The Scratch Golfer Awakens

[kb1042]

Was listening to a podcast of a guy that works with tour guys and amateurs. They basically said that the biggest difference is consistency. The thing that stood out to me is that they put their chips to around a foot instead of 5 feet like most amateurs and then their wedge shots from 100 to 5 feet not 10-12 feet like most amateurs. The numbers could be a little off but makes you think.


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[Tadashi70]

The easiest jump is from high to mid handicap. From there is get tougher because it not about a pretty swing. Its all about knowing how to play. I went from a 20 to single digit in one summer. It took me the next two years to maintain that single digit cap. It took me years to get to low digits and I had the backing of my parents, the club and my coach. When I finally broke into the + side of the handicap, I had no idea how I did it and didn't question it. I just played and continued to practice.

Then I thought since I was a plus handicap, I could go play professionally. Yeah, that where I learned that being a plus was just a number and that I had no clue how to play the game. I was helped by a few older guys in Miami and taught me how to play golf, play the bounces, see the shot and how to get the ball in to the hole in the fewest number of shots. Once they stopped beating me, they had taught me all they knew. You can't pay for that type of leadership. It would cost a fortune to have a playing lesson every time you teed it up for 3 years.

it takes more than a plan to get really good. It will come easier to some than others but they all possess the 'it' factor to get there. Then there are guys and girls that will never get there. And that needs to be accepted so that the game can be enjoyed.

What about going from a 20 to a 10?

 

[Johan185]

Is your pro only focusing on full swing lessons? If so, and that's where his comfort level is, then maybe look at short game specialty teachers like Stan Utley or James Sieckmann (or Dave Pelz). I think once you have a basic understanding of a finesse wedge swing, you can really start to put in the practice time to improve it. If you are looking for detailed practice plans, I know Sieckmann has them in his lessons (check out his website for details).

As far as putting goes, I highly recommend getting lessons from a SeeMore SPi instructor. It will really help even if you never use their putters. I assume you have trouble reading greens? Maybe do the Aimpoint green reading?

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Thanks. I'm sure this advice will be useful to many other THP'ERS including myself

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[Johan185]

this baseball information makes a lot of sense. at first, my thought was how the hell is your full swing that good but every other part of your game that bad? i, as a pudgy mid-30s unathletic white male with a desk job, assume you are like i am. the truth, it appears, is that you're an athlete. and we see many athletes who take to golf far quicker than the rest of us mortals. your build is probably helping as well. if you can hit 70% GIR, all you need to do is maintain that swing, maybe make some tweaks, but focus 90% of your time on short game. get automatic from 6' and in. when you practice chipping, pitching and sand shots, never hit the same shot back-to-back. and get short game lessons now before you ingrain bad habits that will be difficult to break later.

i was going to say it's impossible. but if you have the God-given athletic ability and hand-eye coordination i think you do, 10 weeks won't happen but 12 months may. keep us posted!

Hey even if it takes 5 years. I won't be disappointed.

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[Johan185]

Was listening to a podcast of a guy that works with tour guys and amateurs. They basically said that the biggest difference is consistency. The thing that stood out to me is that they put their chips to around a foot instead of 5 feet like most amateurs and then their wedge shots from 100 to 5 feet not 10-12 feet like most amateurs. The numbers could be a little off but makes you think.


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Did he mention how they got to one foot chip, etc?

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[CBaker]

But let's put this into perspective. Not every great ball striker can be a great player. Not everyone has the knack to get to the scratch status no matter how hard they work.

Every facet of the game must be on point to get to scratch. And it has to be that way for a good bit of time. There is no secret pill or formula. It takes time, money and talent. Miss any of those and you don't have a prayer.

Everyone should play first hand with someone who is truly scratch or even on the plus side. For my own example, it's eye opening playing with Canadan. I know he hates having people talk about his game and how good he is, but the man doesn't really have a weakness. Tee to green he's complete. And the biggest part to his game is that he is a great putter. Which I think people will find is the big common denominator...if you can't putt, you'll never be scratch. The other big thing, is that when someone of that caliber misses, it's typically missed in the right spot, and they then get up and down the majority of the time.

 

[kb1042]

Did he mention how they got to one foot chip, etc?

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I'll go back and listen but I think it was being really good at it. It wasn't really a technical thing. The main topic was about confidence and focus and that's how he brought it up. I would guess it's a strokes gained type thing and just having supreme confidence that you can get it close consistently.
I'll go back and check out that part again to see if I missed anything.


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[Johan185]

I'll go back and listen but I think it was being really good at it. It wasn't really a technical thing. The main topic was about confidence and focus and that's how he brought it up. I would guess it's a strokes gained type thing and just having supreme confidence that you can get it close consistently.
I'll go back and check out that part again to see if I missed anything.


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Kool. The mental game will probably be the biggest factor to break through even to 9.9.

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[CBaker]

Did he mention how they got to one foot chip, etc?

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Practice. You have to be able to feel it. I have a pretty solid short game most of the time, and when I hit great shots, I honestly couldn't tell someone how I did it. I practice chipping and pitching constantly and try to visualize a landing spot to where I think it should hit to roll out where I need it to. The biggest difference in my scores from when my year typically starts to where it ends at the end of the year is almost 100% based on my touch around the greens. Chipping and putting have to be on to score, but it's something easily lost if not practiced a lot and on a consistent basis.

 

[kb1042]

Kool. The mental game will probably be the biggest factor to break through even to 9.9.

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I think that's 100% correct. Being able to put pressure on yourself in practice situations is big part of it too.
In that same podcast he talked about 2 drills I really liked. 1 was making 100 straight 3 foot putts. The other was starting at 1 end of your putting green and having to 2 putt from that spot to every hole on the green 2 or 3 times. Kind of interesting stuff.


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[Tadashi70]

Dan has one of the best games, tee to green. I don't think his short game is as good as his other game and he can't putt bermuda...he sucks!! yeah righy!! He is fun to play with, knows he can play but just goes about his game like we are all on his level. I need to work on my game so that I can push him as we get closer to the Grandaddy

Everyone should play first hand with someone who is truly scratch or even on the plus side. For my own example, it's eye opening playing with Canadan. I know he hates having people talk about his game and how good he is, but the man doesn't really have a weakness. Tee to green he's complete. And the biggest part to his game is that he is a great putter. Which I think people will find is the big common denominator...if you can't putt, you'll never be scratch. The other big thing, is that when someone of that caliber misses, it's typically missed in the right spot, and they then get up and down the majority of the time.

 

[Grins]

Everyone should play first hand with someone who is truly scratch or even on the plus side. For my own example, it's eye opening playing with Canadan. I know he hates having people talk about his game and how good he is, but the man doesn't really have a weakness. Tee to green he's complete. And the biggest part to his game is that he is a great putter. Which I think people will find is the big common denominator...if you can't putt, you'll never be scratch. The other big thing, is that when someone of that caliber misses, it's typically missed in the right spot, and they then get up and down the majority of the time.

Great post and excellent point!

One of the things that stand out to me when watching guys like Canadan Milk Man is the quality of their misses. They typically lose no strokes (maybe just have to hit a longer pitch, chip or putt) or at most just one. Most people (especially higher handicappers) it's 2 or more.

 

[LSMO]

I think you guys are crazy.
Johan is hitting 70% of fairways, playing musclebacks with no issues and has said his short game is the big issue.
I wouldnt spend any time working on full swings and devote all of it to short game for the time being. If his short game matches the rest after that time, he could legitimately be a scratch golfer.

If i could hit fairways and greens like that i would be a plus handicap! Definitely need some putting practice. Hitting 70% of the greens means hes not chipping too much. As JB said in an earlier post I would practice making everything 15ft and in.

 

[majBC]

I was recently reading Ben Hogan's Five Lessons. He believed everyone could play in the 70's.

I won't mind even playing from the Forward tee's if distance was the only factor holding me back.

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Mitch Voges (1991 US amateur winner) said the same thing with the correct equipment, some athleticism and proper game management. He used to have Max Out golf a fitting and teaching center in California. I think it has since closed. Several years ago there was an article in Golf Digest (I think) that followed someone going through the process.

It seems to me that one must be brutally honest with the state of their game and willing to work on it. I think that if your goal is to get to scratch and that is the ultimate goal it can be done with a less than perfect game and with a very good control of just a few shots. Remember ghin only takes the 10 best indexes of your most recent 20, so theoretically you could have 10 very poor rounds and still be a scratch golfer. Remember Jack Nicklaus was an unspectacular chipper, pitcher and greennside bunker player most of his career on tour. Now that is compared to the best players in the world so he was still pretty good at those things just not compared to the rest of his game. I think a good place to start is play the most forward tees at your course until you break par and then keep moving back until you reach your limit (distance wise). Having said all this it is coming from someone who has never been a scratch golfer, so it's worth what you paid for it.

Good luck

 

[emart2173]

10 weeks isn't even remotely doable. You would have to put up some serious good rounds all the time and frequently.

20-10 might be doable in a few months depending on how often one is playing and practicing.

 

[Johan185]

Awoke this morning early and started working on my putting.

500 putts.

200 from 3 feet one putts.

200 from 6 feet one putts

100 from 20 feet. With the goal of not three putts from 20'

Time to start going low.

No more excuses.

Do or don't not, never try.

Happy New Year

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[sleuth]

Awoke this morning early and started working on my putting.

500 putts.

200 from 3 feet one putts.

200 from 6 feet one putts

100 from 20 feet. With the goal of not three putts from 20'

Time to start going low.

No more excuses.

Do or don't not, never try.

Happy New Year

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Good for you. Putting is the absolute worst to practice. I never enjoy it. It's like leg day or working out your abs at the gym - first reaction is ugh.

 

[Johan185]

Good for you. Putting is the absolute worst to practice. I never enjoy it. It's like leg day or working out your abs at the gym - first reaction is ugh.

I closed my eyes, pinched my nose, and took my medicine.

My stats don't lie. 50 to 60 strokes putting. Should not be too hard to improve on.

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[Awkward silence]

I closed my eyes, pinched my nose, and took my medicine.

My stats don't lie. 50 to 60 strokes putting. Should not be too hard to improve on.

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50 to 60 per round?

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[Johan185]

50 to 60 per round?

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Yes that's what I take putting.

40 plus 60 equals 100.

Most of my recent strokes were on the green. 50 to 60 %

If I score 96

From 48 to 56 strokes putts.

I have counted.

I suck at putting. ..

Time to get to work.

Putting daily until I improve.

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[Johan185]

Found a Dave Peltz's Putting Tutor and Putting Teacher online.

Dirty cheap. EBAY.

Feels promising.

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[VegasMav]

Going to follow your journey...good luck.

 

[Johan185]

Today was a ugly disaster.

But I committed.

To a Sanitarium. ...

But committed

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[Scrap Iron]

Yes that's what I take putting.

40 plus 60 equals 100.

Most of my recent strokes were on the green. 50 to 60 %

If I score 96

From 48 to 56 strokes putts.

I have counted.

I suck at putting. ..

Time to get to work.

Putting daily until I improve.

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Your shooting 96 with a minimum of 48 putts? Good luck with the putting drills. you can get to scratch no problem.

I think you guys are crazy.
Johan is hitting 70% of fairways, playing musclebacks with no issues and has said his short game is the big issue.
I wouldnt spend any time working on full swings and devote all of it to short game for the time being. If his short game matches the rest after that time, he could legitimately be a scratch golfer.

#OutingApproved

 

[leftshot]

this baseball information makes a lot of sense. at first, my thought was how the hell is your full swing that good but every other part of your game that bad? i, as a pudgy mid-30s unathletic white male with a desk job, assume you are like i am. the truth, it appears, is that you're an athlete.

This was actually a very insightful statement. I had a vice-president I worked with that called this "Every Man's Syndrome". It's the tendency to think that everyone is like us, will make the same decisions we would with the same information, have the same capabilities, potential, and so forth. Of course, when confronted with this point blank most will acknowledge this is crazy. Of course, different people have differing talents, abilities and so forth. But unconsciously most of the time we do what c.a.eleric did.