How I Avoided a Terrible Score

This is a quick update from Saturday’s post.

Sometimes things don’t go to plan. My first round in the Club Championships did not get off to a good start, I kept making bogeys and was struggling badly. I was four over after five holes and when I made another bogey at number 8 it was not looking good.

What did I do?

I followed my own advice. I didn’t panic. I freed up my swing and stopped worrying about the poor shots, feeling uncomfortable and what other people were thinking. I recommitted myself to “playing golf” and this helped turn things around.

I made par on holes 9 through to 13 (which steadied the ship) then a much needed birdie on fourteen gave me a shot of confidence. I birdied the 17th and dropped no more shots for the day. I signed for a 75 (3 over). Not the best score I’ve ever had but one of the most pleasing. Best of all I kept myself in contention. I’m sitting in equal second and in a good position for next week’s round.

It’s easy to read and write about this process but it takes real commitment to put it into practice during competition. There’s also no guarantee that by following it you’ll always avoid bad scores. All you do is maximise your chances of playing well – there’s definitely no magic pill when it comes to playing better golf.

Until you can swing and play without fear (especially under pressure) you’ll never play your best golf. Learning this has been the hardest but most satisfying one of my career. Something worth striving for and more important than new technology or some quick fix golf tip from a magazine.

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