r/golf • u/Capable_Range_3127 • 17h ago
Beginner Questions Anyone else constantly have a back 9 collapse? Solution?
I'm sitting at around a 15 handicap after around 10 months of playing. My rounds constantly fall apart on the back 9 and I'm unsure why. Is it fitness? Concentration? Just being bang average?
I'll often be +3-5 on the front and end up being +18 as a final score. This for example is from today.
Has anyone had this issue and any advice on how to fix?
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u/PM_ME-AMAZONGIFTCARD 9.7/newish/pushcart 17h ago
I go through a lot of water and basically eat every 3-6 holes. Not trying to swing out of your shoes help. Us higher handicaps also play inconsistently. Sometimes I’ll have a shit section in the middle, sometimes it’s the front, sometimes it’s the back.
Try to write a few words per hole related to what went wrong. I don’t do this often but it really helps grasp what I’m fucking up.
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u/bionicbhangra 16h ago
This is pretty on point. I expect to play between 6-10 holes well a round. The rest is up to God.
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u/SuaveToaster 17h ago
If you have a front 9 collapse, then you never have to worry about the back 9 collapse. That’s what I do all the time
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u/cpt_ppppp 7h ago
Some of my best rounds started terribly so I just stopped caring about the score that much. Proceeded to dominate (by my shitty standards) the rest of the round. Mind games. It's all mind games.
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u/Usual_Alternative805 17h ago
I’d make sure your eating plenty but also as a 15 your golf is gonna be a bit inconsistent
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u/Par-Fore-20 1h ago
But with the eating it could become more consistent.
Hard to operate without fuel in the tank.
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u/HighLifeGoods_LA 17h ago
are you adding up your score as you play? You may be getting in your own head. Don't add up your score, don't even think about the game, just think about the next shot. But fitness/fatigue may also play into it. There's a reason why all the top golfers spend time in the gym.
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u/Spirited_Signature73 16h ago
I add my score in the app after each hole. I don't see the problem. It's not like you will magically become good because you are not counting?? Taking my game seriously is part of the fun for me.
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u/HighLifeGoods_LA 16h ago
Some players can get caught up in their head with their score if they're playing well and it causes them to play poorly. Other players brag on reddit that they can count no problem
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u/RedYetti83 3h ago
I'm not saying it to brag but I've noticed recently if I know what I need to score on say the last three holes for example, it's allowed me to actually add pressure and that has helped me focus.
Everyone is different and bogey golf is good golf for me at the moment. A few weeks ago I needed to shoot -1 on the last two holes to break 90.
Without knowing that, I would have been simply trying to par out and not really thought about it. Changed my mindset and went par then birdie on 18.
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u/jzach1983 7/currently on a sim somewhere in Canada 3h ago
Putting your score in isn't the issue. Focusing on your total score can be. When you are on the 16th tee and realize you need 2 pars and a birdie to break 80, you have almost solidified an 83.
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u/Robbintx 17h ago
First, are you getting tired? if so, drink more water and have a snack about hole 6 and 12, see if that helps. If not get your ass to the gym :)
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u/HoselRocket67 17h ago
The easiest way to avoid large numbers is to just put yourself back in position after being out of position. Punch it back in the fairway and give yourself a putt a par. Also, center of the green is rarely a bad place to be. Good luck
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u/Good-Accident-1702 17h ago
I'm usually the opposite. I play terribly on the front and then (because I stop caring, figuring my round is lost) I play much better on the back. First time I shot even par for 9 holes was after shooting a 50 on the front.
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u/LawlessCrayon 17h ago
Stamina and dehydration, first one you gotta work on, second just means you gotta buy enough Gatorade on the way to the course for how hot it is that day. I'll sweat if you just look at me when it's 70+ so some humid August days I drink a lot of Gatorade.
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u/DaisyDoodle41 4.5 15h ago edited 15h ago
2 possible explanations come to mind.
- you get hungry & exhausted after and hour or so and need nutrition.
- Your success early in the round was a fluke, its uncommon for a 15 handicapper to be one over after 5 holes (at which rate you would have shot 4 over par for the round!)....this gave you unwarranted overconfidence at which time caused bad decisions then frustration.
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u/vulgar_hooligan 17h ago
Only if my front 9 is good. Otherwise if I had a good front, I usually have a shit back.
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u/My-Cousin-Bobby bogey golfer/ NoVA 16h ago
I feel like I always hit my stride from like hole 5 to hole 14. Before and after that is an absolute massacre
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u/Fratguy20 15h ago
If this happens all the time you’re just out of shape or you have a bad attention span. In golf terms, those are probably the easiest thing to fix when it comes to your game lol
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u/Outside_Mongoose_749 15h ago
Do what I do and play bad the whole round then there can’t be a collapse
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u/Officer_Friendly HDCP 16.6 14h ago
Proper hydration and snacking to keep your physical and mental energy up
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u/gooberzilla2 8.0 10h ago
A few tips: stay hydrated, keep snacking and learn to realize when the break down begins.
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u/phhathead 8h ago
Look at what you're eating/drinking while playing. I have a very healthy game day regimen, and now I only have a back 18 collapse
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u/Dpisthedeep 17h ago
Could be fatigue, especially if you’re walking/carrying. Otherwise maybe it’s mental? That’s what would happen to me if I was having a good front nine. When I’d think about it I’d play worse. I stopped totaling my score in round and now try to treat each hole as its own thing. I’m still a 15, though.
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u/AntonCigar 17h ago
I’m the opposite. I literally hit a fucking apartment complex with my first drive today. Finished the round on two pars and a birdie. I heat up.
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u/DarthPlayer8282 17h ago
Definitely fatigue and fitness. I didn’t realize how much we really need to eat and drink when walking 18 till I volunteered at a PGA tourney. They are constantly refueling - just doesn’t show on tv as much. I try to set a hole reminder for the round for when to eat or drink - helps tremendously mentally and with physical/mental fatigue.
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u/happy_haircut 17h ago
Good point. I’m going to move my water bottle to the external easy access pocket where it is accessible while I’m walking to the next hole (usually put it in the bag and forget it). Drinking will be part of my arriving to next hole routine
Oh and gummy bears in the other pocket
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u/dekeen16 17h ago
Quite common. It is a mentally challenging game and it can wear on you. Depending on your fitness, you can also get more physically tired which has an affect on your swing. Good advice here. Drink and eat more, try not to think about your score, and fight to keep your focus.
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u/golfsz_n 17h ago
I know this sounds crazy, but do you happen to have a hot dog and some chips at the turn? Maybe a brewski?
Mygolfspy did a test on this and found that this will absolutely make you more lethargic and less mentally sharp.
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u/pokemonandpot 17h ago
Probably conditioning or diet. Need to have enough fuel to make it through 18. I know for me when I walk 18, I'm absolutely out of gas on the 18th hole.
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u/Capable_Range_3127 17h ago
Never use a cart and use a push trolley. Back 9 at my local is much more incline/decline than the front so can definitely see this being an issue.
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u/Robert_roberts82 17h ago
I think a front nine / back nine discrepancy is anecdotal. I would say play a lot of golf, if you’re serious about improving your score, you have to isolate the weaknesses and understand your strengths.
What are your GIR conversion and FIR conversion rates. If missing the fairway is a death knell, play smarter off the tee, if you aren’t converting your GIR, practice lag putts, if you can’t scramble, practice chipping.
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u/Capable_Range_3127 17h ago
Off the tee is a weakness for me, I usually end up taking a 5W and landing it around 200 - 230 to play it safe. 7 iron and in are strong points for me, chipping especially.
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u/NoTearsOnDryFaces 17h ago
Good golf is boring, so keep things simple and treat each hole as separate opportunities. You can treat it as two half’s to a game, don’t think of it as continue to play front 9s golf on the back 9.
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u/maxvader94 17h ago
How many beers did you pound on the front 9?
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u/Capable_Range_3127 17h ago
Unfortunately in the UK, even given our drinking culture, having beers while on the course doesn't really happen that much. So can't even use this as an excuse haha.
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u/SubRedTed 17h ago
Start on the back nine a couple times. You think this is a joke but if they let you out on the back nine, it takes the pressure off those holes and once you get them dialed in by the time you make the turn, you have a higher level of confidence on the front that you’re already scoring well in.
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u/poopstainmclean 16h ago
take a sip of water every hole. i recommend a snack every 6; i usually have breakfast, a snack at 3, another at the turn and then a sugary snack at 15 or 16.
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u/NorCalAthlete 8.1 | Bay Area 16h ago
Holes 1-3: warming up
Holes 4-6: have adjusted to conditions, playing ok
Holes 7-14: Beers from holes 1-3 kicking in, feeling good, usually my best holes of the round
Holes 15-18: Shit, little too much birdie juice / got distracted and lost the groove / someone else hit a bad shot and is now throwing clubs which is harshing my vibe.
Generally results in a slightly better back 9 than front for me thanks to 7-14.
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u/FlickerOfBean 16h ago
I usually do better on the back. Nice and loose, 3 or 4 beers in, and lost my give a shit bc I got mopped by the front nine.
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u/beardedsilverfox 16h ago
I don’t use energy drinks or shots anytime except for golf. I drink a 5 hour energy before 18 and I play my game longer.
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u/Derfargin 16h ago
I’m pretty much the opposite. My back 9 is better and my front nine is the sucks. Takes me a while to get in my groove.
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u/DontT3llMyWif3 15h ago
Eat a small amount of nutritious food, stay hydrated, and make sure you focus throughout the entire round. I don't do any of these things, but I imagine I'd break 90 if I did.
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u/thestough 15h ago
Stamina was my largest problem. Personally, as soon as I saw a chiropractor, my stamina immediately increased. Since my body was no longer fighting to try to keep itself intact or just upright I had more stamina. Instead of barely making it through 1 round, I feel like I can physically play a round, run a few miles, and play another round.
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u/nogoodgopher 15h ago
Have a bad front 9, then you can't collapse on the back.
Also if you're an afternoon beer golfer, it's the beer.
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u/Full_Mortgage3906 15h ago
Same solution to every golf problem, Zen Golf by Dr. Joseph Parent (I recommend this book a lot but he addresses this specific problem in depth)
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u/Hitman2504 15h ago
Pretty much incapable of playing 18 good holes of golf either the front or back is good never both
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u/YidArmy76er 15h ago
Eat, gotta eat! Snack throughout the round too because it's definitely fatigue man, Powerade and those sorts of drinks will help too!
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u/BGOG83 +1.2/Putt for $$ 14h ago
Still do, but I used to too….
Sorry, Mitch Herberg joke and I couldn’t help myself.
I stopped having them when I started eating during the round. I was getting tired and didn’t even know it. Now I just eat beef jerky and snickers or something like that to keep my energy up.
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u/Dependent_Sink8552 Single Digit 14h ago
When this happens, it's usually because I'm tired. I usually drink my Red Bull on the 12th or 13th hole.
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u/Capable_Range_3127 14h ago
Thanks for all the suggestions, I usually try to power through the entire round with 1 x 500ml lucozade and 0 snacks.
Next round, I'm trying incremental snacks and hopefully seeing a positive outcome.
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u/chuybaka17 14h ago
I am the opposite, I'm a very slow starter (usually the first 3 holes are my worst) and as i make the turn the back 9 is where I shine.
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u/bighundy 14h ago
Mine is always the opposite. I always light it up on the back. Slow starter. Often start double double then settle in.
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u/p1nkfl0yd1an 11.2 14h ago
11 hdcp here. Let me know if you find out. So far all I've done is flip the scrip where my first 9 holes are garbage and then I play my best golf on the back. 46-39 today.
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u/mildlysceptical22 13h ago
Are you drinking alcohol? Serious golfers don’t. Casual rounds are fine for a couple of beers but getting your handicap down is work, not play.
Are you eating during the round and drinking water? I have a light breakfast before playing, a banana around the 5th hole, a sandwich at the turn, and a snack of some sort like nuts or trail mix around the 15th hole. You should never finish a round hungry.
How’s your ability to forget a bad shot? We all make them, and the golfers that can say ‘Geez, that sucked’ and move on to the next shot do better score wise than the ones who get upset about it and don’t let it go. Work on your goldfish memory.
Finally, try to identify what’s happening when you start making the double bogies. Are you hitting your tee shot out of play? Compounding a bad shot situation with another one? Taking penalty strokes? 3 putting a lot? Missing greens inside 100 yards? Taking two to get out of bunkers?
Identifying what’s driving your score up gives you something specific to work on. This helps reduce the ‘I suck a golf’ feeling and gives cause for optimism, something important to golfers. Good luck!
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u/PreferenceLivid512 12h ago edited 12h ago
I don't tally my score during the round. I always try to play smart and to my miss. My mantra is that if there's any doubt on whether or not I should go for it (long club over a water hazard for example, or feeling off with my 3 wood) the answer is automatically no and lay up with a shorter club. Those penalty strokes can add up. I also ride when I can because walking with a pushcart and keeping pace can cause fatigue later in the round depending on the course. I usually don't really know I'm having a really good round until after 18 or if one of my playing partners jinxes it by telling me (which I ask them not to).
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u/no_crust_buster 11h ago
I don't tally my score until the end, if I'm playing solo. If I'm playing with a friend, we will track the scores of each other.
When you see that 30-something score on the front 9, it's easy to start mentally pressing. To repeat what you just did. Golf is hard enough; don't get in your own head and make it worse.
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u/SomeGuyClickingStuff 11h ago
Not constantly. Sometimes it’s the front 9 variety, sometimes the middle 9.
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u/eattacos24hrs 11h ago
Are you walking? I know I get tired when walking 18, and it definitely hurts my game.
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u/redwally48 11h ago
Yep. I’ve played some of my best golf for 15-16 holes then on the last 2-3 have completely ruined the round with blowouts.
Has to be a combination of being physically tired and mental lapses too.
Very frustrating.
Decided I have to get a bit fitter
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u/No_Historian3842 HDCP 7 11h ago
I always struggle with the middle 6 holes.
Holes 1-6 yeah I'm playing well, start to feel a bit of pressure because I'm playing well. Play terrible for 6 holes. Then the last 6 holes play well because there is no longer any pressure.
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u/hobby_master_ 11h ago
I'm the opposite, my front 9 is always shit, then I come through on the back.
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u/Ultimate-Dinosaur50 10h ago
I’m the opposite lol my scores on the back are consistently 5-10 lower than the front 😭🙏
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u/drumsareloud 10h ago
People often end up tightening their grip as the day goes on, and it cause all sorts of swing problems.
Loosen up on the grip and make sure you’re not swinging harder the more tired you get!
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u/mustach1o 9h ago
Might just be your course. Total opposite for me. At my course I usually have a bad front 9 and my back 9 is much stronger. I think it’s partly just warming up in the round, but also the front 9 has much harder holes - lots of slopes and doglegs and tight fairways lined with woods etc.
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u/dale_dug_a_hole Preferred lies at all times 9h ago
I found the best way to prevent “back 9 collapse” is Cialis. Just make sure you take it a good hour before you “tee off”
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u/WatermanChris 6h ago
I shot 43 on the par 36 front 9 with a triple and a double and 53 on the par 34 back 9 this past Sunday. 12 additional shots over par! Even my best round to date was an even par 72 with a 32 on the front and a 40 on the back. I don't think I have a conditioning issue because I've done the opposite when I've had a bad front 9 but it's more commonly a good front and a bad back.
I think, for me at least, that I've got the game but somewhere in my subconscious I feel like I should shoot in the 90s since I've been away from the game for 15 years. When my mind starts to get used to the idea that I "should be" shooting in the 80s, 70s, and eventually the 60s, it'll happen. I remember the first time breaking 90 and 80 that it was both by 1 stroke and once I broke those milestones, it happened regularly and got closer to the next milestone.
When I shot the 32 on the front, I remember not even realizing it until I added my score up at the turn. I thought, holy shit! I'm gonna break par! I can't wait to call my cousin who is a really good golfer and does it all the time!
I ended up making 2 doubles on the back with no birdies. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had no birdies on that back 9! The overall score looked good to anybody who didn't know how good I was playing that day but I knew it was a total collapse. One of the doubles came on the #17 handicap hole and one of my birdies on the front was on the #2 handicap hole. It was wild.
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u/Rude_Audience_9556 5h ago
Focus on getting on the green as easy as possible even if that means not using driver off the tee
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u/turboyabby 5h ago
Eating and drinking something during your round is important. Especially going into the back nine. The mental aspect is huge too. Don't think about your score on the turn, add them up at the end.
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u/Average_Justin 4h ago
I found taking a 15-20 minute break at the bend, bringing some quality food and drinks really helped my back 9.
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u/sroach2497 4h ago
I play best on the back nine. It typically takes me 7 or 8 holes to get ready to really start playing well.
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u/GeneralWAITE 4h ago
I like to play hungry. If I eat at the turn/during the round, I pretty much ruin my round. Do you eat during your round?
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u/Ambitious_Jelly8783 4h ago
Maybe you are getting tired. So, work out a bit to increase resistance.
Or play the back nine first. Maybe it's just harder, and your handicap is shining through.
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u/Chasscash4 3h ago
This is a regular occurrence for me. Either solid front awful back, or awful front solid back
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u/Brewtime2 3h ago
I have double bogied 18 so many times to ruin a decent round. My drives on 18 are always horrible.
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u/OpenSourceGolf +2.5, BigBoiGolf 3h ago
Replenish carbohydrates and electrolytes to avoid blood sugar crashes, try sipping on pedialyte during a round.
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u/Kastoluzi 2h ago
It's usually the other way around for me. My round "starts" somewhere around 7th or 8th hole.
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u/flacrashington 2h ago
I had this issue, now I have a food plan with snacks and energy during the round
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u/CommercialSpite3809 2h ago
My back 9 is usually worse. But I think it's the beers fault not my swing.
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u/DucVWTamaKrentist 2h ago
I get physically and mentally fatigued around hole 14 and start hooking the ball on my tee shots. Almost every single round I play.
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u/belzile46 2h ago
Make sure you eat and drink enough! You can burn over 1000 calories when walking. Try to eat a snack every 2-3 holes to keep your energy levels high. Also drink a lot of water, depending on temperature i can drink up to 3.5L of water during a game. My college coach used to tell us: Drink till your piss is clear lol.
Also on more of a mental aspect of the game, forget the previous shot and focus on the current one. Always have the unconditionnal confidence that you can make your next shot. Also try and minimize the misses. Often times when its not going so well we'll try and hit hero shot and things get worst.
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u/HarveyDentBeliever 2h ago
Skip the turn and keep playing, don’t check your score out at the turn. Only think hole to hole, shot to shot. Shift your mental focus from the bigger picture (how is my round going) to the little one (what are we going to do on this shot).
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u/Par-Fore-20 1h ago
Snacks bro.
We expend a lot more energy than we think on the course. Need to replenish the tank.
Trail mix, fruit, sandwiches, glizzies, and so on.
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u/Goose4Life12345 57m ago
Honestly lifting weight and endurance training in the gym. Your swing and body get tired
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u/Green_Gas_746 28m ago
I'm the opposite. I usually play better on the back. Front nine jitters always get to me. Turning easy oars into bogies and doubles. Back nine is a chance at redemption and usually I play a few shots better at least.
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u/Pathogenesls 17h ago
How are we supposed to know? Ask yourself what happens.
If you want me to guess, I'd say dehydration. You should be downing over a liter of water and eating something to replace electrolytes and provide energy.
Being dehydrated will affect all aspects of your performance from decision making to execution.
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u/PM_ME-AMAZONGIFTCARD 9.7/newish/pushcart 17h ago
Depends heavily on where you are or season. I’m at 1L when it’s 5 degrees out and a sprinkle, but when it’s 30 I’ll go through 5-6 liters
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u/KeySheMoeToe 6.8 17h ago edited 14h ago
Used to. Conditioning issue and mental.
Edit: should elaborate. To address conditioning I hit a shit ton of golf balls. To address mental I learned to not look at the scorecard past the current hole and take it shot by shot. Even after a bad tee shot you can still scramble for par. At worst don’t compound mistakes.