Inconsistency

[123Putt]

So I finally decided to join a golf forum in order to vent my frustration.

I started playing golf when I was 12, joined a club etc, got my handicap to about 18 but then I stopped aged 15 and instead became a "now and again" type guy. Then 2 and a half years ago when I was 19, I decided to pick it up again. I knew it would take time to get back into the proper rhythm and all that, so I was patient, and picked at bits of my swing, changing things etc.

Now I come on to my main area of annoyance. A week ago today I played probably the best round of golf of my life, I shot 7 over (I was +6 by 10th due to 2 lost balls in 4 shots) on a course I had never played before. All drives went up the middle, irons were good, chipping was good, putting was good. Normally one area of my game decides to stay at home, but that day everything turned up. Naturally I was excited by this and went again 2 days later albeit on a different course. I left after 11 holes in the fear of losing all those precious Pro-V1s I rummaged through gorse for. I wondered how on earth someone's game can become so drastically altered in the space of 2 days, even when everything ~felt~ the same in the swing. I went to the same course I shot +7 on a week ago today...today. It was horrible. Driving was erratic, irons were none existent, chipping should have been called shanking and putting was actually not too bad (wet greens). Thankfully on the 18th I managed to hit my 9 iron 140 to within 12 feet and sank the birdie putt in front of the clubhouse, pro shop and admiring bystanders, but this was the greatest ruse in history.

Anyway, I am wondering if any of you suffer from such glaring inconsistency and pleading for tips on how to become more consistent in ball striking and accuracy.

Much appreciated

[Mr3Wiggle]

Originally Posted by 123Putt

So I finally decided to join a golf forum in order to vent my frustration.

I started playing golf when I was 12, joined a club etc, got my handicap to about 18 but then I stopped aged 15 and instead became a "now and again" type guy. Then 2 and a half years ago when I was 19, I decided to pick it up again. I knew it would take time to get back into the proper rhythm and all that, so I was patient, and picked at bits of my swing, changing things etc.

Now I come on to my main area of annoyance. A week ago today I played probably the best round of golf of my life, I shot 7 over (I was +6 by 10th due to 2 lost balls in 4 shots) on a course I had never played before. All drives went up the middle, irons were good, chipping was good, putting was good. Normally one area of my game decides to stay at home, but that day everything turned up. Naturally I was excited by this and went again 2 days later albeit on a different course. I left after 11 holes in the fear of losing all those precious Pro-V1s I rummaged through gorse for. I wondered how on earth someone's game can become so drastically altered in the space of 2 days, even when everything ~felt~ the same in the swing. I went to the same course I shot +7 on a week ago today...today. It was horrible. Driving was erratic, irons were none existent, chipping should have been called shanking and putting was actually not too bad (wet greens). Thankfully on the 18th I managed to hit my 9 iron 140 to within 12 feet and sank the birdie putt in front of the clubhouse, pro shop and admiring bystanders, but this was the greatest ruse in history.

Anyway, I am wondering if any of you suffer from such glaring inconsistency and pleading for tips on how to become more consistent in ball striking and accuracy.

Much appreciated

My tip.  You need to practice.  Your swing is probably inconsistent and has a lot of unneccessary moving parts (given that you are just getting back into the game).  It takes years to ingrain a consistent swing.  Even then it will come and go.  Also, never confuse a really good round as your "new normal".  Lots of golfer will go out and shoot the round of their life and then assume thats what they should shoot from now on.  Then they are upset everytime they play their normal game.

[TomK82]

U picked a good site!

[123Putt]

I hear what you're saying a la practice and pounding home those motor movements, but +7 is a long way from whatever the hell I shot today (probably +20). I just have trouble understanding how that gap is possible when everything I was doing a week ago feels exactly the same as what I was doing today. I've been toying with the idea of setting up "range" in my garage, so maybe I will do that just to hit 50 balls before I go to the course. Loosen up etc.

[skillzwhogolfs]

I have been having the same problem lately and I do practice a lot (missed 2 days in last 3 weeks) I got fed up and started to have fun and still play good by using big fades and draws to my advantage, first round of 42 wasn't bad and the shots looked cool. hopefully I am able to get consistent with this and possibly get better. But I know what you are going though.

[Adam Young]

Tiger woods can shoot 63 one day - 75 the next. 12 shot swing in the space of a day, even though he has been practising for 30 years or more, sometimes 8 hours a day or more. It's not that a top pro is more consistent - it's that their overall level is better.

But to answer your question, it is usually clubface and strike control. They are very variable from day to day and shot to shot. you should be working on a load of drills to improve your awareness and skill in these areas and things will get better. Also, one of the previous replies was really true.... when you shoot a good round your expectation goes up. you go home and focus more on the good shots you hit, amplifying them in your mind and embellishing them to yourself and others. now, when you go out and play again, an average shot is deemed as a poor shot - you start to wonder what went wrong and then BOOM, downward spiral. Things get worse, you get more frustrated, even try tinkering with the swing again to get the old one back ..... enter a poor round. Now you go home and embellish the bad shots to yoruself. All you visualise is the poor ones you hit, leading to a dip in form. Then the reverse happens as you get to the lowest point in your golf. It's called the form cycle. The way around this is to go through the bad shots you hit after a good round, and the good shots you hit after a bad round (in your head). This will restore mental equilibrium and avoid you getting over confident or under confident - consistency arrives.

[123Putt]

Thanks for the tips!