Feels
A week of feeling contemplative!
In the moment it is often difficult to separate your initial reflections from your emotions and frustrations.
Writing and actively reflecting helps me do this but I can still allow things to slip through the net.
When I have a good round and bemoan the fact its ‘another 82’, that is my emotion and ‘wanting’ shining through.
Only after playing more golf and spending more time reflecting, does some of my ‘wanting’ show as entitled and misaligned with reality.
I am committing to doing a better job of noticing this behaviour in the future as it neither helpful or supportive of my development.
By the way, I've added a "Buy Me a Coffee" link if you feel generous and want to support my writing endeavours. I love sipping coffee while penning down my thoughts, whether at cosy coffee shops or just pondering over a cup at home.
Practice
I have returned to daily exaggerations and reps for my club face and footwork. I am aware I have spent less time putting in quality reps and have fallen back into practicing full shots and working on skill, without any of the small technical cues from Ryan.
One practice session this week mainly focusing on the short game. The game is taken form the Practice Thinkers Games Depot, which I would suggest to anyone on the lookout for challenging practice sessions with purpose and pressure included.
Short Game Wizard
Goal = Get to -3 for 5 holes, then the last hole YOU MUST get up and down to complete the task (-5 in total minimum).
If you fail to get to -4 after 5 holes start again.
Set Up = Par is 3.
Choose six stations from differing positions before you start the game.
6 shots from 20-30 yards (one of the six in a bunker shot if possible). At least two also from the rough (drop ball). Putt out.
Task is complete, when you qualify for the last hole (-3 or better after 5) and you get up and down on the last station.
Start again if you fail to get up and down on the last ball.
I loved this game!!! I didn’t complete it mind you :-)
I got to -3 once after 6 full run throughs but didn’t get up and down in the last ball. The realistic nature of having one ball to achieve a goal was what I enjoyed.
thus type of game highlighted the limited nature of some of my practice sessions too. They generally involve simple repetition with little riding on it!
Play
I played a practice round off the yellow tees and had a raft of thoughts swirling around my head. I shot an 81 and felt like I played ‘OK’ with several excellent short game shots.
I asked a question last week about being conservative into greens versus taking on more flags, when the conditions suited.
After several interesting answers and conversations, I set out to notice how I was feeling during the round and when I considered the conditions to suit a more aggressive approach.
What I noticed was I am often overly cautious when playing approach shots, with a key aim being the ‘fat part’ of the green and aiming well away from flags, as a general rule.
These sentences lack a measurable element and I am aware statements such as ‘well away’ and ‘overly cautious’ lack content.
The future will consist of observing and noticing how I feel around picking targets and checking on my statistics in terms of SG on approach play.
Reflective Questions
Does your practice include ‘pressure’ and behavioural elements?
How do you balance your emotion and ‘wanting’ within your golf development?
I am having a short break from the blog for the next 2 weeks but will be back with a bumper issue in early September!
Until then enjoy your golf!