What's holding you back and why haven't you fixed it?

[golfer_teej]

Mine is mental. I let the most annoying things get to me. Yesterday I played 18, on 15 holes I was 2 over. on the other 3 holes I was 9 over (double, triple, quad). The triple and quad came on back to back holes. The hits are all duffs, toed into the woods, pull/push putts, and pulling my head on chips. Im very competitive to a fault so when Im playing by myself I can forget sometimes to just enjoy it and instead play too hard against myself. Im working on it and its gone from 7-8 bad holes to 3-4 bad holes. The goal is to make it 1 or none bad holes.

 

[Evok]

Mine is putting right now, I literally don't make any putts.......like at all lol. I feel very confident off the tee and my irons are struck well for the most part but my putting is atrocious it's not even funny. I've never been fit for a putter and I'm starting to realize the ones I've been using could very well just not be for me. Time to switch it up and try to get on the right path.

 

[5150]

Right now I'm a 19.2 and am averaging 97 over my last 30 rounds.

In my opinion two things are holding me back:

--Lack of distance (overall, not just with driver) puts pressure on my approach shots. I'm seeing my swing coach this Friday to see if we can sort this out.
--Lack of spin - I can't seem to hold a green even when I hit it. Ball's not checking up at all, even with the scoring irons. I'll bring this up Friday as well.

 

[Nighthawk117a]

Mine is mental/focus. Most rounds lately my mind tends to wander and I start thinking about things I need to worry about after a round golf. It's funny, when I was still in college and had no worries over the summer I never had this issue and older people I played with told me the cherish that because once I was out of school it would change. For what I'll call more important rounds like at nice/expensive courses or on specific golf trips, I tend to focus more and surprise surprise I play better. I've tried to fix it, usually I can go a few holes but then I start thinking about things not related to golf and it goes downhill, more so during extremely slow rounds.

 

[rbarthle17]

Giving myself very few realistic chances at 1-putts. This is from all ranges 200y to 20ft. I just am having issues getting that ball to stop close to the hole. This is more of an issue on days that my GIR numbers are low. I am good on 2-putting most of the time, but I'd prefer that being for par than for bogey or worse.

 

[Philly Golf Guy]

Mental for me. I feel like I know a lot about the swing and what I'm doing wrong but have a tough time translating those thoughts on the course. For example at my most recent lesson, I kept thinking of keeping my hands wide away from my head and shorten the backswing but the video showed I was over turning with my hands way above my head and the club past parallel.

That and playing under pressure, the strokes seem to magically pile up.

 

[Faiz]

100% consistency problems.
I just can't figure out if it's mental or just bad decisions. I have a minimum of 2 birdies per round and upwards of 4-5 but I still end up shooting around 73-77. It's so frustrating.
A couple of weeks ago I had 6 birdies including the first 3 holes but I also had 8 bogeys to shot a 74. Tbh I was actually quite gutted.
So to cure this I have started keeping stats to see which holes are actually causing problems;

And this has been quite a surprise for me!
You can see the par 5's are great and surprisingly the hard par 4's too. I think it is perhaps a case of over attacking the easier holes which is resulting in poor scores.


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[jrs362]

I would say I have 2-3 main struggles outlined below.

1. Putting. I'm not consistent. I can get hot for a few holes and make some good putts, but then I can get cold and miss everything. The biggest issue here is judging the speed. Most putts I hit come up short. Some by inches and others by feet. I think it's a fear or hitting it too hard and leaving myself an even longer 2nd putt. I try to tell myself every putt that I need to at least get the ball to the cup otherwise there's 0% chance of making it in the first place.

2. Short Game (Chipping, Anything less than a full swing around the green). I rarely get the ball close to the pin. I could have 25 feet to the hole and only chip the ball 10-15 feet. It's incredibly frustrating and I know it's because I'm decelerating my swing as I get to impact. I know it's wrong, and like putting, I can tell myself over and over that I need to hit it hard enough to get it to/near the pin to have a chance, but then I end up sending it clear across the green. This has only compounded my putting problems.

3. Driver off the tee. I'll hit 4i off the tee all day long at my local course because it's not a long track. I can get home in 2 good shots (3 shots on a Par 5) with a 4i on all Par 4s. Problem is, I could make the Par 5s much easier and probably leave myself a wedge instead of a 8i or 7i on the Par 4s if I could simply hit my driver off the tee. I can't. It's either duck-hook city or a screaming worm-burner that I'd be better off hitting an iron instead of. What's holding me back from improving this? Probably the fact that I'd rather hit the course than the driving range and I would really only think about driver on 3-4 holes.

Overall, my weaknesses come from a desire to play more than practice. I don't get the opportunity to hit 30-40 drives while playing so the only way I'll fix my driver is by hitting the range. Short game I can practice before or after a round but I'm more the type to show up 5 minutes before teeing off and leaving right after the round.

 

[xhail]

It seems like for me it is more mental than anything, but I can take it a step farther and say that it is my lack of patience. I get so focused on keeping a good pace of play that I rush into shots without taking a moment to survey the situation. This causes even more issues when I am around the green. I don't spend much time trying to read putts or decide what kind of chip would be best in a specific situation. I have started to try and make a concious decision to try and slow down, making sure I try to align my golf ball on the greens (there are times I don't even mark it if I'm out of other players view), taking a moment to line up my shot from behind the ball, and things of that nature. With the changes I am making, I am starting to get quite a bit more consistant but I still struggle very much with keeping patience on the greens.

 

[Rambler]

I have referred to my lack of consistency ad nauseum. Sometimes, that's hole-to-hole, 9-to-9, or round-to-round.

Part of that is when the "good" parts of my game falter, the other parts aren't strong enough to make up for it. This is something I have worked on, and happens less than it used to, but still needs more.

Part of that may be mental, if I'm feeling "off". I ran into this a couple of times this past month and have done better with changing my approach mid-round, to try and just get around the course as best as possible.

The final piece I would consider is the fact that I have limitations that I cannot overcome without being able to spend a good chunk more time on swing fixes/changes. This becomes a "value" decision. During the season, with a lot more time working on the swing, that would mean a lot less time actually playing. It also would need to encroach on other things in life that I'm not willing to take away from (family time, work, friends, etc). That's why this kind of work will happen more during the off-season for me.

 

[Martsy]

Seeing a lot of it, and I used to say it all the time myself, that "lack of consistency is my biggest problem"...but ultimately, that's the not the problem, it's the symptom. For example, if you rip 50% of your drives down the middle of the fairway, and 50% OB...consistency isn't your problem. Your driving is.

 

[-CRW-]

The longer I play, the more I think my problems are 100% mental with a lot being mental fatigue which leads to a lack of focus.

I get on the range and am pretty much point and shoot most days with my irons with enough accuracy that I should be able to make significantly more GIRs during my rounds (which are currently 1-5 per round). Some days though, I show up and can't hit anything to save my life. Or even worse, I can't hit anything at first and then things start to come back together. So I see the same consistency issues on the course.

I've also struggled a ton with the driver. Similar to what Jank posted earlier, I tend to over turn/twist leaving the club way behind me with the face wide open. I can get in a groove on the range after going through a series of adjustments to find what's working that day, but I can't bring that to the course and I find often that what worked one day doesn't work another. The same thing happens with my 3 wood, but typically to a slightly lesser degree just due to slightly less distance overall.

From multiple lessons with video and monitors, I know that I'm close to on plane and make contact with the ball from the inside. The largest piece of my problems is club face control, but it varies due to other pieces of the swing - swinging too hard, not being in sync/tempo, not transferring my weight, getting tired and moving my head too much, etc. I've said before that I was going to play more often this year and spend less time on the range, but I haven't really done that. I also went through over 30 lessons in 2 years time and was constantly tweaking something. I've essentially stopped taking lessons this year as I've had 2 since January and don't plan on taking any for a little while now. I plan to follow through with my previous commitment to play more than practice. I plan to stop tweaking things and try to build more consistency with the swing I have now. When I do hit the range I am going to try swinging slower/smoother and reinforcing basic fundamentals.

Distance isn't an obstacle in general, but it becomes an obstacle when I hit sideways into the woods. So I'm going to play from the white tees more often as well (closer to 6,000 versus 6,500 where I've been playing). I'm tired of shooting sub 45 rounds over 9 holes, but 100-110 on 18 hole rounds. Hopefully my plans get me in the high 80's/low 90's over 18 holes more often.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

When I really think about my good rounds vs my crap rounds, the difference is that I get off the tee consistently with ALL clubs (not necessarily always in the fairway, but playable) and I scramble reasonably well. Too often I hit most clubs off the tee well, except for one club that gets me in serious trouble once or twice. Which is why I've been working tee shots at the range lately with specific holes in mind to try and duplicate the pressure. The other thing at the root of it is trusting my shot shape (which is a draw). When I start fighting it and trying to hit fades, it tends to go poorly.

That being said, I know that I WILL miss some shots, so that's where the scrambling comes in. When I'm playing well I always get those 50 yards and less chips/pitches at least on the green, and usually with a good chance to hole the putt. When I'm not, I waste shots here. So these shots have been the other key part of my practice routine.

Overall I think I have a pretty good idea of what I need to do, just a matter of sticking with it!

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

Seeing a lot of it, and I used to say it all the time myself, that "lack of consistency is my biggest problem"...but ultimately, that's the not the problem, it's the symptom. For example, if you rip 50% of your drives down the middle of the fairway, and 50% OB...consistency isn't your problem. Your driving is.

I used to say consistency, and then like you I realized the same thing. Consistency is the Jesus answer at Sunday school. You know it's always the right answer, but it gives you absolutely no insight into the question.

 

[TRyan]

This is a great question Dev. For me right now it is my ability to get off the tee. I am working on trying to fix it, but I think lessons are probably in order once I have the time to commit to it. My ball striking with my irons has been the best its been in a long time, but when I am hitting 3 off the tee more often than I would like to, it doesn't really matter.

 

[Rusty Dave]

Mine is strictly the need to get more reps in. I have young children so I can get out once a week if I'm lucky. This fall both my girls will be in full time school. I love to practice and play so I think this will allow me to be the golfer I strive for which for me would be a single digit handicap. Practice, play and improve.


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[tequila4kapp]

Seeing a lot of it, and I used to say it all the time myself, that "lack of consistency is my biggest problem"...but ultimately, that's the not the problem, it's the symptom. For example, if you rip 50% of your drives down the middle of the fairway, and 50% OB...consistency isn't your problem. Your driving is.

When I say consistency I mean that any component of my game - driver, irons, short game, putting - can be solid one day and off the next. There's little rhyme or reason to it or which part is going to be good/bad.

Having said that, the reason "space between my ears" is my answer is that we are always going to hit some bad shots so what are we going to do about it? If driver is inconsistent am I pulling hybrid or 3 wood? If irons are off, am I aiming for middle of the green and/or playing the flight pattern I have that day to avoid hazards? Am I taking enough time that I can fully commit to a putting line? Ultimately, its that stuff that ends up making the most difference for me between good and average (or bad) rounds and helps me overcome the inconsistency.

 

[UVaWahoo]

Mine is strictly the need to get more reps in. I have young children so I can get out once a week if I'm lucky. This fall both my girls will be in full time school. I love to practice and play so I think this will allow me to be the golfer I strive for which for me would be a single digit handicap. Practice, play and improve.


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Similarly, my problem is the lack of practice. While I play as often as I can, I do not practice that often. While I have reached retirement age, but because I was born handsome instead of rich, I am still working and use my available time to play. However, I see the light at the end of the tunnel and hope to retire soon. (I just hope that light ain't an oncoming train).

 

[mancest]

Couple items:
1) I have a couple very basic but serious swing flaws that I am working on correcting. It gets exaggerated as the club gets longer, and not surprisingly I hit some really terrible tee shots that make it very difficult to make a decent score. The work I have been putting in has helped and I see it less, and not surprisingly lower scores overall.

2) my distance with the driver is not where it needs to be, either for my age or ability level. Part of this is because of the swing flaws, and part of it is because I am a fat out of shape SOB. So besides the work on the swing I am trying to ramp up hitting the gym. Last week it was 3 days, this week I need to get it to 4, and by July make it 5 regularly.

 

[Nebgolfer]

For me it is short game, frankly I have very poor touch, so shots requiring touch end up poorly. You tell me to take a full swing and I have no problem, but gauging distance with partial swings has always been an issue. I am working on addressing that, but it isn't a quick fix and will take time to address.

 

[Spivey]

Great thread - and great responses!

For me, I have two big problems.
1) Alignment.
2) Driver/Tee shots. Which is (in part) a result of #1.

When I am aligned well, and swinging well, I can score. Case and point - my Pittsburgh trip. Best stretch of golf I have ever had.
When I can get off the tee box, keep the ball in grass (not just fairway), I can score.

So, my problem, which I have been working on for the last few months, has been improving my alignment to the target and trusting my swing off the tee box. If I try to steer, or hold on at all, my tee shots are in trouble - at some courses, more trouble than others.

 

[JohnSinVA]

Seeing a lot of it, and I used to say it all the time myself, that "lack of consistency is my biggest problem"...but ultimately, that's the not the problem, it's the symptom. For example, if you rip 50% of your drives down the middle of the fairway, and 50% OB...consistency isn't your problem. Your driving is.

In your example I agree wholeheartedly. Now as Devil's advocate, I would say that those who cite "lack of consistency" are players like myself who can hit a drive nearly OB, hit a decent iron close, then get up and down. On the very next hole, they stripe a drive down the middle, then take an easy iron shot and chunk it fat, hit a third shot on, then three-putt. Then go to a par 3, hit a solid iron shot close, then skull an easy chip across the green en route to a double. Sure, a lot of that can be mental, but a lot of it is muscle-memory and not having enough reps to reliably recall how to hit each needed shot.

 

[Rusty Dave]

What's holding you back and why haven't you fixed it?

Similarly, my problem is the lack of practice. While I play as often as I can, I do not practice that often. While I have reached retirement age, but because I was born handsome instead of rich, I am still working and use my available time to play. However, I see the light at the end of the tunnel and hope to retire soon. (I just hope that light ain't an oncoming train).

Hilarious post. I instantly want to golf with you at a THP event.

I'm learning how to swing in my 40's so I have no choice but to practice otherwise I'd look like this guy when I swing.



Actually, that's the face I make when I swing.


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[-CRW-]

This is a great question Dev. For me right now it is my ability to get off the tee. I am working on trying to fix it, but I think lessons are probably in order once I have the time to commit to it. My ball striking with my irons has been the best its been in a long time, but when I am hitting 3 off the tee more often than I would like to, it doesn't really matter.

When you put one in play though it's Bubba long. So it could be worse, I'm in the same boat but can't swing as fast as you or hit as far!

 

[sparksjr]

Great thread - and great responses!

For me, I have two big problems.
1) Alignment.
2) Driver/Tee shots. Which is (in part) a result of #1.

When I am aligned well, and swinging well, I can score. Case and point - my Pittsburgh trip. Best stretch of golf I have ever had.
When I can get off the tee box, keep the ball in grass (not just fairway), I can score.

So, my problem, which I have been working on for the last few months, has been improving my alignment to the target and trusting my swing off the tee box. If I try to steer, or hold on at all, my tee shots are in trouble - at some courses, more trouble than others.

it doesn't help that the courses you play are dead if you miss the fairway by 10 yards, lol