Getting a bit tired of making stupid mistakes during tournaments that end up being very costly. Missing short putts, approach shots that end up way short, worming the disc into the ground, etc, etc. It's so frustrating to play a decent tournament and have 1-2 bad holes that are huge game changers in regards to results. (1 stroke out of 1st, etc.) Common sense tells me it's nothing more than breathing, slowing down and making the best choice possible. Just wondering if anyone else goes through this or "went" through this at some point. :wall:
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Stupid mistakes during tournaments.
- Thread starter DiscFifty
- Start date
Yea get mad, let it fuel your practice. Every little mistake let it fester inside and take it out on the practice field. Make that shot you messed up your greatest strength.
I hate losing. And every single time its because of putting and upshots.
I know i putt well.. I crush putting tournies.
I know i upshot well. I kill at practice.
But the difference between being great and almost perfect is where those few missing strokes are.
Every time i lose its like a little inferno inside of me for days... Weeks... So much focus on my practice goals.
Its a good thing discfifty. Just harness it.
I hate losing. And every single time its because of putting and upshots.
I know i putt well.. I crush putting tournies.
I know i upshot well. I kill at practice.
But the difference between being great and almost perfect is where those few missing strokes are.
Every time i lose its like a little inferno inside of me for days... Weeks... So much focus on my practice goals.
Its a good thing discfifty. Just harness it.
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2008
- Messages
- 4,783
For me, there seems to be a fine line between
"Just relax and do it" where you relax and are able to make the great throw because you're not tense
and
"Stay engaged and don't make a stupid mistake" where you concentrate even on the 10 foot putt, because if you relax too much, you'll bang it off the basket.
Some days I do better than others. No advice here, just empathy.
My best advice is to concentrate and "engage" when you're lining up and throwing, but relax to stay loose and "thoughtless" when you're not throwing.
"Just relax and do it" where you relax and are able to make the great throw because you're not tense
and
"Stay engaged and don't make a stupid mistake" where you concentrate even on the 10 foot putt, because if you relax too much, you'll bang it off the basket.
Some days I do better than others. No advice here, just empathy.
My best advice is to concentrate and "engage" when you're lining up and throwing, but relax to stay loose and "thoughtless" when you're not throwing.
puck'n'disc5
Par Member
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2012
- Messages
- 237
Have confidence in your shot no matter what! I've posted on here before how one of my biggest problems is disc selection. I'll select an initial disc for a shot, line up, then go back to the bag for another disc. All of a sudden, I'm playing mind games with myself instead of focusing on the actual shot. Fact is, good players can make any disc work for any shot (at least for the most part). It's just that some discs do work better than others for certain shots.
Good luck at your next event!
Good luck at your next event!
mm1315
Par Member
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2011
- Messages
- 235
One word COMMIT it's all about committing to the shot. Be relaxed while throwing but commit. Imagine yourself throwing it perfectly and then do it. Also don't try to do to much, know your limitations. lf you're 20 feet in the woods don't try to make a 300' shot and park the basket. Playing in tourneys you have to play aggressive, but smart at the same time.
Heartedale
Bogey Member
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2015
- Messages
- 84
I feel your pain. The last 4 tournaments I have lead the field going into 2nd round, but then stupid mistakes have dropped me to 6th every time. I've recently been playing and practicing with more intensity so hopefully that leads to a clearer mind.
One thing to keep in mind is that these mistakes happen in casual rounds too. They just seem magnified during tournaments. You're not going to execute every shot perfectly, when mistakes happen, shake it off and move on to the next shot.
corin_brown
Eagle Member
Love these threads.
Read Dr. Bob Rotella's "Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect."
The basic gist of it is, to maximize tournament results, a player must work and focus on their mental game no less than any other aspect of their game.
As for stupid mistakes, that's part of your mental game. All players must accept that over an entire tournament, mistakes will happen. Shots will be dropped. Results improves once a player accepts a bad throw or a stupid mistake and moves on. Dwelling on bad throws or bad events in a tournament only lowers the odds of success on future throws.
A big Rotella concept is the importance of confidence, no matter how irrational it might feel. The idea is that any other kind of mental approach to a shot, aside from maximum confidence, only hurts the odds of a player executing a particular shot. It seems simplistic but it's amazing how many players allow negative thinking to occur while they play.
E.g., think about lining up a tournament putt that you really need. Usually you make this putt 50% of the time during practice. What are your odds of making that putt in that tournament if you're thinking, in any way, about possibly missing it? After all, according to your abilities, you should miss that putt 50% of the time. There's really no way to quantify those odds except to say that they're under your regular odds of 50%. Now, if you tell yourself that you're going to make the putt or if you simply decide that you will be making it, what will happen to the odds of making that putt? Again, there's no real way of exactly determining that except to say that they will be a lot closer to your expected odds of 50%.
Playing with Irrational confidence is the only way to play.
Read Dr. Bob Rotella's "Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect."
The basic gist of it is, to maximize tournament results, a player must work and focus on their mental game no less than any other aspect of their game.
As for stupid mistakes, that's part of your mental game. All players must accept that over an entire tournament, mistakes will happen. Shots will be dropped. Results improves once a player accepts a bad throw or a stupid mistake and moves on. Dwelling on bad throws or bad events in a tournament only lowers the odds of success on future throws.
A big Rotella concept is the importance of confidence, no matter how irrational it might feel. The idea is that any other kind of mental approach to a shot, aside from maximum confidence, only hurts the odds of a player executing a particular shot. It seems simplistic but it's amazing how many players allow negative thinking to occur while they play.
E.g., think about lining up a tournament putt that you really need. Usually you make this putt 50% of the time during practice. What are your odds of making that putt in that tournament if you're thinking, in any way, about possibly missing it? After all, according to your abilities, you should miss that putt 50% of the time. There's really no way to quantify those odds except to say that they're under your regular odds of 50%. Now, if you tell yourself that you're going to make the putt or if you simply decide that you will be making it, what will happen to the odds of making that putt? Again, there's no real way of exactly determining that except to say that they will be a lot closer to your expected odds of 50%.
Playing with Irrational confidence is the only way to play.
runningDoc
Double Eagle Member
- Joined
- May 21, 2014
- Messages
- 1,595
this was the story of my life last year my first tourney season as AM2.
2nd place in huge 100 player am tourney, 3rd place A Tier, 3rd Place New England DG Grand Championships, two 4ths in B Tiers.
somewhere during the tourney I space out and do stupid crap like get three double bogies in a row then snap back into it only to realize 2-4 strokes would've won it. lol
2nd place in huge 100 player am tourney, 3rd place A Tier, 3rd Place New England DG Grand Championships, two 4ths in B Tiers.
somewhere during the tourney I space out and do stupid crap like get three double bogies in a row then snap back into it only to realize 2-4 strokes would've won it. lol
Vonbeezy1
Banned
A lot of questions come into play here. What is your rating? What is your skill set? How much do you practice? How serious do you play?
Star Shark
* Ace Member *
The short putts that you just didn't take seriously are the worst. Two words apply, here. Discipline and focus. Force yourself to take every throw seriously, no matter how stupid it seems to be. I'd bet Paige is reworking this after that Memorial incident.
For sure, thx for that reminder. Thanks for all the comments, good stuff to read.
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