Inconsistent!!!

Ok, so does anyone have any tips to help with being inconsistent? I know that is a hard question without seeing me play but I'm getting frustrated. I know I have some talent. You don't birdie holes without having at least some game.

I just can't ever seem to keep it together for more than a few holes. For instance,today I shot an 89 despite 2 pars and 3 birdies. Now some of that was my putting, but otherwise it's usually just me falling apart. Heres my round.

front 9
Triple bogey to start
bogey
birdie
bogey
double bogey
bogey
bogey
birdie
double bogey

back 9
par
double bogey
double bogey
double bogey
birdie
par
bogey
double bogey
bogey

Is this normal? Any tips thoughts or ideas are welcome. Thanks!

Consistency comes with practice. I know that seems like a "cop out" answer, but it really is there. The other thing that I can tell anybody that wants to get more consistency is to practice short game and most do not spend a ton of time with it. Its amazing to see people miss shots and rather than even coming close to getting up and down, they waste another 4 shots around the green. Chipping and shots inside of 30 yards can change the way a person scores and help eliminate big numbers.

Another thing I can tell you that worked with me is eliminating the big number. Hit a bad shot? Take your lumps and play to a number and take the bogey. Double bogeys kill amateur golfers because we do not birdie enough to make up for them. Try and eliminate any number higher than a 5 on the score card by playing to numbers that leave shots you are comfortable with.

I agree with JB. I have a few pals that can get more birdies than me in a round, but will shoot 10-15 strokes higher than me. When they get the GIR, they can often make the birdie or par. But if they miss the green (even if by only 10 or so feet), they often cannot get up and down and frequently cannot even get the bogey. They have the potential to be good and consistent, but neglect what I consider to be one of the most important aspects of the game.

On the other end, I have a few pals that can make par when they hit the fairway (or have a good lie in the rough), but they only have that about 30 percent of the time. The other times, they are hitting into the woods, water or who knows and adding at least 1 more stroke to the hole.

The most important clubs are you driver, wedge and putter. Figure those out, and you figure out consistency. I am still trying to figure it out myself.

I just read Golf is Not a Game of Perfect by Bob Rotella. Part of consistency I've found in addition to practice is being strong mentally to bounce back after a bad hole. His book definitely helps in that regard. Get it from the library or Amazon, you won't be disappointed. Golf really is mental.

+2 on JB's suggestion on playing to a number. I have yet to score my first birdie (came 1.5" away though last Friday), so my main goal is try to keep each hole at bogey or better. Improvements in my short game have helped with that tremendously. Also helps to have confidence (sometimes even swagger) in your putting. GIRs for me are few and far between, so GIR + 1 is my goal with the mindset of "I can make par if I 1-putt". And if I don't make par with a 1-putt, I can live with bogey by 2-putting.

Also, like flowrider, I'm currently reading Rotella's book. Definitely recommended- plenty of cheap copies on eBay for about $9 or less.

Agree with all of the above, especially the short game stuff - Every decent round I have I look back and realise I chipped & putted well.

A big thing with Rotella's books (I think I have them all) is keeping in the present. Try not to take a bad hole onto the next tee with you and equally try not to think ahead........."If I par 16, bogey 17 and Par 18 I will be 1 under" etc. Play the shot you are playing.

Hold on, I sound like I know what I am on about when the only thing I can do consistantly is be inconsistant !

Good luck.

Thanks for the advice. I actually already have the letting go of bad shots down. I never get mad, throw a club or aything close to that. I played yesterday and started off with a triple bogey. Played the next 2 holes even par. I don't really let bad shots get to me. But I think I definately need to practice my putting and my shots 50 yards in. I think thats where I am strugling the most.

JB said:

Consistency comes with practice. I know that seems like a "cop out" answer, but it really is there. The other thing that I can tell anybody that wants to get more consistency is to practice short game and most do not spend a ton of time with it. Its amazing to see people miss shots and rather than even coming close to getting up and down, they waste another 4 shots around the green. Chipping and shots inside of 30 yards can change the way a person scores and help eliminate big numbers.

Another thing I can tell you that worked with me is eliminating the big number. Hit a bad shot? Take your lumps and play to a number and take the bogey. Double bogeys kill amateur golfers because we do not birdie enough to make up for them. Try and eliminate any number higher than a 5 on the score card by playing to numbers that leave shots you are comfortable with.

Click to expand...

Damage control.
A lot of people hit that bad drive, then still try to hit the long iron out of the rough when they should lay up. Lay ups on a par 4 is NOT embarrasing or emasculating. But it certainly feels that way.....
Until you see your scorecard at the end of the round.

Plus don't play your irons to yardages based on perfect shots. Especially if you only hit a perfect shot with each iron about 50% of the time. I got this buddy who always hits his PW from 130yds only because he once hit his PW 130. In actualliy it flys about 115 for him but he never takes the proper club in my opinion.

Damage control/ coursemangemt I guess is what I'm getting at. They're both the same thing I suppose. Well atleast damage control is a lesser category under course managment.