.
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Is Ben using one of the Scotty phantom models?
Is this the right thread to discuss @KVV recent GHIN & Tonic piece, or is it being discussed elsewhere?
I can’t be the only one who feels seen by KVV’s description of self loathing on the golf course. I don’t think I’m in a dark abyss with it, but I do struggle with it. And I’m curious if others have found strategies for overcoming, or even, minimizing it. I love Kevin’s suggestion of focusing and scoring a round by how well you avoid derogatory self talk. I’m sure there are others. Please share! I’m in a hole!
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my initial thought was to have him write down all the bad things he said about himself, his swing, etc… during his round, and then read it back. Better yet, have Keegan read it back to him. You would never talk to yourself like that and hearing what you say about yourself from a loved one may be the trigger to stop saying it.
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I don’t really talk negatively to myself on the course but I definitely struggle with obsessing about bad shots/rounds for way too long afterwards. It’s hard because objectively how I play doesn’t matter at all but when you feel like you dedicate so much time to something you’re going to care a lot.
As far as strategies, I made it a goal this year to try and detach my enjoyment from how I play/score and that’s been mostly successful but the embarrassment and self deprecation still creep in.
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For you and others regarding embarrassment. I can’t stress this enough, no one cares what other people are shooting because we’re too wrapped up in our own games. If you shoot 65-120 it doesn’t matter as long as you’re a good hang and keep pace.
I struggle with the negative talk too (human nature) but it’s always a goal to flush the shot once it’s done.
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Expectations management is a real thing. And I absolutely struggle with equating enjoyment to my score. Like others, I play my best when I’m keeping it light and having fun. But it’s a bit of a chicken and egg thing for me.
I am attempting to get more process oriented than results oriented with my putting, so maybe I can do that with my full swing?
I used to play in a Monday night golf league, and if I played poorly, I had to get to the range as soon as humanly possible (leave work early on Tuesday if necessary) to prove to myself that I didn’t suck. It was absolutely stupid, but I felt like I couldn’t let that stink stay on me.
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I think people need to look elsewhere in their lives if self-loathing is coming out on the golf course.
I genuinely don’t believe it’s about the golf, I just think the golf course is a place that feels appropriate enough for people to allow the steam that has built up in other areas of their life to come out.
Work through the things you think about when you look in the mirror and I’m confident your vibe on the golf course will improve.
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This is me.
Except I have negative self talk on the course too. Not all the time. Just when I do something absolutely brain dead. Which can be a couple of times a round.
I have definitely got better at shaking off stuff during the round, but negativity creeps in when faced with something ‘simple’ and I screw it up.
My enjoyment, largely, is tied to score. I have tried to get around that, but I can’t. I have always been someone to try and be the best you can be. I know I’ve shot under par multiple times…so finding myself shooting 12 over gets real negative, real quick.
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Joking aside - one of my favorite tips from Cool Under Pressure is silence. Stay quiet after the shot. No explanation of why you messed it up, no negative words. Just silence. This is shockingly hard. The urge to explain yourself to your playing partners is immense.
I did this for a few rounds - its quite freeing after a while.
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Still need to start reading this.
Only bought it 2 months ago
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Love this. Might give it a shot.
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100%. I definitely felt seen.
I’m actually in a bright spot right now with this aspect of my game. I was firmly in Opus Dei for a long time but there were two consecutive rounds this summer that brought me out of it.
One: I went out for 9 at Asheville Muni on a Sunday afternoon. I made a pedestrian bogey to start the round and doubled the next 7 holes. I got a wicked case of the tops and after my fifth or sixth one of the day, I slammed the head of my three wood into the turf and off it game. I hadn’t broken a club in at least fifteen years and I felt like a fucking idiot.
Two: The next time I played was maybe a month later. I have a two year old and don’t get out much, but @bmasters and @m_alongi were nice enough to invite me out to Mimosa Hills. I definitely wanted to be on my best behavior. I lost my first two tee shots. It was the weirdest thing. We all watched them, saw them land in the rough, and they were just gone. Something strange happened though: nothing. I didn’t feel the anger welling up. I just dropped a ball and played on.
Another aspect of this round was that it was hotter than the hubs of hell and we were walking and Mimosa is not an easy walk. I eschewed a pushcart and carried my bag, but by hole 14, the leg cramps set in. These factors conspired to keep me in a grounded state where my only concerns were taking it one shot at a time and making it back to that luxurious clubhouse cold shower. I shot a 101. 100 used to be the demarcation line between loving golf and hating myself, but I didn’t care this time. The shower and post round Dr Pepper were worth it. I can really only recall one really good shot I hit that day.
I’ve played several times since then and I’ve managed to keep my head on straight. I still stink, but I’m enjoying the game and myself much more.
Hopefully I can keep the demons away.
TLDR: You can overcome on-course self loathing. Break a club and feel stupid and then walk a really hilly course on a hot day and you’ll quit caring about your score.
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Here in Houston, I feel like I have the “hot” day covered. The hilly course is much more difficult!
Thanks for the tips that worked for you!
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Oh yeah, I know no one cares. It’s more like embarrassed to have put a bunch of work in only to hit ridiculously poor shots seemingly out of nowhere. But that’s golf - even pros hit shanks, shoot 80, etc. I’ve gotten way better at shrugging off those rounds than in past years but I still need to work on fully detaching.
I’m also better at adjusting round to round which I’m really proud of. Played with a buddy on Saturday and could not hit driver. Uncharacteristic sky balls and OB left; frustrating stuff. Went out the next day to a different course and piped driver all day hitting like 12 fairways. Last year the Saturday round would have sent me into a YouTube/instagram tailspin
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