Hi Mark, 

Great question. When I was playing competitively I would force myself to fight through any issues I was having with a particular club by practicing and working on drills. Now that I do not play or practice nearly as much, I usually just let time pass and expect the issue will go away. I know that sounds odd, but there have been many times where I felt like I couldn't get off the tee, or I have a poor day chipping and putting. Instead of obsessing over it, I just forget about it and it often goes away, mainly because I have confidence gained from understanding I have overcome issues before. 

As for getting ready for the season, I try to stay loose, stretch, work out and just get excited to get outside and play. 

Looking forward to hearing everyone's response.

Mark, we all have those times one thing I do is just play through it. When driver isnt working one day I either play what I am hitting i,e fade or draw, same with irons or just go to the 3 wood or hybrid off the Tee what ever will work I don't believe in fixing some thing on the course I believe in just play what you have that day no since in making matters worse trying to fix it just give in and understand it's not going to be a great round and just try to salvage what you can. I normally play a draw but there are those days when I fade the ball or even hit it straight.Chipping and putting is the same way what ever will get me through the day without big numbers. We all like the one hop and stop chip but when you don't have it that day I just play bump and run may not be as close but I don't have to worry about sculling it or chunking it lol. As far as geting ready for the year I live in Oklahoma so we play alomst every week I can't think of a week this year we missed because of weather. It might be cold but we play through it cart covers and heaters REALLY help. 

I'm a little like Bubba.  When I was younger and playing competitively, if something wasn't working, I hit the range to figure it out.  I was friends with an old pro who taught in the same ways Harvey Penick taught.  He would usually be on the range in the afternoons would always come over to help me out.  One of the biggest things he ever taught me was to slow down when things are going wrong.  I had a tendency to try too hard to fix a problem.  He taught me to slow down and focus on my tempo.  If I'm struggling in a round, that's what I do.  If it's round to round, I try to forget about it and trust that it will go away.  I don't get to play nearly as much as I use to, but I still trust that I have a solid swing.

Good questions Mark, usually if some part of my game is inconsistant for one round I don't worry to much about it.  I may just try to work out a few things on the range before my next round.  If something seems to be a consistant inconsistancy I will call a Pro that I work with to get another set of eyes on the problem.  Golf tends to be a game of inconsistancies, thats why the guys on TV are where they are, becuase they are more consistant.  As to what I am doing right now to get ready for the season, I have a hitting net set up in my garage, and go a couple times a month and work with my teacher on Trackman, and I have a indoor putting green to just work on my stroke.  Other than that I use this time to ramp up workouts, stretching, ect..   I travel for my job so that allows me from time to time to get to some warmer climates and sneak in a few rounds, but I am more than ready for the weather to turn here!

Bubba great points!

Mark, when I endure issues I usually try to practice them "out" and not worry about them...sort of like a mentality of "things can only get better" and not worry about the outcomes as much.  I believe this attitude allows one to put less pressure on yourself.

Good Luck!

Up north here it's tougher to stay in golf shape, so I try to deal with this as follows: On course while playing, I simply stick to a go to shot or club. If I feel like I'm out of sorts, I will typically stick to the club that gives me the most confidence or the shot I feel better about pulling off. I know in my head I can hit all the clubs decently enough so I don't try to stress too much. Enjoy your round and be patient. Being patient is huge as something will click and provide you the spark you need. Will every round go as imagined or planned? No. Take the positives and after the round, hit the range and work the kinks out. Don't overthink it too much as I feel this will be more detrimental. If you can hit driver that day then hit 3 wood or hybrid or if you can't chip then putt it or bump and run with a hybrid or vise versa in these situations. Before the round, I can be found on the range and putting green at least 1 to 1 1/2 hours before tee time. Figure out what the game is like for the day and play with what you've got. If it's a cut then prepare to play cuts all day. It is all in knowing what you can and cannot do and that will set up the confidence you need to make it things feel more consistent. I'm the type of guy that spends a lot of time at the range not just hitting balls but hitting balls with a purpose then reflecting. Once I am warmed up, I usually have a yardage book of some course in my bag that I use to play an imaginary round on range.  At home the clubs are always near by so I'm usually working on grip, set up, posture, doing a slow 30 second golf swing, chipping and putting on carpet. I can get pretty maniacal but I'm sure there are others just like me! Looking forward to hearing others take on their game. 

Relatively speaking, the best players in the world are as inconsistent as you and me.  He difference is in the degree of inconsistency. That's the point behind the concept of "managing your misses."  Their misses/inconsistencies are simply smaller than ours.  Usually if there's something particularly troubling those guys, they get on the range or putting green after a round and fix it right away...I go to the bar.  (But that's the social side of golf for me; I'm not wired to "have fun" on the course.)

I'm in the Midwest, and I can generally get out year round, but when I do have some down time, I hit the gym and do a lot of stretching and core work.  I also spend a lot of time working on my swing indoor.  Some mirror work, some video to make sure I'm hitting the right positions and making the right moves in sequence.  I refuse to let myself get lazy (except for the part about getting to the gym as much as I should).  And I take a lot of notes as to what I see and what seems to work, or what does not.  I'm a low 'cap (not scratch, though I plan to change that this year), so things can easily go sideways on the course.  But when they do, these notes can act like something of a checklist to help me get back on track fairly quickly.  I also use the down time to review the basics and make sure I haven't strayed to far from the model I like.  

I take the approach to ignore the occasional miscues during a round because they will always happen.  The issues that I work on during a range session are those that occur a lot during a round or that don't occur a lot but carry over to my next round.  In those instances I will usually dedicate time on the range to work on it.  If I can correct it myself, great.  If not, I'll schedule some time with the swing doctor.

St Louis has very unpredictable winters.  This year we had been reasonably mild and snow free up to February, so getting out from time-to-time to either play or practice was doable.  February on the hand has been nothing but bad weather, so now it's hit balls inside using one of the big box stores simulator and chipping & putting in the basement.  Luckily for us, it looks like spring will be showing up starting this Friday.

I'm a mid handicapper and i have a lot of inconsistency..  My feelings/opinions will probably be a lot different then some of the reads on here.   There are days i'll shoot in the low 80s and then days i'm in the mid 90s..  The problem is i just don't get out much, with 2 boys it's tough..  I take what i can get..  So if it's a bad day for me, so be it.  I'm just happy i'm out swinging the clubs and enjoying the round with my buddies...

But if something is not right that day, i try not to think about it..  I try to move past it and just get it the next time.  If it keeps happening, then that club stays in the bag and move onto something else..  Wasn't meant to be to say...  The only club i wouldn't do that with is the driver and putter.  Need those..  

If time permits, absolutely i'll hit the range and try to work out the kinks.  I'll go as far as recording myself and seeing what i'm doing wrong if no one is around to help.. 

I do play with golfers there are a lot better than me and when they struggle, I love watching how they correct their issues and always blown away on how relaxed they are..  Being relax and keeping your composure is probably a big key in being a great player.  I definitely envy those players..    I'm still working on the "relaxing" part...  

I live in New Hampshire and yeah it's been a brutal winter..   The last time i played golf in New Hampshire was mid December with Hotsauce at his local club...    Once the snow started falling, clubs go away and all i really do is hit the gym and stretch..   This usually makes my wife happy..  Happy wife, happy life right?  

I did get to play last week in Florida and boy was i rusty..  Wasn't pretty but sure beats plowing 20 inches of snow! 

Best of luck with your game Mark... 

Cheers

Inconsistency .... it's just part of the game.

Especially for the general hacker out there like the most of us.  

What I tend to do is work through the issues of whatever is not working that day.  If the driver is off, start to hit the 3 wood.  If the irons are off, keep the swing thoughts to a minimum.  Just let muscle memory take over.  Now if my short game goes haywire, then we may have an issue.  I will continue to work on that until I get it fixed ... however long it takes.  That is where you score ... no matter how bad you are swinging, if your short game is on, you can still scramble and make a game of it.

As with all of us who are dedicated to the game, we used to be able to practice a lot more but with day to day issues with family, job, etc it becomes next to impossible.  So we do what we can to try and enjoy the game to the best of our ability.  

During the winter months, I will practice mechanics as much as possible.  Putting on the carpet or mat just to keep the stroke engraved in my head, chipping in the back yard (whenever it doesn't snow!).  But most of all, try to keep in shape and conditioned by lifting weights, stretching, and aerobic exercises.  This I think is the most important part in the off-season.  The swing will always come back ... it's just a matter of time.  Now losing clubhead speed because you aren't flexible enough or as strong as you once were .... that's a different story.

Not a Sermon .... Just a Thought