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A question for you guys(or ladies) who have broken through into single digit handicap territory. How has your game evolved from when you were shooting in the 90's. If you could offer a single piece of advice ( other than the standard get lessons or have your clubs custom built ) what would you say was the trigger that helped you step up to the next level ?allears
Great question. Someday I hope to have an answer :bigcheek
Gofish. You can significantly lower your scores by spending half to an hour a day on putting and chipping. The good thing about putting is you can practice all year round in your basement or wherever there is carpet(preferably). Next time you're out count the number of strokes within 50 yards to the green. As the old saying goes: Drive for show putt for dough :D
The biggest part that has helped me is like Andre said the short game. One of my buddies is just about guaranteed getting up and down if the green is missed. I've been working really hard on that indoors over the winter and hope it will bring me to the next level. Being able to keep the three putts to one or none on a round sure helps also. These are all big things but the biggest for me last year was switching over to Natural Golf and reducing my trouble shots by two or three a round. More consistency and the short game are keys in my book.
I forgot to add that you should spend a lot of time practicing in sand traps as well to get a good feel for the shot. How many times have we been close to the green in 2 to waste three shots to get out of the sand?:D
GBower. Could you tell us more about natural golf and what it's all about?Thanks.:wave
Andre,
Natural Golf is a single axis swing with a straight line setup, a palm grip instead of a finger grip, a wider stance for stability and less hip rotation and you are facing the ball at impact which helps for square club face at contact. You can get a lot of good information from their website www.naturalgolf.com
I was getting very frustrated and getting into a lot of trouble with a big slice and this has kept me in play. I understand there are a few people in the Ottawa area that teach this method. I have had a good friend helping me and I've been working hard indoors at fixing some of the problems I still retained from my old swing. The biggest thing for me is that with less body rotation my back is so much better. No pill popping before playing a round or hitting balls.
Hope this helps a bit
has significantly improved my game. And the best thing is, it doesn' t cost you a thing in terms of practice time, etc.
Hitting more 3 woods and 5 woods off the tee, aiming for the centre of the green, thinking more about where to miss, keeping the ball in play, etc. It might make for boring golf, but if your quest is to lower your handicap, I highly suggest this.
Also, do some reading over the winter, especially Dave Pelz's putting and short game bibles. A ton of useful info in there.
I also suggest increasing your fitness level so your not tired come the 13th hole.
Jeff
Well I'm not quite in single digits yet but I do hover in th 10-11 range so here's my 2 cents worth...
The simple answer - short game. I have custom fit clubs. I have taken lessons. I hit the ball about 1-2 clubs longer than most people (or so I am told). My course management is probably average to good. About the only thing left is the short game.
As someone said above it's the shots within 50 yards of the green that really affect your score. I fully endorse that. For me based on reveiwing my scores, if I was able to not 3 putt AND get up and down only half the time I missed the green, I would score in the 70s about 95% of the time. Also if I was always able to be even par around the green, i.e. 2 strokes whether they were 2 putts or a chip and a putt, I would shoot par or better 95% of the time.
My practice this year will be putting and chipping. Probably also will take a putting lesson.
Maybe then I'll get into single digits. Or maybe my short game will imporove and my long game will suck. :D
In my opinion, as you lower your scores, you tend to focus more on improving closer to the hole.
To break 100, you need to get the ball in play with consistency.
To break 90, you need to hit some good approach shots.
To break 80, you need to be good around the green.
To get really low, you need to make putts!!!
I am around a 5 handicap. The key to my game is consistency, playing smart and playing within my abilities.
I know how far I hit each club and I do it consistently. I don't hit it really far, but I know how far for each club. I don't try the high risk, through the tree branches over water shot to a tight pin!
I am not a great putter, but I don't three putt.
One last thing. Practising at a driving range is sometimes more harmful than anything. You are often hitting off uneven ground with golf balls that are oval, or cracked or 10 years old. They do not fly true. Yes you can work on contact but that is about it. Practice the short game!
Practice the mind game!
I want to start by saying that I am a little different than most and that my story is probably not typical. At some point last August, my handicap dipped below zero (but it can float up to 3 or so)
My strengths lie in that not only am I considered a rather long hitter (especially with my irons) but I am also known as a very accurate ball striker. A typical round of golf for me would be in hitting anywhere from 14-18 greens in regulation. My short game is adequate but not especially strong and I would consider myself just an average putter. If my ball striking is on, I can score in the 60's/low 70s and if it is a little off, I will usually score in the mid-70s.
Most of the better golfers that I play with are much better scramblers than I am and because of this have the capability to sometimes go very low. My consistency usually allows me to avoid really terrible holes and rounds.
My offseason practice has consisted of working on my two weaknesses which is chipping and putting. I am continuing lessons aimed at "shortening" my swing to ensure even greater consistency. I figure that if I can hit the ball within kick in distance of the hole, even an average putter like me can make some of these.
I would have to agree with others that have posted that for all golfers (low, mid and high handicappers) working on your short game and putting is the best way to reduce your score. The other very important points that have been mentioned and bear repeating are course management and the mental approach. I must admit that I find great comfort in a consistent pre-shot routine and being decisive in my approach to each and every shot.
Wasn't it Gary Player who said that he could take 18 tee shots from a 20 handicapper and shoot in the mid-70s because of his pitching, chipping and putting???
Cheers
One of the keys to more consistent scoring is avoiding the poor shot that often occurs after a poor shot. The second bad one frequently happens because we are still upset about the first one.
Learning to react unemotionally about a poor shot is one of my most significant accomplishments and allows me to make a better score out of an otherwise poor game. At the risk of sounding arrogant, my only thought after making any score on a hole, good or bad, is to make a birdie on the next hole. I can't think this way if I am PO'ed about the last hole or a bad shot. When your swinging well golf seems so easy, but what you do and how you behave when things are not going well, is a true test of your mettle.
Also, if I am in control of my emotions, I should be more enjoyable to play with. How many of you enjoy playing with people who fire clubs, bit*h and whine constantly? Not me.
Let your golf swing do the talkin'.
Totally agree with natgolfer onJust had this conversation this week. I agree that one key element in golf and becoming a better player has nothing to do with hitting a golf ball. Even after hitting a poor tee shot I still beleive I can make par on most holes with a one putt. .:DQuote:
is avoiding the poor shot that often occurs after a poor shot. The second bad one frequently happens because we are still upset about the first one.
It has all to do with attitude, focus and course management. They say that golf is 90% mental and this is true for all. If you can stay focussed for an entire 18 holes and not only 13-15 holes, you will play better.:wave
As far as shots are concerned the biggest step is getting the ball on the green in regulation or close enough for shorter chip shots that will land in one putt range. Be ready to scramble.:bigcheek
btw....... Christian .... I only wish I could score that well.:D
Getting up and down, or scrambling, is paramount, but you can rarely do that all day. You need first to play in such a way as to hit as many greens in regulation as possible, resorting to scrambling of course when you don't hit them. This means combining three elements: knowing how deep the pin is when selecting a club; sometimes aiming for the "fat" part of the green that's accessible to you regardless of where the pin might be; and, taking the obvious trouble out of play. Example: pin's back, there's trouble in front and An 8 iron might get you to the middle of the green, but take out a 7 iron and err long.
Out of all this, I've simply aimed for the part of the green that I can see and between late last year and early this year, am getting far more legitimate birdie putts (3-5 per round) than ever before, and making more pars.
To break through whatever your score level you have to know where you "could" gain the needed strokes. If you are shooting in the mid to high 80s you do have "ability" to shoot in the 70s. When i was trying to break 80 i kept track of every stroke on every round. Then i figured out where i could gain strokes to break 80 and i would work on that part of my game. Mine used to be the tee off and the shots around the green. For the last two years i would practice hitting my driver over and over until i could get 8 out of 10. The other clubs i practice are the 8 iron and Pw,SW,GW. Those are the clubs i need to hit after i hit my driver "in the fairway".
I also bought Dave Pelz two books...The short game bible and... the putting bible. These are to prepare me when i miss the greens. Tiger said if you hit 12 greens in regulation you should be shooting even par or less. If not you have trouble with your short game. I practiced my putting until i can judge the speed without knowing how far the putt is. That was when i broke through with my putting. If you can't step up and hit the putt at the right speed 8/10 times you don't have the "feel" for putting. Keep working.
I beleive that if you are shooting in the 80s consistently you are just that "mentally" far away from shooting in the 70s, meaning thinking "before" and "during" the game.