Consistency

[ezra76]

OK. I'm sick and tired of having one part of my game be on and the others sucking big time. I played a relatively easy course the other day as my reg. course was hosting an NCAA tournament. I literally hit every fairway but 1. That's right, one overcooked fade, every other drive in the fairway. I hit 3 wood twice and had to layup in front of a pond with my hybrid on another. I don't know how many times I chunked a 50 or 54* wedge pitch from inside 75yds. but it made me sick. I shot a 93. That is pathetic.

• Is this a common problem? What did you guys who are lower handicappers do to overcome this?

[Matthew_22]

Ok, I have that exact same problem, but its probably worse since I am a high handicapper. I can sometimes make a few pars, but my game is always let down by a few triple bogeys (or worse) as well.

Unfortunately I can't really help you, and I'm hoping my consistency will improve over time as I play more often.

Have you looked into anything to sort out your mental game?

[Adam Pettman]

Originally Posted by Matthew_22

Have you looked into anything to sort out your mental game?

Watch out he's gunna hypnotise you

[egriffith45]

i always had a problem with consistancy until this year, for me it as totally mental. I would get ahead of myself and not concentrate on the shot at hand. Now i just try to take it was shot at a time and its really helped me "stay in the moment" as my dad would say.

[Matthew_22]

Watch out he's gunna hypnotise you

Haha, am I ever going to live that down?

Back to the topic:

Seeing as I think that my game suffers most due to the way I approach it mentally, I have been doing a lot of research on the topic, and find that my game has improved a lot since. So that's just my recommendation, I have set up a little site (just check out my signature) that may or may not help you.

But good luck in solving your problems.

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

Let me just say this:

MY PUTTING SUCKED ON SATURDAY!

Damn it, damn it, damn it.

[ezra76]

Back to the range today for 3 buckets...maybe. I am going to work on a few things. Grip being foremost. I played so bad I had to stop keeping score on Fri. My swing was horrible. I think I was letting my grip get too strong, dipping my right shoulder and coming in way too steep with the driver and long clubs. My short iron and wedge shots were good. In fact better than usual. Just took way too many strokes to get inside of 100yards. I made 2 pars on par 4's, one teeing off with a 5wood and the other taking a PW over a tree from the adjacent fairway on the right. I think I need to go back to balancing 1 round with 1 trip to the range. I really wish I could afford some lessons...who am I kidding, I'd just buy a new putter and irons with the money.

[ezra76]

Figured I'd use this thread a little more. I tried something new at the range today and had good results. I set everything up on the grass, out of my bag. Driver and 3W in the back. Then 5w and hybrids off to the left in front. 6-9 10yds. in front of the driver and all wedges to the right of the irons. I'd hit a drive off my own tee, then go up and grab an iron, set up and aim at a "green" and hit it. Then move over to a wegde and hit a pitch between 50-120yds. Then back to the driver. It took a lot longer than usual to go through 3 buckets and I had a lot of people looking from afar. By the end I didn't care, I was hitting a lot of good shots with every club, hitting my 3 targets in a row several times. I am going to start going at least twice a week and cut down a day at the course. I couldn't stop slicing last time out. After 2 buckets I was hitting 310yd. draws moving 20 yards right to left. New trick, using the line on the ball to help set up my swing path.

[Davebud]

I hit 5 fairways today with good drives and one more on the tree bounce(slice) the other 9 all sliced, I only had one drive over 270. Slicing absolutely kills your distance.

[ezra76]

Originally Posted by Davebud

I hit 5 fairways today with good drives and one more on the tree bounce(slice) the other 9 all sliced, I only had one drive over 270. Slicing absolutely kills your distance.

If you have a range with grass you can hit off you should really try this. It made me really work on a preshot routine. I was coming way over the top the other day. I figured out a cool little anti-slice trick. Use the line on the ball and draw one on yours when you play (good for putting too, just don't use red in RI that's my color) Anyway, set the line up right of your target. Then set the clubface to the target as well as your stance. Then keep the face pointing at the target and swing at the line. This produces a slight in to out path for a draw. Moving from a driver to a 8i to a PW really makes you concentrate on what you're doing right and wrong a lot more than just swinging each club 10times and then getting pissed and hitting 40 drives to end it.

[Davebud]

Its my Irons I am really worried about. I really need to practice my Iron shots alot.

[ezra76]

Originally Posted by Davebud

Its my Irons I am really worried about. I really need to practice my Iron shots alot.

I kind of figured. I've shot my share of 111's, even had one last month. It takes a schmorgashbord of shitty shots to get there. The kind that were supposed to 180yards. and went 180centimeters or the one that goes into the garage of the house across the street from the course. (been there) That's what's good about the way I practiced today. It's a lot closer to real golf. I'd set up a group of clubs with thier own balls and move from group to group. Hit a tee shot with a driver or 3w then move right to a 7,8 or 9iron for the next, followed by a PW, 50*, or 54* wedge shot. I would set-up for every shot like it was for real, in play. We'll see if it helps, if nothing else it made the range a lot less boring.

[Davebud]

That led to 6 penalty strokes in and of its own, my wedges were still solid though, and it was the first round with the new irons. That wouldn't mean as much if they were not totally different than the old ones. Of course the biggest problem I had was still freaking trees, and I haven't chosen a chainsaw wedge yet, hit the same tree twice today.

[ezra76]

Do you have a 3 or 5wood? I see you have an 11* driver? A 4wood would be a good club, like a 16 or 16.5*. I think Callaway and Titleist have them in those lofts.(older models too) I get a good 250 off the tee with the 5wood and it's much more accurate. I can get 270 with the 3wood but I'm still getting used to it. I made a par last round by playing 5wood and a full PW rather than trying to drive it inside of 40yds. on a short par 4. It takes some patience not to pull driver on everything but a par 3, there's a reason why even the pros do it though.

Just looking around on Ebay. There are a bunch of Callaway 4woods with sweet Fuji shafts on there. Almost makes me want to drop the 3 and 5 for one of them.




http://cgi.ebay.com/Callaway-Big-Ber... cmdZViewItem

[mont86]

Good topic.I'm a high handicapper, some days are better then others, but today I have come to the conculsion that I have to get better with 6-pw.
When i got home I took the woods and higher clubs out of the bag and I'm going with the irons until I get more consistent. I did keep my driver..G2 11` loft only because I'm fairly consistent with it.about 200 yds and straight. If I don't remove them it is too tempting to use them. I'll going too the range this week for more practice.