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Conference 7.286::golf

Title:	Welcome to the Golf Notes Conference!
Notice:	FOR SALE notes in Note 69 please! Intros in note 863 or 61.
Moderator:	FUNYET::ANDERSON

Created:	Tue Feb 15 1994
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	2129
Total number of notes:	21499

787.0. "Playing with the mind" by CAM::ZIOMEK () Mon Oct 09 1989 13:50

    
    	This topic has been discussed in general in the past,
    but I'd like to bring it up again to talk about a specific incedence.
    
    	Yesterday I won my very first golf tournament !! I shot back
    to back 39's for a 78 overall!! What I would like to discuss is
    HOW I won it. The tournament is held at the same course every fall
    and winter. For the past 5 years I have been steadily improving
    my score where as I shot an 82 this past spring to take 2nd place.
    With shooting the 82 and recalling the numerous mistakes that I
    made, (dubbs, slices) I said in my mind, "I WILL WIN THIS FALL".
    
    	Throughout the remainder of the spring and summer I played this
    course at least once a week for 18. I got to the point that I knew
    where to hit every ball and what club to use exactly. I was up at
    the crack of dawn yesterday on my way to the range. While practicing
    I visualized the layout of the course as I was making shots, landing
    them at the correct distances using signs, poles as greens etc.
    Then I proceeded to the putting green where I was dropping 6-10
    footers like I never had before. But then came the test....
    
    	I was scheduled to tee-off on the 9th hole, this is the only
    hole that I dread. The pond on the left always seems to attract
    my drive, and sure enough it did yesterday. I took a drop, pitched
    to the green and one putted for a bogey. Nervously trying to recover
    on the 10th I put my drive in the same pond at which time I was
    ready to pack it in. So I let the others tee it up while trying
    to regain my composure. I tee'd up another and put it out 280. I
    hit a fairway wood only to end up in the bunker in front of the
    green. Hitting 4 with about a 50 foot pitch and run I dropped the
    sand shot for a par. This gave me such an edge I knew nothing was
    going to stop me. After birdieing the 3rd hole (13th that I played)
    I chipped to the green of the 4th about 5 feet from the pin. The
    next hole was a par three down hill with two foursomes waiting to
    go off, watching my group approach the green. I knew I was going
    to make the second bird before I even stepped on the green, and
    sure enough it dropped without a hinge. At that point someone on
    the next tee said "he must think he's gonna win this thing". I said
    to myself, I already won it!!!!
    
    	The thing thats sorta scary is that I knew I was going to win
    after taking second place last spring. Has this ever happened to
    any of you ?? And you know what else is strange, I have this feeling
    that I'll do even better in the spring!!!
    
    John

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
787.1	4...?	MSEE::KELLEY	CUSTOM CLUBS make GREAT Christmas gifts	`Mon Oct 09 1989 14:26`	21
	> Nervously trying to recover > on the 10th I put my drive in the same pond at which time I was > ready to pack it in. So I let the others tee it up while trying > to regain my composure. I tee'd up another and put it out 280. I > hit a fairway wood only to end up in the bunker in front of the > green. Hitting 4 with about a 50 foot pitch and run I dropped the > sand shot for a par. John, let me see if I followed what you said here. You hit your tee shot into the water, you then teed up a second ball and hit it 280 yards, you then hit a fairway wood into the trap, and then holed the sand shot... Is that correct...????? If what I said is correct then you got a 5 on the hole.... ANd it sounds to me like you are saying you holed your 4th shot... Gene
787.2	woops	CAM::ZIOMEK		`Mon Oct 09 1989 14:53`	6
	Sorry Gene, I was caught up in reliving the moment !!!! If it were my first drive I would have eagled the hole. It was my fifth shot not my fourth. Sorry, John
787.3	Congrats...	MSEE::KELLEY	CUSTOM CLUBS make GREAT Christmas gifts	`Mon Oct 09 1989 15:02`	6
	BTW, congrats on the win John. I for one can't say that I have EVER felt that I was going to win a tourney... It must have been the same feeling that Payne Stewart had in the PGA.... Gene
787.4	Dad helped also..	CAM::ZIOMEK		`Mon Oct 09 1989 15:15`	8
	One other thing I forgot to mention is that my father has been the chairman of the tournament since it's start. I think that was also a contributing factor. Since my dad ended up giving me the trophy. John
787.5	Must have meant a lot to both of you...	MSEE::KELLEY	CUSTOM CLUBS make GREAT Christmas gifts	`Mon Oct 09 1989 15:28`	3
	John, it must have been a pretty great experience for you dad also then...!
787.6	Process thinking	CSCOA3::CONWAY_J		`Tue Oct 10 1989 13:34`	12
	Congratulations! Great win. I've never won a tournament except a "scramble" and that's a team thing. And I probably never will because my putting stinks. But sometimes, tee to green, I can do NO wrong! Everything seems (in my swing) to be happening in slo-mo, I see the ball very, very well, I Know exactly where the club will impact it, and, I am preternaturally calm. Don't get into this groove often enough, but when I do, I can burn up the course from tee to green and usually get close enough so that even I can two putt for pars. Good article in "Golf Digest" this month on relieving tension in your swing. I especially liked the sidebar on "process thinking" (as opposed to result thinking)
787.7	THE WILL TO WIN	GIDDAY::BARNIER		`Tue Oct 10 1989 18:20`	30
	Right with you there john, Twice I have been so keen to win that my concetration didn't lapse the entire day. First time was a 4BBB tournament which I paired with a good freind, extra incentive was a prize for a weeks holiday. I was so keyed up the last hole my partner was about 1 metre (three foot) for birdie and I was off the green putting, knocked it stright in, my partner was so put off by the putt he missed. Second time was a three round club championship I just kept my head down the entire time even after a bad hole I was determined to keep on keeping on, which kept me in it till the end. I really believe winning is entirely the will to want to win. We all know that we have real good rounds now and then. Just forgetting what a tough game it is and having confidence gets you there. lfb
787.8	My year to win	MLTVAX::ARMSTRONG		`Thu Oct 12 1989 13:13`	15
	I won the B-flight ladies club championship this year. I was third seed and had to win four matches to become the B flight winner. Participation by women has been limited (14 women in this flight) and handicaps were used since the handicaps ranged from 27 to 40. In my first two matches I had to give strokes. I didn't think I'd have any problems with my first match, but I was concerned about losing the second match. I was playing against a women whose game has been improving all year and easily could shoot below her handicap. I'd been struggling to get mine down. After I beat her, I had a very strong feeling that this was my year to win. I went into my matches with a big sense of self confidence and it paid off. I kept a level head the whole time---had my bad holes but didn't let it get me down. And BINGO, beat the #1 seed for first place. It was great! Patti