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Date: 14 Feb 2007 13:11:07
From: WW
Subject: Is it me? Why does my game go down on the back 9?
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I'm a beginner golfer to begin with, but I usually gain a few more
strokes on the 2nd 1/2. Honestly I don't feel fatigued. I'm in pretty
good shape, do alot of running & cardio stuff. I kinda think I just
loose focus. Last yr was my 2nd full yr of golfing. I guess it's hard
to diagnose yourself @ the time. I did notice @ the range last week my
girlfriend got 2 Xlarge buckets of balls, I started hitting them badly
after about 60 or so. Thinking back the next day, I relized I was not
shifting my weight back & was hitting off my Rear leg.
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Date: 28 Feb 2007 09:11:12
From: annika1980
Subject: Re: Is it me? Why does my game go down on the back 9?
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On Feb 14, 8:56 pm, Alan Baker <alangba...@telus.net > wrote:
> I'll second all those who mentioned mental focus.
>
> One of the things I've had to learn about golf is that you can burn out
> mentally far more easily than you burn out physically during the course
> of a round.
>
> With the purely physical parts of golf, you're only making the full
> motion 36 - 50 times during a typical 4 - 5 hour round. That's a maximum
> rate of one full swing every 5 minutes or so. And when you're not swing,
> your muscles stop doing that kind of work.
>
> But you can worry about your game and last shot, and your next shot for
> the entire 4 - 5 hours. That can easily wear you out before you complete
> half the round.
>
> I've learned to try and *not* think about the golf itself between shots.
I heard a well-known sports psychologist talking about this just last
week.
He said exactly what you said ... many people get tired late in the
round as a result of mentally grinding for 4 hours. He recommended
being more like Trevino, being loose between shots and not
concentrating on the next shot until you get to your ball.
Makes sense to me. Mikey always says, "The lie dictates the shot." So
why worry about the upcoming shot until you see the lie?
I'd never really thought about that aspect of it. I always thought I
just got tired late in the round because I was out of shape.
I've always been a grinder, especially in tournaments. There is one 3-
day tournament here that always wore my ass out. I was like a zombie
by the time I finished Sunday's round. I always thought that being
strong mentally meant only worrying about what's ahead, and not
dwelling on what has already happened. That's only part of it. The
trick is conserving your energy.
The doc also noted that the guys who win the World Poker Championships
are usually younger guys, not the old pros. This is because the final
round(s) can last all day long and older folks have trouble
concentrating for 10-14 hours straight.
One of the greatest examples of mental toughness that I ever saw was
when I was watching the late Payne Stewart when he was paired with
Bill Britton. At that time Britton was the SLOWEST player in the
game, by far. God, he took forever between shots.
I remember one day when it was like 100 degrees watching him keep
tossing up grass in the fairway. He'd do it 3 or 4 times before every
shot and there wasn't a breath of wind. Meanwhile, Payne Stewart
would just find some shade and lean on his club until it was his turn
to play. After the round, a reporter asked Payne Stewart how he
mangaed to fire a 66 while watching all of that going on.
Stewart said, "It's simple. I don't worry about my shot until it's my
turn to hit. What he does between my shots is his problem. He can do
backflips for all I care."
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Date: 28 Feb 2007 15:22:22
From: Sparky
Subject: Re: Is it me? Why does my game go down on the back 9?
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On 14-Feb-2007, "WW" <dirtymm@msn.com > wrote:
> I'm a beginner golfer to begin with, but I usually gain a few more
> strokes on the 2nd 1/2. Honestly I don't feel fatigued. I'm in pretty
> good shape, do alot of running & cardio stuff. I kinda think I just
> loose focus. Last yr was my 2nd full yr of golfing. I guess it's hard
> to diagnose yourself @ the time. I did notice @ the range last week my
> girlfriend got 2 Xlarge buckets of balls, I started hitting them badly
> after about 60 or so. Thinking back the next day, I relized I was not
> shifting my weight back & was hitting off my Rear leg.
What course are you playing? Maybe the back 9 is just harder...
me
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Date: 15 Feb 2007 10:13:55
From: Miss Anne Thrope
Subject: Re: Is it me? Why does my game go down on the back 9?
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"I kinda think I just loose focus."
Yeah, I think that about covers it.
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Date: 15 Feb 2007 00:39:11
From: Joe
Subject: Re: Is it me? Why does my game go down on the back 9?
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WW wrote:
> I'm a beginner golfer to begin with, but I usually gain a few more
> strokes on the 2nd 1/2. Honestly I don't feel fatigued. I'm in pretty
> good shape, do alot of running & cardio stuff. I kinda think I just
> loose focus. Last yr was my 2nd full yr of golfing. I guess it's hard
> to diagnose yourself @ the time. I did notice @ the range last week my
> girlfriend got 2 Xlarge buckets of balls, I started hitting them badly
> after about 60 or so. Thinking back the next day, I relized I was not
> shifting my weight back & was hitting off my Rear leg.
>
You have received some good advice from the replies but I think that the
top of the list is food/nutrition. Hydration is critical if it is hot
but the real killer, at least for me, is to make sure that I am eating
something that fits my own metabolism every four holes. If I wait for
the turn, it takes too long for my body to catchup. Just like drinking,
if you wait until you are thirsty, its too late.
You would be surprised at how much energy you use in this game, just
staying cool in the summer or warm in the fall uses a lot of energy and
there goes the sugar balance. I have found that what works for me is to
throw a banana, a simple sandwich like ham and cheese or turkey,no
condiments that get on your hands, cut into quarters, and a diet
supplement drink with protein as well as carbs.
Once you get the blood sugar screwed up, the mental game goes first,
then the physical game. The pros generally eat during a competition
round as do high school and collage teams.
Joe
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Date: 15 Feb 2007 08:16:51
From: Howard Brazee
Subject: Re: Is it me? Why does my game go down on the back 9?
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Don't forget to consider footwear, especially if you walk. The wrong
shoes can lead to compensations in your swing at the end of a round.
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Date: 15 Feb 2007 01:56:06
From: Alan Baker
Subject: Re: Is it me? Why does my game go down on the back 9?
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In article <1171487467.844468.200350@v33g2000cwv.googlegroups.com >,
"WW" <dirtymm@msn.com > wrote:
> I'm a beginner golfer to begin with, but I usually gain a few more
> strokes on the 2nd 1/2. Honestly I don't feel fatigued. I'm in pretty
> good shape, do alot of running & cardio stuff. I kinda think I just
> loose focus. Last yr was my 2nd full yr of golfing. I guess it's hard
> to diagnose yourself @ the time. I did notice @ the range last week my
> girlfriend got 2 Xlarge buckets of balls, I started hitting them badly
> after about 60 or so. Thinking back the next day, I relized I was not
> shifting my weight back & was hitting off my Rear leg.
I'll second all those who mentioned mental focus.
One of the things I've had to learn about golf is that you can burn out
mentally far more easily than you burn out physically during the course
of a round.
With the purely physical parts of golf, you're only making the full
motion 36 - 50 times during a typical 4 - 5 hour round. That's a maximum
rate of one full swing every 5 minutes or so. And when you're not swing,
your muscles stop doing that kind of work.
But you can worry about your game and last shot, and your next shot for
the entire 4 - 5 hours. That can easily wear you out before you complete
half the round.
I've learned to try and *not* think about the golf itself between shots.
If I hit a bad tee shot, I try and let it go, and I don't start trying
to figure out how to extricate myself from a situation until I can see
what the situation actually is. In between shots, I enjoy the day -- the
people I'm playing with; anything but think about golf.
This has particularly helped me when the round is moving slowly. Now
when I get up to my ball, I don't touch a club or even think too much
about the shot until I know I can complete my routine in the usual
amount of time; a minute or so at most.
--
"The iPhone doesn't have a speaker phone" -- "I checked very carefully" --
"I checked Apple's web pages" -- Edwin on the iPhone and how he missed
the demo of the iPhone speakerphone.
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Date: 15 Feb 2007 17:46:47
From: Rob Davis
Subject: Re: Is it me? Why does my game go down on the back 9?
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Alan Baker wrote:
>
> But you can worry about your game and last shot, and your next shot for
> the entire 4 - 5 hours. That can easily wear you out before you complete
> half the round.
>
> I've learned to try and *not* think about the golf itself between shots.
> If I hit a bad tee shot, I try and let it go, and I don't start trying
> to figure out how to extricate myself from a situation until I can see
> what the situation actually is. In between shots, I enjoy the day -- the
> people I'm playing with; anything but think about golf.
>
This is great advice IMHO. Try to mentally relax in between shots, and
then make sure you're really focused when it's time to hit the next
shot. This includes properly planning the shot and being totally
sure/confident about what you're trying to do with the shot.
Don't beat yourself up over bad shots. If it's a mental mistake ... poor
shot selection or not correctly evaluating the situation ... then just
make a mental note for next time and move on. If it's just a bad swing,
don't try too hard to "fix" it right then.
Both easier said than done ... takes some experience and discipline.
Rob
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Date: 14 Feb 2007 20:38:42
From: David Geesaman
Subject: Re: Is it me? Why does my game go down on the back 9?
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WW wrote:
> I'm a beginner golfer to begin with, but I usually gain a few more
> strokes on the 2nd 1/2. Honestly I don't feel fatigued. I'm in pretty
> good shape, do alot of running & cardio stuff. I kinda think I just
> loose focus. Last yr was my 2nd full yr of golfing. I guess it's hard
> to diagnose yourself @ the time. I did notice @ the range last week my
> girlfriend got 2 Xlarge buckets of balls, I started hitting them badly
> after about 60 or so. Thinking back the next day, I relized I was not
> shifting my weight back & was hitting off my Rear leg.
This one's frustrating because the most important factor is experience.
But it's common for beginners to lose focus, not because of mental
weakness, but because you get into a 'groove', and start to change their
tactics. It's very common to start attempting more aggressive shots,
visualizing longer drives, better iron shots, and you just end up in
more trouble or simply make a bad shot.
It took me quite a while to accept this, but my best strategy at all
times in golfing, is not to try to make memorable shots. It's much
better to play the shot that you almost can't screw up, even if you feel
it might lose you 1/2 a stroke against par. As well, when you do get
stuck, make a recovery shot that has almost no risk. Lose the stroke on
that hole in making the recovery, instead of losing 2 by attempting a
more risky recovery. It seems like a cowardly way to play, but I find I
maintain a much better rhythm and momentum. I make a lot of
'accidental' pars, instead of accidental double and triple bogeys. And
I spend much more time in the fairway, making the kind of shots I want
to make.
Dave
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Date: 15 Feb 2007 00:37:29
From: Rob Davis
Subject: Re: Is it me? Why does my game go down on the back 9?
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Fatigue ... both physical and mental ... can definitely affect your game
as you go through 18 holes. Doesn't even have to be that much that you
really notice ... but just enough to make your swing "lazy" (for
example, not shifting your weight as you mentioned, or lifting with your
arms as opposed to making a good turn). And, it's difficult to stay
really focused for a whole round ... some of that just gets better with
more playing and experience.
Someone else mentioned nutrition and dehydration ... not eating or
drinking enough over 4 hours can have an affect.
Rob
WW wrote:
> I'm a beginner golfer to begin with, but I usually gain a few more
> strokes on the 2nd 1/2. Honestly I don't feel fatigued. I'm in pretty
> good shape, do alot of running & cardio stuff. I kinda think I just
> loose focus. Last yr was my 2nd full yr of golfing. I guess it's hard
> to diagnose yourself @ the time. I did notice @ the range last week my
> girlfriend got 2 Xlarge buckets of balls, I started hitting them badly
> after about 60 or so. Thinking back the next day, I relized I was not
> shifting my weight back & was hitting off my Rear leg.
>
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Date: 14 Feb 2007 16:18:03
From: Otto
Subject: Re: Is it me? Why does my game go down on the back 9?
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"WW" <dirtymm@msn.com > wrote in message
news:1171487467.844468.200350@v33g2000cwv.googlegroups.com...
> I'm a beginner golfer to begin with, but I usually gain a few more
> strokes on the 2nd 1/2. Honestly I don't feel fatigued. I'm in pretty
> good shape, do alot of running & cardio stuff. I kinda think I just
> loose focus. Last yr was my 2nd full yr of golfing. I guess it's hard
> to diagnose yourself @ the time. I did notice @ the range last week my
> girlfriend got 2 Xlarge buckets of balls, I started hitting them badly
> after about 60 or so. Thinking back the next day, I relized I was not
> shifting my weight back & was hitting off my Rear leg.
Some possible issues:
Focus(as you suggested and very probable)
Fatigue
Lack of nutrition--you need to snack on something during the round to
stabilize your blood sugar
Lack of hydration--water and sports drinks work great
Higher slope rating on the back (more difficult)
Frustration and subsequent loss of focus
Otto
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