Not noticing greatness, focused on handicap improvment

[Lee]

Club Stableford (Handicap Qualifier) today … The guy in my 3 ball won with 37 points. I never noticed!! I never noticed his golf greatness! I didn’t see anything great about his game. And yet he won! How can I do that? I set off well, he didn’t he. I was aiming for a 36+ points to try and reduce my handicap. As he’s retired, I suspect he’s just out for fun and playing the game. He certainly wasn’t setting out trying to win. He didn’t hit the ball well. I did. He’s a short hitter, lays up and chips and putts very well. His scrambling was successful. I’m a long hitter, but don’t have a very good short game. I set myself a goal to try and get 7pts every three holes, which is 2 boggies and a par to try and better my 17 Handicap, so a good challenge I thought.

I ended up with 29 points. 9 Shots off the winning score, but for me 9 shots off a good handicap reduction or 9 pts off a round without 9 wasted shots.

In Tathata, how should I approach a competition round to not to try and win but to try and improve my handicap. Is handicap relevant in the Tathata approach. In terms of course / score management where should the focus be? I suspect these are irrelevant? In the driving analogy, a handicap is pointless. Handicap gives us a comparison with our peers. I would be very keen to hear Brian’s thoughts on handicap chasing …

I learn’t something today. A new question…

Thank you
Lee

[David]

Hi Lee,

I’m sure Team Tathata will respond but I’ll offer my 2 cents while you’re waiting. For me, the mental training was a surprise. I honestly thought it was a bunch of nonsense when I first heard it. Nonetheless, I gave it a go with a sense of openness. Now I live by it! My personal routine is to make sure I’m breathing properly while I send energy to others and shots ahead later in the day. This relaxes me and takes my mind off of the present, which is good since I know what I’m doing. I sunk 10 putts in a row over 6 to 8 feet today (practice putts) while alternating positions. That’s a first for me from that distance. Too much inward focus on improving one’s handicap or bettering another player changes the body chemistry and breathing patters in a manner that probably isn’t helpful.

All the best!

[Lee]

Thanks David,

Wise words learn’t from a wiser teacher – thanks for sharing …

[Lee]

To follow up … I played Monday in a friendly game with a mate. We had a friendly match play format and he had to give me 4 shots. I won 2up and shot a lovely enjoyable 40 pts and 1 blob (Which I worked out when I got home). What was different was I switched my Garmin, didn’t carry a card or worry about the score. We even had to stop half way round the back 9 and work out where we were in the match. As usual I didn’t run-in, pitch or putt well. My 100yds in game can offer up another 10shots a round I’m sure.

Incidentally, my net 67, 40 pts would have won both competitions over the weekend. I’m smiling at that. Its a nice inward warm smile.

Think I’ll just start playing the game I love round a course I love for the fun of it. Someone else can worry about the score for me:-) and inevitably the handicap will take care of itself.

Lee

[Tathata Staff]

Hi Lee,

Thank you for reaching out to us, these are great questions about how to approach tournament play and if it’s okay to be focused on handicap/score outcome oriented.

Thank you David for your response. The mental training exercises and deeper discussions are great to use for competitive play and to help move past traditional thoughts on the golf course. As David has shared, be open to the mental training portion of the program. Many have experienced results and outcomes they choose to create happen quicker and last with the assistance of the mental training exercises.

As you move to the course and tournament play, sense the moments ahead being new and better than they have ever been before. They don’t have to be better or we don’t will them to be better, but sense that they just may be better without knowing how or why.

Thank you Lee.