Struggling with your game...

swededmonkey

I've been struggling with my game the last few months. Consistently inconsistent is my biggest problem. I can play to and above my handicap for a large part of the round but always seem to scratch 3 or 4 holes which makes a mess of my card is always the difference between a poor score and a respectable score. Any tips or advice to get out of this rut?

ShivasIrons

swededmonkey wrote: »

I've been struggling with my game the last few months. Consistently inconsistent is my biggest problem. I can play to and above my handicap for a large part of the round but always seem to scratch 3 or 4 holes which makes a mess of my card is always the difference between a poor score and a respectable score. Any tips or advice to get out of this rut?

The obvious and only answer is to get a lesson, nobody can give you advice unless they see you swing and play.

kopkidda

swededmonkey wrote: »

always seem to scratch 3 or 4 holes which makes a mess of my card is always the difference between a poor score and a respectable score.

Isn't that about 90% of handicap golfers though.

GreeBo

Your swing is probably too reliant on timing of the hands due to some swing flaw.

Some days you have good timing, others you don't.

If you are serious about golf then you probably need to book a couple of lessons and "re-build" your swing to be more consistent.
Not a fun thing to be doing during the summer though.

If not that serious then you just gotta accept that golf is hard and a bad day golfing can be a very un-enjoyable day, but it still sure beats a lot of other things!

valoren

If you always seem to scratch 3 or 4 holes then what is causing the scratches?
Poor tee shots or frittering away shots from 120 yards and closer?
When playing keep a mental note of the holes you play. Then make detailed notes what happened on each hole.
e.g.
8th hole - Pulled drive 5 yards from target into left rough. Heavy 9 iron just short of green. Great chip to 3 feet. 1 putt. Par.
9th hole - 3 wood draw from tee into position A. 5 iron to middle of green. 3 putts. Bogey.

You'll start to see weaknesses and that's where you need to practice. You can't manage what you can't measure etc

billy3sheets

ShivasIrons wrote: »

The obvious and only answer is to get a lesson, nobody can give you advice unless they see you swing and play.

Well, while lessons are certainly good, the above is not quite totally true.

If the scratches are coming on the same holes, maybe try a different tactic in playing them.
Use your shot on a hole if you have one. Don't go for the "Hollywood" shot, but opt for 2 shorted shots instead.
If you're blazing balls out of bounds or into trouble with the driver, maybe go with a lesser club.


So you maybe get a 1 point instead of a scratch.

stockdam

i think most people feel that they play well and if it wasn't for 3 or 4 holes then they would have a good score. That's just the life of a golfer.

One day it will all come good and you'll have the round of the year.

What can you do about it? Well what's causing you most problems? Poor driving or just random poor shots?

Maybe try playing safe and defensively to see if that helps. Just play whatever shot keeps the ball in play and away from trouble. Practice your short game as this can turn a DB into a par.

swededmonkey

stockdam wrote: »

i think most people feel that

What can you do about it? Well what's causing you most problems? Poor driving or just random poor shots?

It's a combination of both. I have been pulling drives alot lately. When it functions. it's a very strong asset to my game but not something I can rely upon to get me a score. Short game and putting are probably the main factors in my scores not being worse than they are! Hopefully it stays that way!

Spent some time up at the range this evening focusing on shortening my backswing to help stay in control a little bit more. Seemed to help, I was much more consistent and felt more confident striking the ball. Sunday will tell me how much use that's been!

ShivasIrons

billy3sheets wrote: »

Well, while lessons are certainly good, the above is not quite totally true.

If the scratches are coming on the same holes, maybe try a different tactic in playing them.
Use your shot on a hole if you have one. Don't go for the "Hollywood" shot, but opt for 2 shorted shots instead.
If you're blazing balls out of bounds or into trouble with the driver, maybe go with a lesser club.


So you maybe get a 1 point instead of a scratch.

Not all lessons are about technique

swededmonkey

39 points today with two scratches. Adjustments to my swing need honed in a little further, but my all round game was significantly better.