this is such a frustrating game.

[clearwaterms]

Short background.

Over the winter I committed myself to becomming is a better golfer. I took a few lessons, read Hogan's five lesson's. I am spending more time at the range, and my time at the range is focused on improving something, and not just banging golf balls into a field.

That being said, my first round out this spring was the best round of my early season. I shot an impressive 10 over (for 9 holes, and was 3-4 strokes better then my best score all last year)

The problem is that every round after that has gotten worse, until yesterday.

Yesterday I went to shoot a quick 9 afterwork. I shot the following score
+3,+2,+3,+2,+1,Par,+1,-1,-1 for a 10 over. I shot 1 under on the last 4 but 11 over on the first 5.

I'm not saying I have within my ability to shoot par through a full 9, but I have had several swing coaches and playing partners tell me if I put my game together I could break 90 with ease.

Comments?
Thoughts?

[powerfader]

I think everyone believes they have the ability to shoot 10 below what they score every weekend. I shoot in the mid eighties but its usually pars, bogies, the odd (extremely rare) bird and without fail one unmitigated disaster. As for your game, just looking at your scores you started fairly slugishly and warmed up toward the end; perhaps spend a couple of minutes stretching and limbering up instead of jumping out of the car onto the first tee.

[clearwaterms]

I think everyone believes they have the ability to shoot 10 below what they score every weekend. I shoot in the mid eighties but its usually pars, bogies, the odd (extremely rare) bird and without fail one unmitigated disaster. As for your game, just looking at your scores you started fairly slugishly and warmed up toward the end; perhaps spend a couple of minutes stretching and limbering up instead of jumping out of the car onto the first tee.

No doubt. I have been fighting a nasty cold all week, and literally went from the car through the club house to the first tee. I had intended on hitting the range for a quick bucket before hand, but wasn't able to get there in time.

I read an article recently in Golf Digest that explains a golfers expectations, and do agree with you that often times golfers set their expectations way to high. I don't believe I could shot 9 over on a given 9, but do have that as my goal.

[buttuh]

I think the thing that separate us and good golfers is consistency. We're all capable of shooting under par, just not for the entire round. I find that I do better when I break my round down to smaller rounds of 3 holes. My goal is to shoot a 12 or better for every 3 holes. If I happen to shoot a 15 for the first 3 holes, I forget about it and start my next round from hole 4 through 6. That helps me get my mind off of the bad streaks.

[clearwaterms]

I think the thing that separate us and good golfers is consistency. We're all capable of shooting under par, just not for the entire round. I find that I do better when I break my round down to smaller rounds of 3 holes. My goal is to shoot a 12 or better for every 3 holes. If I happen to shoot a 15 for the first 3 holes, I forget about it and start my next round from hole 4 through 6. That helps me get my mind off of the bad streaks.

thats a great methodology. I will often times not keep score, just keeping score on the good holes. Bogey or better gets written down. At the end of the day, the hope is that by the end of the season I am shooting 6 or 7 good holes where right now it maybe 4 or 5.

[umpiremark]

Break your game improvement down into little chunks. Using just that one "quick" nine, you said you went +11 then -1. What part of that nine jumped out as most glaring? Driving? Chipping? How many putts did you have?

My point is this: work on improving the part of your overall game that is choking you to death right now - not the entire game. Example: I can shoot in the mid-80's (on a good day). My driving always would get me in trouble. The game is so much easier if played from the middle of the short grass after driver, setting up your next shot. So I worked on my driving. Yes, we only use a driver 14 times in 18 holes (maybe) but a shank in the woods, a plop in the pond will ruin the start of every driver hole if we don't hit the fairway. So I worked on consistently hitting the fairway. I'd glady give up 15 yards to be center cut, short grass.

Once my driving was under control (better, not great, mind you), I concentrated on my game where I could put my approach shots on the green. If on par 4's I could hit the fairway (goal #1) then hit the green (goal #2) I'm two putts away from a par; maybe even an occassional birdie.

Pick small parts of your game and improve the most damaging, one at a time. Don't move on to goal #2, or #3 until you're satisfied you've controlled gola #1, and so on. That's my advice! Sorry about the long-winded answer.

[clearwaterms]

Break your game improvement down into little chunks. Using just that one "quick" nine, you said you went +11 then -1. What part of that nine jumped out as most glaring? Driving? Chipping? How many putts did you have?

no doubt - the biggest problem I had was getting off the tee box. The holes that I shot -1 were a par 3 that I bogey'd. and 3 par 4's that I shot par and two birdies. All three of those I one putted. The early holes I was tee'ing the ball to low and topping it. The par 4's I have always sturggled with a slice in my driver.

[kevin.chan]

Short background.

Thats the beauty of this game

There were once I hot 45 ( +10 ) on the front nine and 32 ( -4 ) on the Back. Aint that wonderful ?

[Brakkus]

Played a round with a 10 handicapper this last monday and he couldn't believe I was still shooting low 100's.The only thing he said I needed work on was the touch shots around the green,and more specifically chipping closer,pitching closer and working on my long putts.

I think if you judge your round by the score it doesn't always tell the whole story.Like someone else said focus on an area that needs improvement,it could be the difference of lowering your score 3-5 strokes,but if you went through your whole game like this it's possible to find 10.

I look to hit specific strokes more solidly more of the time,then when the pressure is on hopefully each round my swing holds together better with each swing that I take.

[Damien45]

Something to consider is how you hit every club. I know that for the longest time I never used my driver while playing because controlling it was near disasterous. I teed off with a 2i because I could get it in the fairway at a decent distance (220yrds). If you have control of your irons and pretty consistant distances, give that a go while you work on your driver at the range.

I totally agree with umpiremark. You really need to focus on the bad areas and prioritize them. Since the driver is a very difficult club to hit, it may be better to work on it at the range as opposed to the course.

Lastly, warm up. Make a little time for the range before you hit the course. I usually do much better when I do that. Make the range time count. Hitting the ball great there isn't as important as getting your game tempo. Start with some chip/pitch shots, full wedge shots, low to mid irons, and then your driver. Don't try killing the ball as much as swinging smooth. Then go back to some chip/pitch and finish with some putting. This should help you warm up, set, and maintain a tempo for your round.

[TheLauncher]

clearwater, I had a very similar experience playing nine last night. I began on an easy par five and managed to take an eight. After bogeying the next, a difficult par three, I scored three pars in a row, including the most challenging hole on the course, a 550 yd uphill par five with a postage stamp sloping green. I felt like a golfer. I then proceeded to triple the ninth, double the first, three putt the second for bogey and double the third to end my round and card a 47.

It's frustrating because i know I am up to shooting in the low 40's or even breaking 40, but I have yet to be able to do so. The biggest thing for me is being able to maintain the level of focus had for that three to four hole stretch last night. Sometimes all it takes is a poorly stuck tee shot, a visibly angry playing partner or congestion on the course ahead or behind to throw me off kilter and problems can begin to snowball. I do best when I think of each shot discretely (that is, by itself) and try not to think about how I lie three 40 yds short of the green, for example. I just treat it as pitch that I need to put close.

At different points in my rounds over the last three years, I have hit all of the shots I would need to score in the low 80's. However, what I haven't been able to do is string those shots together in the way that the game of golf requires to score well.

It is frustrating to know you have the skill to play well and not be able to put it all together for a round. Conversely, at least for me, it is exhilarating to play to your potential, even if it is for one shot or one hole. Doubtless it is what keeps us coming back to the game. Be patient and the good stretches will be come more frequent and longer lasting. I have a tendency to be a bit pessimistic myself, but in order to improve I need to be able to exhilaration at least as much, if not more, than the frustration.

And sorry for the rambling incoherence, but I know exactly where you're coming from. Hang in there man, and definitely believe you have within you to shot below 45. You never know.

[kevin.chan]

If your score for the one round is like this

0,0,0,-1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,+1,0,0,0,+5

Total = 77

would you be happy or frustrated ?

LOL !

[JonnyGolf]

Short background.

Taking a "few" lessons is not really committing to be a better golfer. It's a step in the right direction, but you probably need to commit to a single coach for 10 lessons or more. The problem is that golfers make changes from coaching, then gradually move away from those because they don't get consistent feedback. At your level, you need to get a lot of feedback until you get a better self-awareness of your swing.

[Danattherock]

Short background.

How much did you practice your putting this winter? This is something that needs regularly honing. I bet you keep playing in the coming weeks and your putting picks up. Muscle memory and all. My putting sucks when I take time off. After a few rounds, I get back in the groove of things. That could very well drop you a stroke on a hole. Faster than anything else I would say. Lets say you save one stroke putting on every other hole. You just dropped your score by 9 strokes. We will just round that to 10 strokes. So your 96 just turned into an 86! That is one heck of an improvement man. Keep your head up (except while on the practice putting green of course)

[PEZGolf]

Short background.

Based on what the swing coaches have said, and the way your round just went (1 under on the last 4), you have the potential to score much better and be consistent. Sure, golf can be frustrating, but your situation offers hope. When you analyze why your round was bad, and then improved at the end, what did you discover? Were you swinging too fast in the beginning because you were in a hurry to get there? You did write "quick 9", did you not?

[clearwaterms]

Taking a "few" lessons is not really committing to be a better golfer. It's a step in the right direction, but you probably need to commit to a single coach for 10 lessons or more. The problem is that golfers make changes from coaching, then gradually move away from those because they don't get consistent feedback. At your level, you need to get a lot of feedback until you get a better self-awareness of your swing.

no doubt. I have taken 3 lessons thus far, and plan to take alot more. The problem is that my budget only allows me to take about 1 lesson a month. So I will continue taking lessons and working on my game, but I can not afford to do it any faster.

[clearwaterms]

Based on what the swing coaches have said, and the way your round just went (1 under on the last 4), you have the potential to score much better and be consistent. Sure, golf can be frustrating, but your situation offers hope. When you analyze why your round was bad, and then improved at the end, what did you discover? Were you swinging too fast in the beginning because you were in a hurry to get there? You did write "quick 9", did you not?

I was struggling getting off the Tee. After the 5th hole, one of my playing partners suggested I tee it up a little higher as I was topping it. Trying that gave me a good tee shot for the last 5 holes. Often times a poor tee shot leads me into a bad mindset for the remainder of the hole.

[umpiremark]

Due to the force of the downswing on the shaft, the club actually bends in an arc back towards your legs and arms. The club, in essence, get's shorter by fractions of an inch. Always tee the ball with its equator equal to the top of your driver.