Anyone else out there a slow starter?

[slowRoll]

My past 2 rounds have been carbon copies of each other. Saturday was a long string of pars on the front 9 of a course that has birdie holes everywhere. Followed by a strong back 9 to finish decently. Yesterday I opened with bogeys on 4 of the first 5 holes(with a birdie splashed in for flavor) on a much tougher course and found myself in a hole at +3 after 5. Both times I was then able to settle back down, pull my head out of the sand, play good golf, and finish with a respectable round. But I'm left to wonder why it is that I have been starting so poorly lately?

Does anyone else have experience with something like this? I feel pretty lame having so much trouble at the beginning of the round, only to find myself in a nice groove right about the time that the round is ending.

 

[maansmit]

I find that I am a slow starter and even slower finisher...

 

[DiscNutt123]

If it's a tournament/league round it'll depend on what hole I start on. If I start on an easy stretch of holes my round is usually strong. But if I start on tougher holes and don't play them well, the rest of my round suffers. The mental part of this game is very tough to master.

 

[yangs1]

I tend to start fast and slow down. Saturday I was +1 on front 9 and +9 on the back. ARGH!

 

[DiscChainBasket18]

I'm typically a bogey starter or worse. Jussi Meresmaa talks about warming up properly before your round in the Deep in the Game video series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4zvNJ2Dk6g&feature=channel&list=UL
I rarely take this advice as I find warming up so boring but when I force myself to do it the round seems to start better for me. Then again sometimes it doesnt work

 

[chrishysell]

lately I have been a strong starter and then I lose in the last few holes of the tournament. 4 of my last 7 times. One time I was unable to get a sniff of the lead.

 

[JC17393]

My past 2 rounds have been carbon copies of each other. Saturday was a long string of pars on the front 9 of a course that has birdie holes everywhere. Followed by a strong back 9 to finish decently. Yesterday I opened with bogeys on 4 of the first 5 holes(with a birdie splashed in for flavor) on a much tougher course and found myself in a hole at +3 after 5. Both times I was then able to settle back down, pull my head out of the sand, play good golf, and finish with a respectable round. But I'm left to wonder why it is that I have been starting so poorly lately?

Does anyone else have experience with something like this? I feel pretty lame having so much trouble at the beginning of the round, only to find myself in a nice groove right about the time that the round is ending.

How much warming up do you do? Sometimes slow starts followed by strong finishes are simply a matter of getting warmed up as you play.

Perhaps if you warm up a bit more than usual, you'll find yourself settling in and finding a groove sooner in your round than the last few holes. Maybe all it takes is a few more practice putts, or a few more distance throws in the field, or just a short game of catch with someone to get yourself in mid-round form before hole 1.

 

[1978]

I need at least 9 holes warm up to do anything in a tournament... So always play bad in tee time starts where there isn't any land to warm up on. Also, I get warn down in long events because of all the playing I do, with little time to play/ practice during the weeks.

 

[chrishysell]

I think I need to throw about 5 holes to warm up. I throw the tee shots and a few approaches but never putt until I am at my hole. This works well for me because I rarely get to golf except at tournaments. It stretches out the few muscles I have.

 

[Mattallica]

I think I need to throw about 5 holes to warm up. I throw the tee shots and a few approaches but never putt until I am at my hole.

Same for me

 

[aPfaff]

I'm the opposite, I start hot and then about 3/4 through my round I just find par tempo. This happened at worlds. When I shot a 51 at Eastway from longs I birdied my starting hole 11 then birdied, 12, 13 and 14.

 

[Hampstead]

My body doesn't like mornings.
If I play early in the day I usually start slow until I'm sufficiently loosened up.
If I play in the afternoon I tend to be more accurate.
On tournament days I get up a few hours early, stretch, take a warm shower, stretch some more and throw a few practice holes.

 

[discgolfkyle]

I start out slow. I need to warmup and play about 9 holes to get rolling.

 

[Shipley]

Develop a pre-shot routine that you use before each throw. It'll help your focus, and keep your head in the game.

Also, always utilize good course management skills whenever you play.

Learn to play bogey free golf. It may be boring, but your score will go down.

 

[B3NDER]

Seems like by the time I warm up, everyone else is done for the day :doh: and that's just for casual rounds.

Leagues are a whole other horror story :|

 

[General Scales]

I find that if I throw 7-10 practice drives and about 30 putts before a league/tournament I'm just fine. I'll keep my arm loose by occasionally doing a towel drill while waiting for the player's meeting to end. If I throw more then that, I'm done. I believe it has something to do with getting so warmed up I'm ready to start right away. Then my mental status crumbles as I realize I have another hour or so to go before actually throwing the first real tee shot of the day.

I have also found that if I bogey the first hole, I'm going to usually have a great round. Probably because I just got all the jitters out of my system on that first hole and I'm no longer worried about when the bogey is going to come. I'm now concentrated on not repeating that first hole.

 

[eegor]

I like to warm up putting by playing a game of "horse" when I arrive (I think the "instant competition" gets me to start concentrating). Then I'll throw a few mids and drive a few times with putters (to loosen up). That usually gets me focused enough to have a good start.

 

[jenb]

I find my playing improves later in the day, and then better the next day, and then even better the next day, etc. It's weird because I seem to putt better initially, but have bad drives and approaches, and then later my putting goes and I start laying up everything, but my drives and approaches are better. It's sort of like I don't play my best until I'm really sore and exhausted.

 

[bholy08]

I like early morning tourney rounds. I feel alert and always get there early to warn up by stretching and driving my putter a few times. Then some putting and I am good to go.

If I hadn't played in over a few days, I will try to actually throw a few holes.

 

[Shipley]

I find my playing improves later in the day, and then better the next day, and then even better the next day, etc. It's weird because I seem to putt better initially, but have bad drives and approaches, and then later my putting goes and I start laying up everything, but my drives and approaches are better. It's sort of like I don't play my best until I'm really sore and exhausted.

You're playing better when you're "exhausted", because you're more relaxed.