How to play consistent Golf!
Do you want to be a consistent golfer?
This statement comes up in almost every lesson I give… “I just want to be more consistent.” If there’s one thing that every golfer on the planet wants, it’s consistency!
Everyone’s good shots have the same outcome – they feel good off the face, they look good flying through the air, and they go towards the target. It’s when the next shot doesn’t work out that creates frustration! If you’re one of those golfers wanting more consistency (and I bet you are), then I’ve got some good news and some bad news.
Let’s start with the good news. There are some things you can do to get more consistency into your game, and it’s much more than building a perfect golf swing. If you work on these next four key areas, I GUARANTEE you’ll shoot lower scores more consistently:
1 – You have a tension problem
If you hit the ball well on the range but not on the course (again, I bet this is you), then you don’t have a technique problem – you have a tension problem. This is actually great news because it’s much easier to manage than a swing reconstruction.
Think about it like this: on the range, golfers are generally quite relaxed because it’s a safe space. There’s a bucket full of balls, there aren’t any consequences for a bad shot, and there usually isn’t a specific target. All of this contributes to a relaxed body, a calm mind, and smooth swing tempo. This is what you need to search for when you’re on the course.
Try to replicate how relaxed you feel on the range by focusing on lowering your heart rate and keeping your mind calm. Easier said than done, I know, but it’s worth learning how to calm down and remove tension from your body.
Remember, you can’t expect to make the same swing on the course as you do on the range if you aren’t in the same physical and mental state. BE TENSION FREE.
2 – Manage your round
This is where most golfers make a mess of their scorecard when it could have easily been avoided. Taking on shots beyond their current skill level, aiming for tightly tucked flags instead of the middle of the green, and not understanding risk versus reward.
Next time you play a round of golf, try aiming for the middle of every green, regardless of what club you’re using. Anything longer than a chip shot – the target should be the middle of the green.
Next time you’re in trouble, just get the ball back into the fairway and don’t take unnecessary risks by going through gaps in the trees. And finally, if you’re hitting a long club, try to think of the payoff from a good shot versus the penalty for not pulling it off. Perhaps hitting two irons onto the green will be a better choice than hitting a fairway wood that can’t reach the green but brings into play things like water, OB, or bunkers.
3 – Short game
It goes without saying that you can score more consistently by improving your short game. I’m not talking about hitting the ball close when chipping or making long putts… I’m talking about not wasting shots around the green.
The last thing you want to do is throw away shots with a three-putt, or duff your chip shot, or even worse – get stuck in a bunker and take three shots to get out.
This is the low-hanging fruit when it comes to improving your scoring. Just work on short putts (less than 5 feet), distance control with long putts, build a reliable chip shot that gets the ball on the green every time, and learn to get out of the bunker in one shot.
Sounds like a lot, but structure your training around these areas and watch your scores drop!
4 – Pre-shot routine
The birthplace of consistency. The one thing you can do as well as anyone in the world.
This is where you put everything together and use the time before each shot to set it up for success. Build a pre-shot routine that has consistent physical and mental elements.
If you’re making good decisions, calming your nerves, rehearsing good feels, and reminding yourself of the rhythm and tempo required, then you’ll have a great chance of hitting a good shot.
Do this for every shot you hit on the course, and your scores come down – it’s simple, really.
This is what a good pre-shot routine does, and it’s one thing that everyone in the world can build, regardless of skill level.
I did say earlier that there’s some bad news. Here it is…
There is no such thing as consistency!
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
Ok, I don’t want to scare you, but it’s true – consistency isn’t a thing. The best players in the world shoot scores in a range of 20+ shots. In fact, as I write this, the 2025 Masters just finished, and in the first two rounds, Nick Dunlap had a difference of 19 shots between round 1 and round 2. That’s more than 1 shot per hole different in 24 hours from someone playing in the US MASTERS.
So why does everyone see the best players as consistent golfers? It’s because of their bad shots – they just aren’t as bad as yours.
Obviously, their good shots are also at another level (they are professionals after all), but it’s their mis-hits that make them world champions. Let me explain it like this:
I know I said it’s not about fixing your swing, but let’s face it – the better your technique, the better the quality of your bad shots.
Read that again: It’s not about your good shots (remember, everyone’s good shots have the same result), it’s all about how bad your bad shot is.
If it’s just a little offline, or if your miss is always the same, then you’ll be just fine.
If your bad shot goes along the ground, 60 yards sideways, or is a complete mis-hit, then you need to improve your swing technique. The best players in the world just mis-hit the ball better than everyone else – so they score better. But even they aren’t consistent.
So, to package all of this information for you:
Don’t search for consistency in your ball striking – search for it in your score.
That’s going to happen by working on the four points mentioned above and improving the quality of your bad shots.