How do you get into the low 80's from roughly the high 80's and low 90's?

[RFKFREAK]

It's pretty much better ball striking that got me into the mid to low 90s, and from what I hear better ball striking to get to the low 80s. Thinking back on all my leaks today, it was the missed greens and off line drives. Hence, I need better ball striking. Much better.

Yeah, the net and the artificial grass makes me pause a bit because I wonder if I'm getting help from the artificial grass. I'm also not sure if the ball would go where I'd want it to since I can't tell the ball flight hitting into a net. All I know is that I can feel myself striking the ball better more consistently and my ES12 has me increasing my distance on the 6i from 150 to a high of 180 today and most shots in the 170's. What I haven't done with my practice recently is hitting my other irons which I question incorporating as I continue with the swing changes.

[Dave2512]

For me improved ball striking simply led to better misses. When I practice I often use marker to see where the face is making contact with the ball. The difference between good contact and so-so contact could be as little as 2 grooves high or less than a half inch towards the toe. Depending how bad I may not even feel the difference. But for sure I can see a difference in flight.

[Lihu]

Yeah, the net and the artificial grass makes me pause a bit because I wonder if I'm getting help from the artificial grass. I'm also not sure if the ball would go where I'd want it to since I can't tell the ball flight hitting into a net.

All I know is that I can feel myself striking the ball better more consistently and my ES12 has me increasing my distance on the 6i from 150 to a high of 180 today and most shots in the 170's.

What I haven't done with my practice recently is hitting my other irons which I question incorporating as I continue with the swing changes.

My recent epiphany with "bounce" now gives me the understanding that the artificial turf just gives you more bounce. Even fat shots can look pretty nice.

If you get some of that artificial turn from Home Depot, the really deep stuff, maybe that will emulate a real strike?

For me improved ball striking simply led to better misses. When I practice I often use marker to see where the face is making contact with the ball. The difference between good contact and so-so contact could be as little as 2 grooves high or less than a half inch towards the toe. Depending how bad I may not even feel the difference. But for sure I can see a difference in flight.

This has also been a recent observation. If I can get my worst shots less than quarter an inch away on the face from my good ones, it would probably improve my GIR chances. IDK if this is going to be possible for me, but that's definitely a great goal.

[RFKFREAK]

My recent epiphany with "bounce" now gives me the understanding that the artificial turf just gives you more bounce. Even fat shots can look pretty nice.

If you get some of that artificial turn from Home Depot, the really deep stuff, maybe that will emulate a real strike?

This has also been a recent observation. If I can get my worst shots less than quarter an inch away on the face from my good ones, it would probably improve my GIR chances. IDK if this is going to be possible for me, but that's definitely a great goal.

Yeah, I was trying to find a mat that would give me conditions that I felt would be most realistic that wouldn't break the bank and found this one for less than $100 http://duraprogolfmats.com/Dura-Pro-Residential-Golf-Mats.html

I was hoping to hit an outdoor range tomorrow and see if what I feel would translate to actual grass but it's supposed to rain through Friday.

[Lihu]

Yeah, I was trying to find a mat that would give me conditions that I felt would be most realistic that wouldn't break the bank and found this one for less than $100 http://duraprogolfmats.com/Dura-Pro-Residential-Golf-Mats.html

I was hoping to hit an outdoor range tomorrow and see if what I feel would translate to actual grass but it's supposed to rain through Friday.

Our mat is sitting one a bed of pea gravel that acts like a buffer to the ground. A fat shot is pretty obviously fat even though we don't take a divot out.

You can try something like that. It's also great for changing the lies. We can simulate uphill or downhill, or sideways lies. We also use an old club and practice bunker shots with it. I put another screen in front of the target area to catch all the pea gravel.

[RFKFREAK]

Our mat is sitting one a bed of pea gravel that acts like a buffer to the ground. A fat shot is pretty obviously fat even though we don't take a divot out. You can try something like that. It's also great for changing the lies. We can simulate uphill or downhill, or sideways lies. We also use an old club and practice bunker shots with it. I put another screen in front of the target area to catch all the pea gravel.

Pea gravel? I've never heard of that. Do you have it on the grass of your backyard and then put the mat over it?

[Lihu]

Pea gravel? I've never heard of that. Do you have it on the grass of your backyard and then put the mat over it?

I have an area that used to be dirt, and dug 6 inches down and replaced it with this for a nice play area for the kids when they were younger. Now it is shaded area for hitting golf balls.

[RFKFREAK]

[URL=http://thesandtrap.com/content/type/61/id/96917/] [/URL] I have an area that used to be dirt, and dug 6 inches down and replaced it with this for a nice play area for the kids when they were younger. Now it is shaded area for hitting golf balls.

Ahhh. Yah, I don't think I could convince my girlfriend to let me dig an area in our backyard six inches down and replace the grass with gravel, haha. Can you put it on top of the grass and put the mat over or would it be too cumbersome?

[Lihu]

Ahhh. Yah, I don't think I could convince my girlfriend to let me dig an area in our backyard six inches down and replace the grass with gravel, haha.

Can you put it on top of the grass and put the mat over or would it be too cumbersome?

Try this.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/RealGrass-Artificial-Grass-Synthetic-Lawn-Turf-Carpet-for-Outdoor-Landscape-15-ft-Wide-x-Custom-Order-Lwn-LN/202336710

[Strandly]

Pea gravel? I've never heard of that. Do you have it on the grass of your backyard and then put the mat over it?

I see it used quite a bit in construction, pipe bedding in particular.

OT, yes, carry on!

[RFKFREAK]

Try this. [URL=http://www.homedepot.com/p/RealGrass-Artificial-Grass-Synthetic-Lawn-Turf-Carpet-for-Outdoor-Landscape-15-ft-Wide-x-Custom-Order-Lwn-LN/202336710]http://www.homedepot.com/p/RealGrass-Artificial-Grass-Synthetic-Lawn-Turf-Carpet-for-Outdoor-Landscape-15-ft-Wide-x-Custom-Order-Lwn-LN/202336710[/URL]

I'm confused. How and what would one use this for?

[tomvk77]

For me this was distance control.

If you know your distances it will help you to get lower scores.

Course management is a good one also. some samples:

if your miss off the tee is a slice, tee up on the right side to get the feel you have loads off

room on the left. If hook tee up on the left.

If you play a par 5 you can't reach in 2, why still hit driver?? 3 wd will do also. For the second shot don't try to get as close to

the green as possible but search for a distance you feel comfortable with to the pin. also look at what side off the fairway gives the best angle to the flag.

If you play the hardest hole off the course why not play it as a bogey hole. so instead of hitting driver select an mid to low iron to stay out off trouble. On stroke play rounds it will safe you some strokes.

Easy things tot let you stay out off trouble.

[Dave2512]

I'm confused. How and what would one use this for?

I wouldn't. The Durapro is a decent mat fir the money. If you are concerned about where your low point is using mats run a line of blue painters tape and put the ball on the taget side. If you hit what would be a fat shot you will scrape the tape up with the club. Also using dry erase marker you can see the ball mark on the face. If you consistently take divots after hitting the ball the marker will slightly discolor the mat where the divot would be. A liile windex on a rag removes it from both the mat and club.

[Lihu]

I'm confused. How and what would one use this for?

The problem with most mats is that they give you a false impression as to how good was your ball strike. If you make it harder for you to use the additional bounce from the mats, it will give you a more realistic condition to work on better ball striking. Better ball striking seems to be the best means to get from a high handicap down to a 10 handicap, as I have concluded from the many responses I have gotten. Also based upon many responses on this thread, I think that once you reach a plateau in your inate ability to strike the ball, then work on your short game to take your game to the best possible level. If you always hit from a mat with a hard surface underneath it, you defeat the purpose of practice because it makes you think you are doing things right when in fact you could be ingraining bad habits. At least, this is from my experience. So, I have created a condition where there is virtually no additional bounce from the mat to make it a little harder to get that false impression of a good ball strike when in fact it was a fat shot. This condition was created by using the materials I have presented to you. 6" pea gravel underneath artificial grass both available from Home Depot.

[RFKFREAK]

I wouldn't. The Durapro is a decent mat fir the money. If you are concerned about where your low point is using mats run a line of blue painters tape and put the ball on the taget side. If you hit what would be a fat shot you will scrape the tape up with the club. Also using dry erase marker you can see the ball mark on the face. If you consistently take divots after hitting the ball the marker will slightly discolor the mat where the divot would be. A liile windex on a rag removes it from both the mat and club.

Yeah, I felt it was the best mat within the budget I wanted to spend on a mat.  The material feels better than any mat I've ever seen at a range.

The problem with most mats is that they give you a false impression as to how good was your ball strike. If you make it harder for you to use the additional bounce from the mats, it will give you a more realistic condition to work on better ball striking.

Better ball striking seems to be the best means to get from a high handicap down to a 10 handicap, as I have concluded from the many responses I have gotten.

Also based upon many responses on this thread, I think that once you reach a plateau in your inate ability to strike the ball, then work on your short game to take your game to the best possible level.

If you always hit from a mat with a hard surface underneath it, you defeat the purpose of practice because it makes you think you are doing things right when in fact you could be ingraining bad habits. At least, this is from my experience.

Do you think there's a big difference between the mat that I have that I linked above and the artificial grass that you linked?  Underneath the fake grass, it seems kind of rubbery.  Not sure if going through the fake grass would give me a false impression, or, at least, if there's a difference in the false impression as compared to the mats you might find at a driving range.

I think I'll go to an outdoor range tonight and see how it goes.

So, I have created a condition where there is virtually no additional bounce from the mat to make it a little harder to get that false impression of a good ball strike when in fact it was a fat shot. This condition was created by using the materials I have presented to you. 6" pea gravel underneath artificial grass both available from Home Depot.

Well, my girlfriend and I are supposed to go to home depot tonight so maybe I'll see if I can convince her to let me put down pea gravel.

Do you have to dig a hole 6" deep or can you lay it on the grass and then put a mat on top of it.

[Dave2512]

You can swing down and into the Durapro. When I use a marker I darken the face all the way to the bottom. The mat will wipe it away where the face travels through the mat. Honestly I'd rather practice on mats than grass.

[Lihu]

The Durapro is good enough if you don't need to hit off grass. I only hit off grass or create grass like conditions because my main issue has been getting my weight forward. Maybe you don't have the same problems I do, and can get away with a standard mat.

[mdl]

For me this was distance control.

If you know your distances it will help you to get lower scores.

Interesting.  My troubles are almost all left/right accuracy.  Sure the driver and 3w are more variable in distance, but for me, anything I hit relatively near my target left/right is at least going to go a distance still on the green, and usually no more than half a club longer or shorter than I expect (ignoring the pretty rare fliers and absolutely perfectly hit shots that bomb).  I have a buddy with less consistent distances who for a while had as his mantra the classic advice that if there's any doubt or a really short pin amateurs should always take an extra club.  I tried it for a while and just ended up bombing greens or putting it all the way at the back with a front pin.

Originally Posted by tomvk77

If you play a par 5 you can't reach in 2, why still hit driver?? 3 wd will do also. For the second shot don't try to get as close to

the green as possible but search for a distance you feel comfortable with to the pin. also look at what side off the fairway gives the best angle to the flag.

I generally don't agree with the second sentence.  Obviously there's a cost/benefit analysis.  If you're really bad with the longer clubs and trying to hit a 4i up to pitch and putt distance is very likely to instead end up in jail or OB or whatever, then sure, hitting 9i and a full wedge might be the right play.  But your expected score from 30-40 yards is much lower than from 100-110, so if you can get to 30-40 yards with reasonable risk, I think you should do it.  And if your 4i is that much worse than your 9i and you expect a blow up hole when you have to hit it, you're probably not sniffing at low 80s anyway.

Originally Posted by tomvk77

If you play the hardest hole off the course why not play it as a bogey hole. so instead of hitting driver select an mid to low iron to stay out off trouble. On stroke play rounds it will safe you some strokes.

I think this might be advice only for really short hitters or high 90s to 100s players trying to get down to the low 90s.  Seems to me that you're not going to become a consistent low 80s player if you play a couple holes going for bogey from the start.  Again, there's some wiggle room there.  If you play an incredibly hard course where the 1 handicap hole is a 440 yard par 4 with a 15 yard wide fairway, water on one side and jail on the other, a brutal green layout, and you have to hit driver-3w just to have a chance of getting to the green, then sure, maybe hitting 3 irons in is the right play.  On most courses I don't think this is smart course management for a player trying to shoot 80-82.