Tourny prep, my take, FWIW.

[sscott43]

[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1407180900' post='9855783']
[quote name='sscott43' timestamp='1407178692' post='9855455']
Thanks a bunch. Just one follow-up - when you say "My putting line includes the line past the hole and I do think that detail is important.", could you elaborate on what you mean by that?
[/quote]

The line I see is the total line from point A to point B. I then put the hole "somewhere" on that line. I feel like reading the break all the way past the hole, instead of just up to the hole, is a more complete interpretation of the line and helps me do a better job. Here's a really bad MS paint pic.
[/quote]

That's what I thought but the "really bad" MS paint pic (in quotes because I actually thought it was pretty cool) clinched it for me. Thanks!

[RRFireblade]

[quote name='Forged4ever' timestamp='1407279515' post='9865603']
Jay, what do you do after a disaster hole, or worse, a stretch of holes where your swing goes sideways?

How bout a horrible round, same thing, not a matter of bad bounces or burnt edges, but the swing isn't there for you?

Does you mental visualization in your PSR change in any way, other than visualizing the swing, shot flight and outcome, and does your visualization of your swing and flight path change, from the preferred swing/flight to the actual?

Thank You very much,
Richard
[/quote]

Mmm..... It's a hard question to answer cause honestly, as bad as it gets, I generally don't seem to let it get too far gone too often. If things are just way out of whack that I'm lost, I would have pulled back from the event and cut my losses before going in. But even then, you still never know. I have had some great rounds after a really sketchy early part of the week. I try and take everyday as a fresh new opportunity to turn it all around.

Some days you are in the thick of it when you realize you just don't have your good stuff and I do try and accept that. I try and figure out what I do have working and crutch on that as much as I can. It's rare that everything goes south all at once. Pay very close attention to every shot and try and pick up problems before they get to that point. Closely track ball flight and if it did what was expected, watch contact patches on the face, alignment and divots (sometimes). Even when you think you pured one, make sure you truly did. If possible, I take any questions to the range asap while it's still fresh in my mind, I hate "questions", they kill confidence.

If it's clear I'm going to fall short, I still try and salvage something positive from the week. I make a ton of notes and try and make it doesn't happen again. Short of an injury though, I've been at this long enough that more often than not, I can scrap enough together to get it around limping and leaking oil. I mean let's be real, if I was cashing every event all the time, I wouldn't still be scrapping it around on the minis at my age anyways, so a lot of the time all one's getting is experience and maybe some exposure as it is.

I don't try and change anything PSR. The hardest thing for me it to do is to keep focus between shots so I depend on my PSR to get my head back in the game. Visualization wise, yes, if something is off then my visualization includes the correction or maybe an exaggeration of a move even.

[RRFireblade]

[quote name='sscott43' timestamp='1407364136' post='9874421']
[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1407180900' post='9855783']
[quote name='sscott43' timestamp='1407178692' post='9855455']
Thanks a bunch. Just one follow-up - when you say "My putting line includes the line past the hole and I do think that detail is important.", could you elaborate on what you mean by that?
[/quote]

The line I see is the total line from point A to point B. I then put the hole "somewhere" on that line. I feel like reading the break all the way past the hole, instead of just up to the hole, is a more complete interpretation of the line and helps me do a better job. Here's a really bad MS paint pic.
[/quote]

That's what I thought but the "really bad" MS paint pic (in quotes because I actually thought it was pretty cool) clinched it for me. Thanks!
[/quote]

Awesome. I'll go back and edit out "really bad" from that sentence.

[golfingnut300]

RRFireblade, great post thanks. What if you have never seen the course and playing it for the first time?

[Forged4ever]

Thanks for the reply!

On the other side of the coin-

When you get in that "zone," be it a low round, a great finish or win, or a stretch of tourneys where you're in the mix/top 10, how do you keep it going and what is your mind set?

Have a good one

My Best,
Richard

[RRFireblade]

[quote name='golfingnut300' timestamp='1407386241' post='9876821']
RRFireblade, great post thanks. What if you have never seen the course and playing it for the first time?
[/quote]

I would try and do as much research in advance as I can.

Most decent golf courses have a website with hole layouts and sometimes even picture walk throughs.

Google Earth is a pretty good for this too, you can match it up with the score card and get a lot of reasonably detailed info with distances.

Pay attention to the distance markers on the course, not so much for distance but they are generally in certain location for a reason (or are supposed to be), particularly the fairways are supposed to be on the centerline of the hole and turns of any legs.

GPS and Lasers are your last line of defense. Just understand and accept that you are not likely to shoot your best score the first time around.

[RRFireblade]

[quote name='Forged4ever' timestamp='1407413290' post='9877671']
Thanks for the reply!

On the other side of the coin-

When you get in that "zone," be it a low round, a great finish or win, or a stretch of tourneys where you're in the mix/top 10, how do you keep it going and what is your mind set?

Have a good one

My Best,
Richard
[/quote]

Hate "The Zone".

People think I'm nuts when I say that, especially here.

Terrifies me. I never like the feeling that I don't know why something is happening, which is how you feel in the "Zone". Yea it's awesome when things are just flowing without you really thinking about it but then you have no awareness of fine details. No way to judge how close you are to losing it. And when you do lose it, and you will, most people are pretty lost by that point and the valley equals or exceeds the peak you were just on.

Just like your other question though, I still don't try and and change anything. I try and keep the same thought process, PSR and so on. I try hard, and it is hard sometimes, to not think about how I'm doing whether it be good or bad. Every shot is a fresh slate and I keep on trying to string the next shot inline.

I really believe consistency and continuity is the key to this game. It may sound cliche but you know, you just do your prep, execute according to your plan the best you can, walk up there and do it again.....

Hopefully less times than it took you last time.

[pinhigh27]

Now you gotta share some interesting tourney stories. Horror or crazy stuff either you've done or seen done.

[Forged4ever]

[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1407426391' post='9879391']
[quote name='Forged4ever' timestamp='1407413290' post='9877671']
Thanks for the reply!

On the other side of the coin-

When you get in that "zone," be it a low round, a great finish or win, or a stretch of tourneys where you're in the mix/top 10, how do you keep it going and what is your mind set?

Have a good one

My Best,
Richard
[/quote]

Hate "The Zone".

People think I'm nuts when I say that, especially here.

Terrifies me. I never like the feeling that I don't know why something is happening, which is how you feel in the "Zone". Yea it's awesome when things are just flowing without you really thinking about it but then you have no awareness of fine details. No way to judge how close you are to losing it. And when you do lose it, and you will, most people are pretty lost by that point and the valley equals or exceeds the peak you were just on.

Just like your other question though, I still don't try and and change anything. I try and keep the same thought process, PSR and so on. I try hard, and it is hard sometimes, to not think about how I'm doing whether it be good or bad. Every shot is a fresh slate and I keep on trying to string the next shot inline.

I really believe consistency and continuity is the key to this game. It may sound cliche but you know, you just do your prep, execute according to your plan the best you can, walk up there and do it again.....

Hopefully less times than it took you last time.
[/quote]LMAO, I understand, and I do not use that word in describing my play because it has always sort of denoted that I was in some state whereby I had no control over my swing, shots and outcomes and they just sorta happened, LOL.

It's just that everyone uses that word, so I figured that you did too.

Though I don't mind being in the minority on my thinking, it is nice to see someone else who thinks along those lines.

Yea, I was just referring to when say, you have a run of great rounds or tourneys, was there anything special or different in your thinking.

Thanks for taking the time to respond

Have a nice afternoon-

My Best,
Richard

[Sean2]

With regards to the Zone and golf I only experienced it once. Unlike you two (Jay and Richard), I liked it! I played unconscious golf. For a guy who is thinking all the time, I wasn't thinking at all...it was very liberating. Played well, scored well.

For example, I had a 20-foot, downhill, right to left putt. I knew I was going to make it. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind. It wasn't a guess. It wasn't a hope. It was an absolute. I would step up to the tee and knew without any doubts that I would find the fairway.

I'll play "zone" golf anytime. My consistency was breathtaking. :-)

ps: I think I "surrendered" to my potential and simply let it do its thing.

[PJ72]

[quote name='RRFireblade' timestamp='1407164473' post='9853215']
Youre never a bother Richard, don't ever think that.

:-)
[/quote]

Great thread!

Thanks for your input.