Practice how you want to play...same speed, tempo, focus...but don't practice while playing...let your body do its thing while playing a round...consistency is built on the range and demonstrated on the course.

How to stay consistent??!?!?!
 

I'm amazed how the PGA pros can keep it together for an entire round of golf.

I'm a high handicap player (31) and I've been practicing at the range around 2-3 times a week.
Yesterday I played a round and after the first 5 holes, I was only at +4! After that, the wheels fell off and I scored +17 the next 5 holes http://www.thehackersparadise.com/fo...s/arrogant.png
I've done this a few times now....started off pretty hot, looking to score sub 100 but then a string of triple bogeys come around and bite me in the butt.

I'm also trying to play it safe by using my 4i for drives instead of using my driver. So I'm not trying to be a hero every hole, yet I'll still lose my ball in the trees when I get on my bad streak.
Seems like once the first triple bogey comes, it takes me a while to pull it back together.

How do you guys stay consistent over the course of the entire 18 holes?

^^^^^^^^ That's some good advice right there ^^^^^^^^

A lot of good advise and let me add that where your game is right now, don't even have a scorecard. Just like at the range, work on your game on the course until you feel like you are putting together good rounds. And as braddman said, know the rules, they are there to help. Good luck.

Excellent tips here! Short memory... Focus on the next shot not the previous. If you feel that keeping score is important for you at this juncture then keep it. But try playing double bogey or bogey as your par. Take a look at the score card. The low handicap holes 1-6. Play them to double bogey 7-12 to bogey 13-18 try par. I used that technique with my son and it helped with his confidence building

It's much harder than it seems, and it seems very hard haha. For me, consistency is shooting around the same scores all the time, which is still a challenge.

Once I started trying to just have a par putt on every hole, my scores dropped. That might mean it's a 45 footer, but at least it's a par putt.

Also, practice chipping and putting. Learn your swing. Don't try to force a shape. Don't worry about working the ball. learn your yardages. Don't go out and pin hunt. Also, have fun. Laugh at yourself. Taking the game TOO seriously can cause a player to get burned out quickly. For two seasons I drew a little smiley face on my glove, just to keep me from getting to frustrated when things weren't going perfect.

Two things help when I'm blowing up. 1. Keep the ball in front me, if that means going Driver, 8 iron, 8 iron to par 5 so be it. 2. I don't look at the scorecard. Other than writing down what I scored I don't look at it until the round is over. That way I don't know if I'm +5 on the front or blowing up on the back, one hole at a time.

Haven't figured that out yet

Spazz -- I ain't never thought about that breathing stuff http://www.thehackersparadise.com/fo...bulgy-eyes.png. It could very well be the ticket to calm those nerves and keep good consistency http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...s/thumbsup.gif

Might sound stupid but keep your eye on the ball through the whole swing. Youll hit it more consistent and your putting should get better.

I have to agree with this, taking your medicine is a huge way of keeping your scores round the same number along with managing the course properly

Aiming for the 'safest' spot on the fairway
Playing to a number
Aiming for the middle of the green on approach shots as often as I can
Take medicine when possible and punch out of a tough spot rather than pull off a miracle shot

Play a lot more golf, it will come.

Beware though, no matter how good you get, you will always want more.

Id love to figure this one out, get a tour caliber swing and quit my job. Id carry a THP staff bag too.

I tend toward the breath in on the back - hold thru down then exhale on the hit. But I'm not sure it's a great idea. Makes me try to wack the heck out of it... Not a good idea at my current "accuracy" level :)

I would say that getting to a point where you know what works and then repeating it again & again & again! You want to be able to recreate success and I feel that to do that you must do the exact same thing each time. That means same setup, same takeaway, same swing etc. They say it takes 10,000 times for something to be ingrained in muscle memory, so get the foundation and then repeat times 10,000!

Once I started to figure out what worked for me I went to a coach for my first lesson. I explained that I didn't want to re-work my swing, just some pointers to eliminate some faults. I've got to a point where my routine sets me in a position to succeed and from there I just have to execute what I know works. This game is too tough to be always thinking, so the more you can rely on routine and intuition, the better.

Thanks for all the advice guys.

I think what I need to do is use a club that I am really comfortable with after I hit a triple bogey. I think a lot of it is mental and I need to shake off the bad shots and get into a good mental state again. If that means using a 7 iron all the way to the green on a par 5, so be it. That should still give me a chance to putt for par if I make it on in 4 and 2 putt for bogey! That actually sounds pretty good at the moment. haha

If you get into trouble, don't be afraid to take your stroke penalty for an unplayable.

Quite often I think "no problem, I can play my way out of this". The truth is, I usually can't, but I was still trying..... and trying.... and trying some more.

All this "trying" would lead to the blowups, where its taking me 3 or 4 strokes to fix the damage that could have been fixed just by taking an unplayable.

Know the rules, know when you can be awarded relief. It is all there to help you.

If you can eliminate the big holes, and deal with the bogeys and doubles, your score will improve.

A ton of good tips on here and great thread! This is what I am struggling with right now so I know exactly how you feel. I have been trying to change my swing path forever which will probably take me 10,000 more swings http://www.thehackersparadise.com/fo...bulgy-eyes.png. Golf is so mental and once you get some sort of skill, I think a large portion of the problem vs solution is in the brain. If I had a golfers brain I could be a single digit right now. You can look at my signature at the bottom of the page and it tells the story. Listen to what the guys who know how to train your body but also train your mind to be strong.