Frt 9 good, back 9 bad

[Pete Beau]

I have been working on my swing and have lower my handicap 9 strokes, at 17 now. However, there is a bad trend in both golf rounds and range practice.

I will shoot around 44 or-so on the front 9 and then fall apart by the back 9, 52+ at times. By the back nine you would swear that I never played before. At the range the top 1/3 of the bucket is real good and then fall apart by the bottom. My drives will go from straight/ slight fade on front 9 to hacker-slice by the end. My son removes all sharp objects and guns from the house after golf for one day.

Very frustrated!! Any thoughts?

[BigAl5150]

I have been working on my swing and have lower my handicap 9 strokes, at 17 now. However, there is a bad trend in both golf rounds and range practice.

Funny quote about the sharp objects and guns! I went through the same thing (low 40's front, high 40's low 50's on back ). A couple of things worked for me: Making sure my bag was stocked with energy bars, etc. to eat on the course to maintain energy. Maintain the same thought process for the entire round. Shooting 42 on the front is great but that's in the past. Focus on the next shot: What is my target? Read any of Bob Rotella's books or Fearless Golf by Dr. Gio Valiante. At the range I get the smallest bucket possible (25-30) balls and spend 2/3 on wedges and 1/3 everything else.

[allin]

This sounds like a relaxation or effort issue. Are you putting more pressure on yourself? Trying to hit farther, score lower? Instead focus on the process of maintaining good breathing and basics of allignment and tempo instead of results. I was stuck at 18-20 forever, I am now down to 10.6 (just too chicken to change my signature in case I backslide) until I focused on the process instead of results. Golf does not seem to reward trying harder. Good luck.

[Seven Lakes]

I had the same thing happen to me on Friday at my home course.. Even par 2 birdies 2 bogeys on the front and my buddie clued me in and I got a little nervous and tried to protect that score....shot 81. I hate that. I think for me its that I need to stop caring as much and just focus on each shot and try to forget about the bad ones, I have a hard time letting go.

[Everardo]

One of the things that worked for is what Alan said, keep your energy level up and sustained throughout the round.

Don't add up your scores at the turn so as not to put pressure on yourself about "having" to shoot a lower score or a certain number on the back.

If you must add up your scores they try to break up your 18 holes into 3 six holes, just so you're looking at a lower number.

Learn from Phil, if your driver, fairway wood, etc isn't working then stop using it!

Use course management (again learn from Phil), you don't have to play every par 5 with driver, fariway wood, wedge. If you're strking your irons well then use them more, etc.

[DDBowdoin]

one swing at a time, one swing...

also, good points about energy bars... avoid gatorade and all that crap its soda without calling it coke, keep cold water with you at all time and just focus... stay in the zone

[pgonza2723]

I'm actually the opposite.... the last time I went out I shot a 50 on the front and a 38 on the back. It always takes me a while to get warmed up even though I hit balls on the range. I've done that a lot lately, struggled on the front and completely turned it around on the back.

[thehillgolfer]

i have the same problem you do...in my last junior event i shot 37/46 for an 83.. but i'm pretty sure i know the problem. one of course is lack of focus, the first 5 holes i was one under and it was raining, and because of the rain i was focusing, then it stopped and i let up. second of all and u might want to think about this is that the longer i play the more loose my swing gets. i'm pretty flexible and so the more into the round i get the harder it is for me to stay on plane and control the clubhead . the flipside of that is sometimes i'll get on the right plane and get a huge shoulder turn and crush the ball, but it doesnt happen as much as i would like....and it probably just goes back to more practice so i can keep repeating the same swing or whatever