For me it was developing a really solid short game.
Taking the next step
Hitting the range 2-3 times a month and not forcing clubs off the tee when a shorter club will do has helped me break 80 more this year. I have paid more attention to wedge bounce and roll out, too, when faced with chip shots.
It has become more of a focus on eliminating big misses.
It has become more of a focus on eliminating big misses.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2014
- Messages
- 6,086
- Reaction score
- 2,460
- Location
- Cabo San Lucas, BCS Mexico
- Handicap
- 4.8
For years, I was a good golfer but failed to score from 80-110 yards very well. When I'd hit good tee shots to that distance, I'd pull out one of my wedges and make a normal swing. The ball would typically fly pretty high, and then I'd just hope it would wind up close - often, it would be long or short and I wouldn't know until it landed which it would be. And that was on well-struck shots. I had plenty of wedge shots that weren't struck well that would miss the green entirely.
Some years ago, I began slightly hooding my wedges at setup and playing more or less a trap-draw. Immediately, my contact and distance control improved. Now, instead of hit-and-hope, I'm really confident that I'll have a reasonable attempt at birdie whenever I have a wedge in my hands.
Some years ago, I began slightly hooding my wedges at setup and playing more or less a trap-draw. Immediately, my contact and distance control improved. Now, instead of hit-and-hope, I'm really confident that I'll have a reasonable attempt at birdie whenever I have a wedge in my hands.
SunnyWalker
Well-known member
Way back when I first went from an 80's shooter to a 5 hdcp, it was primarily because I drove the ball so well. I played a fade off of every tee and rarely hit it into an unplayable situation. Since I drove it so well, it made hitting a bunch of greens much easier. My putting was the next best thing about my game, streaky but still very good. If I had learned the proper way to use my wedge around the greens that would've been the final piece
- Moderator
- #30
I think the big question for me was always about what was lacking, not what was great.
Obviously you want to leverage what is good, but if you can isolate what you're not doing well and focusing on that, you've got a great chance of getting to that next step in a pretty comfortable way.
Also, for me at least, challenging other players who are slightly better than me usually seemed to help. Then it's less about breaking 80 and more about beating the guy who breaks 80.
Hamfist
I promise not to murder Canadan.
Take it for what you will from a high-capper, but, when I played some of my best rounds, it was simply from hitting a decent shot, every time. When I can just hit every shot decently, the penalizing shots disappear. (By penalizing, I don't necessarily mean one that comes from breaking a rule of golf, but one where it takes another shot to get to the same spot a decent shot would have gone.)
Short game and course management.
- Thread starter
- #33
Coming from a competitive background I really get this. I definitely have been working on my weaknesses and would love for it to be commonplace to be able to play guys who are consistently in the 70s. My friend who I play with a bit who is that golfer sadly doesn’t live too close. In all fairness I couldn’t break 100 consistently at the start of the year and understand I’ve made great strides. But the competitor in me knows I can do it and yearns for improvement.
- Thread starter
- #34
I really like this, some of my best rounds I never did anything spectacularly but I also never did anything very poorly. Just consistent golf. I think it’s easy to look at the tour pros that make it look so easy and you think I should be able to do that (in no world do I actually think this) or at least something somewhat like them.
Hamfist
I promise not to murder Canadan.
My latest mind-game has been "I hit one bad shot per hole. If I can just eliminate that one bad shot per hole, I can drop 18 strokes from my score."
Lions81
Well-known member
Limiting bad holes to bogeys is one of the absolute biggest ways to get into the 70s in my opinion. If you are not taking many penalty shots off the tee, then the biggest way to improve is likely around the green/putting. If you miss the green in regulation, give yourself a good chance to save par, or at worst make bogey. I'd say getting into the low/mid 70s it starts to come down to more GIR's.
RecGolfer
Well-known member
I crossed that bridge by realizing that if I kept playing with what I knew I would never get better. So I asked my teaching pro to take me to the next level and he gave me five lessons that did just that.
Acesteve
Well-known member
I have about 10 swings a round that cost me. Need to make these bad shots more competitive
conversely I could see 70s by making my best ten shots happen on 20 swings
conversely I could see 70s by making my best ten shots happen on 20 swings
There are so many aspects of the game I feel in order to shoot consistently in the 70’s but from the start you’ve got to get off the tee in play.
That will get you in some position and also get your mindframe in the right spot. Closely following that is to have a good short game including wedge play, chipping and putting especially 3+ putt avoidance.
That will get you in some position and also get your mindframe in the right spot. Closely following that is to have a good short game including wedge play, chipping and putting especially 3+ putt avoidance.