Steve wrote:
After I mow my lawn, the grass seems to grow back unevenly such that after a
couple days, it looks a bit shaggy and unkempt. Part of the problem seems to
be that different portions of the grass grow at remarkably different rates.
Part of the problem is that all the grass doesn't seem to grow straight up;
rather, some of it tends to be matted down so that if I rake it after
mowing, portions of it stick up like a bad haircut. Other than this, the
lawn is in pretty decent shape.

Any ideas on how I can get my lawn to actually look like I mow it regularly
every week (which I do)?

Grass will grow unevenly no matter what, but it sounds like you may have
different patches with different varieties. If you overseed this fall
and next, you may be able to get the lawn to have a more even
distribution of the different grasses.

Some attention to fertilization and drainage may also help, as may
top-dressing. It's possible that parts of the lawn are just not as
fertile as parts right next door, and gradually amending the soil could
help this. Filling low spots will ensure that they don't collect water
(or all your grass seed, or fertilizer), which can affect lawn health.

One thing to try is mowing a little higher. It may be that some of your
lawn is stressed and cutting it back means it has a hard time returning
to growing at full strength. A higher mowing height will improve the
situation.