To get the best out of your golf game you must have the right mindset by using course management relevant to your handicap. This is best illustrated by an experience I had one Sunday morning in the pro shop at Winterfield Golf Clubs, near Dunbar in East Lothian.
As I was handing out scorecards for the weekly competition, one of our members, was bemoaning his luck. He jokingly suggested the wholesale club should dig up the 13th hole (368 yards, par-4 stroke index 2), because he could never make a par there.
"It always messes up my scorecard, along with a few other holes I could mention," he said, revealing that his handicap was 17. I asked him what he thought the par for the hole was.
"It's a par-4 Kevin. You know that!"
"It is for me as a pro, but for you it's a par-5.
With your handicap you can take five and still not lose anything in relation to your handicap."I swear a little light went on in his brain! I told him: "Every time you stand Callaway X-22 Irons Ping I15 Driver Callaway Diablo Edge Fairway Woods on that tee and think about making four you are making it harder for yourself. Now if you stand on that tee and say to yourself 'it's a par-5' how would you feel then? I'm sure you'd be more relaxed and think 'that's not that hard; I can do that.' And that's exactly
how you should approach every hole you play, where you receive a stroke from your handicap."I'm convinced the problem most mid to high handicap golfers have is they are not playing their own game; they are trying to play scratch golf. This is where good course management and positive thinking comes in to play.
Make out a personal scorecard relative to your handicap. In my member's case there is only one hole on the golf course that he is expected to par and that is the one mark with a stroke index of 18.
For example, if your golf course has a par of 70 and your handicap is 15 then your par for the course is 85. I hope you get my drift here because it's an important part of managing your game. I know it goes against the grain but it will make each hole seem easier and allow you to play with more confidence and to relax. Instead of getting out the driver on these tough longer holes and messing up in your anxiety to score par, take clubs you are more confident with.Soon you will have new way of thinking with regard to par and i guarantee you will be surprised how much easier it is to play each individual hole. A par-4 on a course where you have a stroke means you can take three shots to reach the green in your handicap-related regulation, then two putts. Think this way and you will be pleasantly surprised how many times you make a gross par, which for you means BIRDIE.I told to him think about this new approach to the golf course - how par-3s can be considered par-4s and how much easier that is on the mind. This great game of golf is hard enough without putting undue pressure on yourself. Manage your own game better by thinking correctly and your course management will improve along with your enjoyment of the game. Look at each hole on your golf course in a different light. Draw up your own personal scorecard and be prepared to be surprised by your own ability.
Recommed:PING Rapture V2 Driver
User Comments