The Compounding Effect of Paying Attention

Every choice, from wedge tempo to a mid-round golf adjustment including a putter change, built on the week’s work—and it showed on the scorecard.

📍 Course: Fellows Creek | West

⛳️ League Round | June 16, 2025

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How I Prepared for This Round:

• Recent Practice Focus:
  • Sunday evening: A 40-minute backyard chipping session at my parents’ house — under trees, over flowerbeds, pretending the patio furniture was a bunker.
  • Saturday: A focused range session working on partial swings with my gap wedge and pitching wedge, especially dialing in the 30–60 yard range.
• Physical Preparation: Physically, I felt good — no soreness or tightness. My body was ready to go.
• Mental Preparation: Honestly, I was mentally worn down after a long day at work. I wasn’t checked out, but I definitely started the round a little drained. That might have played a role in the rushed short putts and early frustration.
• Equipment Considerations: Started the round with my Odyssey putter, which I’ve used all season. After four brutal putting holes, I made a mid-round adjustment and switched to my Ping putter on Hole 8 — it changed everything.

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My Round Intention and Focus:

• Primary Focus Areas:
  • Trust my pre-shot routine and tempo, especially on tee shots
  • Make smart decisions when I missed — no spiraling, no heroics
  • Let my short game practice guide my wedge decisions
• Techniques to Test:
  • Directional control with woods and hybrid
  • Smooth partial wedge swings from 40–60 yards
  • Real-time feedback on putter feel and setup routine
• Mental Game Goals:
  • Keep it light — don’t spiral after mistakes
  • Trust that one bad hole doesn’t mean a bad round
  • Stay curious about what’s working and what needs to change

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📝 Round Summary:

Let’s be clear: putting was a complete disaster for most of the round. I had 23 putts, missed two tap-ins under 2 feet, and four three-putts in a row from Holes 4–7. I even joked that it started to feel like I was turning putting into performance art. Most of my misses weren’t misreads — they were poor setup, rushed follow-through, and a general “just tap it” laziness.

Oh — and lip-outs? I lost track. I think freshly cut holes might actually make it harder for the ball to drop unless it’s center-cup. No scientific proof, just vibes.

So after watching one more sad lipped-out roller slide past the cup, I pulled the plug and made a mid-round adjustment: I switched to my Ping putter on Hole 8. The change was instant. The feel was more stable. My confidence returned. Even the three-putt on 9 felt better — I overhit the downhill first putt, but stuck the uphill return, which was actually farther.

Meanwhile — everything else? Really solid.

I only sliced once (on Hole 2). Otherwise, my driver only pushed right or leaned slightly left — maybe a touch of overcorrection, but it felt playable and repeatable. My 3-wood and hybrid helped me recover well, even from rough. And on the hole with the creek hazard I’d lost a ball to before? I found it again. But instead of trying to be a hero, I laid up and scrambled onto the green.

That’s growth.

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🥇 What Worked:

• Mid-round adaptability — Swapping putters felt like a risk, but it turned the tide.
• Smart recovery decisions — Especially avoiding a hero shot over water and trusting the smarter lay-up.
• Partial wedges under pressure — My practice carried over cleanly. The 30–60 yard range actually felt comfortable.
• Backyard short game confidence — Chipping around trees on Father’s Day turned out to be perfect prep.
• Driver control — I’m almost fully past the slice. Every miss stayed in play.

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🛠️ What Needs Work:

• Short putt routine — I cannot keep missing inside 3 feet. I need to commit to a full routine, every time.
• Speed control downhill — The first putt on Hole 9 rolled way past; the uphill comeback was better.
• Woods shot shape clarity — I need to confirm whether that soft left shape is my new normal or an overcorrection.
• Penalty avoidance — Both penalty strokes were avoidable with better club selection or tempo.

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Off Fairway Moments:

• I lost two golf balls — but I found six in good condition while looking for mine. Technically, I finished +4 in the golf ball economy.
• One of my chips rolled farther than I wanted, leading to yet another three-putt. I’m pretty sure the putting gods applauded ironically.

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Mental Game Moments:

• After the four-putt on Hole 6, I could’ve spiraled. But I shook it off, cracked a joke, and made a change that actually helped.
• I reminded myself on Hole 7 that I’m here to enjoy the game — not punish myself for one bad hole.
• This round reminded me that mid-round adjustments are fair game.
• And maybe next week… I’ll actually aim the two-footers.

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🌾 Learned in the Rough:

• Confidence comes from specific practice.
  Every short game decision tonight had a breadcrumb trail back to the weekend.
• Switching putters mid-round doesn’t mean I failed — it means I paid attention.
• Smart golf beats heroic golf. And it shows up in the score.
• This round really showed the compounding effect of my improvement loop — little habits, little wins, big progress.

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🔁 Tweaks for the Week:

1. Putting Routine at Home:
   • Pressure circles, 2–5 foot drills
   • Commit to setup and follow-through — no more lazy tap-outs
2. Driver & Woods Range Work:
   • Hit off grass at Hickory Creek to confirm contact patterns and shot shape
   • Try some rough lies with the hybrid and 3-wood
3. Partial Wedge Mapping:
   • Keep working tempo and carry distances with PW, AW, and 54°
   • Start noting what each ½ and ¾ swing actually flies under pressure
4. Short Game in the Rough:
   • Hit some chips from rough lies near tight pins
   • If I get practice time at Carl’s during my niece’s clinic, this is the focus