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Is your game cyclical?

wadesworld

wadesworld

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Last year, most of my rounds were solidly in the 80's with some even flirting with the 70's. This year, I've had more in the 90's than the 80's, and every time I feel like I've taken a step forward, I put up another 90-ish round. It seems forever ago when I was shooting in the 80's, and it's almost like it was a dream.

The weird thing is I feel like my game is getting stronger, but my scores aren't going down. Unfortunately, there's not one area I can put my finger on that's causing it. It's a bad drive here, a thinned 5-iron there, a duffed chip, a miss-struck putt.

I've come to the conclusion it's just a down cycle in my game and to just keep working and be patient.

Anyone go through something similar?
 
Something similar? How about for freaking ever? LOL
I'm only a point higher cap than you so not only similar there but you sound like you took most your thoughts for the post right out of my head. I've never flirted with 70's so at least you got that :) to brag about.

What I wouldn't give to have several rounds in a row below 90. I have made good efforts within reason of whatever resources of time and money I was able to over the past two or three seasons. Similar to you its not any one specific flaw or dominant issue to be fixed. I really wish I could say "I keep hooking the ball" or something like that because that can be fixed. Like you say, its a missed drive here, than a missed iron there, a duffed chip here, a missed putt there. The misses are never the same and come from every and any part of the game equally. And can be scattered or together with no rhyme or reason. I can hit every single club in my bag but I just cant do it for enough shots in a row and enough rounds in a row consistent enough to even stay in the upper 80's on a regular basis.

There is a thought that I have maintained through many other threads for some time and I still believe it. I feel there is the ability to play golf and strike balls which is one thing, but then there is also a separate ability. That imo is an ability to be consistent. I believe this is something that can be applied to any sport or task in general. One can know how to do it, understand what they are doing, and even do it well. But the ability to repeat it and be consistent in itself is imo a separate thing. I look at that as a whole other ability and some people have that better ability (for being more consistent) with a given task than other people. In this case its ball striking. Its like the people (and there are plenty I know of) who may show up at my courses who hardly ever practice, play 3 times a month and shoot an 84 like nobody's business. All the while I'm practicing and playing my butt off and in my glory if shoot an 88. They imo just happen to posses a higher ability for being more consistent with this specific task (or physical action) of hitting golf balls. They don't hit any better than me. They are just able to do it more consistently for more shots and holes in a row.
 
rollin said:
In this case its ball striking. Its like the people (and there are plenty I know of) who may show up at my courses who hardly ever practice, play 3 times a month and shoot an 84 like nobody's business. All the while I'm practicing and playing my butt off and in my glory if shoot an 88. They imo just happen to posses a higher ability for being more consistent with this specific task (or physical action) of hitting golf balls. They don't hit any better than me. They are just able to do it more consistently for more shots and holes in a row.
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There's a lot of truth to that. Particularly the 80-year-old guy you get paired up with that can't hit it over 150 yards, but shoots 83.
 
We all have ups and downs in golf. Even the best players in the world have down times. I just give it time and play on.
 
Not so much cyclical as spiraling. Downwards. Pretty much all the time.
 
Seems like every in the January to April I flirt with 100 and struggle to break into the 90's ... then in the summer and fall i make my way down to the mis-low 90's.
 
All of you guys pretty much summed it up for me.

I work hard , practice 2 hours every evening, and go shoot an 88. This makes me think my game is getting better. Then, the next round starts off with an 8 on the first 3 holes. After that it's bogey or worse, all the way out.

This usually goes on for about 3 or 4 rounds. Then things gradually get better, and it starts all over again.

It's good to know it doesn't just happen to me.

My 11 year old son can go 2 weeks without touching a club, then go out and shoot an 82-88??????

Jack

P.S That's why I keep telling myself, "Handicaps are to even things out".
 
wadesworld said:
Last year, most of my rounds were solidly in the 80's with some even flirting with the 70's. This year, I've had more in the 90's than the 80's, and every time I feel like I've taken a step forward, I put up another 90-ish round. It seems forever ago when I was shooting in the 80's, and it's almost like it was a dream.

The weird thing is I feel like my game is getting stronger, but my scores aren't going down. Unfortunately, there's not one area I can put my finger on that's causing it. It's a bad drive here, a thinned 5-iron there, a duffed chip, a miss-struck putt.

I've come to the conclusion it's just a down cycle in my game and to just keep working and be patient.

Anyone go through something similar?
Click to expand...
I'm going thru this right now and went for a lesson. It turns out some bad habits are back and will be taking a step back to address the mechanical flaws. Take video of your swing and maybe something is off?
 
Right now, due to not playing much, my game is cyclical by hole. Yesterday I made an easy par, then the next was butchered with irons that went fat, shank, shank, then the next hole I birdie by hitting a par 3 tee shot to about 8 inches. Later in the round I had 5 routine pars in a row then then couldn't hit a ball solid or straight for two holes.

Very goofy game and it a why only the very best can keep it together in long stretches. Even the pros can have a great four days then miss the cut the next week. But that's why we love it, always keeps you coming back for more trying to get to that consistency.
 
I've come to the conclusion that when I walk up to the 1st tee I have no idea what will come of my swing lol.
 
I think cyclical is the perfect way to put it. Parts of my game improve, and then disappear. Same as the good scores. They come back though. Realistically, I am shooting my best scores ever at "away courses", but those strokes that I save on the hard courses seem to be leaking away at the easy courses. Everything evens out for some reason.
 
Posted something similar a few weeks back. Since coming back to golf in a big way 4-5 years ago I have notice some very real "seasonal" cycles. Usually with my game peaking in late summer and early fall. With our early spring I'm starting to see some better scores a little earlier in the year than usual but still have some big swings even day to day (this weekend for instance). When the peak comes though I'm generally shooting lower scores (last year low to mid-80's) and and shooting those scores more often/consistently.

So far in my return to golf I have not had a season where I feel my game has regressed. There has been one year I'd consider a plateau but the general trend has been overall lower scores although this year is far from over yet.
 
Pretty much every year with coming out of the winter, and then as the season is winding down in the fall my scores will go up again. June-September is usually when I play my best.
 
I feel like my game is cyclical from hole to hole. It seems like every round I have a stretch where I'll get two birdies and three pars over a five hole stretch--and then finish double-double-triple.

Or I'll start with a stretch of pars, throw in two or three holes where I can't even hit the ball in the air, then finish with another stretch of pars.

I'm not sure if its due to focus or concentration or what, but it's getting OLD.
 
O'Carroll said:
I feel like my game is cyclical from hole to hole. It seems like every round I have a stretch where I'll get two birdies and three pars over a five hole stretch--and then finish double-double-triple.

Or I'll start with a stretch of pars, throw in two or three holes where I can't even hit the ball in the air, then finish with another stretch of pars.

I'm not sure if its due to focus or concentration or what, but it's getting OLD.
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^^ This is what happens to me as well. I just can't seem to keep it together for a whole round.
 
Another thing I would mention (and I've taken just a tad of heat for saying this in the past) because some people find this discouraging or even insulting but none of that is my intent. Its just that I think it is what it is.

I just don't feel that everyone and anyone can simply get darn good at golf just because they take many lessons and put great efforts into it. I think everyone will have a limit to just how repetitive they are capable of naturally being. That's why I maintain the thought that being consistent imo is in itself a separate ability all on its own besides the ability to actually know how to make good swings. I understand there are fixable flaws that can be the cause of inconsistency. Perhaps things like poor tempo (from my own experiences and lessons) can cause one to make different and erratic swings. Another experience of mine was letting the elbow fly which was causing inconsistencies as well. So i'm not to say that inconsistencies are always something that definitely cant be tightened up. But I still think its only to a degree. I really believe doing any task repetitively consistent imo has its limits for everyone.

Take the best basketball players in the world and they at best only make 80% free throws. And many of them aren't even close to that. A task far less complicated and simpler with far less variables than a golf swing and yet no matter how great one is, they can only make so many before faltering. Well, in a way I think the logic is very similar. Even if one has been taught well and practices well and understands a lot and often does do all the things to hit balls correctly, they still will falter. There are imo just far too many variables that must line up in a golf swing. Its then just a matter imo of the percentage of the "correct" swings one is capable of making before faltering. Break the wrists a little too early, too late, swing a little too much out-to-in, or in-to-out, turn the hips too much, or not enough, over all alignment, ball placement, torso movements, leg movements, etc, etc , etc..... A small variation in any one or combo of those things is all it takes to fall off in repetitive consistency. All of us imo are only capable to only a certain degree of lining up all those stars well enough only so much for so many times. Not necessarily being able to do the task, but not being able to do it repetitively without faltering from it. That in itself is an ability imo and some people have more of it (for a golf swing) while many don't.
 
That perfectly describes my game at the moment. It is a little mystifying I have to say. Last round I generally hit the ball worse than I had all year but scored better, and average putts were down 0.1 last round so that wasn't the cause.

I don't worry though. Things will get more consistent through the season.
 
Tedfroop said:
That perfectly describes my game at the moment. It is a little mystifying I have to say. Last round I generally hit the ball worse than I had all year but scored better, and average putts were down 0.1 last round so that wasn't the cause.

I don't worry though. Things will get more consistent through the season.
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its kind of strange but similarly my second to last PB (the old one before the latest one) was obtained without my best ball striking. While I did hit exceptionally well enough the times I also had a lot of misses that day, though my misses were straight and not penalizing. They weren't errant but just (if I remember) quite a number of long grounders that happen to work well enough to score me (at the time) a new PB. I guess what you might call "fortunate misses". But thats usually not the case and my misses are usually penalizing in any number of ways enough to stop a good round let alone a new PB.
 
Interesting discussion about one game that occurs in a calender year. I've thought about this a lot in the past and picked up on my trends for a year.

Jan/Feb - Almost throw away months for the golf game here in Dallas, TX but if you get a good weather weekend, which happens, I'll usually jump on it and try to maintain some form of the golf game I'm use to. Worst case get some of the rust off with spring around the corner. #WinterRules

March-June - Prime golfing months. I start working on the game come the first signs of spriing and usually have it in somewhat good shape by April/May.

July/August - Got to start playing early in the AM or late late in the PM due to the heat. I'm hit or miss during these months depending on the heat index. I try and maintain the game as much as possible.

Sept-Nov - Just about like the spring months but this is again prime golfing time here in the area. What's better is that football is happening which keeps a lot of people home and off the courses. I get my game geared up for a final tournament down in Austin in Nov. and then play a few rounds to end out the year in Dec.

That's usually the calender year for me with ups and downs mixed in through it!
 
rollin said:
Another thing I would mention (and I've taken just a tad of heat for saying this in the past) because some people find this discouraging or even insulting but none of that is my intent. Its just that I think it is what it is.

I just don't feel that everyone and anyone can simply get darn good at golf just because they take many lessons and put great efforts into it. I think everyone will have a limit to just how repetitive they are capable of naturally being. That's why I maintain the thought that being consistent imo is in itself a separate ability all on its own besides the ability to actually know how to make good swings. I understand there are fixable flaws that can be the cause of inconsistency. Perhaps things like poor tempo (from my own experiences and lessons) can cause one to make different and erratic swings. Another experience of mine was letting the elbow fly which was causing inconsistencies as well. So i'm not to say that inconsistencies are always something that definitely cant be tightened up. But I still think its only to a degree. I really believe doing any task repetitively consistent imo has its limits for everyone.

Take the best basketball players in the world and they at best only make 80% free throws. And many of them aren't even close to that. A task far less complicated and simpler with far less variables than a golf swing and yet no matter how great one is, they can only make so many before faltering. Well, in a way I think the logic is very similar. Even if one has been taught well and practices well and understands a lot and often does do all the things to hit balls correctly, they still will falter. There are imo just far too many variables that must line up in a golf swing. Its then just a matter imo of the percentage of the "correct" swings one is capable of making before faltering. Break the wrists a little too early, too late, swing a little too much out-to-in, or in-to-out, turn the hips too much, or not enough, over all alignment, ball placement, torso movements, leg movements, etc, etc , etc..... A small variation in any one or combo of those things is all it takes to fall off in repetitive consistency. All of us imo are only capable to only a certain degree of lining up all those stars well enough only so much for so many times. Not necessarily being able to do the task, but not being able to do it repetitively without faltering from it. That in itself is an ability imo and some people have more of it (for a golf swing) while many don't.
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I think there's a lot of truth to what you say rollin.

I think sometimes we also lose sight of what an accomplishment it is to shoot 85. Getting around a golf course and taking no more than 7 extra shots is really, really hard, which is why so few of us can break 80. Only taking 13 extra shots really is pretty darn fine accomplishment.
 
wadesworld said:
I think there's a lot of truth to what you say rollin.

I think sometimes we also lose sight of what an accomplishment it is to shoot 85. Getting around a golf course and taking no more than 7 extra shots is really, really hard, which is why so few of us can break 80. Only taking 13 extra shots really is pretty darn fine accomplishment.
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Right on the money. The vast majority of golfers will rarely have a round in the 90's and yet those of us who can play better golf tend to shrug off a high 80's round as nothing exceptional.
There are some aspects of the mental game that come into play with this too. Those of us with a winter layoff expect some, or a lot, of rust in the spring and we expect scores to reflect that. Then there is a high score. When we aren't striking the ball well sometimes we drop those expectations and are surprised at the results.
 
oddly enough my handicap always rises in June. Every year, like clockwork.
 
It's good to know I'm not the only one with flip-flop golf game.

These comments make me feel better .

Sometimes it's really aggravating.

Thanks,

Jack
 
rollin said:
Another thing I would mention (and I've taken just a tad of heat for saying this in the past) because some people find this discouraging or even insulting but none of that is my intent. Its just that I think it is what it is.

I just don't feel that everyone and anyone can simply get darn good at golf just because they take many lessons and put great efforts into it. I think everyone will have a limit to just how repetitive they are capable of naturally being. That's why I maintain the thought that being consistent imo is in itself a separate ability all on its own besides the ability to actually know how to make good swings. I understand there are fixable flaws that can be the cause of inconsistency. Perhaps things like poor tempo (from my own experiences and lessons) can cause one to make different and erratic swings. Another experience of mine was letting the elbow fly which was causing inconsistencies as well. So i'm not to say that inconsistencies are always something that definitely cant be tightened up. But I still think its only to a degree. I really believe doing any task repetitively consistent imo has its limits for everyone.

Take the best basketball players in the world and they at best only make 80% free throws. And many of them aren't even close to that. A task far less complicated and simpler with far less variables than a golf swing and yet no matter how great one is, they can only make so many before faltering. Well, in a way I think the logic is very similar. Even if one has been taught well and practices well and understands a lot and often does do all the things to hit balls correctly, they still will falter. There are imo just far too many variables that must line up in a golf swing. Its then just a matter imo of the percentage of the "correct" swings one is capable of making before faltering. Break the wrists a little too early, too late, swing a little too much out-to-in, or in-to-out, turn the hips too much, or not enough, over all alignment, ball placement, torso movements, leg movements, etc, etc , etc..... A small variation in any one or combo of those things is all it takes to fall off in repetitive consistency. All of us imo are only capable to only a certain degree of lining up all those stars well enough only so much for so many times. Not necessarily being able to do the task, but not being able to do it repetitively without faltering from it. That in itself is an ability imo and some people have more of it (for a golf swing) while many don't.
Click to expand...

I'd like to think differently, but I think you may be right. It doesn't stop me from trying though.
 
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