Is fluctuation this bad? Great to terrible in one week!

[Rorys7iron]

Went from hitting my personal best 91 last week, losing the monthly stroke comp only because I quad bogeyed the last hole, a triple bogey would see me finish 68 net (I'm 22 hcp) and win outright. I finished tied second and had 1.8 knocked off my hcp

 

This week I learned to loosen my wrists and compress the ball better, first time I ever managed to consistently hit yardages. Practiced this new technique at the range Thursday, smashing the balls. Played 4 holes last night, again hitting them flush. 

 

Today at stroke play I could not swing to save my life, fat shots every where, lost confidence in my dispertion, only good thing was my driving and hybrid. 

 

I could not hit an iron at all.

 

Finished 54 on front 9 and 52 on back

 

Felt embarrassed as all the guys in the club were only talking about my great round last week 

 

Is this level of fluctuation to be expected? 

I was hitting the ball so well midweek 

 

Very disheartened ?

[Lihu]

Yes, there's a direct correlation to how bad you strike your long shots and your score. If you're a little unlucky you could easily lose 10 or more strokes.

Some days your short game is on fire while on others you end up barely making your statistical averages. Depending upon how well you hit this can easily account for roughly 5 or more strokes.

Crappy games happen at all levels of play, and the worse your swing, the wider the variation.

[MacDutch]

I am sorry to say, but yes.

A year or 5 ago, I scored my first under 90 round. I really felt like 'now I can golf', so next day I played an other course and could choose between the more difficult and the more easy course. Made an easy 110 on the more difficult course (not playing the tips). Golfgods are harsh.

[chilepepper]

Sadly it's the case for me sometimes. Monday I shot 81 Wednesday I shot 94. That golf for you

Edited April 22, 2017 by chilepepper

[DrvFrShow]

Yes, last year I was on course for a 42 on the front 9 on a par 37 (good for me) and then on the 7th hole had a blow up and ended with a 49. I couldn't hit the ball to save my life. Then shot a 43 on the back 9, also a par 37.

[chris3putt]

Went from a 79 one day (PB) to a 91 three days later. Same course, similar conditions.

Golf is hard.

[Denny Bang Bang]

@Rorys7iron my revision scores on my current index range from 78 to 96.  Tough game, but you'll start to string the better rounds together the more you play and gain the confidence to shoot those scores.

Congrats on the new personal best!  You will do it again, and even better!

[baller7345]

As everyone above me has said, yes the variation is quite normal.

I shot a 78 Friday after work, went out today and followed that up with an 89.  The difference, a few putts and 4 bad holes.  2 triples and 2 doubles killed me, add a couple of missed putts that I made Friday and you have the 11 strokes.  It happens.

[Alx]

Near the end of last season I shot my 2 best rounds a nine hole 37(+1) and 18 hole 79(+7).

A week later I struggled to even find clubface and shot a 92.

A week from that I was hitting it so bad I was genuinly afraid someone was going to get killed by my wayward shot. I could not even finish the round. The last 2 holes I hit 10 balls of the tee into hazards/ob. 3w suddenly massive slices/miss the ball, irons shank/slice and even wedge were dead cold shanks. Every. Single. Shot. No score on the last 2 holes.

Unfortunately it can get pretty bad...

[CarlSpackler]

When I first saw this, I though it said Flatuation, not Fluctuation. =]

It's pretty normal. I tend to look at the trend, because weather conditions are different from round to round as well as pin placements, etc. 

[Patch]

Happens to everyone. It happened to me last month. On my home course I had an 81. Next day I played a TPC course, and shot a 93. Two days later, at a course I know, but rarely play, I shot a 78. The TPC round was in just about perfect weather, and course conditions. 

I don't think handicap has much to do with fluctuating scores. They are going to happen to everyone. Only difference is, is that those fluctuating scores are relative to the player's talent level. 

[RH31]

22 hours ago, Rorys7iron said:

 

Is this level of fluctuation to be expected? 

I was hitting the ball so well midweek 

 

Very disheartened ?

Some golfers are fairly consistent, some are streaky.

I once shot 70 with a handful of birdies an eagle etc., and the next day shot 83, on the same course with more or less the same conditions.

Golf can be that way, you think you got it, but its got you....

[Loose Cannon]

15 hours ago, baller7345 said:

As everyone above me has said, yes the variation is quite normal.

I shot a 78 Friday after work, went out today and followed that up with an 89.  The difference, a few putts and 4 bad holes.  2 triples and 2 doubles killed me, add a couple of missed putts that I made Friday and you have the 11 strokes.  It happens.

Exactly the opposite.  89 yesterday, one of the worst rounds in a long time.  79 today.  Same course.  Same clubs.  Same player.  10 strokes different in 24 hours.

I am making every attempt to tell this 70 year old body that it can play 18 holes 7 days/week.  Some days it is rebelling.  Other days, it seems ready to play. 

"Fluctuation"??  Karsten sold thousands of Ping irons based on the "dot" system.  Players were fit to within 1 degree of lie angle.  Most of us who play this game for enjoyment could not repeat the same swing two weeks in a row... two days in a row... two swings in a row.  Some days, the driver works.  Some days it doesn't.  Some days the putter needs a talking to.  Some days the putter is my best friend.  I've learned over the years to take the round the Golf Gods has blessed me with on that day.  So many my age are unable to play this Great Game due to physical, emotional, financial, etc. issues.  If I shoot 89 again tomorrow, I'll be disappointed... but not upset.  I also know I can go out tomorrow and shoot 75.  If something hurts tomorrow, I know I woke up.  That is much more important than a few strokes fluctuation in the carded score.

[uitar9]

I seem to have a 30-shot shot dispersion.  Last year it was 78-108. Year before it was 88-118.

This is a hard game for me

[Bucki1968]

Golf is fickle...Tuesday I go out and shoot 71. Saturday...83 (although I was really hungover). I think maybe that had more to do with the score. I could be wrong.

[Hategolf]

Then Sandbaggers are not real?  If you play with a guy who has shot 90 when you first played with him/her and then that player shoots 79..what do you say? 

I supposed lower handicappers fluctuation range is expected to be shorter.

Recently at my skill level my range so far seems to be between 5 and 8 shots. I can see that it could creep to 10 shots in pretty bad round. 

My best was 85 a long time a go, I just got very lucky....then recently a true 88, meaning good swings, good drives and good fair short game..but most of my recent rounds are in the 90 to 94 range or so. If I was to shoot 82 tomorrow, I would not believe I have improved that much, I would know that I only got away with a bunch of good misses.