Managing Expectations

[MaxEntropy]

In the "what's your weakness" thread, I mentioned that I struggle to manage my expectations, since I'm a bogey golfer, after all.

 

In tonight's league, I started par, par and finished par, birdie. The five holes in between were a hot mess (11 over in those 5 holes, actually 7 over in 2 holes). So the potential is there to score better if I avoid the big mistake(s).

 

Where should I set my expectations? Should I be satisfied with bogey golf? I would argue no, but I want to set realistic expectations so I continue to enjoy myself and don't get frustrated.

 

Maybe I need to differentiate between "expectation" and "goal", but I'm not 100% sure how to change my thinking on the subject.

 

 

I would love to hear you guys' thoughts on the matter!

 

 

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[bardle]

In the "what's your weakness" thread, I mentioned that I struggle to manage my expectations, since I'm a bogey golfer, after all.

 

In tonight's league, I started par, par and finished par, birdie. The five holes in between were a hot mess (11 over in those 5 holes, actually 7 over in 2 holes). So the potential is there to score better if I avoid the big mistake(s).

 

Where should I set my expectations? Should I be satisfied with bogey golf? I would argue no, but I want to set realistic expectations so I continue to enjoy myself and don't get frustrated.

 

Maybe I need to differentiate between "expectation" and "goal", but I'm not 100% sure how to change my thinking on the subject.

 

 

I would love to hear you guys' thoughts on the matter!

 

 

Sent from my BLN-L24 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

So for me it's about data. Do you know your misses? Why did you go 5 over on 2 holes? Some penalties? Was it course management issues, ball striking issues, putting, sand?

 

I keep all my stats. So I know what to work on the next week. Right now I know my irons miss is left so I have already corrected the swing flaw that was causing it(crowding) and a big miss right with my driver that I also know how to correct(tempo).

 

Having expectations is important. You can't expect to go from being a bogey golfer to being scratch in one round.

 

Setting goals that you can build on seems more important to me. I've done this using 18 birdies. I just set goals for one more GIR and one more FH than my best round of the month because I KNOW I'm capable of that number.

 

TLDR: Know your misses and manage the shots around them, set goals based on previous rounds that are achievable but not impossible and hopefully that will help. Just my 2 cents.

 

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[Shankster]

I've played this course near me more times than I can count. I have a game plan for it, and I don't change from it much.

 

Hole 1: 5 iron - SW

Hole 2: Driver - 5 iron - LW

Hole 3: 52°

Hole 4: 3 wood - SW

Hole 5: 6 iron

Hole 7: 3 wood - 7 iron

Hole 8: 3 Wood - PW

Hole 9: 🤬 should be a simple 3 wood, hybrid on the front edge. I lose 2-4 shots most every time on this hole.

 

Hole 10: 3 Wood - SW

Hole 11: 5 iron - SW

Hole 12: PW or GW

Hole 13: 3 wood - 7 iron

Hole 14: 8 or 9 iron

Hole 15: 3 wood (driveable par 4)

Hole 16: 5 iron - GW

Hole 17: round ruining hole usually for me. Par 5 straight as an arrow. Should be driver, 3 wood or something.

Hole 18: 7 iron - GW

 

Now... IF I stick to my game plan I should be in good shape, I (whoops) most of the time do. I have the expectation that I will bomb those two holes and ruin my round

I need a reset.

 

My Expectations should be to follow the plan, hit the 5 irons and have a clear approach, but some fans ringer goes off on my backswing and I end up in the hazard.

 

I'd recommend setting a plan, tee to green and see how it does for you.

[djahubes]

3 pars and a birdie on 9 is a fantastic start to shooting low scores. You bogey the other 5 and you around around 40. A lot better than a bogey golfer. You need to address where those big numbers are coming from. Yanking a t shot OB? What is leading to them? If you play the same course day in and out manage those holes. At my home track, I know where I am prone to throw up a large number. For example, the 5th is a 200 yard par 3 with water in from of the tee box running down the entire right side. The drop is only about 30 yards in front leaving the same exact shot from 170. The left side of the green in a hazard. This hole is a recipe for a double or a lot more.

 

I have learned over time to hit a seven iron short left, leaving a manageable pitch. Playing for a bogey at worst. The hole can't derail my round.

 

Long winded, but don't manage expectations, manage the course and circumstances. If you have the ability to make birdies and pars at that rate, you have the ability to consistently shoot mid to low 80s

 

 

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[GB13]

At Bogey golf, I would break it into three hole stretches. I would try to play each three hole stretch in +2.

[HardcoreLooper]

Lots of good advice above. Do you have problems on the same holes all the time? I have a situation similar to @djahubes at a course I play frequently. It's a 190 yard par 3 with a fairly narrow green, and the areas around the green are burned out and rock hard. Any miss left or right takes off like a scared rabbit and heads for the woods. Instant double. I never try to hit the ball beyond the front edge of the green anymore, and no more round-wrecking doubles.

 

Don't be afraid to play a hole to get up and down for par.

[NiftyNiblick]

Most of my nuclear holes begin with not getting off the tee very well.

 

That's why it's fairway woods and driving irons for me.  I've bombed some heroic tee shots with the driver over my life, but golf isn't baseball.  A .350 success rate is not acceptable. 

 

My disastrous approach shots are very rarely the result of bad decisions.  I just badly miss the shot. 

 

So that all takes us to a bad place.  Once you've at least minimized if not eliminated mental errors, you have to come to terms with your realistic physical ability to play.

[revkev]

Tons of good advice - and I do agree it's good to have a pre round plan although things can change - for example 3 wood and I are on the outs - I'm playing a course that I've played 100's of times on Friday and my plan will deviate to driver on some holes where I'd normally have hit three wood.

 

Why? Because there is not an 80 percent chance that I will hit a good shot with the 3 wood.

 

IMO you need to not worry about total score or even break it down to the score on a hole. Concern yourself with one shot at a time - think each hole backwards and go - what shot do I need to play to get me here, so that I can get there next - if you can't get there where's the next best place to be.

 

Golf is about fitting what you do best into the course that lies ahead.

 

Good luck

 

 

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[perseveringgolfer]

"Thoughts are things"

 

I 'think' I'm going to hit a bad shot, or 'I can't get this to the green' I'm usually right.

[RickyBobby_PR]

Don't have expectations. Pre round plan is good to have on what clubs you will use off the tee, after that you need to use the club and play the s*** at hand. Don't get frustrated if you don't execute the shot, accept the results and be prepared to hit the next shot.

 

Read some or all the books by Dr Bob Rotella

[JAGolfore]

So there is a ton of awesome advice here. But one thing I didn't see was what happens when you get in trouble. Lots of pre round planning which is necessary but what do you do when those plans fall apart. We all want to hit every fairway but we can't.

 

When you get into trouble you have to get back into play in one shot. Eliminate the double bogey. You said your a bogey golfer. That should be the worst score you try to make. Play a round and when in trouble take the safe play. Get it back to the fairway, hit it on the green and at worst 2 putt. This will work 75% of the time when in trouble. Yes there will be the other 25% that you don't have a shot or something but more times than not when you eliminate double bogey that's when you start to score. Especially when you have 4 holes of par or better.

 

 

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[Charli]

Shank I go into every round at my club that way. And every round at my club I don't follow the plan. But to answer your expectations question I try to hit my number. That's really the only expectation you can have.

[TheWahoo]

I just remind myself the words of Mr. Eastwood"  "A man's gotta know his limitations".

 

For me, one might say circumstances impacted my perspective of expectations.   There was a period where my doctors instructed me not to play due to health concerns.  During a ten month period, I didn't know if I would ever play again.   Finally, the doctors told me its ok to play but understand your health concerns and respond accordingly.  When one is just darn glad to be playing, especially with  good buds, one's perspective on expectations changes.   

[MaxEntropy]

The course I was playing is where I have my league, so I play it every week. The two really offensive holes are frequently bad for me, especially hole #7 - they are firmly in my head at this point.

 

Here is a description of the 2 blow-up holes:

 

Hole #4, 465 yard par 5: Not terribly long, but water guards the front/left of the green. Since my driver has been a struggle this year, 3w is go-to club on this hole. I hit the tee shot way too high and short (~170 yards), but straight. Second shot I wanted to just get down the fairway to 120-130 yards out, so I hit a 6 iron - solid contact but pulled it. The ball ended up a few feet from OB, but I had a stance. No backswing because my butt was against bushes. My goal was to just punch the ball out and leave myself a good 4th shot. I am terrible when I have to stab at the ball with little backswing (I can't say I have ever practiced that). In this case, I got too much ball and it rolled through the fairway (perhaps trying to bite off too much distance?), into woods on the other side and nestled against the trunk of a tree, so 4th shot was sideways back to the fairway. 5th shot was about 40 yard chip that I totally shanked. Chip on and 2 putt for an 8.

 

Hole #7, 380 yard par4, dogleg left: There is water/woods right and trees left guarding the dogleg. I have been in the trees right many times, but the last few times I played this hole, I have been left. Tee shot was 3h which I pulled into the trees on the left. I was under a pine tree with no real swing. Tried to punch a 3w just to get it out (again, maybe I was trying to get too much distance rather than just getting out of trouble?). This shot hit a low branch and stayed in the mess. 3rd shot successful punch to get to the fairway. 4th shot was a partial wedge that I pushed right and missed the green. 5th shot was a chip that did not bite at all and ran through the green (even after watching a single digit handicap have a similar chip not stop, I didn't learn anything), chip on again and 2 putts for another 8. The best I have played this hole in recent history is by playing "backwards" - 7 iron off the tee so I can't reach any of the trouble and a 3h to the fringe and 2 putts for a par.

 

In summary, I took a triple and a quad without a single penalty!

 

In re-reading what I have typed, it seems that one of the other weaknesses I mentioned in that thread is rearing it's ugly head - I need to be better at taking my medicine. Looking back, I probably tried to do too much to advance the ball rather than just getting out of trouble and it bit me in the a$$. I know it's difficult for you guys to say with any certainty without seeing what I saw, but jacustomgolf is correct - what do I do when I get in trouble?

 

I appreciate all the thoughts and advice!

[MDGolfHacker]

In the "what's your weakness" thread, I mentioned that I struggle to manage my expectations, since I'm a bogey golfer, after all.

 

In tonight's league, I started par, par and finished par, birdie. The five holes in between were a hot mess (11 over in those 5 holes, actually 7 over in 2 holes). So the potential is there to score better if I avoid the big mistake(s).

 

Where should I set my expectations? Should I be satisfied with bogey golf? I would argue no, but I want to set realistic expectations so I continue to enjoy myself and don't get frustrated.

 

Maybe I need to differentiate between "expectation" and "goal", but I'm not 100% sure how to change my thinking on the subject.

 

 

I would love to hear you guys' thoughts on the matter!

 

 

Sent from my BLN-L24 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

 

There are three points in your post.

 

Expectations - Is it reasonable to start shooting less than bogie golf ?  Absolutely.  You have the skills, you've put in the time, and now it's happening.  Don't doubt yourself.

 

Goals - Is it reasonable for you to CONSISTENTLY shoot less than bogie golf.  That's still remains to be seen but if you keep on throwing a bunch of pars, a few birds and minimize your blow up holes, then I have no doubt you'll crush that goal!

 

Satisfied with bogey golf  - Hell no, your a golfer and your never satisfied ha ha ha.. ...happens when you start shooting low 80's, to constantly want to shoot 70's rounds, then when you shoot your first par round, to constantly want to shoot par...etc etc...  It's what drives us to be better (or worse ).

 

Enjoy the ride and just remember to keep it in perspective and have fun!

 

MDGolfHacker

[Shankster]

In that case good sir. I'd practice those “what the hell” shots. I practice lefty shots from behind a tree, short punch shots at least once a week.

[MDGolfHacker]

The course I was playing is where I have my league, so I play it every week. The two really offensive holes are frequently bad for me, especially hole #7 - they are firmly in my head at this point.

 

Here is a description of the 2 blow-up holes:

 

Hole #4, 465 yard par 5: Not terribly long, but water guards the front/left of the green. Since my driver has been a struggle this year, 3w is go-to club on this hole. I hit the tee shot way too high and short (~170 yards), but straight. Second shot I wanted to just get down the fairway to 120-130 yards out, so I hit a 6 iron - solid contact but pulled it. The ball ended up a few feet from OB, but I had a stance. No backswing because my butt was against bushes. My goal was to just punch the ball out and leave myself a good 4th shot. I am terrible when I have to stab at the ball with little backswing (I can't say I have ever practiced that). In this case, I got too much ball and it rolled through the fairway (perhaps trying to bite off too much distance?), into woods on the other side and nestled against the trunk of a tree, so 4th shot was sideways back to the fairway. 5th shot was about 40 yard chip that I totally shanked. Chip on and 2 putt for an 8.

 

Hole #7, 380 yard par4, dogleg left: There is water/woods right and trees left guarding the dogleg. I have been in the trees right many times, but the last few times I played this hole, I have been left. Tee shot was 3h which I pulled into the trees on the left. I was under a pine tree with no real swing. Tried to punch a 3w just to get it out (again, maybe I was trying to get too much distance rather than just getting out of trouble?). This shot hit a low branch and stayed in the mess. 3rd shot successful punch to get to the fairway. 4th shot was a partial wedge that I pushed right and missed the green. 5th shot was a chip that did not bite at all and ran through the green (even after watching a single digit handicap have a similar chip not stop, I didn't learn anything), chip on again and 2 putts for another 8. The best I have played this hole in recent history is by playing "backwards" - 7 iron off the tee so I can't reach any of the trouble and a 3h to the fringe and 2 putts for a par.

 

In summary, I took a triple and a quad without a single penalty!

 

In re-reading what I have typed, it seems that one of the other weaknesses I mentioned in that thread is rearing it's ugly head - I need to be better at taking my medicine. Looking back, I probably tried to do too much to advance the ball rather than just getting out of trouble and it bit me in the a$$. I know it's difficult for you guys to say with any certainty without seeing what I saw, but jacustomgolf is correct - what do I do when I get in trouble?

 

I appreciate all the thoughts and advice!

 

So change it up on the holes.  For example, take a hybrid off the tee on hole 4, then use whatever club you are most comfortable with to knock it down the fairway and further past the 130 mark to say 100 or so.  Wedge it in close and putt it for par.  Stop focusing on the hazards, focus on where you want the ball to be.  If you think it will be in the hazzard as a last thought, then that's what our bodies will subconsciously try and do.  I have a similar problem on one hole at my league.  It's an easy hole but more times than not, I end up slicing a tee shot into the woods...regardless if I've had a flawless driving round.  The mind is a powerful tool, we just need to teach it to think about where we want the ball and not where we don't want the ball on the course.

 

MDGolfHacker

[DaveP043]

In the "what's your weakness" thread, I mentioned that I struggle to manage my expectations, since I'm a bogey golfer, after all.

 

In tonight's league, I started par, par and finished par, birdie. The five holes in between were a hot mess (11 over in those 5 holes, actually 7 over in 2 holes). So the potential is there to score better if I avoid the big mistake(s).

 

Where should I set my expectations? Should I be satisfied with bogey golf? I would argue no, but I want to set realistic expectations so I continue to enjoy myself and don't get frustrated.

 

Maybe I need to differentiate between "expectation" and "goal", but I'm not 100% sure how to change my thinking on the subject.

 

 

I would love to hear you guys' thoughts on the matter!

 

I try to keep my expectations to things I can control.  In golf, this means that I expect to give each and every shot my full attention and effort.  I don't always achieve that, but its something I can do.

 

My goal is to hit each shot properly.  I know I won't do that, I'm just not good enough.  Remember, your ability as a golfer isn't defined only by your good shots or your good holes, everything counts.  Just because you played four holes in -1 doesn't mean you should ever expect that to continue for an entire round.  Every golfer at every level hits good shots and has good holes.  Better players don't always hit their good shots better, they hit fewer bad shots, and the "badness" of their bad shots isn't as bad.

 

So when should you be satisfied?  I'm usually satisfied if I score better than my recent average.  I'm pretty happy when I play to my handicap, since that only happens about 20% of the time for most players.  If you're really a 15 handicap, you should be satisfied if you shoot around 90, and pretty dang pleased if you're at 86 or so.  

 

Should you be satisfied with bogey golf?  I don't know, are you doing anything to actively improve?  Lessons, practice, fitness?  If you're not, then you shouldn't expect anything to change.

[MaxEntropy]

I try to keep my expectations to things I can control.  In golf, this means that I expect to give each and every shot my full attention and effort.  I don't always achieve that, but its something I can do.

 

My goal is to hit each shot properly.  I know I won't do that, I'm just not good enough.  Remember, your ability as a golfer isn't defined only by your good shots or your good holes, everything counts.  Just because you played four holes in -1 doesn't mean you should ever expect that to continue for an entire round.  Every golfer at every level hits good shots and has good holes.  Better players don't always hit their good shots better, they hit fewer bad shots, and the "badness" of their bad shots isn't as bad.

 

So when should you be satisfied?  I'm usually satisfied if I score better than my recent average.  I'm pretty happy when I play to my handicap, since that only happens about 20% of the time for most players.  If you're really a 15 handicap, you should be satisfied if you shoot around 90, and pretty dang pleased if you're at 86 or so.  

 

Should you be satisfied with bogey golf?  I don't know, are you doing anything to actively improve?  Lessons, practice, fitness?  If you're not, then you shouldn't expect anything to change.

 

The bold paragraph is very good, IMO. Excellent reminder!

 

My handicap trended in the wrong direction this year, and is up to 18 (unofficial) and I am generally pleased with a round if I can keep it in the low to mid 90's.

 

I have had a couple lessons in the last year that pointed out a serious swing flaw that I just recently feel like I have mostly overcome. I don't practice as much as I'd like to, but I do practice (focusing on what/how to practice could be improved, I think). Fitness? Needs improvement. I've lost about 14 pounds in the last few months, but it has been mostly diet and needs more exercise. Maybe I need to move in with Rev and do what he is doing. You are absolutely right, though, why should anyone expect anything to change if they aren't working to change it?

[Kenny B]

I try to keep my expectations to things I can control.  In golf, this means that I expect to give each and every shot my full attention and effort.  I don't always achieve that, but its something I can do.

 

My goal is to hit each shot properly.  I know I won't do that, I'm just not good enough.  Remember, your ability as a golfer isn't defined only by your good shots or your good holes, everything counts.  Just because you played four holes in -1 doesn't mean you should ever expect that to continue for an entire round.  Every golfer at every level hits good shots and has good holes.  Better players don't always hit their good shots better, they hit fewer bad shots, and the "badness" of their bad shots isn't as bad.

 

So when should you be satisfied?  I'm usually satisfied if I score better than my recent average.  I'm pretty happy when I play to my handicap, since that only happens about 20% of the time for most players.  If you're really a 15 handicap, you should be satisfied if you shoot around 90, and pretty dang pleased if you're at 86 or so.  

 

Should you be satisfied with bogey golf?  I don't know, are you doing anything to actively improve?  Lessons, practice, fitness?  If you're not, then you shouldn't expect anything to change.

Great post!  

 

As to the OP expectations, having a few blow-up holes is not unexpected for a bogey golfer.  I seem to have had more than my share lately.  It just happens.  So, what to do?

 

If it's the same holes every time, then play those holes differently... at least for awhile.  Anything to keep the ball in play.  In the meantime practice those "recovery shots" where you usually end up.  I know we all don't practice as much as we should, but those types of shots are feel shots.  You can do it on the range, but it requires imagination.  Figure out how far you need to hit those recovery shots, and spend a few shots on the range with different clubs hitting that distance.  As you said, maybe you tried to get too much out of it.  By working on what it feels like to hit those types of shots, you will gain more confidence that you will hit them on the course.  Of course, it you can practice these shots on those holes in actual conditions, that's ideal.  Remember, we don't always hit a club a specific distance; we need to have to ability to hit any club different distances, because circumstances vary.

[GB13]

One of the drills I do on the range is hit as big of a hook or slice as possible. This aids my confidence level when having to hit recovery shots and I have gotten quite good at them.

 

However, even though you are good at a shot, sometimes you still need to take your medicine and punch out.

 

I will always look at my options and then run through the odds of making par, bogey, double, etc. I will then pick the option that leaves me with the lowest possible score.

[Kenny B]

One of the drills I do on the range is hit as big of a hook or slice as possible. This aids my confidence level when having to hit recovery shots and I have gotten quite good at them.

 

However, even though you are good at a shot, sometimes you still need to take your medicine and punch out.

 

I will always look at my options and then run through the odds of making par, bogey, double, etc. I will then pick the option that leaves me with the lowest possible score.

I do this as well.  The OP seemed to have an issue with what/how to punch out.  The more that shot is practiced with different clubs, the better the results will be on the course.  

 

My feeling is that bogey golfers that don't hit shots consistently will always be better off just getting out of trouble rather than making a low percentage shot to recover.  Better players may be able to take that shot because along with a better chance to pull it off, they have a better chance to scramble around the green.  The player must make that decision; pros do it every day.

[GB13]

I do this as well. The OP seemed to have an issue with what/how to punch out. The more that shot is practiced with different clubs, the better the results will be on the course.

 

My feeling is that bogey golfers that don't hit shots consistently will always be better off just getting out of trouble rather than making a low percentage shot to recover. Better players may be able to take that shot because along with a better chance to pull it off, they have a better chance to scramble around the green. The player must make that decision; pros do it every day.

I agree, the chances that a bogey golfer would pull off the shot and be able to get up and down are slim. You have to look at the shot, and say do I take a shot out to the fairway, essentially a penalty shot or do you try the shot and hope to get up and down while bringing in facing the same shot again if you don't pull it off. There is a balance that only you can figure out based on you skill level and comfortability with the shot.

[NiftyNiblick]

There is a balance that only you can figure out based on you skill level and comfortability with the shot.

That's true but the advisability of taking the shot is not always the only factor.

 

Some people only enjoy golf going for it all the time..

Carding a bowling score and paying off the bets doesn't change this for them.

 

I'm a mixed bag in that way.  From the fairway, I hit at pins where I may not even have the skill to have a chance aiming at the fattest part of the green.  I've made a handful of beautiful, short-sided lobs over a period of forever, so in my failing mind, I think that I own that shot.

 

From the tee, on tight driving par 4s and par 5s,  I'm a complete coward.  Even though my driver is a strong lofted fairway wood to begin with, I'll happily drop to a long iron if I don't see a landing area fit for a Boeing 747.

[MaxEntropy]

There is a balance that only you can figure out based on you skill level and comfortability with the shot.

 

For me, perhaps that is part of the problem - I feel comfortable trying just about anything (as long as my swing isn't hindered at all), but since it is likely something I have not practiced, the predictability of the flight and action of the ball are guesses on my part.

[EthanSterlingPrice]

In the "what's your weakness" thread, I mentioned that I struggle to manage my expectations, since I'm a bogey golfer, after all.

 

In tonight's league, I started par, par and finished par, birdie. The five holes in between were a hot mess (11 over in those 5 holes, actually 7 over in 2 holes). So the potential is there to score better if I avoid the big mistake(s).

 

Where should I set my expectations? Should I be satisfied with bogey golf? I would argue no, but I want to set realistic expectations so I continue to enjoy myself and don't get frustrated.

 

Maybe I need to differentiate between "expectation" and "goal", but I'm not 100% sure how to change my thinking on the subject.

 

 

I would love to hear you guys' thoughts on the matter!

 

 

Sent from my BLN-L24 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

Man nothing wrong with high goals, shoot for the moon and see how close you can get, the trick is planning out how to get there. You're long term goals being high are fine shorter term goals ESPECIALLY IN GOLF should be smaller more like checkpoints. I have mine split up over a year in increments based on the time required and difficulty but I won't bore y'all with the details.

 

Max it sounds like your head is in the right place for starters, if you would permit me, I would say evaluate your game to find your strengths and weaknesses (what helped you to start and finish well and what caused those higher numbers in between) then set your immediate expectations based on how well you can control those factors. Something on that first and last stretch helped you to perform well and that's reason to set your hopes somewhat high at least for that stretch. And something in that middle portion is hurting your performance so I would keep a positive but realistic outlook there. Once you know why you perform well or poorly you can make a plan to build on the positives and improve on the negatives.

 

 

 

In the bag

Driver: Callaway Rogue Subzero 9.5 Stiff flex

3 wood: Callaway Rogue Subzero 15 degree

Hybrids: 17 degree titleist 816 h2

Irons: Ben Hogan Ptx 22-46 degree (4-pw)stiff flex standard lie

Wedges: Callaway Mac Daddy 4 50,54,58 degrees

Putter: Odyssey EXO seven

 

Gig'em Aggies!

[MaxEntropy]

Man nothing wrong with high goals, shoot for the moon and see how close you can get, the trick is planning out how to get there. You're long term goals being high are fine shorter term goals ESPECIALLY IN GOLF should be smaller more like checkpoints. I have mine split up over a year in increments based on the time required and difficulty but I won't bore y'all with the details.

 

Max it sounds like your head is in the right place for starters, if you would permit me, I would say evaluate your game to find your strengths and weaknesses (what helped you to start and finish well and what caused those higher numbers in between) then set your immediate expectations based on how well you can control those factors. Something on that first and last stretch helped you to perform well and that's reason to set your hopes somewhat high at least for that stretch. And something in that middle portion is hurting your performance so I would keep a positive but realistic outlook there. Once you know why you perform well or poorly you can make a plan to build on the positives and improve on the negatives.

 

 

 

In the bag

Driver: Callaway Rogue Subzero 9.5 Stiff flex

3 wood: Callaway Rogue Subzero 15 degree

Hybrids: 17 degree titleist 816 h2

Irons: Ben Hogan Ptx 22-46 degree (4-pw)stiff flex standard lie

Wedges: Callaway Mac Daddy 4 50,54,58 degrees

Putter: Odyssey EXO seven

 

Gig'em Aggies!

 

The general trend over the last couple months is that I am struggling off the tee. Last year, I was getting off the tee very well (for me), and irons were a struggle. I took a couple lessons and have been tweaking things to get rid of a swing flaw. Iron play has improved pretty dramatically of late, but now I struggle off the tee and I'm having to recover from all sorts of strange places. The course we play for our league is not terribly long so I have started using a 3h off many tees to try to minimize the carnage.

[DaveP043]

The general trend over the last couple months is that I am struggling off the tee. Last year, I was getting off the tee very well (for me), and irons were a struggle. I took a couple lessons and have been tweaking things to get rid of a swing flaw. Iron play has improved pretty dramatically of late, but now I struggle off the tee and I'm having to recover from all sorts of strange places. The course we play for our league is not terribly long so I have started using a 3h off many tees to try to minimize the carnage.

I've seen this before in my own game, a swing change that helps irons may (temporarily we hope) cause problems with the driver.  It might be a good thing to double-check your setup, especially with the driver.  While the swing should be pretty much the same for every club, the setup needs to be different.  

[Kenny B]

I've seen this before in my own game, a swing change that helps irons may (temporarily we hope) cause problems with the driver.  It might be a good thing to double-check your setup, especially with the driver.  While the swing should be pretty much the same for every club, the setup needs to be different.  

Yes it is!  I'm going through the same thing with a swing change; irons are better, but driver suffers on some days, not all days but some.  

[MaxEntropy]

I've seen this before in my own game, a swing change that helps irons may (temporarily we hope) cause problems with the driver.  It might be a good thing to double-check your setup, especially with the driver.  While the swing should be pretty much the same for every club, the setup needs to be different.  

 

Thanks! Historically, my miss has been right, or way right, but ever since I got my irons straightened out, my miss with woods has changed to a pull/pull hook and I am not used to that at all.