What upsets you more....

[TEPaul]

a shot that's penalized because it's a real miss-hit or a shot that's really well hit but just misconceived?

For me, it's always been the latter.

[PThomas]

the latter as well for me Tom

the first example that comes to my mind is a putt I hit that I hit well, aim where I want to , but still miss cause i misread the break

[ForkaB]

Tom

Not to be too cheeky, but I would guess that the last time you "miss-hit" a shot was probably during the Eisenhower administration.

[Brent Hutto]

It sounds odd, but I'd have to say perfect execution of a bad idea isn't that upsetting. I know how to fix that, I don't always know how to fix poor mechanics.

I'll tell you what's the most upsetting to me. It's having what I think is a great idea for how to play a shot and then flubbing the execution so I'll never know how my "great idea" would have worked out.

This happens even in putting. Have you ever had a tricky breaking putt where the perfect line just seems to be totally obvious when you walk up to the hole? You're brimming with confidence because you just know this one's going in and then you give it a little extra jab with the hands or scuff the stroke and never do find out whether that was the right line or not.

[Brent Hutto]

Tom

Not to be too cheeky, but I would guess that the last time you "miss-hit" a shot was probably during the Eisenhower administration.

Yeah, and when the last time he had an ill-conceived idea?

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

For me it is certainly the former..if I plan a shot and execute that shot in the manner I wanted..that is all I can ask for, and that will never get me upset.
On the other hand, make a plan and do not execute..that is usually not good news, and makes the next execution plan more difficult.

However, if the next shot after a poor shot is well executed..then those are the ones that provide the greatest satisfaction

[BCrosby]

My stupid shots always bother me more than my mishits, though I often don't recognize them as stupid until much later.

Bob

[TEPaul]

Rich:

I can't imagine why you'd say that. When I look at some of these guys hit a golf ball it occurs to me I may never have hit a golf ball solidly in my life.

But as far as really miss-hitting a shot I really did have an odd quirk when I played basically nothing but tournament golf. I never completely relaxed in any round until I miss-hit a shot. I guess I felt that embarrassment or whatever was out of the way and I'd always relax and settle down. Very weird, really.

Towards the end of my career I may've actually had that in my mind right out of the box and consequently it tended to happen a whole lot earlier and sometimes a lot more!  

[TEPaul]

"For me it is certainly the former..if I plan a shot and execute that shot in the manner I wanted..that is all I can ask for, and that will never get me upset."

Michael:

You will notice that you have a strong ally in that thought with one Tiger Woods. If he executes properly what happens next doesn't seem to get much reaction from him but if he doesn't execute the way he imagined that's when you get all those silently mouthed f....s and sh....s and more f....s out of him!  

And I must also say that even though those around him might not actually hear him say those things it at least appears that his enunciation is just about perfect!    

[Sean_A]

The most upsetting for is executing a poorly planned shot.  I figure I can at least think well around the course.  I know I can't execute very well, maybe 10-12 shots per round.  It is a shame to hit it well with a bad plan.  On the other hand, hitting a really bad shot which leaves me well out of position (double bogey territory) is quite infuriating!

Ciao

Sean

[cary lichtenstein]

Most upsetting for me was last year on our 9th hole, l'm 3 under par and hit my tee shot dead right. So, I want to protect my scorce right? And the next shot is over a lake, so I lay up with a little punch shot, and ooopppps, what do I do, I lay up right into the water.

I have not heard the end of that shot yet

[JohnV]

At the moment I hit it, it is the former.  By the time I reach my ball and realize what I've done, it is the latter.  The latter definitely stays with me longer.

[Bill Gayne]

I think this is a great question and really gets to what type of golfer you are. The converse question is "What gives you more satisfaction: the perfectly struck shot or the well thought out play?" Is the satisfaction equal to the upset from the poor shot or mistake in strategy?

Also does the pain of the physical error stay longer in the recesses of the memory bank or is the cumulative effect of mental errors and successes outweigh?

I've seen similar ideas discussed in behavioral finances relative to market gains and losses but never applied to golf. These cumulative experiences both positive and negative drive our willingness to take risks.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Bill..to me the well thought out play is only a success if the shot itself is well executed.
If the shot fails..then how good of a plan was it

The combination of the two however..well eureka..that is what keeps us coming back for more.

[Doug Siebert]

I gotta go along with Brent here.  I can take mishitting a shot -- I might have a few colorful words or call myself an idiot or something, but I'll usually get over it.  And playing a misconceived shot is something I can live with, except if its a shot I've played many times.  I'm never very happy with myself when I go for a sucker pin on my home course that I know damn well is a sucker pin but I did anyway because I was feeling bold or just not thinking too clearly about what I was doing.

But if I have the perfect shot for a given situation and mess up its execution, that really bothers me, because that's the kind of thing I play the game for.  If I drive into the trees, and I see a little window of opportunity in line with the green way up in the canopy that I know I can hit with an unadjusted 7i trajectory and I just happen to have a 7i distance to the green, but I flinch when I catch some leaves on my backswing even though I knew that was going to happen from taking my practice swings, it really burns me up.  Its a missed opportunity for the kind of shot that keeps you coming back, even if it was an otherwise dreadful and unredeeming day.  Doesn't matter that the shot itself was not really high percentage, and something probably only Tiger would try in tournament play.  If I mess up, I'd rather it be because I pulled it or hit it a bit fat or my eyes were fooling me and I needed an 8i trajectory to hit the opening.  Not something stupid and moronic like letting the leaves bug me, or looking up a fraction early or something else super basic like that.

[A_Clay_Man]

This why "How" is not on the scorecard.

I get a real kick out of the guy who proclaims he hit perfectly, yet is behind a tree.

The best, most satisfying shots are usually the ones after the mis-hit.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Where is Dr. Katz!

I thought it was ok to make mistakes and be wrong....

[Dr Katz]

Mr Nuzzo--

To make mistake and be wrong is OK. This is the truth since the turn of the Twenty Century. Any mistake or wrong is OK. Only problem is what the mistaker thinks about it. If his mistake and wrong bother him, drugs are the answer. This is the eternal truth I've developed, that any mistake and wrong is OK if the mistaker doesn't let it bother him mentally. Only one time am I wrong on this Truth. That was with the Fuhrer.

Have a nice day Mr Nuzzo. I am out here somewhere if you need me.

Dr Katz