Consistency

[cdyason]

Once again I had my 'typical' round on Sunday. 8 over front, 1 over back nine.

Anybody got any advice on 'getting into' the round earlier. I do try to practice before going out, however, course is in mid-development at the moment so practice is limited (nets, putting and chipping).

is it just a case of practicing/warming up more effectively before the round or is there something I am missing???

[Ian Hancock]

Re: Consistency

Hi,

I think that it's a mind thing..............

Try getting to the course with some soft music in the car, drive steady and relax, no heavy chat before going out, things you talk about can play on your mind, definatley if it's golf swing talk. Since reading a few books I have noticed the better players at the club tend to be very quite before they play, just having a quite chip and a putt and not getting involved with anyone.

The biggest killer for me is expecting to much to early let the game develop, don't expect to much out of your early shots, take the easy way out for the first couple of holes.

You had a good back nine because you thought "i've blown it" so you relaxed and played great on the back, ever missed a putt, then tried it again and sunk it, thats what tention can do.

Hope this helps

Ian.

[ph_kingston]

Re: Consistency

Excellent advice Ian!

There's no real substiture for warming up properly first so that you're not swinging cold on the first tee. Regarless you still need to play yourself into the round to prevent the problem of a great back nine making up for a poor front one.

If a course is well designed then it should give you this option through good shot selection. If you start with a Par 4 then leave the driver in the bag and maybe take an easier shot with a club you know you can hit (say a 5-wood). Even if it's not a great shot the shorter distance means less chance of hitting big trouble. If you're then in position to hit your next shot to the green then make your target the centre of the green regardless of pin position. Greens in regulation is a good barometer for steady golf and that's what you need for the first few holes.

Also practice your short game like crazy, this can save you a lot of shots if you're missing the green on the first few holes.

[cdyason]

Re: Consistency

Driving to the golf course like a mad man may not be helping then.....

I think you are right about expectation, i can recall any number of times being frustrated by not 'playing like last time'.

Plus my short game is not up to standard at the moment, which may account for more shorts slipping by early on.

Thanks, both, for the advice. Gives me somethings to think on!

[pgmetcalf]

Re: Consistency

I did the exactly same thing today. Front 9 was forgetful and 4 birdies on the back 9. The key to putting together a good round is identify the problem quickly and adapt play during the round before sorting the problem out on the practice round.

For example, before today I hadn't played for a month. I had stiffness, probably through lack of playing or warming up, and wasn't able to turn my spine fully on the backswing. Also, one of the most common errors that can creep up on the unsuspecting player is alignment at address - it tends to happen gradually over a period of time and it's difficult to see that your stance might be opening/closing, especially seeing as your eyesight can play tricks on you. Once I identified the problem, I concentrated hard on shoulder rotation and alignment and started scoring again.

So from this, I would advise anyone to study the "why of shots" so you can find a cure for cancer ... so-to-speak