Golf Progression Advice

I am 32 years old and just started to really study the game of golf this year. I have played about 12 times in the 4 years prior to this season and now I have played 13 rounds in the past 8 weeks and plan to keep going out as much as possible as long as weather permits.

Part of what helped me to get out more often is a friend was able to help me build a consistant and repeatable swing. That along with quite a bit of reading and video watching has allowed me to hit the ball consistantly down the golf course and make it near the green in regulation. Being new to the game getting to the green made me realize the other very important aspect to the game is the short game. My putting and chipping is in serious need of attention and will be my focus now until it gets in line with the confidence I have from the tee box or hitting an iron or fw wood. I have spent the last 4 practice sessions exclusively on putting and chipping.

What I am interested in is to hear what sort of progression would be reasonable to consider. For example my round last Sunday was a 121 on a course rated 70.0 and a slope of 124. I hit 4 greens in regulation and another 8 I was left with a short chip. The other 6 holes I got in trouble with poor course management or just simply a poor shot due to swaying or other swing error or playing a uphill or downhill lie which I am not that experienced with. Now the terrible part is I had 56 putts. So practicing putting and chipping and getting the putt number down to 30 would signifigantly help my scoring.

In the end I guess I am looking for some of the major hurdles others have encountered and gotten through in lowering their handicap as a bit of encouragement to continue on my own quest.

Oh also I have started tracking some stats in my rounds such as fairways hit off the drive, how often I hit each iron per round and if I hit the green with it or not, chips and saves, pitches and saves and total putts.

my only advise is:

1) enjoy the game
2) practice from putting backwards to lower your score
3) putt with your shoulder, arms and hands as one piece
4) learn distance control with your putting
5) chip with your shoulder and without breaking your wrists
6) spend more time with your short game and putting and watch your score come down
7) practice your wedges
8) watch as many video on putting, chipping, pitching, full swing as possible
9) enjoy the game with your friends and get your kids involved as soon as possible

Interesting. My wife is a 2nd year player. Her instruction was exactly opposite of yours. We began 2 winters ago putting in the basement on carpet which represented a slow green.

Early that spring, we went to FL to a golf resort and worked on nothing but short game for days on end. We didn't leave the practice green until she finally got the, 'hit DOWN on ball, ball goes UP' theory.

From there, we went to range where she hit 7-iron off the tee with half swings for a few days. Full swings later in the spring at home. Handed her a wide-bodied driver and it was all over! They flew high and far and she was completely hooked on the game.

Fast-forward to vacation last week. We played a couple of beautiful courses in the Coastal N Carolina region. Wife is GREAT off the tee, but the highlight of the game for her is getting down in THREE from sandwedge range nearly every hole. Definitely keeps the score down.

Moral of story: You're going to rack up 50%, (or MORE) of your shots around the green. Might as well become proficient at this part of the game FIRST.

dave

Dave and KS thanks for the responses, also I have been reading through this thread which has commented on a few other progression ideas I have had:

http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthr...acking&page;=10

Not having anyone to give me much direction I took perhaps the wrong path that I should learn to make the ball fly first. Now that I can do that well and consistantly and my score did not improve I am realizing it is because my short game is terrible.

I guess I was just looking for someone to say putt and chip and pitch only for a while you dolt!

On the course last week I realized that for playing second shots that there are many other types of shots I need to learn like uphill and downhill lie hitting. Or maybe work on accuracy more with the irons. These thoughts were distracting me from setting my practice focus on putting and the short game, which is why I posted here.

On a positve note my putter now goes everywhere with me and a few golf balls so at least I can work on building a consistant stroke and some idea of distance control. I will have to learn to read the greens and develop that feel on the course or practice greens as time permits.

What is most the post important to you at this point? Is shooting lower scores or hitting good shots more important to you?

How may putts per round do you have? Do you find yourself needing 2-3 chips to get on the green?

If you have more then 36 putts pre round and need more then 1 chip to get on the green when you miss the green then yes you need to work on your shortgame. If you have say 40 putts pre round and need 2 chips every other hole then you’re looking at 67 shortgame shots pre round. Where as if you take 1 chip and only 2 putt every green then you’re looking at 54 strokes. You can save 13 strokes per round with just getting to that level of your shortgame. Once you reach that plateau it takes so much more time and practice to reduce your shortgame strokes.

You don’t have to be a great putter to average 36 putts pre round, you don’t have to be a great chipper to get every chip on the green and it doesn’t take a lot of time to do either and there shouldn’t be any reason why you couldn’t get to that point while you are working on your full swing.


Look up some of the stats of the touring pros. If you are looking to get 30 putts per round you're in for a lot of practice time, the last person on tour (209th) averages 30.98 putts per round, the average on tour is somewhere around 29 putts per round. Good putting stats is typically a function of putting obviously but also good chipping.