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What are YOUR top 3 keys to becoming a good golfer?

Boone

Boone

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Some quick background. I've never been a *serious* golfer until the past year. Previously, I'd play maybe 2-3 times a year on vacation, or occasionally when a friend was in town. Biggest barrier was that I did not have any local golf-playing buddies.

About a year ago, I decided to get into golf seriously, even if that meant playing solo most of the time. For me that also meant getting a decent set of clubs, committing to playing at least weekly (preferably several times per week), finding a 'home course' I was comfortable with, as well as developing some kind of practice/range regimen.

I've gotten better. For me that means the ability to consistently shoot in the mid-90's. I'm 56 and starting to have some aches, pains, and have a left shoulder that gives me occasional problems. Although I've gotten more consistent, I seem to have hit a plateau. A summary of my current game:

1) My chipping and short wedge game (inside 90 yards) is above average.
2) My putting is okay, but still have way too many 3 putts per round.
3) My driving is wildly inconsistent. I have managed to eliminate what used to be a chronic slice. But my distance flat out sucks. I probably average 175 yards on a drive. Some of my distance issues I chalk up to being stiff and old and not having a full swing. I generally hit it pretty straight off the tee, but my distance really hurts me, especially since ...
4) I cannot hit a wood to save my life. I finally gave up and moved to hybrids. I hit my hybrids 'better' but on any given 2nd shot, there's a 50% probability that I'll duff it and send a worm burner 70-100 yds downrange.
5) I struggle with my mid-irons for some reason. It's weird since I am really pretty good with 7 iron and up, but with my 4 iron through 6 iron it is a scary proposition...

The combination of short drives, an unreliable ability to hit my 2nd shot with a 2 or 3 Hybrid, and shaky mid-iron play means most holes play like PAR 5's for me. I rarely hit a GIR.

I know that's limited information, but I'd love to get 3 suggestions on how to dramatically improve my game over the next 12 months. I know 'lessons from a pro' will be many folks first response. I'm not sure I'm ready for that. I'm sort of terrified of what a pro instructor would make of my swing (my brother says I swing like the Terminator) and I'm also not sure I'm ready to start over with a new swing of any kind.

So short of 'get lessons' - what kinds of things might I do to make major improvements in my game? Even if you don't know what to tell ME specifically, if someone asked you 'What were the 3 most key things you did early on to become a good golfer?' - what would yours be?
 
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1) Eliminate penalties.
2) Eliminate two (or more) chips.
3) Eliminate 3-Putts.
 
1. Play more golf. - Can't get better if I don't play more than once a month + at this rate
2. Consistency off the tee - If I keep the ball in the fairway my game plays well.
3. Consistently hit my line on putts - In no way am I really great at reading greens but I would like to be able to hit my lines consistently.
 
Boone said:
Some quick background. I've never been a *serious* golfer until the past year. Previously, I'd play maybe 2-3 times a year on vacation, or occasionally when a friend was in town. Biggest barrier was that I did not have any local golf-playing buddies.

About a year ago, I decided to get into golf seriously, even if that meant playing solo most of the time. For me that also meant getting a decent set of clubs, committing to playing at least weekly (preferably several times per week), finding a 'home course' I was comfortable with, as well as developing some kind of practice/range regimen.

I've gotten better. For me that means the ability to consistently shoot in the mid-90's. I'm 56 and starting to have some aches, pains, and have a left shoulder that gives me occasional problems. Although I've gotten more consistent, I seem to have hit a plateau. A summary of my current game:

1) My chipping and short wedge game (inside 90 yards) is above average.
2) My putting is okay, but still have way too many 3 putts per round.
3) My driving is wildly inconsistent. I have managed to eliminate what used to be a chronic slice. But my distance flat out sucks. I probably average 175 yards on a drive. Some of my distance issues I chalk up to being stiff and old and not having a full swing. I generally hit it pretty straight off the tee, but my distance really hurts me, especially since ...
4) I cannot hit a wood to save my life. I finally gave up and moved to hybrids. I hit my hybrids 'better' but on any given 2nd shot, there's a 50% probability that I'll duff it and send a worm burner 70-100 yds downrange.

The combination of short drives, and unreliable ability to hit my 2nd shot with a 2 or 3 Hybrid means most holes play like PAR 5's for me. I rarely hit a GIR.

I know that's limited information, but I'd love to get 3 suggestions on how to dramatically improve my game over the next 12 months. I know 'lessons from a pro' will be many folks first response. I'm not sure I'm ready for that. I'm sort of terrified of what a pro instructor would make of my swing (my brother says I swing like the Terminator) and I'm also not sure I'm ready to start over with a new swing of any kind.

So short of 'get lessons' - what kinds of things might I do to make major improvements in my game? Even if you don't know what to tell ME specifically, if someone asked you 'What were the 3 most key things you did early on to become a good golfer?' - what would yours be?
Click to expand...

Well, do like I do, try to get a 5 on every hole at most. If you do, you'll shoot 90. If you can throw a couple of bogeys on par 3's you are breaking 90.

How to do that? Jman has already said it.
 
links_slayer said:
This is a great place to start.
Click to expand...

Agree. But the next obvious question - how do I prepare to do those things? Routines, practice methods, any suggestions welcome...
 
Completely agree with Jman.

On the how specifically, when you lag putt, does the ball roll smooth or do you see hopping or hear skidding? These two issues make distance control damn tough. Putter, Putter loft, and your swing could be hurting you here. I saw a major difference in my 3putt issues when I got a putter that rolled the ball right off the face

I know you said not to mention lessons, but seriously, if you're laying 2 and still have a full swing into a par 4, you should consider having someone look at your swing. There may be a little bit of tear down to build up but you're interested enough in improving to ask the questions. You won't regret taking the time. Even one full swing lesson to help with driver and hybrid could bring major improvement if you're greenside in 2...
 
P.J. said:
Completely agree with Jman.

On the how specifically, when you lag putt, does the ball roll smooth or do you see hopping or hear skidding? These two issues make distance control damn tough. Putter, Putter loft, and your swing could be hurting you here. I saw a major difference in my 3putt issues when I got a putter that rolled the ball right off the face

I know you said not to mention lessons, but seriously, if you're laying 2 and still have a full swing into a par 4, you should consider having someone look at your swing. There may be a little bit of tear down to build up but you're interested enough in improving to ask the questions. You won't regret taking the time. Even one full swing lesson to help with driver and hybrid could bring major improvement if you're greenside in 2...
Click to expand...

I bought a tour spider about 2 months ago. I like the feel of the ball coming off the face. I am consistently hitting 5-7 footers and putts with relatively straight lies. Lagging is more of a challenge (especially early in a round). I am aware of the goal of not having the ball hop off the face and I think, generally, that lots of time practice putting will improve my game there.

The bigger challenge I have is how to effectively practice with other clubs on the range? I'm starting to think maybe working on just a club or two at the range vs. trying to go through the whole bag, might be more productive. I recently read some discussions related to focusing 3-4" in front of the ball on iron shots (in order to ensure you are hitting down on the ball and that your divot is in front of the ball) but I have not been able to implement that. Does anyone use that approach?

I know 'lessons' would be the stock and logical response. Maybe sometime this year I'll work up the nerve to go there. I sort of equate it to getting a medical physical where my mindset (crazy or not) is that I need to get in shape before I go get that done :) I know - I'm weird.
 
ShortStickShaman said:
Well, do like I do, try to get a 5 on every hole at most. If you do, you'll shoot 90. If you can throw a couple of bogeys on par 3's you are breaking 90.

How to do that? Jman has already said it.
Click to expand...

I have a friend who says this a lot - 'treat every hole like a Par 5 ...'. My response is, that's great, until I get to a Par 5 - lol ...
 
My list would be slightly different, based on my own experience going from mid-90s to mid and high 80s over the last two years.

1) Eliminate mishit shots, or reduce them as much as possible. By this, I don't mean slices or fat shots or distance control. But if you can't make clean contact with the ball at least 80-90% of the time, the game isn't going to be much fun.
2) Eliminate penalty strokes. #1 is a big part of this, but there is also a course and game management aspect - not trying to do too much with one shot.
3) Chipping and pitching. For me, this is an area where practice and scores are more closely connected than with the full swing. You can cover up a lot of mistakes with a good short game.
4) This should be putting, but I don't like practicing putting.

For me, at least, #1 was the big one. I'm sure there are lots of ways to improve in this area, but it's hard to match having a knowledgeable pro watch your swing and steer you in the right direction.
 
Keep the ball in front of you and inbounds. Don't try the hero shots. No 3 putts. Those will lower your scores by leaps and bounds.
 
TwoStepsUp said:
My list would be slightly different, based on my own experience going from mid-90s to mid and high 80s over the last two years.

1) Eliminate mishit shots, or reduce them as much as possible. By this, I don't mean slices or fat shots or distance control. But if you can't make clean contact with the ball at least 80-90% of the time, the game isn't going to be much fun.
2) Eliminate penalty strokes. #1 is a big part of this, but there is also a course and game management aspect - not trying to do too much with one shot.
3) Chipping and pitching. For me, this is an area where practice and scores are more closely connected than with the full swing. You can cover up a lot of mistakes with a good short game.
4) This should be putting, but I don't like practicing putting.

For me, at least, #1 was the big one. I'm sure there are lots of ways to improve in this area, but it's hard to match having a knowledgeable pro watch your swing and steer you in the right direction.
Click to expand...

#1 rings so true. And it's really mishits or poor contact on both my hybrids and my mid-irons that is killing me. I've said to my best friend a lot of times, that if I could just eliminate that one shot per hole where I flub it, make poor contact, and basically add a stroke unnecessarily, my scores would be dramatically better. My best rounds have been upper 80's where I did not consistently mishit a shot per hole.

I do hear you on the lessons. But I'd be curious what folks have done beyond that to improve ball striking consistency.
 
Boone said:
I have a friend who says this a lot - 'treat every hole like a Par 5 ...'. My response is, that's great, until I get to a Par 5 - lol ...
Click to expand...

I "pocket" strokes when I can. So, if I get a 4 on a par three, I have one stroke to apply to a par five. So, a six becomes a five. Par threes, if I par, I "pocket" 2 strokes. Just aim for an average of 5.
 
ShortStickShaman said:
I "pocket" strokes when I can. So, if I get a 4 on a par three, I have one stroke to apply to a par five. So, a six becomes a five. Par threes, if I par, I "pocket" 2 strokes. Just aim for an average of 5.
Click to expand...

Hey - that's a nice way to look at it. Sort of 'operationalizes' the whole 'treat every hole like a PAR 5' mentality. Thanks!
 
Jman said:
1) Eliminate penalties.
2) Eliminate two (or more) chips.
3) Eliminate 3-Putts.
Click to expand...

This^^^^^


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
If I play 18 with someone and they do these 3 things, they are a good golfer in my eyes.

1. keep the ball in play off the tee
2. green adjacent in regulation (not necessarily GIR, but close enough for number 3)
3. Their chipping gives them a shot at a one putt (not every one drops, but shows their game is very sound)

I've seen the above score 65-85, but every round I've left thinking that person was a real player.
 
My keys:

Play more often.
Eliminate 3 putts.
Keep it in play off the tee (No penalties).
 
Practice
Play your game (don’t be a hero every shot)
Hit more GIRs
 
Learn fundamentally sound grip-posture-alignment.
Make thousands of swings at the driving range using correct grip-posture-alignment.
On the golf course play with a consistent routine and focus.
 
1. Swing at 80% especially on drives (I know easier said than done) at least until you’re in a groove and feeling confident which is key.
2. Keep lower half quiet. (No dancing)
3. Smooth consistent tempo and especially for me don’t get too quick with my backswing.
 
Jman said:
1) Eliminate penalties.
2) Eliminate two (or more) chips.
3) Eliminate 3-Putts.
Click to expand...

Sounds like solid advice from a golf coach. Putting it into practice is a whole nother story.
 
Boone said:
I bought a tour spider about 2 months ago. I like the feel of the ball coming off the face. I am consistently hitting 5-7 footers and putts with relatively straight lies. Lagging is more of a challenge (especially early in a round). I am aware of the goal of not having the ball hop off the face and I think, generally, that lots of time practice putting will improve my game there.
Click to expand...

That's great. Plenty of drills out there to help in that respect. You mention early in the round. If there's one thing I do before hitting the first tee, it's ten 4ft putts, and ten 25ft putts. I've never regretted taking 5 minutes to do that.

Regarding improvement here as with most things, reps, reps, reps. Gotta put some time in to see the improvement. Maybe tweaking where the ball is in your setup, or putting pigeon toed like Matsuyama, or some other change can help you get a consistent lag effort when the heat is on.

Boone said:
The bigger challenge I have is how to effectively practice with other clubs on the range? I'm starting to think maybe working on just a club or two at the range vs. trying to go through the whole bag, might be more productive. I recently read some discussions related to focusing 3-4" in front of the ball on iron shots (in order to ensure you are hitting down on the ball and that your divot is in front of the ball) but I have not been able to implement that. Does anyone use that approach?

I know 'lessons' would be the stock and logical response. Maybe sometime this year I'll work up the nerve to go there. I sort of equate it to getting a medical physical where my mindset (crazy or not) is that I need to get in shape before I go get that done :) I know - I'm weird.
Click to expand...

There is benefit to focusing on one club, especially if you're working on the swing. Takes the club change variable out and lets you focus on the swing. Regarding swings thoughts, those are very personal. One swing thought can do wonders for one person and ruin another. Gotta spend the time digging in the dirt. The swing thought you mentioned may help.

For lessons, what you equate it to makes perfect sense. My first lesson I felt very exposed. Your swing is very personal and you're letting a stranger put you on TV in superduper slow mo to see all your imperfections. I completely relate to that. My response to it is this: You may need to get in better shape, but in the swing 20 things need to go right to hit a good shot. In most cases to get items 11 through 20 right you need to get 1 through 10 right first. Maybe for you fixing #2 and #3 will make #11-#20 get a ton better.
 
These may not be the best tips but have really helped me:

1. Have fun. If you are constantly frustrated and not enjoying it what's the point?
2. Eliminate penalties. If you are having to re-tee and hurting yourself with extra strokes throughout the round it's tough to lower your score, and expensive!
3. Eliminate those "extra" strokes. I'm not sure how to phrase it better but if you can find a way to eliminate those little mistakes that turn a bogey on to a double, or double in to a triple that will make a huge difference. Maybe find a go to shot that won't get you in trouble. Strengthen your mental game so you don't make dumb mistakes. Whatever it is, find a way to eliminate those loose strokes.
 
Thanks Kev. I will say that I rarely get 'worked up' if having a bad day as I usually hit enough good shots to at least focus on the positive. I did have the worst round of my life recently playing with a good friend that was so bad, I did silently ask myself why I was even out there. But I finished a final 9 holes much better after I let it go and relaxed a little. Great advice.
 
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