Consistency

[Slab]

Thanks everybody for the answers. Great to see I am not alone in this

Keeping up with the lessons is a must, I still have 2hrs (four lessons) left from a package I bought and I'll surely keep scheduling them on a monthly basis.

All the suggestions are really helpful, I'll try going out today again and see how and if they apply!

You are all alone in this and if you haven’t made it to 18 handicap after a year then you’re either a bandit, not applying yourself or suffering some kind of affliction (perhaps all three)










Or
Maybe the reality is that it’s a tough game and it’s going to take a while and many will progress at different speeds depending on many factors

Lessons might be the answer but be careful to make sure that your lessons are about you and what you can do and not just what the book says you should do. It’s your lesson after all, not a generic lesson on how to swing a golf club

Hit a couple of thousand of range balls between lessons to ingrain what you’ve been asked to work on, not just 8 holes after work, otherwise it’ll take many more years

Video your lessons, and review them through the range time, it’s so easy to forget what the pro asked you to do (you probably only retained about 20% by the following day)

You say you hit a great shot 1 in 5 but we’ve no idea if ‘great’ means within 15 yards of where you aimed or you didn’t lose the ball, so more range time to get the ratio of acceptable shots up

And if you’re standing on the tee thinking there’s a 50/50 chance or 1in3 chance I’m going to lose this ball... hit a different shot/club. The definition of insanity is... well you get the picture

And remember to have fun, good luck

 

[rksquire]

Consistency.... wonder what that feels like! Over time though, your level of inconsistency improves so you will be getting close or around the green in regulation even with some poor striking. I think, and feel free to dispense with this, from reading your original post, I would dispense with as many clubs as possible.

It doesn't sound like your driver is your friend at the moment, so use it at the range but not for 20-30 shots in a row. Use if for 5 or so, then move to a wedge or iron, then intersperse the driver between shots. I find there are different elements for swinging with the driver (although fundamentals are the same) to the irons and for long periods I was either good with the driver or good with irons but not both.

If you have a club you feel you hit well, try a few holes (if possible!) where you play the hole as you would now (say driver, re-load, driver, 5 iron, pitching wedge, putt, putt) and just with that club and a putter (say 7 iron, 7 iron, 7 iron, putt, putt). Just to see how the scores compare.

Keeping the ball in play is key.

 

[TheCaddie]

Consistency.... wonder what that feels like! Over time though, your level of inconsistency improves so you will be getting close or around the green in regulation even with some poor striking. I think, and feel free to dispense with this, from reading your original post, I would dispense with as many clubs as possible.

It doesn't sound like your driver is your friend at the moment, so use it at the range but not for 20-30 shots in a row. Use if for 5 or so, then move to a wedge or iron, then intersperse the driver between shots. I find there are different elements for swinging with the driver (although fundamentals are the same) to the irons and for long periods I was either good with the driver or good with irons but not both.

If you have a club you feel you hit well, try a few holes (if possible!) where you play the hole as you would now (say driver, re-load, driver, 5 iron, pitching wedge, putt, putt) and just with that club and a putter (say 7 iron, 7 iron, 7 iron, putt, putt). Just to see how the scores compare.

Keeping the ball in play is key.

Another great point, and one that comes up on the forum regularly. It's something I have adopted, and I've been using a 5i off the tee and taking one extra shot to get to the green. That extra shot is far less damaging than 3 off the tee, or a huge slice or hook into the ruff, etc. It's how I have broken a 100 recently.

In the background at the range I have been practising tirelessly with the driver and 3w, and I am hoping to get back into using them off the tee in the next week or so and see how I fare....

 

[MattVSTS]

I just caught up with all the answers after I left for holiday (sorry, acceding the forum from its webpage is dreadful), and I got even more information to work on in the coming days/weeks.
Thanks again to all who replied, I will be heading to the course and the range very soon trying to put all of these in practice.