Golf Pet Peeves

photo credit: donjd2   There isn’t a golfer alive that doesn’t have their own pet peeves (irritations).  Golf course pet peeves can encompass many things.  Most of the time they involve other golfers rather than just plain old ”things.”  Nothing can be more upsetting than certain mannerisms displayed by your very own playing partners. 

My all time biggest pet peeve is what I call a golf “well wisher.”  Just before you are ready to make your shot, or especially your putt, you hear “ok big fella, drop it in,” or, “knock it in the hole!”  If I wasn’t trying to do that, why am I on the golf course?  I know they mean well but why can’t they just spend the time concentrating on their own shots?  

Leave your comments: LET US HEAR YOUR OWN PET PEEVES?

Thinking can be a Distraction

photo credit: foxypar4 If you find yourself “losing it” during your next round perhaps you are thinking too much. As a youngster, while taking lessons from Harmon Morell, my uncle and PGA Professional, I was taught that thinking too much about any shot is a huge distraction. I have found this advice to be very true.

Phil Mickelson is a great example. He is a relatively fast player but his habit of over-analyzing each shot cost him several major championships. This can happen to you also if you think too much before a shot. Don’t dilly-dally, just get committed and pull the triger. Thinking about all the consequences can lead to a confidence breakdown.

Gamesmanship in Golf

photo credit: Mini D Gamesmanship is the art of distractraction, distracting your opponent without their awareness. The purpose of gamesmanship is take slow your opponent’s momentum, in other words, to make them falter. Now even though some may consider this unsportsmanship-like, it is done frequently at all levels including on the PGA Tour.

Serious concentration is the primary reason why PGA Tour Pro’s walk around like zombies (no ill intentions here). They maintain this frame of mind for two reasons, they are concentrating on their own play and they are blocking out distractions. In spite of their expertise, the Pro’s are still subject to gamesmanship from their opponents.

One of the best examples of gamesmanship is when Lee Trevino threw a rubber snake at Jack Nicklaus on the first tee of the U.S. Open playoff at Merion. Trevino went on to win! Check it out at www.vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Golf Green Play

photo credit: Shayan (USA) Sometimes players are bewildered by certain circumstances they are faced with on the putting green. Let’s shed some light: When putting from off the green leave the pin in, it may help stop your ball if it’s been hit too hard. On the other hand don’t leave the pin in if your putting while on the green, if you hit the pin with your ball it’s a penalty.

Marking your ball takes it “out of play.” Touching your ball while marking it means a penalty. If address your ball and it moves after you have placed it on the green and removed your marker, there is a penalty, keep this in mind on windy days.

The putting green is where matches are won or lost and where champions are born.

Golf: Hitting Out Of Turn

photo credit: ClatieK Hitting out of turn can create high emotion during play. The game is meant to be played so that the player furthest away from the cup hits first. The same player places their oponents on the defensive if they execute a good shot. Playing by the rules always results in greater compitition. There is another side to this story, however.

In some cases it’s a good thing to hit out of turn if everyone in your group agrees.. Why is hitting out of turn encouraged? Because of time contraints, a quick round may be required. At other times, for whatever reasons, your group may be lagging behind and causing a delay on the course, in that case, it’s “whoever gets to their golf ball first, hits first.” Playing expediently is always the right thing to do.