Does anyone else get off to a fast start and then....

So I've already played about 6 rounds this year. 5 in Florida and one up here on Cape Cod.

Here's my dilema: I started my FL trip by shooting, 86, 89 and wasnt too happy with the 89, but reminded myself it was my first two rounds of the year.Then I finished the trip by shooting 75,79 and 82 and was really pleased with the way I finished! Last week I shot an 80 in 38 degree weather and still very happy with my game.

So I went to the range yesterday and couldn't hit the backside of a barn and from previous experiences, I can start to feel my confidence starting to slip...

A PRO once told me. " Rememer kid, the golf game comes and goes..."

Does this happen to anyone else out there and what do you do to handle it?


I dont want it to go right now because I have a Myrtle trip\tournament next week.

I usually do not play that well at the beginning of the year, get my swing grooved and play well in the middle, then seem to lose something and start putting up higher scores late. Last year I maintained decent scoring into winter (which never seems to happen), but I had made a swing plane change late and seemed to hold onto that. I have only played 9 holes since first weekend of January and didn't play well and have been to range twice with similar results. Of course I do have new irons that I'm trying to get used to (Mizuno MP-60's).

It always seems to me that early players either seem to play too loose or exactly the opposite - becoming too mechanical with positions. I seem to be too loose with my swing early, resulting in no consistency. I become a little more mechanical as golf season really rolls around then seem to find my natural swing and go from there. It usually takes about 5-10 full rounds in for me to get it going.

Being from Ontario, Canada, every spring I have to shake the cobwebs loose and try and put my game back together. The last couple of years I have found that I have been able to keep some of my mechanical parts of the game in check doing some indoor things. Usually the first couple of rounds on the spring are decent, because I am really excited to play and I react well to that. Then I have a less impressive round and I remember what my game is really like. That's when I start working to improve my game and it straightens out a bit. Then near the end of the season, I start to tail off for whatever reason. Maybe just lose a little interest and don't work as hard and other things take up my time.

In regards to rounds, I often have times where I sprint out of the gate and quickly lose steam on the back nine, and I chalk that up to lack of endurance and energy, as well as not staying as focus because I have gone into cruise control.

The days I am able to stay in focus for the whole round, I understand what the pros say about tournaments being mentally draining. It's tough to stay focused for a long period of time. Gives me a little appreciation for what the pros do every week.

Great Post, thanks!

I started out 2009 with my round ever.

Suffice it to say I will be cooling off soon.

I started out last season playing great, spring playoffs, then played horribly in the summer (tournaments) and then played great in the fall (varsity regular season). I haven't played too many years of golf to see if this is a trend, but I think working on my short game and not worrying too much about mechanics will help me out this year. I also tend to get off to fast starts in rounds. I've birdied the first hole quite a few times and slowly regressed from there. I've been getting better at preventing this, working on my mental game.

This is my first post so hello to all!!!

I usually play well the first few rounds back after an extended layoff, and have heard many of my friends tell stories of great rounds after not playing for months. I think its due to your mental state. After not playing for a while we probably focus more on making solid contact. The more comfortable we start to feel we start trying to shape the ball and try more difficult shots, which can lead to big numbers. I had back surgery a few years back and didnt play golf for 2 years. My first round back I shot 74, but didnt break 80 for the next 5 rounds.

Its all in your mind!!

I am the opposite. I go to the range small clubs to large . Then off to the green to chip and putt but I usually start off scoring in the mid 40s but even when I have a horrible front nine somehow I shoot very low scores on the back nine and save my round ' practise I don't feel very nervous but every round I play seems to go that way and on different course's I think I need mental help haha

This thread 5 years old.  The world is different now. Now we start in the middle of the round.  Thanks to Steve Jobs.

My HC trend each year closely resembles a "Bell Curve"......LOL

I start the year low.........trend up as I knock off the rust through spring/early summer, and then back down through peak golf season to roughly where I started at the beginning of the year.