The frustrations of being a "new" golfer

[kilbyman]

So about 1 year into playing golf. I'm at a 31.7 handicap. I don't know if thats good or not for starting the game as an adult. You guys can tell me. Anyways, the frustrating thing is that two weeks ago I shot a 43 on the front nine of my home course (-9). Today I shot a 65 (+13). Being inconsistent is so incredibly frustrating. When I'm on, I'm hitting shots well, running chips right next to the hole, putting awesome, etc. But days like today, I'm hitting everything fat and thin, missing routine putts, skulling every wedge, and I mean EVERY wedge.

I guess I just wanted to air my frustration and want to know if I will ever get some form of consistency.

[Dad-2-3]

I guess I just wanted to air my frustration and want to know if I will ever get some form of consistency.

Welcome to golf, where PGA pros routinely shoot 10 shots better or worse than the day before. Heck look at Rory this past weekend. +1 for two rounds and -16 for the next two rounds.

[joepro23]

So about 1 year into playing golf. I'm at a 31.7 handicap. Anyways, the frustrating thing is that two weeks ago I shot a 43 on the front nine of my home course (-9). Today I shot a 65 (+13).

What do you mean by 43 (-9) and 65 (+13)? I didn't know they had par 52s in Indiana.

Is 52 your average score for 9 or are you cutting your handicap in half to come up with what you should shoot for 9? Don't forget, the handicap index is not your average score and most people only shoot their handicap 1 out of 4 rounds. As far as the golf itself, keep working at it and consistency will come. Don't be surprised though if it goes away once you find it!

[goblue107501]

Get used to it. Just the way it is.

[mhenrickson]

I would say you're doing pretty good if you can shoot a 43. I've also been golfing for about a year, and have yet to break 50 on 9 holes. I'm also wickedly inconsistent. Shoot pretty well (for me) one weekend, next weekend can't stike the ball well at all.

[golfaddiction]

Unfortunately you'll only improve with more practice. Get out there as much as possible, keep a positive attitude, and work on your game.

[Travtex]

I started a year ago... Oh, I started in the summer sometime. Will be a year in June or July. I'm hovering around a 25HC, though that's estimated (Once I get some financial recovery from the move/job switch/etc, I'm hoping to get in enough rounds to establish a for-real HC). Best for 9 so far is a +8, though my average is hovering closer to +12.

My problem has been wild inconsistency as everyone else has mentioned. One thing that's been killing me is the Early Blow-Up Hole. The first part of my scorecard can look like +4, +2, Par, Par, +1, +1 and so on. Really sucks out your focus to crap up the first hole and go into the round knowing that this isn't the day.

Dramatic Grip Change is showing promising results so far, so my goal for the year is Bogey.

[Philip9210]

I've played 17 recorded rounds since last fall, and my handicap is currently 30, but I also have the same thing, except I will be doing very well except for two blowup holes that end up killing my score. Recently I've been sticking my wedges, so my scores will begin to fall, and I believe they should begin to fall quickly because of the wedge play I have been working on. Now, I just have to have the control to not bring out the driver and use something safe to avoid my blowup holes. Play for a 5 on every hole and you will shoot a 90, save a few here and there and you're playing in the high 80's. Good Luck!

[CarlSpackler]

I think the key to golf is staying on an even keel no matter the circumstances. I try to keep my breathing and emotions consistent if I just sank a 20' birdie putt or hooked a shot out of bounds. Consistency will come with time and practice, assuming you are practicing the right way and working with a good teacher. Educate yourself on swing mechanics by reading (Hogan's 5 Lessons is a good start) and practice, practice, practice. The only way the game will beat you is through frustration. Get out and enjoy no matter what the score.

[kilbyman]

I'm currently taking lessons. To answer the poster's above questions, my scores are referencing 9 hole rounds.

[saevel25]

Go see a Pro who can get your set up good, your alignment right and check out your grip. Then just work on the fundamentals till you get them down. Your swing will slowly take shape until you you get comfortable.

Also, if your handicap is 32 for 18 holes, i would say go to the putting green and practice that 50% of your time. Stop the 3 putts, then work on your short game a ton. Make sure you can get out of bunkers. I have scene people wast countless number of times in a bunker. I know alot of people will say work on ball striking, but if you have a bad day of ball striking short game and putting can save you. Golf is a complete game, but majority of the time is spent on and around the green, you should practice that the most. As my highschool coach would tell us, "No three putts, and cut out the big number" If that means you punch out into the fairway for a longer 3rd shot, than taking a chance hitting a tree, punch out.

[kilbyman]

The frustration is that putting isn't the issue. I rarely 3 putt. It's just my ballstriking. Some days its on, some days it's awful. And driver is the most reliable club in the bag too. My fairway clubs, irons, and wedges are what's unreliable.

[zeg]

Even if your putting isn't the issue, recognize that it becomes more important as you get more control over your longer shots. Right now, if you're like me, you are rarely on the green from outside 90-100 yards. Longer shots usually miss, so you get to chip on. As a result, you are seeing mostly short (< 20 foot) putts. When you start hitting the green from farther out, you're likely to see more 30-40 footers, at least for a while. For me, this is a problem because I'm better at 40 foot chips than I am at putts. Thus, I was averaging < 2 putts per hole until recently. My scores have dropped, but I'm seeing a lot more 3 putts. Most of these are from outside 30 feet because I rarely practice the long lag putts, so have very poor speed control.

Also, for the early blow-ups, two things can help. One is to make sure you warm up with a few range balls before you get up. I find it's best to do that well before playing, then chip and putt for a while. Even with that, I pretty much always open with a +2. I've learned to recognize this, so I set my expectations accordingly. On my usual course, my goal on the first hole is no longer to beat +2, it's to be on or just off the green in 3. If I do that, I feel good about the first hole, and I don't get hung up on having 3-putted or chunked a chip since I've conceded I'll probably double bogey. Eventually of course I hope to improve on it, but this way I don't also screw up the next hole just out of frustration.

[Travtex]

Yeah, it's 100% mental for me. Doesn't seem to matter... warm up, don't warm up, what type of hole (I tripled an opening Par 3 the other day, top, chunk, top, chip, putt, putt... talk about going on tilt, lol).

Haven't found a Pro in my new area, yet... and didn't actually have much luck -before- I moved. Feeling pretty good reaching mid 20's just winging it, but I think without more help I'm going to have an iffy ceiling at best.

[GaijinGolfer]

You will get more consistency eventually but until then just hang in there. Golf is a very difficult game to be good at and it takes years (or longer) to get to the point where you can make par on a regular basis.

[Blades4me]

So about 1 year into playing golf. I'm at a 31.7 handicap. I don't know if thats good or not for starting the game as an adult. You guys can tell me. Anyways, the frustrating thing is that two weeks ago I shot a 43 on the front nine of my home course (-9). Today I shot a 65 (+13). Being inconsistent is so incredibly frustrating. When I'm on, I'm hitting shots well, running chips right next to the hole, putting awesome, etc. But days like today, I'm hitting everything fat and thin, missing routine putts, skulling every wedge, and I mean EVERY wedge.

LOL, welcome to golf. You know golf spelled backwards is FLOG. We all have those rounds; this is one very good reason to practice the short game cuz it can save the bacon on days like that.

[14ledo81]

After reading this thread, I am beginning to believe this is the norm. I am no different. Started playing last august, but I did not get serious about improving until late September. I also rarely have issues with the driver or woods off a tee. Chipping and putting are not great, but not bad either, surely not bad enough to blame bad scores on. My problem is consistency with my irons. When I am on, I can hit them great. My 7 iron will carry 150 with a bit of a draw. When Im not tho, I might thin it 135, or worse yet, chunk it 90.
I was hitting my irons good during a 9 hole round a couple of weeks ago, and I shot a 44. This was with hitting a drive that missed the fairway by 10 yards, right into a pond, so the round could have easily been a 42. This is what makes me search the hardest for consistency with my irons, because if I can hit them well, I know I can put up a decent score.
I believe the hardest thing to do in golf is to control the swing bottom. This is why I have less issues with driver and woods off a tee, they can be hit decently when coming down a little, flat, or ascending. With the irons however, we dont have this leniency. I truely believe when I can consistenly control the bottom of my swing arc, good things will come. I would like to hear what others think of this.

[saevel25]

If you are chunking them or loosing distance it sounds your flipping your hands at the ball, and bottoming out early in the golf swing. You can get away with this on your driver and woods because there teed up, but for irons its not good. I would work on staying connected more, like i posted in other threads you want to feel like your lower body starts the downswing, it unwinds through the abdominals and your shoulders then rotate from that resistance in the muscles of your core. This will whip your arms through, all you need to do is just let your arms naturally release through and get extension. The weight of the clubhead will pull your body around you through impact, so your hands don't need to do much with the club. If you start hooking, thats because your flipping them over.