Slow starts are killing me!

[tomshanks]

Has anyone got any tips to start a round off on the right foot?

I'm a notoriously slow starter, something that has frustrated me for some time. I've recently started entering more competitions at my club and the last three stableford rounds I've failed to pick up any points until the third hole. Even more frustrating is that I've ended up turning it round at ending up on low - mid 30's, just low enough to scrape a +0.1. If I could pick up points on the first two holes I'd surely hit buffer or better.

I always warm up with a few balls on the range (practice a variety of shots) and try to play the practice holes before I start. I'm sure the problem comes from between the ears.

So any tips?

 

[Coffey]

Has anyone got any tips to start a round off on the right foot?

I'm a notoriously slow starter, something that has frustrated me for some time. I've recently started entering more competitions at my club and the last three stableford rounds I've failed to pick up any points until the third hole. Even more frustrating is that I've ended up turning it round at ending up on low - mid 30's, just low enough to scrape a +0.1. If I could pick up points on the first two holes I'd surely hit buffer or better.

I always warm up with a few balls on the range (practice a variety of shots) and try to play the practice holes before I start. I'm sure the problem comes from between the ears.

So any tips?

I am very similar to this. Though we have absolutely no practice facilities and I literally get out of the car and onto the first tee.

What exactly is causing the problem? Bad tee shot? Duffed shots? Poor putting?

For me, it is to take an easier club off the tee until i am a bit warmed up. Our first 3 holes are very tight and not that long, so I just try and hit the fairway off the tee and take it from there.

 

[patricks148]

Has anyone got any tips to start a round off on the right foot?

I'm a notoriously slow starter, something that has frustrated me for some time. I've recently started entering more competitions at my club and the last three stableford rounds I've failed to pick up any points until the third hole. Even more frustrating is that I've ended up turning it round at ending up on low - mid 30's, just low enough to scrape a +0.1. If I could pick up points on the first two holes I'd surely hit buffer or better.

I always warm up with a few balls on the range (practice a variety of shots) and try to play the practice holes before I start. I'm sure the problem comes from between the ears.

So any tips?

like you say its prob between the ears. Weight of expectation takes over try too hard make a mess of the first few holes. Then relax because you think yo have blown it and play well.

TBH i'm not sure there is a magic answer, I always start with a bogey at Nairn, but i know i can often get that shot back later so don't worry about it.

relax, enjoy and it will come.

 

[dufferman]

Has anyone got any tips to start a round off on the right foot?

I'm a notoriously slow starter, something that has frustrated me for some time. I've recently started entering more competitions at my club and the last three stableford rounds I've failed to pick up any points until the third hole. Even more frustrating is that I've ended up turning it round at ending up on low - mid 30's, just low enough to scrape a +0.1. If I could pick up points on the first two holes I'd surely hit buffer or better.

I always warm up with a few balls on the range (practice a variety of shots) and try to play the practice holes before I start. I'm sure the problem comes from between the ears.

So any tips?

Do you warm up on the range before your round?

 

[patricks148]

Do you warm up on the range before your round?

yes, he says so in the last paragraph.

 

[*TQ*]

I am frustratingly opposite!

Walked straight to the first on Saturday, didn't even have a knock on the practise green and hit one of the best drives I've ever hit, followed by a lovely six iron.

It went steadily down hill from there until I was struggling not to shank every shot by the eighteenth!

 

[Capella]

I am the same. I usually even get a decent tee shot away on the first tee, but then start messing up after that. There is a nasty pond on our first hole that absolutely seems to demand a ball sacrifice at the start of every round. Maybe I should just throw a ball in there before I tee off. But even if I somehow manage to avoid the stupid pond, I always find a way to squander a few shots around the green. Second hole is a par 3 and that is normally a bit better, I sometimes even manage to get a point back there, but it takes me about two more holes before I start playing steadily. It doesn't matter how much I warm up beforehand.

 

[patricks148]

I hardly if ever hit balls before i tee off. maybe a couple of putts from 4 feet on a flat bit of the practice green. it helps that the two courses im a member at and play comps on have very easy 1st holes.

 

[woody69]

Depends on why you're not scoring really.

Are you screwing up the tee shots?
Are the opening holes particularly difficult?
Are you missing the putts?
Are you getting yourself into a good position off the tee, but failing to make use of it?

Establish why you are messing up the opening hole. Could be something as simple as changing your strategy on how you play those holes, or how you warm up

 

[tomshanks]

Tee shots generally aren't bad, terrible approach shots are common and poor recoveries. Once on the green I'm safe.

 

[Orikoru]

I have the same problem but my course doesn't have a practise range so I have to go in cold. If you're getting a warm up in and still messing up the first hole or two then I'd say it must be in your head. And I don't know how you fix that - I liked the earlier suggestion though of just taking your best club off the tee, even if it's not quite the distance you need, having your favourite club might give you the confidence just to hit the fairway and take it from there?

 

[tomshanks]

Depends on why you're not scoring really.

Are you screwing up the tee shots?
Are the opening holes particularly difficult?
Are you missing the putts?
Are you getting yourself into a good position off the tee, but failing to make use of it?

Establish why you are messing up the opening hole. Could be something as simple as changing your strategy on how you play those holes, or how you warm up

Its a par 5 dogleg right which I usually try to knock a long iron to the corner to set up a 3 wood into / around the green. Last three rounds I've...

Hit tee shot too long into the bushes OB

Blocked myself out on the right, punched a 6i to recover then pulled a 7i into trees / thick veg.

Think I need to continue to try and play it safe. My luck has to change at some point and hopefully a bit of confidence will follow

5i to the corner, hybrid to 120, thinned my gap wedge over the back into the thick stuff.

 

[dufferman]

yes, he says so in the last paragraph.

How did I miss that!?!?!?

 

[woody69]

Its a par 5 dogleg right which I usually try to knock a long iron to the corner to set up a 3 wood into / around the green. Last three rounds I've...

Hit tee shot too long into the bushes OB

Blocked myself out on the right, punched a 6i to recover then pulled a 7i into trees / thick veg.

Think I need to continue to try and play it safe. My luck has to change at some point and hopefully a bit of confidence will follow

5i to the corner, hybrid to 120, thinned my gap wedge over the back into the thick stuff.

Think you need to work our a better strategy to play the hole. Start from the green and work your way backwards. i.e. assume 2 putts, what is your ideal approach distance to be hitting from on to the green. Then work out what club you need to in order to get to there and then all the way back to the tee. You might not need to hit a 5 iron off the tee. You might get away with a 6, 6, 8, and 2 putt for example

 

[Curls]

We have a gentle opener followed by 3 brutes (generally into the wind), so a slow start can mean pretty much game over at ours. I've taken to warming up at a nearby range and having enough time to practice putting, so when I'm out there at least I know I did all I oculd to be in the right frame of mind. Doesn't stop me making a pigs ear of it, but at least I don't beat myself up about that aspect!

If I rush to the course after work and tee it up its playing on my mind already that I've left the door open to disaster. That said, I have gotten away prettty cleanly at times doing just that. Funny thing about this game is that it is hilariously funny. Like really funny. Ha ha ha. Oh stop IT YOU ARE SO FUNNY.

:angry:

 

[bladeplayer]

Having the same problem on every course i play always seem to thro a double & triple in there, when ya mostly play scratch cups dropping 5 to 7 shots in first few hole it makes game very hard
Stopped playing for 2 weeks , went out sunday , scratch , scratch , next 16 were 11 pars 5 bogeys and rubbish greens cost me 3 or 4 of the bogeys at that ..
makes ya start to hate golf tbh

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Funny enough I'm thinking of going the other way. I usually spend an hour or so warming up and it's not paid dividends in terms of performance and handicap so thinking of a few pitches and bunker shots to loosen up and then cracking on