I need tips to avoid my horrible start to each round

[Todd Ruggere]

There is no one in the history of golf that starts off more poorly than me. I regularly shoot 44-36 and scores like that. I never par the 1st couple holes. The other day i started off Double, Triple, Double, then played the next 11 holes -2. I do it EVERY round. It's crazy. The way i start bad is completely random. I could be shanking, slicing, hooking, hitting ground balls, or anything. Then all of a sudden on the 4th or 5th hole I'm hitting it pure.

Does anyone have any tips for me besides going out and playing 9 holes before every round? I also do this on the driving range. This morning i got a tiny bucket (30 balls). I know going in that the 1st 15 or so will be fat, thin, grounders and the final 15 will be back to my old self. Help. I'm sick of this.

[iacas]

Need more info: how do you prepare?

Do you park, get your clubs out of the trunk, and head to the first tee, or what?

[David in FL]

Do you hit a warm up bucket before you play?

The last few balls in my warm up, I like to replicate the full-swing shots, in order, that I expect to face on the first three holes.  For example, my home course starts with a par-5, a par-4, and a par-3, so I'll hit driver, hybrid, GW, driver, 6-iron, 5-iron (off tee).

Something like that might help.....

[Todd Ruggere]

There is a driving range near the 1st tee where you can get 30 ball buckets for $3 (irons only). So you can hit a few before you start. It doesn't seem to matter though, its crazy. This has been going on for 10+ years. The tourneys i am usually in are different formats of 4 man teams, so i can get away with it. When I am in tourneys that are medal play I'm behind the 8 ball immediately.

[Patch]

When I warm up just before a round, I always finish my warm up with the club I will be using off the first tee. An accurate first tee shot sets the stage for the rest of the round. If the golfer is going to use a driver off the first tee, why would a golfer finish their warm up with a wedge, or even a putter?

[isukgolf]

@Patch I  I "end" my warm up with the "good" drive, since that is club I most often use on hole #1 ... however, I will a lot times leave the last 3-4 balls for a wedge ... I really execute that swing so well with transfer of weight, hips, inside-out, etc ... and hit the ball really well ... that it leaves a "good positive" image in my head, and even a good swing tempo ... the driver is not a club that instills that confidence factor, and that is why I quit after a "good" drive with some balls left over ... I don't want to chunk the last ball with the driver ...

I then walk to the putting green and wait for my group to be called ...

But that just me ...