Did you have a "consistency breakthrough"?

[Rusty2228]

So as a relatively high handicapper it is no surprise that I lack consistency. I know the way to be more consistent is to practice, which I am doing. However, I am not seeing really any breakthroughs on large scales.

I don't have a consistent a consistent miss so it makes aiming and difficult. I am just as likely to shank a PW as I am to hit my driver out of bounds, so its not a typical "leave the driver in the bag" answer...actually as of late I have been hitting my driver the most consistent...since I am not consistent with contact my distances with irons is off. I can hit a 6 iron any where from 180yds to 2ft. I am inconsistent on the same hole. I will hit a beautiful drive and shank the next.

I am inconsistent in the round. I played last week I couldn't hit the ball solidly to save my life for the first seven holes...I then went par,par, birdie, par, bogey, birdie, bogey, par...triple, double, bogey. My two birdies were a par five I was on in two and a two putt, and a second shot with a 9 iron that was absolutely perfect and exactly the way I saw it in my head.

I have read Rotella and have a pretty consistent routine, but am not getting consistent results, and was wondering if there if people had experienced the same thing and there was an epiphany at some point.

Thanks.

[tm22721]

I have struggled with consistency from the beginning four years ago. I was ready to give up.

So I took a lesson from a good instructor last week and he pointed out my consistency problem was tempo. He said to take a nice slow practice swing then use the same swing but let the ball just 'get in the way'.

It didn't work at first because I still had an out-to-in swing path. So I tried tucking in my right elbow on the way down by driving it into my pants pocket. Something I picked up from the forum.

The initial result is much better consistency but only time can tell because I have had many relapses.

[rubbery]

I feel your pain. Thankfully though, when a certain part of my game decides to quit on me for a round, another one will always come through in the clutch. I've had days where every iron was about 8 feet of the ground, but it was a 280 yard bomb down the pipe that got me there. Days where it would take me 4 or 5 shots to hit a green, but I could count on that sucker to drop in 1 swing of the flat stick.

One thing that has started to work without fail for me is chipping though. I feel like I can get it up and down from just about anywhere now, and all that was is missing greens so often that I'm faced with the 10-30 yard chips I now love 10 or 12 times per round. Also practicing... a lot.

Tiger Woods said it best: "practice makes permanent."

[Avid Golfer]

  Rusty2228 said:

So as a relatively high handicapper it is no surprise that I lack consistency. I know the way to be more consistent is to practice, which I am doing. However, I am not seeing really any breakthroughs on large scales.

If you're practicing the wrong things you will be unlikely to see improvement. While your routine may be consistent if your setup fundimentals (like posture) aren't sound your swing will lack consistency. My advise is find a way (mirror, window reflection, or video) to check that you are doing what you think your doing correctly, and that it is a fundimentally sound (in other words something you see done by at least a few tour pros).

[Garthmo]

I think one important thing you have to do is have a consistant ball placment and stance. Even if you have the ball changing a couple of inches forward or back or even to close or to far away from where it should be from shot to shot will make a huge problem in your shots. If your keeping the ball in a consistant spot, and obviously where it should be you should help illiminate alot of miss hits. Then after that try to really get a consistant swing that isnt changing all the time. If you get those things down you wont be a pro but that will really help. I think.