Inconsistent Scoring

I AM A NEWBIE THAT'S BEEN PLAYING ONE YEAR AND A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO I BEGAN SCORING CONSISTENTLY IN THE 90S WITH A LOW OF 89 LAST MONTH. HOWEVER, MY LAST THREE SCORES HAVE BEEN 106, 102, AND 105. IT SEEMED EVERYTHING WENT WRONG EVEN WHEN I HIT SOLID SHOTS AND I 3 AND 4 PUTTED TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT. GRANTED, MY SCORE OF 89 WAS AT A PRETTY WIDE OPEN COURSE WITHOUT A TON OF TROUBLE AND MY HIGHER SCORES WERE AT EXTREMELY TIGHT COURSES WITH TROUBLE EVERYWHERE BUT I AM STILL DISCOURAGED AS I THOUGHT I WAS FINALLY GETTING BETTER

I have yet to see a golfer go progress, progress, and progress. In other words get progressively better with out some set backs along the way. Bad rounds of golf will always follow a series good rounds of golf, and vice, versa.

Look at the pro's scores at every tournament. You will see some player's scores where there is a mix match of 70s, and 60s scores. Even an occassional 80 mixed in with a 70 score. For the pros these are set backs when they don't shoot red numbers, or miss a cut. If the best golfers in the world have to suffer through poor scoring rounds, then amateurs should not be surprised, or upset when it happens to them. Myself, I am quite happy when I break 80, satisfied with a score of 83 or lower, and anything higher than 84 is just a fine day at the golf course.

Consistant accuracy is what any golfer should strive for. The higher the percentage of accuracy, then consistant, lower scoring will be the reward.

Discribe all the aspects of your game, which would include ball flights, trouble shots, and putting issues. There are enough people on this forum who can give you information to help you to learn to play a better, more consistant game. Just be careful not to mix, and match information that can cause you confusion in what you are trying to accomplish. Even ask for help from the club fitters about your equipment. If your equipment is wrong for your swing, finding consistancy is going to be long, disappointing trip. GJS

I throw the majority of strokes away putting. I struggle mightily with judging speed. I leave a great many putts way short or way long. On short putts I decelerate many times pushing or pulling the putt.My "ball striking" itself is pretty good for a beginner. I suffer from a hook sometimes every now and then with my longer clubs when I rush my swing. Also, I just found out my King Cobra II irons are offset to combat slicing but I hit a slight draw so I open the face to avoid hooking my irons. Another score killer for me is alignment. Most times when I hit errant drives or approach shots my playing partners tell me I was aiming that way. I wish they would tell me before I hit the shot In short, speed on my putts to avoid 3 and 4 putting and alignment cost me a lot of strokes usually. I know it is unusual for beginners to fight a hook so maybe I should get irons with very minimal or no offset to fight hooks?

Just a thought:

I firmly believe the answer lies in practice and not in equipment. My PB of 81 was shot with rubbish borrowed clubs, trainers and a lake ball. My recently purchased new clubs (which I love) resulted ina round of 100 and something at the weekend.

Putting is the one stroke you can practise anywhere and that's what you want to do. There are, of course, some common faults you can eradicate from your putting stroke, but with putting practise, I'm sure you'll find the solution to your scoring woes - without the cost of buying new clubs!

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Personal bests 2007;
Best 18: 78 (+12)
Best 9: 37 (+4)
Best Stableford: 45 pts
Best total putts: 28
Best total length sunk putts (ft): 54

Club tourney history this year: Captain's Day - 1st; Club foursomes - 2nd; Dimex Stableford - 2nd; Club Championship - 13/28 gross, joint 5/28 nett; Ferebee Shield - 2nd; Sept Medal 2nd; Autumn Stableford - 1st

Indeed, practice is what will improve your skill. One thing you may overlook, Chris, is to make proper contact with the putter. The only way you can do that consistently is to practice it extensively.

Here is a drill to help you with that.

Focus on the ball. Focus on making proper contact with the ball above all else. Keep your eyes on the spot where the ball was even as it's going towards the hole. As you strike the ball, switch your focus to see how well you strike the ball. Compare this view to the feeling you get when you strike the ball. Repeat.


Once you are confident that you can make proper contact with the putter, practice sending the ball to the hole from the same distance for a couple of hours. Here, we learn how to putt through sheer volume of repetition. You will eliminate useless movements. Your technique will clean itself up. It will become more efficient. As a result, it will become more effective as well.

After all this practice, if you still have trouble controlling the putter, think of the grip. Does the club feel loose in your hands? If it does, then grip the club more firmly. Or grip the club with all your fingers touching the grip, the baseball grip.

Inconsistent scoring, as GJS IMO quite rightly suggests, is part and parcel of every golfers quest for lower numbers. Some days there'll be great golf for all but 3 or 4 holes, there'll be those blowout holes and your scoring graph will fluctuate like a needle on a seismograph in California.

Bottom line for me has been to take the good with the bad, always look forward and don't expect too much of yourself.

Enjoyment is first and foremost in my golfing life.

Cheers