Is it just me?

[fountg]

Does anyone else feel like they get around the same score everytime they play, and it starts to feel like you subconsciously make yourself get that score?

Case in point. I get plus 15 almost everytime I play a certain local course. Today I played that course. Now normally that plus 15 is evenly distributed throughout the 18, but today...today I was at plus 2 on the 11th hole! I had never done so good before, but SOMEHOW, I made the rest of that up on those last seven, to bring me right back to my SAME score as always.


Its pretty annoying. I had my hopes up for an all time best.

 

[drickanderson]

I know EXACTLY what you mean.

 

[BrotherDave]

I've noticed that since I've been using a scorecard instead of keeping score in my head, I don't have this problem as much. I just write down the strokes and move onto the next hole with zen-like focus and clarity.

 

[Apothecary]

my score swings quite a bit depending on what kind of round im playing. if im playing serious, smart golf i seem to have a swing of about 5 strokes. a lot of time im tweaking technique or going for putts outside of my range in an attempt to extend it. those rounds usually score a bit higher.

the trick to consistently good/better rounds is to only worry about the upcoming shot and executing your plan.

 

[TalbotTrojan]

Yeah, well, don't think about it. When I start to think about that stuff is usually when I mess up. Of course recently I regressed from averaging under par on my local course back to 6 over where I was about this time last year.

 

[smarkquart]

What I have noticed recently is that my scores are hovering about the same despite feeling that my overall game has improved. Thanks to the scorecard on here, I have noticed how horrendous my putting has become. What is happening is that my drives and approaches have become more consistent. I attribute this to switching over to TeeBirds, Rivers, Firebirds, and San Marino Rocs in the last two months. However, my putting has become so horrible in the last month that my scores are staying the same.

Basically, earlier in the year I was a par player. I make a few birdies and counter them with a few bogeys, but for the most part I drive, approach, and then putt. Within the last two months I have been more consistent with my drives and getting far more birdie opportunities (40 feet or less), but I have been missing more putts. Now it is more like drive, putt, and then putt again. I have been getting more birdies, but I have also been getting more bogeys from three putting. Often I have the potential to play four to five down on whatever course I play, but I still walk away par or worse.

Recently, whenever possible, I try to play three rounds. I try to use the first round to gauge how well my driving is going to be and see what kind of day I am going to have putting. If I am lucky I am a few under par or about par. I have probably shanked a drive or two getting warmed up and pushing my driving to compensate for potential bad putting. Putting is usually better because I have not let it get into my mind yet (which is why I never take more than 10-15 practice putts before a tournament). The second round is usually where the wheels fall off. If it is a bad putting day, I will definitely overcompensate with the driving and it is likely that something really bad will happen on a hole or two, wiping out any great drives I have. I am usually over par at this point. It is the third round where I have felt and analyzed what I am capable of on that course that day and make the proper adjustments. Usually at this point I am right back to the score I started the day with, maybe a throw or two better.

Yet when the day is done, my scores have not improved since the beginning of the year despite my overall impression that I am playing far better. Damn my putting.

 

[j0atz]

I also know exactly what you mean. I cant seem to get out of par mode even though I know ive gotten a ton better. I used to just par it out with maybe 1 birdie but now im as much as 5-6 under before the back nine but manage to get a couple bogeys and a double...even though i NEVER would get doubles before. Pisses me off heh.

 

[simpletwist]

1 thing that helped me to lower my scores outside of better mechanics is better course management. And 1 thing that really helped with course management at my home course was writing my scores on a score card. I wish I had also had the sense to write the penalties and putts. That might have made it a more effective tool. By writing my scores I was able to determine which holes were go for it holes and which ones needed a more conservative approach. Instead of going for that 2 and wind up making a 4 or 5, I'll play smarter and just make it an easy 3.

Write your scores down and track them on here. It might just help. I believe it got me 5 strokes or more with simple course management.

 

[Brall]

Does anyone else feel like they get around the same score everytime they play, and it starts to feel like you subconsciously make yourself get that score?

Case in point. I get plus 15 almost everytime I play a certain local course. Today I played that course. Now normally that plus 15 is evenly distributed throughout the 18, but today...today I was at plus 2 on the 11th hole! I had never done so good before, but SOMEHOW, I made the rest of that up on those last seven, to bring me right back to my SAME score as always.


Its pretty annoying. I had my hopes up for an all time best.

i smell what yer steppin homeskillet

 

[Technohic]

I dont know if I get this feeling but it does seem like I get stuck within 1 or 2 strokes of my regular score a lot. I dont think its self sabotage as much as when I gain strokes, usually its on different holes and I gain several at a time when it goes wrong.

 

[jasonc]

It's not just you. For my game, I have improved my putting this year with more time spent in the backyard on the practice basket.

However, while I am trying to work on the drives, it almost seems like I am less consistent than last year from the tee pad. I have been working on incorporating a "complete" reach back and a few other tweaks. I am probably trying to change too many things at the same time.

This has lead to at least 4 or 5 horrible drives per round for a few double bogeys.

 

[mabraddock]

i have found a mid game this year but lost ALL of my putting skills... how about your best round ever at a local course coming on a day when it's forty degrees out side with a 25 MPH sustained wind... and then just sucking it up for the whole rest of the season...

 

[sloppydisc]

Yes it is just you. suck it up, and work on your weak points. for the love of god man, I threw an actual forehand this week. If that can happen, you can get better. Just work on it.

 

[hig2a4life]

What I have noticed recently is that my scores are hovering about the same despite feeling that my overall game has improved. Thanks to the scorecard on here, I have noticed how horrendous my putting has become. What is happening is that my drives and approaches have become more consistent. I attribute this to switching over to TeeBirds, Rivers, Firebirds, and San Marino Rocs in the last two months. However, my putting has become so horrible in the last month that my scores are staying the same.

Basically, earlier in the year I was a par player. I make a few birdies and counter them with a few bogeys, but for the most part I drive, approach, and then putt. Within the last two months I have been more consistent with my drives and getting far more birdie opportunities (40 feet or less), but I have been missing more putts. Now it is more like drive, putt, and then putt again. I have been getting more birdies, but I have also been getting more bogeys from three putting. Often I have the potential to play four to five down on whatever course I play, but I still walk away par or worse.

Recently, whenever possible, I try to play three rounds. I try to use the first round to gauge how well my driving is going to be and see what kind of day I am going to have putting. If I am lucky I am a few under par or about par. I have probably shanked a drive or two getting warmed up and pushing my driving to compensate for potential bad putting. Putting is usually better because I have not let it get into my mind yet (which is why I never take more than 10-15 practice putts before a tournament). The second round is usually where the wheels fall off. If it is a bad putting day, I will definitely overcompensate with the driving and it is likely that something really bad will happen on a hole or two, wiping out any great drives I have. I am usually over par at this point. It is the third round where I have felt and analyzed what I am capable of on that course that day and make the proper adjustments. Usually at this point I am right back to the score I started the day with, maybe a throw or two better.

Yet when the day is done, my scores have not improved since the beginning of the year despite my overall impression that I am playing far better. Damn my putting.

Alright, here is my take on this situation:
Your putting is neither better nor worse than it was before. You have hit a plateau because something major has changed and it has nothing to do with putting. As disc golfers improve, the first thing to improve is driving simply because it's what gets worked on the most. You add distance, you add accuracy, you add different lines to your arsenal. During this long process, your mid-range game becomes awesome because you get used to being in trouble and getting out of it and being in spots where you have a longer approach shot that you get really good at parking. This formula for playing puts relatively little stress on your putting game because you're encountering 20 foot long putts at most. As you're going through this, you'll notice your scores improve because parked approaches are huge stroke savers.
After this phase, something curious happens: your drives get longer, you throw less approach shots, you throw less get-out-of-trouble shots. You find yourself encountering something you've never encountered before: putting from the 30-60 foot range regularly. These putts are very tricky, especially since you haven't been practicing how to deal with them. Do you go for them? Do you lay them up? Do you try something in between? Often inexperience will get the best of you and you'll try to go for all of them because, after all, you're not usually in such great shape throwing for birdie. This generally results in some epic disaster rounds as you watch strokes slip away and your average score climbs back up. You have two choices: practice putts in the 30-100 foot range every day or disc down and start throwing mids off the tee. If your course is short, the second option will work for you, but will not address the real issue and will leave you in a tough spot come tournament time when you're playing longer courses. Ultimately, you will have to practice these distances or you'll have to find a way to park drives to 20 feet every time, which is quite difficult I hear. Once you "break through" this plateau, your scores will fall drastically. You'll begin figuring out what putts to go for and what ones to take an easy par on.

Keep working at it and have fun doing it...or just buy a stalker and park everything

 

[craftsman]

Related to this is a term I've been calling "piggy backing".
I have a funk where I am constantly six strokes behind one of my buds. The only highlight is that he's a good player so when he shot ten down on a tough course, I broke my record

 

[Smigles]

Never noticed anything of that sort. My scores are all over the place.

Last tournament i played 75 - 66 - 60.

Yes, i am still new to this

 

[DavidSauls]

I'm not new to this at all, and my scores still vary greatly.

My game is so delicately tuned that it doesn't take much to get out of tune and start piling up strokes.

 

[srm_520]

Well, at least your consistent. People have made a good point in plateauing your game. Once you get to a certain level you are going to stop improving unless to fundamentally work on a part of your game. Plus, it makes sense to shoot the same score on a course that you know, because that score is equal to your ability as a player.

It happens to me a lot because in the beginning I was use to my scores greatly fluctuating because my ability to play the game greatly fluctuated. However, now that I've reached a certain level of play my scores are very consistent and usually with in one or two shots. However, since I'm to lazy to do something like devote an hour a day to putting, it'll probably be like that for a while.

My advice it to not think about, and just enjoy the game. It you really want it to chance, you had better be ready to change your game and the time you give to it.

 

[solomon.trenton]

i average a 70ish. i shoot 66-72 on almost every course