Getting out of your comfort zone

[larrybud]

I think it's good to get out of your comfort zone by playing different tees, especially on courses that you play all the time. This past weekend we moved up 400 yards and played a course that was 6100, mainly because of one dude that was playing with us. 

 

Today I did the exact opposite, played the tips at one of my two home courses, 7103 yards. Course is rated 74.6/144. Now, this is coming from a guy who averages 221 yards off the tee. Today, I averaged 219. Still hit a bunch of greens, 10 out of 18, but realistically couldn't reach two of them, even with good drives. First 5 holes are this course are long: 462, 406, 199, 424, and 438. Other than that, doable if I'm on my game. Today I was:

 

Shot 40-37.

 

One of those days I didn't need anything shorter than a 6 iron except for a one gap wedge into a par 5, and gap wedge into a short 4 (308 yards). LOTS of 3 woods, 5 woods, and 4-5 hybrids.

 

Gonna try it on our other course, which I think will be more difficult, but not something I would want to do every week.

[Warrior42111]

Yeah it's interesting to me in that I usually shoot around the same score levels. Now I'm a 16 so average golfer and an absolutely hack who should never step foot here on the forum 😁. 

 

The course I play most my normal tee box is 6223 yards 126 / 69.9. Now the weekday league I'm in moves up a box so it's 5694 122 / 66.8 from the tips which I've done a few times its 6669 yards 130/71.8.

 

From the greens (shortest) I shoot slightly better to the same as the blues. From the tips I've shot only slightly worse to my normal averages. For me I think it's as a 15HC I'm not lighting up greens in regulation and distance isn't an issue for me, per shot scope Driver avg 271, 22 hybrid is 231 those are my two most used off the tee. So maybe since I don't it that many greens it's not as uncomfortable to be scrambling all day. 

 

I will say the course ratings really jack up my HC. I have to shoot in the 30s to maintain; a 39 is a 15.2 differential from greens (league) so a 78 give or take. Going to the blues an 87 is a 15.3 differential . 

[Pepperturbo]

I agree with @larrybud but not sure if I have a comfort zone. You're averaging 219 off the tee and shot 77; that's impressive. 🦍

 

This 74-year-old averages 240++ and cards between 76 and 79 on 6400+/- courses; under 6k I typically go lower, and on executive courses under 5200 yards, par or 1-2 under. Where I lose a few strokes, I lose focus. 

 

There's an AZ course near my relative. I play from the back tees on the back nine; #15-#18 are 464 (par 4), 254 (par 3), 651 (par 5), and 430 (par 4). Usually there's a south-to-north wind in my face on the 15th & 16th. Talk about swinging out of my shoes...🤐

 

I switch it up with tees and yardages kind of often, from 3670 to 6500. What I do often is leave woods in the bag and tackle the course using irons. It pressures ball striking and short game; call it my version of practice. Our next tee time is on a fun target course, 6200+ tees, 70.2/130.

 

 

Edited July 8 by Pepperturbo

[alittleoverpar]

I enjoy playing different tees and do so quite often.  I also enjoy going out with 4 clubs and playing a round.  I usually take something like a 5 wood, 7 iron, PW and putter.  I walk all the time and when I play with 4 clubs I don't even take a bag.  Just carry the 4 clubs and a couple of golf balls in my pocket.  4 clubs definitely gets you out of your comfort zone as you have to create shots you wouldn't normally hit.

 

 

[ShortGolfer]

I helped a random partner play the 3rd hole of an  executive course by acting as his spotter the blind tee shot after he told me he's never been able to find the ball!

Sure enough, the ball hit the fairway but rolled over the hill toward the cart path. It traveled 170 yards through a 20ft gap the trees 50 yards from the tee, leaving him 134 yards from the pin.

That was a really good tee shot with a spotter to find the ball, as it traveled far enough for the 2nd shot to be clear of the tree in the middle of the fairway.

 

Might be interesting to try that when the course is empty and hit a half dozen balls to see if any have a good 2nd shot to the green.

 

Edited July 8 by ShortGolfer

[Johnny Biarritz]

Most people have a comfort yardage range, anything higher and the scores jump up, anything shorter and scoring stops being relative to yardage. I've actually long said that PGA Tour courses all exist at a very comfortable yardage and they either need to be about 10,000 yards long or, the easier option, have them play really short courses in the 6200 yard range. It'd be much different kind of pressure for them if effective par was around 60 and a "good" score is 54. Imagine the pressure of knowing that anything less than birdie on a hole is losing ground. 

 

When I was playing well, I always like playing in the 7000 range and enjoyed going longer when able. Nowadays, I'm comfortable around 6300 and drop down to 5900 when I want a different kind of challenge.

[getitdaily]

Kind of amazing how big a difference 6500 to 7100 is, right?

 

Now think...pga tour is playing another 300 yards. Those guys are so ridiculously good...

[MonteScheinblum]

Love this

[TheDeanAbides]

Whatever anyone thinks about Bryson, his advice to play the front tees to get used to making birdies is great stuff. The same for going to the back tees to hit your longest clubs. I used to play a lot of rounds without driver - longest club 3 hybrid - to give myself longer approach shots. It really is fun, and I don't think it changed my scores much, but it did make it feel like I was playing a different course. Having 3 hybrid into a hole you usually hit 8 iron is super challenging and a real blast. 

[iacas]

2 hours ago, TheDeanAbides said:

Whatever anyone thinks about Bryson, his advice to play the front tees to get used to making birdies is great stuff.

 

I concur. Helps golfers break scoring barriers, too, and not just from the forward tees…

 

[larrybud]

13 hours ago, getitdaily said:

Kind of amazing how big a difference 6500 to 7100 is, right?

 

Now think...pga tour is playing another 300 yards. Those guys are so ridiculously good...

 

Once I start getting 440+ holes, it's a stretch. But mentally, I just treated those as really short par 5s. I've always said there's a mental barrier with par. 

 

• Get on a 440 yard par 4 and you think "tough par"
• Get on a 460 yard par 5 and you think "easy birdie".

Well, both are 4s in this example, and all other things being equal, it's easier to make a 4 on a 440 yard hole than a 460 yard hole!

 

I do this with a couple of other holes that I play, where if the hole were straight, it wouldn't be a big deal, but because of a very sharp dogleg, unless you cut the corner, I mentally prepare for a 200 yard approach. The further left off the tee, the more you shave off. So I prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

[TheDeanAbides]

5 minutes ago, larrybud said:

 

Once I start getting 440+ holes, it's a stretch. But mentally, I just treated those as really short par 5s. I've always said there's a mental barrier with par. 

 

• Get on a 440 yard par 4 and you think "tough par"
• Get on a 460 yard par 5 and you think "easy birdie".

Well, both are 4s in this example, and all other things being equal, it's easier to make a 4 on a 440 yard hole than a 460 yard hole!

 

I do this with a couple of other holes that I play, where if the hole were straight, it wouldn't be a big deal, but because of a very sharp dogleg, unless you cut the corner, I mentally prepare for a 200 yard approach. The further left off the tee, the more you shave off. So I prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

And, let's be honest, 200 yard approach shots are so much easier these days with lofted woods and hybrids. I think we'll see more and more golfers - even good ones - shifting to 9 woods. They're basically cheating and take so much pressure off those shots. 

[larrybud]

3 minutes ago, TheDeanAbides said:

And, let's be honest, 200 yard approach shots are so much easier these days with lofted woods and hybrids. I think we'll see more and more golfers - even good ones - shifting to 9 woods. They're basically cheating and take so much pressure off those shots. 

 

Definitely helps having a club that you can consistently hit for that. I dropped a 3h and got a 5 wood at the end of the year which if I tag it can get up there.

[iacas]

9 minutes ago, larrybud said:

Get on a 460 yard par 5 and you think "easy birdie".

 

That kind of thinking is one of the many things holding even good players back from getting better.

 

I hate that kind of thinking. It's relatively easy, but… the hole is still 460 yards away, and it's still only 4.25" in diameter, and it's still going to take four pretty good shots to make a 4.

 

Tour players average nearly 4.2 on that length hole, and that's not assuming there are features that make it play like a par five (because you're just teeing off 100 yards closer from forward tees).

[TheDeanAbides]

3 minutes ago, larrybud said:

 

Definitely helps having a club that you can consistently hit for that. I dropped a 3h and got a 5 wood at the end of the year which if I tag it can get up there.

Interesting that you replaced a 3h with a 5 wood... but then I guess the numbers and lofts are all over the place now. I still think of 3h and 7w as being 21*.

[Hawkeye77]

24 minutes ago, TheDeanAbides said:

And, let's be honest, 200 yard approach shots are so much easier these days with lofted woods and hybrids. I think we'll see more and more golfers - even good ones - shifting to 9 woods. They're basically cheating and take so much pressure off those shots. 

 

Haha, some of us need a 7 wood from 200!

[TheDeanAbides]

7 minutes ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

Haha, some of us need a 7 wood from 200!

I do too! Never been long! 

[larrybud]

21 minutes ago, TheDeanAbides said:

Interesting that you replaced a 3h with a 5 wood... but then I guess the numbers and lofts are all over the place now. I still think of 3h and 7w as being 21*.

I track all my distances with shotscope, and my 3h and 4h were the same distances over the entire 2024 season. Both the 3h and 5w is 19 * but I guess I just don't have the swing speed to take advantage of the 3h loft/shaft/weight distribution, but I hit the 5w much higher and farther. I'm sure shaft length has something to do with it, since it's an inch or two longer.

[SNIPERBBB]

27 minutes ago, iacas said:

 

That kind of thinking is one of the many things holding even good players back from getting better.

 

I hate that kind of thinking. It's relatively easy, but… the hole is still 460 yards away, and it's still only 4.25" in diameter, and it's still going to take four pretty good shots to make a 4.

 

Tour players average nearly 4.2 on that length hole, and that's not assuming there are features that make it play like a par five (because you're just teeing off 100 yards closer from forward tees).

yep its an easy birdie if you hit the green an have an eagle putt. your chipping needs to be pretty good to have a good look at bird if you miss.

[bortass]

This is a great concept and can be quite fun to do. Scrambles can be a good place to push your boundaries, if your shot doesn't need to be safe. There are all kinds of ways to push your comfort zone with artificial rules as well. Only irons is one I have used when playing forward tees that were around 5500 yards. I've heard of people that will play two balls and always use the worse one. All kinds of ways to make it different.

 

I'll add that testing your comfort zone/boundaries is good to do if you're working on improving your swing. There can come a time where your strategy that was correct for your game becomes too conservative.

 

 

[larrybud]

43 minutes ago, bortass said:

This is a great concept and can be quite fun to do. Scrambles can be a good place to push your boundaries, if your shot doesn't need to be safe. There are all kinds of ways to push your comfort zone with artificial rules as well. Only irons is one I have used when playing forward tees that were around 5500 yards. I've heard of people that will play two balls and always use the worse one. All kinds of ways to make it different.

 

I'll add that testing your comfort zone/boundaries is good to do if you're working on improving your swing. There can come a time where your strategy that was correct for your game becomes too conservative.

 

 

Few years ago I would play my buddy in a 2-man scramble worst ball vs his 1 ball. The first time I played him I shot 45, and many of the shots were "wasted" because I had to make 2 putts. The next time we played, I negotiated a rule where once my ball was holed, that was in, I was in. Shot 41 IIRC.

[me05501]

Each hole is a puzzle to solve. Looking at the holes from different angles and distances seems like a really fun way to go about it. 

 

Last time I played at Sweeten's Cove we rolled a die to determine which tee to play on a hole-by-hole basis. Kept things interesting on the 3rd and 4th loop. 

[BdaGolfer]

I find the walk from the range to the first tee is enough to get me out of my comfort zone. 

[golferdude54]

On 7/8/2025 at 11:43 AM, getitdaily said:

Kind of amazing how big a difference 6500 to 7100 is, right?

 

Now think...pga tour is playing another 300 yards. Those guys are so ridiculously good...

The fairways on tour basically run Stimp 10 and they trim the rough more than the average muni does. Not to mention the amount of spectators tamping down the rough even more with their foot traffic. 

[getitdaily]

2 minutes ago, golferdude54 said:

The fairways on tour basically run Stimp 10 and they trim the rough more than the average muni does. Not to mention the amount of spectators tamping down the rough even more with their foot traffic. 

So you're saying the guys on tour aren't freakishly good?

 

Shoot 67 at 6700 and then go play 7300....it's a completely different ballgame.

[Shilgy]

3 hours ago, getitdaily said:

So you're saying the guys on tour aren't freakishly good?

 

Shoot 67 at 6700 and then go play 7300....it's a completely different ballgame.

No no no! They’re only shooting those scores because their equipment is juiced with the special sauce….wayward shots are saved by spectators….they have TIO’s to give them relief….and fast running fairways to give them 100 yards of roll.  
I’m surprised you didn’t know that.😎. /s

[dogsbe]

In psychology, there is an important concept, Flow or State of Mind based on Skill and Challenge.  If we have a low skill level and a high challenge, our state of mind is anxious. If we flip it, we have a high skill level and a low challenge, well we feel relaxed.  Going a step further, if we have a high challenge and a high skill level, there is a good chance that we will pop into the zone.  

 

 

 

As golfers, most of the time, we just want to be chilled and relaxed.  This produces consistent albeit boring golf.  Golf is a game between the ears and a test of endurance.  We really want boring golf for the most of the time, but with the possibility to drop into the zone by changing gears when needed.

 

Falling outside of your comfort zone on the golf course is not good for businesses.  And more than likely going to end well.  This is why we practice. 

 

We don't practice, practice and practice until we can do something, we actually practice until we virtually cannot fail.  A great example is holing 100 x 4ft putts in a row.  If you miss on putt 99, well you start again.  Trust me, your stress level on this dill at putt 91 is exceptionally high, because you are most likely there for hours, tired and back ache. You have to do something very simple, a 4ft putt, but under stress and fatigue.  When you have a 4ft putt to win a tournament, yes you are stressed and fatigued, but you know how to dig deep, change gears and get the job done.  

 

In terms of the question, by all means get yourself out of the comfort zone, but during practice.  Really and really push yourself.  I personally come of with some sick and torturous way to punish myself during practice.  An example is that I was not following my pre-shot routine on specific occasions.  I told myself that if I do not follow my pre-shot routine on every shot, I must walk back to the first tee and start the 18 holes over again.  Yes, I had to finish in the pitch dark.  Hard medicine, but I always now do my pre-shot routine.  

 

In practice, set targets that if you accomplished, you impressed yourself.  I want you to say to yourself, wow that was very hard, I didn't think I can do it, but I figured it out and I have done it.  Your confidence level will shoot up and you will be able to bring it on the course.

 

For the last month, I have been working with a golf, who's short game was letting him down all of the time.  He simply was really good on the range, but had no concept on how to get the ball into the hole.  I pushed him so far outside of his comfort zone, physically and mentally, I thought I was going to get punched.  The following week, he shot to exceptional scores in comps and won them both by miles.  Literally, overnight he became a player.  

 

 

[PedronNiall]

36 minutes ago, dogsbe said:

In psychology, there is an important concept, Flow or State of Mind based on Skill and Challenge.  If we have a low skill level and a high challenge, our state of mind is anxious. If we flip it, we have a high skill level and a low challenge, well we feel relaxed.  Going a step further, if we have a high challenge and a high skill level, there is a good chance that we will pop into the zone.  

 

 

 

As golfers, most of the time, we just want to be chilled and relaxed.  This produces consistent albeit boring golf.  Golf is a game between the ears and a test of endurance.  We really want boring golf for the most of the time, but with the possibility to drop into the zone by changing gears when needed.

 

Falling outside of your comfort zone on the golf course is not good for businesses.  And more than likely going to end well.  This is why we practice. 

 

We don't practice, practice and practice until we can do something, we actually practice until we virtually cannot fail.  A great example is holing 100 x 4ft putts in a row.  If you miss on putt 99, well you start again.  Trust me, your stress level on this dill at putt 91 is exceptionally high, because you are most likely there for hours, tired and back ache. You have to do something very simple, a 4ft putt, but under stress and fatigue.  When you have a 4ft putt to win a tournament, yes you are stressed and fatigued, but you know how to dig deep, change gears and get the job done.  

 

In terms of the question, by all means get yourself out of the comfort zone, but during practice.  Really and really push yourself.  I personally come of with some sick and torturous way to punish myself during practice.  An example is that I was not following my pre-shot routine on specific occasions.  I told myself that if I do not follow my pre-shot routine on every shot, I must walk back to the first tee and start the 18 holes over again.  Yes, I had to finish in the pitch dark.  Hard medicine, but I always now do my pre-shot routine.  

 

In practice, set targets that if you accomplished, you impressed yourself.  I want you to say to yourself, wow that was very hard, I didn't think I can do it, but I figured it out and I have done it.  Your confidence level will shoot up and you will be able to bring it on the course.

 

For the last month, I have been working with a golf, who's short game was letting him down all of the time.  He simply was really good on the range, but had no concept on how to get the ball into the hole.  I pushed him so far outside of his comfort zone, physically and mentally, I thought I was going to get punched.  The following week, he shot to exceptional scores in comps and won them both by miles.  Literally, overnight he became a player.  

 

 

 

The practicing until we can't fail part aligns with what research on the best retention methods finds. Also can see the merit in pushing ourselves more in practice. Biggest issue I've had is in playing what's a relativity straightforward layout with almost no challenge then being hit or miss in honing in well and executing when I suddenly need to pull off a more difficult shot from a good lie. I had no trouble flipping the switch if I put a shot into the rough or in the trees and had to get out, but lying perfectly in the fairway after a good drive and having almost no bailout if I went for a par 5 in two or going from lots of shorter approaches to facing a long par 3 tee shot into a tricky green would take me out of it as what was called for in the moment changed. 

 

It got me to assess what was going on and work on a better mindset for tackling it on the course and also working on getting the most out of uncomfortable shots during practice to have more to draw on during play. Also helped to see the benefit of thinking about what the executions will be for an entire hole when on the tee box rather than just a single shot at a time in order to be prepared for the increased focus certain shots might bring over others. Last bit came from hitting the reset switch and thinking about the next shot once the current one was done. It became easier to stay all business in terms of moving shot to shot and maintaining a routine of getting ready for the next instead of the attention waning right after.

 

GD has a recent article on the benefits of challenging practice and some facilities focused on it. Found it a good read, though I think they may be presenting it in a way that's going to put most people off of wanting any part of it; objectively they just don't make it sound very fun, and that's coming from someone who loves the science of improvement and enjoys creating my own challenges during practice to get better. 

 

 Huge that you mention being open to patting yourself on the back for pulling off difficult shots after doing so during practice. A lot to be gained from that in terms of how our minds view the experience and can use it to build confidence, and in doing the same after pulling them off during a round as well. 

[Pepperturbo]

 

6 hours ago, dogsbe said:

In psychology, there is an important concept, Flow or State of Mind based on Skill and Challenge.  If we have a low skill level and a high challenge, our state of mind is anxious. If we flip it, we have a high skill level and a low challenge, well we feel relaxed.  Going a step further, if we have a high challenge and a high skill level, there is a good chance that we will pop into the zone.  

 

 

 

As golfers, most of the time, we just want to be chilled and relaxed.  This produces consistent albeit boring golf.  Golf is a game between the ears and a test of endurance.  We really want boring golf for the most of the time, but with the possibility to drop into the zone by changing gears when needed.

 

Falling outside of your comfort zone on the golf course is not good for businesses.  And more than likely going to end well.  This is why we practice. 

 

We don't practice, practice and practice until we can do something, we actually practice until we virtually cannot fail.  A great example is holing 100 x 4ft putts in a row.  If you miss on putt 99, well you start again.  Trust me, your stress level on this dill at putt 91 is exceptionally high, because you are most likely there for hours, tired and back ache. You have to do something very simple, a 4ft putt, but under stress and fatigue.  When you have a 4ft putt to win a tournament, yes you are stressed and fatigued, but you know how to dig deep, change gears and get the job done.  

 

In terms of the question, by all means get yourself out of the comfort zone, but during practice.  Really and really push yourself.  I personally come of with some sick and torturous way to punish myself during practice.  An example is that I was not following my pre-shot routine on specific occasions.  I told myself that if I do not follow my pre-shot routine on every shot, I must walk back to the first tee and start the 18 holes over again.  Yes, I had to finish in the pitch dark.  Hard medicine, but I always now do my pre-shot routine.  

 

In practice, set targets that if you accomplished, you impressed yourself.  I want you to say to yourself, wow that was very hard, I didn't think I can do it, but I figured it out and I have done it.  Your confidence level will shoot up and you will be able to bring it on the course.

 

For the last month, I have been working with a golf, who's short game was letting him down all of the time.  He simply was really good on the range, but had no concept on how to get the ball into the hole.  I pushed him so far outside of his comfort zone, physically and mentally, I thought I was going to get punched.  The following week, he shot to exceptional scores in comps and won them both by miles.  Literally, overnight he became a player.  

 

 

 

Good thoughts, and I like the Flow State info. I never went for a PhD, but my advanced education was clinical and behavior modification.  

 

I am a self-taught golfer, starting at 40 years old. Clinical colleagues suggest I could be on the spectrum. Indeed, I can relate to some of what you say here, especially the torturous ways to punish myself during practice regimes; only I didn't see them as torture, more like consequences for not performing up to my goals or expectations. And when I did reach my goals or ideals, I was genuinely surprised and thrilled. Mostly because college buddies that played in college said I'd never reach single digits, much less a 2 index, which was accomplished in under 6 yrs. As odd as it sounds to some, it's why I still play decent golf at 74.

 

 

 

Edited July 14 by Pepperturbo