u/Rolex_Art

Last night I had my mental mindset right and was trying to easily get Par or better on the 3rd hardest hole on the course.

I successfully drove the fairway with the 3 wood, hit GIR with the heavenwood, the birdie putt lipped out and rolled just 2 feet from the hole - my par putt stalled half inch from the lip.

I just had to laugh - why?

Happened on the next hole, too.

I literally looked at a 2 foot putt and saw my feet were not really lined up. I think I just expected it to be automatic that close lol. It wasn't.

I went home and told my wife - I was hitting the ball very well. Some shitty luck with the rolls.

It is supposed to be a mix of the hottest weekend ever and raining all weekend (Miami). We'll see what I can get away with.

For context, I've only been golfing for about a year and a half. I live on a golf course, so after work I usually throw my bag over my shoulder and walk a few holes before dinner. Most of the time I'm by myself.

Sometimes I end up playing with Paul, who's a club champion, or Charlie, who's also a great player. They both play every day. Since they're better than I am, I always hit last. If I start thinking about impressing them, I usually fall apart. I've had rounds where I par the first two holes while they're making bogeys, then they catch me and suddenly I can't hit the ball.

I've also noticed that if I'm in a bad mood or get an adrenaline spike from work or something else, my swing goes completely sideways.

I usually don't even keep score. I care more about whether I hit the fairway and whether I hit the green in regulation. I practice every day, so I can make birdies, pars, and bogeys. I generally shoot in the mid-80s.

Last night was a perfect example. I doubled the first two holes after terrible approach shots. The whole time I was thinking, "What are you doing? You're better than this." I wasn't focused. I was listening to a podcast, walking in the heat, and just going through the motions.

Then on the next hole, my phone rang with a business call. While talking, I hit my Heavenwood from 196 yards to about seven feet and made the birdie. Next hole, I barely missed another birdie and tapped in for par. I finished the round with a couple of bogeys and another par and was home in time for dinner.

That's what has me thinking. Sometimes I feel like I'm just rolling out of bed, playing golf, and coming home like nothing happened. I never take practice swings. I rarely read putts, even though I've spent countless hours practicing my short game. I just walk up and hit it.

Meanwhile, I watch good players go through the same routine before every shot. I'm wondering if that's what's missing for me—not a swing change, but a mental switch that tells my brain, this shot matters.

Instead, I joke around. I'll hit a par 3 without a tee just because. I'll try hero shots I have no business attempting. I'll invent dumb challenges because I'm entertaining myself instead of competing.

I'm starting to think I need to take each shot more seriously. Not tense, just intentional. Maybe I need a simple pre-shot routine that forces me to lock in before every swing instead of treating every round like another casual walk around the neighborhood.

When putting, I prefer the flag in.

Maybe it helps me see the line better?

I've never made a putt to where the stick gets in the way of the putt going in. Maybe. Probably.

Anyone else see it better with flag in?Howard.

************ EDIT *************** The practice range for putting all has small flags with the sticks in so I'm realizing I spend a lot of time practicing at holes that have a flag in it.

I practice flag in. No wonder i don't feel comfortable flag out.

I'm full at 14 clubs. Weird mix of woods and hybrids.

56, 60, PW, SW, and a putter are the only "irons" in the bag.

I recently ordered a Vice limited edition Driving Iron - with the new rule for the amount of clubs in your bag, I can add this and no longer have to subtract a club.

Chat gpt said it would be most like my 3 hybrid but IDK so we'll do stress tests when it shows up.

I also have a Ray Cook extreme aim chipper that comes in handy about once every 50 holes and I never have it - now I can add it for when I need to go across a long green from the fringe and not use the texas wedge or a 56 degree with a bump & run.

I will now be rolling with 16 clubs in the bag. Anyone else?

*that said - i'm also famous for going out and walking the course with just 4 clubs, 56, pw and putter so I really don't need to use them all. my gapping is pretty tight and I can make the shot by swinging not as hard instead of clubbing down.

I was going on vacation and the in-laws were coming.

My fancy wife who would want to be at the St Regis was going to have to stay at the place her parents were comfortable staying.

JW Marriott worked out for them:

A few things:

1. you can't do anything about the seaweed. and people will still come - so there is no money in coming up with a magical cure to rid the ocean of it. it's everywhere and i'm in miami beach - where it's even worse.

2. pay the extra $ for club 91. i saved $75 each morning just for the coffee, fruit plate and egg whites and popped up there for bottles of water, more coffee and snacks.

3. for the love of god please tip. if you can afford vacation you are in a gifted position - have some empathy and drop $4 every time you go in there - $2 per person is nothing but goes a long way.

i'm someone who does well in life and travels for business often and you'd be amazed how your trip changes by stopping at the bank before you go and getting $200 in crisp $2 bills. everyone loves to get it - they all talk about it and show it off to the people they work with and then you get extra services. that's what it's about.

trust me if you're not tipping? my vacation is 100x better than yours because the employees are looking out for me.

this place was excellent though - not a huge massive space that took forever to get around.

i loved i did not have to wear a stupid wrist band or use my key to get up and down in the elevator.

I live in the tropics and In the Heat of the summer the amount of sweat pouring out of you is unreal.

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I'm talking about sweat coming out of every pore in your body to where your shirt and pants are soaked.

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Even with a sweatband on my right wrist, I can't keep my non gloved hand dry. I can wipe it over and over the water keeps coming.

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Changing gloves every 3rd hole only does so much.

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The other day I ordered a $6 bottle on Amazon and tried it out- wow.

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Not sticky, but dry. My hand wasn't wet. I had a grip on my clubs on every swing.

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I'm one of those guys that I'm going to offer the people around me but no one else took advantage of it.

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Before I tried this i ordered Nike WR gloves, they are a day away from showing up. Maybe I don't need them now.

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Anyone else have tips for sweat management?

I walked the back 9 after work and went 9 for 9 hitting the green in regulation.

Unheard of accuracy for me.

I was playing with a driver, 5 wood, Heavenwood, 9h, 5h, pw, 56 & putter. 8 clubs, walking in the Miami heat.

I just made the right club selection on every approach shot. Clubbed up into the wind and also got lucky on hole 14 with a low line drive 135 yard miss hit that rolled up on the green.

Point; I stopped focusing on strokes & instead set goals to drive fairways and hit GIR.

No birdies. But so many tap in pars.

How often are you guys making birdies?

I have been playing now almost 19 months but have access to play more golf than anyone - so I do. That's the qualifier. I'm practicing and working hard on it every day.

I would describe my game as "bogey golf". If I play 9 I'm shooting mid 40's. Best ever a 37 microdosing mushrooms. If I'm playing 18 I'm shooting mid 80's. Best ever an 80 (after playing a full round and shooting an 84 so I was very familiar with the course and what I wanted to do)

When I miss the par's i'm just missing them. I'm also just missing birdie putts. My game consists of lots of tap in bogeys and pars and my ability to chip and lag putt has everything to do with that.

This isn't bragging. I'm not looking for kudos. I'm just curious how often others are going -1.

THIS IS ABOUT A PRODUCT THAT HELPS YOU GOLF BETTER BUT I AM NOT USING A PRODUCT NAME:

Nootropic pouches for the win!

People don't think about what it takes to play better golf, but this is one of the pieces of the puzzle that should be in your golf bag!!

Mushrooms that don't make you trip but help you focus and literally see every line when putting:

• Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)
• Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris / Cordyceps sinensis extract)
• Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)
• Chaga (Inonotus obliquus)

Energy that doesn't feel un-natural and keeps you from fading on the back 9.

• L-Theanine → smooths stimulation / reduces jitteriness
• Alpha-GPC → acetylcholine support (focus/working memory)
• Panax Ginseng → mild adaptogenic alertness
• Vitamin B6 + B12 → energy metabolism support

I started taking them for help on the long business days when you have to wake up at 3am to catch a 6 am flight and then have 10am-5pm meetings followed by 7pm-11pm dinners. See you in the gym at 6am.

When I go out on the course, 9x out of 10 it's after the business day that started at 5:30 am and included an hour of lifting weights - I'm not fresh.

These really pick me up and I highly recommend them if you're looking for an extra angle.