Inconsistency.....it's killing me!

road2ruin

Q-School Graduate
Joined
Jan 3, 2012
Messages
2,375
Location
Surrey
Visit site
I love golf however the game is proving a mystery in terms of getting a level of consistency.

I played in the Saturday Roll Up off 13 (we have a pretty penal handicap system to ensure a spread of winners) and scored 37 points and still felt there were shots left out there. However in the main my game was brilliant. The driver was gun barrel straight and going around 260-280. Every time I stepped up to the ball I knew what I was going to do and generally I did it.

Fast forward 24 hours and we have a stableford comp this morning. Confidence was high given my golf yesterday especially coupled with playing off my official handicap of 20. Had good partners and was really looking forward to the round what with the recent weather, a genuine opportunity for an early season cut.

Sadly it was like night and day. Driver was ballooning wide right, pitches were heavy and putting was an unmitigated disaster! Ended up scoring 36 points which actually doesn't sound that bad however the standard of golf to score that was truly rubbish. I also had a lot of luck! The tree gods were on my side and twice I clattered into big bits of wood only to be chucked back out on the fairway. I also thinned a ball on a 200yd Par 3 which ended up 10 ft from the pin.

It's the driving that is really frustrating. I work really hard on it and think I'm getting somewhere and then I get on the course today and I cannot control anything. Swing feels the same as yesterday however the results couldn't be further apart. On the plus side this weekend was e first time that. I have taken to the course and not been wearing almost every piece of golf clothing I own to try and keep warm!!
 

road2ruin

Q-School Graduate
Joined
Jan 3, 2012
Messages
2,375
Location
Surrey
Visit site
Sorry, what I meant was that it's all or nothing! I played a blinder yesterday and then today it's like a totally different golfer. I'm just frustrated that I don't know what changes that allows me to be so good with a driver one day and the next I'm playing the ball from 2 fairways over!

Certainly not complaining about yesterday, it was a great feeling however to step out today with 7 additional shots and play like I did is just annoying. It's the not knowing what slight changes I am making to affect my game so much which is annoying.
 

road2ruin

Q-School Graduate
Joined
Jan 3, 2012
Messages
2,375
Location
Surrey
Visit site
I'm curious how a 20 capper is driving the ball 260 yards in the current conditions :wtf:

Current conditions? We've had 10 days of dry weather so the fairways actually have bounce rather than just sitting in the mud. Yesterday was warm (relatively speaking) and I was striking the ball well.

The main reason I am a 20 handicapper is control. I hit a long ball however the direction in which it goes is variable......
 

road2ruin

Q-School Graduate
Joined
Jan 3, 2012
Messages
2,375
Location
Surrey
Visit site
There a huge difference between 230 and the claimed 280 ;)

To be fair the 280 was down hill with a prevailing wind......anyway my point wasn't to try and show off how far I can hit a ball it was just to say that it's frustrating that I can be long and straight every time on one day then high, wide and handsome the next!
 

road2ruin

Q-School Graduate
Joined
Jan 3, 2012
Messages
2,375
Location
Surrey
Visit site
You need to learn 'self analysis'
That way you can fix your problems on the course

I do try however when everything seems to feel good and can't see a discernible difference between yesterday and today? Is there something I am missing or should be looking at in this case? Obviously I am doing something differently however I'm struggling to find what
 

Oddsocks

Ryder Cup Winner
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Messages
17,083
Location
Croydon, Surrey
Visit site
To be fair the 280 was down hill with a prevailing wind......anyway my point wasn't to try and show off how far I can hit a ball it was just to say that it's frustrating that I can be long and straight every time on one day then high, wide and handsome the next!

So would have been more like 220/230 which is Far more realistic and a pretty decent distance!
 

Canary_Yellow

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Feb 22, 2012
Messages
2,862
Location
Kent
Visit site
Distance and handicap aren't necessarily related.

I play off 21 and I'm fighting hard to get better - but as I get a bit more consistent (or less wild at least) the length of my driving has reduced. I used to score mid 90's by going birdie, 11, par, 7, bogey, par, 9, etc. now I'm a lot steadier but my scores are still around the same. The reason I still play off 21? Short game. You can be a high handicapper and smash it miles, but you can't be a low handicapper without a good short game. I've seen players off 7 with very poor looking techniques - cant hit it long, but 150 yards in - lethal.

I used to be obsessed with smashing it miles - now I'm obsessed with getting better at golf.
 

bobmac

Major Champion
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
28,281
Location
Lincolnshire
Visit site
Watch what the ball does and learn what causes it to do what it's doing. Get to know your faults and how to fix them when they sneak back
 

pokerjoke

Money List Winner
Joined
Nov 17, 2009
Messages
10,833
Location
Taunton ,Somerset
Visit site
Well played Saturday good shooting.
I think maybe your expectations were high after yesterdays round[i know mine would have been.
Maybe when things werent going so well you started to try too hard.
This is one of the reasons we keep coming back for more,one day nothing can go wrong,
the next day were are hackers.
The good thing is your out there giving it a go.
I think also theres a very good golfer in you,so dont be too dispondant,next week will
be different also.
 

road2ruin

Q-School Graduate
Joined
Jan 3, 2012
Messages
2,375
Location
Surrey
Visit site
Well played Saturday good shooting.
I think maybe your expectations were high after yesterdays round[i know mine would have been.
Maybe when things werent going so well you started to try too hard.
This is one of the reasons we keep coming back for more,one day nothing can go wrong,
the next day were are hackers.
The good thing is your out there giving it a go.
I think also theres a very good golfer in you,so dont be too dispondant,next week will
be different also.

I think you're probably right.....overly excited that I'd cracked it and was brought back down to earth with a bump! Onwards and upwards I guess.
 

Birchy

Money List Winner
Joined
Apr 16, 2012
Messages
6,255
Visit site
I think you're probably right.....overly excited that I'd cracked it and was brought back down to earth with a bump! Onwards and upwards I guess.

Whenever you think you have cracked it you are in for a fall. Trust me ive fell many times and it always after a great round :rofl:

Best way is to try and stay level with expectation and emotion but its very hard to do.
 

JustOne

Ryder Cup Winner
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
14,803
www.justoneuk.com
I think McIlroy shot a 63 in The Open followed by an 83 the next day.... 20 shots difference... if he can do it we all can.
 
Top