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Tips on how to get to scratch and below


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Guys im in need of some help here:

Im playing off 3 just now and really looking to have a good season this year. Im beginning to get back into playing again after taking a break over the winter, mainly due to the weather being so crap! however im not really sure what sort of drills i should be doing.

My biggest weakness is accuracy, especially with the scoring clubs, it may stem from poor alignment however im not quite sure. I mean im fine with hitting the greens but i never seem to be able to get it close. I am never left with birdie putts of less than 15-20ft. i also struggle with distance control with the scoring clubs too.

Is there any good drills or tips that anyone knows that could help me?

thanks in advance

In my :mizuno: Staff Bag
Driver: :ping: i15 S-flex USTMamiya Tour Red
Fairway: :titleist: 909F2 15.5 X-flex UST Proforce V2 85
Hybrid: :mizuno: MP-FliHi 21* S300 +2 deg, +1/2"
Irons: :mizuno: MP-67 4-PW DG S300 +2 deg, +1/2"

Wedges: :vokey: Spin Milled 52.08 56.08 60.04

Putter: :cameron: Newport Beach customised by Kevin Colbert

Ball: :callaway: HX Black

GPS: :skycaddie: SGX

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LOL......if I knew, I wouldn't be playing off of a high 5!

I'll be paying attention to the answers too!

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

If you're not getting it close with the short approaches then you gotta putt. IMO, low handicaps (5 and under) really dont have anything big or game changing left to learn mechanically. So its not anything swing related that will get you to scracth. Its decision making and the flatstick that will put us over.
THE WEAPONS CACHE..

Titleist 909 D2 9.5 Degree Driver| Titleist 906f4 13.5 degree 3-Wood | Titleist 909 17 & 21 degree hybrid | Titleist AP2 irons
Titleist Vokey Wedges - 52 & 58 | Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2 Putter | ProV1 Ball
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The easy answer is chip and putt.

The hard answer is creating the right attitude to become a better player. Having a belief that you can get to where you want to go and pursue it through the way you live your life. The mental game is more than just a preshot routine and having a few thought checks on the course.
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What I found to be interesting, find the Dave Pelz website and take the short-game handicap test. This will test your weaknesses and tell you exactly what you have to work on (short putts, mid putts, long putts, long bunker shots, short bunker shots, etc.)

Also, work on your putting from your average leave distance. For example, if you normally leave your approach shots 20 feet from the pin, work on putts of 20-30 feet. I have a friend on the Canadian Tour and he said this helps alot.

Hope it helps.
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Suggest you read "The Fine Green Line" by a writer jock who spent a year preparing for Q school. The advice he got from a pro teacher was that a year of dedicated practice might lower his low handicap by about a point. Good luck!
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Any time that you are trying to improve in the game of golf (whether from a 25 or a 5), you have to force yourself out of your comfort zone during practice time. Hit shots you wouldn't usually hit, especially when it comes to the short game. By hitting these unusual shots, you will expand your arsenal. In addition, you might also find the straight forward shots even easier than you do now.

Best of luck with your improvements!!

Monster Tour 10.5* w/ Redboard 63
FP400f 14.5* w/ GD YSQ
Idea Pro 18* w/ VS Proto 80s
MP FLi-Hi 21 w/ S300
CG1 BP w/ PX 6.0 SM 54.11 SM 60.08 Sophia 33"

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practice, practice, practice.

I didn't just wake up and become a +1 ;)

No but seriously, its all about dedication. You'll get what you put in. Do not neglect your short game! I practice my wedges and putter most by FAR...now that's just me, not everyones practice habits are the same.

A typical practice day looks like so:
- 15-20 chipping around the practice green, sometimes playing little mini games with myself.
- 90 minutes on my wedges.
- 30-45 on short irons.
- 30-45 on long irons
- 30-45 on woods.
- 45-60 on putting.

Yes, it makes for LONG days, but it's the only way I'm going to be able to play, and compete in college.

Sumo 5000 UST V2 S
906F2. UST X. 13*
Sumo2 hybrid 2. X flex. 17*
X Forged. Project X 5.5:
RAC 50* Vokey 54* and 58* Cherry bomb Newport 2 35" One Black

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the biggest difference between most low single digits and a pro is short game and scrambling... that being said, I'm a 7 and I have at least a few putts inside 15-20 ft every round.

Do you struggle more with distance or direction... another thing most scratch golfers excell in is controlling distance... knowing that a cut will take 5yds off of an 8 iron and controlling trajectory and spin to pinpoint distances, etc.
My Clubs: Callaway FT-i Tour LCG 9.5° w/ Matrix Ozik Xcon 6 stiff; Sonartec GS Tour 14° w/ Graphite Design Red Ice 70 stiff; Adams Idea Pro 2h(18°) & 3h(20°) w/ Aldila VS Proto 80 stiff; Adams Idea Pro Forged 4-PW w/ TT Black Gold stiff; Cleveland CG12 DSG RTG 52°-10° & 58°-10°; Odyssey...
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The easy answer is chip and putt.

Probably THE best sports advice you'll ever hear. You'll realize how good the advice when you actually practice it.

Driver: Tour Burner 9.5° Stock Stiff
Wood: Tour Burner TS 13° Stock Stiff
Hybrid: Tour Burner T2 18° Stock Stiff
Irons: Tour Preferred 3-PW Rifle Project X 6.0
Wedges: 54.10|58.08 Z TP Rifle Spinner 5.5 Putter: VP Mills VP2 Ball: TP/Red.LDP Bag: Warbird Hot Stand Bag 2.0Started playing...

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thanks for all the advice so far guys, much appreciated!

i guess Ive never really appreciated how much practice is needed, especially on the short game.

My putting is good, that's one of the reason ive gotten down to 3.

does anyone have any good drills though?

i was told by an upcoming European tour pro that when he practices chipping and pitching he doesn't pay attention to the flag and where he wants the ball to finish but where he wants the ball to land. So he puts a towel on the ground and starts trying to land the balls on it and varies the distance to help get a feel for distance. What do you make of this drill?

any others that you have heard of will be a huge help

In my :mizuno: Staff Bag
Driver: :ping: i15 S-flex USTMamiya Tour Red
Fairway: :titleist: 909F2 15.5 X-flex UST Proforce V2 85
Hybrid: :mizuno: MP-FliHi 21* S300 +2 deg, +1/2"
Irons: :mizuno: MP-67 4-PW DG S300 +2 deg, +1/2"

Wedges: :vokey: Spin Milled 52.08 56.08 60.04

Putter: :cameron: Newport Beach customised by Kevin Colbert

Ball: :callaway: HX Black

GPS: :skycaddie: SGX

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I'm glad to hear that you consider yourself a good putter. I think I'm the best putter in the world - and that's part of the attitude I've created to play at a high level. As far as drill... www.puttingzone.com Geoff is a Genius.


If you're really serious about taking it to another level, put a good plan in place that identifies your goals (performance, practice, physical, balance, etc..) There are many types of goals. Not just "get to scratch". HOW are you going to get to scratch. This is your first step to getting there.

For example, I work with a player on the canadian tour and his plan is 15 pages deep. He maintains a golf journal that is over 200 pages long and its less than a year old. At a 3 handicap, your swing and your short game won't change over night, but your attitude and your thoughts can.

Improved thoughts + Positive and detailed Plan = Better Attitude towards your goals.
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What I found to be interesting, find the Dave Pelz website and take the short-game handicap test. This will test your weaknesses and tell you exactly what you have to work on (short putts, mid putts, long putts, long bunker shots, short bunker shots, etc.)

This is great advice. I was on the cusp of getting to scratch a few years ago before I had to give the game up until recently and all of my scratch or better friends do both of the things you mention here.

If you haven't read Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible, you need to. And beyond technique, as somebody else said, it's mindset. Some coaches have their players play practice rounds with two balls so they go under par and stay under par, to work on the player's mentality and comfort with going under.

Driver - TaylorMade R7 425
3-Wood - Callaway Original Steelhead
Irons - Ben Hogan 3-PW Apex FTX, Rifle 6.5
Wedges - Titleist Vokey 52, 56, and 60
Putter - Scotty 2004 Newport Beach 1.5

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to practice chipping I put a soda can in the yard and chip at it until I hit it, from various distances and elevation changes. I do pitches, flops etc all like this. I look at chipping as determining where I want to land the ball, chipping it to that spot and the rest is in the golf gods' hands. If I hit my spot and get a bad result I misread the green but still made a good chip.

Driver: 905r 10.5
3 - Wood: 15degree
hybrid: heavenwood 20 degree
Irons: MP - 32 3-PW
Wedges: Vokey 54 and 60Putter: Anser 2 Belly

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Go out on the course one day late(or when there isnt anyone out there at all) and go to the distance you hit a scoring club. Hit shots over and over and over again.

In My Hank Haney IJGA Bag
Driver: FT Tour 9.5 w/ Aldila Voodoo Stiff
3 Wood: i15 15.5 w/ avixcore red stiff
Hybrids: Rescue 09 19, 22 w/ fujikara fit on stiff
Irons: 4 & 5 MP-52, 6-PW MP-58 w/ KBS Tour Stiff Wedges: MP T-10 52*, 58* w/ KBS Tour StiifPutter: Fastback 1 34 inBall: : Pro...

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the towel idea is a good one, personally, I put a tee in the ground or a ball to mark where I want to land my chip shots. I also put my shag bag out in the practice area and hit to it. I change my distances.. 20, 40, 60 yards... what ever. I hit 20 for each distance I pick, and try to land the ball in the bag, or at least bag high. The biggest thing is I mix it up. I don't sit there and hit 200 balls from 40 yards. It too easy to get in a rut and be able to do it with ease, but not learn any feel.

I also play up and down games. I take three balls. I count a best ball, and a worst ball.. out of the three. It helps train my mind like I'm actually playing.

Best advice I ever heard.. when your mind and body say it's time to quit.... go home. Don't force yourself to stay and practice.

My swing thoughts:

- Negative thinking hurts more than negative swinging.
- I let my swing balance me.
- Full extension back and through to the target. - I swing under not around my body. - My club must not twist in my swing. - Keep a soft left knee

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I saw you are a 3 handicap but that doesn't really tell much about scoring average. If your rounds are sporadic then even as a 3 I would start trying to tighten up your swing. I don't know what your swing looks like so it would be pretty hard to say what drill I would recommend.

If you really want a quick fix though, I would read Bob Rotella's books. Breaking par consistently is all about mindset.

T.M. O'Connell

What's in My Bag
Driver - 909 D2 9.5 degree
3 Wood - 909 F2 15.5 degreeHybrid - 909 H 19 degreeIrons - AP2 w/ Rifle 6.5Wedges - BN 60.04 & 54.11Putter - Pro Platinum Plus

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Sounds like you know what you need to work on. Biggest difference between great players and good players is putting, short game and the scoring distances inside of ~120. Sure great players hit a few more fairways, a few more greens, which leads to more opportunities at birdie, but you still need to make the PUTT.

Driver: G10 9*
3-wood: 909F3 15*
Hybrid: 909H 19*
Irons: 695MBs
Wedges: 56 & 52 64 spin milledPutters:Seemore FGP Spider

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Note: This thread is 5491 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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