There I stood on the steps of the clubhouse looking over the practice green watching two golfers push their carts toward the first tee. I had just handed in a lost putter cover and felt good, better than good, maybe bullet proof. The bogey on the 18th hole had put the wraps on my best round of golf ever. It was sweeter still as it followed my worst round in recent memory just 24 hours prior. How did the two rounds of golf compare? How did my game improve by 18 strokes? What is my speaking fee for conventions and corporate retreats?
Tales of Two Rounds of Golf
The day before I had played Crosswinds Golf Club with the idea of writing about playing better than the week before and getting my revenge on the course. I failed and played worse. The back nine was a disaster, train wreck, a tsunami of self doubt. You get the idea. I came home and wrote about it titling the post The Day My Golf Game Almost Died. I can say it helped as I booked a tee time at Bacon Park Golf Club for the next day.
How did I play the next day? Lights out might describe the score but it was not a perfect round as mistake were made. The important part is that mistakes did not drag down my game. Let’s see how the rounds measure up by the tape.
So how did I pull off this reversal of fortunes? I played my game, bogey golf. My game was not perfect with drives leaking to the right, long hybrid club mishits, and chipping miscues.
Different Mental Round of Golf
What did I change?
- Played each stroke and not the hole.
- Did not concentrate on scoring beyond the hole and moved on when I left the green.
- If something didn’t work I remembered and stopped trying to force the club/shot. For example, 56 degree wedge off hard packed ground.
- Kept my swing focus simple and not checklist of to dos.
All these mental techniques allowed my swing to be more relaxed and effective. I can play better and worse but I now know what it takes to enjoy playing.
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