How to improve 'consistency'

[BornSlippy1994]

I've been playing for a year or so now, and I'm most definitely improving. However, I'm struggling to find any consistency to the extent that I genuinely feel like two golfers during a single round.

I've played with a few people now (including a club pro who gave me a lesson) who have all remarked that they expect me to be off single figures by the end of the summer, as when I'm striking the ball well that's easily my level. When things feel 'normal', I'm striking the ball well and genuinely accurate with my irons. However, during every round at the minute I have at least 6/7 holes where I lose it completely. My swing feels different completely different, almost like I don't know what I'm doing stood over it, and everything goes to pot. Pulls, pushes, hooks, slices etc.

For example, I played yesterday and this pretty much sums up where my game is at. First hole, reached a par five in two for birdie. Second hole, good drive up the middle and a 9 iron onto the green. Third hole, pushed it slightly but ended up pin high on a 220 yard par 3. Fourth hole, chose the wrong club (but struck it well) and ended up off the back of the green and made a bogey. Fifth hole, hit a really solid wedge onto the green for par. Sixth hole, pushed my drive a bit and blocked myself off but recovered decently for bogey. Next hole, the sixth, it just fell to pieces. Par 3, thinned a 9 iron into a green side bunker and ended up with a double. The seventh, hit my 5 iron about 100 yards after just about hitting the toe. This continued until the 15th, where I hit one iron shot with what felt like a 'normal' swing again and for the rest of the round every shot I struck was pretty much spot on. Difficult to describe the feeling, but the best analogy I can think of was it was like a switch had been flicked. Awful one moment, then suddenly I'm hitting it properly again and I'm back to scoring well. My speed comes back, my accuracy, confidence the lot.

Fully appreciate that becoming more consistent is one of the hardest things to do, but does anyone have any advice/tips/drills that can help my consistency as just playing more golf isn't helping it seems! Driving me mad that when my swing feels like it does most the time I'm confident hitting a 5 iron onto the green from 200 yards, then suddenly I'll make five doubles in a row because I can't advance the ball 100 yards.

 

[SteveW86]

I would say, that playing for a year you are still a newbie and unless you are practising several times a week you will be inconsistent.

I've found then when I am playing regularly I am much more consistent than when I'm not.....that's just the downside of being an amateur golfer.

Keep working on the swing and it will be more repeatable and the consistency will come.

 

[BubbaP]

Sounds like you give it a good thump, maybe practice those 80% power shots and go to those for a bit when you lose the plot

 

[Rustique]

This may sound like an obvious statement but a consistent swing I found came when I played 2 to 3 times a week along with an evening on the short game green practicing 100/50/30 yard chips
I did a couple of midweek half rounds usually on my own
My handicap is 11 but I found I started to play in friendly rounds with work colleagues I could play the course in single figures ,my best being 6 over
Comp time is a different story though
When i was away on holidays and could not play for a couple of weeks I would go back to 11 plus sometimes up to 18 if my head dropped
So it's practice that brings the consistence for me

 

[NorwichBanana]

Practice is key to consistency. When playing on the course you have mixed shots.
I spent a lot of time last year just hitting a ball into a net I played much less on the course, but had much better results when I did play rounds.

 

[clubchamp98]

I just play nine holes now midweek and a hour on the practice ground .
Playing all the time without checking your game fundamentals can lead to this.
I use the tour sticks on the ground to check stance.

Doubles come from trying to play miracle shots after a bad shot trying to make up for it.
Someone once said to me the hardest shot in golf is the easiest one as we just walk up to the ball and think I will just hit a wedge on the green , sloppy address then make a mess of it.
You must get address right for every shot!