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This game is the most infuriating game. I just started taking it semi-seriously about two months ago. I overhauled my bag and got a series of 5 lessons. I have taken 3 of those lessons and I'm not sure I've made any progress.

After the first lesson I went out and shot a 96 at an easier course in the area. I was happy. That made three straight rounds under 100. I thought I had turned a corner.

Then two rounds back over 100 at two of the toughest courses in the area had me disappointed (I did keep in mind the courses were harder). Then came the second lesson. Something else to work on, which I was able to handle during the lesson and at the driving range. Then two inconsistent outings followed that lesson. The first one was an up-and-down kind of day with a birdie and 4 pars offsetting a 7,8,9, and 10 - the course level was moderate. The second was an easier course I littered with lost balls (11) enroute to a horrible score. I was crushed.

That was followed up by lesson #3 in which my inconsistency showed during the lesson because of poor tempo (rushing my swing). That was the only lesson for the week - slowing the swing down. At the driving range two days later I was hitting my driver and irons right at the selected targets and I felt comfortable....

... until I hit the course this morning. It was a moderate level course that I had never played before. I shot 60 on the front (including 4 lost balls), but did manage to settle down to shoot a 49 on the back (with no lost balls). I couldn't hit my driver to save my life and I was having a hard time keeping my tempo in check (as I felt I was focusing on it too much).

Now I sit here tired and depressed and wondering when the corner will be turned and when I might feel like I'm playing better...

This is a very frustrating game...

Hang in there, CybrSlicr! Actually, I'm impressed by your progress!

First, you've made a good commitment to the game: overhauled your bag, arranged for lessons, and you're going to the range to work on your game. This is fantastic! Second, you're experimenting with different kinds of courses, gathering on-course experience (OK, some "bitter" experience, but that comes with the territory when you're learning). This is essential. Finally, at one course you managed 4 pars and a birdie! This is great. Obviously, you can hit good shots. The frustrating thing, of course, is that we ask ourselves, "Well, how come I can't do that all the time?"

I think that for where you're at, inconsistency is just part of the process, a stage that you go through on the way to becoming better. Don't worry that the inconsistency follows your lesson. That's natural. Just keep doing what you're doing. Work through the process, give it some time. Take the good shots (which you can obviously hit) as evidence of the golfer that you're going to be, and the bad shots as the lingering evidence of the golfer you're leaving behind. Don't put yourself under too much pressure to become too good too soon. That will probably hurt you. Maybe stay off the tough courses that beat you up right now. No shame in staying mainly on an easy course as you get your shots and your head together. Don't look for progress from 1 week or even 1 month to the next; this will take time. Trust the process that you've got going. You're on the right track. Be patient with the process. You will make progress, mark my words.

You know, CybrSlicr, I really can't add much to Jim's wisdom here. All I can do is affirm for you the truth of what he said. One of the hardest things to learn about golf is that the harder you try, the worse you get. Improvement really comes when you learn to relax and let the swing that you've built do the work without obvious effort on your part. I learned this lesson by becoming so frustrated that I just completely gave up mentally and physically and began swinging the club as if I didn't care where the ball was going. Voila! Great shot, solid contact, smooth motion. That's when it dawned on me that I had been so tense and stiff that no number of swing thoughts was going to help me hit the ball better. I had to truly and completely relax. It's just a difficult goal to reach.

I appreciate the words of encouragement. I sometimes forget I am working with changes in my swing and I sometimes feel they should be automatic - and that is not always the case. I did play this morning again, with a slight bit different result.

I came off of hole 1 with an 8 to start and it looked like it would be the same kind of day. On 6, 7, and 8, I scored a 7 and back-to-back 8's and I had all but given up on this round (the back-to-back 8's were actually the result of horrible chipping and putting - I was within 50 yards of each pin in 3 and 3 putted each).

On hole 9 I made a small change and started "sitting" a bit more in my swing (I'm wondering if I wasn't sitting enough earlier). I ended up with a par on hole 9 and played the entire back nine bogey (+11 for the back - I had a triple bogey on 15). I went from a 58 on the front to a 46 on the back and felt like I was swinging the club much better.

I realize now it will just take a bit of time and practice to get some consistency in my game. I know it will come and I will try to remain positive on the course as I work my way through.

Oh man, I seen this thread and it has my name all over it! I'm about as inconsistent as they come (PER HOLE). Take for example the one course that I played 4 times this week...The first hole I've parred twice, triple bogeyed and single bogeyed. Most of the holes on this course are like that. My scores have gone 53-51-47-51. (its a 9 hole course)

Hopefully tomorrow will promise a more consistent outing. I've done well on each hole, just not all during the same round! I've parred every hole, just never all at once. I usually do about 2 or 3 per game. About the only consistent hole is the 9th - a 130 yard, Par 3. The water starts as soon as you tee off, and ends right before the green. So I usually green it with the 9 iron on the first shot, then 2 putt. Today i had a 6 foot birdie putt and it lipped the cup. I was angry. But ah well. Tomorrow, tomorrow!

Do you know why the average weekend golfer suffers with inconsisency? He/she knows way too much about what is NOT important about the golf swing and very little about what is.
I didn't have to look too long on the internet to get this piece of advice: To have a good angle the left leg passes the ball first, hands second, and clubhead last. This motion automatically moves the clubhead in the descending angle of approach. Having the clubhead passing the hands prior to impact creates an ascending angle of approach. (The clubhead travels way too fast for you to make this happen. )
Here's more delirium: Power in the golfswing comes from the difference in hip turn versus shoulder turn--otherwise known as the "X-Factor." Our data shows that the PGA Tour players average a shoulder turn of 90 degrees at the top of the backswing.
Subtract the average hip turn of 45 degrees and we get an X-Factor of 45 degrees. The greater the X-Factor, the greater amount of stretch or "coil" in the golf swing.

Well, at last the secret has been revealed to us. Now we know what Tiger and Jack think about when they swing. ;)



"I think that people try to make things that are really simple more complicated than they really are" --Tiger Woods